The Self-Employed Life

The most basic formula for success is the intersection of meaning and marketability. You have to connect the meaning of what you do to what the world wants. I share three amazing entrepreneurial journeys of clients I recently worked with in my Small Business Branding program. These stories will inspire you and get you thinking about your intersection of meaning and marketability. The Talking Stick...

We could all always use a little inspiration from time to time. Sometimes we seek it out. And sometimes it finds us at the just the right time we need to hear it. I consider myself intuitive and confident in my work. And yet, occasionally I stumble across some outside wisdom that reframes my perspectives in all the right ways. You just never know where the inspiration might come from. The most suc...

Some people are feeling like they are walking on eggshells, afraid to say the wrong thing. Yes, there are a lot of changes in the world and in the U.S. that require a whole new level of consciousness about what we say and write. This is particularly true in business. You interact with a lot of people, you don't want to offend anyone and because you're busy, sometimes it's hard to stay on top of ev...

When you have the right brand, it sells itself. We've talked before about how far branding has come, how it no longer can start with the image and work its way inward. These days brands will be exposed very quickly if they don't come from an authentic place. Trust-based relationships with your clients is key. Customer's need to know that they can be honest about their needs and that they will be l...

In this episode, I point out one of the biggest problems in marketing. Showing up as a superficial, surface level version of yourself that is not allowing customers to see the real you. You need to break down the facade and show up authentically and as compelling as you really are. I offer you a way to check your website for yourself and how to solve it. The Talking Stick is in your hands now. Let...

I love a good 'why' story. I've shared before my story about Bergdorf Goodman and how I've become one of their most loyal customers. I like to share that story because it is part of the foundation of my love for customer service that goes above and beyond. As my guest today so wonderfully puts it, "customer service is not a department. It's a mindset." There are probably many more touch points in...

At a photoshoot years ago, a little girl said to me, "You're bossy." At the time it set me back and made me consider whether it was true. Yeah, it was and still is true. Find out why being bossy isn't so bad, why you should also be bossy and why it's more important now to be bossy. Get your bossy on! The Talking Stick is in your hands now. Let us hear from you. Be part of the conversation - Join o...

Right now thought leaders are facing some of the most vulnerable times they've ever experienced. The current crisis has forced some of our most valued thought leaders into reevaluating how well-rounded their business model truly is. This is the time to look at diversifying your business model. Maturing as an entrepreneur does not mean you forget your through line. If you are confident in the solut...

There seem to be as many definitions of strategy as there are people on earth. Practically every business owner has different ideas of what strategy means and how to apply it. It's time we take a moment to setting our heads straight about strategy. Applying informed strategic practices can be the deciding factor in how successful a business is. Most businesses are built backwards. The right way to...

RuPaul once said, "We're all born naked. The rest of life is drag." Everything we put on the outside, from our clothes to a fake smile, is a facade. Find out how not wearing pants in these days of working at home and Zoom calls can help your career. The Talking Stick is in your hands now. Let us hear from you. Be part of the conversation - Join our community Facebook group, Creative Warriors Unite...

People change fast. So, marketing has to, also.  As we take this time to evaluate what's working in our businesses and what's not we should also be taking a moment to truly understand what works now that might be different from what was working previously. Whether it's natural shifts in customer-centric marketing, or the shift to digital business due to the pandemic, things are always changing. So...

In today's fast and ever-changing world, ten, five, even one-year plans may completely ineffective. Remember when we all made plans for how 2020 was going to be the year for clear vision and making big leaps forward? How did that work out? Find out how to create in the moment, follow what's unfolding and build your greatest success. You'll also hear how you are uniquely qualified for this. The Tal...

Regardless of what stage of business you are in, it is important to understand how you are positioned if something unplanned were to happen. A crisis- such as pandemic- forces business to roll out their contingency plans, pivot their trajectories, and make some really hard decisions. Times like this can make any business, big or small, feel like a startup navigating a vast ocean. The Titanic was "...

There's a lot to consider as states and towns start to reopen businesses after having been locked down for two months. Of course, you need to follow your state and local regulations. But as always, I'm more interested in the human side of doing business than regulations. In this episode, I share an email I received, my response and some ideas to reopen your business in the most considerate way pos...

We are in the midst of one of the most challenging times in world history. But if we've learned anything from history, we've learned that a crisis has always proven to be a great time for innovation. During difficult times people's needs shift, which opens up all kinds of new opportunities for innovators to solve new problems. We often think that coming up with an innovation is simply coming up wi...

With practically the whole world going virtual overnight, it brings up a lot of questions. For me, one of the big questions is "can it be personal?" To me, it is emphatically a YES and maybe even more so than in person. I offer a few reasons and examples of why. In the end, it's just another form of communication and offers expanded opportunities if we embrace it. The Talking Stick is in your hand...

I'm very excited to bring you a special and extremely important episode today. Many small business owners are going through a very difficult time. We are worried about our own lives as well as those we serve. We Creative Warriors have heart, perseverance, and most importantly, grit. Additionally, the powerful financial influence we have on the economy is undeniable. So, now is the time for our voi...

With all that's going on in the world, it's never been more important that the distinction be clear between being a small business and being self-employed. This is why I'm so excited that the next episode on Creative Warriors is with Keith Hall, President and CEO of the National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE). In this episode, I share some preliminary thoughts about the conversation. If...

We Warriors often try to fix everything that's going awry in our business all at once. But we often don't notice that there's one specific thing that we keep banging our heads up against. Most of the time there is one particular core issue that needs to be fixed before anything else can and should be addressed. And everyone knows, I love a good system.   So, rather than bouncing around trying to f...

This pandemic is like computer ram running in the background. Always there, spinning, exhausting. I don't want to make any assumptions that you feel that way, but if you're like me, you do. And I've heard that from many others. I personally have content fatigue. Tired of creating it and tired of receiving it. So we decided to offer you something very different. I asked my friend, Brant Menswar and...

Everyone knows I'm always looking for new ways of leveraging my expertise. Creatives often believe that the way to becoming well known in an industry is to start with creativity and then strategize around that. But what if we have it backwards? What if first we start with the science behind success and then apply the craft?  Personally, I'm great at creating content but terrible at sharing it. I'v...

What could be better than sitting down with a fellow Warrior who is exceptionally grounded in wisdom who also harbors the unique ability to be an amazing business strategist? It's exactly what we need at this time. To stay present and prepare for a whole new world. Thrilled to share the Talking Stick with Pamela Slim. The Talking Stick is in your hands now. Let us hear from you. Be part of the con...

The advancement of technology and AI can be a touchy subject for some. However, I love digging into it because I feel it is important - especially now- to find peace with technology and get on the right side of the AI movement. I always want to encourage all the Creative Warriors out there to take advantage of the incredible technology we have at our fingertips. Understanding the realities, benefi...

Could there be a less obvious opportunity for you in this crisis? An opportunity to stand out, show up, be in service and be remembered? I think there may be and I explore this opportunity in this episode. It's just a gut feeling and observation and only time will tell. But whether my theory is right or not, the worst-case scenario is it will give you hope.  The Talking Stick is in your hands now....

The greatest gift we've been given during this pandemic is the gift of time. Why not use this time then to hone in on developing specific skills, update our materials, and set ourselves up for coming out of this as prepared as ever? For those of us who provide services, this is the perfect time to reframe how we think about selling. How do you want to be perceived as a seller? So often sellers thi...