Do It My Way Podcast: Recent Episodes
Deedra Determan
DO IT MY WAY PODCAST empowers women business owners and CEO’s to do business on their terms with no regrets, hesitation or fear! Maybe you are a CEO ready to build a personal brand OR you’re an entrepreneur listening to all of the pressure from those around you....this is the place for you! We will be talking about all things marketing and how to create your personal brand to make money by teaching others what you already know and get paid to do it! Most importantly, you will learn to do business on your terms and make the money you want to make!
https://d2branding.com/ https://www.facebook.com/D2Branding https://www.instagram.com/d2branding/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/deedradeterman/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCG50qyXALXNtXeWoBtR32lw https://twitter.com/d2branding
It’s not every day you get to Zoom with Martha Stewart — the original influencer long before Instagram was even a thing. I was honored to be able to hear her speak this week through the Entrepreneurs Organization sharing her wisdom. She is so inspiring! Did you know she is 83-years-old? Whaaaaat??? I recently watched her Netflix documentary, which gave me a whole new level of respect for her legacy. Here were some key takeaways: ✅ One of the only female stockbrokers on Wall Street in the 1960s ✅ A self-made lifestyle empire ✅ And a masterclass in reinvention after public scrutiny Can you even imagine being a female on Wall Street in the 60s? She rocked at it too! Hearing her speak live was equal parts wisdom, wit, and wow. Here are a few of my favorite quotes from her from the event: 1️⃣ “Authenticity is the key to a successful personal brand.” 2️⃣ “My association with Snoop is invaluable. It’s expanded my demographic.” 3️⃣ “We are all individuals. We all have a job to do, and we get on with our day.” (On navigating male-dominated spaces) 4️⃣ “Sears was the original Amazon. They just didn’t know how to capitalize on it like Jeff Bezos.” 5️⃣How does she handle scrutiny? “Ignore it. If they criticize one selfie, take another!” 6️⃣ “I had $1.6 billion I could’ve spent on Madison Avenue. Instead, I went to work.” At age 83, Martha is still creating, innovating, and unapologetically herself. What an inspiration to women everywhere! I can only hope to still be inspiring at that age! I share more about Martha's journey on the latest episode of the DO IT MY WAY Podcast!
What if you shifted your mindset from scarcity..."We need to make budget cuts" to abundance..."How can I make more money?" This important mindset shift could be the difference in you creating a million dollar business. I recently met with a client that lost a contract that was a significant part of their monthly income. She immediately went to a scarcity mindset talking about laying off a staff member and cutting her budget. I quickly reminded her that there were plenty of other avenues for her to make more money! Instead of wasting energy and shrinking in fear, it would benefit her way more to start looking at areas she could add additional revenue. I see this mindset more in women I meet with than men so LET'S CHANGE THAT! Where can you raise your prices? Where can you add additional revenue that you may be missing out on? This isn't about doing MORE WITH LESS this is about doing MORE WITH MORE! If you find yourself stuck in a scarcity mindset and would like to book a free 30 minute consultation, I would love to walk you through this to change your perspective! Just go to www.DeedraDeterman.com and click on GET STARTED!
The world today is more distracting than ever! Every five seconds I feel like I get a notification of a text, email, phone call, or social media letting you know someone is engaging with your posts. It can be downright exhausting and your brain goes into overload if you don't manage it. My life seems so busy right now with two kids moving home from college, grad parties, trying to sell my Dad's home and deal with all of his bills coming in from being in the hospital, it can seem overwhelming. Anytime I get like this in life, I know I need to take a step back and put some boundaries in place to find my focus in this crazy life. I came up with seven ways for you to find your focus in a world full of noise on the latest episode of the DO IT MY WAY Podcast. How do you find your focus?
We've all been there where people reach out and ask you "Can I pick your brain" about your area of expertise. If it's a friend, that is one thing. But when strangers do that and expect hours of your time, it feels disrespectful. It is a tricky thing to navigate as they may be a potential client, but you can't spend hours of your day going to coffee and lunches for strangers to "pick your brain." The older I get, the more guarded I am with my time. As a consultant, time is money and for every "freebie" you do, you could be working on your business, recording a podcast, researching what AI is doing in your industry or hitting up a great yoga class. Find out the easiest way to navigate these requests without offending anyone and setting the tone for a successful professional relationship.
We have all been there, you think you can do something yourself to save a buck. Problem is you end up spending your valuable time trying to figure out something you have no knowledge of to avoid spending money and it ends up costing you way more money in the long run. A guy called me over the weekend asking for advice on creating a new website for him because his girlfriend created the first one and they broke up so she was threatening to take it down. He hesitated on spending the money thinking he could do it himself. I asked him how many websites he had created and he said, "well, none." I reminded him of the time it would take for him to figure out how to create a website when he could be working on his business and hand it over to an expert. It got me thinking about the reasons hiring a marketing expert will save you time and money in the long run. Check out "5 Reasons You Need a Marketing Pro" on the next episode of the DO IT MY WAY Podcast. As a business owner, your time is your most valuable asset. Spend it wisely!
There are times in life when the unexpected happens and family becomes a priority over work. My sweet Dad was recently diagnosed with brain cancer and after a long, courageous battle, spent a week on hospice and peacefully passed. This was not something I could plan, but as soon as he entered hospice, I knew I needed to spend every waking moment with him until he passed. Work had to wait. I hadn't planned on being off and definitely not for 14 days, but I am so glad I did. Guess what happened? We landed a big client. Our email marketing still went out. Our social media still had daily content, our clients were still billed on the correct day, our meetings ran without a hitch and our clients' needs were met. Why? We have systems and processes in place. We have automated emails, social media scheduling, and automated billing. Check out the 5 game-changing tips to step away from your business and still make money on the latest episode of the DO IT MY WAY Podcast!
I met with a wellness company the other day to pitch a marketing plan. They needed leads ASAP and I could have just pitched a Facebook + Instagram ad campaign and got the business, but that is not what they needed. Their website had no human connection, no emotion, just scientific facts about their product that no one will relate to. I suggested they do a website rebrand and add real stories of how the product had helped so many people get life changing results, including the owner! The cost overwhelmed them, which I understand, but they were looking at marketing all wrong. You have to stop thinking of marketing as a cost and start seeing it as an investment for long term success! Marketing isn’t an expense—it’s the growth engine of your business! Check out the 5 ways investing in marketing will pay off for your business on the latest episode of the DO IT MY WAY Podcast!
I just had a friend who lost her entire house and everything in it in the recent fires we had in Oklahoma. Such an incredibly devastating thing to lose all of your children's baby books, your wedding ring, your daughter's wedding dress for her upcoming wedding, your parents and grandparents family heirlooms, not to mention every single thing you own. Experiencing a fire that destroys everything can be devastating, but it can also lead to profound perspective shifts, resilience, and personal growth.
One important lesson I learned from watching her go through this is that things are not important and can be replaced. Your family and friends are way more important than any item. To watch the community rise up and step in to help has been incredible to see. The most valuable things in life aren’t possessions—they’re people, relationships, and memories. Losing material things definitely hurts, but it also clarifies what truly matters.
When faced with loss, gratitude for life itself becomes the ultimate takeaway and you learn really quickly how strong and resilient you really are. Tune into the latest episode of the DO IT MY WAY Podcast as I share the biggest lessons learned finding resilience after destruction.
What if I told you that you have been missing out on the one thing that would bring you time freedom and financial freedom to live life on your terms with no regrets, hesitation or fear?
There is one thing and one thing only to create time freedom to spend more quality time with your family and financial freedom so you don't have to be dependent on anyone and can make financial decisions without any stress. The answer is YOU building your personal brand so that you can control your own destiny and DO IT YOUR WAY!
Building a personal brand is no longer optional—it is absolutely essential! Whether you’re an entrepreneur, a corporate leader, or someone looking to make an impact, your brand is the foundation of your success!
In my latest podcast episode, I am going to show you the four reasons WHY you MUST build a personal brand to control your own destiny and DO IT YOUR WAY! But before I do, I want to share a quick story with you why I created a personal brand.
I was a young mom working 12 hour days feeling like I was missing out on my kids’ lives. I was desperate to find a new way when my son was born 12 weeks early which flipped my world upside down. After being in the NICU for 77 days we finally went home and I knew there was no way I could go back to that corporate job. There wasn't a boss in the world that would let me off work every other day to take him to the doctor. I knew it was time to control my own destiny.
After 10 years working in television, I decided to become an entrepreneur so I could create time freedom by launching a niche website for moms in the Tulsa area called 918moms.com.
I don’t know what your why is today, but I know you want time freedom, financial freedom and to control your own destiny!
Check out the four ways a personal brand will do THAT for you on the latest episode of the DO IT MY WAY Podcast!
Last week I had the pleasure of speaking to Oklahoma State University entrepreneurship students in a class called The First 100 Days of Launching a Business. Nothing energizes me more than being in Stillwater on campus with smart students ready to take on the world! The first 100 days of a startup are critical for setting a strong foundation. Here’s a few of the tips I shared with these students: 1. First you need to have a clear Vision & Mission for your business. I can't be all about money or you will fizzle out quickly! What is your purpose, what are your core values, and what is your long-term vision? 2. Business Structure Setup– Be sure to register your business with the state by setting up an LLC or corporation and set up a business bank account. 3. Identify Your Target Market – Conduct market research to understand your ideal customer and analyze competitors to differentiate yourself. No money for market research? I get it! Conduct your own research by asking family and friends about your product or service. What do they like? Not like? Is it solving a problem for them? How much would they pay for it? Find out the 10 steps you must take with The First 100 Days: Your Startup Survival Guide on the latest episode of the DO IT MY WAY Podcast! Not sure where to start with your business idea? Book a free consultation by visiting https://deedradeterman.com/ and click on GET STARTED!
Just when you think you have your marketing down, a new trend starts getting traction and you feel like you are missing out if you don't jump on it! I remember when my daughter told me skinny jeans were out and I had just spent $200 on a really cute pair! It made me question my purchase because we all want to be on trend! In marketing, things change as fast as the skinny jean trend, so you have to stay on top of what is working and what no longer makes sense for your business. I love to research new marketing trends by listening to podcasts and reading case studies on brands or agencies who are trying them and having success! I put together a list of 10 of the hottest marketing trends we are loving right now. Not all of these are going to work and not all of them will make sense for your business, but if you try out one or two and go all in, I can bet you will see some traction! Let me know what trend you are loving now. Check out the Top Marketing Trends We Are Loving Now on the DO IT MY WAY Podcast!
Who’s really on your team when things get tough? Adversity has a way of exposing who’s truly invested in your business and who’s just along for the ride. The real question is: 👉 How do you attract MVP team members—the ones who step up when it matters most? 👉 What can you, as a leader, do to reward and retain the ones who go the extra mile? 👉 How do you spot the weak links before a crisis hits? In this episode of the DO IT MY WAY Podcast, I’m breaking it all down: ✅ The traits of an MVP employee & how to recruit them ✅ Why crisis reveals character—and how to build a team that thrives under pressure ✅ The #1 mistake leaders make when rewarding MVPs Don’t wait for a crisis to figure out who’s on your side. Build your dream team NOW. Who are the MVPs on your team? Happy Listening!
Are You Chasing Followers Instead of Clients? Let’s be real—followers don’t pay the bills… clients do. Yet, so many entrepreneurs focus on likes, views, and comments instead of what actually matters: building a brand that attracts paying customers. In this episode of the DO IT MY WAY Podcast I’m breaking down: ✅ How to convert attention into revenue ✅ The difference between vanity metrics & real business growth ✅ The #1 shift that will make your brand profitable If you’re ready to stop chasing clout and start making real money, this episode is for YOU. Happy Listening!
Are you a high-level female CEO or entrepreneur looking to expand your reach, attract dream clients, and position yourself as a leader in your industry? You already have the expertise, the influence, and the vision. But are you leveraging your voice to scale your impact? Here’s the truth: You need to own your platform! In the latest episode of the DO IT MY WAY Podcast, I share three reasons you need to launch a podcast: Why female CEOs/entrepreneurs NEED a podcast to establish authority How to turn your voice into revenue and opportunities The secret to scaling your impact—without adding more to your plate Your voice is your power! It’s time to use it! Check out the latest episode of the DO IT MY WAY Podcast now! P.S. Hit reply and tell me—have you ever thought about launching a podcast but aren't sure where to start.
We all face adversity in life and sometimes everything seems to hit you smack in the face all at once. Times of adversity teach you what is important in life and who is truly in your corner. Can you imagine hearing the words, "you have brain cancer?" That is what happened to my Dad right after Christmas. It wasn't anything we were expecting because he didn't really have any major symptoms. Talk about your life flipping upside down in one unexpected moment. He was told he has an inoperable tumor the size of a tangerine in his brain. I saw my Dad processing the news, not saying a word. I could only imagine what was going through his head. A little later there was a nurse shift change and a new nurse walked in (probably having no idea he was just told he has a brain tumor) and asked how he was doing. He looked at her with the biggest smile and said, "I am great!" He later went on to joke that he was so smart they had to remove part of his brain to study it and had the nurses all laughing. That puts life into perspective right there. Adversity happens for you, not to you and YOU CHOOSE how you will react in that moment. Find out What Brain Cancer Has Taught Me About Life in the next episode of the DO IT MY WAY Podcast!
Dawn Chesser was a stay-at-home mom when life threw her an unexpected challenge—cancer. But she didn’t just fight; she found a new purpose. Out of her own kitchen, she created Sixth Day Snacks, starting with her homemade salsa. What began as a side hustle to pay off medical bills has now grown into a thriving family business. In this episode, Dawn shares her powerful story of resilience, reinvention, and turning adversity into opportunity. Don’t miss this inspiring conversation!
One way I am going to elevate my game in 2025 is to surround myself with successful entrepreneurs that are 3-4 steps ahead of me by joining a mastermind. There's no better way to elevate every area of your life than to hang around people doing what you want to do! Are you wanting to get in shape and feel great in the new year? Join a gym or online fitness community and get going! Are you wanting to take your business to $1 million or $10 million? Hire a business coach or join a mastermind. Are you wanting to know how to integrate AI into your daily processes? Take a course or listen to a podcast on how AI is changing business and marketing. Check out 5 Ways to Elevate Your Game on the latest episode of the DO IT MY WAY Podcast!
We've all been there, you have a crazy fun weekend, maybe even take a road trip, and Monday morning comes and you have the Monday blues and you are not prepared for the week. You get to the office, open your computer and stare at it wondering what you are supposed to be doing. You forget your lunch, haven't even looked at your calendar to see what you have for the day. You start scrolling Instagram and the next thing you know 45 minutes have gone by. Oh, and you are tired! Well, this way of life is not setting you up for a successful week! Just like you start your day with a morning routine, you need to start your week with a Sunday routine. I have found when I am intentional with my time on Sundays preparing for the week, I am much happier and more productive. Check out "What I do on Sundays to Prepare for the Week" on the next episode of the DO IT MY WAY Podcast! What do you do on Sundays to prepare for the week?
We all have things that we need to leave behind to move forward and reach our 2025 goals. Maybe it's a toxic relationship, neglecting self care, overcommitting, or comparing yourself to others. We are all guilty of these habits but once you let go of them, you will find yourself feeling free and able to tackle all that the new year has to offer. In this episode, I share 8 of the most common habits that women CEOs and entrepreneurs deal with on a daily basis. I'd love to hear what you are letting go of and not bringing into the new year! Happy Listening!
Your health should be your number one priority. If you do not have your health, you cannot enjoy your wealth! Your business is absolutely affected by how you feel. The healthier and more dedicated to wellness you are, the better you will perform and an leader. Every year at the beginning of the year, I reflect on my wellness and health goals for the next year. The older I get the more important it is to maintain a life of wellness. I came up with five wellness tips that I will be implementing into 2025 as daily goals. I encourage you to come up with your wellness goals that you will achieve this year. Not everyone’s goals should be the same as they need to meet you where you are at. However, I promise you if you implement these five wellness tips your life will be changed!
What will your goals be? Here’s to a happy healthy 2025.
Jill Donovan’s journey from lawyer to founder of the iconic bracelet brand Rustic Cuff is nothing short of extraordinary. For years, Jill wrestled with finding her true passion, hoping her mentor, Oprah Winfrey, might guide her to clarity. But her full-circle moment came in an unexpected way, sparking the creation of a brand that’s touched countless lives. In this episode, Jill shares her inspiring story, from the challenges of stepping away from a legal career to the life-changing decision to follow her heart and start something new.
She opens up about the pivotal moments that led to Rustic Cuff’s success, the lessons she’s learned as a business owner, and the joy of creating something that brings people together. Whether you’re chasing a dream or looking for inspiration to take that leap, Jill’s story is a must-listen. Tune in to hear how she turned uncertainty into her greatest triumph.
At the end of the year, I always like to look back and assess how the year went personally and professionally. This is being real with the good, the bad and the ugly! I also do this for my team and meet with them one on one to see how things went from their perspective. I am always surprised at the things I learn from them! I only have 15 team members so you'd think I would know everything that is going on, but it is impossible to know until you ask! Here are the questions that help me assess 2024: 1) What worked really great for you in 2024? 2) What was your biggest challenge? 3) What do you want to learn in 2025? 4) What are the opportunities we are not taking advantage of that we should? Once I get a good assessment of 2024, I have them share with me three big goals personally and three big goals professionally for 2025. Instead of overwhelming them with 20 goals, we keep it simple so they can focus on three things and see success! Find out how you can achieve more by doing less in 2025 on the DO IT MY WAY Podcast!
I get hundreds of cold emails and LinkedIn messages every day where someone is trying to sell me something. Everyone has a product or service that they say I can't live without, but very few make it past my delete button. A "cold" email is an unsolicited email sent to someone who does not have a prior relationship with you, typically used for business. The goal is usually to introduce yourself, present an idea, request a meeting, or offer a product or service in a way that generates interest. I get at least 3 a day where someone says "I can help you write a book or create a podcast." I'm thinking, hmmm, if you did a little research before sending you would know that I have a book and I have a podcast! What a waste of time! I realize they are probably sending the same email to 1000 people and many don't have a book or a podcast, but why would I ever answer if they can't take 5 minutes to do a little research before sending? Surely their approach doesn't work on anyone. Another one I got this week was from a woman who is a fitness expert with 25 years of experience and she wanted to be on the DO IT MY WAY podcast as a guest. She sent 3-4 paragraphs with all of her credentials and why she would be great and then her email signature just said "Natalie." I'm like, Natalie who? No last name, no website address, no LinkedIn or Instagram profile link. How does she not have an email signature with her website or social media channels if she is soliciting to be on someone's podcast? I'm not going to Google and dig around trying to find info on her to see if she's a good fit. I assume she's not based on her email signature! Every once in a while, I'll get a really clever email where someone has researched D2 Branding and the clients we work with, they have read our testimonials and even referenced a case study or commented on a specific podcast interview I did. Now, those are the only people who peak my interest! Email mistakes happen every day but can be avoided if you follow these easy six steps. Check out the latest episode of the DO IT MY WAY podcast to avoid these cold email mistakes and start to get some responses with your outreach.
I met with a woman yesterday who was undecided about the name of her business. She found D2 Branding on Google a year before and we had this same conversation. She had many things get in the way of life, including having a baby, but she spent an entire year thinking of it and hadn't done anything about it. Fast forward to our conversation yesterday where she expressed getting doubts from her husband and her mom on the name change. She wanted to go with her gut, but was getting caught up in the pressure and noise around her. She needed a coach to validate her idea. It got me thinking, most of the clients I have the honor of coaching use me to give them confidence in executing their idea! I am not emotionally attached to the idea and can objectively give advice and a road map of where to go. I came up with 5 Reasons Business Coaches Give You Confidence on the next episode of the DO IT MY WAY Podcast. If you have an idea and would like a free 30 minute consultation, go to DeedraDeterman.com and click on Get Started!
In this inspiring episode of the Do It My Way Podcast, I sit down with Tulsa television icon LeAnne Taylor, beloved morning news anchor on News on 6. Known for her warmth, professionalism, and deep commitment to her community, LeAnne shares her journey from the newsroom to becoming a powerful advocate for women.
She opens up about her fight against breast cancer, how it shaped her perspective on life, and the lessons she’s learned along the way. From balancing a demanding career to making a lasting impact in Tulsa, LeAnne is the embodiment of grace, resilience, and strength.
Tune in to hear her incredible story, her advice for women navigating challenges, and how she continues to make a difference in the community.
I am so excited to finally say I am a published author! I never thought those words would come out of my mouth! I just released my book, DO IT MY WAY: Empowering Women to Do Life Their Way By Creating a Personal Brand Business. There's no way I would have written the book if I didn't have a coach break it down to these six easy steps. It can seem very overwhelming to get all of your thoughts in writing, make it sound really good and be something that people want to read! If you have a book idea in your head but aren't sure where to start, this podcast episode is for you! Check out "How to Write a Book in 6 Easy Steps" and you'll be on your way to becoming an author!
I used to fill up my days with meetings and then anytime there happened to be "down time" I would work on personal development, strategic plans, or maybe hit a yoga class. It wasn't very productive and I would find myself never getting to those "extra" things because a fire would be happening with a client or a team member that needed my attention in that down time. It wasn't until I started to schedule EVERYTHING that I started to feel accomplished and my days became productive. Whether it was my 5am workout or when I was going to meal prep or scheduling time to learn about the ever changing marketing industry, I had it all in my calendar. At the end of every week, I would look at the priorities for the next week and schedule it out. As CEOs and entrepreneurs we often get caught up in playing defense with our schedule putting out fires as soon as they come vs. strategically planning our days. This creates chaos and important things never get finished. If you find yourself doing the same, check out the latest DO IT MY WAY Podcast episode "The Power of Proactive Scheduling" to get a game plan started this week! How do you plan out your days to be the most productive?
Lisa Riley shares her incredible journey from refinery manager to owning three Pinot’s Palette franchises in Tulsa. Known for her authenticity and fearless drive, Lisa talks about embracing a major career pivot, the surprises of running an art studio, and learning to prioritize family and health. She opens up about how cancer reshaped her priorities, the power of trusting her team, and how she now starts every day with gratitude. Tune in for Lisa’s down-to-earth advice on passion, resilience, and finding joy in the little things!
I had the honor of judging the Oklahoma State Homecoming Court last week. There were 30 candidates (15 for Queen, 15 for King) and they did a speed dating round for us to get to know the candidates. Each student had two minutes to share a little about themselves and talk about their biggest accomplishment while at OSU and we quickly judged them on appearance, communication, confidence, eye contact and enthusiasm for all things OSU. The students were all so bright but several really stood out because they had perfected their two minute "elevator pitch." It got me thinking about the CEOs and entrepreneurs I work with and how important it is to be able to articulate exactly who you are, the problem you are solving for your ideal client, your X-Factor and a call to action in two minutes or less. People don't have the time or the patience to listen to a long pitch. Be concise. Deliver with enthusiasm. Share with them the next step in working with you. Don't miss the latest episode of the DO IT MY WAY Podcast where I share all of the important things you need to include in your pitch.
Something I have struggled with over the years is progress over perfection. If it doesn't feel "perfect" I don't like putting it out there whether it's on my social media or on a podcast episode. I had a goal to write a book by the time I was 50 and guess what? I'm 51 and my book is launching in a couple of weeks. I struggled getting it out on time because I wanted it to be perfect. Guess what would have happened if I waited until I thought it was perfect? I would have never launched it! Perfectionism often holds back female CEOs and entrepreneurs. We are too worried what we look like, what other people will say vs. thinking of the person on the other side that you are helping. So, if you have a project you have been holding onto until it's perfect, it's time to get it out into the world! Someone needs what you have to succeed! Don't miss the latest episode of the DO IT MY WAY Podcast, Progress Over Perfection!
In this inspiring episode, I sit down with Kathy Taylor, former mayor of Tulsa, successful businesswoman, and a relentless advocate for community growth. From leading a city to empowering future female entrepreneurs, Kathy's journey is nothing short of remarkable. We explore her diverse career, her dedication to lifelong learning, and her drive to break down barriers for women in business. Kathy shares powerful lessons from her time as mayor and business leader, offering invaluable advice to women seeking to make their mark. Whether you're just starting out or looking for the motivation to keep going, this episode is packed with insights you won’t want to miss. Tune in for a conversation that will inspire you to take bold steps in your own journey.
We have been doing a lot of influencer marketing lately for clients and seeing some really great results! We all follow influencers that we like and trust and we've probably bought products because they said they were great. Influencers are able to "influence" their audience in such a powerful way. Influencer marketing offers several benefits, making it an effective strategy to add to your marketing mix. Here are three reasons why: 1. Targeted Audience Reach: Influencers often have a dedicated, niche audience allowing businesses to connect with potential customers on a "human" level. 2. Enhanced Brand Awareness: Collaborating with influencers helps expose your brand to a broader audience, increasing visibility and recognition in a more organic way. 3. Improved Engagement: Influencers have strong engagement with their followers, and their content tends to generate more likes, comments, and shares, helping brands foster a more interactive connection with potential customers. Check out the latest DO IT MY WAY Podcast to see if influencer marketing is right for you!
As I was driving home this past weekend, I noticed there were phonebooks placed at every mailbox in my neighborhood. I had to laugh as I thought to myself, "Is there really still a phonebook?" and better yet, "Are people really still advertising in the phonebook?" Sure enough, it was a full blown phonebook with ads throughout. I took it to work because all of the advertisers in it are GREAT candidates to be educated on the power of digital marketing. And, honestly I would love to hire the salesperson who was able to get all of those people to buy something everyone throws away! That's one heck of a seller! That's what brought me to talk about today's episode which focuses on the power of digital marketing, tracking a lead and following up with your lead. If you are out there and aren't sure how digital marketing works, I would love to set up a free consultation with you. Just go to D2Branding.com and click on Get a Quote! In the meantime, check out the latest episode of the DO IT MY WAY Podcast!
I had an amazing conversation with Hannah Arnaud, owner of The Scout Guide - Tulsa. Hannah’s path has taken her from a corporate office, to the classroom, and to a nonprofit before becoming an entrepreneur. She shares the pivotal moments that led her to become a business owner and the community she’s passionately built around it—all while raising three young children under the age of four. Join us for an inspiring conversation about leadership, balance, and the power of community.
Back to school time has me thinking about work/life balance. It is always such a crazy time getting the kids back in gear for school, making lunches, taking them to all of their after school activities all while you are trying to run a business! As a new empty nester, I am wishing those days were back, but remember all too well the hustle it took getting everyone out the door in the mornings! Balancing work and family life can be challenging for working moms.
Here are five tips to help get you through the school year: 1. Prioritize and Set Boundaries: Clearly define your priorities, both at work and home. Set boundaries to protect your time. When you are home and it's family time, you are not on your phone or computer. 2. Delegate and Ask for Help: Don't hesitate to delegate tasks at work and home. Whether it’s asking your partner, hiring help, or getting assistance from coworkers, sharing responsibilities can lighten your load. 3. Use a Flexible Schedule: If possible, arrange a flexible work schedule that accommodates your family’s needs. Flexibility, like working from home or adjusting hours, can provide the necessary balance between work and family time. 4. Make Time for Self-Care: Prioritizing your own well-being is crucial. Carve out time for activities that rejuvenate you, whether it’s exercise, hobbies, or just relaxing. Taking care of yourself helps you manage stress and be more present in all areas of your life. 5. Stay Organized and Plan Ahead: Use calendars, to-do lists, or apps to keep track of work deadlines, family activities, and personal time. Planning meals, preparing for the next day the night before, and setting routines can help you manage your time more effectively and reduce daily stress. I don't have all of the answers, but once I started to protect my family time and not answer emails or work during that time, my life got easier! Check out the latest episode of the DO IT MY WAY Podcast on how to find work/life balance!
I met with a client the other day who was questioning continuing their social media content posting. They had gotten over 45,000 impressions on their posts in the last couple of months but weren't sure if it was converting to buyers. I get it, when you don't see a return on something you are investing in, it can get frustrating. They weren't doing any video, just static posts on Facebook + Instagram, which is a great start. Content is not a quick game. You don't suddenly start posting on Instagram and get orders, however you are building up credibility, start to get engagement, and increase your brand awareness. If you want to see a return on your investment, you need to do social media advertising, but you will still need to have fresh content up at least 3x week with your ad campaign. Content is KING for several reasons that I am sharing on the latest episode of the DO IT MY WAY Podcast at DeedraDeterman.com/podcast!
In this episode, I sat down with LaTonya Pratt, leader of the nonprofit "In Tulsa," which connects job seekers to opportunities. LaTonya shares her journey from aspiring to be the next Oprah to becoming a leader in HR and a champion for women. She discusses her role as a mom, wife, and career woman, fashion influencer, and the importance of finding your superpower. Tune in to hear about her faith, fashion journey, and advice for job seekers. Don't miss this inspiring conversation about resilience, authenticity, and empowering others!
I was reminded of why it is so important to give more than you receive yesterday when I got a call from an attorney out of L.A. that I talked to back in 2020. He saw something I posted on LinkedIn when we were in the thick of Covid and things weren't looking so good for business owners. I felt helpless myself, but decided that I had knowledge that others could learn from in a time where people really needed it. I started posting marketing tips and ways to market without spending money to help those that put a hold on their marketing because they were trying to keep paying their team. This meant I was giving advice on ways for my own clients to quit and try to do it on their own.
This attorney reached out to me and asked for a zoom call because he had some marketing questions. I did this with many, many people during that time and it was honestly therapeutic for me to not think about my own business and worry about paying my own team. I ended up talking to him for an hour and a half giving him advice on ways to navigate this new world. I never thought of this guy again and did not expect anything in return. Well, yesterday, he reached out. He said he was so appreciative of the time I spent with him during 2020 that he wanted to use me as his marketing partner now that he has a budget. I honestly didn't remember who he was because I had countless meetings like that during that time but it felt really good to have something come back, even if it was four years later! Sometimes it's more important to focus on long term success rather than short term gains. In this episode, I share why it is more important to give then receive in business, in relationships, and even to strangers. How do you give more than you receive in your life? Check out Learn to Give More Than You Receive on the DO IT MY WAY Podcast.
Courtney Bullard is a dynamic speaker, accomplished author, and dedicated mentor with a passion for making a difference. As a mother and wife, she balances her personal and professional life with grace and determination. Courtney is also the visionary behind The Pearl House, a life-changing nonprofit organization that empowers teenage girls in Ghana, providing them with the tools and support they need to succeed. In this episode, she shares how her personal brand and unwavering positivity have helped her fulfill her calling, inspiring others to find and follow their own paths to making a positive impact in the world.
We all face adversity from time to time and it can be a real downer! It has taken me some time, but I have learned to turn my adversity into motivation!
One of the hardest things I have lost was the Tulsa Spirit Award competition for my business start up idea: a niche website for moms in the Tulsa area. I can't remember if it was a $10,000 or $15,000 prize, but it was a LOT of money that we really needed to WIN to get the website going. I'll never forget when one of the male judges named Sean said to us, "Why would anyone go to a mom website? And why would anyone buy advertising on a mom website?" This was back in 2009 when digital was just coming on the horizon. We were ahead of our time, or at least in his mind. I was so FIRED UP by his comment, that I used it as motivation to blow that website up! Fast forward to many sleepless, late nights launching that website but guess what would pop into my mind everytime I wanted to give up? A picture of "Sean" saying it would never work! I couldn't wait to prove him wrong! A year later the website grew to 100,000 moms visiting it every month and we sold that website to Griffin Communications, who owns the News on 6 and News 9 in Oklahoma. Guess what happened to the winner of the Tulsa Spirit Awards that year? He never even launched the business. I often wondered if we would have had that much success if we weren't motivated by Sean's comments. What if we had won? Would we have been complacent and not as motivated? It was the first time I was able to see how powerful it was to turn adversity into motivation! Find out how to turn your adversity into motivation on the next episode of the DO IT MY WAY Podcast!
My 19-year-old son, Jace, is an intern at D2 Branding this summer and he had his friend come with him one day. They are fresh out of high school and learning how a digital marketing agency works. At the end of the day, his friend said to me, "You mean you don't do any of the work?" It made me laugh because he thought I was a genius creating websites, running TikTok accounts, doing photography, graphic design, digital ads and video production. I had to share with him that I don't do any of that, but I have an amazing team that are experts in each area that do the work. I am not sure if he thought I was stupid or a genius at that point, but it made me think about business owners out there that are trying to do it all. You will never scale and grow if you are the one doing the work!
I did all of the work in the beginning and I quickly realized that I could only have a handful of clients because I was exhausted working 12 hour days. I knew I couldn't sustain that for long, so I started hiring a great team that could execute way better than I ever could!
Find out why leaders should avoid doing work and how D2 Branding has been able to scale on the latest episode of the DO IT MY WAY Podcast!
I recently hired a sales rep and we spent a day cold calling local businesses, which is walking in without having an appointment or knowing who to talk to. It reminded me that you can never stop cold calling! Remember people have to get to know you, like you and trust you to buy. You have to start somewhere! We talked to 15 different business owners and had at least five that acted interested and wanted more information. Sales is a numbers game! The more you call on, the more you close.
Tulsa-based digital creator, Teresa Forehand, started her career as a physician’s assistant and loved her job until she had a baby and realized her priorities were changing. She began sharing her workouts online and documenting her journey while growing a large following on Instagram. She eventually left her PA job, and now is a mom of three little ones and a full-time digital creator known for creating “20-minute meals.” She shares how she navigates being a full-time working mom, overcoming adversity when her husband suffered a severe brain injury, and how she built an online community of over 150k loyal, raving fans. Her story is inspiring and shows us how you can do it all and be successful too!
Someone asks you to speak as an expert in your industry but you would rather die than get in front of a group. I know you are probably thinking no, but the next time you get asked, you need to say YES! It is a great way to get your personal brand out there and be seen as the expert in your industry. You can also get sales leads added to your list.
I understand your hesitation, the first time I got asked to speak, I didn’t realize how hard it would be until I tried it. I have spent years in sales, so I thought it was going to be easy for me like a sales call, but I was wrong!
It’s just like anything else, practice makes perfect! On this episode of the DO IT MY WAY Podcast, I share the most important steps you can take to prepare for a speaking engagement.
The first thing you need to do is know your audience! Who is in the crowd? What is the biggest problem you can solve for them? Are they potential clients? Potential referrals? What value can you add to their life so they see you as the expert in your industry?
Find out the other steps by listening now!
We've talked a lot about personal branding and the importance of launching a personal brand to grow and scale your business. You might be thinking, ok, I know I need to create a personal brand, but I just don't know where to start! After coaching female CEOs and entrepreneurs on creating personal brands, I came up with the seven things that make successful personal brands so you have a game plan of where to start! First you have to create your brand story. This is 3-5 things that have happened to you in your life that have shaped who you are today. This could be a relationship, a job, a divorce, a promotion or becoming a mom! Everyone's story is different so think of those 3-5 things that make you who you are today! Maybe it's the hero story showing you down and out to becoming a hero and overcoming a huge obstacle. This could be losing 100 lbs, going from broke to a millionaire or even just the best gardener on the block. Maybe it's your career path with you sharing the incredible things you have done to become successful. The #1 thing you need to do is show up authentically as YOURSELF! No one can be YOU, but YOU! Be vulnerable and relate to people. If you only share your highlight reel of all of the amazing things that have happened in your life, you will relate to no one. Listen now to hear the rest of the steps to creating a successful personal brand!
If you are thinking of starting a business, listen up! Business startups are not for the faint at heart! I recently met with a client who had just spent $250k on a build out for their business and they were out of money and ready to give up. Find out the six options I coached her on and quitting was not one of them!
We took the DO IT MY WAY Podcast on the road to my alma mater, Oklahoma State University, to chat with the university’s first female President, Dr. Kayse Shrum! She started as a pediatrician, became Dean of the medical school at OSU, and now is the President! Not to mention a wife and mother to SIX KIDS! She has set an incredible example for young girls and showed them that they can do anything they set their mind to. I am so excited for you to hear her amazing story!
Find out why a personal brand can be the X Factor that separates you from your competition! All you need is your skills, experience and personality to create a personal brand that will elevate your business!
Tina Parkhill is a community leader who has been recognized for her amazing contributions in community service and business. She’s been recognized as ‘Woman of Distinction’ and ‘Volunteer of the Year,’ and ‘Fastest Growing Company,’ just to name a few. Tina shares with us her story of leaving the corporate world to become an entrepreneur, while prioritizing serving the Tulsa community along the way. Find out why she thinks networking is critical to becoming successful!
Shea Roach is the Co-Founder of Freeform, a global marketing automation company for people to get the most out of their digital marketing efforts. They developed their own software, Profithack that is known as the Quickbooks of marketing. Shea has worked with celebrity clients like Odell Beckham Jr., Duck Dynasty, and ESPN. She worked in corporate america for years then became an entrepreneur launching Freeform. Her latest project is developing the Ten District in Jenks. Shea shares her advice about the mindset you should have if you’re looking to become an entrepreneur and her plans to grow the city of Jenks.
Tulsa entrepreneur, Teresa Knox, wears many hats. Teresa shares how she started her career as a dental assistant, then went on to teach others, specifically women, about the career and started Community Care College. She explains how she grew the college, opened two more, and now owns some of the most iconic spots in Tulsa, like the Church Studio and Harwelden Mansion. Teresa has a passion for Tulsa and preserving its rich history. Hear Teresa talk about the risks she’s taken in her many business endeavors and the advice she has for entrepreneurs.
Kay Koziol is one of the healthiest 50-year-olds you will ever meet, but she wasn’t always that way. She was a former CEO who put so much time into her work that she neglected her health. Before she knew it, she was 80 pounds overweight and disgusted with herself.
Breaking away from her corporate role, she decided to take control of her health and joined Burn Boot Camp where she says she was the fattest girl in the room. She didn’t let that stop her as she had an extreme commitment to change, lost over 80 pounds, and ended up becoming a Burn Boot Camp franchise owner who now owns three thriving Burn Boot Camp locations in Oklahoma!
Join me as I dive deep into Kay's journey, exploring how she not only navigates her businesses but also cultivates a healthy mindset in both the gym and the kitchen. Get ready to be inspired by Kay's resilience, determination, and the unique perspective she brings to achieving health and business success.
A third-generation Tulsan, Paula Marshall has served as CEO of Tulsa-based international food manufacturer, Bama Companies, Inc. since 1990. Paula has served, started or partnered with numerous organizations and causes in the Tulsa area, including Tulsa Chamber of Commerce, Tulsa Area United Way, the Margaret Hudson Program, DVIS, Food On The Move and Ronald McDonald House Charities. Paula has also been recognized for several awards and recognitions, including being inducted into the Tulsa Hall of Fame, Advocate of the Year for DVIS, The Journal Record’s Woman of The Year, and being named one of the 25 Tulsans Who Shaped Our City by Tulsa People Magazine in 2011, and most recently, becoming a 2021 inductee into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame. Listen to Paula explain how she deconstructed systems in place at Bama Companies and created a family environment to support her team members and partners.
Tulsa native, Teresa Gawey, left her corporate job and did not know the direction her career path was going in. She graduated college with a journalism degree, worked in the corporate world, then pivoted to get her master’s degree in social work and worked as an executive director at local nonprofit, Tulsa Area United Way.
After having a premature baby, her life flipped upside down and she decided to become a stay at home mom. After more than a decade of raising her kids, she found a need for yoga in the Tulsa community. She took a risk and opened SALT Yoga. Her studio is all about inclusivity and fun while moving your body, at any level.
Listen to Teresa share invaluable insights to other aspiring entrepreneurs and what it’s really like to be a business owner.
I had too much fun interviewing lifestyle photographer, Amy Herndon, on the DO IT MY WAY Podcast this week! Amy explains how she started her business at the perfect time when her style was rare and Instagram was just becoming popular. She shares how to stay relevant in industries that are constantly evolving. Find out how Amy went from stay at home mom to sought after lifestyle photographer flying all over the country capturing her client's most precious moments.
Sometimes it's hard to look at the good life when things are crumbling around you, but mindset is everything!
Mia Fleming is a highly accomplished and captivating TV host, known for her magnetic personality, infectious energy, and strong journalistic background. At the height of her career, Mia had a paralyzing realization that success doesn’t always equal fulfillment. She left her successful career, committed to letting go of limiting beliefs, prepared to face her fears, and got out of her comfort zone. Mia came face to face with adversity from infertility to related health ailments which led to years of debilitating pain. Yet, she continually reminded herself to look for the good in life, and she began to find it again.
At the height of the pandemic, she decided to create TV segments called the “GOOD Life List” -- a play on bucket lists, but instead they are about living life to the fullest and sharing good life lessons by daring herself to take different adventures and inspiring viewers to live their lives to the fullest. The TV segments are a part of her Hello GOOD Life with Mia! brand which exists to provide people with the tools, community, content, and inspiration needed to live their own good lives. Find out how Mia used a positive mindset when she was facing adversity to launch Hello Good Life with Mia Fleming, which goes on tour across America this fall.
Several years ago my goal was to have Fridays off. It would be the day where my kids were still in school, my husband was working and I had free time to do whatever I wanted. It was a great “errand day” to get things done while other people were working, picking up my dry cleaning or getting my hair done without having to stress about work. Most Saturdays were spent at the soccer field or on a basketball court with my kids, so it left very little time to get things done outside of work. At D2 Branding, we implemented the four day work week, only working 28 hours a week, a few years ago and we will never go back! It has left our team members very happy and grateful and most of all productive! Find out how you can implement a 28 hour work week on the latest episode of the DO IT MY WAY Podcast at D2Branding.com/podcast!
Can you think of a time in your life when money played a factor in an important decision you made? Or maybe you couldn't make the right decision because you did have the money to do so. My mom got pregnant in high school with my older brother and had to quickly get married because my dad’s family was Catholic and lived in a small town in Kansas where having a baby out of wedlock was unheard of at the time. My mom was an amazing mom who raised three kids and sacrificed all of her dreams to be a mom. She always says being a mom is all she ever wanted to do but before she turned 40, my dad had an affair and left her. She had no high school degree, she had only gotten her GED but never worked a day in her life and she found herself a single mom of three kids needing to get a job. She stayed in that marriage longer than she needed to because of money. What would she do? Who would hire a single mom with no college degree or work experience? I saw money dictate her decisions. I was in 7th grade and vowed right then and there I would never rely on anyone for money. I would be self sufficient and if I needed to pack up my kids and move to have a better life, I would do it. I read a quote the other day that hit home for me and reminded me of that story. “Money or the lack thereof will put you at the mercy of someone else.” There is not a more true statement. When you don’t have your own money, you are at the mercy of the person paying you. Here are six ways to manage your money in your small business on the latest episode of the DO IT MY WAY Podcast!
A strong company culture is the most important thing to grow your business but it often gets overlooked. Companies with a positive culture have more employee engagement and fulfillment in their jobs, which makes them work harder and results in higher revenue. Culture is your employee’s beliefs and attitudes about the way things are done in your workplace. It may not be discussed every day, but culture is always there in the background, affecting every bit of work that gets done. I have coached businesses that have amazing company culture and you can feel it right when you walk in the door. Everyone is smiling and genuinely happy to be working there. On the other hand, I have walked into organizations that were actually large companies making money and not one person was smiling or acted like they wanted to be there. The employees never had conversations with the leadership team or each other for that matter. Everyone came in and out daily with little interaction and zero fun. Who wants to work in an environment like that? You spend more time each day with your work family vs. your own family at home! Creating your company’s culture starts at the top with the Founder/CEO and leadership team. What kind of environment do you want to create for your employees to work in? Check out my tips for creating a positive company culture on the latest episode of the DO IT MY WAY Podcast.
I can’t believe I am on my 100th podcast! What a fun learning experience with ups and downs. I originally wanted to write a book, but realized I am a much better talker than I am a writer, so I shifted my focus to launching a podcast. I have several coaching clients that I have helped launch podcasts so I also thought I better practice what I preach and launch one myself! I get asked a lot of questions about my podcast so I just answer a few of the most common questions for you:
Is my podcast perfect? HECK NO!
Did it take me out of my comfort zone? YES!
Did it help me learn and grow? YES!
Has my podcast made me a ton of money? NO!
Has it helped brand me as an expert in marketing and business? YES!
Does it provide great advice to business owners and anyone wanting to master marketing? HECK YES!
Is it easy? Some days YES, some days NO!
Since this is my 100th episode, I thought I would do a podcast about what I have learned over the last 100 episodes. If you are thinking of launching a podcast, listen up!
One of the hardest things to do when you are starting a business is to come up with the name! You want it to be memorable, mean something, easy to say, easy to Google, eventually become a household name and make you money! That is a lot to ask from a brand name! The process of coming up with a brand name is one of the most important steps in establishing your company's identity and creating a lasting impression with your consumers. An amazing brand name can evoke emotions, communicate the company's values, and differentiate you from your competitors. While there is no one-size-fits-all approach to creating a brand name, there are certain strategies that we use at D2 Branding that can guide you through the process. I am going to share with you five ways to come up with a brand name and give you examples of how companies successfully developed their brand names on the latest episode of the DO IT MY WAY Podcast at https://www.d2branding.com/podcast/!
I have a coaching client I am working with that has an amazing e-commerce product. The founder is an inventor who created an incredible patented one of a kind product that solves a massive problem in their industry. They recently attended a highly visible trade show and got a ton of traffic to their website. Sales were good, but when they looked into their “abandoned cart” customers, they realized they had close to $1 million dollars in abandoned cart orders!
This is a massive problem that needs to be fixed because if they just got 10% of those orders, that would be an extra $100,000 in revenue! I started to do some research that I thought would help anyone out there who has an ecommerce product they are selling on their website and came up with 7 ways to sell more products online on the latest episode of the DO IT MY WAY Podcast.
If you have been listening to this podcast for a while, you know I love Google. If you can get to the top of Google for key terms in your industry, you will win! I get asked all of the time if it’s better to do Google Ad Words or SEO. It all depends on your specific business goal, target audience, and budget.
Google is not a gamble in marketing. If you are at the top of Google for key terms in your industry that people are searching for, you will get leads! It is important to find out how many searches were on Google in your area for those key terms over the last 30 days before you start. If there were 10 searches, it's probably not worth going after, however if there were 100 searches or 1,000 searches, then it makes sense!
Find out if Google Ad Words or SEO is better for your business on the latest episode of the DO IT MY WAY Podcast at https://www.d2branding.com/podcast/!
Producing a compelling video in your digital marketing campaigns is so important to grab your potential customer's attention! People are scrolling mindlessly and they have to be stopped in their tracks to pay attention to your brand! What is the "hook" that is in the first few seconds of your video to get them to stop and pay attention?
To create a great video to use in your Facebook and Instagram ads, there are several key elements to consider:
- Grab attention quickly: Facebook and Instagram users have short attention spans, so it's important to grab their attention quickly. Use an attention-grabbing hook in the first few seconds of your video to capture their interest and encourage them to keep watching.
- Focus on benefits: Instead of focusing on features, focus on the benefits of your product or service. Use the video to show how your product or service can solve a problem or improve someone's life.
- Keep it short and sweet: Facebook videos should be short and to the point. Aim for a length of 30-60 seconds to keep viewers engaged and avoid losing their attention.
Listen to the latest episode of the DO IT MY WAY Podcast where I share examples of three companies that used video that absolutely changed their business bringing massive brand awareness and increased sales!
I do a lot of personal branding coaching and one thing I always say when they are starting is, “You’ll never regret launching your personal brand!” It will follow you wherever you go! Let’s just say you are a well known attorney and you are an expert in your field. No one outside of your field would know this unless you built a personal brand around it and started posting as you are the expert on your social media. Then you create a podcast on a subject you are passionate about or an expert on. Then you decide to launch a website with your personal brand to put your podcasts on and have a place for people to inquire about hiring you. Then you decide to write a book on the same subject and put it on your website for sale. This will lead to speaking engagements that may be for exposure in the beginning and eventually you start getting paid $10,000 to speak for one hour on the subject because you are the expert! Then you are asked to consult businesses and individuals on your expertise and get paid to do it! Do you see how starting to post as an expert on your social media can lead to a full blown business? If you are thinking of launching a personal brand, check out these five steps on the latest episode of the DO IT MY WAY Podcast!
What if you could predict your customers' next move and improve their overall customer journey? You’ve probably been hearing a lot about artificial intelligence and how it is changing the world. The world of marketing is no exception! Maybe you’ve heard people talk about AI but aren’t sure what it is? AI marketing uses artificial intelligence technologies to make automated decisions based on data collection, data analysis, and additional observations of audiences or economic trends that may impact your marketing. A great example of this is using AI chatbot to write marketing copy like a blog post, podcast script, Facebook ad or an article. All you have to do is tell the chatbot the topic you’d like it written about and give specific directions to get a 500 word article back in an instance! It’s insane! You can even ask it to create Facebook ad copy for a specific product and it will come back with copy for an ad! I have even seen an example where it told the bot to make the ad funnier and it came back funny! Find out the best ways to use artificial intelligence in your next marketing campaign on the latest episode of the DO IT MY WAY Podcast at D2Branding.com/podcast.
How present are you in your day-to-day interactions as a leader? Or as a mom, a friend or a spouse? I can tell you right now, this is one of the things I struggle with the most! Learning to be present in your day to day interactions with your team and with clients will up your leadership game! Often, many of us let distractions (online & offline) hold us back from fully being present in the moment. This prevents us from giving our entire attention to the conversation or the task at hand. As a result, we aren't able to give our 100% to anything, and end up missing key details or opportunities. While this already sounds like a bad thing, it's even worse in the case of leaders.
I find myself distracted so easily with emails, text messages, phone calls, slack messages, Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, TikTok notifications and more! You really could spend an entire 8 hour day just answering notifications and getting nothing done. I see it in my coaching clients and find myself guilty of it all of the time.
Here are three key qualities of a present leader on the latest episode of the DO IT MY WAY Podcast at https://www.d2branding.com/podcast/!
Working with entrepreneurs for the last 20 years, there are some common traits I have discovered that make them successful. No matter what their business is or what industry they are in, their age, sex or income level, I have found the most successful entrepreneurs possess the following traits on the latest episode of the DO IT MY WAY Podcast at (link here)! If you strive to be a successful entrepreneur, adopt these traits in your life and start to see your life change and improve for the better!
There are two reasons you can get people to buy your product or service:
- Get them out of pain
- Bring them pleasure
Let’s talk about pain for a minute. Think of the weight loss industry. They are playing off of pain. It is painful to be overweight, unhealthy, have low self esteem and feel bad about the way you look and feel every day. They promise a new life, they show pictures of people losing weight, having fun again and enjoying friends and family. They are taking you from pain and bringing you pleasure.
For example, marketing can be painful for our clients. They try to do it on their own, they don’t know the best practices or how much they should spend on ads, or what platform to use to reach their ideal customer. It can be very painful! We want to get to the biggest problem they are having and tell them why we are the solution to solve their problems! If you solve people’s problems, they will BUY!
Find out how you can include pain or pleasure into your sales presentation or marketing copy to get people to buy on the latest episode of the DO IT MY WAY Podcast!
I was listening to some podcasts over the weekend that were talking about masterminds. This is getting a group of experts together to share what they are working on right now and what they are struggling with to get peer to peer help in all areas of their life. It is so important to have people around you to help you grow in business and in life! It made me think not only are these great questions for a mastermind group, but also great questions to ask your team, your spouse, a friend or even your children! They are thought provoking questions that reveal a lot about a person right away. You may be surprised at some of the answers you get back.
As a CEO/entrepreneur, sometimes you are so busy working on aspects of growing your business that you don’t stop and ask your key players how they are doing and what you can do to help them. They may be struggling with something you don’t even know about! Here are five questions you need to ask your team on the latest episode of the DO IT MY WAY Podcast!
Well they don’t call it the January blues for nothing. This time of year can be very depressing for many people as the holidays are over, you probably spent more money than you wanted to, maybe even gained a few pounds with all of the parties and it all starts to set in. Maybe you aren’t where you want to be in life and the new year reminds you of that. Another year older and nowhere closer to your goals. And if you live in my part of the country, it doesn’t help that the days are short, cold and often dreary. For me, it is harder to be happy after the holidays because there is nothing to look forward to. I recently read The Happiness Advantage where it says happiness comes first and then success will follow! The book shares 7 ways to create happiness in your life. It says not all of them will work for everyone but encourages you to pick the ones that interest you and be diligent about doing them! I thought I would share them with you today because I have definitely seen a trend with my clients where the happiest clients are the ones that gain momentum and propel themselves into success! I know in my own life when I am happy I feel like I can sell anything and there’s nothing that will stop me from success! Check out the 7 Keys to a Happy Life on the latest episode of the DO IT MY WAY Podcast!
This is the time of year I am always re-evaluating my life and looking for ways to improve with the new year. This is a great exercise to do in business as well as your personal life. I also do this exercise with my coaching clients evaluating all areas of their life including their financial freedom, time freedom, health, relationships and their spiritual life. In most cases if you are excelling in one area, there are a couple of other areas that are suffering. Balance is key and now is a great time to look at priorities, make goals and come up with a gameplan to get there. I came up with 7 ways to improve your life in 2023 on the latest episode of the DO IT MY WAY Podcast!
One of my favorite things to do is read up on the latest marketing trends. Things change so quickly in the digital space and it is fascinating to me to see what is working and what is phasing out as quickly as it came in. This is why you hire a marketing expert that can help you navigate the digital marketing world! I am sure you don’t have hours to read up on all of the latest trends, so I came up with some of the hottest things happening in marketing in 2023. Remember the goal is not to implement all of these things but choose one or two that make sense for your business! Check them out at D2Branding.com/podcast.
We are all looking to grow our businesses this next year. December is a great time to start looking at your expenses and looking at the revenue that is coming in to see what is working and what you need to pivot away from. Maybe it’s the people in your business or programs you are paying for that are no longer serving you. Everyone wants to see growth but not everyone tracks where their money is being spent to see if it is working. If you want to have business growth in 2023, I came up with six business strategies you need to implement ASAP on the latest episode of the DO IT MY WAY Podcast!
I love working with startups, the energy and enthusiasm they have for their dream is contagious! It does take money to start a business and sometimes they do not realize the magnitude of what it will cost. Even if you are an online business, there are costs to create your brand, create your website, create a brand story video explaining the problem in the world you are solving to get them to buy and your X-Factor that makes you different!
I have a client right now who has been putting in thousands of dollars a month to launch a product and the product is still not perfect, which means more money to manufacture it with tweaks. It is starting to affect their personal lives as they are either going to have to change their lifestyle or get a small business loan or an investor to continue.
Here are 7 things you need to do to get a small business loan on the latest episode of the DO IT MY WAY Podcast at D2Branding.com/podcast.
I recently had the honor of speaking to digital marketing students at Oklahoma State University. I just love talking to students that age that are eager to learn and want to know what the real world is like for when they graduate! What you learn in the classroom will help you as you get into the real world, but there is nothing like real world experience! I presented a case study about a local donut shop that came to D2 Branding with an idea. We helped them create their entire brand and digital marketing strategy and now they are franchising! At the end of my presentation, one of the students asked a great question: What digital marketing skills can I learn now so when I am searching for a job I will be ahead of my competition?
I love that question! I love that he was thinking ahead to when he graduated and was looking for a competitive edge to land his dream job!
The question had me thinking so I came up with 8 digital marketing skills you need to get a job in today’s marketing landscape on the latest episode of the DO IT MY WAY Podcast!
The older I get, the wiser I get when it comes to business, relationships, parenting, making money and living a happy, fulfilling life!
What if you could give your younger self advice that would save you YEARS of stress and heartache?
I don’t have all of the answers, but there are many things I wish I figured out earlier. Here are 6 Things I Would Tell My Younger Self on the latest episode of the DO IT MY WAY Podcast!
If you flip on the news, it’s doomsday. The recession is here, gas and food prices are at an all time high, and interest rates have gone up. They want to scare you into a poverty mindset of staying home, not spending money, laying off employees, and preparing for the worst. I hate this mentality which is why I choose to not watch the news. I even worked in TV news for 10 years. I can’t even stand watching it because it’s one negative story after the other telling you it’s doomsday. I get it, there are bad things happening in the world and the economy has shifted, but there are many businesses who absolutely thrive during a recession. It’s the people that aren’t scared, keep spending money to make money, and don’t lay off their staff that end up on top! Find out how to Avoid Layoffs by Just Selling More on the latest episode of the DO IT MY WAY Podcast!
I do a lot of personal branding coaching, it's one of the most rewarding parts of my job. I love to see the light bulb go off when someone discovers their brand by taking their skills, knowledge, expertise and life purpose and packaging it and selling it to the world. The first thing I always say to my clients is the only way for a personal brand to work is by YOU being YOU! You have to find an X-Factor--something that makes you different and something people will pay you to learn from! If you are thinking of starting a personal brand, the latest episode of the DO IT MY WAY Podcast outlines five questions you must ask yourself first...
I was going to Target yesterday and I saw these 14 or 15 year old boys who were in their soccer uniforms holding up signs for donations for a tournament. What have we done to our kids if they think all they need to do is stand there with a sign and get donations?
What can we do to create that work ethic in our children? I worry about my kids all of the time. Am I giving them too much? Sure, they both have jobs in the summers and are busy during the school year with extra curricular activities, but should I have them be doing more? Is doing the dishes after dinner enough? The craziest feeling is when you drop off your child at college and a thousand thoughts run through your head. Did I prepare them for being on their own? Should I have done more, said more, been more strict? Parenting is hard and I don’t think anyone has all of the answers, but here are some valuable lessons I learned along the way on the latest episode of the DO IT MY WAY Podcast!
Digital marketing should be your single biggest strategy for your business today. That’s Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Google, TikTok and Linkedin. And there’s probably a new platform growing as you listen to this! I see common mistakes brands make when it comes to their digital marketing so I decided to come up with 10 of the Worst Digital Marketing Mistakes so you can avoid them!
One of the hardest things as an entrepreneur is to invest in your business because at the end of the day, the money you put back into it, is money that comes out of your pocket.
If you do what you've always done, you will get the same results. The only way to grow is through investing! Here are 5 Reasons You Must Invest in Your Business on the latest episode of the DO IT MY WAY Podcast!
School is back in session which always has me setting a new goal. I dropped off my daughter at college and my son is starting his junior year of high school which means we are back to the busy schedule. We have 5 months left in the year, plenty of time to reach your goals! What is something you wanted to do this year but have been putting it off? Now is the time to get serious about a goal and go get it before the year is up!
If you want to become a sales rock star, listen up! I hear people say all of the time, "I’m so terrible at sales!" Yes, sales may not come naturally to you, but it is something you can learn and be really great at if you put in the work! I have worked with so many amazing sales people over the years and they all have these five skills mastered in their sales process. Find out the five skills every sales rockstar has mastered on the latest episode of the DO IT MY WAY Podcast!
As a small business owner, you must show a return on your investment in marketing for it to make sense. Do you have a plan to track ROI for every dollar you spend? If not, you could be wasting thousands of dollars every year! Listen up to why ROI is so important in growing and scaling your business on the latest episode of the DO IT MY WAY Podcast!
Feeling like a fake? Listen Up! Have you ever felt like you weren’t qualified to do something? I remember coming home from the hospital with my precious baby girl and saying…are we qualified to be parents and take care of this tiny baby? I hear this all of the time from my clients. They get close to launching their business or their personal brand and they start to let self doubt creep in. They suddenly don’t feel qualified to launch or they come up with excuses of competitors out there already doing what they want to do. We always have to step back and look at all of the things they have done in their career, their skills, knowledge and expertise that got them where they are today. It is easy to let self doubt creep in because you start thinking of all of the other people who are ahead of you in the game. They already have a successful business doing something similar to what you are doing. Feelings of imposter syndrome are normal, but you have to figure out a way to overcome them! Here are 5 Ways To Overcome Imposter Syndrome on the latest episode of the DO IT MY WAY Podcast!
If you are anything like most people, you spend about five hours per day on your phone skimming through emails, checking out your Facebook and Instagram feed and then there’s Linkedin, SnapChat and TikTok which might be the biggest time suck of all! You start scrolling and look up and an hour has gone by and you have accomplished NOTHING! You are mindlessly scrolling. Maybe you aren’t aware of it, but the only time you truly unplug is when you’re asleep at night. We are all guilty of doing this and just thinking about it makes me exhausted! Not only does it waste time, but phone addiction is also linked to depression and anxiety. There are so many other things you could be doing for the five hours you spend on your phone that will make you healthier both physically and mentally. Here are steps to unplug and disconnect from the digital world so you can get your life back on the latest episode of the DO IT MY WAY Podcast!
We all have bad habits we have created over the years in our business. After all, we didn’t start with a playbook, we went off our instinct, our skills, and maybe a little blood, sweat and tears to get where we are today. It worked for you to this point, but there reaches a point where you have to get rid of these bad habits to grow. I see a common theme among my clients of these 7 habits that will hold you back if you don’t fix them! We are all guilty of at least one of these from time to time. Here are 7 habits that will hold you back in your business on the latest episode of the DO IT MY WAY Podcast!
I don’t know if you’ve explored TikTok yet, but I am sure your kids know all about it and spend hours on it each week! TikTok has really exploded out of nowhere to become one of the most downloaded apps in the world. Now marketers and brands are jumping on board to see if the brand has potential to add to their marketing mix. Here are three main ways that brands are marketing on TikTok and having success on the latest episode of the DO IT MY WAY Podcast!
It is so easy to get to work, answer a few emails, check out your Facebook or Instagram feed, answer the 10 texts that came through, check out the notification you just got on Linkedin, and the next thing you know an hour or two has gone by and you haven’t accomplished anything! Then your meetings start, phone calls come in, an employee has an issue you have to deal with, you barely get your lunch scarfed down and it’s time to leave to pick up your kids to get them to practice. This was my life for so long and it felt like a constant cycle of being behind. Behind on my work, behind on personal development, behind on the latest home project and the list goes on and on. There are many things you can do to make your job more efficient and get more done each day! I came up with 11 ways to get more done each day on the latest episode of the DO IT MY WAY Podcast!
The number one question I get asked by D2 Branding clients and prospects is, "What in the heck do I post on my social media?" It can be daunting and it is just another “To Do” on your long list as a business owner. Very few entrepreneurs have time to spend all day coming up with creative ideas for their social media. They have about 15 minutes at the most to push something out and their first instinct is to sell something because, after all, we are in the business to make money! The problem is it becomes white noise if all you do is SELL! Social media is a conversation. I came up with five ways to offer value on your social media on the latest episode of the DO IT MY WAY Podcast!
I often get asked from companies I work with if they need to rebrand their business. Some of them have never had a marketing expert help them with their branding so it is not really clear who they are and what they offer that solves a problem for their customer. Remember if you can solve a problem for your customer, they will buy! Many people think of branding as a logo, but it is much more than that! Can someone look at your website and in 7 seconds or less tell what you do and how you will relieve them of pain (their biggest problem) or bring them pleasure (take them to their heaven)? If not, chances are you need to rebrand your business!
Your brand is your company culture. It is who you are and what type of experience you promise to offer your consumers. Rebranding is a good way for any business to scale and grow, increase revenue, and stand out from the competition.
When deciding how to rebrand your business, you need to think about how it will affect your customers and your bottom line. The goal of rebranding is to create an X-Factor, stand out from your competition and create a new identity with your employees, costumes and the general public.
Here are six common reasons companies we have worked with needed a rebrand.
As business owners, we often feel like we are on an island all by ourselves trying to navigate. Especially when you are a startup and solopreneur who hasn’t hired a staff yet. You have to wear multiple hats to be successful and it can be very exhausting. I’ve realized over the years, there are certain types of people that you need to have in your corner to be successful! Maybe this is a friend, your mom, your spouse, a peer or coach in your life! They say you become the five people you hang around the most! As an entrepreneur, you have to be guarded with where your time and energy goes and the influences in your life. I will share with you the five types of people that will absolutely elevate your game if you have them in your life. If you don’t have these people, I would find them!
You have to have an X-Factor to stand out from your competition. I was recently coaching a realtor who didn’t understand why he wasn’t getting any traction on social media. I pulled up his posts and they look exactly like every other realtor out there. He posted houses he was selling, pictures of him and the buyer in front of his “sold” sign and really just looked like everyone else. I said, what is your X-Factor? Why would anyone use you over the next person? He never really thought about that, but realized he must come up with one to stand out. You can’t be like everyone else and win! If you are sitting here listening to this feeling like you are exactly like your competition, it’s time to come up with your X-Factor! Learn the three questions you must ask yourself to create your X-Factor!
There are so many fancy things you can do in marketing today and it can be very overwhelming not knowing where to start but I am a big fan of keeping it simple. Once you have a plan in place that works and you are seeing a return on your investment, then that’s the time to start adding some of the fancy things to the mix. Here are 5 easy marketing moves to double your revenue right away!
I love when I see brilliant marketing at work especially when it’s a leader in an industry doing something for the first time. Lululemon just announced they are launching a “Like New” program where customers can trade in their old gear for store credit while feeling good about contributing to a sustainable cause.
Have you ever met someone who had amazing energy? You feel like you just wanted to be around that person feeding off of them every day. They make everyone around them feel great and bring energy to any boring situation. This can be extremely powerful in business! As a business coach, my job is to set the energy in a coaching session every time we meet. I may have a day where I just really don’t “feel like it” but it’s my job! And I find when I do bring the energy I start to feel better too. Think about energy on a sales call. Your energy on the call sets the tone right away, increases your chances of selling, and allows you to direct the conversation. I’m not talking about fake energy but genuine energy being your true self that shows you are excited about the product or service you are selling. Remember, YOU control the energy you bring each day! Here are five tips to live with optimal energy so you can bring it every day!
One of the hardest things to deal with as a boss is the difficult conversations you must have day in and day out. As a CEO/Founder, your time is money and how you allocate your time will affect your bottom line which means you don’t have time to stew over difficult conversations. We’ve all been there. You have an employee that is underperforming and it is affecting the entire team. You have a client that is upset and treating your employees unfairly. None of these situations are fun, but they will most likely happen to you if you are a boss! I have had all of the scenarios happen to me and I have learned the more I avoid the conversations, the more problematic and larger they get. Here are 5 Ways to Have Difficult Conversations so everyone ends up on top!
One of my favorite podcasts to listen to is Craig Groeschel’s Leadership Podcast. Craig Groeschel is the lead pastor and founder of one of the fastest growing churches in the world, Life Church. Even if you aren’t religious, Craig Groeschel is incredible and he has a great podcast with amazing business leadership tips. I listened to the episode today where Pastor Craig interviews Michael Todd, the lead pastor of Transformation Church. Michael Todd has an amazing story of going from the "sound guy" to the lead pastor in only four years of a mega church that is seeing incredible growth! Here was my favorite quote from Pastor Michael Todd when asked how he has moved up and exploded so quickly: "Every title I had, they had to make up a name for me because I was doing something that no one had ever done there." Hmmm, it seems obvious to do more than expected on the job but it rarely happens. How do you get your employees to go above and beyond? We all want Rockstar employees! Follow these 5 simple steps and be on your way to a happy, productive team!
I have studied many successful entrepreneurs and there is a common theme where they have similar habits and things they do daily that set them up for success. I admire these women and am inspired by their discipline. It is the small disciplined things you do everyday that add up to big things over time and make you successful! Check out these 5 habits to see how you are doing and if you can fit them into your day!
Many times people are held back at being their best on the job or in their personal lives because they overthink everything! In business, this will hold you back. In your personal life, this will hold you back! If this sounds like you, I came up with 6 ways to stop overthinking and start doing!
A great marketing strategy is to develop a brand ambassador program especially if you do not have much of a marketing budget when you launch your business. What your company can expect from brand ambassadors are people who are positively representing the brand in an authentic and consistent way. This could mean sharing or creating content, leaving online reviews, engaging on social media and in their networks, and contributing value that extends your word of mouth marketing strategy. If you are limited on your advertising budget, learn how to launch a brand ambassador program!
Want to become a girl boss and stand out from the rest? I work with so many successful female CEO’s and entrepreneurs who are amazing leaders in their organizations and it all comes down to these six leadership skills. Master these six skills and you will be the best girl boss around!
We can all think of times in life when we were procrastinating doing something that we know we needed to do. But why? Maybe it was a difficult conversation we needed to have with an employee or a client or maybe it was your profit and loss statement because you knew it wasn’t going to be good. Or maybe it was that fitness and nutrition plan where you knew exactly what to do, you just needed to do it. But you put it off. Here are 5 reasons you may be procrastinating and how to avoid them!
Do you ever get off of a sales call and think…why did I say that? I have done it many times but the more I sell over the years, the more I have perfected my pitch and the more sales I get! Make sure your words aren't killing the sale for you! I have listened to hundreds of sales calls from clients I am coaching and came up with the top six things NOT to say on a sales call.
Did you know that text messaging isn’t just a convenient, easy way to chat with your friends but a powerful mobile marketing tool for small businesses? SMS or text marketing allows you to connect directly with your loyal customers or even potential clients on their phones giving you an intimate way to nurture with real-time conversations. Here are three reasons why you should be using text marketing in your marketing mix and the tricks to get thousands of people on your list in just 30 days!
There are small, disciplined things you can do in your everyday life that will set you up to be more productive. You will notice this spills over into every area of your life once you start to be disciplined in one area! Here are 10 ways to be more productive and avoid laziness that will improve your personal and professional life!
I often talk to people who want to start a business or they are working on their current business but it isn’t where they want it to be. To be totally honest, they want it to be successful but they aren’t willing to do the hard things! I get it, we all see people like Sara Blakely, the founder of Spanx, who is now a BILLIONAIRE and she makes it all look so easy. It took her over 14 years to make it happen! She did all of the hard things! What are you going to add to your personal and professional life that are HARD? Do hard things and you will succeed at whatever goals you set out to reach!
It is easy to look back after the fact and think, “I wish I would have done this or I wish I would have done that in my business when I first started.” I didn’t start with a business coach when I became an entrepreneur, so I just navigated through without a clear plan. There are many things I coach on now that I wish I would have known day one! Learn from these 5 Things I Wish I Would Have Done at the Launch of My Business.
It’s the start of a new year which is often a start of new beginnings, new habits, new goals. Every year I like to reflect on the year we are ending before I set my goals for the new year. This used to mostly be about my numbers in business. Was I growing? Did the new marketing plans we implemented create a return on investment? Did our new systems and processes work well? Was there room for improvement? The older I get the less I am worrying about the money that is being made as much as I am worrying about quality of life. Did I get time off to do the things I wanted to do? Was I prioritizing my health, my family and taking care of them along with running my business? Have you reflected on what you did in your business and personal life in 2021? Now's a great time to start! Check out my formula for grading my progress and coming up with new goals for 2022!
Marketing is a game. Not everything works for every company every time. If it was 100% accurate I would be a billionaire! Although we don’t know the exact formula that works every time, we do know best practices for what is working digitally based on research and case studies from our clients. I have seen so many marketing mistakes over the last year from start ups and even large corporations or franchises. As we go into 2022 and companies are looking at their marketing budgets, I thought I would stop you before you make the most common mistakes I see. Here are the five biggest marketing mistakes in 2021!
Offensive moves are growing, marketing, hiring, playing big vs. defensive moves of waiting for people to call you that need you, being reactive based on what happens to you? Offensive moves are growing, marketing, hiring, playing big vs. defensive moves of waiting for people to call you that need you, being reactive based on what happens to you. If you are playing offense then you are in the driver's seat of your business and your life. Here are four tips to operate an offensive vs. a defensive in your business and in life!
No one ever wants to lose and losing can feel a lot like failing. Sure, it’s your natural reaction to be mad when you lose and try to push the blame on someone else to make yourself feel better. This will never get you anywhere! A setback is just setting you up for an amazing come back! Most successful entrepreneurs fail at something daily but they don’t dwell on the failure or blame anyone else. They take full responsibility and figure out what they can do next time to make it better! Each failure makes you stronger and you want to win that much more! Here are four tips to recovery if you find yourself in a losing situation on the DO IT MY WAY Podcast Show!
Sometimes we get so caught up in our businesses and the busyness of life that we forget why we went down this entrepreneurial journey in the first place. Was it for money? For influence? Was it because you couldn't stand your boss or couldn't fathom working for anyone else? Or maybe it was time freedom where you can work when you want from anywhere in the world? As we go into 2022, I encourage you to define what success looks like to you. Define your success! It doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s and you can set yourself up to win by doing something every week to get closer to your goals! What does success look like to you?
The holidays are upon us which means family gatherings, parties with friends, and all of the fun things! As an entrepreneur it can be difficult to juggle it all. You want to spend time with family and friends, but your customers are expecting things to keep moving and you feel pressure to bring in revenue at a time you are spending a ton of money! I came up with three ways to keep the hustle through the holidays while enjoying family time to help you!
Free products, big affiliate checks, free trips...the life of an Influencer seems so glamorous. Wouldn’t it be so cool to make six figures posting on your social media about products you already use and love? Everyone wants to be a social media influencer these days and most people think it is an easy job that happens over night. Check out this interview with CC & Mike Creator, Carissa Miller who shares her journey of becoming an influencer, which she says happened by accident! Carissa shares the secret behind growing her Instagram to over 90k followers allowing her husband to quit his job and join her on this journey!
The #1 question I hear over and over is “how do I grow my Instagram following?” The hottest latest trend is through Instagram Reels. Reels allows you to share bite-sized, engaging information with your followers. By using this feature you can create short 3 to 15-second video clips that you can add filters and music to. I have had a couple of clients explode by using Instagram Reels so I came up with the The six key benefits of Instagram Reels!
I have always heard people in business say, “don’t take it personally, it’s just business.” Well that is easier said than done. It is hard not to take it personally when you put your heart and soul into your business. It feels real personal when you have spent 12 hour days getting your business off the ground OR maybe pouring yourself into a client's campaign or an employee’s life.
Learn the five truths that you will experience as an entrepreneur and how to not take them personally!
I often have entrepreneurs come to me wanting to start a business. Many want to build a cool office space or maybe a retail space to sell their product. I usually end up talking them out of it or at least opening their eyes to becoming an online business. Why sell your product in a store where only people in a 10-20 mile radius will shop when you can create an online business and sell to people all over the world. And you don’t have to have hours of operation when you are open, you work whenever you want and even sell products while you sleep and are on vacation! Now that's what being an online entrepreneur is all about. Since I get this question allot, I decided to come up with 10 reasons why you should become an online entrepreneur.
Accounting is not my thing. It has never been! I would rather spend money than save money. Who wouldn’t? I am all about rewarding myself for hard work and I like instant gratification. I never have the poverty mindset because I know I can always make more money! But, as your business scales and grows and suddenly you are bringing in $100k a month, you have to learn to control your finances. And you have payroll you have to make and other business expenses that come up. I tried to do my own accounting for years and made so many mistakes. It was just stupid. I was spending hours doing something I am terrible about because I didn’t trust anyone to do it but really I shouldn’t have trusted myself! Math was never my thing! Why am I torturing myself trying to do this? It made no sense and was actually hurting my bottom line, not helping it! Learn the six mistakes to avoid when starting or scaling a business!
The #1 reason that my clients want to start businesses is to have FREEDOM. Usually it’s time freedom to work whenever they want to work and financial freedom to make as much money as they want to make! Entrepreneurial freedom is about so much more than working for yourself. It's about being the master of your own destiny and reaping the rewards of your hard work. At the end of the day everything you have is because YOU made it happen! How satisfying is that? If you are thinking of starting a business, this should motivate you to go for it and find true freedom!
Consistency wins. Period. You can pay all of the most expensive business coaches, sign up for every personal development program you can find, and read every entrepreneurship book out there, and have an incredible business plan, but if you don’t execute your plan consistently, you will never win! It’s easy yet very few do it. Consistency is making sales calls EVERY day to get new business, coming up with a social media content plan and posting regularly, nurturing current clients the way they deserve to be, working out every day. Not sometimes, not when you feel like it, but EVERY DAY! Here are three key steps you need to take to create consistency in your business!
If I had a dollar for every time someone asked to pick my brain, I would be RICH! Early on in my career I spent countless hours meeting people at Starbucks for them to “pick my brain.” I didn’t want to be rude and it was flattering that they saw me as the expert in marketing. But I would sit and spend 2 hours giving free advice for what? Now, I don’t mind if it was a friend or someone who had helped me out before or even a student getting ready to graduate that was looking for some advice. But everyday people who own businesses want to “pick my brain.” Ok, I’ll just give you 20 years worth of my experience with the right answers for FREE so you can go about your business? Would a primary care physician ever meet with you so you could “pick his or her brain?” No, they would tell you to schedule a consultation and charge you for an office visit. Learn four things you can do the next time someone says, "Can I pick your brain?"
Coaching female CEO’s and entrepreneurs is what lights me on fire. I relate to the struggles of working hard to prove yourself in a male dominated corporation or the fears that come with going out on your own. There is no one more efficient with their time than a mom that is running a household and a business. But we are human and fear often holds us back from doing big things! I see it all of the time. A female entrepreneur will have a great idea with massive potential but they are scared. Scared to fail. Scared to not have enough time to be a successful wife, mom and entrepreneur. Scared what others will think. Scared they can’t live up to expectations they put on themselves. Fear is the #1 thing that holds many people back from doing amazing things! Find out the top three fears I see in female entrepreneurs and how to conquer them!
Throughout my life, I have always been a yes person. I love new opportunities, meeting new people, and I am confident that I can usually make a difference if I get added to a committee or am in charge of something. The problem with that is, too many yeses lead to burn out. I was too busy saying yes and helping everyone out that when I finally got home, I was exhausted and didn’t have much left for the people I loved the most! What good was it doing when I was helping all of these organizations but neglecting the things most important to me? Find out the four questions you need to ask yourself before you say yes to another meeting or another partnership!
I just got back from a trip to Nashville where I had a client meeting. I always like to take a book to read as I am not a huge fan of flying and it is a nice distraction plus I get to read in silence which I rarely have time to do.
Have you ever been talking to your girlfriends about your favorite brand of make-up or the most comfortable workout shoes you’ve just bought or that amazing shirt you found on Amazon that was only $30? What do they do? They immediately go online and check it out for themselves! After all, customer reviews are the absolute best referral for your business! You are going to trust your girlfriend who has already tried out these items and given her approval before you decide to buy. Let’s get real: customer testimonials are always better than you bragging about yourself!
The #1 question I get asked is, what do I post on my social media? It’s hard to come up with content day in and day out that is relevant to your customers and something they actually care about.
To help you come up with a content posting schedule, I came up with 16 ideas for you to post on your company’s social media pages!
One of the most important things you can do when starting your business is to build a list of customers and potential customers. This is anyone and everyone who has ever visited your website, bought something from you, came by your booth at a trade show, listened to your podcast or your speaking engagement. Lists are so powerful, but I talk to entrepreneurs every week that have not acquired a list. Here are five reasons you must build a list to grow your business!
Remember when you were a kid and the smallest things made you happy? My niece has been visiting and it is always such a great reminder to see a child discover happiness in the day to day, simple things in life. It made me think about how important it is to be happy in life. Everything in your life is affected if you aren’t happy. Whether it’s a job, your spouse, your health or a relationship in life that is bringing you down, we all need to be reminded of how important it is to be happy!
Here are 11 steps to living a happy life!
I have had so many people ask me what my Enneagram personality type is in the last couple of years. I finally decided to take the test and was fascinated with how spot on the results were for me! For those of you that don’t know, the Enneagram is a system of discovering your personality type that describes patterns in how you interpret the world and manage your emotions. The Enneagram describes nine personality types and helps you identify both the strengths and weaknesses to make you self aware and guide you as a leader, employee, spouse or friend! Find out what my Enneagram type is and how you can use the test to become a better leader!
I often get asked, “why would I hire a business coach or when is the right time for me to hire a business coach. My answer is always this, “You can’t afford NOT to have a coach!” Most successful entrepreneurs have a business coach or mentor that has helped them along the way. After all, it is impossible to be an expert in every area of your business and an unbiased, outside perspective is so important in scaling your business! Here are eight reasons why you need to have a business coach to ignite your brand and increase your profit!
In business and in life you need to schedule EVERYTHING! What areas of your life are you failing in because you haven’t scheduled it? Maybe it’s a relationship in life? Maybe it’s losing weight or following a nutrition plan? Or learning a skill in business that will bring you more money? The most successful entrepreneurs I coach schedule EVERYTHING in their life and stick to it! Learn the seven reasons why scheduling is so important!
One of the most important things you can do when launching your business is to create a brand story. Instead of just selling your products or services, a brand story inspires an emotional reaction from your customer and will make you stand out from your competition. Learn the six steps to creating a brand story and why it is so important in your marketing!
Research says people have 7 seconds or less to find what they want on your website or they are GONE! 7 seconds! That is nothing! The #1 goal of your website should be conversion whether that’s a sale, a call, joining your Facebook group or getting on your email list.
Find out the 8 things that MUST be on your website for conversion!
Emotional intelligence is vital to running a successful business. Emotions have an effect on teamwork, customer satisfaction, manager-employee relationships, and employee retention. Your emotional quotient (or EQ) is the ability to manage your emotions and the emotions of others. Do you fly off the handle when you get upset with a team member and react before you think? Here are 9 ways to improve your emotional intelligence!
Having your entire marketing mix operating at optimal levels will bring you success! Learn how start up Sugar Llamas used their marketing mix to explode after launch!
Deedra interviews a woman in business she admires, Shannon Wilburn, CEO/Co-Founder of Just Between Friends Franchise System. Learn how Shannon balanced work/mom life and grew JBF into 150 franchises nationwide.
Controlling your thoughts will influence how you live your life. Entrepreneurs I coach that are able to control their mindset are definitely the ones who are more successful! Are you going to have a great day every day? No way! Can you control how you respond to that day? 100%! Visualize yourself living in your dream home with financial freedom and time freedom getting to do the things you love to do! This is the most important step in becoming a successful entrepreneur! Learn the 5 proven ways to keep a millionaire mindset so you can reach your dreams!
We spend most of our time talking about getting leads, nurturing the leads and closing clients but there are times when you have to fire a client. I have only had to do this a handful of times in my career and it is always awkward, but you have to do what is best for you and your team even if it is bringing you revenue. This can be very hard to do when you are a start up and every dollar counts! The thought of purposely pushing money out of the door seems insane! But many times the time and energy you spend with the toxic client is actually preventing you from servicing your other clients or getting new clients! Learn six ways to fire a client with professionalism and integrity!
Being an entrepreneur can be a grind. Day after day, you have to do small, disciplined things to get you to the next level. It isn’t always glamorous and it can take YEARS before you succeed. You are tired, your kids need you, your spouse needs you, the school wants you to volunteer, your neighbors are doing a garage sale and asking for your help, and yet the long list of To Do’s from your job aren’t getting any smaller. It can lead to downright burnout where everything in life seems difficult even getting out of bed in the morning. What do you do if you feel burned out at work and it carries over into other areas of your life? Here are 5 ways I recharge every week!
Most people think of Facebook or Google for lead generation and most of you know Google will always be my #1 as people are already searching for what you have, so it’s an easy sell BUT you have to be at the top of Google to get leads. What about B2B leads? We have found LinkedIn to be very lucrative when it comes to landing business leads. A recent social media statistics said that 45% of B2B marketers have already won customers through LinkedIn. Check out the 5 reasons why you should use LinkedIn in your social media mix!
I probably get this question asked to me every week. I have a client panicking calling me saying they got a bad Google Review and they aren’t sure what to do about it. I calmly coach them through the best practices and tell them there’s not a company out there without a negative review. It’s bound to happen, you can’t please everyone, just learn from the mistake, acknowledge it, and move on. This all sounds like a great plan until it happened to ME! Find out what to do if you get a BAD Google Review!
There are so many women I look up to in business with all of their accomplishments and other women I admire their style, the way they parent or even in their fitness journey. I don’t always share this with them. Some of them I know well and others I admire from afar. Who are those women that you look up to in business, have modeled what they have done to be successful, and were mentored by them from a far? Have you ever shared your gratitude with them? Find out how celebrating other women will make you more successful!
I have been blessed to coach entrepreneurs from all races, backgrounds and economic status from around the country. Each comes with a different perspective and preconceived notions based on how they grew up. Some have the poverty mindset they have to overcome, while others lack a belief in themselves often due to stories they were told as a kid that they believe as truth.
Although all of the entrepreneurs I work with are different and face different challenges in their life and business, they all have one thing in common: THEY ARE ACTION TAKERS! You know what I’m talking about, people that ACT instead of talking about it forever. They actually do the thing they say they are going to do! It may not always be the right answer but imperfect action is better than no action at all!
I often have potential clients ask, “how long do I need to run my marketing campaign?” Can I do a campaign for six months and stop? My answer is always simple: do you want to stop selling your product or service? If not, then you have to market! Find out why you need to market to scale your business!
What if I’m scared to sell? So many people are scared to sell and that’s normal! I am going to show you the 5 ways to overcome fear in sales so you can hit your revenue goals!
I have been coaching entrepreneurs for about seven years now and there are many things that I find them wasting time and energy on that they don’t need to do when they are in launch mode. I came up with a list of 10 things NOT to do when you are launching your business!
One of the most important things to learn how to do as an entrepreneur is to be productive with your time! There never seems to be enough time in the day to do everything you need to do!
When my clients come in and say they need to learn to be more productive, it is usually because they aren’t passionate about what they are doing. They own or run a company but they have no purpose in their life. If you wake up every day with a passion to help people and have created a business around that passion, it is easy to be productive! You love what you do! You are making a difference! People need what you have! Learn the 10 habits of the most productive entrepreneurs.
One of the hardest things to do in business is build a team, a loyal tribe that would do anything for you and the business. Some of you might be thinking, is that even possible? Notice I don’t call them employees, they are team members! Every member makes your company who it is and they are a direct reflection of you and your values. So how do you create a culture where people want to work every day and care about your clients or customers as much as you do? Learn the 5 steps to creating a team of ROCKSTARS!
Why are some people so confident and others struggle to believe in themselves? Research shows women are less confident in business than their male counterparts. Lack of confidence can prevent you from taking the necessary risks to succeed! Learn the 5 tips on being confident in business and in life!
Learn the eight proven ways to market without spending any money! I know this topic seems a little taboo for the owner of a marketing company to be talking about, but not everyone can afford to market day one. Test the market with these proven steps and then blow it out with marketing!
Do you ever look at successful people and think, “they must have gotten lucky or they just had perfect timing with their business so it took off?” I hate to tell you this, but there’s no such thing as luck in business! Yes, the market conditions could have been perfect for their launch and maybe there was a huge need for their product or service that wasn’t being fulfilled in the market, so the opportunity was there. BUT THEY HAD TO WORK and GRIND and SWEAT and LOSE SLEEP and take a RISK to succeed!
In today’s episode, we are going to talk about the most important part of your business...sales! If you have no sales, you have no business! Learn the 5 keys to closing the sale and you'll be on your way to more money in your pocket!
These are the non-negotiable things you do every day and the rules you live by! If you need to make a decision in life, you refer to your 10 Life Rules. Ask yourself if the decision aligns with your life rules? If not, move on! We all have those days we don’t feel like doing anything. We are tired, stressed and things seem to not be going our way. Those are the days when I pull out my 10 life rules and remember why I do what I do!
In this podcast episode, you will learn the importance that discipline plays in every successful entrepreneur's life! Doing things in life even when you don’t feel like it! The small disciplined things you do daily will turn into massive momentum over time! Learn 3 ways to create discipline in your life today!
One of the first things you need to do in marketing is to define who your avatar is - your customer, your audience, your TRIBE! You can’t be all things to everyone! If you market to everyone you will have no one respond! There are riches in niches! Niche down in marketing and you will start to see success!
In today’s episode, we are going to talk about personal branding and the importance of creating a personal brand in your business. Maybe you are a woman CEO or business owner who has had success, made the money, but you want more. You are ready to give your greatest contribution to the world by teaching others what you already know. Or maybe you have overcome something incredible in life and are on the other side and want to help others who struggle in this area as well.
Deedra shares her story of becoming an entrepreneur and what Do It My Way means in episode #1! Once she finally started to do business "her way" she started to see success!