Staying Solo

If you've worked in the online biz world for more than a hot minute, you've probably noticed something — Nothing is quite like it seems. You buy a template, a course, mastermind or hire a coach, and once you've handed over your hard earned money you quickly realize you are definitely NOT getting what you thought you paid for. Turns out you've fallen prey to the old "bait and switch". And trust us...

What's the worst business advice you've ever received?   For me, when I think back on the bad business advice, there's one thing that stands out — a whole lot of it came from people who didn't understand very much about running a service business. People who haven't done it themselves. People who don't get how creative businesses work.  Unfortunately, this bad advice can lead us to all sorts of pl...

As a services business owner, have you ever felt overwhelmed trying to figure out what exactly to offer your clients? Part of that struggle often stems from the world of online business and the revolving door of what's trending. Some years flat-rate pricing is all the rage, other years it seems like everyone's preaching the benefits of the VIP day model. How do you wade through the trends and figu...

Hands up if you love a great story!  As an avid reader and a professional writer, I've always been fascinated by stories. And while storytelling hasn't been a topic that I've tackled in a while, it hasn't escaped my notice that t he online business world continues to be besieged by an approach to storytelling that's a weird combination of super basic and ultra toxic. What's the alternative? How do...

The business as usual of online business is broken. But what are the alternatives? Breaking-Free of the Status Quo of Online Business will help you take a trust-driven approach to your marketing, sales and service as a coach, consultant, creative or creator. (That's right this isn't just for service businesses, but don't worry, you're still my fave!) In this free training we'll explore:  - The cur...

You've got a strategy for marketing and sales — but do you have a strategy for what happens after someone actually becomes your client? Let's face it: Clients are the lifeblood of your business. So ensuring their experience is outstanding is one of the best ways to create loyal, repeat customers who'll help bring more clients to your door.  In this episode we're looking at how to create a client e...

When you hear the word "selling" what's your gut reaction? Unsure? Scared? Like you suck? Or that you could be doing much better? The reality is that for many of us, the entire concept selling has a lot of baggage attached to it. But we can't get away from the fact that if we want a sustainable business, selling is part of the deal. How do we move past the nasty and negative style of sales in done...

Picture it: Somewhere in the world, March 2021. You've gotten yet ANOTHER sleazy email from some bro marketer trying to sell you their newest product or service, and the email is hitting you hard in all your weak spots.  And in all the thoughts running through your head, at some point you think, "well at least I don't do anything like that with my marketing". However, if you work online, you've ve...

Have you ever bought a product or service for your business that you didn't actually really want or need? You started out browsing because something caught your attention and the next thing you know you're looking around wondering exactly what happened. I know because I've been there, and many times it was because I got played. I was motivated by fear and didn't even know what was happening.  In t...

Hands up if you've ever heard this common refrain in the online business world: "You gotta spend money to make money!!" This "invest at all costs" message is designed to override logical thinking by urging you to take action and purchase, no matter what.  These fear-based tactics are exactly why I decided to conduct a survey regarding the good, the bad, and the ugly of business investments.  In th...

Have you ever worked with a coach and felt like something was off?  While coaching for business can be a great thing, with the wrong person it can be downright detrimental. And like any close relationship, there's the possibility that abuse can occur.  What are the red flags you need to look for when choosing to work with a coach? And what should be considered if you're in one of these toxic relat...

What is it about service business ownership that makes people want to chuck it all in and give up?  For some reason, service businesses are often treated as "less than" in the online business world. They're treated as though our businesses are just a stop along the way until we can do something "better". How do we turn the tide and make sure service businesses start getting the respect they're due...

Ever wondered why service businesses get such a bad rap?  Probably because we have our very own anthology of urban legends and myths that have been repeated so many times they're now accepted as fact. A lot of these myths and stories are designed simply to sell you something, and in the process, they challenge what we think we know about our service businesses. They mess with our heads. They shake...

Q: What do the online business industry and MLMs have in common? A: Way more than they should, unfortunately.  Yet for some reason, the online biz world seems to direct a whole lot of vitriol towards MLMs (and really, lots of other business models).  So where's the disconnect? How do people not see — or maybe not care — that the very thing they judge can be uncannily similar to the things they do?...

Ever had to chase a client to get paid? The fact is, when it comes to payments terms for your business, there are a ton of variables, so having everything nailed will make collecting your money as easy as possible. In today's episode, we're talking about all things payments including payment terms, options for receiving payments, payment plans and so much more.  Get the inside scoop right here: ht...

Do you ever hear other business owners talking about their money goals and milestones and wonder HOW those numbers might even be possible? The truth is, those goals you hear about may very well be based on fiction, not fact. How do you set money goals that are not only attainable, but actually make sense for you and your business? In this episode, I sit down with Financial Strategist Nechelle Bart...

Have you ever wondered the REAL story behind a business or the person running it?  Not the shiny, glossed over version that omits key things from the past, but the actual story, privilege and all? Yeah, me too. My take is this: If you're going to listen to me, read my work, and potentially work with me, you deserve truth and transparency. Especially as I literally talk about trust. How can you pos...

Question: What do the online business industry and cults have in common? Answer: Way more than you think.  For as long as I can remember I've been fascinated by cults so when I discovered two NXIVM Docuseries — Seduced and The Vow — of course I was going to watch.  But then something happened that I wasn't entirely expecting. I saw so many clear parallels between what was being shared on-screen, a...

Have you ever been told that a challenge in your business could be fixed with some mindset work? Of course you have. Because in the online business world, mindset gets  blamed for anything and everything— especially when it comes to money. Truth? I'm sick of it. While money mindset is real, not everything is a mindset issue. In this episode, I sat down with Bear Hebert, radical life coach, social...

Pricing is one of the more challenging parts of running a business as it can be complicated and nuanced. It can get tied up with our own stories about pricing, and leave us wondering what the right way to price our services really is. In this episode, we're talking about how to rethink your pricing heading into 2021, including how to raise your prices and all the factors that impact your pricing....

When it comes to marketing and sales, there are so many different strategies and tactics you can use. It's overwhelming, and frankly, many of them just aren't the right ones for your business. But there's one thing that matters more than any single tactic, and that's trust. In this episode, we're going to break down how to take a trust-driven approach to your marketing and sales. Get the inside sc...

When it comes to selling your services, it can be challenging to know if you're getting it right, or if you're inadvertently sabotaging yourself somehow. In this episode, I'm unpacking nine things I see service providers getting wrong, and we're going to talk about how to fix them.  Get the inside scoop right here:  https://smallbusinessboss.co/sales-mistakes

If you're anything like me, when you look at other people running a successful business, you want to know *exactly* what they've done to get where they are. And the truth is, while everyone is unique and each agency has its own flavor, there ARE some things that are universal when it comes to building a thriving business. I like to call these The Five Cs, and consider them the nuts and bolts of ru...

This has been the longest year ever. Am I right? And it's because my well-orchestrated plan was thrown out the window, and there's been a lot of adjusting along the way. As part of our agency model series on the BS-Free Service Business show, I'm taking you behind-the-scenes of my agency, Scoop Studios.  I share the nitty-gritty on revenue growth, the realities of lead gen, and what I'm planning f...

In this episode of the show, I'm taking you on my agency journey which has been over 20 years in the making. The twist, the turns, the lessons and how everything agency has changed. Get the inside scoop: https://smallbusinessboss.co/build-an-agency/