The Digital Glue Podcast: Recent Episodes
Crystal Kordalchuk, CEO of Virtually Untangled
Welcome to The Digital Glue Podcast! We think big and dream even bigger. And we never underestimate the power of a good idea. If that sounds like a lofty goal … it is. A decade ago, we founded Virtually Untangled with the goal of creating meaningful digital experiences that connect with people. We are now providing small business owners, just like you, to own your story and share it with the world! Every Tuesday morning, we will be dropping a new episode that will help you think big and dream even bigger! #UntanglingForLife #DigitalGlue #VirtuallyUntangled
“Success is no accident. It’s hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice, and most of all, love of what you are doing.” ~ Pele
Welcome to Episode 100: Celebrating 100 Digital Untangling Episodes
We’ve been talking a lot over the past through years through the hub of our virtual home, The Digital Glue podcast … And today, we’ve reached a major milestone -- its our 100th “untangling” episode today! This is a significant achievement for any podcast, and it's a testament to the hard work and dedication of the show's not only Team VU as the host, but all of you -- our wonderful listeners – for all of the support and engagement.
The Digital Glue podcast became our newest virtual home a few years ago as we wanted to place sole focus on all things digital, from the latest technology trends to the impact of digital on our daily lives. Our show has covered a wide range of topics over the past 100 episodes, including productivity and organization, creativity, working from home, team and network building, building relationships with your clients (and a better one with yourself), social media and AI, and oh so much more.
One of the things that sets our podcast apart from other tech and entrepreneur podcasts is the show's emphasis on storytelling. We believe we have much to share and to toot our horns for a mere moment … a talent for taking complex concepts and breaking them down in a way that is easy to understand and engaging -- all the while keeping our virtual finger on the pulse of the latest trends and developments in the digital world. Whether it's a new social media platform, a cutting-edge application, a real-life story, or sharing some ways to help make your business life better, The Digital Glue podcast always wants to be at the forefront of the conversation.
As we’ve now reached our 100th episode, we felt it was worth reflecting on the impact our show has had on our listeners. For many, we’ve been a source of inspiration and a way to stay informed about the latest advancements in the virtual land in which we work and live – and make dreams come true.
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“Leadership is about making others better as a result of your presence and making sure that impact lasts in your absence.”
Welcome to Episode 99: Becoming A Thought Leader ...
Leadership is the ability to inspire people to reach a common destination.
It is the wisdom to see the challenges and obstacles that are placed in the way and know that you can get around them. You may not know how or when, but you honestly believe deep down in your heart of hearts that you know you can get there.
I think being a leader means that you are going to have to do things that MOST people do not want to do. You are going to have to stand up and say things that most people are afraid to say. And you are going to have to believe things that most people do not want to believe. And for the long term you are going to have to find the courage to stick to what you believe in -- and follow it through to completion.
You are going to have to put yourself in front of your friends and your foes and competitors and tell them "I believe this is what we should be doing, and this is where we should be going". They might ridicule you and put you down. They might tell you that what you want to do cannot be done. But they’re wrong.
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- What does it mean to be a thought leader?
- Why aren’t everyday entrepreneurs celebrating their wins?
- 5 tips to assist you on your thought leadership journey
- Thought leadership brain inducing words
- Typical thought leadership behaviours
- Actionable steps to move towards this goal
- End thoughts and long-lasting tips to not forget
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“Tell your brands real story, not it’s highlight reel.”
Welcome to Episode 98: The Power Of A Compelling Brand Story ...
Every business and everyone behind it has a story. When done well, business storytelling gives a compelling reason for your audience to buy from you. But an exceptionally powerful brand storytelling experience can inspire trust between you and your audience -- and that’s the main end goal we’re wanting you to go for. Why?
Because brand trust can be the vital difference between someone choosing you or your competitors instead.
After many years of working with different business right across the globe, we noticed that this is where most struggle … finding a true authentic way to connect with people. And we truly believe that storytelling is the answer that bridges that gap.
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- The 3 Ss of brand storytelling
- Interesting statistics on brand trust
- How to build brand trust and set expectations
- Top steps on creating follow through
- 4 key traits to drive away stale content
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“Marketing is telling the world that you are a Rockstar, content marketing is showing the world that you are one.” ~ Robert Rose, Author
Welcome to Episode 97: Plug n' Play Content Strategies ...
As we all know, we are living in the age of information. Yet despite this advantage we’re all still starved for more knowledge. Your audience know what to do when they see your content (if it’s done right!) but in the very same breath, they don’t know what they need to know all because they’re just plainly overwhelmed with all the scrolling content in their feeds. So, give your audience what they want – and deserve -- by focusing on one BIG IDEA at a time that solves their pain points. Because when you do, it won’t be the idea they will be attributing their success to, it will be YOU!
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- Common goals through plug n’ play
- The “Buy-In Conversation” checklist
- Our favourite “plug n’ play” content strategies
- Creating with the 80-10-10 rule
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“A bad website is like a grumpy salesperson.”
Welcome to Episode 96: 7 Ugly Truths A Pretty Website Can't Hide
Websites can have many functions and are typically designed around a particular topic or purpose. Website design is also a collaborative effort with the main goal being a finished product that will effectively communicate a specific message and create productive interactions with the intended target audience. Think of things this way … your website is the center of your digital eco-system, like a brick-and-mortar location, the experience matters once a customer enters, just as much as the perception they have of you before they walk through the door.
To have a better understanding of all the parts and puzzles pieces that go along with having one -- and one that’s done right here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- 6 key concepts and elements you should consider
- 6 signs your website needs work
- The first 5 things folks see when they first land on your site
- Bad websites = bad business
- VU’s ultimate website launch checklist
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“People are hurried. The average person worth cultivating has too much to read … They are not going to read your business talk unless you make it worth their while and let the headline show it.” ~ Claude Hopkins
Welcome to Episode 95: Capturing Pain Points With A Great Headline!
Let’s be honest for a moment here … We all want to be seen and heard. It is gratifying, empowering, and makes us feel valued. We want others to get who we are and to hear our ideas and valid arguments, even if they don’t agree with us -- though, of course, we’d like that as well. What we may not realize is that the best way to get our point across is often counter-intuitive, to be successful we must try less and listen more. By doing this, your point (or idea) will become more vivid in the recipient’s mind.
Short, simple and sweet.
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
Creative ways to get your point across
* Follow the 3C’s (clear, concise, consistent)
* Capturing attention with subject lines
* Tailoring your message to your audience
* 6 key characteristics every great headline should have
* Pointers on capturing pain points in headlines*
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
Give value. Give value. Give value. Then ask for business.” ~ Gary Vaynerchuk
Welcome to Episode 94: The Psychology of Pricing ...
I don’t know about you, but I truly feel that there’s something magical about January ... It’s not only the start of a new year, but it also feels like a great time to turn to the next chapter in business. We personally aren’t ones to make resolutions, but we do strongly believe in keeping on top of our goals. So, this month, we encourage you to revisit YOUR goals, adjust if necessary, and put your plans in motion!
Psssst … it’s also a great time to splurge a bit on yourself and buy a new planner and some fun stickers that inspire you to keep on track. Digital planners or calendars are great, too, but there’s just something about writing things in a visually appealing planner.
And speaking of planning and revisiting goals, we wanted to start with a different kind of topic in the realms of your price point and the psychology behind it all as there’s truly no better time than now to re-evaluate you worth.
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- The psychology behind the numbers
- Leaving imposter syndrome behind you
- Leading with decision-based principles
- Evaluating your current prices and putting things into play
- Our “untangling” checklist for upping your prices
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“We see our clients as invited guests to the party, and we are the hosts. It’s our job every day to make every important aspect of their experience a little bit better.”
~ Jeff Bezos
Welcome to Episode 93: The Ultimate Customer Experience ...
We’re baaaack …. with ONE MORE “untangling” episode for the year. And while we had much to ponder on this year in the realm of topics, we wanted to end 2022 off with something WE ALL deal with every. single. day.
Our CLIENTS!
Whether in your day job or working in your own business, have you ever run into a slump of working with the “wrong” people?
Clients who don’t understand your personality? Value your traits or expertise? Take you for granted? Expect you to be available on all devices at every hour of the day? And just plain ‘ol drain you emotionally?
These pain points can be a real downer. And sometimes make one wonder … why even bother? (le sigh!)* I could sit here all day and share all Virtually Untangled’s client “horror stories” with you from over the years -- and many more from my time in the land of 9-5 -- but then this would turn into an award-winning novel. (HaHa!). So instead, I am going to take the hard-earned lessons from those stories and share some details alongside a list of the greatest tips you will ever need to know in order to help you create the ultimate customer experience for your clients – which will in then turn make your life much easier too.
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- How to treat your clients like partners
- How to empower your team to deliver ideally
- Setting clear roles and responsibilities
- Setting clear boundaries (with examples)
- Why mindset matters – to everyone
- How to exceed THEIR expectations, not your own
- Considering their complaints as gifts
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“That’s’ been one of my mantras – focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex; you have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple.”
~ Steve Jobs
Welcome to Episode 92: The Science Of Simplicity ...
Have you ever wondered why Steve Jobs always wore the same black turtleneck or why the founder of Southwest Airlines, Herb Kelleher, eats the same cheese and crackers every single morning? The reason these successful entrepreneurs simplify could be due to the same reason a cloud of smoke swirls and dissipates in the air or why the universe is expanding …
Running a business comes with many stressors; from finding clients, to generating leads and making sales, or even managing a team (virtual or in-house). And it can sometimes feel like that list just goes on … and on … and on!
But there are always ways to make your business less stressful. And you’re in luck because today I have some pointers for you! Yes! You heard right … pointers on the science of simplicity!
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
The day in the life of an entrepreneur
* Exploring and re-exploring your “WHY”
* The power of creating simple automations
* VU’s TOP LIST of simplicity tricks*
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“Social media is not just an activity; it is an investment of valuable time and resources/ Surround yourself with people who not just support you and stay with you, but inform your thinking about ways to WOW your online presence.” ~ Sean Gardner
Welcome to Episode 91: 10 Social Media Etiquette Rules You Need To Stop Breaking
Social media is long past for just socializing anymore. It has become an extremely important and powerful business tool. And with all tool usage, there comes some rules.
As an entrepreneur, it's incredibly important to make sure you follow proper etiquette while online. This can easily save you from unfortunate social backlashes that could damage your online reputation --> for life. With pre-teens up to senior citizens being online, it is hard to shield yourself from a careless Tweet or Facebook post gone wrong. And we want to help you achieve social greatness and not get nipped in the butt with a rotten post.
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
Key benefits to using social media for business
* Key benefits for your brand on social media
* The “bones” à 10 etiquette rules to stop breaking*
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“Most people use excuses to cover up mistakes, but it takes less time to do our best to do something right the first time.” ~ Robert Cheeke
Welcome to Episode 90: 10 Deadly Startup Mistakes to Avoid ...
We all know that being an entrepreneur is exciting yet sometimes scary and a heck of a lot of hard work! In my experience, it’s a bit like a washing machine -- rinse n’ repeat -- the longer you’ve been in business. Now, don’t go thinking that by me saying “rinse n’ repeat” that what I do is entirely boring me to death as that’s not at all what I mean … It’s about finding what works for you, creating a solid yet actionable plan, staying organized, and all fitting nicely into some sort of a solid routine.
Now, I’ve been “rinsing n’ repeating” for quite some time. That got me to thinking that I would take today’s Digital Glue “untangling” episode to boil down some of the biggest lessons and deadliest of mistakes, I have learned about building and growing a business, no matter what your niche is.
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- Top 10 deadly start-up mistakes to avoid (and how)
- How to create some work-life balance (it’s real!)
- Image and manners; business etiquette
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“Burnout is what happens when you try to avoid being human for too long.”
~ Michael Gungor
Welcome to Episode 89: 10 Tips For Dealing With Creative Burnout ...
The creative industry is a highly competitive one. And as an artistic soul, you put so much time and energy, and heart into your creations. (Whatever they may be.) And these even more pressure to get it done, and done right, when your livelihood depends on it – and clients too!
No creative individual wants this to happen to them, and yet, burnout happens to almost everyone at one point or another in their life.
So, what does it mean when you wake up one day and realize you don’t have the gumption to do this anymore? How does it make you feel knowing the projects you used to deem as fun and challenging, now feel utterly pointless and drab? How do you stop feeling mentally exhausted? Overwhelmed? Underwhelmed? Languished?
That being said, here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- Symptoms to watch out for
- Understanding the “why” behind your feelings
- Learning to release the shame behind the roadblock
- Hacking perfectionism
- Avoiding languish by re-evaluating your routine
… and oh so much more!
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“The advice I’d give to somebody that’s silently struggling is, you don’t have to live that way. You don’t have to struggle in silence. You can be un-silent. You can live well with a mental health condition, as long as you open up to somebody about it, because it’s really important you share your experience with people so that you can get the help that you need.” ~ Demi Lovato
Welcome to Episode 88: How Creatives Manage Mental Health ...Sadly, the nature of the artistic industry -- with its economic precarity, critiques, and “winner takes all” reward structure -- can contribute to a heck of a lot of anxiety, depression, isolation, and stress. But thanks to the dismantling of discomfort around discussing mental health issues, it’s becoming less taboo to talk about these troubles we as creatives have been experiencing. (Alongside everyone else.) I feel that the link between mental health and creativity is ever so poorly understood.
So, today I wanted to keep things short and light with 12 tips to inspire you in your own pursuit of creativity, calm, and clarity.
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“You don’t have to be positive all the time. It’s perfectly okay to feel sad, angry, annoyed, frustrated, scared and anxious. Having feelings doesn’t make you a negative person. It makes you human.” ~ Lori Deschene
Welcome to Episode 87: It's A New Era For Mental Health!
Mental health is important. In reality, it has always been important but with the state of the world today, it's even more important now more than ever!
The world has been in shambles for a couple years (and counting) now. There is endless amount of heightened pain and suffering and it sadly doesn't look as though that's' going to change any time soon.
... the never-ending pandemic ... new strains of scary virus' popping up ... bad governments, politics, and conspiracies ... the war between Ukraine and Russia ... truth and reconciliation with the Indigenous peoples ... the floods across the USA and Afghanistan ... droughts across multiple areas of the world ... riots and rallies and endless bouts of racism … rising grocery and gas prices due to a recession.
All this pain and suffering is not something empaths like myself are able to take lightly. Even though it's not all personally happening to us, we feel #AllTheFeels as though it is. We're highly attuned to everything around us at quite a deep emotional level. And that makes it very hard to function at a "normal" level. So, we need to take action on an entirely different level in order to not let the world take us down.
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- What to do to protect your mental health
- What’s been going on over here on our end
- Mental health facts and statistics (recent)
- How to keep your entrepreneurial spirit alive
- To Write Love On Her Arms (TWLOHA)
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“Failure isn’t fatal, but failure to change might be.” ~ John Wooden
Welcome to Episode 86: Failure Is Not An Option ...!
Failure is an inescapable part of life and business and a critically important part of any successful life. It’s about accepting said “failures” and making room for improvement.
Failure is not an option.
Defeats and failures happen often in the land of entrepreneurship. More often than I care to admit. However, we should do our best to not let them get us down but regard them as milestones instead. We can choose to wallow and let said moment define us -- perhaps even forever. Or we can choose to look at it as room for improvement and a temporary setback as we continue our journey. In short, we gotta refuse to lose.
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- A poem about failure not being an option
- When did we subscribe to failure as a bad thing?
- Three (3) means to overcome failure
- Re-cap: deconstructing failure
- How to manage failure (aka. room for improvement)
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.” ~ Benjamin Franklin
Welcome to Episode 85: How To Go From Zero To Hero In No Time ...
Life sure comes a long way in the blink of an eye. Especially in business.
Before we know it, that to-do list has gotten away from us and all of those “fun” projects we set out to do are now collecting virtual dust … either in a project management platform somewhere or within the spider webs of our minds. For me, it’s trying to keep up with #AllTheThings because I dream big, and those big dreams usually come in bundles -- my creativity gets the better of me sometimes. LOL!
If you’re anything like me, you sometimes feel like you are letting yourself down when you can’t accomplish everything you want. You have taken on more than you can handle because you’re ambition if life is SO HUGE that you just can’t contain it. So, whether you’re a creative individual, an entrepreneur, a DIY’er, or a go-getter, let me tell you … all you set out to do in life is possible. No matter what you are feeling right now.
My main goal for todays near year-end “untangling” episode is to reach out to folks -- just like you! -- who dream of change. For folks who want to go from “zero” to HERO in their business life. And also, to those who are more often than not, too terrified to step out of their comfort zone.
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- The difference between ‘want to’ and ‘have to’
- The power triplets: planning, productivity, and time management
- The soul sisters: goal digging and determination
- The key ingredients: passion and forever being curious
- The conquer twins: breaks and grace
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“Pain plus reflection equals progress.”
Welcome to Episode 84: Dealing With Self-Doubt As An Entrepreneur
People say that entrepreneurs are crazy. And well, maybe they’re a tad right!
However, we are the ones who change the world AND get to live our dream doing it ... purpose, change, freedom, and maybe even a little fame. And due to those factors, it seems that more and more people want to become an entrepreneur. And with all that lifestyle greatness that comes along with the title, why not?
However, it's not all sunshine and rainbows! I’m not going to sugar coat things … Being an entrepreneur is hard! Practically. Emotionally. Psychologically. Physically. And it’s not for everyone -- and that’s okay.
But you must keep your entrepreneurial flame alive and do whatever it takes to keep that flame from burning out. Entrepreneurship isn’t as “sexy” as it sounds. And we need to learn to accept the fact that there are loads of things we can’t control -- no matter how badly we want to. And one of the not-so-sexy things about entrepreneurship is when self-doubt comes a knockin’ on our virtual doorstep …!
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
Why self-doubt is a natural human emotion
* How you can conquer this inner demon
* The hard truth on rising levels
* My open-hearted letter to you (resiliency)*
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“I believe anything is possible. I see opportunity when others see impossibility. I take risks. I am focused. I hustle. I know that nothing is unrealistic. I feel overwhelmingly loved. I embrace my childlike wonder and curiosity. I take flying leaps into the unknown. I contribute something bigger than myself. I create. I learn. I grow. I do. I believe it’s never too late to start living a dream. I AM AN ENTREPRENEUR.”
Welcome to Episode 83: 7 Productivity Strategies Backed By Science ...
I know I’ve been dropping loads of content the past few weeks on hustling and productivity, but it’s with good reason. During the last business quarter of the year, it’s not uncommon for productivity to take a nosedive.
The holiday season is creeping in quickly, you just got off summer vacation and are already thinking about all the year end holidays, with a fresh new year is right around the corner. You may even be dwelling on all the goals you set out for yourself this year that have yet to be accomplished and you’re starting to feel stressed, panicky, overwhelmed, maybe even a big of languish, and your productivity keeps nosediving as you’re not quite sure where to place yourself and when in order to do #AllTheThings so your left feeling accomplished going into another new year …
That being said, I’m here today to help save you from yourself with 7 (yes 7!) productivity strategies – backed by science – so you can end this year off right – and save your sanity while doing it.
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- Project management
- The art of list making
- The siren calls of email
- Time and technology (re: inbox detox)
- How to learn the art of “untangling”
- Renewing your faith … in yourself
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“If you do the same thing every day at the same time for the same length of time, you’ll save yourself from many a sink. Routine is a condition of survival.” ~ Flannery O’Connor
Welcome to Episode 82: Freakishly Effective Ways To Be More Productive!
Last week we talked about how we fear we’re forever stuck living in a world filled with major stressors and never-ending to-do lists -- which can be maddening some days and truly difficult to find time to just do, well, #AllTheThings while also trying to keep our sanity to also fine mindfulness time to do absolutely nothing.
I also dropped a quick mention on how getting things done also tends to feel a like a drug. We live in a fast-paced world that’s filled with beeps and boops, reminding us that we need to keep doing and being, thus the “addiction” to the joyful feeling of striking those to-do’s right off our list. Alongside a huge sigh of relief to have one less thing to worry about.
Today I want to stick to this topic, and next week too with “Productivity Strategies Back Up By Science” before we switch gears into the last couple months of the year. However, today I want to take a crazy FUN twist with freakishly effective ways to boost and be more productive.
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- 10 “freakish” tips to be more productivity
- “Tough love” traits to live by
- The journey of entrepreneurship
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“When one has much to put into them, a day has a hundred pockets.” ~ Friedrich Nietzsche
Welcome to Episode 81:Doing Nothing Is Not The Secret To Productivity
In a world filled with major stressors and never-ending to-do lists, it can be truly difficult to find time to just do, well, absolutely nothing. While it’s all fine and dandy to take a “time out” once in awhile to do nothing -- as it’s one of the best things you can do for yourself. The flipside of this in the business world can be treacherous to your goals and end game. Sometimes we need to push past the ache and urge of nothingness to make real headway.
To some, myself included, getting things done is a like a drug. We’re addicted to the feeling of striking those to-do’s right off our list. Being productive gives me a rush of exhilaration. It energizes me, inspires me, motivates me, keeps #AllTheThings in perspective -- and in order -- and helps me reach my goals -- and those of my tangled clients. So, while living in the realm of nothingness once and awhile is good, it’s not a good habit to create, nor is it the secret to success.
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- The low-down on time management
- How to boost productivity to enjoy guilt-free relax time
- How to stop feeling “the need” to keep growing your to-do list
- How to FOCUS on priorities and growth (and why)
- Chris Bailey’s “A Life of Productivity” (introduction)
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“Once you have mastered time, you will understand how true it is that most people over-estimate what they can accomplish in a day, a week, or even a year -- and underestimate what they can achieve in a decade!” ~ Tony Robbins
Welcome to Episode 80: The Nitty-Gritty On The Word “Hustle” …
In a world filled brim-to-brim with busy-ness, beeps and boops from all our devices, endless distractions, and addiction to hustling, there is merit in taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture. That’s why I’m here with you today, to dig deep and share our experiences and findings of the nitty-gritty on the word “hustle”.
I used to think this was a normal routine exclusively meant for folks stuck in their 9 to 5 jobs -- which is a good chunk of the reason I ran from mine. But since brining Virtually Untangled full circle from part-time to full-time, I realized that wasn’t the case. And that exhausting routine remained intact. And everywhere I looked, alongside everyone I talk to living this entrepreneur lifestyle are all suffering from the very same culture … the “hustle pandemic”.
We feel the need to always be productive on something … working harder, stronger, faster, and endlessly as if our dream list of to-dos is really going to end one day. And when it does, we’ll look at that blank piece of paper and think, “Gosh darn, I did it!” But in reality, to grind this hard and exert ourselves to maximum capacity and beyond each and every single gosh darn day in order to accomplish our life-long dreams beyond lightening speed, matches that of the digital world we’ve built around ourselves.
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- What does a “hustle pandemic” look like?
- To hustle, or not to hustle?!
- How to break the hustle cycle
- A time blocking method that actually works
- 7 tips to plan better productivity days
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“Clutter (in all its forms) is nothing more than postponed decisions.” ~ Barbara Hemphill
Welcome to Episode 79:What Virtually Untangled Can’t Live Without …
Who doesn’t love a good solid freebie or downright awesome resource that’s been tried, tested, and true by someone else with virtual street cred! We all love something that helps with our day-to-day that has no frills or little to no cost … a good solid resource to make our business better! And really now, who doesn't love when a business owner shares all their secrets?
As you all know I’m a giant nerd and a huge keener when it comes to productivity, organization, and creativity. Some may feel it’s a control thing. And I guess in a way it is. But it is so much more than that. These important business elements in our type of entrepreneurial lifestyle can only be beneficial when they help us increase our bottom line … profitability, lower our operational costs … teamwork and automation, improves customer service … social media and our website, reduces burnout and enhances our well-being, and also assists us in optimizing our day-to-day (and sanity) through platforms and resources so we can seize the opportunity for growth and keep #AllTheThings in order. Thus, creating balance.
We all have our own secret stash of favourite productivity tools, programs, and platforms, alongside a trusty list of tips n' tricks that help us organize our to-do lists, manage deliverables, keep our clients happy, our team happy, and make our day more wonderful and productive than the last. But today, there are more tools, apps and programs geared toward business owners than ever. Which sometimes make it impossible to choose without wasting hours researching the “best of the best”.
So, today I thought would be the perfect opportunity to share a mini Digital Glue episode with you of what makes our world, well, go round and our job of "untangling" our clients and ourselves oh so much easier -- with a list of our favourite "can't live without tools"!
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, “I will try again tomorrow …’” – May Ann Radmacher, Author
Welcome to Episode 78:The Fearless Pursuit To Setting Your Soul On Fire
Entrepreneurship isn’t always the sexy, glamorous career path it has been made out to be. But it’s also not about giving up and the last man or woman standing when everyone else has fallen by the wayside. But with ordinary talent and extraordinary perseverance, all things are attainable. We must use #AllTheTools in our toolbox … willpower, commitment, perseverance, courage, determination, creativity, and leadership -- all the while having terribly thick skin and a drive to become fearless in our pursuit so we can set our souls on fire!
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
Why creatives see the world so differently
* Why pursuit of your “in-the-zone” creative life is important
* How to become a thought leader in today’s world
* Brain inducing words to share you message with impact
* How a mental “checklist” can help your journey (and what should be on that list)*
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“You’re supposed to be working ON your business, not IN your business.” ~ Lyndsey Dueck, CEO of Avustaa + Honorary VU “Untangler”
Welcome to Episode 77:Deluxe Dream Life - Work Balance Reality Check
We’re baaaack – after a mid-year hiatus for Summer and a bit of virtual detoxing!
Welcome back to The Digital Glue podcast as we run out the year with some pretty exceptional topics to help your business grow -- on all fronts!
So, as some of you read today’s episode title you’re probably thinking “Nah … no friggin’ way. Nuh-uh, not fricken possible!” And I know this as there’s been lots of Facebook lives, Insta videos, other bloggers and vloggers chatting, and marketing campaigns from other entrepreneurs saying the exact opposite.
Well, I’m not here today to tell you they are wrong. I’m just here to explain how this work-life balance CAN be possible. It really truly can. But to get started, the power must first be within you, and you must want it -- in order to get it. Work-life balance is a concept that describes the ideal of splitting one’s time and energy between the office and other important aspects of one’s life.
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- 10 simple tips to finding work-life balance
- An orderly list of every day resources to help your business grow
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“There are no guarantees in the arena. We will struggle. We will even fail. There will be darkness. But if we are clear about the values that guide us in our efforts to show up and be seen, we will always be able to find the light. We will know what it means to be brave.” ~ Brene Brown, author of Daring Greatly
Welcome to Episode 77:Fear, Failure And The Mystery of The Creative Life
Human happiness is a perplexing topic to delve into. It would seem obvious, but it’s not at all. And that’s why today’s special “untangling” episode is an important on as we’re going to deconstruct fear, failure, and the mystery of the creative life. Then we’re going to put our digital glue selves on hold for the summer months (this is not good-bye forever, just for now) as we take a break so we can gear up some new “untangling” goodies for you for the last quarter of 2022.But don’t worry … We’ll be back on Tuesday, September 6th with even more amazingly inspirational “untangling” topics, just like this one.
So, here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- Deconstructing FEAR
- Deconstructing FAILURE
- Deconstructing the mystery of the CREATIVE LIFE
- My personal TOP TIPS for surviving those not-so glamorous days
- Creative living words of wisdom – from yours truly
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“By making the decision to be a boss over a bitch, that decision is half the battle.”
Welcome to Episode 75:How To Be A Boss Without Being A Bitch!
As women, we haven’t always had the best role models in the business world. More so now of course, but not always.
In the big bad world of business, we’ve either worked for men, been stomped on by them, or we’ve had women bosses who are, well … giant ass bitches.
As women, we still don’t have much of a roadmap when it comes to taking charge -- we need to learn to own our role of queen bee, and in such a way that we can mentor more than manage. To become someone who is inspiring, offers value, leads, supports, and motivates … all at the same time. If you think about it, it’s quite the badge of honor.
Women entrepreneurs often have a harder time than male entrepreneurs because we’re naturally inclined to be more nurturing. This means we tend to put other people’s needs before our own, which then tends to lead to burnout and a lack of time for ourselves, our passions, and our own never-ending to-do lists. Soooo …
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- How to set expectations, be real, listen and be fair
- How to keep your emotions in check
- How to not be a slave to your business
- How to stop selling yourself short (re: comparison)
- Why it’s important to stop apologizing all the time
- Why it’s important to put your superwoman complex aside
- How to truly reconcile the stereotype of being a bitchy boss
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“A professional troublemaker is someone who is committed to being authentically themselves while speaking the truth and doing some scary shit.” – Luvvie Ajayi Jones, The Millennial Grind
Welcome to Episode 74:Becoming a Fear Fighting Professional Troublemaker
As an entrepreneur, one must be ready to take all kinds of risks. Fearless ones, that go against the flow by thinking differently than other people -- you know, the keep calm out of the box kind! I honestly believe that everyone one desires is on the other side of fear. Think about it … What would your business life be like if fear never held you back from doing #AllTheThings you wanted?
When we think of our businesses, these ventures we have put our hearts, souls, and money into … We set high expectations. We dream big. And sometimes that means we strive to be perfect!
We want to do it all. We want to be it all. We want to know it all. And sometimes that can create a storm of needless strain and bury our goals and dreams under piles of directionless tasks and to-do lists longer than the eye can see. We get ourselves all … Well, tangled! And that’s not badass!
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- Entrepreneurial #Hacks to fight your fears
- Why you don’t need permission to follow your dreams
- How a little confidence can go a long way
- How to #Hack the “haters” and bad behaviour
- How to note let “rules” define your success
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“Sometimes not getting what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck.” – Dalai Lama
Welcome to Episode 73:How To Manage Clients Who Become g-g-g-Ghosts
GHOSTING! Sadly, it’s a real thing in the business world.
That’s right folks, just like the culture of “swiping right” on Tinder and all those other dating apps, ghosting isn’t just for the dating world anymore … It has spilled over into the professional aspect of our lives, with negative consequences. And it hurts!
We’re virtually stuck in a “no face-to-face communication -- no responsibility” aka “out of sight -- out of mind” generation. It’s like an internet virus of the people …! And in our virtual opinion, we feel this should never happen in the business world.
It’s also not all that hard to search for subtext when you get no response, and your inbox is hearing crickets. And if you’re anything like me, your brain takes you in a million different directions, none of them happy ones … “Why don’t they care about their actionables and business as much as I do, when it’s not even my business?” … You’re not quite sure when they will come back to say, “Hi, I’m back -- and I need these projects done by end of day today … tomorrow …” Or if they’re even coming back at all.
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
How and why it’s best to just let it go
* Why they became the ghosts you once knew
* What you can do when they magically return
* How we ease the pain of being professionally ghosted
* Patterns of a virtual cancellation society*
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“Dealing with team members can be difficult. But NOT dealing with them can be worse.”
Welcome to Episode 72:How To Fire People And Reclaim Your Joy!
It’s the age of virtual living; you could very easily (and all too often) feel defeated and depressed just watching what everyone else is accomplishing, while you’re feeling stuck in a joyless rut on the rinse n’ repeat cycle. Some days, our self-worth plummets and as well as know too well, it doesn’t take much to go down the rabbit hole in a spiraling combination of self-doubt, self-loathing, and low self-esteem.
As it turns out, enough of these days over here has helped us figure out a solution (with just business joy itself, or when it comes to letting someone go from your team); we must safeguard our levels of happiness, motivation, and joy! So, in order to pony up and reclaim your joy, here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- How to become aware of emotional triggers (and what they may be)
- How to be more mindful of your reactions
- 3 simple less stressful ways to fire people (and reclaim your joy!)
- How to be clear when hiring and firing
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma -- which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become.”
~ Steve Jobs
Welcome to Episode 71: How Many Hours A Day Do You Waste?
Entrepreneurship is living a few years of your life like most people won’t. So that you can spend the rest of your life like most people can’t. What has helped me succeed is creating a story around my business. Something people can relate to. It’s not all about fancy cars, lots of money, and endless trips to the spa. Even though all those things are pretty darn nice! It’s the human-side of things … making your passion come to life!
And beyond a good story (which helps make content creation oh so much easier!), is automation, automation, automation. And an endless list of helpful “untangling” tools and resources!
Ready for some tips and resources to keep your sanity with a virtual pep talk?
Then let’s get started!
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- Important things Team VU learned on our “untangling” adventures
- How to bring brand storytelling to the forefront of engagement
- Automation, automation, automation
- What automation could look like in your business
- A peak inside Team VU’s virtual toolbox
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“You either master money on some level, or money masters you.” ~ Tony Robbins
Welcome to Episode 70:Budgeting 101 - The Power of Broke
I have a long background in the arts (both digital and with paint) and have also worked with my fair share of non-profits, so I feel like I know a thing or two about being broke. And it’s not fun! But sometimes struggling can give you a different perspective on things and can help heighten your creativity. Bringing that feeling of really being alive.
I truly feel that there are many ways for one to be creative -- thinking outside the box, making things work with limited resources, using old things in brand new ways and so on. In fact, creativity is born out of necessity. If we don’t have it, we figure out how to make it. Not all the right ingredients in our pantry? We improvise and (hopefully) come up with something that tastes even better. And since most of us entrepreneurs have been here at one time or another, we felt this daunting topic of money, would be a great idea to side-step into. Just think of today’s episode as a little story about breaking up with debt so-to-speak.
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- Simple ways a lack of mullah can benefit your Muse
- Tricky spending habits and budgeting 101
- The planning process for budgeting on a budget
- How to easily overcome client price objections
- A BANG! for our buck on resources
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“Without strategy, content is just stuff, and the world has enough stuff.” ~ Arjun Basu
Welcome to Episode 69:Send in The Robots - How AI Makes Content Creation Easier
When it comes to making content creation, AI “robots” can make your life a heck of a whole lot easier. And save you a ton of time too!
Did you know that by 2027, the AI market is expected to reach over $267 Billion?
WOWZERS!!!!
Data is power and when it comes to content creation, it can help you be more effective in the long run with all your efforts.
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- 8 benefits to AI-powered content marketing
- AI tools to help you bypass dreaded writer’s block
- Our top 5 content creation tools and resources
- How Team VU can help with your content creations
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“Social media requires that business leaders start thinking like small-town shop owners. This means taking the long view and avoiding short-term benchmarks to gauge progress. It means allowing the personality, heart and soul of the people who run all levels of the business to show.” ~ Gary Vaynerchuk
Welcome to Episode 68:Is Your Content Calendar Running on Empty?
I’m assuming if you’re listening to today’s “untangling” podcast episode because you’re branding is looking ready for the runway, your voice is utter perfection, and you’re feeling like an entrepreneur superstar who is ready to take your next steps in marketing-land with social media.
Quite honestly, I’ve been hitting the pavement hard for many years finding all the right strategies and using my brand as the tried, tested and truth to #AllThings marketing. I’ve been working hard at figuring out the tools and strategies that help businesses, of all shapes and sizes, succeed with their brand, and am here today to share all that glorious hard-earned information with you.
So, even if you’ve already hit launch and already took many careful steps into the land of social, don’t worry nothing is permanent. That’s the great thing about technology nowadays! Whether you’re new to social or a social veteran, you’ll find everything you need to know about getting your business social media ready right here.
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- What questions to ask yourself about the lay of the land
- Creating a solid, organized social content calendar
- 4 “untangling” content calendar tips
- How to get the most from your content collaborations
- Plug n’ play content strategies
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“There are three responses to a piece of design … yes, no, and WOW! Wow is the one to aim for.” ~ Milton Glaser
Welcome to Episode 67: 7 Important Questions to Ask Your Designer …
With an abundance of easy to use, drag and drop design and web tools available at your virtual fingertips, you might be wondering, “Why should I hire a graphic design professional when I can just try to learn to do it all myself?”.
As a business owner, you are always being pulled in many directions. One of which being, how to spend your marketing budget. Truthfully (and we both know it), you don’t have time to take on the world by trying to learn new programs and tools on how to professionally design everything your business needs. Especially if you’re a start-up … you already have enough to worry about. Plus, it is not only about the design itself but also how your market it to the world. So, when it comes to building your brand, hiring a graphic designer needs to be a big part of the discussion.
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- Why it’s important to have a designer in your back pocket
- 7 important questions to ask your designer before hiring them
- Once hired, how to get the best from your designer
- Why paying people peanuts, will get you monkeys
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“Workaholics aren’t heroes. They don’t save the day, they use it up The real hero is already home … Because they figured out a faster way to get things done.”
~ Jason Friend & David Heinemeier Hansson
Welcome to Episode 66:Get Your Creativity Working Smarter, Not Harder!
Creativity is innovation’s spark. It starts with a problem needing a solution, or an idea that may solve a problem we didn’t even was had. Creativity is the process of putting your imagination to work. And unfortunately, even if your imagination is working hard, it might not be working as smart as it could be. You’re not trying to be more creative; you’re trying to unlock your natural potential, establishing a creative frame of mind, nourishing your ability to ask questions, and using simple techniques to help train your mind to use both sides of your brain to think outside traditional parameters, and be smarter about your working habits. And today, I’d like to help with that … So, here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- Knowing the true purpose of the process
- Creative inspiration for those dreaded “block” days
- Solid project management that facilitates creativity
- The importance of visual and linguistic exercises
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“Good design is about making something intelligible and memorable. Great design is about making something memorable and meaningful.” ~ Ditter Rams
Welcome to Episode 65: How to Design In Canva Like a Guru!
As the saying goes … “good designers don’t use Canva”. But that’s not necessarily true and a bit of a stigma in today’s design world. In my personal and professional opinion, fully trained designers should know BOTH! I truly do believe that graphic designers and Canva can (and should) coexist!
Think of things this way … Canva is like the McDonald’s drive-thru of design. It’s cheap, efficient, easy to use, and utterly satisfying when in a crunch for time. So, whether you’re a designer who needs a quick fix, or a newbie to the land of design and marketing for your business, today I’m going to share with you some helpful design “untangling” tips to give your designs the POW! they really need -- and in such a way that it’s not recognizable that you’re even using Canva at all.
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- 8 types of can photo searchable terms you need to know
- 4 major Canva integrations to make your life easier
- 5 steps to creating transparent text effects
- How to create text masks for images
- How to design a powerful presentation (for PowerPoint)
- A lovely bundle of need-to-know design tips
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“Marketing is no longer about the stuff you make, but about the stories you tell.”
- Seth Godin
Welcome to Episode 64:Why Good Design Needs To Tell A Story ...
There’s always room for a story.
Graphic design is a subjective process and there is no set-in-stone "right-way" to go about it. It is a process of understanding, having realistic expectations, patience, and excellent communication (aka. “the story”) that will go a long way towards a successful outcome. Every small business needs to work with a graphic designer from time to time to create marketing materials, and if it’s not managed well, it can be very time consuming. From personally working extensively on both sides of the fence, the story is just as important as the images shared along with it.
So, why does good design need to tell a story? And why is storytelling so dang important? To find out just that -- and more -- here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- Why storytelling in design matters
- Why colour psychology in design matters
- How to design to leave an impression on social media
- What your website should not do (or have) on it
- How to create a perfect customer journey on your website
- How to leave an overall lasting impression with your marketing
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“It’s the ‘emotional aftertaste’ that comes after an experience (even a second-hand one).”
- Ze Frank
Welcome to Episode 63:Brand Mistakes You’re Making Without Realizing
Your business’ brand identity is the torch that lights the way. It provides messaging, a voice and direction, becoming sort of an umbrella under which, all elements are shaped. If your brand identity was created using a flawed process, it could be damaging your business’ chance of success. And you surely don’t want that!
A brand is not just your logo, a website, or your business cards … it’s an experience.
So, to help alleviate these issues either before they happen, if you’re just starting out, or before you get to ahead in the “game”, here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- How to define your brands’ personality
- Personality, voice, and tone … what you need to know
- How to be consistent in your communications
- 5 ways to humanize your brand
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence.”
Welcome to Episode 62: Imagine a World Without Spell Check …?!
Yes, some of us still remember the life before automated spell check, where if I wanted to check my spelling, it required a dictionary by my side. And a thesaurus too! But nowadays, even verbivores can’t imagine a life without it. It’s handy and free and prevents us from making a lot of embarrassing mistakes.
If you think about it, with the amazingly wonderful ever-growing waves of technology, this was one of the earliest conveniences that technology had to offer as it’s something we always have at the tip of our fingers with ease. I personally feel it makes writing so much more pleasurable … And without our automated friend, we would have to take extra time to double check our work which would decrease our level productivity. Can you imagine the amount of time that would take? With the variety and number of written pieces we send out into the world on a daily basis, I couldn’t even possibly imagine that time suck!
Soooo ….
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- 20 common errors humans are making on the daily
- Free proofreading tools to help your workflow
- Questions to keep in mind while editing your creations
- 11 proofreading tips to mix n’ match to your liking
- What spell check doesn’t catch
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
*“The stress itself will kill you faster than the stressor will – unless you do something to complete the stress response cycle. While you’re managing the days’ stressors, your body is managing the day’s stress. It’s absolutely essential to your well-being that you give your body the resources it needs to complete the stress response cycles that have been activated.”
~ Emily and Amelia Nagoski, Authors of ‘Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking The Stress Cycle’*
Welcome to Episode 61: How To Escape Your Inbox …
Are you feeling overwhelmed by your inbox?
Are old emails just sitting there making you feel bad?
Are you tired of wasting time searching for what you need?
Are important emails slipping through the virtual cracks?
Are you feeling frustrated and lost, wanting control over your inbox again?
Truth bomb … This was me for a while.
Backtracking to 5 years ago when I pushed VU from part-time to full-time, I felt as though I was constantly rejigging my inbox strategy looking for better ways to manage my email accounts (yes, unfortunately like most, I have multiple). I found all kinds of well-intentioned email advice and courses. However, all the advice I received just added up to a cohesive system that just didn't make sense. But I’m excited to share, that frustration is long gone, and our nerdy organizational ways have yet once again saved the day!
So, today I am going to share with you just that … our tried, tested, and true tips that helped my team and I (and our amazing clients who we’ve helped with inbox stress as well) from being buried in virtual info and getting to "inbox zero".
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- How (and why) to only touch each email once
- How to use properly use “search operators”
- How to stop repeating the same emails
- Why you should designate a “throwaway” inbox for spam
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“If the most unique ideas were obvious to everyone, there wouldn’t be entrepreneurs. The one thing that every entrepreneurial journey has in common is that there are many, many steps on the road to success.” ~ Tory Burch, CCO of Tory Burch LLC
Welcome to Episode 60: Let Me Out Conquer Fear And Build Resilience
Real change is difficult at the beginning, but gorgeous at the end. Change begins the moment you get the courage and step outside your comfort zone; change begins at the end of your comfort zone.
Some people say that entrepreneurs are crazy. And maybe they’re right! Crazy motivated, crazy smart, crazy passionate. We are the ones who change the world AND get to live our dream doing it … freedom, purpose, and change. And due to those factors, it seems that more and more people want to become an entrepreneur. And with all the lifestyle greatness that comes along with the title, why not?
However, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows!
You’re going to make mistakes, and you’re going to be told by hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people that what you’re trying to accomplish simply can’t be done BUT it’s our “crazy” strategies and tactics that are going to change the world.
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- What resiliency is and how to build it like muscle
- The power of my story … creating Virtually Untangled
- Tips on being courageous and conquering your fears
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“You will never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret to success is found in your daily routine.” ~ John Maxwell
Welcome to Episode 59:Behind the Scenes - A Life of Organization
Embarking on the journey towards entrepreneurship is exciting when envisioned in your mind but can be very daunting and demanding when materializing your ideas. Let me clearly state that being an entrepreneur is not for the faint hearted or those who are mentally weak. This type of career path will highlight your strengths and your areas in which have room for improvement (as we truly dislike the word “weakness”) and will force you to focus intently on bettering yourself to find success.
So, let me ask you …
Are you tough enough mentally and emotionally?
Are you prepared to work unbelievably hard and constantly keep a competitive mindset on how to better enhance yourself for success?
This is what entrepreneurship demands of you on a continual basis. Make sure you are completely prepared and mindful of what awaits you as a hopeful entrepreneur.
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- 6 “tough love” tips to assists you on your journey
- The importance of creating a to-do list
- Why it’s not just about getting organized, but staying organized
- How to create a simple stress-free environment
- How getting organized can save your life (health benefits)
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“Regardless of rank, people need the freedom and permission to raise their hands during a meeting to say ‘I disagree,’ or ‘I think differently.’ And they must know their opinion will be heard -- in fact, regardless of position, everyone on your team deserves to be heard. Everyone in a meeting should be considered equals.” ~ Cameron Herold, Author of ‘Meetings Suck’
Welcome to Episode 58: It's Time To “Mind” Your Meetings …!
You are probably much like me in thinking “oh gosh, not another meeting!” or a secondary meeting to talk about the details of the first meeting. Maybe even a third. Especially thinking back to how the past handful of years have been with Zoom being necessary and all the rage with the “work from home movement” due to the pandemic.
We do not want to feel like we just lost a handful of minutes (or maybe even hours) of our day when we could’ve been doing something else to make the business world in which we live run smoother. And we most certainly do not feel as though our to-do list just got pushed to the wayside yet again due to another meeting that didn’t present anything relevant. We want these meetings to be productive …
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- It’s all about the P’s, R’s and S’s
- Minding your manners in the virtual video world
- 9 Simple virtual meeting do’s and don’ts
- Video fatigue, teams, and systems
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“If you don’t make the time to work on creating the life you want, you’re eventually going to be forced to spend a lot of time dealing with a life you don’t want.”
Welcome to Episode 57:Laser Focused Time Blocking Tips!
I do my best to guard my time fiercely. Which may sound a bit extreme, but it’s honestly one of the simplest and most effective tactics for anyone to live by (especially entrepreneurs).
Why?
Because the demands on our time are greater now than ever before. Especially for those of us who own a business. With information coming at us in each direction at a rate faster than we can digest it, responsibilities handed to us faster than the speed of light and trying to find as many ways as possible to get each daunting task into our day!
But there is a way to get more done of what you need and want with less distraction. And that’s what we want to share with you today.
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- 6 “rule of thumb” time block tips
- 5 steps to staying productive and laser focused
- The low-down on time management woes
- Making your dream a reality (review, new goals, and a plan)
- Creating annual themes and time for self-care
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“Replace excuses with effort, replace laziness with determination, and everything else will fall into place.”
Welcome to Episode 56:Want To Kick Start Your Productivity?
This week’s “untangling” episode is a compliment to last week’s where I broke down how to become a #GoalDigger into simple steps such as: the art of making affective and achievable lists, creating and implementing an action plan in order to use your time wisely for maximum impact, and how to gauge your success realistically and effectively. Keep those things in mind to now kick start your productivity!
I’m going to make this short n’ sweet today since productivity goes hand-in-hand with everything I shared with you last week, and due to the fact that the handful of episodes coming out over the next few weeks compliment the next one, and the next one, and the next one …
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- How to get your priorities straight and not get “lost in the weeds”
- How I personally plan and schedule my days (with passion)
- How to kill your virtual distractions and get things done
- How to become the master of your own time
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
"If we want to cultivate hopefulness, we have to be willing to be flexible and demonstrate perseverance. Not every goal will look and feel the same. Tolerance for disappointment, determination, and a belief in self are the heart of hope.” – Brene Brown
Welcome to Episode 55:It's Time To Become A #GoalDigger ...!
Fact. Did you know that almost 90% of people don’t regularly finish their daily to-do lists?
We know by now, you’ve probably read a million blog posts, listened to a million podcasts, and skimmed the surface of a trillion of so articles about this very point talking -- the power of goal setting and how to let yourself dream all the while set big milestones for yourself. You’re probably exhausted with the thought of it all by now, especially since we’ve just entered another new year … But today’s “untangling” episode is going to be a different twist on this thing we call goals …!
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- The art of making effective / achievable lists
- How to use the Eisenhower method with your action plan
- Starting simple with your back-up action plan
- Ways to use your time wisely for maximum impact
- How to gauge your success realistically and effectively
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
"Never let your emotions overpower your intelligence. Real bosses don’t let their emotions get in the way of business.”
Welcome to Episode 54: How To Separate Emotions From Business
Managing one’s emotions can mean the difference between flourishing and floundering. So, if you want to be a successful entrepreneur (because being on truly evokes all the emotions) it’s very important to learn to control your emotions, so your emotions don’t take control over you. With that in mind, have you actually ever wondered how many emotions a human can actually experience? Well, amazingly … it’s about 34,000!!!
No wonder we sometimes experience issues recognizing and articulating them, especially when under all the pain point pressure owning a business creates! Let’s be honest … we live in an era where the hard earned “entrepreneur” title is paraded around like a badge of honor. And truthfully, it should be as this lifestyle (even though freeing) is tough as shit! So, as entrepreneurs we need to accept that there is a lot of things we can’t control. And that being me to the topic of today’s “untangling” episode!
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- Why entrepreneurship isn’t sexy
- Top 7 emotions we as entrepreneurs feel intensely
- A deep dive into each of the 7 (intense) emotions
- How to recognize and act professionally with your emotions
- How the pandemic is affecting entrepreneurs globally
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“A comfort zone is nothing but a belief, a mere reflection of your thoughts. You desire something, better yet you fear change. Self-doubt will bind you there, belief is all you need.”
Welcome to Episode 53:The Skinny On Personal Development
The importance of personal development can’t be overstated. It is truly the secret sauce that separates you from the rest of the pack. It is the bridge that carries you forward and towards your inspiring goals.
No matter what your niche, as an entrepreneur you’re singularly focused on productivity and problem solving. You’re a hustler who works as hard as possible and as fast as possible for as long as you can -- hopefully without crashing and burning -- because the outside world perceives you as a Rockstar. We live in a culture of “I don’t need help; I can do it on my own” but in the end you’re only risking your emotional and physical well-being.
What I’m trying to get at here is that every single entrepreneur struggle with personal development. While juggling the day-to-day balancing act … [ where the f*ck is the sun? Am I right?!] … There’s just not enough time. So, my plea to you is to step outside your comfort zone and start engaging yourself in meaningful self-growth practices and expanding your mind through every learning opportunity you can get your hands on -- big or small.
Because life begins at the end of your comfort zone …!
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- Why professional development is an important mindset
- 7 things you can make part of your everyday lifestyle
- 5 courses you can take to get you to where you want to go
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“Creativity allows us to stretch our minds, do new and exciting things, and engage ourselves in a way that takes us one step closer to reaching our full potential.”
Welcome to Episode 52:Unlocking Your Hidden Creativity ...I honestly do not know one creative person who isn’t doing multiple things or aspiring to do yet another. This is the true path to being a creative individual. Our minds never stop, even when we’re sleeping (or trying to fall asleep).
As a creative individual I find I have a great deal of energy, both mental and physical. I can spend hours working on a single project, whether it be designing, painting, or DIYing. Doing these things holds my attention at a very deep level that nothing else truly does, while remaining enthusiastic about the next step, next brush stroke, and of course … next big idea! So, I guess you can call it what it is … I am a realistic daydreamer!
I like to daydream and imagine all the possibilities and wonders of the world around me. I tend to immerse myself in imagination and fantasy, yet due to my design background, remain grounded in that which is real. And that’s how I found my style! And those around me tend to agree. I tend to be BOLD or ITALIC but never regular (haha, bit of graphic design humor).
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- Understanding me, your host, as a creative
- Why you don’t have to choose one path over another
- Why -- as a creative -- you need a business plan
- How to write a business plan for a creative service business
- What steps you’ll need to go from plan to action
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“Being an entrepreneur isn’t just a job title, and it isn’t just about starting a business. It’s a state of mind. It’s about seeing connections to things that others simply cannot, seizing opportunities others won’t, and forging new directions that others haven’t even pondered on.”
Welcome to Episode 51:30 Things Being An Entrepreneur Taught Us!
Starting a business is not always as easy as it sounds. Some may even say it’s the hardest things they’ve ever done. There’s a lot of long days filled with as much caffeine as your body can handle, endless meetings, piles of paperwork, strategy pow-wow’s, difficult clients, wonky platforms, sleepless nights and tired mornings all to rinse n’ repeat again the next day. Possibly even a few weekends too! However, through all that, every breathing moment is quite exhilarating -- even while tackling the pain points to grow your empire.
We may not feel those awesome “save the day” superhero moments every single day, and that’s okay. It’s all a part of learning and growing.
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- 30 things being an entrepreneur taught us
- How to wake up and feel inspired every day
- My open-heart letter to YOU
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“Entrepreneurship is living a few years of your life like most people won’t, so that you can spend the rest of your life like most people can’t.”
Welcome to Episode 50: If We Only Knew … Expectations vs. Reality
Hindsight is great; we all know that. What can you do with it? Well … there's no use beating yourself up over things you could have done differently, if only you had known … [you fill in the blank].
Being an entrepreneur is f’in HARD!!! No, I am not whining. It is just a cold, hard fact that being an entrepreneur can be difficult. To some, it may be the hardest thing they’ve ever done. But I still wouldn’t change it for the world, especially now that I know #AllTheThings I now know …!
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- Expectations versus reality
- Things we wished (and learnt) we knew when we started
- Managing difficult client and time (yours and theirs)
- Things to be mindful of moving into business years 2.0+
- Building strength, survival, and resiliency
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“Helvetica is the sweatpants of typefaces.” – John Boardley
Welcome to Episode 49: What The Font?
Today’s “untangling” episode is going to be short, sweet, and to the point – while also a bit more technical on the design-front -- regarding something very important ... we’re going to get down and dirty about rules in using fonts. So, in short if there is text within your design or document, follow these rules …
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- How to steer clear of clichés and make smart font choices
- Font personalities and how many to use per design
- Size matters and so does writing in all CAPS
- Improper use or orphans, and proper punctuation
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“The strength of your social media is determined by the strength of your content as we get to live in a time where we get to use social media as a tool” - Anonymous
Welcome to Episode 48: Social Media – A Necessary Evil …!It seems everywhere you turn these days; you hear more and more about social-media-this and social-media-that. Many people I know (our clients included) are constantly asking, “Is social media something I have to do?”
Well, my answer is this … the point of social media is not to force you into something. It is also not something that makes you feel like you should "just to do it" then end up half ass’ing most of it just to get it done. Social media, when properly leveraged, is a very powerful business tool. But as for the “necessary evil” part … well, listen and find out!
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- Why social media a “necessary evil” for your business
- Our 3-step plan to leave an impression with your content creations
- Which traits matter most to gain the trust of your audience
- How (and why) to build a content knowledge bank
- The importance of social media manners and etiquette
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“Every company can find authentic stories related to their brands, whether these stories are revealed through interview, investigations, or real-life demonstrations. With some serious thought about what kind of stories your brand can tell and a commitment to honesty, you have what you need to begin making an engaging podcast, no matter what industry you’re in.”
– Nicole D’Angelo
Welcome to Episode 47: Digital Marketing Tips That Pack A Punch …!
With digital marketing, it's all about all-hands-on-deck. But if you're a solo-preneur like my team and I, you're back to wearing one too many hats again. (le sigh!)* Sometimes it’s hard to not feel like you’re lagging behind the competition! But that doesn’t mean you can’t become a one-person army!
We all want successful digital marketing strategies that pack a mean punch and makes our audience engage, however it doesn't always seem that easy to accomplish. Well, consider Virtually Untangled here to try and save the day with a few digital marketing tips that you can keep handy in your virtual back pocket!
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- Rookie business owner mistakes
- Underestimating the power of your email list
- The importance of content and visual appeal
- Podcasts, social media, and the power of story (oh my!)
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“There are three responses to a piece of design – yes, no, and WOW!
Wow is the one to aim for.” – Milton Glaser
Welcome to Episode 46: The deadly Sins Of Graphic Design …
The 7 deadly sins … Sounds kind spooky doesn’t it?! Like an old school horror movie on Hallows Eve … The kind with the Jason axe theme music.
However, all joking aside, this is a real thing. What you read in the title is true! What I’m about to share with you is true. There are rules to graphic design. And we’ve been fought on this idea before …
I honestly hold high praise to those who love to learn and be a do-it-yourself entrepreneur. Especially if funds are tight for adding these design services to ones business. If you love learning and have a true knack for being creative, I full on say “Go for it!”. However, I’m going to repeat myself … Yes, what you are hearing right now is the full on gosh darn true. In order to accomplish consumer effective designs, there are certain rules that need to be followed.
So, that’s why I’m here today with this out of the box episode …
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“Creativity is seeing what everyone else has seen and thinking what no one else has thought”
- Albert Einstein
Welcome to Episode 45: Will Design Ever Rule The World?
In the not-too-distant future, creatives will rule the world. No joke!
And I am not just saying this because I live a life of creativity. It's a matter of fact that the interconnected systems we use to function within the business world (and society), whether in communication, design, finance, and so on … are increasing in complexity.
Graphic design is a subjective process. There is no set-in-stone "right-way" to go about it. It is a process of understanding, having realistic expectations, patience, and of course excellent communication that will go a long way towards a successful outcome.
We nerdy right-brain folk, tend to explore and reveal humanity despite that strong internal pull that demands perfection -- and those ever-present thoughts and feelings that the rest of the world does too. Risk taking is imperative to the creative process because it pushes the boundaries and expands self-imposed limitations in exchange for a level anyone has yet to imagine.
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- 8 simple tips for working with a creative person
- The importance of creativity and imagination
- Our thoughts on why design will rule the world (one day)
- The importance of knowing and understanding the “why”
- The power of powerful storytelling
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“If I waited for perfectionism, I would never write a word.” – Margaret Atwood
Welcome to Episode 44: Ready To Kill That Blinking Cursor Nightmare?
It’s inevitable … it happens to every creative writer on this glorious planet! All our creative bones are feeling brittle, and we sometimes feel as though it’s time to throw in the towel! Including my team and I some days!
Writer’s block isn’t quite what you think. It is not a medical condition. It is not a disease. And it is definitely not a virus that takes control of your overall creative process and juices, rendering you useless and feeling stressed. The truth of the matter is … writer’s block doesn’t actually exist. (Shocked, right?!)
Basically, a brick wall that we’ve built -- which is actually made of air, not bricks. (Ha ha!) And when we are in full belief that this wall is standing tall and up-right (really just a lie we tell ourselves when our creativity is low or on staycation), it becomes real. Like really real! And when we are feeling that mind block, we then become actually creatively blocked.
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- What is writer’s block and what some causes may be
- 5 tips to help kill that blinking nightmare curse
- How to improve your writing skills
- How to write with empathy (not sympathy)
- 10 mindful (and straightforward) writing tips
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“It’s not a faith in technology, it’s a faith in people” – Steve Jobs
Welcome to Episode 43: A World Of Tech For Non-Techies …!
No matter how non-technical your life may be, in your business you're going to have to interact with it – no if’s, and’s, or buts about it -- and technical people. So, if you already happen to have a team of tech gurus (also known as “techies”) by your side that's a huge advantage for you and your business.
Technology offers us a unique opportunity, though rarely welcome, to practice patience. And as it continues to evolve, so does the need to effectively communicate it.
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- If a tech guru … How to “talk tech” to non-techies
- If wanting to take on tech (aka. “levelling the playing field”)
- What you need to know about getting and asking for tech help
- It’s not all the “cat’s meow” (digital tool shopping)
- How to stop just “surviving” and get untangled!
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“Courage starts by showing up and letting ourselves be seen.” – Brene Brown
Welcome to Episode 42: Unlocking The Hidden Power Of Connections!
Let's be honest with ourselves for a moment ... Sometimes the word "networking" conjures images of uncomfortable schmooze-fests, where suit-clad business exec's work the room, wine glass in hand, feigned interest at the ready.
Networking (hard truth here) is a huge pain in the butt. Unless you’re an extrovert, then networking is a slice of chocolate cake.
But as an introvert, all the standing around, making awkward small talk while wearing a name tag, trying not to sweat, constantly drying your sticky hands, jumbling over your words while holding a napkin of cheese and crackers, and trying not to spill your liquid courage.
But networking and making REAL connections doesn't have to feel that bad as it’s simply about having conversations with people. Not about small, stuffy rooms where people are throwing their business cards at you before running off to the next person. It’s about sitting down with someone and chatting. Having normal, yet REAL human conversation.
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- How to overcome the dread of networking (in-person)
- 6 tips to move you from terrifying to liberating
- The unraveled connection from shame, to courage, to vulnerability
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“Your Monday morning thoughts set the tone for the whole week. See yourself getting stronger, and living a fulfilling, happier and healthier life.” – Germany Kent
Welcome to Episode 41: Have a Hate On For Mondays?
Today is NOT Monday. But yesterday was. One of many Mondays that already passed this year, and only one of the many more waiting in the future.
Just hearing the word … Monday … is sometimes enough to fill one with feelings of dread. For a lot of people, it is a painful reminder of the routines, the not-so-good ones. This day is something that they would rather avoid if possible while holding feelings of resentment for it and ultimately believing it to be the worst day of the week.
But is it though?
There are many reasons why people can justifiably hate Monday. What makes Monday so bad for people all around the globe? Is it really that different from any other day of the week? How can we change that frame of mind thinking and start relishing the start of the week?
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- Why you might have a hate on for Mondays
- Why Mondays aren’t the “bad guy”
- 2 ways to get rid of your Monday blues
- Why attitude matters; power of positive thinking
- 6 signs you must make a change
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“I believe anything is possible. I see opportunity when others see impossibility. I take risks. I am focused. I hustle. I know that nothing is unrealistic. I feel overwhelming love. I embrace my childlike wonder and curiosity. I take flying leaps into the unknown. I contribute something bigger than myself. I create. I learn. I grow. I do. I believe it’s never too late to start living a dream. I AM AN ENTREPRENEUR.”
Welcome to Episode 40: How To “Untangle” Your Pain Points
Things are about to GET REAL today!
I’m going to deep dive into every aspect of entrepreneurial journey’s “pain points” with you and how to “untangle” them. We’ll start with the roller coaster ride, cruise on through the dreaded feeling of exhaustion followed by some handy tips on how to get “unstuck” and how to put productivity to the test by executing #AllTheThings for MAXIUM impact.
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- How to “untangle” your mindset on the entrepreneurial roller coaster
- How to manage entrepreneurial exhaustion for peak productivity
- 7 things YOU can do to get yourself “unstuck”
- 3 easy-peasy tips to execute for MAXIMUM IMPACT
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“There’s no space for peace when perfectionism is a priority.” – Christian Bosse
Welcome to Episode 39: Is Perfection Your Enemy
Perfection is the enemy of happiness. Instead, we should be trying to embrace being perfectly imperfect.
Yes, I it’s good to analyze what we’re doing with our business from time to time, so we don’t get stuck in what I like to call a “rinse n’ repeat” mode -- which is truly the enemy of productivity. We shouldn’t (and can’t) be perfect at anything even though the land of social makes it seem like life is always floating around that way. And it’s truly not about getting more done. It’s all about what you get done.
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- Why perfectionism is the enemy
- How this behaviour tends to affect creatives more
- 10 tips on how to overcome perfectionism
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“Be unafraid and relentless in the advocacy for a better business, healthier and happier employees, enriched customers and a sustainable future in order to create profitable growth.” – Will Marre
Welcome to Episode 38: Passion – The Key Ingredient To Success
Building a business that is stemmed from passion will help you in more ways than you could possibly ever imagine. It will not only allow you to feel confident in what you do, how you share and explain it to the world, but it will also help you in times when you’re feeling languish, low or stuck.
Life as an entrepreneur is already hard enough. There are high highs and low lows. There are times when you will question what you’re even on this crazy path. And that’s where passion comes into play …
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- The DNA of a successful entrepreneur
- The difference in your business being heart or head
- My story on how creativity keeps my passion alive
- 10 reasons why passion is the key ingredient to success
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“Make improvements to your business through rock solid systems and they will stick like glue.” – Mark Wardell
Welcome to Episode 37: Client “Rules” You Should Break
We believe that developing amazing long-term relationships with clients means one is more likely to receive repeat business and great testimonials. The more satisfied the client, the higher the chance they will recommend your business and offerings to a colleague, leading to new business.
That being said, we've recently noticed a lot of blogs, podcasts, LinkedIn posts and other virtual goodies floating around about “how to have happy, long-lasting business relationships with clients” so one can continue to send those monthly invoices. They are not wrong, but it makes me feel as though people may be afraid to talk about the flipside … you know what I’m talking about … those clients from hell!
There's oh so many things one can do to keep the client happy, but what some don't realize is that there are also a handful of client "rules" one can break that keep both sides successfully happy …
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- 12 steps to creating happy long-lasting client relationships
- 5 client “rules” you should consider breaking
- 7 reasons why you should never buy an email list
- Solution (and prevention) to poor client treatment
- How to not let “rules” define your success
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“We need to accept that we won’t always make the right decisions, that we’ll screw up –even royally sometimes -- so understand that failure is not the opposite of success, it’s a part of it” – Arianna Huffington
Welcome to Episode 36: How To “Untangle” Your Mindset
Starting your business is like growing a garden. You must first invest your time and money. Then, you must take care of it while expecting nothing in return. (Often a lot longer than you think!) However, when everything finally blossoms, it makes all the hard work and patience worthwhile.
But it’s not just about those behaviours … it’s also about our expectations vs. reality, which once again boils down to something else ... our MINDSET!
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- 10 behaviours of an entrepreneur
- Expectations vs. reality
- How to succeed and not become a statistic
- How to practice mindfulness
- How (and why) to stop waiting for permission
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“Sometimes not getting what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck.” – Dalai Lama
Welcome to Episode 35: The Ghosts We Once Knew
GHOSTING! It’s a real thing in the business world.
That’s right folks, just like the culture of “swiping right” on Tinder and all those other dating apps, ghosting isn’t just for the dating world anymore … It has spilled over into the professional aspect of our lives, with negative consequences. And it hurts!
It’s not hard to search for subtext when you get no response, and your inbox is hearing crickets. And if you’re anything like me, your brain takes you in a million different directions, none of them happy ones. You keep racking your brain as to “what did I do wrong?” thus ending in sleepless nights trying to figure things out that are well out of your control as you don’t want to feel like this EVER AGAIN!
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- The true definition of “ghosting”
- Why they became the ghosts you once knew
- How to ease the pain of being professionally ghosted
- Patterns of a cancellation society
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“Building a good customer experience does not happen by accident. It happens by design.” – Clare Muscutt
Welcome to Episode 34: The Ultimate Guide To Client Relationships
We’re baaaack …. with some more “untangling” Digital Glue podcast episodes for the last quarter of the year. We had some time to ponder during our mini summer break. And we wanted to start with a few episodes about something WE ALL deal with every. single. day.
CLIENT RELATIONSHIPS!
Whether in your day job (hopefully you’ve left there by now and migrated into the amazing land of entrepreneurialism) or working in your own business, have you ever run into a slump of working with the “wrong” people?
Clients who don’t understand your personality? Value your traits or expertise? Take you for granted? Expect you to be available on all devices at every hour of the day? And just plain ‘ol drain you emotionally?
These pain points can be a real downer.
And sometimes make one wonder … why even bother? (le sigh!)*
I could sit here all day and share all of Virtually Untangled’s client “horror stories” with you from over the years -- and many more from my time in the land of 9-5 -- but then this would turn into an award-winning novel (HaHa!) instead of an “untangling” podcast episode. So instead, I am going to take the hard-earned lessons from those stories and share some details alongside a list of the greatest tips you will ever need to know in order to help you find your dream client(s). And ease those nasty pain points of the ones who aren’t.
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- How to figure out WHO is your dream client
- How to start email relationships on the right foot
- How to set clear roles and responsibilities
- How to set clear working boundaries
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, and how you can still come out of it.” – Maya Angelou
Welcome to Episode 33: How To Persevere Through Tough Times
Let’s get serious … Right off the hop … We’ve all experienced a lot of hard times in business. Especially since March of last year when the world was stunned on a global scale with COVID-19! Myself and my team included.
Even before the pandemic, Virtually Untangled has certainly helped a lot of our “tangled” clients get through some pretty dark days. But from these experiences we learn to adapt, grow, and figure out new ways to not only survive, but thrive in the “big bad” world of business. All the while learning what we can do better at next time the clouds hover over our heads!
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- How doing nothing just makes things worse
- How to rethink (and adapt) when things aren’t working
- How (and why) to stop chasing time (and people)
- Why it’s important to stop normalizing your knowledge
- Why resiliency is important to building lasting solutions
- How to stop letting comparison thieve your joy
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“You will never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret to success is found in your daily routine.” – John Maxwell
Welcome to Episode 32: Habits of Highly Organized People …
When you own your own business being organized is a key factor to accomplishing success. But for me and millions of other scatter-brained business owners, how so we organize our chaotic worlds?
There is always an ever-running to-do list, new ideas and goals around every corner, last minute client projects, email to tend to, passwords to remember, professional development seminars and webinars … and seriously, this list could go on for days. I don’t know about you, but some days I feel I need a compass because my mind is wandering in a million different directions -- and also usually wandering a thousand miles away …!
It’s true, you really don’t need fancy products or a humungous team of consultants and workers bees to help you get your act together. And keep it together. BOOST YOUR OWN PRODUCTIVITY by creating a system which can be based on these simple yet essential cornerstones of success …. Through organization!
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- 10 simple steps to creating organizational success
- 8 time management tips to help KEEP you organized
- Why productivity needs to be organizations sidekick
- How being organized can SAVE your life
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“Management is, above all, a practice where art, science, and craft meet.” – Henry Mintzberg, Cleghorn Professor of Management Studies
Welcome to Episode 31: How Many Hats Are You Wearing?
Living in entrepreneur-land is sometimes all about how many things you can do on your own without a team or a sidekick. Sometimes we just want to do things ourselves because we feel it will save us time and money. But in that same breathe, sometimes wearing too many hats just makes things worse …!
The term project management used to have me shaking in my shoes! I am the type of person who sometimes takes on one too many projects at a time because I have so many goals to fulfill my bigger picture. But then one day I sat down to sort out of brain onto one of my trusty to-do lists and realized it’s not about how many projects I have on my plate to complete, whether short or long-term, but HOW I plan to attack them all.
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- How to maximize your own strengths
- How project management is a state of mind, not just a job title
- 4 basic stages of managing your projects
- 6 rules of thumb to adjusting your current processes
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“There are no limits to what you can accomplish, except the limits you place on your own thinking.” – Brian Tracy, Motivational Thinker and Author
Welcome to Episode 30: Business Minimalism:
Achieving Your Dreams With Less!
Minimalism is a true lifestyle characterized by the pursuit of simplicity ...
As humans, our hindsight is 20/20 and we tend to narrate our lives in reverse. We also tend to think that this lifestyle doesn't jive with an entrepreneurial one. But not everything has to be about ambition and cutthroat ladder climbing. And being the best of the best no matter the cost …!
So, today I want you to think of your mess as your message ... Less is more.
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- What is minimalism? And what you should do FIRST.
- Our ultimate list of untangling business “hacks”!
- Tips on achieving work / life balance … Yes, it’s real!
- How to hack your budget in 6 simple steps.
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“Starve distractions. Feed your focus.” – Rachel Gadiel
Welcome to Episode 29: SOS … Dealing With “Shiny Object Syndrome”
Many entrepreneurs (including myself once in a blue moon) are far too familiar with shiny object syndrome (S.O.S.) … well the act of it, not exactly WHAT it is and how it impacts our businesses ever so greatly. And it got me thinking … there’s really no better time than now to dig into WHAT it is, WHY it happens and HOW one can use it as a benefit rather than a distraction.
BAM!
Reality check … shiny object syndrome is keeping you trapped!
It’s not rocket science. You’re living in a rabbit hole with a sense of compulsion. You want that carrot and aren’t thinking of all the other elements that could send you in a completely different direction. Cue the screams and the horror movie soundtrack … Because it's TIME to buckle down and FOCUS!
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
What SOS is and what happens when you’re distracted
* Why it happens and how make it a benefit, and not an issue
* What FOMO is (“fear of missing out”) and how it affects you
* Questions to ask yourself to make solid fact-action decisions
* A true client story of one suffering from SOS*
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“The medium of podcasting and the personal nature of it, the relationship you build with your listeners and the relationship they have with you – they could be just sitting there, chuckling and listening … There’s nothing like that!” – Marc Maron
Welcome to Episode 28: How To “Untangle” Your Podcast
More people are listening to podcasts more than ever before!
Podcasts are a great way to build a genuine connection with your audience. So, instead of the fractured connection you make through the land of social, podcasts allow you to engage your audience with unique long-form content. And are way more convenient than blog posts because people can listen to them while driving, working out, chillin’ on the beach, or just doing chores around the house.
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- VU’s weekly PER EPISODE project management checklist
- A simplified 11 step checklist for creating your first episode
- 5 DIY tips for creating the perfect cover artwork
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“Blogging allows you to teach people based on your experience. And it gives you the opportunity to learn from your readers as well.” – Scott Chow, The BlogStarter.com
Welcome to Episode 27: How To “Untangle” Your Blog
Okay, so let's be honest here … Blogging is kind of terrifying. Trust me, I know ... I felt the same way when I first pondered on the idea. You're fearful of not "making it" with all the great ideas you have rolling around in your head. And to top it off, you're most fearful of being judged by others reading your work.
But don't fret, today I'm here to help you get past all those mixed feelings and find your blogging way ...!
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- How to decide what to write about
- How to overcome fear through brainstorming
- How to create the “perfect” title + prepare your outline
- How to edit with a fine-tooth comb
Plus, a pre-publishing checklist and a short brief on next steps!
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”
Welcome to Episode 26: Podcast vs. Blog: How Do You Choose?
Choosing to become a podcaster or a blogger boils down to how much TIME you have to create your digital goodies, what kinds of stories or information you want to share, and what kind of IMPACT you want to have in the world. So, to keep things short n’ sweet …
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- How to choose the best topics for your space.
- The importance of time -- and what you need to do post creation.
- What to do when it comes to regular digital maintenance.
- How to choose which adventure is best for you.
- Why we choose to do create in both digital spaces.
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“A plan is what, a schedule is when. It takes both a plan and a schedule to get things done.” – Peter Turla, Time Management Expert and Former NASA Rocket Designer
Welcome to Episode 25: How To “Untangle” Your BusinessEverything we do here at Virtually Untangled is guided by our manifesto. Alongside a few simple “rules” to keep ourselves -- and those of our client’s -- “untangled” on a regular basis. These “rules” we live by are more than just the business-related daily tasks or things on our to-do lists. . They are things we are mindful of on an everyday basis to keep our sanity in check because happiness Is decluttering … and not always the physical kind.
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- What is a manifesto and why you should create one?
- How to make your stress levels more manageable.
- How to achieve business minimalism -- and why it’s important.
- How to starve distraction and feed your focus.
- What is Shiny Object Syndrome, why it happens and how to avoid it.
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“Resilience is the virtue that enables people to move through hardship and become better” - Anonymous
Welcome to Episode 24: Two Truths And A Lie
People say that entrepreneurs are crazy. And well, maybe they’re a tad right!
However, we are the ones who change the world AND get to live our dream doing it ...purpose, change, freedom, and fame. And due to those factors, it seems that more and more people want to become an entrepreneur.
And with all that lifestyle greatness that comes along with the title, why not?
However, it's not all sunshine and rainbows! This culture is not just a pajama party! And it can’t be solely motivated by money. It is an ongoing passion engagement that demands your full attention, focus, passion and dedication. A commitment to oneself to a dream, a vision, and the willingness to face the challenges that come along with it all.
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- 10 behaviours for entrepreneurial success
- Misconceptions of the start-up “renaissance” era
- The DNA of a successful entrepreneur
- Two truths and one lie
- An open-hearted letter from VU to you
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“A logo is the graphic extension of the internal realities of a company.” - Saul Bass
Welcome to Episode 23: 7 Factors That Make Up The Perfect Logo
Creating a logo for your business is a BIG DEAL! It’s not just about the shapes, colours and fonts … those are the face of everything to come. This design element shapes your entire brand, it’s where it is born, and is the very first thing people see and will remember you by for (hopefully) years to come. It might not seem substantial when you’re thinking about the bigger picture.
Now granted, there is no “perfect” formula to answer this, but this process also shouldn’t be mind-boggling rocket science either. There are several fundamental principles to point you in the right direction.
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- The 3 basic functions of a good logo
- The top 4 reasons to not DIY your logo
- The 10 commandments of logo design
- The principles of a smart logo design
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“Don’t abandon your creativity the moment things stop being easy or rewarding because that’s the moment when interesting begins.”
Welcome to Episode 22: 10 Graphic Design Blogs To Inspire You
Ever find yourself in a creative rut and no matter what you’re working on as it just doesn’t look or feel right …? Honestly, who hasn’t been there!
What I find to be one of the most effective solutions to that horrid feeling of being unmotivated, uninspired, or disinterested in what I am trying to create is to dive into the digital realm of Google and hunker down into a good chunk of blog posts, podcasts, or quotes from other creatives humans just like me!
And with that being said, today’s special episode is for all you creatively talented individuals out there! Whether you already live in the land of graphic design, or are looking to take up this fine digital lifestyle …
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- Our TOP 10 favourite inspirational blogs (not including our own)
- A handful of goal digging inspirational resources
- A sneak peek at our own internal creative thought-process
- The 10 “commandments” of graphic design
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“Our greatest asset when we design is human diversity.”
Welcome to Episode 21: Design That Embodies Diversity
Choosing a career in design is often explained by one’s desire to make a difference in the world. Through the level of our creativity, we want to make an impact on people’s lives. We all know that design is an immensely powerful force which tends to illuminate complex issues in society, so with that comes a calling, a duty even, to make sure that what we create represents every single beautiful human being on this lovely planet we call home.
As designers, what we create cannot come from a place of safety and privilege, it must originate from a place of authenticity and inclusion. And in contributing to that movement of positivity (which we here at VU feel ever so strongly about) we must design with a different more inclusive mindset because #AllLivesMatter!
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- What does diversity in design actually mean?
- What is inclusive marketing?
- How can designers move forward with diverse designs?
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“Email has an ability many channels don’t; creating valuable, personal touches -- at scale.”
Welcome to Episode 20: 7 Factors That Make Up The Perfect Email
Creating the perfect email … It sounds like a big ask doesn’t it?
Well, good news, it’s not! Any kind of marketing copy, at its fundamental core, is all about reaching, attracting, and helping your ideal client.
When you focus on your ideal client’s pain points and position your offering as the solution, you can successfully craft content that will lead directly into sales! And create an email marketing strategy that has your emails read, valued and effective!
It’s imperative to also remember, no matter what service you provide or product you make, every single interaction with your audience says something about your brand. From the tone of your voice to the words you use, to the way things look and feel. So, craft every single email with brand consistency in mind.
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- 3 principles to follow when crafting email copy
- 7 factors that make up the “perfect” email
- Leveraging these perfect emails to gain customers
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
"Personalization – it is not about first and last name. It’s about relevant content."
Welcome to Episode 19: What’s the Deal with Email Marketing?
An email list is probably one of the most valuable and responsive assets you can have as an entrepreneur. Unlike your social media followers, you own your email marketing list.
Now we want to make sure that our emails are not immediately deleted, marked as spam, or ignored altogether. We want to build relationships. We want to provide value and solutions. We want them to pick US!
Email marketing is an incredibly powerful tool for getting messages directly to your clients and prospects. It can strengthen those wonderful client relationships and keeps reminding your prospects to reach out to YOU, time and time again. So, let’s discuss how you can improve your efforts, and maximize the impact of the perfect email marketing strategy.
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- What exactly is email marketing?
- What can we do to get people to read our emails then become clients?
Then we break down 9 tips and tricks to formulating a killer email marketing strategy that converts to sales and makes your clients love you – more than they already do!
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“Google only loves you when everyone else loves you first.”
Welcome to Episode 18: The Google Secret of Your Keywords
The words we use to write our stories are sacred to us. But think about it for a moment … why do we choose the ones that we do?
The words that we choose are magical bits of creativity that take our ideas and make them into reality. We are trying to convey a message. So, whether in the form of a book, a guide, a poem, and even an advertisement, where we try to convey a message to a person who may want to grab hold of what we offer! And when we are trying to reach this special unicorn audience, we must choose the best words to use. This way they can find us when they need us.
The digital transformation of marketing has made it a must that the very words we choose must be searchable. They must be KEY words.
Now, let’s dive in and learn how to find and use the most effective key words!
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- What exactly is SEO?
- What can we do to drive people to our site?
- What tools can we use to find Google friendly keywords?
Plus, a handful of tips and tricks for creating powerful SEO for your site.
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“If the headline is poor, the copy will not be read. And copy that is not read does not sell goods.”
Welcome to Episode 17: The Curiosity Gap in Headlines
Did you know that many copywriters spend more than 50% of their time on just the headline?
This is because in order to get noticed, your words need to be magnetic. To reach someone, to sell something, you need to draw them in and make them stay, and to do that, the headline is the QUEEN!
One of the most interesting things about this concept is how it has evolved over time … It used to be that a headline had to catch the eye and create curiosity in the reader – just enough to have them want to keep reading. Now a powerful headline is all about how searchable and clickable it is. Keywords became, well … key!
Now, let’s dive in and blow our readers away with headlines that no one could pass up!
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- Why are captivating headlines so important?
- What can make a headline Google friendly?
- What are the 4 U’s of creating a headline?
- How to craft killer headlines for every written piece.
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“What matters isn’t storytelling. What matters is telling a true story well.”
Welcome to Episode 16: Are You Writing SMART Content?
The written word is the art and science of strategically delivering messages, emotions, stories, and information -- read or spoken -- to an audience. It’s a powerful form of communication that can be used in every occupation, service, and relationship we have as human beings. In business-land, we call it copywriting.
In order to excel in your business’s copywriting, it is imperative to consider what you are trying to say before you say it … To imagine what your message will make people feel, think of, and how they might respond to your words.
Copy isn’t just a bunch of words on a page. Copy has the power to persuade, educate and inform your ideal clients about your business and offerings. If you do not have a sound strategy for the copy you are producing; you are missing out on valuable opportunities with your dream clients!
Now, let’s dive in and blow our audiences away with content that is unforgettable!
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- The 3 key concepts of writing quality content
- What exactly is content and where can I post it?
- How to find your ideal client and identify their pain points
- 10 tips for flawless writing that stands out and gets the message across
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“It's not what you sell that matters as much as how you sell it!”
Welcome to Episode 15: 10 Factors That Make Up The Perfect Landing Page
What makes a killer landing page?
One that captures your audience’s attention, gets the message across, and inspires the reader to execute your call to action.
So, how do we build these magic marketing pages?
We need to look at the anatomy of these pages and take it step by step to build an effective marketing tool. Every great landing page is composed of a core group of elements. These building blocks should be used as a guide when creating your content.
Now, this may sound counter intuitive. After all, isn’t good marketing all about finding ways to stand out from the crowd? Why would we want to limit ourselves to a pre-existing landing page format? Won’t your content end up being … basic? But here is where we find it fitting to use the old adage; “know the rules well, so you can break them effectively” …
It turns out that almost all successful landing pages are made up of the same things, they’ve got the fundamentals down. No matter their intended audience, or the price point of what they’re offering. This is largely because the structure of a landing page aligns to persuade and attract our intended audience.
Now, let’s dive in and blow our audiences away with a landing page that turns heads!
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- The TOP 10 factors to know while building a landing page
- How clear and concise copy can make or break your page
- How to build a call to action that creates conversion
- The role social media plays in using these critical marketing tools
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“In marketing I’ve seen only one strategy that can’t miss – to market to your best customer first.”
Welcome to Episode 14: Landing Pages That Lead
Word on the street is that people only need landing pages these days, and that websites are becoming obsolete. Well, we are here to tell you that is SO not the case. Landing pages and websites are both very, VERY important parts of any successful business’s marketing strategy. And while they have the ultimate goal in common, getting the sale, the way they both get there is very different.
While the website has dozens of potential distractions, the landing page is super focused as a standalone digital source, created specifically for a marketing or advertising campaign. It’s where a visitor “lands” after they click on a link in an email, or ads from Google, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Landing pages are designed with a single focus or goal, known as a “call to action”, an invitation for a user to take some desired action like “Buy Now”. It is this focus that makes landing pages the best option for increasing the conversion rates of your marketing campaigns and lowering your cost of acquiring a lead or sale. That’s why expert marketers always use a dedicated landing page as the destination of their traffic.
It’s all about creating marketing magic!
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- The differences between a website and a landing page
- How expert marketers use both in their strategies
- What exactly is a marketing funnel and a call to action
- How a killer landing page can lead customers back to your website for more!
Are you ready?
Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“Brand is the promise, the big idea, the expectations that reside in each customer’s mind about a product, service or company. Branding is about making an emotional connection.”
Welcome to Episode 13: How to Define Your Brand’s Voice
By definition, a brand is a process involved in creating a unique name and image for a product or service in the consumers’ mind with a consistent theme. Branding aims to establish a significant differentiated presence in the market that attracts and retains loyal customers.
Brands have become a part of every single person’s day-to-day life. As human beings, we are naturally built for connection. We tend to personify things, and a businesses’ brand is something that we look to connect with. We want to trust the people we buy from. And as entrepreneurs it’s our job to create a brand that is consistent, attractive, trustworthy and genuine, in order to attract and keep our dream clients.
So, no matter what type of entrepreneur you are -- every single interaction with your audience says something about your brand. From the tone of your voice, to the words you use, to the way things look. And with a little brainstorming, some research and hard work, you can create a brand that tells your audience exactly what you want them to know.
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- The core elements of a strong and genuine brand
- 5 soul searching questions to ask yourself about your business
- 5 things an effective brand can achieve
- The steps to take to find your brand’s voice and tell your unique story
Are you ready?
Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“Keep a team chatroom open. There is nothing more important in a group remote project than casual communication. Not just official emails and work updates, but the ability to sit back and chat."
Welcome to Episode 12: Virtually Alone: Team Building
Working from home became a collective “norm” in 2020. And, if you were fortunate enough to stay safe at home during the pandemic, you may have found yourself in the new position of a work-from-home lifestyle.
Now some of us have been doing the virtual thing for years, by choice, and there wasn’t much of a difference in our work universe when 2020 turned the world upside down. But whether we were new or old to the work-from-home movement, we all have things in common. We have frustrations and fears, we have less people to talk to, fewer, if any, people to run things by when projects got tough, and we all had to adapt and create processes for ourselves to stay healthy, mentally and physically.
Working from home is amazing, it is gratifying to build a business from the ground up. But it’s on us to make sure not to fall victim to the pitfalls of working from home and staying healthy. So, building a team of virtual co-workers can ensure you will never feel alone.
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- How to maintain your health while working from home
- 7 sources of frustration when working remotely
- The many benefits of building a virtual team
- How to make your work from home space perfect for you!
Are you ready?
Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.”
Welcome to Episode 11: Simplify Your Life with a Virtual Team
Teamwork makes the dream work right?
Well to begin with, the dream of every entrepreneur is that they will grow a successful business and create the dream life they’ve always envisioned. And a measure of that success is growth … So, what happens when we grow?
We get SUPER busy. The 24 hours in a day now seem almost impossibly insufficient and we realize we certainly cannot do this alone. We need HELP! And fast! We get to this strange and uncomfortable place where we realize that we really NEED to build a virtual team and start taking on talented virtual professionals to bring their own slice of magic to our projects. And by doing so, we gain time, value, and some pretty terrific inspiration.
Building a team of like-minded, ambitious, and hard-working virtual professionals will save you time, money, heartache, stress, and again … a bunch of bring fresh ideas and concepts to projects that you could never have dreamed of yourself!
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- Where to start when you realize you need to build a virtual team
- The top 3 fears entrepreneurs face when outsourcing to a VA
- 10 benefits of working on a team
- How to be a good team member
- How to find your ideal team members
Are you ready?
Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“Unity is strength … when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved.”
Welcome to Episode 10: 10 Things You Can Outsource to a VA
Are we as entrepreneurs busy? YES!
Overscheduled? YES!
Are we often overwhelmed with to-do lists and busy work? You know the kind … tasks that you have to do but dread, day in and day out. Writing and sending invoices to clients. Creating, filing and presenting weekly reports on sales, deliverables, hours and tasks. Checking your email, responding to customer inquiries, and managing good ‘ol spam that comes along with living in a virtual world.
Yes! Yes! Yes! And YES!
We’ve come to realize we need help, which is a good thing. As our businesses grow and thrive, we need people to perpetuate that growth. And now it’s time to take on a team member!
But where can we get one?
Who can take some of these tasks off our hands and in turn, hand us back our sanity?!
… Enter the wonderful and growing industry of virtual assistants. Growing at an unprecedented rate, thanks in part to the pandemic, virtual assistance is at a demand we’ve never quite seen before.
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- How to recognize when you may need some help
(And where you can find it when you’re ready!) - The benefits of growing a team and hiring a VA … Or two
- 7 great questions to ask when you interview a VA
- 10 in-demand tasks that a VA can take off of your hands
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“Once you have mastered time, you will understand how true it is that most people overestimate what they can accomplish in a year – and underestimate what they can achieve in a decade!”
Welcome to Episode 9: How to Implement My 2-Week Productivity Process
We strongly believe in the magic that happens when we pause to reflect on how things are going on the outside -- with our levels of productivity -- and on the inside with how we feel, and then make a plan of action to make things flow more smoothly. We believe in work-life balance and making our workspaces our own, to promote creativity, productivity and fun! We always want to strive for happiness, no matter what our ambition or activity.
So, here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- How to reflect on our levels of productivity and make a plan for change
- How to effectively plan our days, weeks, months, and even years
- How to create a working space that reflects who we are and what inspires us
- How to implement new daily routines to suit how you work best
- How to learn to better delegate and build your #DreamTeam
Are you ready?
Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up”.
Welcome to Episode 8: Get Organized and Stay Organized
You have a task at hand and its staring you in the face. You know it’s there, it’s been there for months. Procrastination has taken over. But why?
Because you are afraid of the amount of work you need to do to complete it, you know you will have questions, probably hit a few speed bumps along the way and the idea of tackling it has got you in a chokehold. And it doesn’t help that everything feels out of order and disorganized. Then that guilty feeling sets in because you haven’t done it yet.
For any entrepreneur this is a common scenario. We have endless piles of work, client deadlines, and even though we forget about it sometimes … our own personal lives.
So, what can we do to get ourselves organized enough to tackle our many responsibilities with efficiency and create a whole lot of happy?
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- How to find our passion … our WHY!
- Ways we can discover what kind of work life we want … and go after it!
- Hacks for organizing our #AllThings and boosting productivity.
- Tips for setting jumping into rest with purpose and joy.
Are you ready?
Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“Social media has changed the way we see each other -- literally. And enhanced the way we communicate with the world. Everybody gets a stage to proclaim, "This is not just what I'm doing -- this is who I am and what I love!"
Welcome to Episode 7: The Social Media Playbook
Social media is the phenomenon that changed the ways in which our business and social worlds work, forever. Now more than ever we seek connection and success through digital avenues.
So as 2020 rolled on by … we found ourselves looking to social media and all of its many platforms more than ever for a chance to connect, to build our businesses and to bridge the gaps to our previously go-go-go busy lifestyles, while we all hunkered down at home.
And surprisingly, even with its impressive track record for effectiveness in the business space, there are some who are still skeptical of social and even fearful of using these tools. So, let’s take a look at where this all started and where we are now, and how we can help those who are skeptical to see these platforms for the magic that they can be.
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- How the land of social arrived on the scene and rocked our worlds
- Why some people are still wary of using social for business
- How to stay true to your brand, its story and to yourself
- 10 steps for effective social media use (and etiquette)
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“Want to be happy? Stop trying to be perfect.”
Welcome to Episode 6: All Things Untangled!
When we think of our businesses, these ventures we have put our hearts and souls, and money into, we set high expectations, we dream big, and sometimes that means we strive to be perfect. We want to do it all, we want to be it all, we want to know it all, and sometimes that can create a storm of needless strain and bury our goals and dreams under piles of directionless tasks and to-do lists longer than the eye can see. We get ourselves all … Well, tangled.
So, what can we do when we know we have potential to grow, endless potential to love our work, but we just seem to be spinning our wheels?
And we have a sneaking suspicion that we can use our time, resources, and energy more efficiently. Well, there is so much we can do.
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- How to recognize you have become a perfectionist
- Organization tips and effective goal planning
- Learn to manage your time and refocus your efforts
- How to be ready and willing when opportunity comes knocking
- How to integrate self-care into your busy workday
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“Creativity has this amazing POWER to give you renewed enthusiasm and energy – even in the most difficult circumstances.”
Welcome to Episode 5: Creativity Overflow!
Creativity is truly at the core of being human -- whether you feel you are a creative individual at heart or not. In my opinion, everyone is. It is what links your heart and your head. It is sort of a catch-all idea that encompasses so many things. It is hard to nail down, but you know it when you see it, and when you feel it. One thing it’s not is a “superpower” you are just born with. It’s not exclusive. Creativity is magical, but it is NOT magic. And anyone can tap into their creative energy to make something special with hard work, dedication to learning and a bit of luck.
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- What it means to be a naturally creative person
- How the new working climate demands we all shift our thoughts on creativity
- How to structure your days so you can tap into your maximum creativity
- Tips and tricks to learn how to release the creativity deep inside of everyone
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.”
Welcome to Episode 4: The Inspiration Grid!
By definition inspiration is the process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to do something creative. And as such, being entrepreneurs and building a business from the ground up, we require an endless well of inspiration. It’s a huge part of what keeps us going, giving us the ability to think outside of the box, pivot and adapt when we need to, create original and attractive offerings and have fun while we do it.
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
- How to recognize when you may need a boost of inspiration
- Different mindful and FUN activities to renew your creativity
- How to be kind to yourself and allow for inspirational breathing room
- Taking what you learned and making it work (business + life)
- How to effectively send your creative work out into the world
Are you ready?Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“Someone once said that the strongest will is the will that knows how to bend.”
Welcome to Episode 3: One Word Worth Building Your Business Around. If there’s one thing that stays the same, it’s the knowledge that things will be forever changing. Ironic, right?! That’s because it is.
So, how do we at Virtually Untangled do this?
How do we navigate and build new businesses to be successful or turn the tides for ones who know they must become adaptable in order to survive?
We believe that the key to survival lies deep in the business’s genetic foundations and our team has identified four major ways to boost adaptability skills and we would encourage you to allow these “four horsemen” to guide you as you either build a new business or work to shift the tides of an existing business.
- One who remains the same never grows
- Taking educated, yet calculated risks
- Surround yourself with open minded people
- Embrace learning 24/7
Are you ready?Come on in, pop in your awesome earbuds and take a listen!
“If content is fire, then social media is gasoline.”
- Jay Baer, host of the award-winning Social Pros Podcast
Welcome to Episode 2: Non-Salesy Strategies for Marketing on Social Media, where we take an under-cover look at how to build brand loyalty and trust with our clients and target market through the medium of social media marketing.
Obviously, our business must make money to maintain a healthy bottom line, so how do we bring those sales in without our customers feeling annoyed or turned off at our marketing efforts?
Today, we are focusing specifically on how to drive your online social media marketing to bring in those customers and drive traffic to your website. We not only want to bring in customers and clients, but we also want to keep them and be in business with them for the long haul.
We’ll be “untangling” alternatives to outdated, pushy and gimmick-y sales tactics in this episode, such as …
- Warming up your leads with strong messaging
- Using truthful, inspiring stories in your social marketing
- Optimizing your messaging across all social networks
- Creating informative, yet engaging content
- Importance of believing in your brand …
AND MORE!
Are you ready?Come on in and pull up a seat!
We think big and dream even bigger. And we never underestimate the power of a good idea. If that sounds like a lofty goal … it is.
A decade ago, we founded Virtually Untangled with the goal of creating meaningful digital experiences that connect with people. We are now enabling small business owners, just like you, to own your story and share it with the world!
Every Tuesday morning, we will be dropping a new episode that will help you think big and dream even bigger with your goals.
Welcome to Episode 1: How to Work from Home and Stay Productive, where we will be talking about steps you can take to maximize your productivity while working from your home office.Who couldn’t use a refresher on this?
You may also hear a few things you haven’t heard before or hear a new take on something that makes you think about things in a different way, from a different angle. We are digging deep into this topic to help you be at the top of your game!
Here’s what we will be untangling in this episode …
- Understanding workplace productivity at home
- How your workspace area affects your productivity
- Staying focused on your work
- Dressing for success
- Nutrition and productivity
- Managing work / life balance
- Feeling isolated
- Advantages of technology
Are you ready?
Let’s dive in!