She Talks Business: Recent Episodes
Lisa Larter
Building a business is hard work and all encompassing. There’s no one size fits all, and no perfect way of doing things. She Talks Business dives into all aspects of what makes a business work—strategy, marketing, finance, operations and more.
Many entrepreneurs fantasize about building a 7-figure business. But reaching that elusive milestone of success can seem unattainable. She Talks Business is a podcast that shares the strategies that are necessary to start and scale your business beyond 7 figures…and keep it there.
Host Lisa Larter, is a serial entrepreneur who has built her own 7-figure business (twice), delves into the nitty-gritty with other business owners, experts, and some of her own clients to help you build a business that lasts—and one that can afford to pay you.
If you’re a driven entrepreneur aiming to scale your business to the next level, this podcast is for you.
Burnout Isn’t Just Busy: Why Women Are Tired for Real In this episode of She Talks Business, we’re diving into a topic every woman needs to hear, especially if you’re a business owner, leader, or someone who is always “pushing through.”
My guest is Dr. Anna Garrett, a functional medicine expert and clinical pharmacist who has spent decades helping women in midlife get out of hormone hell and back into their bodies.
This episode is all about burnout, hormones, joy (yes, joy!), and the real reason so many women feel like they’re running on empty. And spoiler alert: it’s not because you’re lazy or unmotivated. It’s often because your body’s chemistry has shifted, and no one ever taught you how to listen to it, let alone fix it.
This isn’t just another conversation about self-care. It’s about reclaiming your energy, protecting your health span (not just your lifespan), and remembering who you are beyond the roles you fill.
If you’ve ever felt dismissed at the doctor’s office, wondered if your fatigue was something more, or just want to feel like yourself again, this episode is for you.
What’s In This Episode * What burnout really looks like for women (and how it’s different from just being busy) * The truth about hormone changes in midlife—and how they impact your mood, motivation, and memory * Why joy (aka "Vitamin J") is a non-negotiable health strategy * The difference between health span and lifespan (and why it matters now) * What cortisol is, what it does, and how to know if it’s sabotaging your energy * Real-life habits that support your hormones, your stress, and your ability to show up fully * What testing options exist when you know something’s off but can’t get answers
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e185 for all resources from this episode.
Human-Centered Marketing in a Tech-Driven World This week, we’re welcoming the queen of Facebook, Mari Smith, to She Talks Business! Known as the premier Facebook marketing expert, Mari has long shared insights on the evolving landscape of social media, human design, and the power of authenticity.
For nearly two decades, Mari Smith has been widely recognized as the leading Facebook marketing expert and a top social media thought leader. IBM even named her one of seven women shaping digital marketing.
She is an in-demand keynote speaker, social media strategist, and author of The New Relationship Marketing. Mari also integrates Human Design into her social media courses to help entrepreneurs and Small and Medium-sized Businesses (SMBs) grow authentically.
In this episode, Mari and I discuss the importance of human connection in an increasingly automated world, including how Mari is weaving human design into her marketing strategies. Discover how to make your content more interesting, leverage emerging trends, and maintain authenticity amidst rapid changes. Whether you're navigating Facebook's new algorithm or contemplating how to integrate AI, this episode offers a roadmap to staying relevant while staying real.
If you want to deepen your understanding of social media strategy while preserving your personal touch, this episode is for you!
What’s In This Episode * How Facebook algorithms are changing and what it means for marketers * Why 'interest-based' content is overtaking follower-based content * Tips for making your social media content more interesting and shareable * The role of human design in marketing and how understanding yourself can improve your strategy * Balancing AI integration with authenticity to maintain audience trust * The impact of social media on mental health and how to stay grounded
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e184 for all resources from this episode.
AI isn’t the enemy. Indifference is. This week, I’m diving into a topic that’s quietly sabotaging a lot of great businesses: trust. More specifically, how we’re eroding it every time we let AI pretend to be us.
I’ve seen it too many times lately, where auto-comments go wrong, written DMs and videos sound and look like they’ve been created by a robot, and marketers admit bots are handling their engagement.
Here’s the problem: when your clients think they’re talking to you but they’re actually talking to AI, you’re not saving time. You’re actually losing credibility.
In this solo episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on how AI is being misused in ways that damage relationships and cost you real opportunities. AI can be helpful, but it can’t build friendships or remember who it’s talking to, and those are things that should never be underestimated when building a business on trust and credibility.
I break down the Trust Equation, share personal stories of trust misfires I’ve witnessed, and offer a better path forward. One where you use AI as a tool, not a stand-in for human connection.
If you care about relationships, this episode serves as a reminder to protect them. Because while others are chasing shortcuts, you have a chance to stand out by showing up.
What’s In This Episode * Why “just automating a little” can still hurt your brand * The one equation every business owner needs to know * Real-life AI fails that made followers say, “Wait… what?” * How to use AI to support, not replace, real connection * One small, tech-free action you can take this week to rebuild trust
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e183 for all resources from this episode.
Why Being Real Beats Being Perfect in the Age of AI This week, I’m joined by one of the most respected voices in marketing today: Mark Schaefer. With 11 bestselling books under his belt, his latest being Audacious: How Humans Win in an AI-Marketing World, Mark has helped shape how some of the world’s biggest brands show up and stay human in an increasingly automated world.
In this conversation, Mark and I dig into the very real tension between efficiency and authenticity. You’ll hear his thoughts on how AI is reshaping the playing field, what marketers need to stop doing immediately, and why staying human is your greatest competitive edge.
Mark doesn’t shy away from the complexity of this moment. He acknowledges that AI is here, and it’s powerful. In our conversation, we discussed how these tools weren’t made to replace you. They’re here to support you. It’s not the technology that creates connection or builds trust—it’s you. So don’t let the tools become a barrier. Keep showing up as yourself for your clients, your leads, and your business.
Whether you're curious, cautious, or already deep into AI tools, this episode will give you some great perspective on how to move forward implementing AI into your marketing without losing your personal touch.
What's In This Episode * Why “audacity” is the word marketers need now * The overlooked human skill that's now your biggest advantage * What marketing leaders must understand to stay relevant * How AI is creeping into human interactions and causing distrust * How to embrace new tools without distancing yourself from your network and your customers
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e182 for all resources from this episode.
Stop selling. Start caring. That’s how you win. I opened LinkedIn, saw a connection request, accepted it, and BOOM! Within seconds, I got a sales pitch in my inbox. I just got pitch-slapped. And if you’re on social media, I know you’ve experienced this, too.
These messages are everywhere. They’re generic, impersonal, and painfully obvious in their intent. The people sending them aren’t looking to build a relationship. They just want to make a buck.
But here’s the problem: no one wants to be sold to by a stranger. It’s disingenuous, it’s irritating, and worst of all, it’s completely ineffective.
If you’re guilty of this, don’t worry. There’s a better way to do outreach that actually works, and you can start now.
In this episode of She Talks Business, I’m breaking down why these cold pitch tactics are turning people off and what you can do instead to stop repelling potential clients. I’ll show you the right way to build genuine connections that naturally lead to business opportunities, without making people feel pitched to. You’ll learn how to nurture authentic relationships through trust-based outreach.
Don’t get pitch slapped, and for the love of business, don’t be the one doing it. Listen now to learn how to connect the right way.
What’s In This Episode * The biggest mistakes business owners make in their outreach and why it’s killing their credibility * How to shift from pushy sales pitches to relationship-driven conversations that actually convert * The power of value-first marketing and how to nurture trust before asking for a sale * Practical tips to attract your ideal clients without chasing them down
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e181 for all resources from this episode.
The 5/25 Rule: A Simple Strategy for Massive Success Are you spreading yourself too thin, trying to do it all? Warren Buffett’s 5/25 Rule is a game-changer for entrepreneurs who want to stop chasing every idea and start making real progress. In this episode, I’m breaking down how this deceptively simple rule can help you hyper-focus on what truly matters in your business and eliminate distractions that hold you back.
You’ll learn how to identify your top five priorities and why everything else must go on the ‘avoid at all costs’ list. The biggest reason entrepreneurs lose momentum is a lack of focus, and I’ll show you how to stay committed even when distractions arise.
Unwavering faith and extraordinary effort are the secret ingredients to long-term success. Listen in as I share a powerful lesson behind Hal Elrod’s six-year journey to a million book sales. You’ll also hear how Warren Buffett built his fortune using disciplined focus and long-term strategy.
If you’ve ever felt stuck, overwhelmed, or like you’re spinning your wheels without making real progress, this episode is for you. It’s time to eliminate the distractions that dilute your success, get clear on what really matters, and put your effort where it counts.
Grab a pen, write down your 25 goals, and start prioritizing. Listen now and start taking action today.
What’s In This Episode * Losing focus from too many goals and fragmented attention * Warren Buffett’s 5/25 Rule to prioritize your top goals * Hal Elrod's commitment to selling a million copies of his book The Miracle Morning * Persistence for achieving long-term goals * Importance of faith in oneself to achieve success * How hard it is to stick to a goal long enough to achieve success
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e180 for all resources from this episode.
Simple, Actionable Mindset Shifts to Up-Level Your Life and Business This episode is short, packed with value, and filled with nine simple yet powerful lessons that have fueled my (and can fuel your) personal and professional success. These are the habits, mindset shifts, and investments that keep me moving forward, even when motivation runs low. And they can do the same for you.
If you’ve ever struggled with losing momentum, letting fear hold you back, or measuring success by the wrong metrics, you’re not alone. This episode is about how to push past those roadblocks, the three investments that always pay off, and why small, intentional actions can create massive impact, especially when it comes to building strong relationships.
Don’t underestimate the power of simplicity as you listen in because I can attribute each of these lessons to success in my life. You might be surprised at how quickly things start to shift once you put them into practice!
What’s In This Episode * Build momentum by just starting * Necessity of pushing through fear * Importance of resuming after a pause * Focus on impacting individuals rather than seeking attention * Avoid social media vanity metrics
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e179 for all resources from this episode.
What It Takes To Achieve Your Vision Tune in to this episode of She Talks Business to learn my proven formula for achieving exponential growth, including the game-changing fourth element I’ve recently discovered. Drawing from my experiences over the past year, I am breaking down how these four fundamental pillars work together to create unstoppable momentum in your business.
You'll discover:
- Why your vision needs to be audaciously big—so big that it becomes a lifelong pursuit—while still maintaining the sweet spot between impossible and inspiring
- How to realistically assess your capabilities, strategically build a dream team to fill your gaps, and embrace continuous learning as you scale
- The secret to expanding your reach through authentic connections that generate more impact than simple social media metrics
- My newest success factor: the critical role of daily, intentional effort in achieving exceptional results
In this episode, I’m revealing real-world examples from my own journey, including how I’ve implemented these principles to elevate my own work to new heights. I’m sharing actionable insights on balancing these four elements to stay focused on both the big picture and high-impact daily actions.
Whether you're just starting out or looking to take your business to the next level, this episode offers practical strategies for assessing and leveraging these four pillars of growth. Learn how to craft your compelling vision, maximize your capabilities, expand your meaningful reach, and apply the right effort in the right places.
Don't miss my powerful questions that will help you evaluate and strengthen each pillar in your own business. Start implementing these principles today to unlock the exponential growth you've always dreamed of achieving.
Listen now to transform your approach to business growth and turn your boldest aspirations into reality.
What’s In This Episode * Importance of acknowledging sources of inspiration * Aligning vision with purpose and values * Importance of skills, knowledge, and resources * Building networks and authentic relationships to grow your reach * Aligning effort with your expected outcome
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e178 for all resources from this episode.
List-Building Tactics For Email Growth So how do Tim Ferriss and James Clear do it? How do they get millions of people on their email lists and, most importantly, how do they keep people subscribed? I believe a small email list of engaged subscribers and active buyers outweighs a large email list any day, but we have a lot to learn from these two men’s strategies. Listen to this episode to hear which of their tactics I'm going to be using to grow my own email list this year.
A $40M Business Owner Reverts to a $5/hour Strategy for His Success
The truth is, you don't need large numbers of subscribers like Ferriss and Clear to succeed. The lists cultivated with high-touch strategies may be "small" in comparison to millions, but the engagement of the subscribers produces incomparable results. Learn the exact direct sales flywheel strategy of Nathan Barry and how his manual efforts produced undeniable success even in this automated AI world.
Let's Talk Tactics
Building your email list will not happen overnight, and it certainly does not end with putting a subscribe button on your website. In this episode, I share my plan for growing my email list this year and how I plan to keep my subscribers engaged. You'd be surprised to learn the value you need in order to grow could be something you've already created. Stay to the end for some great ideas for freebies to offer, as well as my favorite way to impact engagement with my top readers.
Don't let your email list stay stagnant for another year! Create your lead magnet and make your content so valuable for your subscribers that they never want to leave your list.
What’s In This Episode * Mailing list maintenance and engagement * The $5 an hour strategy inspired by Nathan Barry * Personal touch in content creation for stronger relationships * Ensuring consistency and reliability in communication * List-building strategies
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e177 for all resources from this episode.
Make this year the one you market yourself more than you ever have before with the help of AI Class is in session - are you ready for your marketing efforts to be graded? This episode is all about creating a thorough marketing strategy with the 2025 landscape in mind.
Tune in as I walk you through my 10-question assessment to help you determine where your marketing efforts currently fall and provide clear steps on how to improve them throughout the year.
It's Not Getting Any Easier in 2025. . . But Here's How To Keep Up & Excel
The more opportunities we have to market our business (posting daily on social platforms, regular newsletters, automated systems for lead generation, quizzes to collect zero-party data, etc.), the more marketing becomes a complex ecosystem of efforts working together to generate sales. Marketing continues to get more complicated as time goes on, but creating a plan now will allow you to not only keep up, but excel in this ever-evolving marketing world.
AI Is Both The Problem And The Solution
We've reached a point in marketing where people are craving authenticity while consuming content more than ever. How do you remain authentic while keeping up with the volume of content necessary to stand out? AI is a great tool to add to your marketing efforts and multiply your efforts, but it is not the answer to creating content for you. Join me as I discuss real-life examples of how I use AI to create content faster while still maintaining my thought leadership and authenticity.
Listen all the way to the end of this episode for an assessment you can actually use to make a plan with the right steps for your business to really grow this year.
If you'd like some guidance on creating your marketing plan, I mention two resources for you to take advantage of: The Ultimate Guide To Planning Your Future, a free download, and the Action Accelerator, where we can sit down one-on-one to make a plan together.
Let's make 2025 the year your business skyrockets with leads, sales, and unstoppable growth!
What’s In This Episode
- Marketing Changes and Required Skills in 2025
- Self-Assessment for Marketing Strategies
- Cohesive marketing ecosystem
- Content Engagement vs. Business Success
- Leveraging AI in Marketing
- Importance of Zero Party Data
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e176 for all resources from this episode.
Our best video cheat codes to capture attention and answer the questions your audience is already asking. In the final episode of our Strategic Marketing For Your Business series, we’re sharing our best advice on creating one of the most powerful types of content today—video.
First things first: You need a content plan
If you want to get the reps in and strengthen your video-making muscle, start by creating a content plan. The only way creating video content is going to get easier is if you continue to do the work of showing up, hitting record, and pushing past the discomfort, so make it easier for yourself to do that by creating a clear direction.
This week, Cass and I are walking you through how we recommend creating a list of video content ideas so you never feel lost about what to record.
From how to hold the camera to how long your videos should be
So many people get caught up in the technical aspects of video creation. Should they be long-form or short-form? Should you hold the camera portrait or landscape?
We answer these questions and more by starting with the purpose of your video (is it meant to entertain or educate?) and identifying which social platform your audience will respond to best.
Creating video content can be an intimidating process, but don’t let that stop you. With the guidance in this episode and our helpful cheat codes at the end, you’ll be comfortable and confident in your ability to create great video content in no time!
Plan Your 2025 With Me
On December 6th, join me for a full-day virtual workshop where we will dive into money, time, marketing, and mindset with tactical advice, strategies, and resources. Learn more at lisalarter.com/plan-or-perish.
What’s In This Episode * Emphasis on authenticity over perfection in video creation * Informal content with basic quality standards * Matching content type and video orientation to platform use for engagement * How to repurpose video content * Determining when professional vs. informal filming is needed * Building camera confidence with smartphone videos
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e175 for all resources from this episode.
Learn how to plan, commit to, and produce a podcast to promote your thought leadership and expertise. One of the telling signs someone is an expert in their field is if they are able to confidently chat about their topic of genius with little to no preparation. That's why I love to help my clients create podcast strategies to distribute their expertise through this powerful type of media.
This week, Cass and I are back with the fourth episode of our Strategic Marketing For Your Business series. We identify the five reasons podcasts fail and how to overcome them. You're going to hear some great tactical tips for how to start and sustain your own podcast for the long-term goal of establishing credibility and growing your business.
5 Key Factors Contributing to Pod Fade
We identify the five reasons podcasts rarely extend beyond 5 episodes and how to avoid them. The most common misstep is not having a content strategy. Listen in for guiding questions on how to create a content roadmap for planning your episodes. For a real look behind the scenes at what it’s like to have a podcast, listen in to hear our own process for producing She Talks Business and the many hands and skills it takes to create a quality episode.
Harness The Power Of Audio & Video
In this episode, we also give our best advice and tips for creating a podcast meant to be consumed via video or audio, how to capitalize on each distribution type, and which one your audience will enjoy and consume the most.
Are you interested in starting a podcast, or have you tried podcasting in the past? This is a must-listen episode to help you consider the commitment and strategy for a successful podcast. Be part of the 5 percent who make it to episode 100 with our podcasting tips!
What’s In This Episode * Starting and sustaining a podcast * 5 reasons podcasts fail and how to overcome them * Content roadmap strategy for podcast longevity * Importance of unscripted dialogue to appear as an expert * Podcast production process
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e174 for all resources from this episode.
Thought Leadership vs. Content Marketing: Fueling an audience who knows, likes, & trusts you Let’s answer all of your questions about thought leadership! This week, we are diving into what it is, where it should go for your audience to find it, how to keep it safe, and how to repurpose it for your preferred social media channels. We even address a common misconception: the difference between thought leadership and content marketing.
Importance of Thought Leadership
Establishing, growing, and maintaining your business requires a content marketing strategy, but the true strength of your credibility lies in your thought leadership. From picking your topics to establishing a sustainable cadence, this episode will give you the information you need to be confident in establishing your expertise with your audience.
Staying Inspired
This week, we also share our favorite thought leader role models who inspire with fresh, impactful content. You’ll hear how they keep ideas flowing and manage to incorporate lessons from real-life experiences, which they then use for content on socials or in books. Plus, we’ll cover a variety of content formats to bring your ideas to life, from visuals and writing to audio and video.
This episode really is jam-packed with useful tips and insights on how to create content and thought leadership. Your business and authority will never be stronger than when you continue to create.
What’s In This Episode * Definition and importance of thought leadership * Need for consistency and focus * Various formats for thought leadership and content * Building recognition and trust through frequent content publication * Strategies to overcome these challenges with time management and content prompts
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e173 for all resources from this episode.
Take your website from good to Google-worthy. Welcome back to the second episode of our “Strategic Marketing For Your Business” series where this week, Cass Bald, my Senior Team Manager, and I are talking you through our top 10 recommendations to start having your website work for you. Our discussion ranges from simple, quick fixes to more complex website maintenance, and we even dive into SEO tactics to help your business rank on Google.
Create A 5-Star User Experience
When building a website, your customer should always be the lens through which you view your site. Is it easy to navigate? Can I browse my site for 60 seconds and come away answering the questions, what do I do, and what do I offer? We address how to create a site that guides and informs the user in a way that converts them to customers. In fact, we reveal one simple misstep many businesses make, and you’d be shocked by how obvious it is!
Technical Tricks & Savvy SEO Tips
Whether you manage your site yourself or have a team to do it for you, you don’t want to miss hearing the horror story of a website disappearing and how to avoid it from ever happening to you. Plus, while you may know SEO is important and links to your Google ranking, we go over how to create an SEO strategy to keep yourself relevant in Google’s eyes with regular recurring content.
I hope you enjoy this episode and that it gives you some smart ideas for improving your website. If this was valuable to you, be sure to tune into next week’s episode, where we’ll talk about thought leadership and content marketing!
What’s In This Episode * 10 strategies to audit the efficacy of your website * Clear communication of business offerings * Calls to action should be in clear places on relevant pages * Benefits of regular recurring content * Clear and minimal navigation tactics * Create a contact page utopia for inbound leads * SEO guidance for keywords and keyword phrases for the pages and posts of your website
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e172 for all resources from this episode.
Your customer experience starts with your positioning and messaging Take a peek behind the curtain of what it's like to work with us as your marketing team! I'm here with my Senior Team Manager, Cass Bald. We're starting a new series where we walk you through five of the key elements of creating a marketing strategy for your business using the same strategy we would use. It’s called the Strategic Marketing Roadmap, or SMR for short.
In our first episode of this series, we focus on branding, positioning, and messaging. We address misconceptions about brands and dive into what a brand truly is. We discuss how what your brand makes people feel is the real impact you're looking for and the importance of tapping into what people remember most about you and your business.
One key point we make, and you don't want to miss hearing what we have to say, is about alignment. Aligning your brand with your personality builds more trust with clients than any impressive marketing strategy. We even share our own stories of misalignment between brand and business owner to explain why.
Lastly, we differentiate between messaging and positioning. Differentiate and leverage these two elements to appeal to your ideal customer. The words you use on your website, in your content, and the way you position yourself within the market set the tone for their expectations.
After listening to this episode, you'll be equipped with tips to assess and adjust your brand to make the best impression.
We hope you use these episodes to assess how strong your marketing strategy is as we make our way to the end of the year and prepare for new goals in 2025.
What’s In This Episode * Common misconceptions about branding * Importance of brand alignment and consistency * Distinguishing positioning and messaging * Aligning messaging with customer expectations
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e171 for all resources from this episode.
Navigating Transitions, Pivots, & Retirement of the Modern Entrepreneur We are back with one of my favorite types of episodes - an Ask Me Anything! This week, Kathleen Mundy is taking over the microphone to guest-host and ask me all the questions she can about how I've approached the many pivots in my business, selling a business, and how to do it all with confidence.
Kathleen, a longtime friend and fellow dachshund mom, transitioned from a successful career as a multi-million dollar entrepreneur to looking for her new passion in life after retiring in 2022 and moving to Niagara-on-the-Lake. Realizing her retirement wasn't as fulfilling as expected, she founded the Retirement Innovation Lab to help others navigate retirement with joy and purpose. Partnering with Yasmin Nguyen, 22 years her junior, they created a platform offering innovative solutions for retirees.
Kathleen's journey from business success to finding her new passion serves as an inspiring example of resilience and optimism.
To Pivot Or Not To Pivot? How I decide.
Listen in to hear my thought process about how I decide if a pivot makes sense for my business and my brand and if it aligns with my values. I also touch on how I manage to feel confident when making some pretty big shifts and how I prepare for them.
Check Before You Invest
As an entrepreneur and a quick-start, I'm constantly thinking of new ideas, but I realize not all of them will be viable. Kathleen and I discuss my method of testing ideas before I invest extensive time and money into creating or marketing a project or opportunity. You won't want to miss hearing about my invitation marketing technique, which I've used for years to determine if my new ideas have the potential to be a success. The best part? I'm not risking a large investment or missing out on ideas my clients love.
It's always a pleasure to have my friends on my podcast, and Kathleen came prepared. This episode is beneficial for anyone of any age, so I hope you listen in and get some great advice on how to apply your unique gifts as an entrepreneur.
What’s In This Episode * The challenges of entrepreneurship, including addressing self-doubt, resilience, and difficult decision-making * The importance of personality, service delivery, and thought leadership * Transitioning to Entrepreneurship in Retirement * The importance of hiring mentors and investing in your business when transitioning to entrepreneurship * Minimizing risk with financial preparedness, risk assessment, and trusting your own capabilities
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e170 for all resources from this episode.
Capture Inspired Moments and Finally Finish Your Book Welcome back Michelle Weger with our second podcast in a row with her! In the previous episode, we celebrated the release of her new book, Don't Snooze Your Dreams: Lessons from Life with Narcolepsy. Now, we're going to talk about how Michelle was able to write her book so quickly and even managed to get it published ahead of schedule.
Michelle is an accomplished entrepreneur, speaker, and now #1 International Best Selling author of Don't Snooze Your Dreams. As the founder of Venture Creative Collective, home of the innovative 'Website in a Day' service, Michelle helps small businesses thrive with innovative automation and web development solutions.
Living with narcolepsy, Michelle has transformed personal challenges into powerful lessons, inspiring countless individuals to pursue their dreams despite obstacles. Her engaging keynotes draw from real-life experiences, offering practical strategies and inspiring stories. Michelle is accompanied by her medical alert service dog, Quinn.
Keep Moving Forward
Michelle managed to finish her book in record time of under a year of writing, and it was published five days ahead of schedule. She achieved this feat by disregarding habits we've grown to expect from authors. Instead of continuously sitting at a desk day after day, hoping she'd be inspired until the last word was written, she took a completely different approach. Listen in for the various ways she turned traditional writing on its head and created a book that is so conversational and comfortable that one reader described it as talking with a friend over a latte.
One Book Written With A Much Bigger Picture In Mind
Michelle's reasons for writing this book are incredible and inspiring. She wants to help others achieve their dreams with her DREAM method, but she also wants to help others like her be diagnosed as quickly as possible by spreading awareness of her journey from not knowing what was wrong to her diagnosis. You won't believe how big she is thinking when it comes to how she'd like her book distributed and who she would love to help her realize her dream.
I've loved having Michelle on the show for these two episodes! If you're currently stuck writing your book or have always wanted to write a book, then this episode is your inspiration. Maybe something we say will be the tactic that works best for you to finally move forward and finish your book!
What’s In This Episode * Unconventional methods for writing a book * Natural ways to start collecting stories and advice without spending hours writing at a desk * Set word count goals * Focus on quality over a self-imposed deadline * How to test if your content resonates with your audience
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e169 for all resources from this episode.
Deconstruct the Fears Holding You Back Welcome back for a very special episode! We're celebrating the release of Michelle Weger's book, Don't Snooze Your Dreams. Michelle and I have been working together for 7 years now, and I've seen her do some really hard things. I'm so proud of her for writing this book and sharing how she reframes fear to accomplish her dreams and helping you all do the same.
Michelle Weger is an accomplished entrepreneur, speaker, and now #1 International Best Selling author. As the founder of Venture Creative Collective, Michelle helps small businesses thrive with innovative automation and web development solutions. Living with narcolepsy, Michelle has transformed personal challenges into powerful lessons, inspiring countless individuals to pursue their dreams despite obstacles.
Consequences of Advocacy
As someone with an invisible disability, Michelle discusses how she's grown in her advocacy. She's faced a lot of tough pushback and consequences because her service dog is "too big," or people don’t believe she’s a service dog and don’t believe Michelle even has a disability. After seeing how her mother, friends, and colleagues stood up for her, Michelle realized if she stood up for herself now, she would also be helping others.
Only Two Types of Fear
In her book, Michelle identifies only two types of fear we all suffer from. We have a social fear, which, boiled down, is the fear of embarrassment, and physical fear, which is fear of something that could actually kill or harm us. The metaphors she uses in the book are brilliant in reframing how you feel about fear. Keep your ears open for when we talk about the paper dinosaur and the terrorist in our heads.
Fear and adversity are ever present throughout our lives and our careers. Whether we're facing a promotion at work or an autoimmune disease diagnosis, we will always be battling our paper dinosaurs and terrorists in our heads. Listen in to hear about Michelle's DREAM method, which anyone can use to overcome whatever obstacles they're facing in life and achieve their dreams.
What’s In This Episode * Facing adversity for a non-apparent disability like narcolepsy * Role models help bolster advocacy for yourself and, eventually others * Metaphors for fears holding us back from our dreams * Tactics for doing hard things * DREAM method for overcoming fears and achieving dreams
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e168 for all resources from this episode.
Add value to your user experience without alienating clients and prospects It’s time for the finale of the Leveraging AI series with Mary Fearon! We're wrapping up with a final discussion on improving customer service with AI.
When to Start & Stop with AI Automation
Chatbots and automated messaging systems are the most common AI solutions for customer service and prospecting. These solutions certainly have their place, but at what point do they become harmful to your brand?
In this episode, we discuss the harm of over-relying on AI to be the solution to your (or your customer’s) problem and how to avoid this mistake in your business.
Behind-the-Scene Uses of AI to Benefit Your Customers & Clients
When you think about customer service, the goal is to provide a valuable experience. Tune in as Mary and I discuss how AI can enhance this by acting as a personal assistant, quickly handling labor-intensive tasks like writing customer-facing documents and accelerating research to understand new clients. Want all of our suggestions on how to save yourself time while building a deeper connection with your clients? This is the episode for you.
Interested in attending our AI workshop? Sign up for our waitlist at lisalarter.com/ai to be the first to know about the investment, format, and details. Mary and I can't wait to help you start experimenting with AI in your business.
We had a lot of fun recording this series together, and we hope you're inspired to jump into this next phase of business operation with the help of your AI personal assistant!
What’s In This Episode * Experimenting with AI for business improvement * Personal and business relationships AI cannot replace * AI-generated user guides, onboarding documents, etc. * Importance of inspection to ensure AI tools maintain brand integrity
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e167 for all resources from this episode.
The Perks & Risks of AI for Content Creation Welcome to the fourth episode of our Leveraging AI series! Mary Fearon and I are back to share our perspectives and experiences using AI in our businesses. Missed the introduction to this series? Go back and listen to episodes 163, 164, and 165! In today's episode, we talk about one of AI’s most common uses—content creation.
Valuable Content is Never 100% AI
Anyone using AI will usually input the same prompt and receive the same generic response. To turn that response into something that is actually valuable, you must inject your opinion, perspective, and wisdom. Stand out from the massive amount of AI-generated content that is currently saturating digital spaces by using it as a tool to brainstorm and develop strong content faster instead of letting it do all your thinking for you. Using AI should speed up the process but never replace your voice.
AI Is Not An Easy Button—Here Are Smart Ways To Use It
Mary and I discuss how we use AI as a springboard to come up with ideas to write about. We ask AI to condense writing into social media posts, bios, or website copy with a set character limit. Sometimes, we ask it to provide different versions of already-written copy using more persuasive or pithy language. Listen in to hear how we even use AI for more effective SEO when writing blogs or web pages!
We'd love for you to join us for the AI in Business workshop Mary and I plan to host. For more information, sign up for our waitlist here: lisalarter.com/ai.
What’s In This Episode * Strategies for optimizing content length using AI * AI for creating website starter copy and headlines * Finding the balance between AI and personal voice * Warning against overreliance on AI * Adding personal value and perspective to AI-generated content
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e166 for all resources from this episode.
Cut Out the Heavy Lifting—Use AI To Gain Momentum For Your Ideas Welcome back to week 3 of our 5-week series, Leveraging AI: Proven, Practical, & Tactical Approaches to Using AI in Your Business. Today, we're diving into how we use AI for idea generation and our top tips for writing powerful, time-saving prompts.
This series is in collaboration with my friend and colleague, Mary Fearon. Mary, if you have yet to hear in the previous two episodes, is a fellow marketing agency owner. She is the Founder and CEO of OnPrPose, a company that helps entrepreneurs and businesses tell their stories effectively, both internally and externally.
If you just found this series, go back to our introduction episode, AI: Introducing Your New Unpaid Team Member.
Today, we are focusing on how to be the best “creative director” so that whatever AI tool you are using can give you usable, valuable ideas as a brainstorming partner. The magic all lies in your prompts.
How to Talk to AI When using AI, you have to shift your mindset around how you request information. With a search engine, you would input strings of keywords and find pretty relevant search results. When using AI, you have to expand your prompt to give context and background for the work you're producing, just like you would to a member of your team.
By taking the time to craft thorough prompts, you're limiting the amount of back-and-forth and getting hyper-relevant copy or ideas in response. Listen in for our top tips on how to frame a thorough prompt for AI!
What Do We Use AI For? As marketing agency owners, Mary and I use AI to do a lot of the heavy lifting that once took hours for our team to do. For example, Mary uses AI for competitive analysis. Instead of having to comb through several websites and social media pages, AI can give you an overview.
In this episode, we go over many more ways we use AI in marketing, including creating and writing in our clients' voices, creating client avatars, and even ideas for increasing engagement on social media.
AI allows you to take an idea, cuts down the drafting time, and gets you to a place where you can apply your expertise, style, and perspective in just a few minutes. Mary and I have had so much fun finding different ways to use AI in our businesses, and we hope you're getting inspired on how to start using it in yours!
If you'd like more information about the AI in Business workshop Mary and I plan to host, sign up for our waitlist here: lisalarter.com/ai.
What’s In This Episode * Shift from traditional search queries to conversational prompts for AI usage * Mary and Lisa's experiences using AI to generate fresh ideas for podcasts, newsletters, and workshops * Viewing AI as a tool to deliver more value without replacing individual perspective and expertise * Using AI for competitive analysis, establishing a client’s voice, and creating avatars or personas for targeting content to appropriate audiences
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e165 for all resources from this episode.
Our favorite AI tools, user tips, and privacy considerations Mary Fearon and I are back with the second episode of our AI series! In this series of conversations, we deep-dive into how we use AI in our businesses, and today's episode is all about how we use AI in meetings.
If you missed it from last week, Mary is the founder and CEO of On Prpose, a company helping entrepreneurs and businesses tell their stories effectively. With a keen eye for uncovering hidden narratives, Mary and her team excel at distilling complex information into compelling, relatable content.
Mary and I both run marketing agencies, and it goes without saying we attend a lot of meetings every single week. There are lots of meeting notes to keep up with and action items to implement, so it is imperative we have reliable meeting notes. Having AI take those notes and summarize our action items has been a huge time saver, but there has been a learning curve as we get used to using this tool and find our favorite AI notetakers for our needs.
Let's Compare & Contrast
Mary and I go over the AI tools we started with, got rid of, and our overall favorites for making our meetings more productive and our implementation even faster. We hope our experience and advice help you decide which one to try for yourself in your next meeting.
We Cover Privacy & Productivity
Mary and I also go over our thoughts on privacy within our businesses and with our clients when using AI for meeting notes, before we end the episode with a great time-management AI tool suggestion that has helped alleviate stress in Mary's company. We hope this was useful for you to begin seeing the value of using AI in your business!
Next week, we will discuss how AI helps us with idea generation and even how to craft effective prompts. Stay tuned for the rest of the series, which will cover using AI for content creation, customer service, and more!
If you'd like more information about the AI in Business workshop Mary and I plan to host, sign up for our waitlist here: lisalarter.com/ai.
What’s In This Episode * Overview of AI tools for recording, transcribing, and summarizing meetings * Translating meeting information into implementation effectively * Establishing protocols for using AI in meetings and respecting privacy and confidentiality agreements
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e164 for all resources from this episode.
Turns Hours of Work Into Minutes with AI Welcome to the first episode of a new season with a special guest co-host! For this series of conversations, Mary Fearon and I will be talking all about AI.
Mary and I both run marketing agencies, and we've started introducing AI into our team workflows and personal lives. If you're a small business looking to learn how AI can help you save time and effort, this is a great introduction.
With AI, we've been able to streamline our processes, freeing up more time for what we do best!
Mary is the founder and CEO of On Prpose, a company helping entrepreneurs and businesses tell their stories effectively. With a keen eye for uncovering hidden narratives, Mary and her team excel at distilling complex information into compelling, relatable content.
Mary has helped hundreds of companies in complex industrial and technical businesses, including agriculture, manufacturing, mining, construction, engineering, and more. Varied experience has honed her ability to find and communicate the essence of a business or industry, no matter how technical or nuanced. She believes in the power of storytelling to capture complexity while making it interesting and relevant to the audience.
The Number 1 Way We Use AI
AI has saved us from blank-page syndrome—it’s an amazing brainstorming partner. When starting a new project or wanting to create something from scratch, we both have noticed how quickly AI can take us from an abstract idea to something to work with. It eliminates five hours of coming up with a rough draft and instead gives us that time to focus on refining the copy, adding a brand voice, and focusing on the end result.
Where to start with AI?
There are many AI options to choose from and each one has its own benefits and drawbacks. Pick one, get to know it really well, and then you're more able to make a judgement on how you like using AI in your business and what features you may be looking for in other AI options.
In this episode, we also discuss increasing the quality of your prompts. The better your prompts, the better and more effective your results will be. Instead of thinking about how to search for a result, picture how you would give context and instructions to a coworker.
Tune in to hear all about some fun ways we've used AI outside of work! It has helped us come up with dinner ideas, gift ideas, or even how to track macros. There are so many ways to use AI and save valuable time.
The biggest takeaway for business owners who are hesitant to begin working with AI is that it is a tool. While AI helps us do our work faster and more efficiently, it will never be able to replace the wisdom, culture, and perspective humans bring to our work. The relationships, inspiration, and ideas fueling our business will never start with AI but can be developed and come to fruition much faster with its help.
If you'd like more information about the potential AI in business workshop Mary and I would host, or if you have questions you'd like us to address in an upcoming episode, email me at lisa@lisalarter.com.
What’s In This Episode * How marketing agencies use AI * Enabling speed and reducing refining time * Resistance to AI and “AI snobbery” * Fun ways to use AI in your personal life
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e163 for all resources from this episode.
Dial into your employees’ superpowers to help them on their journey Adan was formerly the Marketing Team Manager and Marketing Strategist for the Lisa Larter Group and once served as a special guest host for six episodes of "She Talks Business" with our current Team Manager, Cass Bald. In this episode, Adan puts me in the hot seat for one of my favorite types of episodes where she gets to ask me anything!
Adan co-owns The Small Business Marketers and serves a few businesses as a Fractional Sales Manager. Her mission is to bring corporate-style marketing and sales teams to small businesses.
In 2020, Adan began her marketing career by helping brick-and-mortar stores go digital during the pandemic. Over the past four years, she has helped over 75 small businesses implement effective marketing and sales strategies.
Outside of her professional life, Adan is dedicated to raising awareness about mental health and ADHD in the workplace.
Navigating Mental Health Conditions in the Workplace
In this episode, Adan and I discuss how an employer should approach working with an employee with ADHD, anxiety, depression, or other mental health conditions.
Adan thinks of her ADHD as her superpower—she loves talking to clients, and that's what she does best. We agree that open communication is a must for deciding where an employee can excel based on their individual superpowers. What do you think?
Cultivate a Winning Environment for Your Employees
Do you view your role as an employer as being part of your employees’ journeys? When you give your people an environment where they can be honest about their goals to move on to entrepreneurship, or whatever the next step is in their journey, you will foster a relationship of trust and empowerment.
In this episode, we also cover the importance of marketing, whether it's for lead generation or credibility, and focus on sales skills. We end off with a fun discussion on which designer bag means you’ve “made it.” Thanks for listening in!
What’s In This Episode * How to accommodate employees with ADHD or other mental health conditions * Sale skills for small businesses * Best way to view employer/employee relationship * The role of marketing in your business * Which designer bag means you’ve "made it?"
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e162 for all resources from this episode.
Gut Instincts and Common Sense Over an MBA Any Day We are so lucky to have an amazing woman who also happens to be an incredible businesswoman join us on the show this week! Amber Vilhauer and I started our businesses only one year apart in 2007 and 2008, so I wanted to ask her some questions focused on longevity and what she believes are the reasons she's stayed in business for 17 years and counting.
Amber is a Books & Business strategist, multi-bestselling author, speaker, and Founder of NGNG Enterprises (No Guts No Glory), an Inc. 5000 top marketing agency. She is the author of Infinite Impact and co-author of The Long Forest Trail with her son, Clay.
Since starting NGNG in 2007, Amber has helped thousands of entrepreneurs align their businesses with their core talents and desires, empowering them to build the business and life of their dreams while naturally scaling revenue and impact.
Among her clients, Amber has a reputation for getting quality work done quickly. She and her team routinely get in the trenches, implementing custom marketing strategies that attract qualified leads, launching bestselling books, and growing engaged followings that convert. Her strategies are comprehensive, deep, and built to align every aspect of her clients' businesses with their ultimate visions.
No MBA? No Problem.
Amber and I do not have MBAs and we didn't plan to have our own businesses when we first entered the workforce. We learned the skills necessary to keep our business growing and profitable, but it's not finance, marketing, or other technical skills keeping us in business. Amber believes consistency and her non-negotiables around how she treats clients and the quality of her work truly make a difference.
Get Over Perfectionism & Get Scrappy
Amber has great advice on how to shift your perspective on getting work done. By letting go of perfectionism, we can better help people in need of our services.
Don't underestimate the value of being scrappy as an entrepreneur. When we live in an age where we can learn about anything with just a few searches and countless resources, there is no excuse to let, "I haven't done that before" or "I don't know how to do that," stand in your way.
Find A Balance and the Right Fit
As a single mom, Amber lets us in on how she's able to be a present mom AND a successful businesswoman. Her priorities are always top of mind. She even lets us in on her process of deciding if a client is still in alignment with her values and if they still light her up when working with them. If they don't, she lets them go in a gentle but straightforward way.
As you'll hear in our discussion, Amber and I agree that treating your clients well, prioritizing your energy as a business owner, and confronting your perfectionism will help you go the distance. Happy Listening!
What’s In This Episode * Non-negotiables and consistency lead to longevity in business * Prioritize effort, energy, and intention over perfectionism * How to let a client go * Running a business as a single mother * Word of mouth is the most powerful piece of marketing
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e161 for all resources from this episode.
Business, Legacy, & Bucket Lists—We Cover It All I am beyond thrilled to have my long-time friend, colleague, client, and co-conspirator, Samantha Moonsammy, acting as our guest host in this edition of Ask Me Anything!
If you remember the Oprah in Ottawa event I referenced a few episodes back, Samantha is the woman who I worked with to bring that event about. She is a great person with an amazing heart, and since we’ve worked together on many events and used to live only 20 minutes from each other, she came up with some great personal and professional questions. She even asked me a really big question about why I left Canada. That’s something I’ve never talked about before, so I’m glad she asked!
Samantha works with authors through Lucky Book Publishing’s signature VIP programs that include writing, publishing, and marketing. She provides strategic coaching to authors and helps them craft the best-selling title, subtitle, book outlines, story-telling, and wow-factor branding that makes you stand out from the crowd.
Before running Lucky Book Publishing, Samantha was an award-winning celebrity event planner, television host, media personality, and public servant. She has been on book marketing event teams for many award-winning thought leaders including Elizabeth Gilbert, Deepak Chopra, the late Wayne Dyer, Caroline Myss, Marianne Williamson, and Eckhart Tolle.
In this episode, we go from morning routines, habits, professional tools, and favorite books to bucket-list items. We even discuss some memorable Lisa Larter quotes, including, “Free is too expensive,” and “You can’t ride two horses with one ass.”
This was so much fun to record with Samantha, and I’m so glad she was able to take the mic and guest host for us this week!
What’s In This Episode * Lisa’s professional and personal habits * Why Lisa left Canada and moved to the United States * Professional tools for productivity with a remote team * Legacy and impact
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e160 for all resources from this episode.
Not all business owners are. This episode of She Talks Business is out of the ordinary because it's not for the average person. In fact, I'm going to tell you right now—this episode isn't for 99.9% of you. Today, our guest, Justin Breen, is only talking to true visionaries—a special group that makes up only 0.1% of the population.
Justin's purpose in life is to connect visionaries for the benefit of humanity, and he founded his business, BrEpic Network, to do precisely that.
We talk about what it means to be a true visionary and even if I am a true visionary. Talking with Justin, I found out there are three qualities a true visionary will always have, with no exceptions.
Quality #1: Prioritize serving others even after their lifetime. Business, profit, and money are never the focus of a visionary. Instead, those things are a by-product of their primary focus as they create a service and system that will outlive even the visionary who created it.
Quality #2: Live without limits in full abundance. Visionaries don't have a scarcity mindset, and because of that, they don't worry about whether they will achieve their goals but instead dive into the third quality, taking action toward how they will achieve their goal.
Quality #3: Take action to implement their plan to serve others. Because they have an abundance mindset, they focus on investment, not cost. The faith they have in their idea of helping others will propel them to move forward with their plan without hesitating or second-guessing.
Do you have these qualities, and do you relate to Justin and his worldview? If so, you're a visionary!
Listen to this episode as we explore each of these traits. We even get Justin's opinion on famous entrepreneurs such as Richard Branson and Elon Musk. This was a fascinating conversation—I hope you enjoy it!
What’s In This Episode * Conversation with Founder and CEO of BrEpic network * Qualities of true visionaries * Visionaries make up only 0.1% of the population * Find your gift in life
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e159 for all resources from this episode.
Exponentially Increase Your Impact with Genuine Connections Welcome back to She Talks Business! Today, we are sitting down with someone I look up to so much, Giovanni Marsico.
I've been attending his event, Archangel Summit, since 2016, and I’m so glad he is joining me today. We have so much to learn from someone who values relationships more than anything, and it's with this mindset that he has achieved all of his success.
Giovanni is a two-time Emmy award-winning producer and the CEO and founder of Archangel, a global community of entrepreneurs on a mission to impact millions of people together. As a producer, he's creating a new genre he calls real-life superhero movies with films like Dreamer and Hero to inspire millions of people to dream bigger, unleash their gifts, and change the world.
The Secret to a Devoted Community
Giovanni has cultivated a network of high-profile connections who show up for him at his events as speakers and who are loyal to him when he may need to ask a favor in the future.
The success of these connections never starts with a transaction or with business in mind, but instead, Giovanni views his role with a new individual as, "How can I help you on your journey?"
This selfless commitment to their betterment instead of his own results in much deeper connections than a business transaction ever could.
Mitigate Risk Like a Pro
When Giovanni thinks about his events and working with clients, he doesn't focus on selling but on a long-term investment in a relationship. He views his events as a journey he takes the audience on, and he aims to create an experience so awesome and valuable that people can't wait to come to the next one. When working with clients, he wants the experience to be so amazing his clients continue to work with him.
We cover a lot of different topics from identity, confidence, mitigating risks, and how to culitvate deep relationships. Giovanni offers such valuable insights, so I can't wait to hear what you get out of this episode.
If you're interested in attending Giovanni's event, Archangel, with me in September, 2024, and want to amplify your learning, reach out by emailing lisa@lisalarter.com. I can't wait to get back to this event and see what Giovanni has planned for this year!
What’s In This Episode * Network by investing in relationships without keeping score * Importance of surrounding oneself with the right people * Focus on creating an experience with your event, not traditional hard-sell tactics * Overcoming Criticism and Embracing New Roles
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e158 for all resources from this episode.
From Wiener Dogs to Dropping Out of High School to Going into Business 100% for Myself This edition of Ask Me Anything was such a blast to do with my new podcasting BFF, Richard Citrin.
Richard, if you don't remember from my previous episode with him, helps people successfully navigate the inevitable happenings of life. Whether they are wins or failures, he helps his clients learn essential lessons and see opportunities for growth.
Richard's study of resilience and leadership, along with his many years as a psychologist, business entrepreneur, and corporate healthcare leader, prepared him to advise and support global and local corporate and nonprofit organizations, educators, medical professionals, and individuals to find their most extraordinary talents and use them for their success and to better the world.
Richard did an excellent job preparing a balance of personal and business questions for this Ask Me Anything. This episode is sure to be as much fun to listen to as it was to record!
It starts off with a bang as we discuss how I discovered my love for weiner dogs, why I dropped out of high school, and how I decided to fully bet on myself and go all-in with my own business.
Resilient from the Very Start
I have no idea why my kindergarten teacher said this to my mom, but she said, "You could put Lisa out in the world by herself right now, and she would survive." I have this innate resilience to just figure stuff out when I want to do something or don't want to do something. That trait was present when I was 5, and it really showed itself again when I needed to start working at 18. Another example was when I wanted to open my first Telus dealership and further my career. That figure-it-out-no-matter-what attitude is really what makes or breaks an entrepreneur.
Art: The 1 Credit Keeping Me from a High School Diploma
For the longest time, I thought I wasn't creative because the one credit I never took to finish high school was art. It's not that I'm not creative. I call creativity strategy. Strategy is about figuring out the best way to shorten the distance to help somebody get to where they want to be. I see how to position and package someone's potential and bring it to life for them.
Is AI a Threat to Creative Businesses?
Richard asks about how I expect AI to affect business and entrepreneurs. As someone who has adopted a few AI programs already into my business, I believe that AI is not going away, but it will not replace human connection or human creativity. AI is only as useful as the prompts and guidance someone gives the program. Plus, just as we all got Zoom fatigue during and after the pandemic, we're still going to crave human connection, creativity, and guidance that AI will never replace.
This was such a fun and valuable episode! Give it a listen, and be sure to subscribe and share.
What’s In This Episode * How Lisa came to be obsessed with dachshunds * Why Lisa dropped out of school and her start in retail * Lisa's successful career in business, including owning a Telus dealership * Creativity as strategy and its value in entrepreneurship * Why Lisa started She Talks Business
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e157 for all resources from this episode.
Be the Best You Can Be Joining us this week on She Talks Business is a very special guest, Phil Holberton. He is an incredible example of how mental agility can help you overcome some of the biggest physical and mental challenges you face in life.
With many decades of specialized expertise in strategic planning, business development, operations, and executive coaching for senior executives, business owners, and CEOs, he has consistently stayed at the forefront of his field. He has successfully guided and developed senior management teams in various companies, a testament to his ability to drive organizational growth and success through effective leadership.
Stop Comparing Yourself
After suffering from a massive seizure, Phil shares with us how he grew the most in his own mental agility. He went from doing basic stretches and needing help getting up and down from the floor in the gym to doing 90-pound weighted goblet squats in just five years.
His physical shape now is in the top one-half of 1% of people his age, but the way Phil achieved that is not by aiming to be in the top 1% but by focusing on being the healthiest version of himself he can be.
3 Steps to Better Mental Agility
Phil believes mental agility is preparing yourself to be the best you can be. You're setting yourself up to live your life well and handle whatever is thrown at you.
There are 3 things he does to be on his A-game: get enough sleep, eat well, and exercise.
Be Who You Want To Be
Habits and routines set you up for success and get you ready to face the day, but they also help you become who you want to be.
Mental agility is about mindset and how you react to different challenges and situations. Prepare yourself by adopting healthy habits for your body, and you'll achieve the mental agility you want in your mind.
We have a great discussion where we focus on continuing to learn and being open and vulnerable to grow as a leader and as a person. I know you'll find some great inspiration and takeaways from this episode, so be sure to share it on social media or with a friend!
What’s In This Episode * Managing sleep, diet, and exercise for mental agility * Commitment to continuous learning and personal development * Benefits of openness and vulnerability in peer groups * Impact of personal attributes on leadership and performance * Promotion of Positive Company Culture
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e156 for all resources from this episode.
It's Hardwired Into You. If you've ever felt defeated, like you shouldn't have even started your business or taken on that project, or maybe you just can't get over grief in your personal life, then you need to listen to this week's special guest, Richard Citrin, an expert on resilience. Richard views and talks about resilience in a way I hadn't considered before, where resilience isn't a skill to acquire but rather a muscle all of us already possess. We discuss how to practice growing this resilience muscle and how to overcome and prepare for those challenging situations life inevitably throws at us.
Richard Citron is a psychologist, business entrepreneur, and corporate healthcare leader with a PhD and an MBA. He helps people successfully navigate challenging seasons in their lives. Richard helps his clients learn the essential lessons and opportunities for growth in wins or failures in their lives. Richard's study of resilience and leadership prepared him to advise and support global and local, corporate and nonprofit organizations, educators, medical professionals, and individuals to find their most extraordinary talents and use them for their success and to better the world.
The 4 Components of Resilience
When considering resilience in terms of human behavior and how we address stressful situations, Richard considers it our ability to effectively plan for, navigate successfully in real-time, and bounce forward from challenging and difficult events, so we learn and grow from them.
Practical Tips to Do More Than Survive
Richard and his wife lost two adult children in a relatively short timeframe, so they know personally what it's like to face grief and embrace resilience. Richard's advice when it comes to feeling like you're only surviving is to embrace your community and get professional help. Let your friends, family, and everyone else in your support system help you and don't isolate yourself. Getting professional help, such as therapy, will also help you understand your mental state more and help you move toward a healthier, manageable balance of emotions.
The silver bullet for resilience and overcoming extreme emotions is mindset, Richard says. Prepare for adversity by having a positive mindset and intentionally spending time doing what makes you happy.
I am so grateful to Richard and his wife for overcoming their tragedy and finding ways to help others deal with tragedies and challenges in their own lives. If this episode was insightful and eye-opening to you, please leave us a review and share it with those who may need it right now.
What’s In This Episode * Anticipating and preparing for triggers * Handling overwhelming life changes * Surviving as a critical aspect of resilience * Community and professional support * Importance of mindset
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e155 for all resources from this episode.
From Directionless to Navigating Deserts & Frozen Tundra This might be the best episode we've ever done of She Talks Business. I'm stoked to have special guest and old friend Ray Zahab on the show to talk about his incredible transformation from a pack-a-day smoker to an ultra-distance runner and explorer. We even dive into how he applied the same mindset he had around transforming his life the first time to how he approached battling cancer.
Who is Ray Zahab?
Let me tell you a little bit about Ray. He is a Canadian explorer, an ultra-distance runner, and the founder of the nonprofit Impossible to Possible. In addition to being an adventurer, author, youth advocate, and runner, Ray speaks around the world. He has appeared on several talk and news programs and in print media globally. He continues today with life as an adventurer and as a volunteer. With Impossible to Possible, his first race would begin a lifelong journey of discovery and learning that some of the greatest barriers to achieving our goals are the ones we put upon ourselves. By breaking these down, Ray has learned that we are all capable of achieving truly extraordinary things.
The Catalyst
On the show, I ask Ray what the spark was that inspired him to go from sitting on his couch day after day to believing he could run across the Sahara Desert. Like most of us, Ray saw someone, his brother, who seemed happier and doing well in his life, and Ray wanted to feel good, confident, and passionate just like his brother. He started doing what his brother was doing. He got in shape. He started racing mountain bikes and running, and then, after a few years of trying new things, he started doing and winning ultramarathons. And that's how he found his sport.
This idea of wanting what someone else has is something I see all the time with business owners who align themselves with coaches and advisors. The hardest thing to do once you've found your role model is to commit to doing what needs to be done to accomplish the same goals.
Explorer Mindset = Entrepreneurial Mindset
You will be so inspired by our conversations about motivation, resilience, the importance of continuing to learn, and Ray's views on mindset and limitations. This episode is really, really interesting because we go from Ray overcoming dissatisfaction in his everyday life to learning how to navigate life with cancer and undergoing cancer treatments to the mindset needed to undergo and keep going on an expedition. It's just really fascinating, inspiring stuff!
I know you'll find this episode as incredible as I did, so please give it a listen and then share it with your people!
What’s In This Episode * Ray's journey from being a pack-a-day smoker to an adventurous ultra-marathon runner * Redefining human potential and limitations * Ray’s approach to staying active during chemotherapy * Importance of remaining humble and open-minded for personal growth * The entrepreneurial spirit is believing that with enough time and effort, you will succeed
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e154 for all resources from this episode.
Women Lead Differently In the Best Way Possible Our special guest on She Talks Business this week has had a profound impact on some of the most accomplished female entrepreneurs of our time, guiding them to reach new heights in their businesses.
We are incredibly lucky to have Kris Plachy on the show, as she is busy doing so many amazing things and is in such high demand.
She does so many great things, including being the founder of The Visionary CEO and the host of the "Leadership is Feminine" podcast.
Kris has supported powerful women in generating millions of dollars by hiring, leading, and firing hundreds of team members and navigating countless difficult moments, circumstances, and conversations.
Which Qualities Make the Best Leaders?
To start the show, we discuss which traits women have that make them exceptional leaders. If you think about it, leaders are usually described as powerful and authoritative with a lot of gravitas, but I want you to think about the leader you've admired most in your own experience.
More than likely, they weren't the stern, demanding, and commanding figures we picture when we think of leaders. The best leaders cultivate culture; they listen to us, support our efforts, and make us feel motivated and excited to do well. And do you know who excels at creating that kind of environment? Women.
Define Your Mission, Vision, & Values
Hiring, firing, and running your team will get infinitely easier once you clearly define your expectations—your mission, vision, and values—within your business. Identifying your values then helps you define each team member's roles and expected performance. By aligning your team with those qualities and goals, you are aligning yourself and your team for success in achieving your next milestone.
Your Team Members Are Not Your Allies
In this episode, we also dive into the challenges women must overcome to lead their teams effectively and to keep their goals in focus.
These challenges include having difficult conversations with team members who may be underperforming or are no longer the right fit. Another common struggle is women finding allies on their team.
Discussing your roadblocks with someone for their perspective is important, but your allies are not your employees. Your allies will be mentors and third parties with an outside perspective of your business who, more than likely, have already done what you're aiming to do.
I think you're really going to enjoy this episode! Kris gives you great, actionable tips on how to be more comfortable with difficult conversations and how to approach them with confidence.
Be sure to subscribe and share this episode if it is valuable to you!
What’s In This Episode * Common challenges faced by women leaders * How to have difficult conversations * The importance of defining your business’s mission, vision, & values * Monetize intellectual property
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e153 for all resources from this episode.
Heal Your Mind to Heal Your Business This week, we're talking with special guest Annie Wright, LMFT, a psychotherapist, about relational trauma and mental wellness and how it affects your business.
Annie founded and runs Evergreen Counseling, a boutique trauma-informed therapy center in Berkeley, California, where she practices therapy and oversees a staff of 20 trauma therapists. In addition to her direct clinical work, she runs an online course called Hard Families Good Boundaries. This transformative video-based program helps folks deal more effectively with the difficult family members who may be in their lives—I'm sure we all have some of those.
She is also a published mental health author, with her opinions appearing in Business Insider, Forbes, NBC, the Huffington Post, BuzzFeed, and more.
Every bit of Annie's work in the world, her clinical work, the center she founded, the courses she runs, and every article she writes is designed to support ambitious, upwardly mobile women from relational trauma backgrounds.
We talk about mental health, emotional dysregulation, the importance of business owners having a healthy mental perspective, and how to recognize when they might need additional support.
In this episode, Annie and I have a great conversation about relational trauma and how two people can experience the same relational trauma and have two very different experiences and outcomes. We then discuss resilience and what you can do to create more resilience in your life.
Finally, we wrap up the show by talking about the impact of mobile devices on your mental health.
I hope you enjoy this episode—I think it's really important because one of the best things you can do for yourself as a business owner is to really understand your own mental health.
The more healthy and well you are from a mental health perspective, the better equipped you are to serve your customers, support your team, and take care of yourself.
What’s In This Episode * How to identify when you should try therapy * Defining relational trauma and identifying its effects * How to become more resilient * The importance of sleep, limited screen time, and exercise to our mental wellness
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e152 for all resources from this episode.
Sharpen Your Business Systems for Success This week on She Talks Business, I’ll be recording the second “My Take” series where I will give you my opinion and what I took away from my most recent read. We’ll be talking about Nick Sonnenberg’s Come Up for Air: How Teams Can Leverage Systems and Tools to Stop Drowning in Work.
The short version: This is excellent. It’s a fantastic, super smart book. I highly recommend you read it and apply its principles to your team.
Essentially, this whole book is about doing more efficient work so you can literally come up for air. This includes taking your communication and separating it between internal and external, taking your planning for projects and ensuring that you have the right work management tools, and then taking your resources and making sure you have an efficient knowledge base and the right process management tools.
Your Business is Only as Effective as Your Systems
I open the episode with Dr. W. Edward Deming’s 94% Rule, which basically says 94% of the results you experience in your business all stem from your processes and systems, not the individuals making up your team.
When operating in your business and setting up systems for your team, there is a tendency to outgrow your system or identify how a system isn’t working the way you’d hoped. Instead of reassessing and starting from scratch with a new system, we tend to put bandaids and make exceptions so we can continue using this already established but not very effective system.
What really needs to happen, and Nick really sheds light on this, is we need to assess all of our systems in their entirety to ensure that they are serving their purpose and making your life and your team’s life easier.
CPR: Communication, Planning, Resources
Nick Sonnenberg's CPR framework lays the foundation for categorizing and optimizing business processes. Breaking down internal and external communication, streamlining planning tools, and effectively managing resources can prevent your team from "drowning in work." This method strategically simplifies processes, enabling teams to focus on what they do best: driving the business forward.
Effective Systems Improve Your Culture
I even argue that good systems not only increase efficiency and your team’s bandwidth but they can also enhance your company's culture. Clear guidelines can reduce frustration and allow employees to focus on their work without unnecessary interruptions or too much time trying to find what they need to do their work. Effective systems show your team that you value their time and well-being and that you want to make it as easy as possible for them to succeed.
Nick’s book, Come Up For Air, helps you figure out your communication processes, your project management system, and how to manage your resources. It even goes into how to better your onboarding and shows you how to buy back time with more efficient systems. It’s an excellent book that will have you setting your team and your business up for success.
I hope this take was useful for you and that you grab your own copy. If you do, be sure to tag me and Nick on social media so we know you were inspired by this episode.
What’s In This Episode * The 94% Rule by W. Edwards Deming states most workplace results are due to systems and processes, not individual efforts. * Defaulting to temporary solutions rather than evaluating the system as a whole cuts down on efficiency. * CPR stands for Communication, Planning, and Resources. * “Stop the scavenger hunt" for information by implementing effective systems that cut down on time and increase productivity.
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e151 for all resources from this episode.
Energy & Emotional Wellness in Your Business Let's sit down with Tracy Litt, a renowned teacher of science and spirituality and the founder of The School of Becoming. In this episode, we're talking about science and spirituality on a business podcast because I believe the more connected to yourself you become, the more work you do on yourself, and the better you become as an entrepreneur, business owner, and leader.
Tracy is an international bestselling author, podcast host, and emotional healing healer. She holds her license in professional coaching, neurology, somatics, and hypnotherapy. Her institute, the School of Becoming, integrates consciousness, neuroscience, healing, and energetics to help students evolve into the next-level version of themselves.
From Victim to Victor
Tracy describes her journey as going from completely asleep as a single mother on food stamps to completely awake as the CEO of her own personal growth company, which helps individuals along the same journey.
Tracy evolved significantly—from perceiving herself as a victim of her circumstances to fully embracing personal responsibility. This shift played a pivotal role in changing her life trajectory and shaping her methodology, which she now shares with countless individuals seeking personal and professional growth.
Shift Your Mindset & Feel Your Emotions
Tracy presents four tactical recommendations to nurture professional growth, which can help individuals shift states and foster personal development. These include engaging in regular breathing exercises, creating space for processing emotions, embracing gratitude and mindfulness, and relying on spiritual support.
Her advice is actionable and grounded in a pragmatic understanding of the challenges faced by professionals today.
Remove "Woo" from Your Vernacular
We discuss the often-derogatory label of "woo," and Tracy urges for a more inclusive understanding that brings together scientific evidence and spiritual practices. This merger is not about esoteric beliefs but about understanding the role of energy and the universe in our everyday lives—redefining the essence of existence as spirit in human form.
Feel, Process, and Evolve
Tracy stresses the importance of acknowledging and truly feeling your emotions in order for them to guide us through our personal evolution. This emotional processing is critical to dealing with the increasing rates of anxiety and depression in society.
The Power of Intentional Evolution
Tracy emphasized the concept of intentional evolution—the idea that we can rewire our brains to influence our future, countering the belief that past performance predicts future outcomes. This empowering perspective gives us the agency to evolve our habits and practices to change the trajectory of our lives.
Tracy is a light in this world. You can feel her passion and her knowledge come through in this episode. The journey towards personal and professional growth is complex but attainable. I really enjoyed having her on my show this week, and I can’t wait to see how you like this show!
Be sure to listen, subscribe, and share this episode!
What’s In This Episode * Tracy Litt's personal journey from victimhood to empowerment * The significance of tuning into the body's signals over mental chatter * Four tactical approaches to improve growth and handle anxiety, depression, and burnout * Exploring the integration of emotions in achieving personal growth * The negative impact of technology and distractions on mental well-being
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e150 for all resources from this episode.
Strategies for Powerful Communication This week’s special guest, Kathryn Janicek, helps people overcome something many of us fear more than death - public speaking. I loved this conversation because she shared so many valuable tips to improve in so many speaking scenarios, including presentations, interviews, and meetings - so much more than just speaking on a stage.
After being laid off by a network when she was working as their VP of News, Kathryn leveraged her expertise in coaching news personnel and pivoted to create a niche for herself. Today, she has found great success in media training and public speaking coaching for professionals.
Kathryn is a three-time Emmy award-winning media and public speaking trainer with over 25 years of experience. She has shaped the communication and presentation skills of executives across diverse industries, from small businesses to a hundred billion dollar companies.
Kathryn’s company, Janicek Performance Group, specializes in media interactions, board presentations, high-stakes communications, stage presence, and impactful messaging.
In this episode, we talk a lot about what it takes to overcome your fear of speaking, how to eliminate filler words, and how to self-coach yourself to show up and present better on stage or Zoom.
We learn that professionalism is about more than the substance of our work. It's also about how we present our ideas, negotiate at the table, and build supportive networks.
Kathryn believes in the power of a compelling narrative, whether you're in front of a camera or addressing a boardroom. Her personalized coaching sessions help clients master the art of storytelling and the nuances of effective communication that resonate with their audience.
Feel Your Best to Perform Your Best
Something as simple as ensuring you wear comfortable clothes and shoes can make a dramatic difference in your performance and presentation. When you feel good and confident in clothes that fit or know your makeup or hair was done by a professional, it is worth the extra money or effort because it will show in your delivery and presentation.
Scaling Your Business with Sustainable Growth
Scaling a service-based company isn't just about increasing client numbers; it's about creating a business model that generates a steady source of income, even in the owner's absence.
Kathryn shares her wisdom on structuring services, ensuring client retention, and focusing on monthly recurring revenue.
Enhancing Communication Skills
Kathryn insists that self-awareness, pausing effectively, and eliminating unnecessary filler words can significantly improve one's public speaking endeavors.
This was a fun episode to record, and I can't wait to have Kathryn back! She left us with incredible, actionable advice that any of us can implement to improve our presence when addressing audiences in a one-on-one or one-to-many setting. Thanks for listening!
What’s In This Episode * Tips for improving stage presence and effective messaging * The impact of societal expectations on women's stage appearance * Strategies for addressing common speaking issues like posture and filler words * Scaling a service-based business through diverse service offerings
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e149 for all resources from this episode.
Your Business Doesn't Have to Suck the Energy Out of You Exhausted from running your business? You're not alone. Successful entrepreneur Jamie Palmer discovered Human Design and transformed her work. Curious how?
This week, you'll explore human design, a tool that can help you build a fulfilling business based on your unique design. Learn how human design empowers strategic decisions and builds a business that truly works for you. Ready to ditch burnout? Let's go!
What Is Human Design?
Ever heard someone ask if you've "done your HD"? Human Design is a system for understanding yourself. It uses your birth date to create a chart that reveals your type (how you interact with the world), profile (the persona you project), strengths (centers), and energy levels (gates and channels). This can help you discover ideal work environments, who you collaborate best with, and even if you're wired for multitasking or methodical work. You only need your birth date, time, and location to get your free chart and insights into your unique human design.
How Does Human Design Help You?
Human Design can help you break societal expectations and live a more fulfilling life. By understanding your unique energy type through a Human Design chart, you can discover what you're naturally here to do. This can be especially helpful in business, where you're often bombarded with advice on how to be successful. Human Design can help you identify your most effective strategies based on your strengths and weaknesses. The key is to take action on the insights you gain from your Human Design chart.
Approaching Human Design in Business
Human Design is often used as a basic personality test, but it goes much deeper than that. Jamie's approach focuses on practical applications. She uses real-life examples to educate people on how Human Design can inform business decisions. This includes business models, offers, launch strategies, and marketing. By understanding your Human Design type, you can discover what strategies actually work best for you. Ultimately, the goal is to empower people to make their own business decisions and not blindly follow generic advice.
Human Design isn't about generic advice—it's about understanding YOU and what works best for your natural design. Ready to stop hustling and start thriving? Check out Jamie's website to grab your free Human Design chart and explore more resources to help you design the business of your dreams. You can also get a copy of Jamie's book Human Design For Business free by using the code SHETALKSBUSINESS.
What’s In This Episode * Embracing change in business * Human design for business owners * Building a business with a purpose
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e148 for all resources from this episode.
Building Brand Credibility in the Digital Age This week's episode on She Talks Business is a thought-provoking and insightful conversation with Debbie Lu, where you'll hear about the evolving landscape of business, the impact of AI on marketing, the significance of public relations, and the power of strategic relationships.
Driven by a passion for media, Debbie immigrated to Canada from China to pursue journalism. Despite facing a language barrier, she hustled throughout her twenties, building a network through internships and mentors. This relentless drive led her from Ottawa to Toronto's PR scene, proving hard work and a “never-give-up” attitude can open doors.
The Power of Public Relations
Public relations is about managing a brand's reputation through the media. PR specialists like Debbie handle negative press and craft positive stories to get media coverage, like interviews with CEOs or experts. Unlike marketing, which focuses on sales, PR builds consumer credibility and trust. For small businesses, a PR professional can package your expertise into stories for relevant media outlets, positioning you as a regional business expert.
Traditional vs. Modern Marketing Strategies
Marketing has exploded online, with social media replacing traditional channels. Influencer marketing is especially huge, allowing brands to partner with trusted online personalities to reach their target audiences. Small businesses can leverage this by directly contacting influencers or collaborating with local micro-influencers with engaged followers. The key is building relationships and understanding what resonates with that influencer's audience. Follower count isn't everything—look for influencers who can connect with potential customers and drive sales.
Revolutionizing Marketing and Making it Accessible
While traditional media fades, accessible online tools like AI are putting the power of marketing directly in businesses' hands. This translates to potentially lower costs, with some companies managing marketing in-house. However, the efficiency and expertise agencies bring are still a draw, especially for larger corporations.
By automating tasks and streamlining workflows, AI has the potential to reduce marketing costs significantly. Agencies can complete their tasks faster, allowing them to charge lower retainer fees. This democratization of marketing, fueled by AI, could make sophisticated strategies more accessible to businesses of all sizes.
Don't miss out on this inspiring episode of She Talks Business! Learn from Debbie's journey and gain valuable insights on navigating the future of media and marketing for your own business. Head to your favorite streaming platform and subscribe to She Talks Business for more thought leadership discussions.
What’s In This Episode * Harnessing the power of influencer marketing * The rise of AI in marketing * Navigating public relations for small businesses * Embracing the art of selling
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e147 for all resources from this episode.
What To Focus On So Your Business Succeeds Something new is starting for She Talks Business this week, and I'm excited to share it with you. I recently did a season with my niece, Mackenzie, and I had so much fun answering her questions about owning and running a business. So, I called out on Facebook and asked if anyone else would be interested in sitting in the host seat, picking my brain, and asking me anything.
Today's guest, Ali Marks, is the first to volunteer. Let me tell you a little bit about her. She is a vibrant force in Sarasota, Florida's real estate scene.
Ali is a dedicated realtor and a passionate small business owner of Loyd Robbins Co., a boutique brokerage specializing in residential, commercial, and business brokerage. Her work is deeply rooted in a rich tradition of honesty, integrity, dedication, loyalty, and customer service.
Business Results over Vanity Metrics
Social media engagement metrics, including likes, comments, and shares, can be easily inflated. The true measure of success is if your business is actually generating outcomes.
Focusing on vanity metrics like engagement can be misleading. The ultimate goal is growth; the most important indicator is whether your customers find your business through social media channels.
Companies should prioritize real-world outcomes over chasing social media engagement metrics.
Change in Entrepreneurship
"Pivoting" in business is nothing new. As an entrepreneur, you should understand it as a continuous process of growth and adaptation. The key is embracing change and experimentation and constantly seeking new and improved operating methods.
Don't be afraid to let go of things that no longer serve you, even your successful ventures, to avoid stagnation and maintain your creative spark.
Make responsible decisions, though, by considering the financial impact and potential consequences before making any drastic changes. Calculated pivots and calculated risks are critical for long-term success.
Encouragement for Young Entrepreneurs
The foundation of any successful business is generating profit. Your profit is what fuels your personal income, reinvestment, and growth.
The big mistake many entrepreneurs make is overspending, causing them financial stress and the pressure to constantly sell just to make ends meet.
Strategically playing with your numbers can clarify your pricing and financial goals. If you underestimate your costs and pricing solely, that hinders your profitability. Don't be afraid to use aggressive pricing strategies, like tripling your costs, to establish a healthy profit margin so that you have room for negotiation.
When Things Aren't Going How You Expect
You're going to have unexpected challenges as an entrepreneur. When this happens, try to step back and diagnose the situation, analyzing what's causing the issue.
Then, practice gratitude, focusing on the positive aspects and resources you possess. This helps to counter the negative self-talk that can amplify your problems.
Finally, invest in yourself through attending events, connecting with like-minded individuals, and building your professional network. This network is a valuable support system.
The fear of starting a business is universal, regardless of your age.
What’s In This Episode * Focus on Actual Business Results * Permission to Pursue Opportunities * Financial Viability and Pricing for Profit
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e146 for all resources from this episode.
Build Your Own or Franchise Your Dreams? This week on She Talks Business, we have a new guest, Ashley Gundlach, president of British Swim School, a North American Learn to Swim franchise.
Unsure if you should build your business from scratch or use the support of a franchise? This episode will help you discover the pros and cons of owning a franchise, the flexibility and limitations, and understand the dynamic between franchisors and individual owners. This information is crucial for aspiring business owners, whether you crave the freedom of building something new or the fast track offered by a proven franchise model.
The 80/20 Rule There is a popular principle called the Pareto principle, which is about understanding what 20% is driving the other 80%. When you focus on this in your business, you can see what is being done differently by that 20%. As certain businesses grow and scale in a franchise, the company must also develop and scale its processes as well. The support and processes helps to build a runway for all the franchisees that will grow after them.
Managing Relationships When you have 150+ entrepreneurs with every personality type, it's a unique working relationship between the franchise and franchisees. By being transparent, franchises can have honest conversations about where their limitations are when it comes to supporting them. Whether it's a legal or structural limitation, there's always a way to compromise because the franchise doesn't succeed if its franchisees don't.
Exploring A Franchise Any good franchise brand will follow a diligent process to educate a potential franchise owner about their brand. The process should be risk-free for anybody interested in exploring franchise brands. Throughout the process, you'll get a sense of what it will be like to be a franchisee of that brand and be exposed to the business's operations. If you're exploring a franchise process that doesn't feel like this, take it as a warning sign.
Signs A Franchise Isn't For You 1. Connecting with others. If you have difficulty empathizing with others, you'll most likely have a challenging time inspiring your team and connecting with your customers. 2. Continuous learning. You must be open to learning from other owners and the brand to run a profitable business. 3. Grit and resiliency. Every entrepreneur knows you must be resilient when owning a business. A franchise is no different. Problems are going to come up that you will have to solve.
Pros and Cons of Franchising Pros
- You're not starting from scratch.
- You have a support team and mentorship.
- You have access to marketing professionals.
- You have a network of peers, so you're not in it alone.
Cons
- Franchises have proven processes, so you can't do whatever you want overnight; it has to be a collaboration.
- There is a lot of legal involvement to protect both sides, which can slow some things down.
If you are considering franchise ownership, talk with people who are doing it, whether they are people who love what they're doing or feel dissatisfied. By speaking with them, you get to see the complete picture of what it's like and whether you can see yourself in those individuals. This gives you further validation of how to move forward after seeing both sides and multiple personalities.
What’s In This Episode * The Guardrails of Franchise Ownership * Traits of Successful Franchise Owners * Benefits of Franchise Ownership
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e145 for all resources from this episode.
A Valuable Resource for All Business Owners
This week on She Talks Business, you'll hear a new type of episode called My Take. These episodes are my opinion on things I am reading and find interesting. You'll listen to what I liked about what I was reading, and then I'll give you my take on it. This first episode is fascinating because it features Noah Kagan's new book, Million Dollar Weekend.
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I went into reading it with curiosity and walked away feeling excited. In this episode, I discuss my take on 14 different things from the book, and the topics below are the top ones.
Frequent Excuses
At the beginning of this book, I liked that Noah shared a list of frequently made-up excuses. When you read this list of excuses, you'll see at least one in yourself, if not multiple. What Noah does, however, is he lays out a clear path for you on how to overcome those excuses. This was an intelligent way to start this book because he then links the excuse to where he would overcome it later, giving you the specific chapter where he would do that.
The Simple Start
The second thing I liked about this book is that Noah shares "The Simple Start." This is when you 1. Find a problem, 2. Solve the problem, and 3. Validate your idea without spending any money. Why I liked this so much... Because people usually think about an idea that they believe will make them money rather than thinking about their buyer and the problem that they can solve. I've also seen people spend thousands on an idea, perfecting something before they even know if they have a buyer. If you can validate your idea, meaning someone will buy it, you know whether it is viable for a business. Noah helps you put this into action by giving you shortcuts to sell through emails, messages, and simple ways to get your idea out there and get someone to spend money without you needing to.
You don't have a business if you don't have a customer.
The One Minute Business Plan
Noah does this thing called "The One Minute Business Plan," where you can determine if your idea is a million-dollar opportunity. He gets you to look at Google Trends, market size, product cost, and total value and gives you the formula to calculate whether it is a million-dollar idea. Then, he gets you to calculate $1,000,000 by your profit per unit sold so that you know how many customers you need. When you simplify your pricing, you know exactly what you need from a sales and profit perspective.
I Made It, and I Still Feel Like Shit.
Anyone who has reached feeling like they've "made it" has probably experienced this. You started your business to have more freedom and ended up creating a job for yourself; you've put yourself in a box. That will kill your spirit. Make a list of what you want for every aspect of your life and put it somewhere you can see to keep sight of what will make you happy. There is no point in growing a successful business if it isn't bringing you joy.
That's my take, folks! I highly recommend reading Million Dollar Weekend. If you enjoyed this episode, let me know. If you purchase this book, tag me and Noah to share that you bought it because you heard me talk about it.
What’s In This Episode * Retaining existing customers and gaining referrals is crucial for business growth. * Asking for help and embracing generosity in business relationships to foster success. * Aligning your life goals and using visual reminders for personal and professional growth.
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e144 for all resources from this episode
A Conversation that Will Change Your Leadership This episode of She Talks Business is with the respected Colonel Chris Kolenda, a retired army colonel with an extensive background in leadership and advisory roles. Throughout this, you'll learn about Chris' background, experiences, and transition to a leadership consulting business aimed at making a meaningful impact.
Establishing Boundaries and Priorities in Leadership
When discussing setting boundaries, Chris shares an impactful story that underscored a vital truth: respecting individuals' time and priorities isn't simply polite; it's a cornerstone of effective leadership. Establishing clear boundaries creates a balanced and productive environment where everyone flourishes.
Aligning with Your Natural Strengths
Tapping into your natural strengths and talents isn't just burnout prevention; it's motivation for engagement and success. Aligning with your inherent gifts fosters a fulfilling and impactful leadership journey.
Clarity and Engagement in Leadership
Leadership extends beyond personal boundaries and strengths. Operationalizing your company values and co-creating priorities with your teams is critical. His insightful "x so that y" formula delivers the clarity needed for disciplined execution, a crucial element for individuals and organizations striving to reach their full potential.
Upgrade Your Leadership Skills
Self-awareness is a central theme throughout this episode. Understanding your emotional triggers, acknowledging your strengths and weaknesses, and surrounding yourself with supportive individuals are all vital in sharpening your leadership skills and fostering a positive and productive work environment.
Whether you're a budding entrepreneur or a seasoned executive, this episode offers plenty of leadership wisdom. Becoming a great leader isn't about reaching a fixed destination but embracing continuous growth, resilience, and the passion to inspire others.
What’s In This Episode * The importance of establishing boundaries and priorities in leadership, emphasizing the significance of clarity and self-awareness. * Strategies for aligning team members with their natural strengths, thus preventing burnout and enhancing engagement. * The significance of surrounding oneself with the right people and the impact of mentors and support networks on personal growth and leadership development. * Insights into managing emotional triggers, the impact of miscommunication in the workplace, and strategies for engaging and retaining team members.
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e143 for all resources from this episode.
Flow, Energy Audits, and Business Alignment Feeling the familiar tug of work draining your energy? Buckle up because, in this episode of She Talks Business, the limitations that you have in your mind are about to shatter. This episode's special guest, Makhosi, is a 7-figure entrepreneur, leader, and spiritual high-performance coach.
After listening to this episode, you'll feel empowered and equipped with unconventional wisdom to align your energy with your business ventures.
Embrace Unconventional Learning
Challenge yourself to reimagine learning beyond the traditional education that you may have experienced. Makoshi carved her path in her learning, prioritizing self-discovery over the traditional college route. She even broke the norms for her son with the decision to homeschool when she noticed he thrived from a learning style different from hers. This challenge created a path of exploration and growth for her and her business.
Owning Your Worth
Let's talk about self-worth and pricing. Do you ever feel the insidious connection between the two holding you back from charging what you're truly worth? This is a common yet harmful mindset. In this conversation, you'll learn to uncouple your value from the price tag and embrace a mindset shift that empowers you to charge confidently based on the impact you deliver.
Energy Alignment
Ignore the generic "one-size-fits-all" success formulas and the comparison trap. There's power in aligning your business with your energy. With practical strategies like energy audits and human design—tools that help you tap into your unique flow and navigate business with intention.
The journey toward a business that aligns with you starts with tuning in now. Dive into the full episode of She Talks Business with Makhosi, and you’ll discover the untapped power within you.
What’s In This Episode * Strategies to align your work with your well-being and create a business that energizes, not drains you. * Inspire to explore alternative learning paths and discover approaches that resonate with your unique nature. * Empowerment to define success on your terms, breaking free from limitations, and embracing your authentic vision.
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e142 for all resources from this episode.
Is Your Store Stuck in the Stone Age? In this episode of She Talks Business, you'll learn about the dynamics of retail and business innovation with Liza Amlani, the principal and co-founder of Retail Strategy Group. Explore retail, technology, and consumer behavior, and gain valuable advice.
Building Relationships in Marketing
Liza Amlani, with her background in teaching fashion marketing at FIT, shares how important it is to build relationships in marketing. Her approach includes discussions on daily retail headlines and the encouragement of networking, providing a holistic understanding of the industry. Adapting to social media and influencer marketing to enhance customer engagement is a critical consideration in the constant change of retail.
Navigating the Retail Industry
The in-store customer experience for retail has changed because of the impact of technology and social media. Effectively managing your inventory and strategic merchandising are pivotal for success in retail businesses. Adapting to the evolving demands of retail and understanding the role of customer engagement strategies are crucial.
Empowering Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners
For small retail business owners, leveraging data and utilizing affordable cloud-based tools for your sales and inventory management is a vital consideration. When disciplined, you can take bold steps toward success, push boundaries, and think big in your business endeavors.
This episode is packed with a wealth of wisdom. If you embrace change, innovate, and stay true to your beliefs in your business endeavors, you'll be able to stay determined and push toward success.
What’s In This Episode * Impact of social media and influencer marketing on customer engagement * Importance of managing inventory effectively * Importance of not thinking small as a small retail business owner * The significance of planning, leveraging data, and affordable cloud-based tools for small businesses
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e141 for all resources from this episode.
Understanding Your Cycle, Managing Symptoms, and Thriving Welcome to another episode of She Talks Business. In this episode, my special guest, Mackenzie St. Laurent, a menstrual wellness counselor and young entrepreneur, joins in to share how she helps women understand and manage their menstrual health from a holistic perspective.
Shifting the Narrative
Historically, there has been a lack of options when addressing menstrual issues. In our world today, having a holistic approach and an alternative view allows you to have a deeper understanding of the menstrual cycle as an integral part of your overall health.
Understanding the Cycle and Symptom Management
There are different mechanics of the menstrual cycle, which has four distinct phases. These four phases are the menstrual, follicular, ovulation, and luteal phase. You may have heard of a practice called "cycle syncing" that informs your self-care, movement, and nutrition choices. This gives you signs to indicate your need for cycle support and management. Severe cramping, emotional disruption, and changes in your bleeding patterns will be some of those signs.
Self-Care and Emotional Well-Being
There's so much significance in balancing, reflecting, and fully understanding your body. Unpack your feelings and explore them. Regulating your emotions is a huge part of the holistic approach to menstrual wellness.
Seeking Support and Advocacy
If you've ever been diagnosed with menstrual cycle issues, you know the challenges that you face in getting that diagnosis. It takes an average of seven medical practitioners and a decade to receive that diagnosis.
Practitioners who remain curious, willing to listen, and advocate for their patients and their menstrual health and overall well-being can significantly impact someone's life.
If you haven't yet, listen to the episode to learn how to benefit from a holistic approach to your menstrual health. Understanding and managing your menstrual health is crucial to your overall well-being.
What’s In This Episode * Understanding the menstrual cycle and support * The significance of balance and allowing others to care for you. * Practical approach to cycle syncing and education * Understanding one's body, making informed decisions, and seeking support through coaching programs
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e140 for all resources from this episode.
Sales Strategies for Service-Based Businesses This episode of She Talks Business is anything but ordinary. With Mackenzie St. Laurent, you’ll learn about sales strategies, mindsets, and invaluable tips that are highly insightful. Forget stale pitches and forced smiles—you'll learn what it truly means to excel in sales and service-based businesses.
Agility in Sales
Agility became our watchword. There's power in adaptability, meeting your clients where they are, and tailoring your approach to their specific needs. Gone are the days of one-size-fits-all plans. “Underpromise and overdeliver” should be your core mantra. Give your clients realistic expectations so that you can leave them speechless with your results.
Building Trust Through Understanding
Time spent understanding your client's needs is always well-spent; it's the foundation for building trust and lasting relationships. Think of it as a pre-pitch prep session, laying the groundwork for a mutually beneficial collaboration. Speaking of pitches, ditch the pressure of closing deals and embrace "selling as a service." You will then go from a salesperson into a trusted advisor who goes above and beyond to solve problems and exceed expectations. It's a mindset shift that fosters genuine connections and will make your customers happy.
Rejection is a Stepping Stone
Rejection? It's inevitable but not debilitating. Detach yourself from the outcomes and embrace the learning opportunities within each "no." Every interaction, positive or negative, hones your skills and shapes your approach, propelling you forward.
Your Sales Process
This means that you'll need structure. Outline your sales process, creating clear steps that flex with each of your clients. It's about understanding their needs at every turn, ensuring that every interaction moves them closer to their desired outcome.
Asking for the Sale
Ultimately, you'll have to ask for the sale. You've built trust and established expertise to pave the way for confidently closing deals. It's not about pressure but creating a win-win scenario where everyone walks away feeling empowered and satisfied.
This episode isn't just about sales; it's about business, relationships, and the power of understanding and exceeding expectations. So, tune in, share your thoughts, and start making those sales!
What’s In This Episode - The importance of adaptability and overdelivering
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Handling rejection and building rapport
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Increasing sales conversion rates
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Structuring service offerings for sales
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e139 for all resources from this episode.
Planning, Structure, and Success Metrics This week on She Talks Business, I'm joined by Mackenzie St Laurant again to talk about The Beginner Mind Essentials for Business. This episode is all about sharing the secrets to building a thriving business. This episode covers essential aspects such as structuring business activities, goal setting, and sustaining your momentum.
Riding the Wave of New Beginnings
With the new year starting, you have this fresh and energizing energy that you should harness because it can kick-start your business success. There's a transformative power in setting goals and planning meticulously for the upcoming year. Take the time and harness this energy to create structured planning and effective time management to propel your business forward.
Business Goal Setting
For guaranteed success, reverse engineer your business goals. Break down your revenue targets, establish monthly milestones, and consistently evaluate your progress. I can't emphasize enough the importance of setting realistic and achievable goals to lay the groundwork for sustainable growth.
Structuring Business Operations
Structure and organize your business operations for optimal functionality. You'll see positive business interaction by establishing robust business structures, fully understanding your business model, and creating systems to enhance client engagement.
Winning the Customer Game and Sustaining Momentum
Prioritize customer acquisition and steer clear of operational analysis paralysis. In order to acquire and retain clients, nurture your business relationships, and monitor progress toward your sales goals, you must understand the cyclical nature of sales and develop an adaptive mindset needed to overcome challenges.
Marketing and Personal Connections
Allocating time for networking events, leveraging various strategies to maintain business visibility, and articulating your business vision is crucial. There's nothing more significant than networking and building personal connections. However, remember to establish boundaries for yourself to prevent burnout.
With these insights, you can seize the opportunity to implement strategies and pave the way for a year of unprecedented success and fulfillment in your business endeavors. Here's to conquering the world of business with a Beginner Mindset!
What’s In This Episode * Reverse engineering business goals for the year * The importance of business structure and understanding the business model * Prioritizing acquiring customers when starting a business * Structuring time and regularly attending networking events
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e138 for all resources from this episode.
Mastering a Money Mindset Welcome to She Talks Business, where my guest for this season, Mackenzie St. Laurent, and I discuss the beginner essentials you need in business. In this episode, you'll learn how to develop your money mindset, refine your sales strategies, and perfect your financial planning. Tune in to explore the power of understanding your worth, reshaping your relationship with money, and mastering financial management for business success.
Defining Your Worth and Pricing Strategies
When you have your own business, you must understand the value you offer and align your pricing with your worth. Things like calculating your minimum hourly rate, justifying pricing, and gamifying your sales process will have a massive impact on your business. The art of selling, in particular, is profoundly intertwined with emotional intelligence and skill development.
Shifting Your Money Mindset
Adapting a new perspective on money is critical to making rewarding financial progress. Celebrate your wins and detach the thought of success from outcomes in financial decisions. As you navigate developing your mindset, take some time to read books such as Rich Dad Poor Dad, The Millionaire Maker, or The Ultimate Blueprint for an Insanely Successful Business which will help to reshape your understanding of wealth and abundance.
Financial Planning and Tax Obligations
Practical steps for managing cash flow and taxes are a cornerstone of business success. Learn how to identify your tax obligations, understand your profit margins, and fulfill your fiduciary responsibilities as a business owner.
New Year Reflections and Practices for Abundance
As you approach the end of the year, consider adopting some practices and a New Year outlook. Take inventory concepts of what you've invested a lot of time and money into throughout the year. One book that will profoundly impact you in creating an environment of abundance and financial prosperity is Die With 0.
With these insights and practical tips, you have the full ability to master a money mindset and achieve abundance in both your business and life. Take advantage of the opportunity to unlock your own financial potential and reshape your relationship with wealth. Happy listening, and here's to a prosperous 2024!
What’s In This Episode * Importance of increasing fees to align pricing with value * Gamifying selling and providing customer options * Managing cash flow for business success * Disrupting money patterns for more abundance and wealth
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e137 for all resources from this episode.
Successful Social Media Marketing for Entrepreneurs In the second episode of our season on “The Beginner Mind for Business Essentials,” I am being joined, once again, by my niece, a young entrepreneur with a fresh perspective on business. Tune in to hear Mackenzie St. Laurent, a wellness counselor specializing in the menstrual cycle, discuss social media marketing from a business perspective, quality content, and effective strategies for new businesses venturing into the digital landscape.
Setting the Foundation
Three critical points for social media success include relationships, “done is better than perfect,” and frequency and consistency. The imperfection of your posts shows the importance of not obsessing over perfection. Instead, focus on meaningful numbers in your business rather than vanity metrics to drive success.
Crafting Engaging Content
Using videos is a great way to engage your audience on Instagram. You have an opportunity to connect with new audiences by being social on social media (that’s what it’s for, right?!). That means commenting, sharing, and tagging others on your platforms and theirs as well. When creating content, you want it to be dynamic and visually appealing, which includes your videos, swipeable carousel posts, and accessible captions.
Navigating Personal and Professional Content
Incorporating your personal stories into your business content is crucial, however, you have to maintain a balance between personal and professional content on social media. Adding context through metaphors and personal stories is also a strong strategy for enhancing business content.
Negotiating Emotional Sensitivity and Building Boundaries
Social media's impact and ability to expand your reach is impressive. There's a shift in audiences and communities as they age and begin to go through new phases of life. You also have to be responsible when handling emotional sensitivity and trauma associated with social media and advocate for setting boundaries and routines for your social media usage.
This episode is a fantastic guide for those of you who are looking to learn social media from a business perspective and practical strategies for marketing your business. You'll gain knowledge and inspiration for navigating the ever-evolving social media and business world.
Remember to follow She Talks Business on Instagram to be the first to know when a new episode of Beginner Mind Essentials for Business comes on this season.
What’s In This Episode * The importance of incorporating personal stories into business content * Using video to engage audiences on Instagram * Creating visually appealing and accessible content * Maximizing engagement by recycling and resharing content * Managing expectations regarding the time it takes to see results
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e136 for all resources from this episode.
A Guide to Business Growth and Self-Worth Today marks the beginning of a new season for She Talks Business—the Beginner Mind Essentials for Business. In this episode, you’ll learn about the transformative shift from perfectionism to embracing imperfect action and recognizing the intrinsic value of self-worth in business. Our special guest, Mackenzie St. Laurent, shares invaluable insights from the early stages of launching her own business, offering profound wisdom applicable even to seasoned entrepreneurs.
Overcoming Perfectionism
Perfectionism, a significant barrier to business growth, can be conquered by seeking support and feedback. To detach your self-worth from your work, consider enlisting the help of a coach or peer group, fostering accountability and overcoming the pitfalls of perfectionism. Focus on comparing your current self to past achievements rather than fixating on an idealized future.
Shifting Mindset: The "Gap" vs. "Gain" Philosophy
The "Gap" vs. "Gain" concept encourages focusing on the progress made, diverting attention from future aspirations. This mindset shift proves crucial for personal and professional growth, fostering the acknowledgment of achievements and appreciation for the journey rather than fixating solely on the destination.
Creating Accountability and Support
Investing in coaching generates the necessary tension for behavioral change and maintaining focus on progress. Practical strategies for accountability include preserving a collection of thank-you cards and letters to serve as reminders of the positive impact made. Regularly reviewing the past year's accomplishments aids in reflecting on progress too.
Energy Management and Seeking Validation
Conscious awareness of the impact of positive and negative energy on success is essential. Seek advice and validation from experienced individuals, aligning with those who provide support, encouragement, and expert guidance for sustained business growth.
Embrace imperfection, conquer perfectionism, and adopt the mindset of progress over perfection. This season is meant for every entrepreneur to help you get back to the basics so that you can continue to grow and succeed. Be sure to follow along on Instagram so that you get updated every time a new episode comes out!
What’s In This Episode * Overcoming perfectionism and separating self-worth from work * Putting work out for others to see and interact with to receive feedback and improve * Finding support and creating accountability to overcome perfectionism
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e135 for all resources from this episode.
Business Wisdom and Strategies from Advisors Today is the last episode of the Advisor series. We had a great, dynamic lineup of industry experts, each providing their own unique perspectives and guidance for business success.
When you own a business, it's vital to seek different advisors for various business aspects. There's so much value in having a board of advisors, whether formally or informally, so you can gain expertise and insights from seasoned professionals. If you can’t afford advisors, leverage your online resources and learn what you can on your own.
Our various guests shared their expertise across diverse areas, including finance, law, immigration, and business growth. Here are the highlights from each of their episodes:
Insights from Business Advisors
Jackie Porter: In this episode with Jackie Porter, you'll learn insights on strategic tax planning and the importance of finding the perfect financial advisor to build generational wealth that stands the test of time.
Eleanor Beaton: Eleanor Beaton, an experienced coach and advisor, shared the necessity of a business coach, the value of coaching relationships, and the significance of setting clear goals for success.
Steve Parker: With Steve Parker, he shared the importance of finding a well-staffed accounting firm with a hands-on partner, especially tailored to your needs as a small business owner.
Mo Syed: Mo Syed, an expert in immigration law, shares practical advice for ensuring a smooth and successful immigration process. This episode will give you valuable strategies to navigate the complexities of immigration options for a worry-free immigration experience.
Sunita Doobay: With Sunita Doobay, you'll learn the importance of tax planning for your growing business as it expands. Her insights highlight the critical role of a knowledgeable tax advisor in avoiding common mistakes to legally save your business money and ensure compliance with ever-evolving tax laws.
Dr. Darnyelle Jervey Harvey: Business consultant Dr. Darnyelle Jervey Harmon, shares her story of persevering through adversity in this series, sharing her journey as the award-winner of a multi-million-dollar coaching and consulting brand and a best-selling author with eight books to her credit.
Kristen Herwitz: In this episode, you'll hear from Kristen Herwitz, a business attorney and strategist who shares her expertise on contracts and the importance of protecting client relationships. Kristen assists marginalized groups, and her values-based approach to legal services has made her a sought-after advocate for fair and equitable business practices.
Suzanne Mariga: Susanne Mariga, a fractional CFO and profit-first expert, shares her insight on the role of a fractional CFO at various stages of business growth, underlining the significance of specialized advisors. You'll dive into important financial topics that can help your business improve its profitability and make informed decisions.
Matthew Asbell: From Matthew Asbell, you'll hear expert guidance on intellectual property and its essential nature of protection and rights associated with it. He is a well-versed attorney in the complexities of intellectual property law, with a background in information technology, entertainment, and medicine.
Within this series, you’ll learn a broad spectrum of financial, legal, immigration, and business growth matters. From investing in financial knowledge to finding the right legal and financial support, their guidance was invaluable.
What’s In This Episode * The value of continuous learning and gaining insights from others * Financial advice and wealth-building * Copyright and trademark law * Legal and immigration advisory
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e134 for all resources from this episode.
How to Safeguard Your Business and Intellectual Property Ready for a deep dive into intellectual property on "She Talks Business? Matthew Asbell is joining us this week and he will be talking about the intricacies of trademarks, copyright laws, and patents. Matthew is well-versed in the complexities of intellectual property law, with a background in information technology, entertainment, and medicine.
Understanding Trademarks
When you're going through the process, it's not only about acquiring trademarks; it's about crafting a plan to enforce and safeguard your invaluable assets. Remember, trademark registration isn't a one-time task – maintaining the integrity of your trademarks demands ongoing vigilance.
Intellectual Property and Copyright
Copyright isn't just a byproduct of creation; it's an automatic right granted to your work. There are advantages to registering copyright, especially when it comes to legal disputes. And don't forget to attach copyright notices to your creative works as a testament to their protected status.
Strategic Trademark Registrations
Never underestimate the importance of professional evaluation and counsel in your trademark registration. With a guide, you can navigate the strategic considerations involved in prioritizing trademark registrations based on long-term plans and budget constraints.
Beyond Trademarks
Another pivotal aspect of your intellectual property strategy is the use of patents. From software to applications, physical objects, and intricate processes – patenting is a way to safeguard your innovations.
This episode will equip you with the knowledge and understanding necessary to protect your intellectual property and trademarks.
What’s In This Episode * Overview of trademark registration and enforcement * Importance of enforcing a trademark * Difference between trademark and copyright * Intellectual property considerations and benefits
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e133 for all resources from this episode.
Building a Profitable and Sustainable Business
In today's episode, there's a very special guest joining, Susanne Mariga, a fractional CFO and profit-first expert. I am so excited to dive into some important financial topics that can help businesses improve their profitability and make informed decisions.
Throughout the episode, you'll learn the importance of job costing accounting systems, automating inventory systems for retail businesses, and streamlining pricing and quoting through standardized processes. You'll also learn about the common struggles business owners face in achieving profitability and paying themselves.
The Importance of Job Costing Accounting Systems
These systems play a crucial role in tracking costs and making informed decisions. Particularly in industries like construction, job costing allows businesses to accurately allocate expenses and determine the profitability of each project. By implementing an efficient job costing system, you can have a clearer understanding and ensure that you're pricing your services or products appropriately.
Automating Inventory Systems for Retail Businesses
For retail businesses, inventory management is a key factor. Automating inventory systems can greatly benefit your business by providing real-time data on sales and popular items. With this information, you can optimize your inventory levels, avoid overstocking or understocking, and make data-driven decisions to improve profitability. By automating inventory management, you can streamline your operations and focus on meeting customer demand effectively.
Streamlining Pricing and Quoting through Standardized Processes
Customization is often a challenge in pricing and quoting for businesses. However, implementing standardized processes can be a helpful change. By establishing consistent pricing and quoting procedures, you can improve efficiency, save time, and prevent costly errors. Standardized processes also enable you to streamline your operations, particularly when it comes to estimating costs and providing accurate quotes to your clients or customers.
Profitability and Paying Yourself as a Business Owner
Many entrepreneurs get stuck in a mindset of constantly reinvesting in their business, this mindset often leads to you neglecting your own financial well-being. As a business owner, it's crucial for you to align your actions with your goals and prioritize profitability. Tune into the episode to hear tips on how to overcome the guilt or hesitation that often comes with paying yourself.
I want to encourage you all to plan your businesses for the next year with profitability and success in mind. Profitability is not just reserved for large businesses. With the right strategies and mindset, you can also achieve sustainable profitability.
What’s In This Episode
- Importance of tracking costs and making informed decisions
- How automation can help retail businesses
- Streamlining pricing and quoting processes
- Allocation of revenue for profit, owners' pay, taxes, and operating expenses
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e132 for all resources from this episode.
Navigating Contracts In this episode, I'm joined by Kristen Herwitz, a business attorney and strategist who shares her expertise on contracts and the importance of protecting client relationships. Kristen's passion lies in assisting marginalized groups, and her values-based approach to legal services has made her a sought-after advocate for fair and equitable business practices.
Contracts and Protecting Client Relationships
It's important to have intentional conversations and protect your personal relationships when entering into business arrangements. Contracts should not only outline legal obligations but also consider the long-term impact on client relationships and privacy. Consider potential scenarios where something goes wrong and be mindful of payment structures. To mitigate risks and ensure fairness, seek professional guidance when creating contracts.
Values-Based Decision-Making
Contracts play a crucial role in protecting the rights of all parties involved. You must comply with state laws and have a lawyer who understands them. This is especially important when it comes to employment classification and non-compete clauses. Being informed and intentional about values-driven decision-making can help create a business environment that is fair, inclusive, and protective of all stakeholders.
Ownership Rights and Licensing in Contracts
Another essential aspect of contracts is addressing intellectual property ownership. The default ownership rights in the legal industry often require negotiation. Clear communication and contracts can minimize misunderstandings and ensure that both clients and businesses are aware of their respective rights and responsibilities.
Having the right legal adviser to strategize and grow your business makes the biggest difference. Clear communication and contracts are key in minimizing misunderstandings and protecting your business, clients, and employees. Start to take action to protect your business by listening to this episode.
What’s In This Episode * The importance of contracts and fair treatment * Protecting client relationships and privacy * Considering what happens when something goes wrong * Understanding state laws and compliance
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e131 for all resources from this episode.
Leadership, Communication, and Overcoming Self-Sabotage In this week's episode of She Talks Business, I am being interviewed by my mentee of 5 years, Michelle Weger. She is an entrepreneur who is dedicated to her craft and has built a rapidly growing, multi-six-figure website development and business process automation company.
In this conversation, you'll hear Michelle share the valuable lessons she's learned working with me along the way that I know will be relevant and valuable for you too.
The Essence of Leadership
When you're in a leadership role, there's a critical lesson to learn, and that is tailoring your leadership approach to different individuals on your team and how they respond. Some may need a gentler hand while others need you to be more straightforward. Adjusting your approach is going to get the results much faster. If you are nurturing strong relationships that facilitate effective feedback, you'll find yourself working with honest, action-oriented individuals who exhibit gratitude and generosity.
Strategies for Unwavering Focus and Productivity
One challenge of being an entrepreneur is maintaining your focus. This is why it's essential to create counter behaviors to combat distractions and increase your focus. Try techniques like disconnecting from devices, practicing mindfulness, and setting intentional routines. You'll find creating space for reflection and behavior assessment will enhance your productivity.
Conquering Fear and Self-Sabotage
Once you learn how to face your fears and be brave, you'll find it's easier to achieve success. There are many self-sabotaging behaviors you hold that stem from fear, distractions, disorganization, and lack of discipline. In order for you to overcome your self-sabotage, seek advice from your advisers and learn from other successful individuals.
Cultivating Confidence and Mastering Communication
When you are building your business you have to learn how to sell, tune up your communication, and your listening skills in order to see the results you want. Build your own self-assurance by initiating conversations with strangers, nurturing relationships, and engaging in networking events. Some practical tips for you to enhance your confidence could be through mentorship and other role models.
In the world of business, effective leadership, conquering self-sabotage, and nurturing confidence are key for you to succeed.
What’s In This Episode * Effective leadership and building relationships * The importance of feedback and compliment acceptance * Overcoming distractions and creating focus behaviors * Trusting advisers and learning from others' success
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e130 for all resources from this episode.
From Adversity to Success Today, I am thrilled to introduce this incredible guest. There is no business consultant on the planet like Dr. Darnyelle Jervey Harmon. She is the award-winning CEO of Incredible One Enterprises, LLC, a multi-million-dollar coaching and consulting brand. She's also a best-selling author with eight books to her credit, including her latest, Move to Millions®. I know you all will be inspired as she shares her journey and her new book in this episode.
Darnyelle's Journey
Darnyelle overcame a challenging upbringing, financial difficulties, and bankruptcy to become the successful CEO that she is today, with a thriving business and a mission to inspire others. Her story is one of resilience, determination, and unwavering self-belief. She is committed to empowering women to achieve financial independence and create lasting legacies.
Move to Millions®
Darnyelle's book provides a step-by-step framework that will guide you to a seven-figure business within one to three years. This book is the fruition of her desire to share her proven framework for building a million-dollar business. As you read this book, you'll discover not only the strategic insights necessary for success but also the softer side of entrepreneurship, such as alignment, surrender, and forgiveness.
The Book Writing Process
Darnyelle approached the writing process by seeking guidance through prayer, utilizing her existing framework and modules, and dedicating a daily hour to writing. The process took her three months, with some changes made halfway through to ensure it was a true reflection of her vision. After undergoing a careful editing process, Move to Millions® will officially release on November 7th!
What’s In This Episode * Darnyelle's latest book and its purpose * The mission to change statistics for women in business * Darnyelle's book-writing process * The sustainability of success after reaching seven figures
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e129 for all resources from this episode.
Navigating Tax Implications as Your Business Grows In today's episode, you'll be diving deep into the world of taxes and exploring the critical role they play as your business expands and evolves. I'm thrilled to have Sunita Doobay, a highly respected tax partner at Blaney McMurtry, joining me as our special guest.
Understanding the Importance of Tax Planning:
As my business has grown, I've come to understand just how crucial it is to consider the tax implications and make necessary adjustments to my business structure. Having a trusted tax advisor by your side as you navigate the different stages of business growth is simply invaluable.
Navigating Cross-Border Tax Implications:
Expanding my business internationally brought a whole new set of challenges, especially regarding the subject of cross-border taxes. For instance, if you're a US employer with employees working in Canada, you might run into payroll tax withholding complexities. Understanding the roles and activities carried out in different countries is important to ensure compliance and avoid any potential penalties.
Common Mistakes and Tax Planning Strategies:
Many individuals make mistakes when it comes to managing their business's tax affairs. Staying up to date with changes in tax laws is absolutely critical, as failing to do so can have serious consequences. That's where a knowledgeable advisor well-versed in cross-border tax implications comes in—they can be a game-changer.
Building a Strong Advisory Team for Business Success:
In the business world, having a strong advisory team is one of the most important things when it comes to success. I encourage all of you to take a close look at your current advisors and consider strengthening your advisory team.
I highly recommend seeking advice from experts like Sunita Doobay, who can provide invaluable insights and ensure your business remains compliant with the ever-evolving tax laws. Remember, understanding tax laws isn't just about compliance—it can also legally save your business money. Tune in to the full episode to learn more!
What’s In This Episode * Adjusting business structure as business grows * Common mistakes and challenges in business taxes * Importance of hiring advisors familiar with cross-border issues * Value of working with knowledgeable and effective advisors
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e128 for all resources from this episode.
Proven Strategies for Success This week, I sat and talked with immigration attorney, Mo Syed, to share insights on business immigration to the United States. This episode is a must-listen for those of you who are aspiring to spend time in the US for business purposes. Mo Syed is an expert in immigration law who shares practical advice and insider tips to ensure a smooth and successful immigration process.
The Importance of Answering Questions Succinctly
Be sure you're answering questions succinctly, without offering too much information. Often, individuals might feel the need to over-explain leading to potential misunderstandings or doubts about their genuine intentions. Instead, answer questions confidently and briefly state the purpose of your business trips without divulging any unnecessary details unless specifically asked.
Essential Documentation for Smooth Border Crossing
To facilitate easy border crossing, try carrying a file folder around with your relevant documentation when traveling for business. This includes useful information like event agendas and hotel details. Having readily available documentation allows you to provide legitimate reasons without the need for excess explanation. Being prepared with such information instills confidence and clarity when interacting with border agents.
Techniques for Presenting a Strong Immigration Case
Some key techniques for presenting a strong case for visa or green card approval include addressing weaknesses and crafting a compelling business plan. Understanding the nuances between different types of visas ensure a successful application and avoid issues at the border.
I encourage you to tune in to the full episode to gain a deeper understanding of these tips and ensure a worry-free business immigration experience.
What's In This Episode * How talking too much can undermine legitimate intentions * The importance of having an immigration attorney or coach * Techniques for presenting a strong case for visa or green card approval * Differences in business conduct now compared to when laws were written
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e127 for all resources from this episode.
A Key to Business Success When it comes to running a successful business, having a knowledgeable and trustworthy accountant is essential. In this episode of She Talks Business, Steve Parker, the founder of Parker Prince Libano, a chartered accounting firm, shares his insights on the challenges entrepreneurs face in finding the perfect accountant and offers valuable advice on tax planning, financial record-keeping, and the value of responsiveness in the accountant-client relationship.
Finding a Knowledgeable Accountant
Entrepreneurs often struggle to find accountants who possess the depth of knowledge necessary to make informed business decisions. Steve advises asking accountants specific questions about tax planning, slippage in the business, margins, revenue and cost optimization, and profit maximization. This ensures that you have an accountant who can provide the necessary expertise and guidance in these crucial areas.
The Importance of the Right Size Firm
The ideal accounting firm size varies depending on your business's needs. It's important to strike a balance where your accountant is accessible and capable of handling your specific business needs without being overwhelmed. The value of personalized attention is overwhelming against relying on unqualified individuals or larger firms that lack responsiveness.
The Value of Responsiveness
Being responsive is a competitive advantage in today's business environment. Find an accountant who prioritizes responsiveness, it leads to faster decision-making, customer satisfaction, and a stronger business-client relationship. Having an accountant who is available to answer your questions and provide guidance becomes invaluable when you're navigating complex finance and tax situations.
Tax Planning and Financial Record-Keeping
Tax planning is a vital aspect of business success. Consider taxes throughout the year instead of just during tax season. Understand that corporate and personal tax rates and utilizing incentive rules can help optimize your tax payments and maximize your returns. Working closely with an accountant can ensure that you have proper financial record-keeping and an accurate estimation of taxes, avoiding last-minute surprises.
What’s In This Episode * Difficulty in finding accountants with sufficient knowledge for good business decisions. * Margins, revenue, and cost optimization. * Importance of finding the right size accounting firm. * The value of responsiveness in the accountant-client relationship.
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e126 for all resources from this episode.
When Do You Need a Mentor? I want to dive deep into a topic that often sparks debate in the business world—the need for a business coach. To shed some light on this subject, I am thrilled to have Eleanor Beaton, an experienced coach and advisor, joining me today. Together, we aim to debunk the myth that every business owner needs a coach. Instead, we will explore when and why someone may need a coach and how to choose the right mentor.
The Value of Coaching Relationships
Let's start by addressing the value of coaching relationships. As business owners, we all have different levels of drive and motivation. But that doesn't diminish the power of a coaching relationship. It's true that coaching can be frustrating when clients don't take actions that could improve their sales results. However, we must remember that coaching offers more than just financial rewards. Soft transformations and celebrating wins are equally important aspects of the coaching journey.
Advice for Choosing the Right Coach
Finding the right coach starts with understanding your own mindset and willingness to take action. A good coach serves as a thinking partner, inspiring action while requiring self-discipline from you. They can't do the work for you, but they can guide and support you through your challenges. It's essential to establish a strong connection with your coach and ensure they have the necessary expertise and competencies to meet your needs.
Navigating the Selection Process
So, how do you go about selecting the right coach for your business? Begin by vetting potential coaches thoroughly. Don't fall for flashy tactics; instead, focus on finding someone who can truly meet your needs. Different coaches specialize in various areas, so it's crucial to match their expertise to your unique requirements. Don't hesitate to ask behavioral-based interview questions to assess their skills and knowledge. Remember, hiring a coach is similar to hiring a team member – it's essential to find the perfect fit.
Choosing a Coach with Experience
When it comes to coaching, experience is crucial. Working with someone who has already achieved the level of success you aspire to reach can catapult your growth. Hiring a coach with a proven track record ensures you're learning from someone who has been there and done that. You don't want to waste time and resources on an inexperienced coach who may hinder your business's growth.
Not every business owner needs a coach. But, choosing the right mentor can make all the difference in unlocking your full potential. Remember to assess your readiness for action before tackling a coaching journey. And when selecting a coach, take the time to vet their competencies, match their expertise to your needs, and prioritize experience. Stay tuned for more insightful episodes where we tackle the most pressing topics in the world of business and entrepreneurship.
What’s In This Episode * Importance of critical disciplines and functions in a business. * Finding the right coach for specific business, personalities, and goals. * The negative effect of working with an inexperienced coach. * Vetting coaches to ensure necessary competencies and capabilities.
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e125 for all resources from this episode.
Building a Solid Financial Foundation There's a new series starting this week on She Talks Business, the Advisor Series, where I bring you insider wisdom from experts in the world of business. Today, I am beyond thrilled to kickstart this series by sitting down with the extraordinary Jackie Porter, a true champion when it comes to helping entrepreneurs protect their hard-earned money.
A Powerhouse in Finance Jackie Porter is an absolute powerhouse in the world of finance. Not only is she an award-winning financial planner, but she's also a bestselling author, mentor, and captivating speaker who has positively impacted the lives of countless clients. Jackie's journey to success started from really humble beginnings. Raised by a single mother and hustling through multiple jobs during high school and university, she knows the true value of hard work. Later she had a pivotal moment when a trusted friend suggested she seek the guidance of a financial planner, setting Jackie on a transformative path to greatness.
Strategies for Financial Independence In this era of the influential FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) movement, which has ignited the passions of countless individuals striving for financial freedom, there's an importance of creating multiple income streams and implementing contingency plans and risk management strategies in your business ventures.
Strategic Tax Planning My conversation with Jackie left me with one crucial takeaway: strategic tax planning is the secret for business owners. When you anticipate income and tax implications, you'll see things shift, which is why collaborating with a dedicated advisory team or a trusted financial planner is an absolute must. If you're on a mission to build generational wealth that stands the test of time, you cannot afford to overlook financial planning.
Finding Your Perfect Financial Advisor Now, let's talk about finding your own financial advisor—one who aligns perfectly with your vision and goals. This is the move that will set you on the path to incredible success. Take the time to seek out referrals, verify credentials, and most importantly, rely on your instincts. Remember, this is a partnership that can reshape your financial future.
My discussion with Jackie left me filled with inspiration as we discussed the exhilarating journey toward entrepreneurial wealth and the immense value of finding the right financial planner. When you tap into the power of money, diversify your income streams, and seek guidance from a seasoned financial planner like Jackie, you're well on your way to unlocking lasting financial security.
What’s In This Episode * Wealth as a choice and the importance of saving and spending money wisely * Importance of proper tax planning for business owners * Building wealth using your business and the importance of multiple streams of income * Tips for selecting an advisor based on credentials and gut instinct
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e124 for all resources from this episode.
Find Your Key Players for Success It's the start of a new season of She Talks Business, where you can learn all about entrepreneurship and business success. This season is focused on the crucial role that advisors play in setting you up for success. Join in as I bring in a lineup of experts who have personally helped transform my business and can do the same for you.
Having the Right Advisors Having the right advisors in your corner can make all the difference in your entrepreneurial journey. They provide guidance, support, and expertise that can save you both time and money in the long run. With the right advisors, you can make informed decisions and navigate the complexities of running a business.
Who Shouldn't Be Your Advisors? While seeking advice is necessary, it's equally important to choose the right advisors. When choosing advisors, avoid those who haven't achieved your goals and advisors unrelated to your field. Seek mentors who've accomplished your goals, align with your values, and research advisors' track records.
Finding the Right Advisors To find the right advisors for your business, consider the following:
- Seek mentors who have already achieved the goals you aspire to reach. Learn from their experiences and leverage their expertise.
- Research the track records and qualifications of potential advisors. Look for a history of successful outcomes and a deep understanding of your industry.
- Align with advisors who share your values and vision for your business. This ensures a strong connection and collaborative partnership.
Different Types of Advisors to Consider Throughout this season, you'll have the chance to explore the expertise of various advisors. You’ll hear insights from financial planners, business coaches, tax attorneys, accountants, and so much more!
Choosing the right advisors is critical to your business success. When you select advisors who have the expertise, experience, and alignment with your goals, you can access valuable guidance and support as you navigate your entrepreneurial journey. Remember, having the right advisors can transform your business and set you up for long-term success.
What’s In This Episode * The importance of having the right advisors. * Exploring the value of having advisors in business. * Highlighting the benefits of seeking advice from knowledgeable professionals. * Discussing the cost-saving potential of having the right advisors.
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e123 for all resources from this episode.
Uncovering Needs and Building Value In this episode, you'll learn about essential topics: marketing, understanding customer needs, and the pervasive myth of passive income.
Uncovering Needs in Marketing In business, it is imperative to know what your customers genuinely require, rather than simply providing what they want. I once worked with a client who believed they needed assistance with their podcast. Looking closer, it was evident that their need was actually related to lead generation. This is just one example of how important it is to have a team of diverse perspectives working with you to identify your needs and help you make informed purchasing decisions.
The Power of Asking "Why" When you dive deep into customer needs and can understand their underlying motive, you can create more empathetic and meaningful solutions. In my book, Masterful Marketing, co-written by Alan Weiss, I share the necessity of engaging in open-ended questioning in order to gain an enhanced understanding of your customer base. The act of asking "why" leads to a more comprehensive grasp of their requirements, allowing your business to offer tailored and impactful solutions.
The Myth of Passive Income I want to address the misconception around passive income and get-rich-quick schemes. The notion that passive income requires no effort or investment is a misperception. Whether you're considering real estate investments or creating sales funnels, these ventures demand dedicated effort. Approach these proposals with a critical mind and withhold from subscribing to the misconception of effortless income. The path to sustainable success requires you to have a profound understanding of your business and an acknowledgment of the effort required.
Success in marketing and business growth depends on your deep understanding of your customer's needs, asking the right questions, and your ability to critically look at propositions that come your way.
Be sure to subscribe, share, and actively engage with She Talks Business and all the upcoming content.
What’s In This Episode * Importance of understanding that what people want may not be what they need * The power of asking why questions in understanding buyer's needs * The value of gathering information behind buyers' needs to present relevant solutions * The misconception surrounding passive income
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e122 for all resources from this episode.
Leverage Your Writing to Grow Your Brand In this episode, you'll learn the importance of marketing and monetization in business and how books can establish you as a thought leader. There are authors out there who write books solely to make money and have found a lot of success in the book-selling business; that's not my primary focus. I view books as a means to an end. They are indicators of thought leadership, expertise, and success that help to improve business.
Symbolism of Books as Thought Leaders Books hold a special place in the world of thought leadership. They serve as indicators of expertise, establishing you as a leader in your field. Successful authors like Dan Pink and Malcolm Gladwell have not only made a name for themselves but also generated significant income from their book sales.
Books as a Means to an End Books serve as a means to improve both your business and personal life. They provide valuable insights, strategies, and knowledge that you can implement to achieve success. Thought leaders have written extensively, using their books to enhance their businesses and impact more lives.
Books as Marketing Tools Books have a unique ability to attract people to you and your business. When readers enjoy a book, they often become evangelists, sharing it with others. This word-of-mouth marketing can have a significant impact on your reach and influence. The endorsement of readers who have experienced transformation through a book is invaluable.
Traditional Publishing vs. Self-Publishing While self-publishing has gained popularity in recent years, traditional publishing still has undeniable credibility. Working with a commercial publisher signifies that someone has already invested in an author's work and validated its quality. Self-publishing might be suitable for niche markets, but for broader subjects like leadership or strategy, a traditional publisher can bring greater visibility.
Books are powerful marketing tools that not only establish you as a thought leader but also attract readers to your business. While there are exceptions to every rule, traditional publishing generally offers you greater credibility, where self-publishing requires a stronger personal brand and marketing network. Regardless of your publishing route, you need to focus on creating high-quality content that resonates with your readers and leaves a lasting impact.
So, what's your publishing strategy?
What’s In This Episode * Books as indicators of thought leaders, experts, and icons * Writing books as a means to improve business and help more people * Comparing self-publishing, hybrid publishing, and traditional publishing * Relationships and networking through book readers and evangelists
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e121 for all resources from this episode.
Start Early for Success Are you an author who wants to have a successful book?
If so, you need to start marketing early. In this episode of She Talks Business, Alan Weiss and I discuss the importance of early planning and marketing for a successful book launch.
The Timeliness of Book Marketing
Many authors leave book marketing until the last minute. Book reading and sales are on the rise, which makes early planning crucial for success. Starting early allows you as an author to build momentum and leverage the growing interest in books.
Building a Marketing Plan
Creating a strategic book marketing plan involves several key steps. You must pay attention to book cover design, ensuring it resonates with the target audience. Additionally, creating a compelling landing page with bonuses and incentives encourages your readers to pre-purchase the book. Organizing events, such as Fireside chats and summits, will engage your audience and increase book visibility.
Time and Effort Investment
There is a parallel between book marketing and successful business marketing. Many people only focus on marketing when they need business, instead of approaching it as a long-term endeavor. You must understand that book promotion requires proactive planning and execution, just like marketing a business.
Expanding Your Presence
Traditional book tours are no longer the primary means of marketing. Marketing through online platforms and social media has gained prominence. You should prioritize obtaining verified reviews, as they hold more weight than testimonials. Maintaining authenticity and originality in promotion helps complement your unique voice.
Mastering book marketing requires early planning, consistent effort, and proactive execution. These lessons can be applied to business marketing as well. I encourage you to start early, create a solid marketing plan, and invest time and effort into your book or business endeavors. Remember, success comes to those who embrace the long game and approach marketing strategically.
What's In This Episode * Importance of starting book marketing well in advance * Parallel between marketing a book and marketing a business * Importance of applying the same effort and talent to promote a book as to create it
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e120 for all resources from this episode.
Achieving Long-Term Success In business, being adaptable and strategic is key. The global pandemic really pushed us to rethink our strategies and stay agile. In this episode, Alan Weiss and I are diving into the idea of transforming disruptions like this into opportunities and how embracing volatility can actually boost revenue. We'll talk about concepts like value-based marketing, building a resilient mindset, and measuring effectiveness. So, tune in to this episode to learn how to navigate change, fine-tune your strategies, and come out on top.
Adapting to Disruptions:
The global pandemic forced businesses to reassess their long-term strategies, demonstrating the necessity for agility and quick decision-making. Financial experts foresaw a market turbulence coming, but couldn't predict a global pandemic or its impact. You have to embrace the disruptions and volatility as offensive weapons to maximize your revenue, rather than being caught off guard.
Value-Based Fees:
When you charge your value, the clients that get it will make a quick decision. That's how they think, if you gauge what you do based on the improvement of your client and the client sees a ten-to-one return, there's no question about it. You are providing value to your clients that benefits them and creates a long-term partnership.
Mindset and Self-Worth in Business:
Realigning your mindset and reevaluating your business role is crucial to gather the necessary insights to effectively assist your clients. Whether you are providing a $2,000 or $2 million improvement, it is a must for providing tailored assistance. You are a peer of the buyer and you have to see yourself this way so that you can build trust and have meaningful conversations.
Measuring Effectiveness and Demonstrating ROI:
Some industries like training programs, have a lack of measurement. Regardless, you have to demonstrate a return on investment (ROI) to your clients. I want to stress the significance of guaranteeing your clients a return on their investment through measurable metrics. When you are providing a professional service you have to justify the continued partnership through tangible results.
Embracing disruption and implementing value-based marketing strategies are key to maximizing your revenue. Learn how to adapt to disruptions, implement value-based fees, and measure your effectiveness by demonstrating an ROI.
So, are you ready to jump in and provide value for maximum revenue? Remember, success lies in your ability to adapt, leverage opportunities, and prioritize your value in all your business endeavors.
What's In This Episode * Maximizing revenue by taking advantage of disruptions and volatility. * The importance of gathering necessary information to help clients. * Emphasizing improvement and measurable metrics in marketing material. * The importance of guaranteeing ROI and tangible results to clients.
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e119 for all resources from this episode.
Customers are the Core of Your Business Let's talk about customer-centric marketing. In this week's episode, Alan Weiss and I discuss a strategy for putting your customers' happiness at the forefront of your sales and marketing moves.
Understanding Your Customer's Needs:
To effectively market and sell your product or service, you have to understand why certain things are important to people. There are underlying causes of common issues, such as stress, discomfort, and feeling inadequate as a leader. Understanding the emotional aspect of customers’ desires enables you to truly address their needs and provide tailored solutions.
Giving Options to Buyers:
Providing your buyers with options increases the likelihood of sales success. You should offer choices, whether it is additional services or product variations, in order to meet customers' varied preferences. When you do this you enhance the customer experience and create a sense of ownership in the purchasing process.
Caring and Helping Others:
Genuine care for your clients and customers is at the heart of effective marketing. Start your marketing efforts with the easiest and most enjoyable format, such as writing, videos, or podcasting. Focus on helping and providing value, rather than just sales. Your business can build meaningful relationships and foster customer loyalty.
When you understand your customer's needs, provide options, and genuinely care for clients, you can enhance the customer experience and drive long-term success for your business. Continue to strive toward improving your customer's condition, solve their problems, and you will have a solid relationship with them.
What's In This Episode * Improving the customer's condition when making sales decisions * Suggesting items based on what the customer will enjoy * Allocating time for capturing and sharing valuable information with clients * Understanding the importance of various issues to individuals * Benefit of providing options to buyers and considering their needs * Genuine care for client's needs, not just focusing on sales
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e118 for all resources from this guide.
Find Your Ideal Buyer In business, finding and targeting the right customers is crucial for success. Many business owners find it a challenge to identify their ideal buyer. Today, we will explore the concept of finding the ideal buyer and talk about strategies to help you attract high-value customers.
The Sentient Strategy:
One approach to identifying the ideal buyer is through "Sentient Strategy", as discussed by Alan Weiss. This strategy involves looking at future buyers from two dimensions: their changing and growing nature, and external market factors such as technology and demographics.
When you evaluate these dimensions, you can make informed business decisions about which buyers to target.
Targeting & Attracting High-Value Buyers:
You should also adjust your marketing materials and persona when targeting larger markets. Understanding what the ideal buyer reads, listens to, and interacts with is crucial for getting on their radar screens. Rather than solely chasing money, it is important to focus on attracting high-value buyers who align with your business goals.
Addressing Issues & Shedding Clients:
Business relationships are not always smooth sailing. It is essential to address issues and make necessary changes to ensure you have successful transactions. Sometimes, a difficult buyer may bring in significant revenue, but if they are unwilling to adapt, it may be necessary for you to end the business relationship. As business needs change, it is important to shed clients who are no longer appropriate and find new ones.
Finding your ideal buyer is a key factor in achieving success in your business. When you implement strategies like the "Sentient Strategy", targeting high-value buyers, and addressing issues with clients, you can position your business for growth and profitability. It's not selfish to shed clients who are no longer a good fit—it's about protecting the integrity of your business. Focus on attracting those who genuinely want assistance and are willing to invest in your value. Start prioritizing your ideal buyer today and watch your business prosper.
What's In This Episode * How to choose the right buyer * Moving to a new market * Knowing what questions to ask * How not to be all things to all people * Knowing who the wrong buyer is
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e117 for all resources from this episode.
Attract Your Audience with "Marketing Gravity" In the world of marketing, there's a concept that stands out—Marketing Gravity. Coined by Alan Weiss, this notion revolves around the idea that our marketing efforts have a gravitational pull, drawing your audience towards your brand. In this episode, you will learn the significance of personalized marketing, assertive strategies, and the courage to share your ideas.
Personalized Marketing Strategies
The cornerstone of Marketing Gravity lies in creating personalized marketing strategies that perfectly align with your abilities, passions, and interests. When you do this, you cultivate an authentic and profound connection with your audience, setting the stage for impactful brand-customer relationships.
Assertive Marketing Approaches
Seize opportunities through assertive marketing strategies. Collaborate with like-minded professionals and take charge of your brand's narrative. When you explore your real-life experiences, such as engaging in projects or guest appearances on influential platforms, you'll discover how assertive approaches can elevate your brand to new heights in the competitive market.
Turning Your Observations into Content
The Seinfeldian Syndrome is the art of keen observation. The world around us is filled with inspiration, from the brilliance of nature to the subtle nuances of current events. Take these observations and turn them into compelling content that captivates your audience and elevates your marketing.
Remember to nurture your observation skills and grasp the potential of your creativity. Share your ideas with the world, they hold the power to resonate with others in a profound way. Use Marketing Gravity as a strategy that can help to shape the marketing in your business.
If you're eager to learn more about the concept of "creating marketing gravity," check out my book, Marketing Masterfully, co-written with Alan Weiss. It will equip you with innovative ideas and strategies to generate a resounding impact in your marketing.
What’s In This Episode * Passive vs assertive marketing * How being assertive can get you what you want * Gaining confidence in the art of creation * How do you use what you are learning * Becoming immune to criticism * Beating the barrier
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e116 for all resources from this episode.
Expand Your Business Without Investing a Cent What if I told you there's a single strategy that can affect your business’s success like never before? In this episode, we discuss referrals and the role that they have in impacting your business. I am joined once again by Alan Weiss, and together, we explore the benefits of referrals and the barriers that might be impeding your business and your own potential.
The Platinum Standard:
When it comes to recommendations and endorsements, there is nothing that compares to referrals. They come from individuals who know, like, and trust you. These personal connections are invaluable and will create win-win-win situations for you, the person being referred, and the referrer.
Social Proof for Your Brand:
Referrals become even more impactful when you have them backed by a strong brand presence. Your testimonials and referrals are your social proof of your brand's credibility. When people see reputable testimonials and referrals associated with your brand, trust and reputation will grow.
Break the Barriers:
Asking for referrals can sometimes be intimidating, as it requires stepping out of your comfort zone. Referrals are so beneficial to your business that you shouldn't let the fear of rejection hold you back from seeking them. Embrace the challenge, address your concerns, and be open to feedback when seeking referrals.
Ready to assemble your referral strategy?
Here are the steps you can take to make it happen:
- Build genuine connections: Cultivate relationships with clients and partners who will naturally become advocates for your business.
- Be proactive: Stay alert for referral opportunities and express gratitude for the support you receive.
- Show appreciation: Thank those who provide referrals, making them feel valued and respected.
- Follow up promptly: Act swiftly to engage with the referred individuals, exploring collaboration possibilities.
- Keep referrers informed: Update them on progress, reinforcing the trust they placed in recommending you.
- Reciprocate genuinely: Strengthen bonds by recommending their services/products when the opportunity arises.
Referrals are the platinum standard in the business world. They have the power to expand your network, strengthen your brand, and drive business growth. When you build a powerful brand, overcome your fear of rejection, and take proactive steps to seek referrals, you will see the potential of this marketing strategy.
If you're looking for more techniques on building genuine connections, asking for referrals with confidence, and overcoming the fear of rejection, be sure to check out Masterful Marketing where you’ll learn all that and more!
What’s In This Episode * Referrals as a free business strategy * The mindset behind asking for a referral * Having the attitude to get through economic uncertainty * The importance of online testimonials * Closing the loop after a referral * The “win-win-win” behind a referral
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e115 for all resources from this episode.
Applying What Works To See Success Step off the trend-wagon and forge your own path in marketing. In this episode, you will learn effective habits and strategies that have not only stood the test of time but have also surpassed the fleeting trends. Joining me is Alan Weiss, the co-author of my book, Masterful Marketing. Together, we will share invaluable insights and wisdom on how to maximize your marketing efforts for long-term success.
The Pitfalls of Following Trends
It's easy to get caught up in the hype of the latest marketing trends. It's more crucial to approach these trends with caution and practicality. If you blindly follow these trends, you open yourself up to limitations and potential risks that may not align with your unique goals and circumstances. To make informed decisions, explore the practical application of these trends and consider their long-term implications.
Differentiating Good Coaches from Great Coaches
The guidance you receive plays a pivotal role in your success. While there are good coaches out there, it is the great coaches who truly make a difference. A great coach focuses on helping individuals succeed, going beyond sharing their own achievements. When seeking guidance, it is crucial to surround yourself with those who prioritize your success. When you learn from the best, you build a solid foundation for your marketing.
Building Trust and Investing in Your Brand
Trust is the cornerstone of marketing success. We live in a world where skepticism runs rampant, so establishing trust with your audience is essential. Trust is not built overnight; it is built through consistent effort and investment in your brand. Investing in building a strong brand, lays the groundwork for long-term success. Your marketing strategies should revolve around creating trust and credibility, as this is what attracts and retains customers over time. Prioritizing credibility means validating your marketing claims and being transparent with your audience. When you do this, you build lasting relationships based on trust and mutual respect.
Effective Habits vs. Shiny Object Syndrome
Shiny objects and fleeting trends often compete for our attention. If you're chasing after these trends without strategic thinking you're creating inefficiency and wasting resources. To have sustainable marketing, it is crucial to develop effective habits that withstand the test of time. Think critically about your marketing approaches, so that you can navigate the constant changes of the industry and stay ahead of the curve. Consistency and focus on effective habits will ultimately produce your desired results.
Remember, effective habits and strategies are the bedrock of marketing success. When you focus on proven techniques, seek guidance from great coaches, invest in your brand, and prioritize authenticity, you establish a solid foundation for long-term marketing success. So step off the trend-wagon, embrace practicality, and pave your own path to excellence in marketing.
What’s In This Episode * Allocation of time, energy, and resources * Maximizing effectiveness and rewards * Constantly investing in and building your brand * Importance of building trust with your audience * Power of viral marketing in attracting others
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e114 for all resources from this episode.
Exploring the Power of Books The process of completing a book is a tremendous achievement that leaves you with a huge feeling of fulfillment and accomplishment. But in the beginning, it can feel like a monumental task that is impossible to take on. In this episode, Alan and I talk about how to break through the barriers that so many people encounter when writing a book.
Alan is a renowned figure in the consulting world with over 60 books to his name, and has revolutionized the consulting industry. I have known Alan for years and it's always a privilege to sit and chat with him, especially when we're talking about books and writing. Together, we collaborated on Masterful Marketing, a book that merges his expertise with my marketing knowledge, to transform marketing approaches. Through our discussion, we explored various aspects of writing, diving into topics such as creating a cohesive structure, concise communication, and the benefits of collaboration so that you can create compelling works that resonate with your readership and leave a lasting impact.
Having a Clear Direction
You have to have a clear vision of the message you want to convey and the value you intend to offer your readers. Regardless of who you are, it is essential to establish a cohesive structure that guides your book. The introductory chapter will play a pivotal role in informing your readers why they should engage with your work and what they can expect to gain from it. Similarly, a well-crafted conclusion should provide actionable steps for your readers to apply the knowledge they have acquired.
Concise Communication
Tell people what they need to know and not everything that you know. Effective writing shares essential information with your readers without overwhelming them with unnecessary details. Refine your knowledge and insights into a clear and impactful message, so you can create a focused and engaging reading experience. Selecting relevant information ensures that your book remains impactful and memorable.
Benefits of Collaboration
Collaborating with others is a great way to enrich the writing process. Co-authorship, brings fresh perspectives and diverse ideas to the table, cultivating great intellectual property. There are two common approaches: one author takes the lead in writing while the other provides ideas and critiques, or the co-authors follow a structured formula where one person drafts the initial content, and the other refines and enhances it. Doing this creates a polished and impactful final product.
If you put these tips into action, you will create compelling works that resonate with their readership. Whether you are an aspiring novelist or a business owner, finishing a book is a rewarding effort that allows you to contribute to your community and leave a lasting impact on your readers.
What’s In This Episode * Why men finish more books than women * How to avoid analysis paralysis * The thoughts behind writing a book * How to know if you should write a book with someone * The strategy and tactics behind writing a book * The importance of finding time to read
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e70 for all resources from this episode.
Seeing the Positive in Life Have you ever found yourself wondering where your next paycheck is going to come from? Do you constantly worry about your financial situation and find it hard to imagine how you're going to make ends meet?
This week, I have such a special guest, Arielle Ford who is a renowned author, speaker, and love and relationship expert who has been promoting consciousness and personal growth for the past 25 years. She is the author of several books, including the popular “The Soulmate Secret” and her new book, “The Love Thief”.
In this episode, I’m reminded that while we may not always know where the next influx of money is going to come from, it always finds a way to manifest itself in our lives. Whether it's through unexpected job opportunities or serendipitous encounters with business partners, the universe has a way of providing for us when we least expect it.
But how can we tap into this abundance mentality and start to trust that, indeed, the money always comes?
One key shift is to move away from fear and scarcity and towards positivity and abundance. Choosing to focus on what's right in our lives rather than what's missing helps us to bring more of that positivity and abundance into our lives.
Of course, this isn't always easy, especially given the current state of the world. Between the pandemic and economic uncertainty, it's natural to feel overwhelmed and anxious about the future. But, we have a choice in how we respond to these challenges. We can choose to stay optimistic and believe that the money will come, even if we don't know how or when.
The key to attracting abundance and financial prosperity is to shift your focus away from what you lack and towards your abundance. When you have a positive and hopeful mindset, you can open yourself up to a wealth of opportunities and abundance. So the next time you find yourself worrying about money, remember—the money always comes.
What’s In This Episode * Career transitions and dealing with uncertainty * Manifestation and feelingizations * Learning to look for what's right
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e112 for all resources from this episode.
Pursue Financial Freedom Through Investing In this podcast episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Michelle Bosch, an exceptional real estate investor and co-founder of a highly successful land-flipping business. Her story is a powerful testament to the immense potential that entrepreneurship holds and the incredible transformations it can bring.
Michelle's teachings have transformed lives, empowering stay-at-home moms, dentists, and individuals to achieve previously unattainable goals. She believes that true wealth amplifies our essence and should align with our values, allowing us to create the lives we desire and make a lasting impact. Michelle's journey is an inspiration to women seeking financial freedom, showing that the American dream is attainable through entrepreneurship and real estate investing.
Michelle Bosch's story showcases the tremendous potential of entrepreneurship and its ability to bring about transformative change. Through her investing company, she has unlocked the power within individuals to pursue their dreams and make a positive impact on the world. I encourage you to take that crucial first step towards your goals, and prepare to be amazed at the limitless possibilities that lie ahead.
If you're eager to learn more about Michelle Bosch and her investing company, I encourage you to visit her website at landprofitfun.com. Michelle's invaluable insights and guidance will serve as a trusted resource on your journey toward financial freedom and a life filled with abundance.
What’s In This Episode * Embracing authenticity and celebrating your unique strengths * Cultivating a positive perspective and developing a growth mindset * Setting clear goals, breaking them down into actionable steps, and creating a strategic plan * Building and nurturing meaningful connections * Adaptability in an ever-changing landscape
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e111 for all resources from this episode.
Finding the Sweet Spot: Pricing, Fees, and Debt for Business Success Today, we are going to dive deep into a topic that is near and dear to my heart: pricing, fees, and debt. I’m going to share essential insights that I believe every entrepreneur should know. Get ready to equip yourself with the knowledge and strategies that will empower you to make informed decisions, propel your business forward, and ultimately achieve financial success.
Pricing for Profit:
When it comes to pricing, don't let fear hold you back. Find that sweet spot where your business can thrive while ensuring profitability. Take into account the costs of running your business and your desired profit margins. It's about striking a balance that keeps your business sustainable and your pockets happy.
Pricing to Be Generous:
Why not infuse generosity into your pricing strategy? By including a buffer in your prices, you can accommodate reasonable client requests and create a positive experience for your customers. It's about going the extra mile and fostering a lasting relationship that goes beyond a transaction.
Pricing for Value:
Take the time to dive deep into why your offerings resonate with your target audience. What makes them tick? When you align your prices with the perceived value, you will have a fair exchange and a loyal customer base.
Increasing Your Fees:
As your business grows, adjust your fees to reflect those changes. Evaluate your pricing regularly, considering inflation and operational costs. Be transparent with your customers about any fee increases to continue the strong and trusting relationship that you established.
Debt: The Good and the Bad:
Not all debt is created equal. Good debt can be a powerful tool for fueling your business's growth and expansion, while bad debt can quickly become a burden. Be wise in your borrowing decisions and use debt strategically to invest in your business's success.
I want to emphasize how vital it is to master money for your own success. When you implement the strategies I've shared, you have the power to build a financially sound and thriving business. Remember, financial literacy and smart financial decisions are key to achieving your goals and creating a sustainable venture.
What’s In This Episode 1. Understanding Pricing Strategies:
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Embracing Generosity in Pricing
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The Power of Knowing Your Value
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Navigating Fee Adjustments
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Harnessing the Potential of Debt
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e110 for all resources from this episode.
Strategies to Unlock Your Organization's Potential Creating buy-in for business profit and value is a game-changer. It is the catalyst that propels organizations to success. I think that Greg Schinkel has such a unique perspective on leadership that I just had to bring him into the conversation.
Greg is a successful business owner who specializes in leadership for manufacturing companies with his company Unique Training and Development. Not only is he a successful leader and business owner but he is also a Certified Speaking Professional and author.
In our conversation, we discuss how important it is to get your organization excited about the value that they bring. So, when you are empowering your employees, and fostering a problem-solving culture, you will unlock your organization's true potential and turn it into the one that you envision.
Empower Your Team:
When you empower your team, you create a culture of excellence and unlock their potential which overall creates a motivated team that is aligned with your business goals.
Champion Profit and Value:
As a leader, you have to advocate for profit and value to not only showcase your dedication to sustainability and growth but also to create a magnetic force that attracts stakeholders and unlocks new business opportunities.
Strategic Financial Management:
If you are maintaining a lean operating account and tapping into capital reserves to provide financial stability and flexibility, you are enabling your business to weather challenges and seize opportunities.
What’s In This Episode * The importance of empowering your team * How advocating for profit and value will allow growth * Strategic financial management and how it will propel your business
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e109 for all resources from this episode.
A Candid Conversation on Money Money in the bank grants you power, freedom, and most importantly, peace of mind. We all want money in the bank and there are essential practices that will help you to manage the cash flow of your business. In this episode we get into the weeds when it comes to three key areas of cash flow: accelerating, controlling and monitoring..
Accelerating cash inflow.
When you incentivize upfront payments, automate payment processes, and provide your customers with multiple payment options, you'll pave the way for a steady stream of income. This will ultimately create a healthy cash flow that banishes financial worries.
Controlling expenses.
Take the time to analyze your expenses, identify unnecessary costs, and eliminate them without compromising your business's quality or growth. From canceling unused subscriptions to negotiating with vendors for better payment terms, streamlining your expenses will maximize your cash flow.
Cash flow monitoring.
In your business, it is your responsibility to update and adjust your forecasts based on historical data and expected inflows and outflows. Some of you may have challenges in your business such as pricing strategies, seasonal fluctuations, and the need to be safeguarding against unforeseen emergencies. When you understand your cash flow, you will be equipped to take on these challenges without it having a large effect on your business.
So, fasten your seatbelt, grab a pen and paper, listen to episode 108, and get ready to have a consistent flow of money in and out of your business.
What’s In This Episode 1. Boosting cash flow
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Managing expenses
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Monitoring cash flow
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Safeguarding for financial emergencies
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e108 for all resources from this episode.
Strategic Forecasting and Budgeting for Financial Excellence When you are learning about your business financials, you have to get into the nitty-gritty stuff. You are fully capable of learning the metrics of your business because that’s what’s going to move your business forward.
There are nine foundational pieces when it comes to forecasting and budgeting for your business.
When it comes to running a business, you need to have financial goals that you keep in mind. Doing this in addition to reviewing your historical data, estimating your sales, projecting your expenses, and managing your cash flow, you can create a realistic budget aligned with those goals.
Once that budget is set, it doesn't stop there. Be sure to regularly monitor your financials to make adjustments as needed when the unexpected happens. Also, take the time to plan for the unexpected, it will take a lot of the emotional weight off of you if it does happen. If this feels really overwhelming, just know that you can do it, but you can also seek professional advice from experts who understand the complexities of your business.
Financial forecasting and budgeting is an iterative process. Continue to inspect your financials month over month in order to direct your business so that you can get it where you want it to go. When you understand the financials of your business, you are better prepared to navigate your business and make informed decisions.
If you want some more guidance as well as some helpful spreadsheets to get things started, check out The Pilot Project.
What’s In This Episode * The importance of defining clear business goals and objectives, such as revenue targets and profit margins, as the foundation for forecasting and budgeting efforts. * The significance of analyzing historical financial data to identify trends, seasonality, and insights hidden within sales, expenses, and cash flow records. * The process of creating revenue projections based on factors such as market demand, pricing strategies, sales pipelines, and historical sales data. * The importance of creating a comprehensive budget that aligns with business goals, covers short-term and long-term needs, and factors in all expenses, both fixed and variable.
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e107 for all resources from this episode.
Essential money insights to master the financials of your business Business owners, are you ready to take control of your money? Are you tired of feeling confused and guilty about your finances and ready for things to change? If you find yourself feeling unsure of where your money is going, and wanting more control over your finances, then this episode is for you. There are seven essential money insights that small business owners need to know about money to help demystify the confusing world of business finance. These are the seven insights that we will dive into on this week’s show: 1. Cash Flow 2. Profit 3. Budgeting 4. Taxes 5. Investing 6. Financial Reporting 7. Emotions
It can be easy to confuse cash flow with profit and although profit is an important metric, it's not the only one. You want to keep an eye on your gross margin, return on investment, and of course, your taxes. Speaking of taxes, budgeting is crucial for any small business owner. With a budget, you can track expenses, prioritize spending, and forecast where you're going to end up financially. This helps prevent making uninformed decisions that could leave you in a deficit. Now it’s time to get COMFORTABLE with numbers and shed the shame and guilt that many people feel associated with business metrics. When you understand your finances and the money metrics that matter, you can make informed decisions that lead to financial success and peace of mind. If you're a small business owner who wants to master their relationship with your business finances, don't miss this episode of She Talks Business. These insights will help you master your business finances and take control of your financial future. What’s In This Episode * Understanding cash flow to prevent bad spending decisions. * Budgeting, the crucial piece to forecasting financial outcomes. * Keeping an eye on your metrics beyond profit to have a complete understanding of the business's financial health. * Shedding shame and guilt around financial metrics and becoming comfortable with numbers.
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e106 for all resources from this episode.
Debunking the myth that mindset is at the root of your financial struggles
We've all been told that our mindset is the problem when it comes to money, but what if I told you that was a lie? Consider this: if you wanted to learn how to fly a plane but had no idea how, would you think that your mindset was the issue? Of course not! You'd recognize that you simply have a skill deficit and would hire someone to teach you how to fly. The same goes for money. Your mindset around money is not fixed, and it can evolve and change. Stop using your money mindset as an excuse to not create wealth and financial independence. When you understand how money works, your mindset is no longer a problem. And let me tell you, learning these skills is not only possible but essential to achieving financial freedom. Join me in this episode as we explore the truth about your money mindset and how to develop the skills necessary to create financial abundance in your life and business. What’s In This Episode * Why mindset is NOT the problem when it comes to money * Flying a plane to illustrate the concept of skill deficit * How mindset can change and evolve
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e105 for all resources from this episode.
What does mindset and the nervous system have to do with the way you manage your money? “I want to congratulate everyone listening in and encourage you to listen to every single episode with Lisa during this season about money because the act of exposing yourself to a different kind of money conversation than the ones you’ve been around is going to change you.”
These are the words special guest, Kate Northrup spoke before we had even finished recording this episode of She Talks Business—it was that good.
Kate, an entrepreneur, best-selling author, and mother, has built a multimedia digital platform called The Origin Company which reaches hundreds of thousands globally. She’s committed to supporting ambitious women to light up the world without burning themselves out.
Kate teaches data and soul-driven time and energy management practices that result in saving time, making more money, and experiencing less stress. If you’re interested in learning from her for free, join her live workshop called plenty by clicking here.
Tune in as we continue the conversation about money mindsets, the emotions and shame around money, money management, and the nervous system.
You’re about to witness some really powerful dialogue that has the power to change the way you think about and interact with money. Grab your notebook and pen, and let’s dive in.
What’s In This Episode * The layers of healing your money mindset * The power of sharing financial success stories * Money management and the nervous system * Ways to break the cycle of poverty and change the trajectory of you life * Treating your money with respect * Asking yourself, “How?” in front of any money habit you would like to adopt
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e104 for all resources from this episode.
Dive into your sales strategies and start making more money We are kicking off a new season of She Talks Business! During this season, we are going to talk a lot about money, and that means we will be discussing things like sales, profit, mindset, and more.
When it comes to talking about money, most people want to know how they can make more so I’ve dedicated the first episode to sharing 13 strategies you can put to use to immediately increase sales in your business. None of these strategies include things you might expect like creating a sales funnel, a new sales page, a webinar series, or dancing on Instagram.
If you want to learn practical and actionable advice that you can apply to your business immediately, tune in and begin the journey of taking your business to the next level.
What’s In This Episode
- Increasing your marketing efforts to get more clients
- How to increase your prices the right way
- Is it time to introduce new products or services?
- The power of upselling
- Recurring revenue models
- Understanding invitation marketing
- Looking out for referral patterns
- Communicating your offers
- Testimonials, recommendations, and reviews
- Asking for the referrals (Check out episode 72 for more details on referrals)
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e103 for all resources from this episode.
How to unlock the power of community in your business This season has been a treasure trove of book recommendations. I hope you have enjoyed them and that you have a long list of books you want to read. As we wrap up this first season of 2023, I have a special episode to share with you.
In February, the Thought Readers community read Mark Schaefer's latest book, Belonging to the Brand: Why Community Is the Last Great Marketing Strategy. I reached out to Mark and invited him to come and chat with our community about his book and he generously agreed.
During this conversation, he spoke about the power of community and why it should be an indispensable aspect of every business owner's marketing approach. However, don't let the title of the book fool you; what Mark has to say goes beyond marketing and emphasizes the importance of relationships.
If you're ready to craft a new strategy centered around community, this episode is for you. Your community is ready to tell you what they want; all you have to do is listen.
What’s In This Episode
- Community as a marketing strategy
- How marketing interrupts your audience's lives
- Having a solid brand
- Internal community
- Protecting your community
- The Metaverse
- How to earn their attention
- The delicate balance between leading and allowing
- Where the love of the brand comes from
Visit lisalarter.com/e102 for all resources from this episode.
Giving yourself permission to prioritize your well-being and success This week we continued our thought-provoking and informative discussions around books. I had the pleasure of talking with Allyson Byrd, who is a long-time friend and colleague of mine, and an all around unapologetic and fascinating individual. She shares her unique perspective on how reading can maximize its impact in your life and magnify your intentions.
In this conversation, Allyson spoke about the importance of self-care but also highlighted what happens when you stop focusing on it. We often get caught up in our daily routine and forget to care for ourselves. Allyson believes that self-care is crucial to create success for yourself, and it starts with permitting yourself to prioritize your well-being.
Allyson shares some pretty interesting information as the topic moves to the new world of plant medicine, where Allyson shares her practice of microdosing on psilocybin while reading, and why she does this.
And in true Allyson style, none of her books are conventional, and one hasn’t even been released yet, but she managed to snag an advanced copy, and I won’t lie, I am jealous of this one.
If you are ready to be reminded of the power of books and how they can shape your perspectives and open your mind to new possibilities, then you don't want to miss this episode.
What's in this episode
- Why Allyson Byrd Reads
- What happens when you stop focusing on self-care
- Creating success for yourself
- Working less and living more
- The power of psilocybin
- The fight against fear
- Practicality to our imagination
- Not hiding behind worry
Visit lisalarter.com/e101 for all resources from this episode.
The impact a book can have on your life and business Have you ever read a book that completely changed your perspective and life in a lasting way? It's incredible how words on a page can have a profound and lifelong impact on us.
This week's episode of She Talks Business is a milestone episode.
We have finally reached 100 episodes on the show!
And we have an incredible returning guest, Margy Feldhuhn, who loves talking about books and learning new things as much as I do.
Margy is a Forbes-featured podcast host, a multi-7-figure CEO, and co-owner of Interview Connections, a podcast booking agency that is the first and leading of its kind. She started working at Interview Connections as a part-time contractor earning $15/hour and became the CEO and 50% owner of the company within two years.
Margy shares three books she has implemented into her life, whether through action or a mindset shift. We spend a lot of time discussing how to eliminate friction and create a culture of agility that empowers everyone on your team to do their best work.
We also take a little dive into the intersection between leadership and the nervous system, but you'll have to tune in to uncover that concept!
What’s in This Episode * Reading that has impacted Margy's personal and professional life * Restructuring your business * Why you should choose to go all in * The agility umbrella * Eliminating friction * How Margy reads to maximize the impact of books in her work * The power of surrendering * The cycle of grief to gain perspective * Neurosomatic intelligence
Visit lisalarter.com/e100 for all resources from this episode.
How books will shape you as a person and entrepreneur This week, I am joined by a very special guest—someone I have called a friend and a colleague since 2008. Tune in to Episode 99 to hear immense wisdom and valuable insights from none other than Patti DeNucci.
Patti is the author of two books, including the award-winning success guide, The Intentional Networker, and her latest release, More Than Just Talk.
She is a speaker, workshop facilitator, and consultant, having helped organizations like Microsoft, MGM Resorts, and Hewlett-Packard learn how to attract and enjoy more meaningful conversations and connections.
She believes in the power of quality conversations and connections over the number of people one knows.
In this value-packed episode of She Talks Business, Patti shares how reading has shaped her into who she is today. She recommends becoming a better listener and highlights how being an avid reader can contribute to overall success.
Reading can help develop critical thinking skills, broaden perspectives, and improve communication abilities, so if you're looking to recover your sense of power and expand your knowledge, this week is full of essential reading to guide you to success.
What’s in This Episode * Best reading habits * How morning pages can help start your day * Recovering your sense of power through reading * Creating learning experiences * Writing habits that helped Patti write a book * Becoming a better listener * How being an avid reader can make you a more successful person
Visit lisalarter.com/e99 for all resources from this episode.
Two books that completely changed the trajectory of my business
Throughout this book-themed season of She Talks Business, I have, of course, been thinking a lot about what I have read and what’s still on my TBR list (that’s To Be Read, for those who didn’t know). Having used this time to reflect on all things books, two, in particular, stand out... These two very different books have impacted how I do business and have changed the trajectory of my life.
Books can give you the courage to try something new. They can push you to do things you’ve had lingering on the back burner for months or even years. They can be the source of inspiration, the driver of breakthroughs, or what leads you to generate more business.
If you're ready to get the traction you need to get things done in your business, you don't want to skip episode 98!
What’s in This Episode * Gaining leverage with the right partner * The impact filter * Ideas that were on the backburner * Emulating what you see someone else do * Capturing the big idea
Visit lisalarter.com/e98 for all resources from this episode.
From book club to billion-dollar business Reese Witherspoon is an enterprenueral genius. I consider her to be one of the greatest entrepreneurs of our time, and here's why.
She took what began as a simple book club started by one of her fans on Instagram, and turned into a company worth over $900 million.
How she did it is inspiring, to say the least.
Episode 97 is a must-listen for entrepreneurs, anyone in the media space, and anyone that wants to build a brand that truly connects with its audience.
Tune in and prepare to be amazed by the incredible success story of Reese Witherspoon and the valuable lessons you can learn from her ingenuity.
What’s in This Episode * How Hello Sunshine, a media company, started as a book club * Inspiration from Reese's business model * How I came to reimagine Thought Readers * Different monetization methods * Following your passions * The 5-year itch
Visit lisalarter.com/e97 for all resources from this episode.
Books that will help oxygenate your thinking and transform the way you do business Reading has the power to shape lives in profound ways, and this week's guest is no stranger to the power of reading. Eleanor Beaton is the founder of Safi Media, a business coaching and advisory firm for women entrepreneurs, where her team provides business coaching.
In episode 96, Eleanor and I discuss the transformative impact that reading can have on your life, both professionally and personally. Whether you're seeking to sharpen your insights, broaden your perspective, create efficiencies in your business, or overcome your fears, reading has the power to help you achieve your goals.
Over the last several episodes, I have shared my favorite books for personal and professional growth. In this episode, Eleanor shares the three books that helped her find her power as a woman in business.
If you want to take your life and business to the next level, let's get started!
What’s in This Episode * Three things women entrepreneurs do that hold them back * Having the right conversations * Reading habits * How reading can influence your professional life * Creating greater efficiencies in your business * Effective boundary setting * The gender wage gap
Visit lisalarter.com/e96 for all resources from this episode.
Four books that will change the way you lead Entrepreneurs don't always think of themselves as leaders, but if they want to scale and grow their business, leadership skill development is a must. As a business owner, you are always leading - you lead your clients, you lead your team, and you lead yourself.
Therefore, the more you know and understand leadership, the better off you will be.
During this episode, you’ll hear about four leadership books that can set the foundation for your learning as a leader. Even if you’re already a pretty good leader, the more you know and understand your own leadership style (aka the good the bad, and the ugly), the more successful you will be.
Listen to this episode to hear about four key books that can help you on your leadership journey, and why they were pivotal to mine.
What’s in This Episode * The different styles of leadership * Where to apply which leadership style * Are you a multiplier or a diminisher? * The art of inquiry * How to delegate and empower others * How to use positive affirmations
Visit lisalarter.com/e95 for all resources from this episode.
The path of self-education through reading This week, in episode 94, I am joined by Michael Devers, a multi-passionate entrepreneur who advises leaders, executives, and business owners on how to prepare to navigate through any crisis expertly.
Among his many talents and areas of expertise, Michael has successfully executed strategies to reduce customer concentration from 90% to below 30%, and developed compliance programs, IT infrastructure programs, EH&S programs, and more.
Much like myself, Michael has been an avid reader since he was 3 years old. In this conversation, he shares how as he progressed through life, he realized the true value books could offer.
Press play to hear him speak about the top books that have made a difference throughout his life. Are you ready to follow us down the path of self-education and grow your success as a business owner and entrepreneur?
What’s in This Episode * The impact reading can have on your professional life * The business side of the music industry * Resetting your perspective * Finding time to read vs. making time to read * The power of books
Visit lisalarter.com/e94 for all resources from this episode.
Four books that can transform your life and business Do you want more money in the bank, more sales, more wealth, and more money to pay yourself? If so, then make some room on your bookshelf.
She Talks Business was created to help business owners and entrepreneurs build a more successful and profitable business, so let’s get down to brass tacks and do just that.
In episode 93, I’m sharing four books that can change your life as an entrepreneur. I’m speaking from experience—the insights between these pages helped me 10x my net worth.
If you're ready to do the work needed to generate the money you dream about for your business, grab a pen and a notebook, and let's get started.
What’s in This Episode * The difference between an asset and a liability * Good debt versus bad debt * Getting out of the rat race * Be on the lookout for potential sabotage * Profit is the result of effective management * Don’t let perceptions fool you * How much money do you need to live? * The fire method * How you’re richer than you think * Leveraging your assets
Visit lisalarter.com/e93 for all resources from this episode, including the links to all the books I mention!
Reading with intention can transform the way you do business in 2023 We’re ringing in the new year with a new season of She Talks Business! The focus of this season is one of my favorite things to talk about—reading.
It's not a secret to anyone who knows me that I am an avid reader. The bookcase in my office is full of books that have inspired some of the most influential ideas I have implemented in my business.
The concepts that you can borrow and expand on when you read books can help you grow, improve, innovate, and thrive in your business.
In episode 92, I share 5 levels of reading, what they mean, and why they matter for business owners. The idea behind these five levels will serve to inspire you in your own reading practice and show you how to use books as a way to drive success in your business.
If you are ready to discover how you can transform the way you read and the way you do business in 2023, press play, and let's get to work!
What’s in This Episode * The 5 Levels of Reading * Level One: Reading for Information * Level Two: Reading for Insights * Level Three: Reading for Ideas * Level Four: Reading for Implementation * Level Five: Reading with Intention
Visit lisalarter.com/e92 for all resources from this episode.
Taking the time to reflect on 2022 and plan for next year Every year should change you as a business owner. Why? Because you should never stop learning lessons, expanding your knowledge and capabilities, and becoming a stronger version of yourself.
This week, I’m getting candid and sharing the most significant lessons I learned in 2022 as a business owner. After listening to this episode, I challenge you to take a moment and really think back on your year too. Here’s a tip before you hit play: grab a notepad and write down each of the lessons you learned, big or small. Then, take that list, reflect on each lesson, and think about them as you prepare to take on 2023.
I hope that in sharing my own takeaways from the year, a few of them make an impression on you and guide you in your own reflection.
What’s in This Episode * What I learned this year as a business owner * Defining moments in 2022 * How to use challenges as ways to grow * Embracing change in business to save yourself time and money * Changes coming in the new year
Visit lisalarter.com/e91 for all resources from this episode.
Balancing being a multi-passionate business owner Andrea Bailey-Brown is on a mission to help entrepreneurs build wealth through franchise and business ownership. In the next 40 minutes, you will hear about what it took to become an award-winning entrepreneur and a multi-unit franchise owner who has generated over $30 million in revenue.
In this episode, Andrea shares how she discovered what she needed from her businesses and combined that knowledge with the speed she needed to gain momentum. Tune in to hear our discussion about business intuition, the benefits of franchise ownership, finding balance, faceless businesses, and much more.
By the way, Andrea’s accolades are extensive. Born in Jamaica and raised in Canada, Andrea is a former teacher with an MBA. On top of her franchise success, she is also the founder and CEO of both Bailey Brown Business Consulting and Bailey Brown The Franchise Agency, where she uses her business knowledge and love of franchising to transform the lives of her clients.
But how does she balance being a multi-passionate multi-business owner? Hit play now to find out!
What’s in This Episode
- Being intuitive in your business
- Benefits of franchise ownership
- A franchise model for scaling your business
- Owner vs. operator
- Finding a balance in your business
- What is a faceless business?
- A commitment to learning
- Who should consider a franchise?
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e90 for all resources from this episode.
How to build an equitable culture in your organization
This week’s guest is a returner to the show and if you heard her first episode, you know it’s no wonder why I have asked her back. Tune in this week as Jennifer McClanahan, the founder and CEO of Leverage to Lead, shares her experience and expertise around equity, equality, vulnerability, and leadership in organizations.
Jennifer created Leverage to Lead to help women and people of color build a career strategy that is rooted in clarity, value, and authenticity. That work led to the creation of a team of exceptional coaches, educators, recruiters, HR specialists, and fierce advocates. In this episode, she brings invaluable advice for business owners and leaders—trust me, you don’t want to miss this!
What’s in This Episode * The importance of mindfulness * Recognizing the power of your words * Building an equitable culture * Agency of choice and vulnerability * Embracing your humanity
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e87 for all resources from this episode.
How you deliver any presentation has a direct impact on how an audience will respond Public speaking is something that probably makes the majority of people shake in their boots, and that is the very reason this week's guest is someone that I admire. Ed Tate is an award-winning international keynote speaker, trainer, author, and former executive. In 2008, Ed earned the Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) designation by the National Speakers Association, which is an honor bestowed on slightly more than 12% of its members. If anyone has heard Ed speak, they will understand all of the accomplishments he has made throughout his career.
Ed takes high-stake presentations to the next level for his clients. He is a master at telling stories and engaging the audience.
When a presentation is done right, it can influence the way an audience reacts and reponds to the content you are giving them. But how do you know when it’s time to hire someone to help you become a professional speaker?
What’s in This Episode * Connecting with your audience * When you give, you get back * Should you hire a speaking coach? * What masterful speakers do * Planting seeds in a presentation
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e87 for all resources from this episode.
Ten patterns you can emulate to create success for yourself This season has been filled with guests who are extremely successful at what they do. They are thought leaders, advisors, and more while running their businesses.
But what does it take to be successful?
This week I wanted to break down ten patterns I see that every successful person follows.
These patterns are ones that you can incorporate into your business and your everyday life. Being successful isn’t something that comes easy. It takes hard work, commitment, and dedication. If you're ready to pave that path to success for yourself, you won't want to miss this episode.
What’s in This Episode * Ten patterns you can follow to help you create success * Facing your fears * Be all in and do the work that it takes to be successful * What it means to face your fears * Making the investment in yourself and your business
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e87 for all resources from this episode.
Knowing when a trusted advisor can help you and your business grow
This week’s guest is a dear friend and colleague and client of mine.
Gene Moran, founder and President of Capitol Integration, is the foremost expert on federal defense and security lobbying, measuring his client results in billions of dollars.
Gene’s policy initiatives have been implemented by Congress, The President, and the Executive branch. His pursuit of innovation has garnered multiple accolades, including being named twice as a Top Lobbyist by the National Institute for Lobbying and Ethics. Gene’s groundbreaking academic research earned him a Ph.D. in Public Policy & Administration.
He is a published author and previously served his country for 24 years before retiring as a Navy Captain. He is one of the nicest, most impressive individuals I know.
Gene Moran works with companies that are trying to sell to the Federal Government. He is a big believer in investing in transformational outcomes for his clients and himself.
In this week’s episode, you’ll get to listen in on a powerful conversation about how your services can make a significant impact in the life of someone else.
What’s in This Episode * The right time to find a coach or advisor * How to know when a client needs your services * How to get powerful and transformational outcomes for your business * Knowing what your next move should be * How to make the right investment in your business * And of course, we talk about the linkage between marketing and sales
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e85 for all resources from this episode.
How self-awareness can be your business superpower Anna Levesque is a superstar in the outdoor industry for whitewater kayak instruction, but what makes her unique is she inspires, leads, and coaches people to an empowering life.
But she wasn’t always this way and this confident with her career and business.
This week Anna takes us through the adventure that brought her to white water rafting and how the confidence she found in becoming self-aware, shaped who she became as a leader and coach.
What’s in This Episode * How to face your fears * Finding your passion in life and then following through with it * The importance of finding a routine * Self-awareness * Are you bringing yourself joy? * Doing what you want to do * Being mindful of where you focus your energy
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e85 for all resources from this episode.
Making an investment in yourself and your business Is it time for you to make the investment in yourself and hire a business coach? This week's guest, Wendy Rice, asked herself that same question once. Wendy is a licensed psychologist and president of Rice Psychology. She started her business over 20 years ago, and now has a team working in two locations, in buildings that she owns! But how did she find the courage to get there?
Wendy knew she wanted to make big moves, she had goals, and she wanted to reach them, but how was she going to get there when there were so many aspects of running a business she just didn't understand?
If you are struggling to find the courage you need to make the big moves in your business, Wendy shares with us exactly how she started making those moves with a business coach.
What’s in This Episode * When is it time for a business coach? * The importance of learning everything about running your business * How a coach can help you find courage * Is it time to invest in yourself? * The financial investment when you hire a business coach * Picking a goal that you are focused on
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e84 for all resources from this episode.
Getting your business ready for the upcoming year This week, I put my coaching cap on for all of you.
The uncertain economic times can be tough to think about, and the word recession is a scary one for business owners. But this isn’t the time to stop planning and to stop looking at what you’re going to do to keep your business moving forward.
I have put together seven pieces of advice for you to keep in mind as you plan for 2023, the economic future may be unknown, but your business’ future doesn’t need to be.
What’s in This Episode * Thinking big and moving forward * Paying attention to your numbers * Setting your goals * The importance of maintaining relationships * Starting something new * Managing what you consume * Going from surviving to thriving
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e83 for all resources from this episode.
Taking the deep dive to understanding your business Bold promises and the capacity to learn are two things that gave Stephanie Rainey the trajectory she needed to build a successful business that was ready to sell.
Stephanie started her business with the end game planned, she knew exactly where she wanted to go and was ready to do whatever it took to get her and her business there, but she didn’t know anything about the numbers side of her business.
Stephanie saw this roadblock in her plan and knew a business coach was what she needed to help her to continue to clear her path to success. After hiring the wrong business coach, she was more ready than ever to start learning.
But what does it mean to truly have the capacity to learn?
What’s in This Episode * Following your intuition * Did you hire the right business coach? * Having the desire to learn * The myth of making money in the early years of your business * How to get the best results from your business coach * Building a business you can sell
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e82 for all resources from this episode.
Are you looking for a quantum leap? This week we welcome our first guests for the Coach’s Corner season, Michelle Weger and Nabil Ould-Brahim. They are masters in automation, websites, and coding—and not only are they people that I coach, they actually provide some of their services to my clients.
Michelle and Nabil took a large leap of faith when it came to their business and being a couple who works together. They know firsthand that doing what makes you uncomfortable is the only way you will really get to see the change you desire, and how that discomfort allowed them to grow their business by 15x.
They share some fantastic insights and advice about what it truly means to be coachable and how it can be the “make it or break it” of being a successful business owner!
What’s in This Episode * What your business should be bringing you * The timing of investing * How coaching can change your revenue, if done right * What it means to put in the work * How coaching isn’t just a magic pill for your business
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e81 for all resources from this episode.
What to keep in mind if you are considering hiring a business coach Welcome to the first episode of the new season of She Talks Business! Coaches Corner will be all about the clients I coach as we deconstruct their businesses to uncover their best practices and successes. But before we dive into these valuable interviews over the next several weeks, it’s important to know if you are ready for a coach or if you need a coach.
In this week’s episode, we will be digging deep into the questions you need to ask yourself before you consider getting a business coach, and I will also share the seven things my clients do that make them coachable.
So if you’re ready to really think about how you can invest in yourself and your business, then let’s get started!
What’s in This Episode
- Are you coachable?
- Do you need a business coach?
- What coachable people do
- Why a coach may be the best option for you
- How can coaching help your business
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e80 for all resources from this episode.
Transitioning from the author to the reader
This week we will be flipping through the first part of Masterful Marketing together. It was a surreal experience to pick up my co-authored book with Alan Weiss and to start reading it through the lens of a reader and not as an author. Reading my book really changed the perspective I have about the book, and I wanted to share some of my favourite insights with all of you. So, if you’re ready to start mastering your marketing, then tune in to this week’s episode!
What’s in This Episode 1. Genesis of value 2. Avoiding funnel-based marketing schemes 3. Uncovering the needs of your buyers 4. The importance of your reputation as a business owner 5. Knowing your expertise 6. Using hashtags in your content 7. Quality vs. Quantity 8. A new season of She Talks Business
What To Do NextVisit lisalarter.com/e79 for all resources from this episode.
How writing a valuable book will improve your status as a business owner Books are symbols of thought leaders, experts, and even icons, but not everyone who writes a book is in the business of selling books. Sounds contradictory, doesn’t it?
When you take the value you provide and turn it into a book, you are creating another level of value-based content, and this content can help you reach a whole new level of clients you wouldn’t have been able to reach before if you master your book marketing plan.
In the final episode of the Masterful Marketing season with Alan Weiss, we discuss the hard work behind writing a book and how it can change the value you bring to your market.
What’s in This Episode * The challenge of writing a book proposal * A plan vs. a roadmap * Using your book for marketing * Information about Masterful Marketing
What To Do Next Visit lisalarter.com/e78 for all resources from this episode.
How to master your book launch
After many weeks of writing, months of planning, and a masterful marketing strategy, we finally made it to the official launch of Masterful Marketing.
In the last season of She Talks Business, Alan and I discussed the art of writing a book, and now that we have launched Masterful Marketing, I think it is time to share with everyone the art behind marketing a book.
If you are thinking about writing a book, but don't know where to start with your marketing, this week's episode of She Talks Business is what you need to find the motivation for your strategy.
What’s in This Episode
- When to start planning your marketing.
- The problem with a self published book
- How to successfully market a book
- Marketing after the launch
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e77 for all resources from this episode.
How to stop doubting yourself as a business owner.
Another week closer to the hard-copy launch of Masterful Marketing and another episode of “We Talk Business”!
Have you fallen victim to imposter syndrome and doubted your ability to create something of value?
It’s human to make mistakes, even as a business owner, but what will set you apart from others is your vulnerability and how you use it to grow. By vulnerable, I mean being able to admit you made a mistake and see it as an opportunity to receive feedback and grow.
This week Alan and I discuss how to stop doubting your abilities and how to start creating value. Let’s get started.
What’s in This Episode
- Charging by the value and not by the hour
- Understanding someone’s business
- How to fight perfectionism
- The 80% rule
- The lobster principle
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e76 for all resources from this episode.
Becoming consciously competent
Being aware of the value you can provide your customers is vital to the success of your business. You're most likely wondering why knowing the value and not just providing the value is important. When you fail to recognize the value you create, you will gloss over it and forget the significance of the results.
Alan Weiss is back for another episode as we discuss how being consciously competent can be used to create marketing that will grow your business. Grab your headphones, and let’s get started!
What’s in This Episode
- How our beliefs form our behaviour
- Imposter Syndrome
- How to recognize the value you are providing
- Tangible vs. Intangible value
- How to be consciously competent
- The supermarket principle
- The importance of options
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e75 for all resources from this episode.
Knowing the right questions to ask
Not all business is good business.
This is something every business owner has to figure out for themselves. It can be easy to fall into the trap of thinking that you need to be everything for everybody. It’s time to take a step back and ask yourself, “who is going to benefit the most from the value I can provide?” Once you can ask yourself that question and know the answer, you will know who the right buyer is and how to discern who is the wrong buyer for your business.
This week Alan joins us again as we discuss how to attract the right buyer for you. Let's get started!
What’s in This Episode
- How to choose the right buyer
- Moving to a new market
- Knowing what questions to ask
- How not to be all things to all people
- Knowing who is the wrong buyer
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e74 for all resources from this episode.
How to attract the outcome you are looking for.
The basics of gravity are that it’s all about the pull and the law of attraction but how does this link back to marketing and your business? This was a question one of the participants from the last fireside chat had for Alan, so we thought we’d share his views behind his infamous saying.
You can’t just be one in a school of fish—you have to be different if you really want to see results. In this week’s episode, we dive deep and speak about how you can use marketing gravity to attract people with the value you can provide.
What’s in This Episode
- Passive vs assertive marketing
- How being assertive can get you what you want
- Gaining confidence in the art of creation
- How do you use what you are learning
- Becoming immune to criticism
- Beating the barrier
Visit lisalarter.com/e73 for all resources from this episode.
How The Three R’s Play Into Your Marketing Strategy
I am going to be honest, I have never asked for a referral. I have received referrals and recommendations from amazing clients but I have never gone and asked for one. This is why Alan Weiss returns again this week to give us the rundown on how referrals are the platinum standard for getting short-term business.
We are in a world now of economic uncertainty but that doesn't mean it's time to slow down your marketing or any of your strategies. It's time to buckle down and get your marketing strategy ready to really move your business forward, and the 3 R's is a way you can find that new business you need to keep moving.
Grab your earphones, pens, and paper. Alan will be sharing with us just how to get those referrals and we will tell you why they are the best way to keep your business going.
What’s in This Episode
- Referrals as a free business strategy
- The mindset behind asking for a referral
- Having the attitude to get through economic uncertainty
- The importance of online testimonials
- Closing the loop after a referral
- The “win, win, win” behind a referral.
What To Do Next
- Join The Strategy Lab, Lisa’s insider entrepreneurial community that is learning, tackling, and coming together to support and challenge each other on all things business. Click here to get on the waitlist.
- Join Thought Readers and connect with other like-minded entrepreneurs in this popular book club for business owners.
- Subscribe to receive this podcast and regular weekly strategies to grow and shape your business. You’ll also be the first to know about upcoming courses, programs and exclusive LIVE training.
- Join the conversation on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn and share your insights from the show.
Up Next
Next week for episode 73, Alan Weiss returns as we continue to discuss some of our favourite topics from Masterful Marketing.
Visit lisalarter.com/e72 for all resources from this episode.
Trends Versus the Tried and True
Every time you sign onto social media, there is some sort of new trend to chase. But, before you dive into the next trend, ask yourself, “Is this really something that will benefit me and my brand?” How do you discern what marketing trends will be a waste of time and what tried and true practices will serve you well in the long run?
In this episode, Alan Weiss joins me as we prepare for the launch of Masterful Marketing. We’re talking all about where you should spend your time, marketing best practices, and the habits that are more effective than any passing trend.
You have a set amount of time and resources that you have available for marketing—don’t waste it on trends that won’t benefit your business.
What’s in This Episode
- The irony of marketing
- Your marketing and your behaviour
- The importance of consistency
- Cognitive dissonance
- Creating valuable content
- Building your brand
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e71 for all resources from this episode.
The Art of Writing Books
And just like that, we have finished the second season of a Summer of Reading! In this final episode, you will be eavesdropping on a candid conversation between Alan Weiss and I about the art of writing books. (Care to guess just how many this incredible author has published? Listen to find out—I bet it’s more than you think!)
Not only has he written more books than anyone I know, but we are also about to launch our co-authored book, Masterful Marketing.
Alan has mastered the art of writing books and in this instalment, he shares some of his best strategies with us.
What’s in This Episode
- Why men finish more books than women
- How to avoid analysis paralysis
- The thoughts behind writing a book
- How to know if you should write a book with someone
- The strategy and tactics behind writing a book
- The importance of finding time to read
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e70 for all resources from this episode.
Solid Strategies for An Uncertain Economy
The timing of this week’s book, Right On the Money, was perfect. We are looking at yet another phase of economic uncertainty with inflation, the pending recession, and the fear that comes with it. This is the time to really understand how your strategy can help you not only weather the storm but how it can be the path leading you to the money.
When I first read this book, I referred to it as the “leaving money on the table book” because every page I read uncovered one more thing I'm doing to leave money on the table.
If you’re ready to pick up the money you’ve been unknowingly leaving behind, grab your headphones and let’s get strategizing.
What’s in This Episode
- How to be an object of interest
- Asking the right questions
- Best practices for your CRM and pipeline
- Planting seeds that will continue to blossom over and over
- Knowing what you need to measure
- Pricing right and not cutting yourself short
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e69 for all resources from this episode.
Increase profits with the right onboarding.
When I picked up Donna Weber’s book I knew I was in for a good one, but I did not imagine it would be this good. Honestly, if I were to take the time and implement 100% of the onboarding processes she mentions in her book,Onboarding Matters, I could probably make another 500k a year in profits.
How?!
Well Donna mentions pretty early in the book that studies have shown that 53% of new clients will leave within the first three months… THREE MONTHS! That’s more than half of a company's new clientele… gone! But the question is why? And the answer is in Donna’s book.
If you're sitting there counting how many clients you may have lost in the first three months, this episode is for you. Donna shares some amazing insight on how slowing down and really digging deep could bring new life to your business.
Donna’s book is a must read and you cannot lose by listening to this week’s episode as she shares some amazing insights about onboarding the right way. Let’s dive in!
What’s in This Episode
- Slowing down your onboarding
- Building a relationships
- Helping your clients see the path ahead
- Your a la carte menu for your business services
- Special snowflake syndrome and how to comeback from it
- Tailored vs. Customized roadmaps
- Admitting to your mistakes
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e68 for all resources from this episode.
Turning What You Know Into a Best-Seller
In this episode of She Talks Business, Rob Fitzpatick joins us to discuss his best-seller, Write Useful Books.
Have you always wanted to write a book, but have no idea what you would even write about? This is a common experience for entrepreneurs and business owners, and it was Rob’s experience too.
What he realized was that the best things he could write about were the things he knew how to do best, and the skills he was learning from scratch.
In episode 67, learn how a “how-to book” on sales changed the path of Rob’s career and brought him to write his very first book.
Rob now has $600k in royalties and so much rich insight—you don’t want to miss this episode. Let’s dive in!
What’s in This Episode
- Tips for taking negative feedback
- Writing for reader empathy
- The recommendation loop
- Beta reader communities
- Habits of people who write good books
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e67 for all resources from this episode.
The balance of spontaneity and structure
Have you ever found yourself stuck, when trying to imagine what you want the future to be? You can’t quite see beyond where you currently are. What did you do about it? This was a thought Tanya Dalton experienced that led her to writing her best-selling book, On Purpose.
When you think of the days where you feel the most empowered and creative, what did those days look like? What did and didn’t you get done? We have all been guilty of thinking that the only way we will reach our goals is by packing our days full of the steps we need to take to get to the finish line. Tanya Dalton joined me this week to break that myth.
Each day, Tanya will sit and decide what she wants to do that day, what tasks she wants to get done, and any milestones she wants to reach, but what helps her decide what needs to get done? The way she feels that day. Ready to take back your day and start to feel the power of spontaneity? Grab a seat, get out your task list, and let’s learn about the power of balancing flexibility with your commitments.
What’s in This Episode
- Mapping your thoughts
- Your backpack of ideas and how to unpack it
- Finding the courage to say no
- Time blocking that works
- How she wrote her book
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e66 for all resources from this episode.
How to become a creative troublemaker
Today we are kicking off another season of Summer of Reading! We are going to go through some of the best books I have read this year, and there is no better way to start this season than with Josh Linkner and his fantastic book, Big Little Breakthroughs.
As an entrepreneur, you are always looking for more ways to be innovative and stand out from the crowd. But where do you start? We often become so obsessed with where everyone else is that we stop focusing on where we are going.
It’s time to stop following the leader. You need to break it to fix it in your way! Get out your notepad and headphones; this episode will teach you how to become a creative troublemaker and discover a mindset that will push you to your best. Let’s get started!
What’s in This Episode
- Obsession of everyday innovators
- How two minutes a day can change your mindset
- Idea jamming vs. brainstorming
- A test kitchen for your ideas
- Judo flipping
- How to use language to make ideas memorable to readers
- How to train your creativity
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e65 for all resources from this episode.
Scaling Without Failing, Million Dollar Advice
Can you believe we are wrapping up another season? I am so fortunate to have this opportunity to connect with so many inspirational women and to conclude this chapter, I have brought back into the studio our very own “Future Lisa Larter” – Cass Bald! In this episode we asked our viewers to submit questions that they had and Cass turned the mic on me to share just what those questions were (no pressure, right??).
Do you ever look at a successful business and think, “Of course they achieved so much, they have ____”? The truth is, there are a lot of wins and losses that occur before you see the finished product. One of the biggest hurdles entrepreneurs face is the internal discussions we have with ourselves to determine what we should or shouldn’t do and what our limitations actually are. Speaking from experience, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows; it was a lot of work.
It’s bittersweet to wrap up this season, but I am so excited for what’s to come. Let’s dive into the last conversation of Million Dollar Mindshare with the lovely Cass Bald by pressing that play button!
What’s in This Episode
- You don’t need to be “good at math” to learn your numbers
- Understanding your factory capacity
- Becoming comfortable with charging what you’re worth
- “Investing in where you are” versus “where you want to be”
- Scaling and maintaining a million dollar business
- The importance of understanding “root causes” when problem solving
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e64 for all resources from this episode.
How To Get A “Yes” Without Meeting Criteria
I want you to pause for a moment and think back to when you were younger and ask yourself two questions. 1) What did you want to be when you grew up, and 2) Why did you choose that? There is a mindset most of us have that directs us to what we “can” and “can’t” do based on our circumstances. My guest this week, Jereshia, has done what some people would consider “impossible”. As a woman of colour, she broke barriers by becoming a pipeline engineer and transitioned from there to owning a multi seven figure business!
Have you ever considered accepting or applying for an opportunity only to stop yourself because you felt you weren’t smart enough? Jereshia shares how these insecurities initially held her back, and without even having the experience or credentials to be eligible, still acquired the position! (You read that right! She did the impossible!). Listen in to find out what it was that helped her win in a situation where she didn’t think she could.
Let’s assume for a moment that you’ve accomplished everything you set out to do. What comes next? Do you feel fulfilled or do you find yourself wondering if there’s something more waiting for you? Achieving success does not mean that you can’t achieve more. Jereshia will be the first to tell you that after she became a well respected engineer she knew that she wanted more out of life – and then she got it!
If you want more out of life too, then press pause on your day, and press play on this episode!
What’s in This Episode
- The importance of articulating your value
- Overcoming self-made mental barriers
- Listening to boomerang ideas
- Recognizing patterns
- Leaving a corporate position to try something new
- Charging what you’re worth
- Discover your calling in life and become brave enough to answer it
- Unconscious competence
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e63 for all resources from this episode.
Do what you’re good at and let other people do the rest
Have you heard the phrase “Jack of all trades, master of none”? This is a very common mindset that a lot of business owners subconsciously have. You already wear a lot of hats in your company and when you add more than you should, it can actually prevent growth and longevity. That’s where my special guest this week, Mimi Dew, comes in. She and her team help entrepreneurs stay on track with their business and their goals.
One thing that I really admire about Mimi (aside from her Louis Vuitton bag) is how she and her husband built their business together. For a lot of people, assembling anything from Ikea with your spouse can add stress on your relationship. So how do you make a working relationship work on top of a marriage? Mimi and her husband have proved that this is entirely possible by recently celebrating their 30th anniversary!
Mimi is living proof that you decide your own destiny. Her journey shows that it doesn’t matter where you come from, you control where you’re going. If you are feeling “trapped” or “incapable” of greatness, then all you need to do is press play and discover for yourself what it takes to obtain it.
What’s in This Episode
- Finding success in business as a first generation immigrant
- Acquiring the “right people” for the “right job”
- Fixed fees versus commissions
- Growing from poverty to sought-after professional
- Building a successful business as an entrepreneurial couple
- The “Money Story”
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e62 for all resources from this episode.
Become a million dollar business by hiring a mentor
You’ve heard us talk about mentors on the podcast before and the value that they bring, but have you invested in one yourself? Perhaps you think that there are so many resources available that this is an unnecessary expense, but the truth is, what works for one entrepreneur does not necessarily work for another. Your journey is your own, and I share in this episode how my “first pick” mentor turned out to not be the one who helped me get to where I am today.
I know what you’re thinking, “Lisa, I listen to your podcast and I’m an avid reader. I don’t need a mentor” (Which is fantastic, thank you!). In this episode I’m going to explain why that isn’t going to work out the way you think it should. The reason for that is because we read books to learn information instead of gaining insights that we can implement.
In this episode I want to help you realize that you’re not alone on your journey, there are many others who are not “there yet” either. You are an inspiration to others, whether you realize it or not. I’m ready to get started, and if you are too, press play and let’s do this!
What’s in This Episode
- Investing in tactics over strategy
- Finding a mentor whose values align with yours
- Scarcity mindset vs. abundance mindset
- Change is uncomfortable but necessary for growth
- Assessing risk before investing big
- The one thing that is holding you back in your business
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e61 for all resources from this episode.
Going from “Netflix and Chill” to Earning Over a Mill!
Have you heard the expression “Netflix and Chill”? My guest this week, LaJuanna Russell, took this expression to a different level when she began her journey with only $500 and turned that into an 8-MILLION-dollar business! (Yes, you read that right!) In our discussion she debunks the stigma of needing to be big to get bigger.
One of my favorite parts of this discussion was when we addressed what credentials you need to pursue any passion. Can you paint if you haven’t gone to art school, or cook if you haven’t trained with a chef? Of course you can! LaJuanna experienced Imposter Syndrome just like everyone else until she realized that she was already qualified to perform without a piece of paper confirming what she already knew.
If you’ve ever considered a business opportunity but talked yourself out of it because it was “too much”, then you’re listening to the right episode because LaJuanna took on Government Contracting and is not only climbing – she is thriving! Anything is possible and she is living proof of what you can obtain if you have the patience and perseverance to get there!
What’s in This Episode
- Formal training will not remove Imposter Syndrome
- Wealth isn’t the requirement for success
- The challenges of working in government
- Recognize the difference between a “pipe dream” and a pipeline”
- How to properly price bigger projects
- The problem with “guiding” instead of “leading”
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e60 for the transcript and all resources from this episode.
Control your triggers and take your power back!
When you begin your entrepreneurial journey you tell yourself what “success” looks like, but what happens when you get there and you don’t feel the satisfaction you assumed you would experience? That is what my guest Stacy Bahrenfuss realized when she began her venture in real estate. If you meet your goals but feel unfulfilled, it’s never too late to pivot and embrace a new direction
Women in business are generally quite skilled at problem solving, but there is a catch. Those who have this mindset are also addicted to 3 toxic mindsets: (1) something being wrong, (2) unfulfillment, and (3) guilt for the things we weren’t able to accomplish. Stacy shares how she has successfully coached women to break free from this internal pit of despair we create for ourselves and embrace the joy we should be experiencing instead.
Warning: This episode may “trigger” conversations you’ve avoided having with yourself and help you to finally become reacquainted with the amazing person you’ve forgotten that you are.
Press play and let the journey to self discovery begin!
What’s in This Episode
- What to do when you’re feeling unfulfilled in spite of success
- How you are misinterpreting your personal “triggers”
- Allow others to step up for you so that you can step back
- Balancing a personal and work relationship with your team members
- What revenue is being lost in your resistance?
- Why a “default mindset” is limiting your options as a business owner
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e59 for the transcript and all resources from this episode.
What’s possible when you make a sharp right turn in your business
Have you ever felt “stuck” in your business? Becoming an “expert” can be both a blessing and a curse for any entrepreneur. On one hand, you establish yourself as a trusted company, but on the other, it can derail you from trying something new.
So, should you accept that you will forever be known as the brand you created years ago, or do you take a chance at disrupting the waters with the intent to become an expert in something else?
Ali Brown, a friend and mentor, has already achieved great success and conquered the fear of switching lanes in business as a “Category of 1” entrepreneur. In this episode, she shares the difficulties during that transition and what warning signs to be aware of when you find yourself beginning to resent the enterprise you created.
Are you ready for a change? It’s time to break down the barriers of expectation that we have conformed to, discover what your passion truly is, and create a game plan to get you from “here” to “there” on a timeline created just for you.
Grab your demolition hammer and let’s break into another exciting discussion!
What’s in This Episode
- Recognizing when you’ve fallen into “Contentment Purgatory”
- “Golden Handcuffs” in business
- Building yourself into a “Category of 1” entrepreneur
- The difference between thought leaders and influencers
- Layers of fear business owners experience
- Behind-the-scenes of a Secret Millionaire
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e58 for the transcript and all resources from this episode.
Steer clear of these million dollar mistakes!
There is no perfect path from start to finish when it comes to building a 7-figure business. We often talk about mistakes, but we don’t always go into detail about exactly what it looks like. That’s why this week, I’m giving you a unique How To… but in reverse.
I’m going to share with you 9 things you should NOT do as you grow your business.
For example, how do you feel after you file your taxes? Relieved? Nervous? Anxious? If you haven’t planned or anticipated what you’ll owe the government after you’ve submitted your returns, you’re likely not prepared for their response. This is why your account or CPA needs to be your “financial wingman” so that you avoid digging yourself into a hole that is going to be difficult to climb back out of.
Another common mistake is being the only one “capable” of completing tasks in your business. You cannot grow without trust, and if you don’t trust your team, you need to ask yourself why that is.
Press play as we dive in deeper to these million dollar mistakes and 7 more!
What’s in This Episode
- Avoid becoming a “cash poor” business
- Why throwing money at problems isn’t the answer
- The importance of delegating and following up
- Are you too focused on top line sales?
- What it means to be busy, but not productive
- Preparing for tax liabilities
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e57 for the transcript and all resources from this episode.
Accelerate Sales and Profit While Reducing Effort
Do you ever find yourself doubting your ability to succeed? It might take a while to “bloom” in business, it doesn’t mean you’ve failed.
My very special guest this week, Colleen Francis, shares her 10 year journey in business to become the leader that the “big guys” go to. Her track record speaks for itself! She has worked with clients such as John Deere, NCR, Royal Bank, and Experion, just to name a few.
In a world that is very technology-based, how do you compete online when your marketing messages are competing with consumer reviews? Colleen shares how crucial it is to not solely focus on the clientele you want to attract, but also the individuals your customers will interact with or listen to for recommendations.
Are you ready to step up your sales approach? Press play and let’s begin!
What’s in This Episode
- The selling template for larger businesses
- Why B2B is going to be replaced by B2C
- Understanding consumer shopping behavior
- Discover your confidence to charge what you’re worth
- Competing with Online Reviews vs a Personal Reference
- Stop relying your self-worth on “yes or no” answers
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e56 for the transcript and all resources from this episode.
Growing From “Here” To “There” With Lisa Larter
We’re flipping the script in this episode! Stephanie Allen joins the podcast this week and turns the microphone on Lisa Larter. She’s a successful entrepreneur that is ready for the next milestone in her career and has sought out Lisa’s expertise to achieve that.
Have you ever felt disconnected from your peers in business? When you compare everyone else’s highlight reel to your current position, it can make you question the belief you have of yourself as an entrepreneur. In this episode, Lisa shares how she overcame this perception and how she very intentionally closed the gap between where she was to where she is now.
Are you burying your value in your marketing strategy? Let’s be honest, we live in a world of distractions, and if it takes time to “get to the point” you’re going to lose people. Lisa explains how leading with value and ending with a cliffhanger can improve your engagement, and the risks you take when you focus too much on “fluff” before revealing the nugget at the end.
Strap on your running shoes and tie up those laces because we are going to fast track your business with this episode!
What’s in This Episode
- How to “catch up” to business owners who are where you want to be
- Why you should market yourself faster
- Lisa Larter’s Business Hindsight
- Grandfathering services and how to shift out
- Hiring people with “potential” vs hiring people with experience
- Invest in your “Dream Team” to fast track your business
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e55 for the transcript and all resources from this episode.
Stop Waiting for Opportunity, Interrupt the Bias!
Before you move forward, you have to first understand your past. This is one of the crucial takeaways I hope you will receive from this week’s special guest, Jennifer McClanahan-Flint. Whoever you are and whatever your race, gender identity, culture, etc. may be, you will experience roadblocks and it’s important to understand why if you hope to grow as a person and a business.
How do you attract the right employees to your business when money is an issue? If you are a 7-figure business, that doesn’t always mean you have the ability to pay what you’d like to pay your future team members. Jennifer shares how she has navigated through this issue while still inspiring them to show up every day.
In order to become equitable as a business, you need to invest in people. This means your staff, accountant, and even yourself, should be made a priority. When you have the right people in place, you invest the time to get the systems and policies in place, you can remove a lot of avoidable conflicts. This is just as much for you as it is for your team.
When you tune in to this episode, you’ll realize that the opportunity for growth is knocking and the real question is, are you ready to answer the door?
What’s in This Episode
- What to do when you can’t meet salary expectations
- Inherited roadblocks based on culture and ethnicity
- What are considered “normal challenges” in business
- Understand your history so that you can understand your bias
- Why does diversity matter to you in your business?
- Types of bias to be aware of and how to respond
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e54 for the transcript and all resources from this episode.
Examine the Floor Plan of a Family-Owned Business
Grab your sledge hammer because we’re breaking down the wall of gender biases with Andrea Hood today! This week, our special guest shares her story of taking over her family business in a traditionally male-dominated industry. A life changing decision turned what was at one time intended to be just a summer job into the now President of Atkinson Carpet.
In this episode, hear Andrea share what her business owner superpower is (it’s probably not what you think it is), what it’s like to take the helm in a family-owned business, and the key tools that have led her to succeed.
My favourite takeaway from this conversation is the point we make about increasing your prices. Do you worry that if you increase your prices you’ll lose business? You’d be surprised how many business owners struggle with this subject. Trust your gut, be transparent with your clients, and stop allowing fear to dictate your decisions.
It’s time to tune out the distractions and tune into another fantastic episode. This one might just leave you “floored”!
What’s in This Episode
- Leading as a woman in a male dominated space
- “Lisa the Wireless Wonderwoman” (Sorry, were you expecting a man?)
- Don’t ask permission to increase your prices
- Why Profitability Assessments are key
- Navigating through disputes in a family-owned business
- Inflation and supply chain challenges in 2022
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e53 for the transcript and all resources from this episode.
Surpass 7-Figures and Beyond with these 5 Principles
Are you a business owner dreaming of reaching the next big financial milestone in your business, but it feels like it’s so far away? I’m here to tell you that the story you’re telling yourself can be flipped from fantasy to reality with five principles any business owner can utilize.
One mistake a lot of businesses make is looking at customers from a transactional lens, instead of focusing on the lifetime value they provide.
Everyone wants to attract new customers, but it is equally important to maintain a relationship with the ones you have already acquired.
Do you know if you’re spending too much energy on the wrong things in your business? If you spent the same amount of energy on a higher priced offer inside of your business, you would grow your business faster.
Grab your running shoes, because we’re about to fast track your business with this episode!
What’s in This Episode
- 5 principles to help your business reach 7-figures, or more
- Recurring revenue vs. transactional
- How to preserve the profitability of your business
- View through the lens of lifetime value instead of monthly
- Don’t generate new leads when you need a buyer
- The Mason Jar Metaphor
- Are you spending energy in the wrong areas of your business?
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e52 for the transcript and all resources from this episode.
Dream big, achieve bigger!
We are all capable of greatness, but unfortunately, not everyone realizes it or achieves it. My guest this week, Emily Countryman, didn’t start out knowing she would one day help thousands of people lose over 100,000 pounds collectively or own six locations. This is her story.
Have you or someone you know operated a business through the pandemic? While some found ways to pivot or move things virtually, others were less fortunate. Listen in to hear how this actually gave Emily and her husband the push they needed to achieve more than they initially imagined.
It’s not always sunshine and rainbows for every entrepreneur. There’s twists and turns, failures and achievements, and challenges you can’t predict. In this episode, we highlight the good, the bad, and the hindsight we wish we had.
Listen in as we “weigh-in” on a journey of personal and business health!
What’s in This Episode
- How true the phrase, “No risk, no reward” is in business
- Why “eat less, move more” is wrong
- Growing a business from a side-gig to 6 locations across the country
- What to expect when you add a virtual aspect to your business
- Why you need to invest in a business coach/mentor
- Work on your business, not in it, to achieve growth
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e51 for the transcript and all resources from this episode.
Prepare For Your Next Business Milestone
Do you know what it takes to get to a million dollars in your business? Did you know that only 2% of women-owned businesses ever reach the seven-figure mark?
This season, I will be joined by some incredible guests to discuss exactly what it takes to make this happen and to share some of the lessons learned, the obstacles, the mindset challenges, and even some of the discomfort that they face when it comes to building a successful business. We are going to share the mindsets and the ways of thinking of different women and different types of businesses to inspire others and increase that 2% statistic to be a larger number.
To start the conversation in episode 50, I’m talking about the importance of finding models of success, having awareness of where you are at in your current business journey, paying attention to bottom-line profit, scarcity mindsets, knowing how much money is enough, and knowing your numbers in general.
Ready to dive in? Turn up the volume and let’s get started!
What’s in This Episode
- Why I despise income earnings marketing
- The percentage of women who exceed the seven-figure mark
- Know and understand your numbers if you want growth and success
- Lisa Larter’s Revenue Ladder
- Stop playing it safe with business coaches
- Why bigger sales won’t always mean bigger profits
- Avoid falling for someone's Top Line until you’ve heard their Bottom Line
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e50 for the transcript and all resources from this episode.
The Social Media Don'ts You May Be Guilty Of And What You Should Do Instead
This week’s final Team Takeover episode with Cass and Adan is all about the most common mistakes you may be making on social media!
When it comes to social media, especially for business, there are so many do’s and don’ts to remember and it can get overwhelming. Not to mention, platforms and algorithms are constantly changing and so are the rules that come along with them.
As such, we see business owners making the same mistakes over and over again—mistakes that could be costing them customers and even damaging their reputation.
This week, come along as Cass and Adan take you through 7 of the top blunders they see time and time again and share exactly what you should be doing instead.
If you’re guilty of doing any of these social media “don’ts,” not to worry—we’ve all been there. Hit play on episode 49 and learn their best tips about Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and more, now!
What’s in This Episode
- Applying the 80/20 Rule in your marketing strategy
- Effectively navigating through controversial topics
- Business vs personal, and where to draw the line
- The importance of “give and take” with your audience interaction
- The time and place for memes and gifs
- Understanding social media algorithms
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e49 for the transcript and all resources from this episode.
Embracing the Virtual Workspace.
It’s another exciting week in Podcast Land with Cass and Adan, as they have managed to hold onto the podcast yet again this week! Seriously, how many CEOs do you know that hand over their mic to their team like this? (That’s why Lisa is a legend!)
This week, they’re bringing their A-Game as they discuss how you can successfully lead an A-Team online and remain virtual with your business. As this is already something they are currently doing, there is no one better to address the pros and cons of digital business.
COVID-19 might have been the driving force behind the “work-from-home” situation for a lot of companies, but the real question now is, “Do you even want to go back to an office?”
It’s a big decision, but if this is something you are struggling with as a business owner or as an employee, this is the episode that can help you decide what you want your future to look like!
What’s in This Episode
- Pros & cons to working virtually
- Online options to bridge communication between clients and coworkers
- How to lead a team effectively while remaining virtual
- Effective communication tips when communicating through text formats.
- The importance of company culture
- Popular Project Management Software that LLG recommends
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e48 for the transcript and all resources from this episode.
Why you might be sleeping on TikTok!
Cass and Adan are back again this week for another team takeover episode and they are discussing the 6 letter word that so many business owners have been avoiding… TikTok! (What did you think I was going to say?)
In this episode, they answer the questions that real business owners are asking about the platform. Is your audience actually hanging out on TikTok? How is it different from Instagram Reels? How do you know if it’s the right platform for you?
Cass and Adan go into detail as to how TikTok can be a valuable marketing tool and explain how it isn't just for people who like cat videos or dancing trends. They discuss the platform's powerful algorithm and how it can help you expand your reach when it comes to your audience.
There is so much more to this platform than meets the eye. To get a better idea of what you are potentially missing out on, this is the episode you need to hear!
What’s in This Episode
- How TikTok can benefit your business and brand
- The importance of being on multiple social media platforms
- The stigma and embarrassment of being on TikTok
- Reels vs TikTok, what’s the difference?
- Social media algorithms
- The value of being the first in your industry
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e47 for the transcript and all resources from this episode.
Do you ever wonder what happens behind the scenes of a marketing agency?
By now you’ve gotten to know Cass and Adan, but in this week’s team takeover episode, you get to meet one more member of my team!
Adrian Russell, the Assistant Marketing Team Manager of the Lisa Larter Group is joining the conversation to shed some light on what exactly happens when you hire a marketing agency and what to look for in a marketer.
These three begin by highlighting the different avenues for marketing your business and some of the pros and cons of each of them. They walk you through what a typical onboarding process looks like and they discuss what makes LLG different.
If you’ve ever wondered exactly what goes on behind the scenes when you hire an agency or what you should be expecting from your marketer, this episode will tell you all of that and more.
What’s in This Episode
- Three Types of Marketing Agents/Agencies for Social Media
- An Overview of the Onboarding Process of a Marketing Team
- What is SEO?
- How to Choose the Right Marketing Team for You
- Why Your Current Marketing Plan isn’t Working
- The Importance of Roadmaps
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e46 for the transcript and all resources from this episode.
A Leader’s Lasting Impact
Cass and Adan are back again this week for another Team Takeover episode!
When it comes to leadership, it’s so valuable to hear the employee’s perspective on it and that’s what these women are sharing in episode 45. As a business owner, I want you to listen very carefully to what they have to say because it is the feelings of those who look up to you as a leader that actually matter.
It is true that people don’t quit their jobs, they quit their bosses. Are you the type of leader people want to work for?
Cass and Adan are talking about what it means to be a Millennial, Zillennial, and Generation Z-er in the workplace and the challenges that come with being young. They share their experiences of being overlooked and underestimated because of their age, as well as the stereotypes that exist about their generation of employees.
They also open up about mental health in a professional setting and the lasting impact a leader can have, both positively and negatively.
If you find yourself looking at younger generations with frustration over their “job-hopping,” Cass and Adan discuss why they actually perceive this to be a positive thing.
You will not want to miss this episode, including what they have to say about the best and worst leaders they have ever worked with!
What’s in This Episode
- Mental health in the workplace
- Leadership styles from an employee perspective
- How to become a leader others want to follow
- Challenges that Millennials, Zilennials, and Gen Z-ers face in the workplace
- The myth around job hopping
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e45 for the transcript and all resources from this episode.
Team Takeover with Cassandra Bald & Adan Kovinich
Tune in this week for a very special Team Takeover episode of She Talks Business as two members of Lisa’s team, Cass Bald and Adan Kovinich, share their favourite lessons from Lisa.
In this episode, you’ll learn how common it is for employees to not feel confident or comfortable until they have the right person in their corner. With Lisa’s guidance, both Cass and Adan are leading and inspiring their team to produce exceptional work and provide a stellar client experience.
If you’re an employee and have ever had a shred of scepticism about what you’re capable of, listen in to find out what fruitful advice these young women have received to dramatically transform their careers.
If you’re an employer, let this episode be a lesson in the power you have to positively impact the people who work for you.
What’s in This Episode
- Why you cannot please everyone and that’s a good thing!
- How to borrow courage, and what that even means
- Becoming great at the things you’re not already great at doing
- Why you should break the rules and question everything
- The myth of the “early bird” and productivity
- The untold impact mentors can on their team
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e44 for the transcript and all resources from this episode.
Stop setting yourself up for failure!
How many times have you made a New Year’s resolution and then actually achieved it? We start each year with the best intentions, but if you’re like me, you’ll notice that within the first month you’re already falling off track with your goals. This can cause you to question your worth, ability, and confidence, but what if you did it differently?
It’s time to hit the reset button because there is hope! By listening to this episode, I’ll share with you why making minor adjustments to your strategy will help you achieve aspirations that would have otherwise been just out of reach.
There are three questions you should ask yourself (and you might need to dig deep here!) when it comes to your business. Sometimes the challenges we face are hurdles in the first place because we are not happy with our current situation. Grab a cup of your favorite beverage, press play, and let’s start the conversation!
What’s in This Episode
- How to set goals and actually achieve them
- 3 questions to ask yourself about your relationship with your business
- The internal dialogue women have that prevent their own happiness
- Why setting too many goals is a problem
- Progress measurements to keep you motivated
- The importance of changing your finish line from perfection to finished
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e43 for the transcript and all resources from this episode.
Prioritize Your Health, Or You Won’t Have a Business!
Have you ever caught yourself saying, “I don’t have time”? Lauren Parsons is an award-winning Wellbeing Specialist who has helped thousands of businesses transform their work culture, and in this episode, she stresses how crucial it is to find the balance between your health and productivity. How often do you find yourself going home at the end of the day feeling satisfied because you kept goals and remained focused?
Do you ever wake up knowing that you have a busy day ahead, so you skip your morning routines to get a head start? If showing up each day is essential for your business, then your health is more critical than you realize. Lauren and Lisa share their own routines, the consequences of skipping them, and how this caused them to feel resentment towards their work.
Lauren shares 3 things that every small business owner should do to inspire their team to bring their A-game. She recounts an experience in her past when she wasn’t starting her day on the right foot—directly creating a negative impact on her relationships, business, and overall mental health. By listening to this episode, you’ll learn how this moment of clarity became one of the many tools she’s shared with businesses, of all sizes, so they can perform their best.
It’s one thing to state that you want change, and another to make it happen. Lauren will tell you exactly how to make effective changes so that you can start achieving those goals. Press the pause button on your surroundings, press play on this episode and let’s get started!
What’s in This Episode
- 3 things that every small business should do to increase productivity
- 5 Live Well Principles
- The 3 red flags of burnout
- 2 Guaranteed ways to create habits that stick
- How to achieve a balance between wellbeing and productivity
- Warning signs that you have unhealthy habits in your virtual office
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e42 for the transcript and all resources from this episode.
Pick up the phone and have that tough talk
Roberta Matuson, the author of Can We Talk: 7 Principles for Managing Difficult Conversations at Work, joins me this week to discuss how to take on tough conversations with your team and your clients. You know, those conversations that we’d rather not have and often avoid, mess up or deflect because they make us uncomfortable.
What is putting off difficult conversations costing you and your business? What about the tough talks you’ve had with team members that didn’t go so well? When you avoid difficult conversations there is a financial, psychological, emotional, and energetic cost to you and your team. There can be an even greater cost if a discussion becomes heated or goes off course with an employee. Listen in to hear how you can apply Roberta’s strategies to engage in productive and effective conversations that clarify your expectations, foster discussion and build a team.
Do you need to raise your prices? Do any of your clients owe you money? It can be uncomfortable to reach out to a client to collect overdue payments or let them know that you are raising your prices. Do it the wrong way and you may find your clients leaving you. Tune in to hear our ideas on how to broach these touchy subjects with clients and actually build mutual respect in the process. It's all in the way you say it!
As much as we as business owners need to find a way to engage in difficult talks with our team members, it’s equally important that our employees feel they can talk to us and give us valuable feedback. Listen to hear Roberta and I recount stories about toxic work environments we found ourselves in early in our careers and how we each navigated these dangerous waters, bettered our careers and used these “wrong ways” to shape how we lead conversations and encourage feedback in each of our businesses today.
What’s in This Episode
- How to initiate a difficult discussion with a client, employee, or employer
- Getting what you want by changing your approach
- Why you need your employees to give you tough feedback
- The secret to turning your biggest critic into your biggest ally
- “You’re in trouble”, provide feedback without sounding an alarm
- How to navigate a toxic work situation
- What is default management, and how to make it work for you
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e41 for the transcript and all resources from this episode.
Get Those Financials in Good Shape
Get ready to hear me answer your burning questions as we wrap up this season on money, metrics and measurement! Stephanie Rainey is here again and she’s got the questions you’ve been sending in all queued up and ready to go.
When it comes to business finances there are a lot of variables that can affect your bottom line, like who is managing your money and how much money you have available to risk in order to grow your revenue. It can leave you with questions like, is my accountant the one who should be managing the books? What is the best software to track our expenses?
Listen in to hear why you need to take charge of how your finances are reported, not by doing your books yourself necessarily, but by taking the lead on how you want your bookkeeper and accountant to prepare your reports (like your profit and loss statement). If you’ve been letting your accountant run the show, this is a great opportunity to hear how you can empower yourself and become intimate with your financial statements to exponentially grow your business and avoid end-of-the-year tax surprises.
Are you considering working with a co-production company for your digital products? A co-producer is basically a company that will create a strategy for you, the expert and then build sales funnels, copy, ads and design to help you sell your digital products. In this episode I share what I think of co-production and tell you the story of what happened when I put another person in charge of my marketing.
What’s in This Episode
- Who should manage your bookkeeping - a bookkeeper or accountant
- How to repay Covid relief funding without penalty
- How to tell if your bookkeeper is right for you
- Different levels in profitability and how this affects your taxes
- Why I’m not using Freshbooks as my accounting software
- Bookkeeping with different currencies
- Protecting the money that you have vs. risking for revenue growth
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e40 for the transcript and all resources from this episode.
Choose to Rise to Success
Myoshia Boykin-Anderson, CEO of AndTech Solutions is, to me, the definition of resilience. Although she is now the CEO of a major multi-7-figure tech strategy and consulting company, she rose from a difficult childhood with a mother addicted to drugs, became a single mother herself at a young age, and just when she thought she’d made it, unexpectedly lost her dream job. This is her story.
If you’ve ever been side-swiped by tragedy, lost everything, or found yourself at the mercy of your circumstances, you are going to find inspiration from Myoshia’s journey. In this episode, you’ll hear what it feels like to hit rock bottom and discover what tiny secret opportunity might be hidden in what feels like an impossible situation.
What can you do to get yourself out of a rut and bounce back stronger? Who do you turn to when everyone you’ve relied on is gone? Would you have what it takes to build a new life for yourself one phone call at a time? Let Myoshia inspire that resilient part of you and help you see what is possible if only you take matters into your own hands.
How do you get comfortable with success? You’d think after being through so much it would be easy to embrace having money and security, but that is not always the case, especially when you come from humble beginnings. Tune in to hear Myoshia and I talk about the guilt, the struggle with worthiness and how she’s come to peace with both.
What’s in This Episode
- How to overcome situations beyond your control
- The tool Myoshia used to start her new business
- How to self-motivate by talking to yourself
- The importance of finding something that keeps you grounded
- Why your client list is everything
- 3 things to do to remain calm and focused
- How to overcome guilt of success
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e39 for the transcript and all resources from this episode.
Fail and Scale
Jane Atkinson is one of the most sought-after speaker coaches in the world. She is also the author of The Wealthy Speaker 2.0 and she joins me this week to demystify how to make great money speaking. Whether you’re a professional speaker and want to know how to increase your revenue or you are a leader in your field looking to make a name for yourself talking about your area of expertise, you are going to love Jane’s practical advice.
Listen in to hear what Jane means by, “If you’re not willing to fail, you’re not ready to scale.” She also shares the story of her journey from a little-known speaker to making over a million dollars a year and gives us a look into how her clients have scaled their speaking businesses—one of them doubling their revenue year over year—to make speaking a career.
Jane gives some fantastic advice on how to price your speaking fees, how to know when to increase your fee, and how to scale your yearly revenue from $0 to $50K to $100K to $1M+. You’re going to want to hear her trick on how to leverage your free speaking engagements to move on to bigger engagements and ones that pay!
What’s in This Episode
- How to make a million dollars speaking
- Why speaking for free CAN grow your business
- How to set your room up for virtual speaking
- 3 ways to adapt your in-person speaking to an online platform like Zoom
- How to price your speaking fees
- What systems do you need to scale your speaking business
- The tools Jane has invested in for speaking on video
- How to leverage free talks to get paid ones
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e38 for the transcript and all resources from this episode.
Start Measuring 3-5 Things that Matter Now What do the flashing speed indicator box on your street and your KPI report have in common? They both exist to tell you when to speed up or slow down. That is the beauty of metrics put right in front of you—they give you the information you need to make a choice. No metric indicator, no choice.
This week’s episode is all about giving you the information and the metrics you need to either accelerate your revenue growth, or relax your foot off the gas. It’s time to talk KPIs (or key performance indicators) and figure out what 3-5 things you could be measuring to help you grow.
Join me to hear what different types of KPIs you should be measuring, what they are used for, how to figure out which ones matter for your unique business, and how frequently you should monitor your KPIs. As the third season of She Talks Business on money, measurements, and metrics wraps up, it’s more important than ever to make sure we’ve turned on all the indicator lights and gauges you need to see where you’re at and what progress you’re making towards your business goals.
What’s in This Episode
- What a KPI is
- How to choose the right KPIs for your business
- 3-5 things you should be measuring in your business
- How to use your KPIs to reach your revenue goal
- Why end-of-year financial analysis can bankrupt you
- My secret weapon when it comes to tracking my numbers
- How to simplify keeping track of your metrics
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e37 for the transcript and all resources from this episode.
Define what wealth is to you.
There are topics in the entrepreneurial world that are guaranteed to make you squirm. More than sex, politics or taxes… And that topic is retirement. Many an entrepreneur has told me they are too busy to think ahead to retirement. They’ve got places to go, things to do, fires to put out! What do you really need for retirement? From the few entrepreneurs who do answer this question thoughtfully, I hear a whole lot of, “I have no idea what I need. I just know I won’t have enough to retire anytime soon.”
In this week’s episode, we are diving into the steps to take to start building wealth even if you don’t have any savings right now. I don’t want to spoil it, but the answer is surprisingly simple and totally doable. The same goes for how to calculate and increase your net worth.
Listen in to hear the secret money-making practice I have around Facebook Marketplace. Feel free to take it on yourself to become a better salesperson and negotiator.
We’re also going to get a little personal and have you redefine what wealth is to you and actually calculate how much you’re going to need to retire. I guarantee you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the number you arrive at. So, pop in those headphones and let's get planning your future!
What’s in This Episode
- Why shame is keeping you in the dark about your finances
- How to calculate your net worth
- 5 ways to make money
- What to do to build wealth as an entrepreneur
- My secret sales practice on Facebook Marketplace
- How to pay off your debt faster
- Why automating your payments and investment will make you wealthy
- How to calculate the equity in your home and business
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e36 for the transcript and all resources from this episode.
Find Your Community
When building a business, how can you stack “luck” in your favour? Answer: by networking or joining an online community. That’s what Nabil Ould-Brahim, co-owner of Venture Creative Collective and I are talking about this week! What do we mean by luck? Listen in to hear how joining the right small online community can connect you with new clients, keep your business strategy alive ALL year-‘round, and spark your most valuable product ideas yet, not to mention, make your entrepreneurial journey a whole lot less lonely.
Join Nabil and I as we pull back the curtain on what it’s like to be a part of The Strategy Lab and how members are learning just as much from each other as they are from the monthly Learning Labs and discussions I lead. Get the inside scoop on how Lab members are setting ambitious goals in their quarterly Planning Sprints, reverse-engineering the tactics to get their desired results and holding each other accountable to execute their plan. You’ll also hear why Nabil says The Strategy Lab gives him a sense of belonging.
When our chat turned to strategy and sales, Nabil shared how the Planning Sprints are changing the face of his and his wife’s (Michelle Weger’s) business and actually making each of their contributions and professional relationship stronger. He also warned that “drifting” in your business is one of the most dangerous things you can let happen simply by getting caught up in the day-to-day.
If you're looking to stack luck in your favour and find meaningful connections, plug in and enjoy this week’s episode!
What’s in This Episode
- Why joining the right business community will change your bottom line
- How to stack growth odds in your favour
- The #1 best way to foster business partnerships
- What being part of a community can give you that private coaching can’t
- How planning quarterly will keep your business from drifting off course
- The secret benefits of reading business books with others
- Why the Learning Labs beat DIY courses every time
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e35 for the transcript and all resources from this episode.
Have a Conversation with Your Clients About “Where Do We Go Next?”
Stephanie Allen is in the hot seat this week with two burning questions about retaining clients and how to measure where your leads come from. I have no doubt that you will find something for yourself in our discussion.
Stephanie is the owner of not one, but two companies—Stephanie Allen Consulting, where she is the primary management consultant and The Peaceful Parentpreneur, where she coaches executives on how to get clear on what matters to their family and business.
Stephanie had two questions she wanted coaching on, the first being how to sell your next service to a client you are doing work for before you wrap up the current work project.
I love this question because it is really about what I call the Second Sale Strategy. Listen in to hear how I coach Stephanie on how to:
- Clean up her current service parameters so that there is a defined line of where one service ends and the next service begins
- Ask the right questions to uncover what her client needs next
- Seed her other services into conversation with the client
- Offer the client what she thinks they need next to achieve their big goal without sounding pushy or awkward
- Make selling a natural part of the conversation and NOT leave it to your last interaction with the client
Stephanie’s second coaching question was, “How do I measure where my leads are coming from?” This led to a conversation you won’t want to miss on how to realistically keep track of your leads, what the best lead sources are, and what the real purpose behind writing valuable content for your website and social media channels is. Psst...it probably isn’t what you think!
It is one of my favourite things to dig into a real-life business and find out what the one thing the business owner can do to make a leap forward in reaching their goal is. Is Stephanie’s one thing the same as yours? Tune in to find out!
What’s in This Episode
- How you can make the Second Sale Strategy work for you
- How NOT to make your second sales pitch awkward
- Why knowing your client’s idea of success is key to retention
- What BIG mistake to avoid when a client becomes a friend
- Why paying attention to your clients matters
- How to keep track of where your leads are coming from
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e34 for the transcript and all resources from this episode.
Reflect and Set Goals in Q4
The time to plan and get clear on exactly what you want and need from your business in 2022 is now, in Q4! But how doyou plan and why would you want to set goals for next year when this year isn’t even finished yet?
It’s simple. You can’t aspire to what you haven’t planned for. The sooner you have an actionable plan in place and revenue, profit, and marketing goals written down, the more momentum you will have behind you for January 1st of the new year.
In this week’s episode, Stephanie Rainey is back and she is drilling into my advanced planning methodology. We are covering:
- What financial data to gather in preparation for planning 2022
- How to set yourself up for “thinking time”
- What financial goals to set for 2022
- What to do if you don’t know your numbers
- How to structure your planning day(s)
- Where you can go to plan with other like-minded entrepreneurs
Have you noticed that my podcast guests earning six and seven figures in their business have mentioned that keeping track of their metrics is a key factor in having the information they needed to scale?! When you take the time to gather data from your current year, analyze it, ask yourself where you want to grow to and then reverse engineer how to reach those goals (revenue, profit and marketing goals), you become the leader your company needs to take them into the new year with A PLAN.
It’s time to get planning for 2022, so hit play and let’s get started!
What’s in This Episode
- Why plan for next year in Q4
- My Advanced Planning Method
- What financial metrics to gather for your planning session
- How to make space for “thinking time”
- The secret to having your 2022 already underway on January 1
- Why planning for the new year in January will leave you behind in Q1
- How the best big corporations plan their growth & you can do the same
- The most common mistake I see business owners make in planning
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e33 for the transcript and all resources from this episode.
Make More Than You Spend
Mike Michalowicz, the author of Profit First and six other best-selling books, is on this week and wow, did we hit the ground running! At the top of the show we jump right into debt, inflation, shrink-flation, and why in the next year it's going to be crucial that business owners keep a close eye on their profitability and eliminate their debt.
What is the difference between leveraging, bridging, and anchoring debt? Don’t know? I didn’t either! Listen in to hear Mike explain these terms he’s coined—it will change the way you look at borrowing money! As well, hear why Mike believes small businesses have an advantage over big corporations when it comes to retaining customers, that is if they make keeping their customers a priority.
Mike and I also discuss the right time to bring on a new employee and what increase in revenue you can aim to achieve in a service-based business with this new team member on board. He calls it the “150 Rule.” We also get real about why you will likely need to restructure how you run your business and how involved you are as the business owner at the 1 million dollar mark.
Stay tuned to the end to hear why Mike recommends you no longer refer to yourself as a business owner or entrepreneur, but rather as a shareholder and how this mind shift will completely alter the way you see your business and how you make decisions.
What’s in This Episode
- Why you need to destroy your debt
- The difference between leveraging, bridging, and anchor debt
- How saving may actually save your business
- Why your customers matter now more than ever
- What strategy to use to retain your customers
- The 150 Rule (when to invest in a new team member)
- A critical mindshift that will make your business more profitable
- How to set your business up for weathering a financial crisis
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e32 for the transcript and all resources from this episode.
Raise Your Prices to Protect Your Profit
This could be the MOST important episode you listen to in preparing your business for 2022! With economists warning that hyper-inflation will change the small business landscape and business owners oblivious to shrink-flation, it’s the perfect time to ensure you are paying attention to the right numbers in your business and adjusting your pricing to protect your profits. So, grab your pen and paper or print out the transcript and let’s get to work on what you need to know about inflation and pricing for profit.
Did you know that the cost of living has jumped an average of 5.4% in the US and 3.1% in Canada this year? Economists predict it will continue to rise. Why is this important to business owners? Let me tell you. If your cost of doing business increases in the coming year by 5% and you don’t have plans to raise your prices, guess what?! You’ve already lost 5% of your profit for 2022 before the year has even begun. It’s that simple.
In this week’s episode, we are getting real about three important numbers in your business: profit margin, your pricing and the cost of operating your business and diving into how knowing and tracking these metrics will help you keep your profit margin healthy in 2022. Listen in to hear the advice I give my clients on pricing for profit and how to adjust your pricing to ensure your profit margin is not degraded in the face of a big jump in inflation.
It’s time to get your financial house in order for next year... Plug in your headphones and let’s get started!
What’s in This Episode
- Why inflation will eat your profits in 2022 if you’re not paying attention
- How to track your profit margin and cost of operations
- A simple formula for pricing your products and services
- What hyper-inflation is and why it matters
- Common errors made in pricing your products
- How to protect your profit margin
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e31 for the transcript and all resources from this episode.
Set Priorities for Business Growth and Your Time
If you take one thing away from listening to this week’s episode with productivity expert and best-selling author, Tanya Dalton, let it be this: being intentional with your time, executing on your priorities, and paying attention to the key metricsis how you grow a seven-figure business!
Want to know how Tanya built not one, but two profitable businesses, what habit helped her exponentially grow her revenue and why she’s the queen of productivity?
Listen in to hear Tanya and I discuss why your to do list just isn’t cutting it anymore and what to replace it with to skyrocket your productivity. Hear how Tanya’s practice of being intentional led to writing a book proposal that started a bidding war between seven different publishing houses and landed her a two book deal with Harper Collins.
In the interview, Tanya gets real about what it takes to be an entrepreneur and shares with us the story of a $45,000 mistake she made early on in her business and DOESN’T regret. She also reveals the key metrics she’s measuring in her two businesses to ensure their growth, and the number one thing she did to scale her business to seven figures.
What’s in This Episode
- The one habit that helped Tanya build a 7-figure business
- How to start a bidding war over your book proposal
- How NOT looking at your metrics is keeping your business “sick”
- Why you need to replace your To Do list with a Priority List now!
- How to use a daily planner to grow your business
- What metrics matter most
- How to be intentional in your life and business
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e30 for the transcript and all resources from this episode.
Hit That Sales Conversion Lever
Sales conversion rate determines your revenue. Period. What is your conversion rate? If you’re not sure what it is, can’t shout it out from memory, or you know your conversion rate is something you definitely want to increase...this episode is for you!
There are a lot of different conversion rates you can track in your business and I’m going to point you in the direction of the only ONE you need to keep an eye on to increase revenue. Why? Because measuring and tracking gives you the power and the knowledge to improve how you’re doing business which will in turn grow revenue (sometimes with less effort!).
Listen in and we’ll uncover the 10 factors influencing your sales conversion rate that go undetected behind the scenes, why these factors are deciding your revenue, and how you can positively affect them. Put it this way, for each factor you positively influence it will guarantee you a higher revenue—it’s not magic, it’s basic math!
It’s time to take control of the metrics deciding your business revenue. Grab your earphones, start the car, or find a quiet space and let’s get to work on the numbers in your business so you can become extraordinary at this thing called entrepreneurship.
What’s in This Episode
- Why you NEED to know your sales conversion rate!
- How to measure it
- 10 hidden factors that determine how effective you are at selling
- Why people are not buying from you
- How conversion rate decides your revenue
- My top 3 secret weapons for a high (like 90-95%!) sales conversion rate
- What’s standing in the way of you increasing profits
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e29 for the transcript and all resources from this episode.
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Flex Your Money-Making Muscle!
Let’s face it, as humans, we are full of excuses and fears. Especially when it comes to money and selling. That’s why I believe it’s crucial to learn how to generate income on demand and this week I’m going to teach you how! Tune in to hear Stephanie Rainey and I talk about how flexing your money-making-muscle actually rewires your brain to blow through excuses and move your fears to the back seat.
Not sure how you can make money on demand? I have 5 ideas for you:
- Sell something, anything! Work out that scrawny money muscle.
- Invitation marketing. Ask, sell and then build it.
- The $100 week or $1000 month challenge (aka: fund my Ferrari)
- Sell a new product, service or experience.
- Sell to your customers: retain, expand, refer.
Want the details on these money-making ideas? Heck ya! Take a deep breath, press play and let’s jump in and have a little fun learning to bring in the dough.
What’s in This Episode
- The secret exercise you can do to hit your year-end revenue goal!
- 5 Ideas to generate money in your business NOW
- How to use “How can I?” to get what you want
- Why a protection money mindset is stifling your selling creativity
- How to generate enough money to buy a Ferrari or designer jeans
- When to spend, when to generate money, when to protect your money
- How to get your money muscle back in shape
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e28 for the transcript and all resources from this episode.
Move from being in denial about the numbers to being connected to the numbers in your business.
Every once in a while I meet a woman so in tune with her business numbers that I instantly know I’ve found a kindred spirit! In this week’s episode you are going to fall in love, just like I did, with Margy Feldhuhn’s courageous approach to embracing the metrics inside her business and hear how doing that has made Interview Connections, the business she co-owns, the first and leading podcast booking agency doing 7 and now almost 8-figures a year.
Margy and I are on a mission to wake you up to what is possible in your business when you start asking the right financial and performance questions and answering those questions with simple math.
If you're thinking, “Oh, Margy’s probably had a lifetime of experience in the business financial sector.” OR “She’s got to be some kind of math whiz.” You’d be wrong on both counts. Margy is in her twenties and has figured out how to scale a team, exponentially grow revenue and protect profit with her feet on the ground in her business.
Listen in to hear Margy tell you the story of Interview Connections’ humble beginnings, to how her now business partner, Jessica started the agency as a side hustle, to Margy coming on as a partner and promising to triple each of their take home profits (which they did!), to where they are at now - on target to grow the company from 3 M dollars a year to 10 M dollars a year.
I know you will love how transparent Margy is about the “failures” she’s learned from growing a company so rapidly and she gives fantastic advice for anyone looking to start or get back on track with profit growth. Get out your P&L spreadsheet, your calculator and let this episode inspire you into action!
What’s in This Episode
- Why you CAN run the financial side of your business
- How to organize your bank account to make profit a priority
- The story of how Margy and Jess built a 3M dollar company
- What it takes to scale a business to 10M
- Why you need an organization chart with number if you want to scale
- The truth behind why businesses are revenue rich and profit poor
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e27 for the transcript and all resources from this episode.
3-2-1 Launch!
I can’t wait for you to meet my good friend Sigrun, Europe’s #1 business mentor, in this week’s episode and not because we have similar views on how to start and run a business, but because we are exact opposites!
Even though Sigrun and I have similar sized businesses, we’ve built them in completely different ways. I started my business with a clear, well-outlined strategy. Sigrun started with more of what she calls a “throw spaghetti at the wall and see what sticks” approach. I slowly built up capital to grow in increments, Sigrun spent all the money she made in the beginning and then rapidly started scaling in 2014. I’m more of an invitational marketing gal, Sigrun is in love with the big launch and has become a master at it!
I love that you can approach business from many different angles and that two very different people can both create businesses that support the life they want and make a difference in the way they serve.
Tune in to hear how Sigrun, a woman whose first language isn’t English and who comes from a very small town in Iceland, built a seven-figure, international business by traveling, giving of her time, and making meaningful connections wherever she went.
If you’ve ever thought, “I wish I could launch a product and make money!” Sigrun is the woman to tell you how to do it. Listen in to hear her explain what makes a great launch, how to set one up for success and how to keep your clients coming back for your products... Even if you DON’T have a huge list of followers!
Learn how Sigrun has made her and her brand stand out on the international stage and why she believes women entrepreneurship is the answer to gender equality. Sigrun’s unconventional path to creating a business that works and personal wealth might just be the approach you’ve been looking for!
What’s in This Episode
- What a launch is and why Sigrun is enamoured with them!
- How to launch with purpose
- What makes for a profitable launch
- How showing up for someone in need can make you a new client
- Two different ways to approach starting a business
- How to build a scalable business from ground zero
- Why it’s a disservice when you don’t tell people how to work with you
- The secret to forming strong connections that can help you grow
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e26 for the transcript and all resources from this episode.
Move Past Your Money Myths
Have you subconsciously bought into any of the eight money myths I’m talking about this week? I bet there are at least two or three of these myths holding you back from reaching your business’ full potential.
Have no fear! In this episode we look closely at these money myths and reframe them so your mind can get back on track with growing your business.
The myths we’re going to tackle include:
- “People won’t pay that much”
- “I need another certification/degree/course to make more money”
- “I can’t sell” (and its cousin: “I hate selling”)
- “I’m not good at numbers”
… and four more you’ll hear when you tune in!
There are likely a few of these eating away at your profits and your confidence. It’s time to shine a bright light on the money myths that might be holding you back and get some useful strategies to move past them to make your business more profitable AND grow your confidence as a business owner.
What’s in This Episode
- Eight money myths I see business owners buy into
- The psychology behind pricing
- Why getting another certificate/degree/course is a mind trap
- Why your pricing has everything to do with value and NOT effort
- How to get over your dislike of selling
- Why selling today is easier than ever before
- How your money psychology is keeping you from success
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e25 for the transcript and all resources from this episode.
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Measure What Matters
What if knowing and focusing on ONE metric in your business could spark a change that would take your company from $300,000/year in revenue to 1M+/year? Would that warm you up to the idea of getting intimate with the numbers in your business? I bet it would!
Listen in to hear the story behind one of my coaching client’s 233% revenue growth and learn how finding, isolating, and changing this ONE measurement brought on this incredible growth. Not overnight, but over time.
Welcome to season 3 where we’re going to bust open every myth you have about money, measurements and metrics. If you’re a little intimidated by the financial jargon floated around in the business sector or embarrassed that you don’t know which numbers you could be using to stimulate growth in your business, take a deep breath, press play and let’s jump in and have a little fun with the numbers in your business.
In this episode learn how collecting and analyzing the right numbers can:
- Signal a huge problem in your business
- Give you time to fix what’s broken before it’s too late
- Give you the data you need to make decisions
- Grow your revenue and profits exponentially
- Get you the best return on your business should you decide to sell it
It’s time to shine a bright light on the money and math monsters you have lurking in the corners of your entrepreneurial mind and business. Let’s do this!
What’s in This Episode
- Why you might be one measurement away from 233% revenue growth
- How numbers can 2x or 3x what your business is worth
- 3 money mistakes most business owners make
- Why end-of-year financial analysis can bankrupt you
- What metrics matter
- How to simplify keeping track of your metrics
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e24 for the transcript and all resources from this episode.
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Catch And Implement That One Business-altering Insight
What ONE insight from a business book featured in the Summer of Reading line up translated into $60,000 in revenue for my business this year? Tune in to hear Stephanie Rainey and I discuss not only the book and the insight, but how you too can start reading books and finding your own Ah Ha’s to shape and grow your business.
In this week’s episode, Stephanie picks my brain on the insights I pulled from The Common Path to Success by John Lee Dumas, Who Not How by Dan Sullivan, and Building a Storybrand by Donald Miller and how I have turned these insights into:
- A new product with yearly multiplying revenue
- A team of ‘whos’ growing my business with me
- A suite of products and services based on my intellectual property
And, hear about the one book that completely changed the way Stephanie thought about business and shaped the organization and structure of her swim school. This episode will spark your own insights and turn them into profits, systems, and business growth ideas!
What’s in This Episode
- How to read a book to make your business better
- Turn insights into profits, systems, and meaning in your business
- Why reading is the cheapest MBA you’ll ever get
- 3 insights from 3 books that made me more than $60,000 in revenue
- What Lady Gaga has to do with selling
- Why you need to ‘copy and steal’ other’s ideas and make them your own
- How to create must-have products and services
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e23 for the transcript and all resources from this episode.
Connect Your Dreams to the Greater Good
What would be possible if you planted your dreams? This week’s guest, Dr. Tererai Trent, is living proof that a dream can grow even in the poorest, most oppressive of soils. Named Oprah’s All-Time Favourite Guest and one of the Most Inspirational Women Alive, Tererai sat down with me to tell her story, reflect on her best-selling book The Awakened Woman, and to ask you the one question that cuts straight to the matter of what “bigger” work you are here to do on this planet.
Get ready to be moved, to be inspired, and to awaken a longing inside you to set audacious goals that not only move the needle in your business and bring your personal goals to the surface, but also connect your dreams to the greater good.
If your dreams are getting a little dusty, you're feeling a little cynical lately, or you want to be reminded of all the good there is in the world (and jump to be a part of it!), this is a conversation you don’t want to miss!
What’s in This Episode
- Tererai’s incredible story of going from an 18 year old mother of three living in poverty to a Ph D., author, speaker, and humanitarian changing the lives of girls and women in rural Zimbabwe.
- What ONE question to ask yourself to connect to your greater purpose
- Why planting your dreams is SO powerful
- How Tererai’s story has completely changed the conversation around educating girls in her country
- Why it’s poverty and not culture that decides what is possible for girls
- How to move through cynicism and make a difference
- Why your dreams matter
What To Do Next
Help Tererai and the young women of rural Zimbabwe reach their goal of sending 20 students to university every year. Click here to donate: www.lisalarter.com/tererai
Visit lisalarter.com/e22 for the transcript and all resources from this episode.
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Cut Through the Overwhelm of Starting Your Podcast
Got a podcast idea? Amanda Roscoe Mayo, specialist in all-things podcasting, coach, and producer knows how to get you started! In this week’s episode, tune in to hear how this broadcast journalist and author grows her client’s ideas from fuzzy concepts in their heads into polished, published podcasts out there in the real world.
Truth be told, this chat with Amanda (pre-She Talks Business launch) is one of the reasons this podcast exists. Her generous advice on how to bring an idea to life, set yourself up to record, publish, share, and market your new podcast not only helped me get up and running, but shaped the way we work with our clients on their podcasts as well.
If you’ve been thinking about starting your own podcast, trying to figure out how to get to be a guest on other people’s podcasts, or wondering how podcasting fits into your marketing strategy… hit play and listen in!
What’s in This Episode
- 10 podcast best practices
- The tech behind the sound quality of your podcast made simple
- Why overwhelm is squashing your idea and how to move past it
- What recording software to use
- The steps to get your podcast off the ground
- The ONE thing you must do to market your podcast
- How to be a better interviewer
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e21 for the transcript and all resources from this episode.
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Pick One Place to be Excellent and Superior
Are you afraid marketing your business for growth these days has come down to trickery and ‘magical unicorn funnels’? In this week’s episode, Mark Schaefer, the best-selling author of Marketing Rebellion (and 8 other best sellers) and I are going to renew your belief in service-first marketing!
Listen in to hear why this world-renowned marketer, keynote speaker and professor at Rutgers University, advises you to pick ONE marketing lane and create content there until it’s excellent and superior. Also hear the one question you should ask yourself before you create any kind of product or marketing.
Is your marketing killing your leads? Hear why 95% of your website visitors might be missing out on your best content! Get inspired by Mark’s dedication to never letting his readers down, and hear how you can attract people to your business, grow, AND come from a place of service and connection. This episode might just renew your faith in business goodwill and marketing.
What’s in This Episode
- Mark’s strategy behind giving away his content (no email required!)
- The truth about a ‘human way to market’
- How you might be driving 95% of your website visitors away
- Why you’re automated marketing is killing your leads
- The ONE question you should ask before you create a product
- How to increase the word of mouth around your business
- Where Mark sees the economy growing after Covid
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e20 for the transcript and all resources from this episode.
Cultivate the Equivalent Courage of Your Talents
Could fear be keeping you from fully expressing your talents and expertise? How do you cultivate the confidence to lead fully?
I can’t wait for you to hear this week’s episode where Alan Weiss and I sit down to discuss the topic of his book, Fearless Leadership and what it takes to lead courageously in business (and in life).
Alan is often referred to as the ‘rockstar of consulting’, and when it comes to leading and growing a business with courage and confidence, I’ve never met a leader more detached from what others think of him and willing to lead fearlessly. Hear how he cultivates courage as a daily practice and what impact this has had on his business.
Listen in to hear how fear can mask your talent and cause you to suffer, and how Alan has come to reframe his fears into a mental game.
What’s in This Episode
- Why fear will eat away at your leadership if you let it
- How to make living courageously a habit
- Questions to ask your clients to build your own confidence
- How to tap into your own courageous nature
- Why you need to stop believing your negative visualizations
- What to do with negative complaints and customer complaints
- How to see fear as a game
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e19 for the transcript and all resources from this episode.
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Lead with your biggest hook, and grow your business like it’s a product.
There is more to Allan Dib’s book, The 1-Page Marketing Plan than marketing, and there is way more to the scope of Allan’s expertise, too!
Tune in to hear Allan explain why your business absolutely needs a marketing ‘hook’ and why when you overcomplicate describing what you do, you will lose clients every time.
Hear why Allan believes you should structure your business to sell… even if you never plan on selling it. As well, if you’ve reached a plateau in your business growth, you’ll get some insight into what it takes to grow your business beyond 6 figures and the steps to take to make the leap to 7 figures. Hint: There is no magic involved! Simply some really down-to-earth, straight-forward talk about how to scale your business beyond you.
I love the way Allan makes the complex simple and I know you will walk away with a great new resource for building a simple and effective marketing plan and a saleable business. Enjoy!
What’s in This Episode
- Why you absolutely need a marketing hook for your business
- The truth about ‘doing it all’ in your business
- How to build a business that works without you
- Why simplifying the complex pays big money
- What’s holding you back from making 7 figures
- Allan’s advice on how to sell your business
- Harnessing what you’re great at to scale your business
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e18 for the transcript and all resources from this episode.
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The next book in our summer of reading is by the brilliant, kind, and curious founder of Strategic Coach, Dan Sullivan! In this episode, Dan and I speak about everything from the great information in Who Not How, to the importance of knowing what your unique ability is, to why Dan says he is going to live to be 156.
They told me it was impossible. “Dan Sullivan works with celebrities. He works with rockstars. There’s no way you will get to speak with him,” they said. But I didn’t give up, and to my surprise, the next thing I knew I had confirmation that Dan was actually happy to speak with me!
That said, I am so excited for you to hear this episode of She Talks Business. Thanks for listening!
What’s in This Episode
- Why you need a WHO to help you get things done
- The truth about procrastination
- How to find your WHO and what to do when you find the wrong ones
- Why being in charge actually requires you to give others control
- Dan’s view on teamwork and technology as multipliers
- Harnessing your unique ability
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e17 for the transcript and all resources from this episode.
The impact reading can have on your business when you nurture your insights and take action
This week, on She Talks Business, I am joined by special guest, John Lee Dumas!
John is the founder of Podcasters’ Paradise, the host of Entrepreneurs on Fire, and the author of various books. He has created uncommon success in his business, so when I heard about his new book, I knew I wanted to read it in Thought Readers.
When I reached out to him and asked him if he would do an interview for our business and book club community, he graciously agreed! So, what you are hearing in episode 16 is a special recording of that interview that I am gifting to you.
What’s in This Episode
- How to keep more of your money
- Knowing your number and what is “enough”
- Tips for achieving financial freedom
- How to respect your time on your calendar
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e16 for the transcript and all resources from this episode.
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Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers. – Harry S. Truman
In this episode, I’m sharing some of the books that have been hugely impactful in my life and business.
Books have been part of my life since I was a child. When I go an extended period of time without reading, I feel like my creative spark, my zest for life, and my inspiration dims a little bit. Books propel me forward.
What I love about books is they allow you to acquire all of this information that you can couple with your own insights. And, as you move forward in the world, you can draw upon the things that you've learned through reading to be more impactful in the work you do.
I want to inspire you to read, because reading can really change your life, especially if you read with a pen and a piece of paper, and you capture your own insights, that you glean from the wisdoms of others, and then take action. It's incredible what you can do.
What’s in This Episode
- How I turned my love for reading into a profitable book club
- How to apply what you read to your business
- 10 books that have made an impact in my life
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e15 for the transcript and all resources from this episode.
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Your Questions, Answered
This season’s talk about business strategy has sparked some brilliant listener questions. In this final episode of the first season, Lisa is joined by Stephanie Rainey to answer questions from listeners, clients, and others who have worked with her.
Strategy is such an important part of what we do. The more strategic you become and the better you get at executing on your strategy, the more your confidence and your competence grows as a business owner.
They take it back to the very basics by defining strategy to get started and cover everything from systems and operations, to team development and hiring , the KPIs of business and more.
Tune in to episode 14, Strategy Mash Up to hear them answered and take a deeper look at the intricacies of creating the right strategy for your business!
What’s in This Episode
- What the "magic" behind a business strategy is
- Where growing your team and creating systems fit into your strategy
- Who to know when it’s the right time to hire
- Why it takes time to make time
- How to DIY your own business strategy
- The most important KPIs to measure in your business
- How strategy can help you re-ignite your passion for your business
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e14 for the transcript and all resources from this episode.
Rethink Your Strategy and Get To It
Can we talk about your business strategy coming into a post-pandemic economy? In this week’s episode, I sat down for a candid talk with the brilliantly innovative owner of Flowers Talk Tivoli, Elizabeth Young. We are unpacking how she dug in and got creative to pull her flower shop through a global crisis, and we’re giving you ideas on how you can move into this new economy with confidence, too.
Hear what helped Elizabeth keep her business focused through fear, ever-changing Covid-19 protocols, being alone in her shop to fulfill orders, 80% of her flower supply disappearing overnight, and going from crickets to a boom in the demand for her shop’s products.
I can’t wait for you to hear Elizabeth’s advice on how to move out of analysis paralysis and let your creativity take the wheel to develop and execute new products and services. As well, if you’re a high-touch kind of business with a lot of in-store customers, you might want to listen carefully to how Elizabeth took her interactive, highly personal approach, and brought it online.
Oh, and if we’ve given you a craving for a bouquet of beautiful flowers (and you’re in the Ottawa, Canada area) you can always reach out to Elizabeth at FlowersTalk.ca.
What’s in This Episode
- Ideas on how to thrive in business post-pandemic
- The genius behind moving live workshops online
- When to make your crazy idea a fantastic business venture
- How to adapt to a huge economic change (like a pandemic!)
- What to do when your business becomes the target of haters
- How to keep your focus when everyone else is afraid or falling apart
- Tips on finding the “new normal” that’s right for your business
- How to shift your die-hard, in-store clients to online customers
What To Do Next
Visit lisalarter.com/e13 for the transcript and all resources from this episode.
Lead Like Your Business Depends On It
Jackie Foo was my first boss at Clearnet (before it was Telus) and the way she modelled leadership forever altered the way I lead in my business and coach others to lead in their businesses.
Tune in to hear Jackie and I get real about what it takes to lead, really lead, in your business and how the simple act of learning to bring out the best in people can grow your profit and change the lives of your team members, your clients and impact the legacy you leave. We also talk about how to build the right team to fulfill your business vision and the art of hiring for your gaps. Hear the story of the first time Jackie sat in on a final warning conversation I had with an employee and how, when the employee left and I was sure I had done a less-than-perfect job, she floored me with her feedback. Learn what Jackie refers to as her 1-10 Rule for giving feedback that not only offers a team member ways to improve, change or refine, but also builds a strong relationship of trust and partnership between you and them. Do you see mistakes or do you see the good people on your team are doing? Jackie gives fantastic advice on how to train yourself to do both.
What’s In This Episode
- How to lead in a way that inspires and gets results
- Jackie Foo’s 1-10 Rule for feedback
- How to build the right team for your business vision
- The two things you need to give your team every day
- Tips for keeping the A players on your team
- The difference between a ‘busy list’ and a priority list
What To Do Next
Click here to get the transcript and all resources from this episode.
Build Your Business with Influence
You probably know her as the go-to expert for all things Instagram, but did you know Sue B. Zimmerman is a serial entrepreneur whose first business hit 7 figures at the age of 22? In fact, she was busy running a retail store in Cape Cod when she was struck with the idea to become the Instagram expert and has since built a 7 figure business around the platform.
In this episode, learn the 3 reasons why Sue B. fell in love with Instagram and how she manifested being the world’s leading expert. You’ll also hear about the secret tool Sue B. relies on to build and manage her dream team, which includes her very own daughter, Morgan. Think you could work side by side with your son or daughter? Sue lets us in on how they do it.
Is generosity a business strategy? It is. Hear how generosity and bringing people joy, without expectation, can be an effective strategy, not to mention a great way to show up and be yourself inside your own business.
Listen in as Sue B. shares how she learned the difference between ‘the hobbyist’ and her ideal client the hard way. Sue tells us what she had to change in her business to attract the right people and move away from hobbyists sucking her time and energy. You’ll also hear the crazy story of SBZ Enterprise’s Facebook ad account being shut down and how her team had to pivot to keep revenue from drying up.
What’s in This Episode
- How to build a 7-figure business around a social media platform
- Tips on how to shake off “hobbyists” and attract your ideal client instead
- How to identify the red flags that a team member is not the right fit for your business
- Generosity as a business strategy
- What tool Sue B. relies on to help her manage her team
- What to do when Facebook shuts down your ad account
- Advice on letting a team member go
What To Do Next
- Sign up to be notified when I run the next Roadmap Workshop.
- Subscribe to receive this podcast and regular weekly strategies to grow and shape your business. You’ll also be the first to know about upcoming courses, programs and exclusive LIVE training.
- Connect on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn and share your insights from the show.
- Join Thought Readers and connect with other like-minded entrepreneurs in this popular book club for business owners.
Up Next
In episode 12, The Role of Leadership in Your Business Strategy, Jackie Foo and I get real about what it takes to lead, really lead, in your business and how the simple act of learning to bring out the best in people can grow your profit and change the lives of your team members, your clients and impact the legacy you leave.
Books Mentioned in This Episode
- Rocket Fuel by Gino Wickman and Mark C. Winters
Where to Find Sue Zimmerman
- You can connect with Sue on Instagram (of course!), Facebook or her website. And, don’t forget to check out her Youtube channel!
- The Sue B. manifesting video that started it all.
Episode Transcript
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.
Tune in to Your Customer Journey
Does the subject of sales make you sweat? You’re not alone! Many of us have tunnel vision when it comes to our sales process. We’re so busy giving ourselves a high five after the first sale or get so caught up in doing the work for our client that we completely miss the opportunity of the second sale strategy.
What is the second sale strategy, anyway? I’m so glad you asked because this week’s episode dives deep into the customer journey and how the 3 tenets of the second sale strategy will completely change the way you look at marketing and selling in your business.
Did you know that 79.4% of customers (in retail) never make a second purchase from the same company? Why is this? What does it take to bring a customer back for a second purchase? Learn why only 21.6% of customers buy again and how studying the lifecycle of your customer can help you build a sales process that dramatically increases how many first-time clients buy from you again. Heck, maybe they work with you for years!
Learn how selling is like an avocado, how to use a loss leader and how to craft the perfect second sale. You’ll also hear why one of my clients says he’ll never stop working with me. After hearing this episode, you may decide you want to drill down and figure out your business’s customer journey and how to put the second sale strategy to work for you. The good news is that sales is stop number four on the Strategy Roadmap. So, why not join us for my next Roadmap Strategy Workshop? Simply click here to be notified.
based on statistics from this Bluecore article*.
What’s In This Episode
- Why the Customer’s Journey is critical to your business
- The secret to bringing in long-term clients
- How selling is like an avocado
- The most powerful question you can ask yourself about your business
- How to tell if you’re followers or subscribers are cheerleaders OR potential clients
- Learn what a loss leader is and how it can bring you repeat business
What To Do Next
- Sign up to be notified when I run the next Roadmap Workshop.
- Subscribe to receive this podcast and regular weekly strategies to grow and shape your business. You’ll also be the first to know about upcoming courses, programs and exclusive LIVE training.
- Connect on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn and share your insights from the show.
- Join Thought Readers and connect with other like-minded entrepreneurs in this popular book club for business owners.
Up Next
- In the next episode, Betting it all on Instagram with Sue B. Zimmerman, Sue brings us behind the scenes of SBZ Enterprise to reveal exactly what it took to build a profitable seven figure business around Instagram (and it’s not all selfies and cute outfits!).
Blog Post Mentioned in This Episode
- Check out the blog post that sparked the idea for this episode The Second Sale Strategy.
Books Mentioned in This Episode
- Never Lose a Customer Again: Turn Any Sale into Lifelong Loyalty in 100 Days by Joey Coleman
- Getting Naked: A Business Fable About Shedding The Three Fears That Sabotage Client Loyalty by Patrick M. Lencioni
Episode Transcript
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Fix Your Messaging to Attract Your Buyer
Meet Ashlee Klevens-Hayes, the owner of RX Ashlee, an executive-level career coach for women in health care. Ashlee stopped by to pick my brain for solutions on how to get unstuck in her business.
It’s not easy to sit in the She Talks Business Hot Seat and spill what’s not working! But it is a fantastic way to build courage, grow as an entrepreneur and get a coach’s view of what’s holding you back. In Ashlee’s business, it’s a case of mixed marketing messaging!
What do you do when the clients you attract are NOT your ideal buyer? How do you up-level your marketing to reach this new person? Ashlee has done a great job creating content and marketing her services, but there’s one lethal mistake she’s making in her messaging. Tune in to find out what it is and see if you’re making the same mistake. You’ll also hear the steps I recommended Ashlee take to attract MORE ideal buyers.
Are you coming across to your potential clients as an Influencer or an expert? What’s the difference? There is a huge difference and only one of them will win you your ideal client. It depends on what type of business you own. Listen in to hear which one you want to be in your business.
What’s in This Episode
- How to identify if you are an expert or an influencer
- The lethal messaging mistake you may be making
- Tips for using your LinkedIn recommendations in your marketing
- The must-have copy for your homepage
- The book I recommend to clean up your marketing messaging
- Tips on how to audit your own Instagram feed
What To Do Next
- Sign up to be notified when I run the next Roadmap Workshop.
- Subscribe to receive this podcast and regular weekly strategies to grow and shape your business. You’ll also be the first to know about upcoming courses, programs and exclusive LIVE training.
- Connect on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn and share your insights from the show.
- Join Thought Readers and connect with other like-minded entrepreneurs in this popular book club for business owners.
Up Next
You’ve got big dreams for your business! How do you achieve the goals you’ve set? The answer is... with your marketing strategy.
Tune in to episode 10, The Second Sale Strategy, where I ask you to forget about traditional “Getting the sale” thinking and instead, focus on how you can lay the foundation for a long-term relationship with your buyer.
Books Mentioned in This Episode
- Building a Story Brand by Donald Miller
- Marketing Made Simple by Donald Miller
- The 50 Year-Old Millennial by Mark Pettipas
Where to Find Ashlee Klevens-Hayes
- You can connect with Ashlee on Instagram, Facebook or via her website.
- Check out her new book being released June 19th.
Episode Transcript
Download The PDF Transcript
.
Humanize How You Attract Clients
Lately, the noise coming out of the online marketing world has me worried that we’re dehumanizing how we attract people to our businesses. In today’s episode, we’re going to look at lead generation in a whole new way!
Business is relational, not transactional. That’s why we’re going to pull out from the narrow, microscopic view of lead generation to look at things from the big picture 5 step sales process I use in my business. We’ll look at how to bring a human touch to all five steps so the right people find you, do business with you and become your greatest referral source. This is lead generation on a whole new level!
Hear how over-delivering and customer retention is, in my opinion, the most overlooked and most profitable lead generation strategy a business can have. Lately, UPS has renewed my hope in this strategy.
Learn how I almost bankrupted my brand new wireless retail store in trying to follow someone else’s lead generation strategy! I can’t believe I’m sharing this with you, but hey—it’s time we normalized failure, don’t you think? Me, too.
Let’s get started!
After hearing this episode, you may decide you want to drill down and figure out exactly how you can generate new leads and create a sales process to sell to your current clients. Guess what? That is stop #6 on the road map of my Roadmap Strategy Workshop. Want to join the next workshop? Simply click here to be notified.
What’s In This Episode
- My 5 Step Sales Process (aka the way I think of lead generation)
- How UPS over-delivered for me
- The magic question to discover where your leads come from
- How to calculate your conversion rate
- Why your current clients are the best leads of all
- How to tell if someone is a browser or a lead
What To Do Next
- Sign up to be notified when I run the next Roadmap Workshop.
- Subscribe to receive this podcast and regular weekly strategies to grow and shape your business. You’ll also be the first to know about upcoming courses, programs and exclusive LIVE training.
- Connect on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn and share your insights from the show.
- Join Thought Readers and connect with other like-minded entrepreneurs in this popular book club for business owners.
Up Next
- In the next episode, Ashlee Klevens Hayes of RXAshlee is in the Hot Seat, hear where Ashlee’s stuck in her business and my coaching on how to hone her marketing to attract her ideal client. Are you making the same messaging mistake Ashlee is? Tune in to find out!
Resources & Links From the ShowTALK the TALK & WALK the WALK:
- Download the free My Lead Generation Strategy Worksheet
- Carve out an hour to complete this worksheet to dive deep into how you’re already attracting leads and how many more leads you need to hit this year’s revenue goal! HINT: Don’t get scared off by the calculations. Knowledge is power, especially when it comes to knowing the numbers in your business. I’m cheering you on!
Blog Posts Mentioned in This Episode
- Check out these three blog posts How to Get Clients, 3 Ways to Create Meaningful Content and Five Steps to Get More Leads and Clients with LinkedIn for helpful articles on how to attract the right people to your business.
Episode Transcript
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.
Get Creative to Grow Your Brand
In this episode, learn how Ryan Beauchesne, the brilliant creator and owner of Crusoe the Celebrity Dachshund, turned a blog about his dog into a successful business and international brand. Listen in to hear Ryan tell the story of writing in his beloved Dachshund’s “voice” to amuse his friends and family and how it evolved into 4M+ followers, a New York Times bestseller, the Doggo Ramps business and turned Crusoe into one of the first-ever celebrity dog influencers.
Although it may look like everything about owning a celebrity dog is funny out-takes, book deals and doggy cuddles, the truth is it’s a lot of hard work, a balancing act and sometimes it can be downright heartbreaking.
Lisa and Ryan pull back the curtain on what it takes to create, grow and build a business. They also cover how to AVOID getting tripped up by your own impatience or a rigid business strategy and outline how to shift that strategy as your community and business grow.
Do you have a joyful obsession with your pet, a sport, or around a particular topic (like food trucks or fishing)? You’ll want to hear Ryan’s advice on taking that obsession from knowledge stuck in your head to actual products you can sell by creating content, building an engaged community and developing products to serve that community. He’ll also share the secret reward of becoming a household name.
What’s in This Episode
- How to turn a joyful obsession into a profitable business
- Tips on building a community around something you love
- Debunking the myth of becoming an “overnight” influencer
- The secret pay-off of bringing people joy
- How to tune into what your community wants
- Advice on how to NOT have your brand take over your life
What To Do Next
- Sign up to be notified when I run the next Roadmap Workshop.
- Subscribe to receive this podcast and regular weekly strategies to grow and shape your business. You’ll also be the first to know about upcoming courses, programs and exclusive LIVE training.
- Connect on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn and share your insights from the show.
- Join Thought Readers and connect with other like-minded entrepreneurs in this popular book club for business owners.
Up Next
The biggest challenge for business owners isn’t creating products, it’s getting clients! How do you find your ideal client when you’re a best-kept secret?
In episode 8, How To Think About Lead Generation, we’re going to delve into crafting a lead generation strategy to connect with your ideal buyer and I’m going to share with you how I turn leads into customers.
Where to Find Ryan Beauchesne and Crusoe
- You can connect with Crusoe the Celebrity Dachshund on his website or Facebook. And, don’t forget to check out his Youtube channel!
- Join the Crusoe the Dachshund Fan Group.
- Find Crusoe's sister, Daphne, here.
- Check out the DoggoRamps website and on Instagram!
Episode Transcript
Download The PDF Transcript
.
Dig Deep to Figure Out Who Your Ideal Buyer Is
Knowing who your buyer is and understanding intimately what problems they face is not just a start-up problem. The truth is that not being clear on your ideal buyer can haunt your business at every level—start-up, mid-size and huge corporation!
In today’s episode, we’re going to blow up the myth that your business strategy should serve YOU (don’t get upset with me, just yet!) and get to the bottom of who your ideal buyer is.
We will also dive into these frequently asked questions:
- Shouldn’t my strategy serve me and my dreams?
- How do I get more clients I love?
- What if I’m just starting out? How do I figure out who I want to serve?
- Can you fire a client?
- I have too many clients! How do I do a good job serving them all?
We’re going to cover some common pitfalls you might be facing right now in regards to not being clear on your buyer and how to fix these common mistakes.
Are you a best-kept secret? Once you know who your buyer is, what is the best way to show up in front of them, offer value AND bring them on as a new client? In this episode, we’re going to talk about that, too.
Let’s get started!
After hearing this episode, you may decide you want to drill down and figure out exactly who the ideal buyer is for your business. Great! You can download this free Getting Clear on my Buyer Worksheet.
You may also decide you’d like to join me for the next Roadmap Workshop where we flush out our ideal buyer as one of the stops on our road trip to creating a comprehensive strategy for your business! Simply click here to be notified.
What’s In This Episode
- Tips on finding your ideal buyer
- What to do if you’re miserable working with certain clients
- How to get clear on your ideal client
- What common pitfalls can haunt your business
- How to avoid or fix these pitfalls
- 5 Ways to show up for your buyer
What To Do Next
- Sign up to be notified when I run the next Roadmap Workshop.
- Subscribe to receive this podcast and regular weekly strategies to grow and shape your business. You’ll also be the first to know about upcoming courses, programs and exclusive LIVE training.
- Connect on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn and share your insights from the show.
- Join Thought Readers and connect with other like-minded entrepreneurs in this popular book club for business owners.
Up Next
- In the next episode, Shift Your Strategy as Your Business Grows with Ryan Beauchesne, hear how Ryan built a brand and a business around his much-loved Dachshund, Crusoe. Think a blog and a dog isn’t a real business? Think again! And listen in on how he did it.
Resources & Links From the Show: TALK the TALK & WALK the WALK:
- Download the free Getting Clear on my Buyer Worksheet.
- Carve out 20 minutes one day this week to get clear on who your ideal buyer is. No matter the size of your business, this deep thinking about who this person is and what results you can (or already do!) offer them will change the way you see and show up for your clients going forward! It will also crystalize what to say to potential clients and give you ideas on how to talk about your work in terms of the transformation you offer.
Books Mentioned in This Episode
- Who Not How by Dan Sulivan
Episode Transcript
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Get Clear On Who You Serve
In this episode, learn how Steve Dotto’s epiphany about what makes him unique and figuring out who his ideal client was, skyrocketed his business and brought a deeper meaning and sense of purpose to his life.
In the 1990s and early 2000’s Steve Dotto had his very own tv show and when that wrapped up everyone thought he would retire, but instead this grey-beard dove head-first into the digital world and started a Youtube channel that now has over 3M+ subscribers, an online community with 36,000+ paid members and a business he loves.
Listen in on our rich conversation to hear Steve talk about how NOT having a business strategy when he started out taught him a valuable lesson. You’ll also learn how to connect with your buyer to make your business better, how to have a real impact on people’s lives, how to develop products your customers NEED and WANT and how to change up your marketing message for different generations (Baby Boomers, gen X, Millennials..etc).
What’s in This Episode
- How to go from creating content to building a profitable business
- Tips on starting an online business
- How to take something you love to do and start an online business
- Why invitation marketing works
- Why creating high quality content and being generous pays off
- Finding out how knowing your uniqueness is your greatest asset
- Advice on how to talk to a Baby Boomer or Gen Xer
What To Do Next
- Subscribe to receive this podcast and regular weekly strategies to grow and shape your business. You’ll also be the first to know about upcoming courses, programs and exclusive LIVE training.
- Connect on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn and share your insights from the show.
- Join Thought Readers and connect with other like-minded entrepreneurs in this popular book club for business owners.
Up Next
NOT being clear on who your buyer is can haunt your business at every level - start-up, mid-size and huge corporation!
In episode 6, we’re going to delve into what can go wrong when you’re unclear on who your ideal client is and how to fix it no matter the size of your business.
We’re also going to cover how to get clear on your buyer and how to show up to serve them.
- Who Does Your Strategy Serve? Who is Your Buyer? – EP. 6
Resources & Links From the Show
TALK THE TALK & WALK THE WALK:
- Download the free Getting Clear on My Buyer Worksheet pdf.
- Carve out 5-10 minutes every day this week to delve into who your ideal client is and answer the probing questions. Let this deep thinking time be an honest evaluation of who you like working with, how you solve their problems and the results your clients are getting. Hint: Once you’re clear on who you serve, create content consistently that helps solve their problems. Offer value. Be generous. Build your business.
Where to Find Steve Dotto
- You can connect with Steve on his website or Facebook
- And, be sure to check out his Youtube channel, Dotto Tech
Episode Transcript
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Map Out a Plan for Your Business
It’s SO easy to get lost down a side road if you don’t have a clear plan mapped out for your business. It’s also tempting to keep your plan all up in your head, rather than get it down on paper, but the truth is there is NO SUBSTITUTE for a well mapped out, doable strategy on paper. Everyone needs a solid Roadmap for their business.
So, fasten your seatbelt, get ready to set that GPS, and prepare to plan your route to the place you’ve always wanted to go with your business because in this episode you are going to hear how I take private clients through the process of mapping out a business strategy, something I call Roadmap.
The truth is this process didn’t always have a name, it used to be just an innate process I used to help business owners dig deep and figure out where they were stuck and come up with a plan to get them moving again, but after so many years of clients asking me “How do you do that?!” I finally sat down and created the 10 step system you’re about to learn.
You’ll also get to hear from one of my former private clients, Stephanie Rainey who started, built and sold her business. As we walk through the Roadmap process, she weighs in on the impact a sound business strategy had on scaling her private swim school.
After hearing this episode, you may decide you need a Roadmap for your business! We’ve got you covered. Simply click here to be notified of when I will be holding our next Roadmap Workshop.
What’s In This Episode
- The Roadmap 10 step process to map out a strategy
- What it takes to fix your business
- Tips on how to connect to the dream you have for your business
- What are KPIs and why you need them
What To Do Next
- Sign up to be notified when I run the next Roadmap Workshop.
- Subscribe to receive this podcast and regular weekly strategies to grow and shape your business. You’ll also be the first to know about upcoming courses, programs and exclusive LIVE training.
- Connect on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn and share your insights from the show.
- Join Thought Readers and connect with other like-minded entrepreneurs in this popular book club for business owners.
Up Next
Get Clear on Who You Serve with Steve Dotto - Ep.5
- In the next episode, hear how Steve Dotto drifted without a business strategy for years and how, when he got really clear on who he wanted to serve, everything changed.
Creative? Sensitive? Highly Ambitious? Learn How to Make These Traits Work in Your Business Christine Kane bootstrapped her music career by becoming her own agent and starting a music label. Thousands of shows, 7 CDs and an award-winning DVD later, she took the business and entrepreneurial skills she’d learned through ‘trial by fire’ and built a crazy successful, million-dollar coaching business.
In this episode, learn how she helps other highly creative, secretly sensitive and wildly ambitious entrepreneurs grow their businesses. Which is, by the way, also in the title of her new book!
As you know, this quarter’s theme is all about strategy. What I love about having Christine Kane as our first guest on this topic is that you will hear how someone who is all about following your intuition and fostering your creativity has set up her business to both make money and give her the freedom to create. Instead of making her business fit a traditional business strategy, she tweaked her strategy to suit who she is and what she needs from her business.
What’s in This Episode * Why sitting in discomfort is the reason Christine has a million-dollar business * How to look inward to fix your business * Tools to figure out who you are and how you work * How your sensitivity can help you build a team * Advice on how to make money and feed your soul * Tips on how to use your creativity and intuition in business
What To Do Next 1. Subscribe to receive this podcast and regular weekly strategies to grow and shape your business. You’ll also be the first to know about upcoming courses, programs and exclusive LIVE training. 2. Connect on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn and share your insights from the show. 3. Join Thought Readers and connect with other like-minded entrepreneurs in this popular book club for business owners.
Up Next The Roadmap Strategy – EP. 4
Resources & Links From the Show TALK THE TALK, WALK THE WALK:
- Get to know yourself and how you work a little better! Check out this free version of the Enneagram test.
- Want to get a little more in-depth? There is the Kolbe assessment (which Christine uses and we mention in this episode) and my personal favourite, the one I use to build my team, the Clifton Strengths Finder test.
Books Mentioned in This Episode * The Soul Sourced Entrepreneur by Christine Kane
Where to Find Christine Kane * You can connect with Christine on her website or Facebook * And, be sure to order her latest book, The Soul Sourced Entrepreneur
Find and Fix the Gaps in Your Business Do you have gaps in your business? Places you’re losing revenue? Cogs in your business processes that aren’t turning? Of course you do! Every business has them. But how do you identify those gaps so that you can fix them?
In today’s episode, we are going to look at how a business strategy and a little deep thinking can uncover where your business is getting tripped up and where it’s leaking profit.
As well, having a clear strategy for your business is a psychological and competitive advantage! Find out why.
Then, to get you started on your own business strategy, I’ve got a few questions you can journal on to figure out ‘where you’re at’ and ‘where you want to get to’ in your business. Because investing in a solid strategy for your business is a lot like taking the time to visit the eye doctor to get the right prescription eyeglasses – it allows you to see exactly where you’re going and it helps you avoid tripping over the gaps in the road.
What’s In This Episode * Why having a solid business strategy is a psychological edge * Where to look to find the gaps in your business * What is a systems gap and why can it be deadly? * Questions to ask yourself to determine ‘where you’re starting from’ * Tips on how to set big business goals that are meaningful to you
What To Do Next * Subscribe to receive this podcast and regular weekly strategies to grow and shape your business. You’ll also be the first to know about upcoming courses, programs and exclusive LIVE training. * Connect on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn and share your insights from the show. * Join Thought Readers and connect with other like-minded entrepreneurs in this popular book club for business owners.
Up Next * Make Your Strategy Fit Who You Are with Christine Kane – Ep.3
Resources & Links From the Show TALK the TALK & WALK the WALK: 1. Download the free Strategy Starting Point & Destination Journaling Questions pdf. 2. Carve out 5-10 minutes every day this week to journal about 3 of the Starting Point Questions. This deep thinking about ‘where you’re starting from’ and ‘where you want to get to’ in your business will start to shape and clarify your own business strategy and create psychological tension (like the stretched rubber band) to get you moving in the direction of your goals. Hint: Write freely. There is nothing set in stone here. Your business is evolving and so are you.
Books Mentioned in This Episode * The Path of Least Resistance for Managers by Robert Fritz * Who Not How by Dan Sullivan * The Road Less Stupid by Keith Cunningham
Learn How to Get Started on Your Business Strategy Are you so busy putting out fires in your business that you’ve put creating a business strategy on the back burner? In today’s episode, we are going to demystify strategy. That’s right, we’re going to strip away all the complications and fancy corporate jargon and get down to what strategy is at its core.
We’ll also dive into the components of a strategic framework and the key elements that you will consider as you build out your own business strategy.
Get ready to find out why creating a business strategy may be the most important thing you do to grow your business!
What’s in This Episode * Strategy uncomplicated * The 4 key components of a business strategy framework * How to use a strategic framework to grow your business * The 6 elements to include in your strategy * Tips on what to ask yourself when you create your business strategy
What To Do Next * Subscribe to receive this podcast and regular weekly strategies to grow and shape your business. You’ll also be the first to know about upcoming courses, programs and exclusive LIVE training. * Connect on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn and share your insights from the show. * Join Thought Readers and connect with other like-minded entrepreneurs in this popular book club for business owners.
Up Next * How Strategy can Expose the Gap in Your Business – EP. 2
Books Mentioned in This Episode * Pilot to Profit by Lisa Larter * Good to Great by Jim Collins
Resources & Links From The Show TALK the TALK & WALK the WALK:
- Download the free Jump-Start Your Strategic Planning pdf.
- Carve out 5-10 minutes every day this week to dive into two key questions. This deep thinking about your business will start to shape and clarify where you’re headed! Hint: There is nothing set in stone here. Your business is evolving and so are you.
Welcome to She Talks Business! Welcome! I’m your host, Lisa Larter, a serial entrepreneur who has built a 7-figure business from the ground up (twice). In this trailer, I’m going to let you in on what I have in store for this podcast.
Building a successful business is hard work and all-encompassing. There’s no one size fits all solution and no perfect way of doing things.
Many entrepreneurs fantasize about building a 7-figure business, but reaching that elusive milestone of success can seem unattainable. She Talks Business is a podcast that shares the strategies that are necessary to start and scale your business beyond 7 figures…and keep it there!
Are you ready to dive into all aspects of what makes a business work—strategy, marketing, finance, operations and more?
Stick with me and you’ll hear why so much of the business advice out there today makes me shake my head. In this podcast, you and I are going to blow away the “smoke and mirrors” to get down to the truth about what it takes to build a profitable business!
You’ll also learn how I went from being a high school dropout working as a sales associate, to climbing the corporate ladder, to being headhunted by a wireless company where I went on to support a team of 1,000 people and was responsible for over $100,000,000 a year in sales.
Most importantly, you’re going to see how going on to build two profitable businesses from the ground up makes me the perfect, no-nonsense guide for the journey you’re on to build and scale your business!
What’s In This Episode: * REAL talk about business! * Why 6 and 7 figure businesses don’t impress me much * Who is Lisa Larter? * Why I can’t wait to get down in the dirt about finances, marketing and more * Where we’re starting this journey together – Strategy
What To Do Next: * Subscribe to receive this podcast and regular weekly strategies to grow and shape your business. You’ll also be the first to know about upcoming courses, programs and exclusive LIVE training. * Connect on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn and share your insights from the show. * Join Thought Readers and connect with other like-minded entrepreneurs in this popular book club for business owners.
Up Next: What is a Business Strategy? Why do You Need One? – Ep.1