Small Business Casual: Content Marketing, Productivity, Customer Experience for Entrepreneurs & Creators

Text Emily! "It's not X, it's Y", the rhetorical "honestly?" and oh, the em-dashes! The overt tells and ... the little gut feelings when you suspect AI... what are they costing us? When our readers and listeners' spidey senses go up, when their AI radar is activated, it can quietly cost you their trust. Which means it can also cost you business. In this episode,...

Text Emily! I learned two very simple and polar opposite lessons in June:  Quit what you hate Keep going on what matters The key is mastering the art of discernment to determine which is which! Lesson #1: Leave It - If you don't like it, quit!  If something in life or business is coming up with more "cons" than "pros", you don't need to try to convince yourself it&apo...

Text Emily! Since 2014, Kristy's been pivoting, innovating, and doing things differently as she stays visible in a highly competitive industry.  In this episode, I sit down for a candid conversation with Kristy Ouellette, founder and owner of Mickey Guru Travel Company. We get into all the twists, turns, speed bumps, roller coaster rides, and magic of entrepreneurship:  How Kristy and I met (...

Text Emily! With limited bandwidth and a desire to reduce digital distraction, all while INFINITE options tug at you...  How do you decide where to actually put your time, energy, and efforts?  Is social media for the birds at this point?  How do you make time for more showing up in real life?  How do you choose things that won’t make you completely exhausted?  In this episode, we’re going to answ...

Text Emily! In last week's episode, we talked about how the next person you meet could change your life . Today, we're talking about what happens after you meet them, and more importantly, how other people can help you be MORE VISIBLE. In this special compilation episode, I bring together FOUR guests whom I know, like, love, and trust to share five out-of-the-box ways to increase your vi...

Text Emily! The best advice I ever got was just six words: "Get out there and meet people!" A former business advisor nudged me out of my retail shop and into the community over eight years ago. Her words changed my entire life. And today, I hope they change yours too! No matter what you're seeking: growth, clarity, connection, new friends, next steps, the answer is almost always in...

Text Emily! "I can't post unless I'm adding value ." Sound familiar? We've all said it (or thought it) at least once or twice. "Delivering value" has become a silent gatekeeper for our content, and the idea of what "value" means can stop us cold.  We hold off on emailing our list, posting on social, or pitching that podcast until we have the perfect fre...

Text Emily! "Authenticity" used to be one of my favorite words of all time! It meant something real, genuine, original, of the utmost quality. It offered permission to show up as yourself, not perform or pretend! Then... #internet. Suddenly, everyone was "stepping into their authentic self." From every coach, in every caption, selling every course, the word was everywhere. And...

Text Emily! 3 Years ago, when I started this podcast, I decided to go 100% in on myself. The first of many times I would show up for ME.  I’ve learned since that when you take a bet on yourself, when you’re willing to go “all in”, you end up showing up even more fully for others.  Today, to celebrate the 3-Year Podiversary of Small Business Casual (previously named “Content with Character”) and my...

Text Emily! Instead of overthinking, what if you experimented about it instead!?  “Don’t get stuck with where you have not succeeded. Go on to something else. You don’t know what will unfold.” - Natalie Goldberg In this episode, we get into where experimentation and "just trying it" fits into life and business, and how a try-before-you buy mentality can end up being a winning strategy fo...

Text Emily! When to hold em’ and when to fold em’... THAT is the question.  And in creative ventures and businesses, it’s one of the hardest things to answer when it comes up. When do you quit, stop pushing, throw in the towel, and when do you keep going? While there’s no clear answer, magical checklist, or formula, there are some questions you can ask yourself and some gut checks that can help gi...

Text Emily! Have you ever seen a business owner pay for help and then get all a gazillion different opinions from Mary, Larry, Harry, Tom, Billy, and Sally? Maybe it's been YOU seeking helper after helper whose help isn't "working"? It can be really frustrating and entirely unhelpful when we poll everyone and anyone for help on how to move forward and proceed.  Too many cooks i...

Text Emily! Have you been burned by bro marketing? Exhausted by all the social media hacks? Underwhelmed with the "just manifest it" advice?  If so, you're going to LOVE the wisdom of my guest, Jessica Lackey.  Jessica reminds us that when you play by their rules, the house always wins in the entrepreneurial casino.  We discuss how to stop betting on tactics and build a business tha...

Text Emily! Do you feel guilty if you don't post or engage on social media for a week? Do you feel like you did something WRONG if you just spent an hour scrolling instead of being productive? I recently asked this question about social media guilt on LinkedIn, asking people to share their experience with this no-win guilt phenomenon, and the comments and solidarity totally surprised me! Lots...

Text Emily! Over 80% of internet users rely on search engines regularly, and billions of searches happen every day! If you're not thinking about how people find you through search, you're missing a massive opportunity for your business.  In this episode of Small Business Casual, I’m joined by Marketing and Business Strategy Consultant, Sarah Moon, for a deep dive into what’s working in s...

Text Emily! Calling all word nerds!!  And, of course, non-word nerds who are ready to start writing with more impact.  This episode is for you!  We’re getting tactical and hands-on as I share tiny writing shifts that make a massive difference in how your emails, social posts, web copy, and marketing land.  These aren’t complicated shifts. You don’t need an MFA in Creative Writing or to spend the n...

Text Emily! In the world of AI, misinformation, and a whole lot of suspicious stuff out there in the ether... building trust matters more than ever as small business owners and creators!  In this episode, we’re going to get into what you can do to build it apart from simply saying, “Trust me!”  We're laying a foundation of trust by addressing 5 important pillars you can't afford to overl...

Text Emily! Entrepreneur, Freelancer, Self-Employed, Business Owner, Small Business Owner, Founder, CEO... what's in a name?  Don't they all just mean the same thing? Does it even matter what we call ourselves? Does it matter what we call our clients?  In this episode, we’ll explore why "entrepreneur" vs. "small business owner" feel a bit different. We'll get int...

Text Emily! Words aren't neutral. The specific words you choose shape how people perceive you, your business, and your message. Sometimes, it's just a word, and trying to find the exact right one is just overthinking in disguise, and sometimes... the tiniest words matter.  Two words, two different ways of saying the same thing, can feel completely different and set a totally different to...

Text Emily! You know what I'm talking about...  That ONE thing that's been sitting on your to-do list for weeks, taking up mental real estate, making you feel behind. I can all but guarantee that the mental weight of NOT doing it takes WAY more energy than just doing the damn thing! In this week's Love Note, I share with you the results of my mini-four-week Love Notes Experiment and...

Text Emily! We're wrapping up our series exploring Don Miguel Ruiz’s book and philosophy, The Four Agreements, and applying it to our modern businesses and creative endeavors.  Marketing, content creation, client relationships, boundaries, and perhaps most importantly, your relationship with YOURSELF, we’re going to examine what it means to do your best, not to be confused with "be perfe...

Text Emily! OOPS! I already failed on my ten-minute self-induced time cap for these weekly love notes. Forgive me this once, and I will try not to let it happen again!  I had too much GOOD stuff to share with you this week! I'm sharing five perhaps uncommon things that have been helping me feel happier lately.  Big time happiness boosters sans dopamine crash and without the cost of selling yo...

Text Emily! Today, we’re digging into the wisdom from Don Miguel Ruiz’s book and philosophy, The Four Agreements, and applying it to our modern businesses and creative endeavors.  Marketing, content creation, client relationships, boundaries, and perhaps most importantly, your relationship with YOURSELF, we’re going to examine what it means to stop making assumptions and how freeing it can be. Thi...

Text Emily! Just like I'm always encouraging YOU to do, I'm experimenting here on Small Business Casual! For the month of February, each Friday I'm going to give a little love note, an extra helping, a brief, to-the-point weekly episode where I'll share something along the lines of:  A lesson learned or challenge faced and the outcome  A cool new tool or resource A podcast epis...

Text Emily! Today, we’re digging into the wisdom from Don Miguel Ruiz’s book and philosophy, The Four Agreements, and applying it to our modern businesses and creative endeavors.  Marketing, content creation, client relationships, boundaries, and perhaps most importantly, your relationship with YOURSELF, we’re going to examine what it means to not take things personally and how freeing it can be....