The Self-Employed Life

Do you consider yourself to be a highly-sensitive person? I would think most Creative Warriors are highly-sensitive people. I know I certainly am. At least in that, I am easily moved to being emotional and I am highly-sensitive of people around me. This is an eye-opening conversation with Debbie Lynn. In the end, I think you'll find this is not something to be changed but rather leveraged. But bei...

Do you have moments of feeling unfulfilled in your life? Perhaps you're chasing the wrong purpose. To really know what you should be doing in life, you need to discover your WHAT. What is it you're good at? What is it you are meant to do? So many people focus on the why, and it is important to know why you do what you do. But without the WHAT, you're never going to be able to master your talents....

Something that has always fascinated me is brand storytelling. Many large businesses are straight to the point and matter of fact about their products and services. It makes them feel cold and like a machine, just looking to get in and get out with my money as quickly as possible. On the opposite end, small businesses can be so full of passion and love for every little detail about their business...

Usually when we look at happiness, we wonder why we are not happy or as happy as we'd like to be. Well, what about the opposite? What about wondering why you feel happy and there are plenty of reasons why you shouldn't be happy? That got me curious as to what the root of happiness is. What is it that prevails, that lies beneath the challenges and circumstances, that enables us to still feel happy?...

You know that I am all about making an emotional connection with your audience. Some may feel that's difficult in our tech heavy world, where it almost seems like we are losing that touch of humanity. In reality, it's easier than ever - thanks to video. Most of us have 4k ability in our pockets. Video is no longer an investment that costs thousands and thousands of dollars. The written word is fad...

The video for my TEDx talk at TEDxLincolnSquare came out last week. Along with messages of congratulations, many people have asked about how they too, can get the opportunity to speak at a TEDx event. In this episode, I not only offer some practical tips about what I learned from applying 13 times and crafting the talk, but also the wild story behind my talk. Buckle up! This is a brutally honest s...

As you know, I am a big advocate of building that personal relationship with your clients. It's what will keep them coming back to you again and again. Think about it, how special do you feel when someone remembers your name? What about when they remember the name of people you care about, or details from a previous conversation? It's almost like magic, isn't it? That's the kind of magic you want...

It's one thing to say "no" to what you don't want to do anyway. It's quite another thing to say "no" to things that you do want to do. Why would you? To make space for what you REALLY want to do. Now that's commitment! Find out about the benefits of saying "no" and how making space doesn't have to mean you're forcing yourself to choose a niche. The Talking Stick is in your hands now. Let us hear f...

Most Creative Warriors struggle with trying to do everything and spend the least amount of time doing the thing they are best at - being creative. If you want to advance your business, there's no reason you should be the bookkeeper, or the person making spreadsheets and updating calendars. Unfortunately, hiring an employee is complicated and most people shy away from it. They worry about the expen...

Do you know how it's difficult to develop an elevator phrase or a 2-minute pitch? How hard it is to get your point across and say all that you want to say in a short period of time? Now imagine when it comes to getting the attention of a prospective customer or client in a noisy marketing world, you have 9 seconds or less to get their attention. That's the challenge with branding. That's why brand...

Some people think email marketing is dead. They couldn't be more wrong. If you want to really build success in your business, one of the most important things you can do is build a strong email campaign. In the end, it's the only online marketing asset you can really own. Your social media following will never be owned by you, it'll be owned by Facebook, or Instagram, or Twitter. The problem today...

Do you ever worry that you're charging too much for your services? If you're like most of my Creative Warriors, you do. So many times creatives lack self-worth. They discount themselves so much, that in the end even their clients don't value them as much as they should. Instead of acting like an item on the clothing rack of Walmart, think of yourself as a limited edition item at Louis Vuitton. You...

What's the fastest way to grow your business and be profitable? Should I tell you or make you listen to the episode? Hmm.....alright, I'll tell you. It's to only work with your ideal customers. Does that sound obvious? Then why do so many businesses accept whatever business comes along and never get ahead? You'll have to listen to the episode to understand how working with your ideal customers is...

Many businesses today stress one thing: customer acquisition. As important as this may seem, studies have shown that 20-70% customers stop doing business with a company in the first 100 days. Then what? Ultimately, customer retention will make sales itself. When you keep your customers happy, they will become your best sales team. So how do you work on customer retention? The first step is to unde...

Customer retention is one of the most important metrics for any business to follow. In this episode, I share my thoughts and practices about how to create amazing customer retention to prepare you to learn the strategy to do so from the guest on our next episode, Joey Coleman. Customer retention is a strategy, not a "nice to have." For every customer that you retain, you make doing business easier...

As people we all want two things: Joy and Money. It's been a stereotype that we have to choose between one or the other. How many times have you seen the cliche of a starving artist on the verge of eviction every month, or the business man who hates his life but has a car full of Ferraris? The truth is we can have our cake and eat it too. Especially as a Creative Warrior. Creatives spend their tim...

Like my TEDx talk, Validation Paradox: Finding Your Best Through Others, in this episode I clarify how working with your ideal customers also brings out your best. By surrounding yourself with people who can see more in you than you can see in yourself, you will rise to unimaginable heights.  The Talking Stick is in your hands now. Let us hear from you. Be part of the conversation - We want to hea...

Branding is something that confuses people. When they hear the world they think pretty colors and pictures, catchy slogans and jingles, or large marketing departments and resources a solopreneur couldn't afford. When it comes down to it, branding really is one of the most important things you can do for your business - and you don't need a big budget for it. The branding of yesteryear, with catchy...

After years of coaching clients through major pivots in their lives and having done more than a fair share of pivots in my own life, this episode will offer you some things to consider. There are several things that are inherent in making a change and pivot in your life. It will be very helpful for you to know what to expect. The Talking Stick is in your hands now. Let us hear from you. Be part of...

Public speaking is people's #1 greatest fear. But why are we so scared of it? Is it because we're afraid to be judged by others or is it because we aren't passionate about the ideas we're speaking about? When you get in front of an audience and you're actually passionate about the idea, the fear vanishes. Your desire to spread knowledge and awareness is felt by the audience, neutralizing the fear...

One of the more important topics in my book, LINGO , is about customer experience (Chapter 9). It's very important we think about customer service different than we used to. Simply put, we should consider not giving the experience we want our customers to have, but instead, pay more attention to the experience they WANT. Have a listen and get the latest insights about how to be sure your customers...

The word "quiz" can conjure up images of stressful days in school, or gimmicky Buzzfeed posts your friends have shared. In reality, quizzes are one of the most powerful marketing tools you can use today. People don't want to be one of a million, or even one in a million. They want to be THE one in a million. In order to do that, you need to really know them. You need to know their language, their...

By traditional definition, lingo means to speak the jargon of a group or individual. It's important as we continue to discuss lingo and the lessons taught in my book, LINGO, that you understand how I define it. I define lingo as understanding someone's essence. Ironically, to speak someone's lingo is more about the unspoken word. It's creating the energetic connection that you get each other and a...

Perception is everything in business. You want people to be able to look at you and your brand, and feel a connection. When a customer feels they know you, what you stand for, and even who you are on a personal level, they will want to be loyal to you. It's often times scary for us to put ourselves out there. As business owners we want to hide behind our business name. In the end, if you put yours...

When you think about your business as building a community and not just a business, it ups the game about how you think about the people who are going to provide for your business and your life. You will treat them as you would treat your friends and peers; as if you were going to meet each person face to face and make it a personal experience. I also provide some tips on how this can affect your...