Piccia Neri joined me on the podcast to talk about Designing for Conversions... how simple little things like the language on a button or the color of something can create a better experience for your visitors and increase conversions. She has an upcoming live summit where you can learn from top experts in this industry.

It's been a while since I had Trey Lewellen on the podcast.Trey and I met 7 years ago in a mastermind that started off teaching Facebook ads and eventually pivoted to a more general mastermind with an emphasis on FB ads. The first time we hung out together was in Maui at one of the in-person events and I felt like I'd known him forever.Trey's energy is infectious.He's fun, super smart, and simply "goes for it", which is one of the things I admire most about him.Trey's business has evolved quite a bit over the years (you can read or listen to the first few years of his business in the first podcast episode I did with him here). Once he found his sweet spot with e-commerce, he started coaching and mentoring other e-commerce owners as well as keeping his own e-commerce businesses running (he left his first niche.... which you'll have to listen to the podcast to find out what that was).With everything that has gone on in the world in the last year+ it's clear that e-commerce is only going to get stronger and stronger. And you don't have to be Amazon to do well with an e-commerce business.Trey's superpower is importing products from China (can you imagine how much easier that would be if you had someone in the U.S. who already knew how to do that?)/I knew that Trey was using a lot of different traffic methods (beyond Facebook), because his Facebook account had gotten shut down.Naturally, I was curious as to how he was driving traffic and what he was teaching, so I asked him to hop on and do another podcast with me.You'll also hear about his latest endeavor, a documentary series called "The Death of Brick & Mortar", where he highlights e-commerce entrepreneurs and shares their stories.

I’ve officially been back in California for about a week and a half now.And I have to admit, it’s lovely to be back. There are a lot of things that need attention in this state, but it’s hard to beat the weather and the beauty. No matter where I am in the world, it will always be home.The first 4-5 days here were pretty busy with unloading things into storage, taking more to the dumps, and getting set up in my temporary space at my Dad’s. Needless to say, it was a pretty exhausting couple of weeks leading up to the move and then the week of the move itself (the dogs did awesome on the long journey down… it was an 11-hour drive towing my car).Since California opened the vaccine shots to everyone 50+ on April 1st (think it will be open to all ages by the time this comes out), I jumped in and got the single-dose Johnson & Johnson shot (which was great since I wouldn’t be able to get it in Costa Rica).The shot was no big deal, but a little less than 24-hours later I had flu-like symptoms and was down for the count for the day.Even though the side effects were common, I almost think it was my body’s way of saying “STOP! You need a day girl!”So that’s exactly what I did.I took a bath (I couldn’t tell you the last time I had a fever and chills) and climbed in bed. I alternated between sleep and watching HOUSE (never watched it before… it’s a nice escape and Hugh Laurie is brilliant).You might be wondering what my point is… and why am I sharing my oh-so-dull to-do list with you?During this entire time (we’re talking a solid 3 weeks here), I managed to keep things going in my business and made money in a few different ways.This is what this episode is ALL about.And before I start into the whole “focus and discipline thing”… I want to clarify a few things because it might sound like I’m contradicting myself here (I also appreciate the simple approach or essentialist approach).One thing I haven’t wavered on, EVER… no matter what I’m talking about, is “doing the work.”Even if you have 3 things you’re doing, love them all, and are excited about each… at some point you have to hit publish, ship it, sell it, tell the world about it.Being multi-passionate only becomes a problem when you use it as a distraction or way of life as opposed to diversification.You Decide Where You FocusThis sounds so freaking obvious, but with so much information and opportunity available these days it’s easy to go sideways or get distracted.You’re focused on one thing, let’s say email marketing, then you see everyone talking about Clubhouse and why you should or shouldn’t jump in (I notice the hype and excitement has really decreased). I had a few people tell me I should get on Clubhouse and have been invited to join rooms to speak.I knew I didn’t have the time or energy to jump in, so stayed focused.It wasn’t about whether or not Clubhouse was worth my time or had any value. I simply didn’t want to do it. Might I try another audio platform later? Possibly.But for now, the only audio content I’m doing is my podcast.I have a few things that I do consistently so I make sure I have a certain level of attention and focus there, but then I also know what excites me and keeps me moving forward. I LOVE learning new things… I just don’t love learning ALL the new things.In the last year we’ve seen the world turn upside down. We’ve seen systems and ways of doing things break down before our eyes… most of which is good. Just because something has been done one way for years and years doesn’t mean it’s the way things should always be, right?The same thing is happening with the internet and online business, which, in many ways, is still in its infancy. It just doesn’t feel like it because technology moves so quickly.How to decide where to focusLet’s go back to childhood for a moment, shall we?Where do you enjoy spending most of your time?Now add the most important business question to that answer.Where do you get the best return on something you enjoy doing?Do more of that.There are a handful of caveats to this advice.All of this of course depends on where you’re at in your business and what you can financially afford to do. If you’re just getting started, you may have to juggle a couple of things at a time. Meaning, maybe you have a day job so the thing you love doing hasn’t started giving you much of a return… that’s O.K.Or, maybe you have a little bit of a runway to get things going, you don’t have a day job, but you’re not generating revenue from your new business (or newish business).Here’s a tip.Online business is much simpler than we make it out to be (lets leave the tech out of it for now). You need an audience (ideally made up of a quality list of email subscribers plus some social following), your audience needs to have a problem, you need to sell them a solution their problem.That’s it.Most of the time online businesses aren’t making money because they’re not making enough offers OR… they’re not making the right offers.All this means is you need to dig a little deeper. You don’t need to throw “the baby out with the bathwater.”There are a few things that will make a huge difference in growing your business:learn to write – content, email, sales copygrow your email listengage with peopleprovide valuesolve problemssell solutionsEven if you LOVE video and audio over writing. Learning how to write (or simply getting better at it by doing it often), will help you craft better headlines, descriptions, social content, etc.Let’s move on.3 Reasons You’re Not UndisciplinedI have to admit, I feel a bit like a kid in a candy shop ever since I decided to focus on email marketing and newsletters. Newsletters are an old idea made new again – and they’re so much better than they used to be (most of them anyway).What I’m loving most about the newsletter space are all the new people and content I’m discovering!One of my favorite newsletters (even though some of it is a bit over my head), is Contrarian Thinking by Codie Sanchez.She’s friggin’ brilliant, witty, and really good at what she does. I had already been following her for a bit when I came across her interview with Nathan Barry on his podcast (listen to “029: Codie Sanchez – The Key to Becoming a Future Billionaire” here).I’ll be listening to that episode again, but my “a-ha” moment came when they were talking about the Creator Economy and having more than one business, or revenue stream.Side note: Having multiple streams of revenue has always been talked about with online business as something we should all have/do (business in general), but then we’re also told to “focus.” Kind of contrary, isn’t it? (no pun intended to Codie’s Newsletter, “Contrarian Thinking.”).Back to my “a-ha” moment.Codie reframed this in a way that has BLOWN MY MIND. 🤯It’s simply diversification.Whaaaaat?!?!?!You mean I’m NOT an undisciplined sloth who can’t stay focused?No, my young Padawan, you are not (btw, I’m not that much of a Star Wars nut, as much as I enjoy the movies. I had to double-check that I was using that term correctly. I am. A Padawan is a learner or apprentice. You’re welcome).You’re multi-passionate and are not putting all your eggs in one basket.And it’s not only O.K., it’s probably exactly what you SHOULD be doing if that’s what lights you up.Here are the 3 Reasons You’re Not UndisciplinedYou’re producing profits through your passionsI don’t care if it’s $10 or $10,000. You have to start somewhere.As long as you’re enjoying it, it’s making you a profit (not just money… the purpose is to turn a profit), then keep at it! I wouldn’t be in business if I didn’t have multiple revenue streams. There are a couple of things in my business that I’m taking a hard look at right now regarding whether or not I’m going to continue doing them. You can only keep at something for so long without growth or income before you have to accept that maybe it’s time to move on. Or maybe it’s time to pivot.I do know that when things aren’t profitable, it’s a whole lot harder to keep going when you’re not making money with something, especially when you could be putting that energy elsewhere.2. You continue to growAs important as money is, it’s not the only measuring stick. I am such a different person today than I was 13 years ago when I first started my business. Both personally and professionally. It’s through the ups and the downs that we learn things (if only we could learn everything the easy way).In addition to income look at the rest of your data. Is your list growing? What about traffic to your site? Social engagement (more important than vanity metrics IMO).There have been plenty of people I’ve subscribed to and followed through the years that I no longer follow. Their business may have grown, but they’re teaching the same things they taught when I first came across them… which is great for them and the people they serve. That doesn’t get me excited so I move on.3. Are you enjoying the journey?This is part of my #FtheHustle movement and mission.I’m sure I could have arrived at certain goals sooner, but I don’t really care. My priorities in life are freedom, living life on my terms, and enjoying as much as I possibly can. I don’t have limitations or ceilings on goals and dreams. I like keeping things fluid and flexible, it keeps life so much more exciting. I love living from a place of wonder.Life experience and age have no doubt contributed to this “state of being” for me… and I’m beyond grateful. A year ago at this time, I was still waiting for my furniture to arrive in Boise, Idaho. Now here I am counting the weeks down until I move to Costa Rica.If the last year has taught us anything, it’s that the old way of doing things isn’t necessarily right.Expecting all entrepreneurs to run their businesses the same way is no different than expecting children to all succeed by following the exact same set of rules in school. And we all know that type of learning really doesn’t work for everyone.Do what works for YOU.If you find yourself unhappy, never finishing what you start, or doing work you don’t enjoy, maybe it’s time to reevaluate. But you don’t owe anyone an explanation for how you choose to run your business – whether it’s focusing on one product and one brand or 5 businesses and 20 offers.You do you.

I had a friend reach out to me on Facebook yesterday with a question that prompted this podcast episode.And bear with me here… I think with this transition and move some of the upcoming podcast episodes are going to have more of a ‘life theme’ to them, but I’ll do my best to share how it relates to my business and where I’m taking things, and more importantly, how that can help you.Here was the question I received:“Hey Kim! Hope you’re doing well! I just read your email about the clean slate and it honestly got me thinking about my future on a lot of things. Things aren’t going well with my current job and I haven’t been happy in a while. My boss offered to pay me for one more month so I can find something else if my heart isn’t completely in it, and I don’t think that it is anymore.I know you have a lot going on and I’m sorry to bombard you with that, but after your email it seemed like maybe you had some insight that I don’t on things! Hope you’re well.”I’m going to give you my response, and then we’ll dig deeper into what I mean by it and how you might be able to implement this in your own life and business.My response:“Hey (his name)! You’re not bombarding me. My insight comes from lots of trial, error, and tenacity (hence the podcast title). From my understanding, you want to have your own business. If you’re not sure exactly what that looks like, that’s perfectly fine. And I get needing a job while you figure that out. However, if you’re enjoying the job, I’d start looking ASAP for something else that feels better in terms of a means to an end. When you focus on where you want to be as opposed to where you are, you’d be surprised at what shows up!”We went back and forth a bit more, I sent him a link to a Dr. Joe Dispenza video on YouTube, and it really got me thinking.I don’t know about you, but I used to put so much pressure on myself to be somewhere else, do more, have more, accomplish more, etc., that I’ve robbed myself of much of the journey and the joy that can only come from being present in the moment.Obviously, with my decision to move to Costa Rica, I’m not doing that anymore (or at least if I do I can tell you that it’s a conscious decision), but it’s been through life experiences that I’ve figured that out.I talk to both of my kids about this stuff a lot. I’ve told them both that they are so far ahead of the game if they can “get” this stuff now… the world is their oyster.One thing I want to share that I originally shared with my son and also with my friend on FB yesterday (he’s about 20 yrs younger than me) is this: “What I do for a living didn’t exist when I was his age.”My son is only 20, and my daughter is 24.I want them both to follow their hearts, do what they love, and make the most of their lives, whatever that looks like to them.I think it’s safe to say that my life is nothing like I thought it would be (when I said that to my therapist one time she was like “ya think?” Meaning… that’s the case for most people).When I was 24 I was dating my husband, we knew we’d get married, have kids, and thought we’d live the typical, traditional, suburban life.When all that was taken from me I did a lot of soul-searching.It’s taken years (and a lot of courage & conscious work), to really own that I want something different.The same can be said for running an online business.When we’re starting an online business (and/or growing it), we all do the same thing (which makes sense). We do some research, we dig in, we study, we find some sort of mentor/guru/guide that helps us get started.That could be in the form of finding someone you resonate with via a podcast or hiring an actual coach.For the sake of this podcast episode, let’s focus on an online business in terms of being a coach, author, course creator, or e-commerce store owner.When I first started back in 2008 I hired a coach and signed up for a social media course (which was pretty much in its infancy). I knew enough to be dangerous in that I was going to go all in with this.I had attended a breakout session and a live event in San Francisco and had also listened to an audio program about becoming a speaker (yep, even back then I wanted to do this), and there was one speaker who talked about Internet marketing.I was in.I started thinking I’d be an information marketing millionaire…I’ve told my story so many times, but the TLDR is I found WordPress, started bartering websites for things (while I learned), got better, hired a team, started an outsourcing company, launched a podcast in 2013… pivoted to my personal brand in 2018, tried to do a SaaS product, went all in on Content Marketing, launched the Content Creators Planner with Jodi towards the end of 2018 and here we are today.My entire journey has been trial and error.That’s how we learn.I wish clarity came through pondering, thinking, and planning, but it doesn’t (at least for me it doesn’t).It comes through doing the work.If you had told me even 5 years ago that I would enjoy studying and practicing copywriting I would have thought you were on drugs. There was nothing about it that I enjoyed (probably due to the massive resistance I had towards it).So, you might be thinking, great… what happened? What shifted? Why the change?I started writing my almost-daily emails.I had zero attachment to what that looked like, other than I was committed to doing it for myself. I wanted to see that I could stick with it and focus on the mastery of what I was doing as opposed to the desired outcome.*Side note* Letting go of a desired outcome doesn’t mean you don’t have goals and desires. It simply means you focus on what you can control, where you should spend your energy, and how you want to get there.Every single time I let go of the outcome I’m pleasantly surprised (which is a fairly new belief for me).Back to writing.I still prefer writing content (especially like this), because I get to simply be myself and it flows.Writing copy requires a different part of my brain. Instead of thinking about sharing, connecting, or teaching, I need to think about the transformation of the person I’m making the offer to.It can be an opt-in, registration, or sales offer. It doesn’t really matter, as long as I know what their pain is and how what I’m offering solves their problem.Knowing that is just the first step.Then you have to be able to communicate it in a way that the person feels like “YES! That’s exactly how I feel!”I’m pretty sure I’ll never call myself a copywriter, but I can certainly say I enjoy the mastery of it now.There’s something highly satisfying about being able to write something that inspires someone to take action.Let’s talk TenacityWhenever I think of tenacity I think of something Tony Robbins said years ago when I used to listen to him. He said “how long would you give your average baby to walk?”How long until you tell them “nope, that’s it, you didn’t get it, you’re done.”The answer was “I’ll give them until they walk! There’s no time limit!”Or what about learning to ride a bike? Or learning how to drive?We stick with it until we get it.End of story.Tenacity doesn’t require any specific skill set. All it asks of you is to not quit.I think if I had gotten out of my own way (i.e, my head) and worried less about what people thought of me and more about what I thought of me, I probably could have reached certain goals by now (or reached some faster).BUT… we don’t know what we don’t know, right?It’s easy to look back and make judgments about who we were, where we were or what we did, but what’s the point?I truly feel we’re all doing the best we can.Of course we make mistakes and screw up. We ALL do. Instead of judging it simply learn from it and move on.For me it was realizing that being unkind to myself was getting me nowhere. I have never been able to berate myself into success.It’s just not going to happen.Which is when I decided to try the alternative.What if I was kind to myself? What if I took a gentler approach?What if I decided to CLAIM WHAT I wanted?That’s the place I live my life from now. That’s where I create from.What to do nextI want to share a few exercises with you that I think you’ll have some fun with. If any of this has resonated with you, all I’m asking you to do is be open to trying these things.The other piece of this that will make a huge difference for you is to make sure you’re in the right frame of mind when you do this (my phrase of choice would be alignment).The three exercises I want you to do are:The “What if” gameYour ideal everyday dayYour business, Your WayThe “What if” gameI may have shared this in a previous podcast episode, so apologies if it’s a repeat. I know I shared it in an email. All I want you to do is set a timer for a minimum of 15 minutes and write out as many positive “What if” statements as you can think of.Take every negative or challenging thought you have (you can do this for your life and or business, or both), and write the alternative.As an example: using my earlier resistance to copywriting above. A new “what if” statement would be “what if copywriting was fun?” And you can keep going from there. “What if learning to write copy opened new opportunities for me? What if I created new friendships and relationships through my desire to get better at copywriting?Your ideal “everyday day”,from Frank Kern’s Core Influence talkThis is what your life would look like on any given day (i.e, not the dream vacation, wedding day, etc.).Here are the questions from his talk:1) Where would you live?2) What would your house look like?3) What would it smell like?4) What time would you wake up?5) What would you do in the morning?6) What does the mundane stuff look like?7) What are you thinking about in the morning?8) What would you spend the first half of your day doing?9) What would you have for lunch?10) Who would you eat with?11) What would your friends be like?12) What would you talk about?13) What would you do for personal fulfillment?14) What life purpose would you strive for?15) What would your business be?16) What time would you start work?17) What would you actually DO at work?18) What is your relationship like?19) What do you do for family time?20) What would you do at night?21) What would your thoughts be as you go to sleep?3. Your Business, Your WayThis is a similar take on the ideal everyday day but do it specifically for your business.– How do you earn your income?– How much do you earn?– How do you spend your time?– Who do you work with?– Where do you spend your time? (in-person and online)– What else do you want to do?You get the point.Take your time with each of these exercises and see how you feel when you’re done.Then simply sit with them. You don’t need to take immediate action or create a master mind map of all these things.Just let them percolate and see what unfolds.This doesn’t mean you stop taking action, you simply relax about it. You’ll find that you start taking inspired action and things #JustShowUP.What’s the point if you’re not enjoying the journey?If you decide to have some fun and try these exercises, let me know how it goes.

It's been a while since I've started a post or podcast with a quote (and I guess technically I'm not since I'm explaining it before I share it... 🤣), but this feels appropriate for this episode.Nothing is more powerful than an idea whose time has come.- Victor HugoHopefully, you're not tired of hearing this (yet), but I shared last week that I am officially moving to Costa Rica!Of course, I'm scared... but I'm doing it anyway (and much more excited than I am scared).This has been something I've been thinking about for probably close to 10 years (not necessarily Costa Rica, but moving out of the country).It started from a place of curiosity and wonder, pivoted to other reasons over the years (let's face it, the United States has had some serious challenges), and now my reasons have shifted again.Of course, the curiosity and wonder are still there, but now it's because I have a massive desire to experience something different.I've never really been someone who wanted to live in a city (I do appreciate visiting a city from time to time), and have spent my entire life in suburbia. I honestly never wanted anything else until 2002.In 2002 I was a best friend's wedding in Italy (her husband is Italian, my daughter was the flower girl and I was a bridesmaid).That trip changed everything for me.I hadn't even been that interested in traveling, to be honest. Once you get outside of your comfort zone and realize how much more there is to experience in the world you see things differently.Even if you don't want to live out of the country or travel much, having those experiences are invaluable.Once I went to Italy I craved those experiences and I knew I wanted that for my kids. I took them to Scotland in 2013, then my daughter and I went to the South of France in 2015 (she's since traveled with friends to Paris and London).They have plenty of time for travel and both have a desire to see and experience things outside of their day-to-day (my job here is done).Back to Costa Rica...Costa Rica wasn't really on my radar until my therapist told me she had property there.Every now and then I would ask her a little bit about her experiences there, why she liked it so much, etc., which then made me look a little deeper into the country itself.When I first started thinking about it I wasn't sure if I really could do it... but over the years, like anything else in life, you start to realize what you really want.I started my business because I wanted FREEDOM.Freedom to be home for my kids, not have to commute, and create the quality of life I wanted.I have always felt like there was something else I was supposed to do with my life (outside of having a job and work for someone else), I never really knew what that was, I simply kept pursuing it.And side note: I say this to my son all the time (he's 20). What I do for a living didn't even exist when I was his age!There is something to be said for having the tenacity and simply continuing to move forward.I've decided I'm going to do a separate site for my journey to and in Costa Rica. I've got the domain name and will be sharing that soonish. I'll do some updates here as well, but if you want to follow that journey in more depth I'll let you know where to subscribe.I'm even toying with the idea of doing a podcast so I can interview other entrepreneurs and business owners in the local area... which feels like it would be a great way to connect with people (so yea, it's a little self-serving).Being scared and doing it anywayYou might be wondering what all this has to do with my business.Or better yet, YOUR business.It has everything to do with it.So often I see people waiting to have everything perfect or they have a preconceived idea of what they need in place before they launch something, make an offer, or publish.With instant access to compare ourselves, it's hard not to feel like we should be doing more, be more, have more... the "more" never ends.Much like a to-do list with online marketing.There is ALWAYS more you can be doing. It literally never ends. Even when you complete a project, launch, offer, post, video... then there's the next step.So make peace with the process and journey.Since declaring/sharing that I'm going all-in with email marketing and newsletters under my personal brand, I've definitely had my fair share of imposter syndrome rearing its ugly head.Back in my WordPress Chick days, I felt this a lot.It was easy when I was just getting started (2008) because I didn't know any better. The deeper I got into the WordPress space the more I felt it. It wasn't until I found my own little niche (my tagline was "A Place where WordPress and Marketing Collide") that I relaxed about my imposter syndrome.Even then, outside of my friends, there was still a feeling of "one of these things just doesn't belong here."Until I decided "what you think of me is none of my business" (one of my favorite Wayne Dyer quotes).Fast forward to today and I'm very aware of some of those same feelings creeping in.The biggest difference is I'm not waiting around for anyone to give me permission.I've decided to claim it all.The best way to get clarity in your business is through the doing.You can read, research, mind map, plan, and hire mentors all day long... all of that stuff works... provided you do the work as well.*Side note* just to keep things real for you... as I've been working on this podcast I find myself feeling pulled in a bunch of different directions, none of which are urgent or need my attention. Obviously, I have a lot going on right now, but it can't all be done at once. All I'm doing is delaying the work right in front of me.You'll never get better at emails if you don't start writingYou can't build an email list unless you create a lead magnet /opt-in offer and tell people about it (add it to your site, share it socially, etc.).You won't make a sale unless you make the offerYou can't grow a podcast until you start recording itYou can't build a list of newsletter subscribers without publishing your newsletterYou can't charge more if you're not willing to pay other people what they're worthYou get my point.It's time to start taking complete responsibility for what we do, who we are, and what we want.Instead of blaming yourself and making judgments about what you do or don't do (simply another distraction), to quote Nike and Shia Lebouf, JUST DO IT!You're going to be scared.Do it anyway.I've finally accepted that there really isn't a "perfect time" for anything (only took me 50 years).Truly the ONLY difference between you and someone who is where you want to be?They jumped in and did it...Last summer when I sold my "List Explosion" course I followed Ramit Sethi's "Breakthrough Launch."I had purchased the course much earlier in the year knowing I would use it later.I made a commitment to myself that I was going to do exactly what Ramit said to do when it came to the email sequences for the launch.Hand to heart I can tell you that some of this was WAY beyond my comfort zone. Sending the 'cart is closing' email on a Friday evening had my stomach in knots.It was like I was watching this conversation in my head the entire time...I had to remind myself of the things I had done and was doing that were WAY harder than sending an email (I mean c'mon... typing words on a screen and hitting send?).Did it work?Hell yes it did.Just like Ramit had said, most of my sales came at the end of the launch, and yes, even on that Friday evening! The "cart is closing" email WORKS.Hence the "this sh*t works" phrase I live by now.To reference the famous Chinese proverb:"The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now."If you want to take the time to plan anything, plan how you want your life to feel first.Then back into that and make sure what you're doing day to day supports that.I want a different quality of life.Hence my move to Costa Rica.And circling back, I want to earn more and work less. Which means I have to be conscious about how I spend my time. Every. Single. Day.That doesn't mean it's scheduled down to the minute (when my calendar is packed it makes me cringe).It means I do whatever I have to do to be in alignment and trust the process first, then I can begin working.I ask myself if the activity I'm doing is getting me closer or further away from what I want.You do NOT need a bunch of complicated funnels, Facebook ads, a YouTube channel, a FB group, a Clubhouse room, a complicated membership platform...You need a problem that YOU can help people solve.You need a list of people who like who you are, what you do, and you have a relationship with.You need an offer that solves their problem and gives them the transformation they desire.How you deliver that is up to you.

Kyle Van Deusen joined me on the podcast again (it's been a long while) and we went deep into Facebook groups, newsletters, and email marketing.Kyle is the founder of OGAL Web Design, The Admin Bar Facebook group, and the new WordPress plugin, Docket WP.

Inspiration can come from so many places if you keep your mind open.I can remember back to being a little kid and making plans with my friends. You had big ideas and big dreams… you didn’t let the “outrageousness” of the dream hinder you from making the plans, right?This cracks me up as I think about it… in the 4th grade, one of my best friends and I talked about how we were going to be rock stars. I was really into music when I was a child, I played piano and was in a children’s choir. We spent so much time drawing our outfits and planning our performances (I don’t remember what we were going to call ourselves).I wish I could remember when we pivoted to the next great idea, but that’s not the point.The point is how we felt while we were “in it.”You know what I’m talking about, don’t you?As entrepreneurs we connect with the excitement of the idea and the planning phases on a regular basis (if we’re lucky). The novelty and excitement can wear off once you start digging in and doing the work, but if it’s right, you keep going.Finding InspirationI’ll admit it… I can be a bit of a nut when it comes to information.I jokingly said to my therapist that I wish I could get paid to read. Her response? Spot on as always, “well, you do. You take what you’ve read and learned, implement it, and apply that knowledge to what you’re doing.”That being said, there does come a point where you have to consume much less than you create.For me, I have routines for consumption. I allow myself time in the morning when I’m having my first coffee, or when I’m having lunch, or even after my work day is over (I tend to leave my office in the late afternoon, and then pick up my laptop again after dinner).Now that I have two newsletters (#FtheHustle here and Creativity Published with Jodi on Content Creators Planner), my consumption has a more direct impact on what I’m doing (can I get an Amen?).I’ve started creating a little bit more structured process for note taking and gathering. There are things I gather to share and there are things I gather for myself.All of this has led me to discovering new people and places that inspire me.What a gift!For the sake of keeping this somewhat focused, I’m going to use the internet marketing/online marketing space as my example here.There is no shortage of experts, influencers, or guru’s to follow in this space.And let’s remove all judgment about how we feel about any of those people… let’s just look at the facts (because I have no doubt some of the people that come to mind when I use those terms may trigger something in you, that’s O.K.).Like you I’m sure, I have my “go to” people that I follow, read, or listen to.On one hand, this is great. You know who inspires you, who you resonate with, and what you like about them. On the other hand, it can lead to challenges that create that feeling of being “stuck” in your business.There are a lot of “names” I’ve followed or listened to in the past that I don’t follow or listen to anymore.And it’s for one simple reason.I’ve outgrown them.When we change and grow the people who brought us to a certain level aren’t necessarily going to be the same ones who take us to the “next level” (that poor saying is so overused and annoying, but it is what it is).Even when these people have significantly scaled and grown their businesses, what they’re doing may no longer relevant to what you’re doing OR… they’re still serving the same audience (which is smart because they know who they serve and how to help them) and you’re beyond that.Here’s the challenge with this.It might be hard to put your finger on it, but as you grow and learn in your business you need to be challenged.Often what happens is people simply move from tactic to tactic as opposed to going deeper (i.e, they go wider).I was listening to a podcast episode with Christine Kane this morning on the “Soul Sourced Business Podcast” called “The #1 Problem Behind Your Sales” and I wanted to yell “PREACH GIRL!” as I was listening.Because it was all about getting really clear on the transformation of what you do for other people (my words, not hers).I’ve had my fair of business success, but I can absolutely guarantee you that I could have achieved more had I dug deeper instead of always ‘wider’.The reason most people don’t do this is that it’s not sexy… it’s not fun. It’s a lot of freakin’ hard work to sit and write out features and benefits in your own voice, then tweak it, and edit it. And that’s just the first step (as an example).People copy what other people are doing because they don’t have the confidence in themselves to practice and get better at clearly defining “what’s in it” for their customers.This is why it’s imperative to start seeking out other people and places for inspiration.Marketers who do well know how to sell.They know how to create compelling stories, copy, and communicate with their audience.After a while it’s like we put blinders on and buy into this idea that if we just do what they tell us to do it will all work and we’ll have similar success.And sometimes it does.But more often than not, it doesn’t.As an example: Let’s say you purchase a course on webinars. You’ve decided you’re going to go all in with webinars, you have your course you’re going to offer at the end of the webinar, so you purchase an expensive course by a guru who has “crushed it” with webinars.(Note: I’m not picking on anyone selling webinar courses, I’ve purchased two and they’re hugely valuable).Here’s the thing…If you don’t know how to clearly communicate what you do in a way that solves a problem for someone else? It doesn’t matter.You end up mimicking what is in the course and it falls flat (or doesn’t do the volume you were hoping it would).Learn to be YOU in your marketing.Dig deep with a shitty first draft of everything you do and have the patience to work through it.Once you start doing this it’s like the world opens up and you see things differently.This has happened to me more times than I can count.Because I decided to go deeper, I needed to find new teachers, mentors, people to follow who could help me get better.For me that’s been digging into copywriting, writing, and communicating in a way that truly connects with people.Coaches, course creators, and marketers who don’t communicate that you have to have this piece dialed in are doing you a disservice.It’s not their responsibility to teach you everything, but if it’s clear who the program/product is for then it’s up to each individual.I know I got a little sidetracked here, so let’s get back to finding inspiration.First, you need to have a little “come to Jesus” moment with yourself.A friend and I have been using the terms “adulting” or as my therapist says “parenting yourself.”You’re the only one who knows if you’re wasting hours scrolling on social media instead of writing the post, email, course, doing the client work, etc.And not to be a Debby Downer, but I would guess that if you looked back on something a year ago and had stuck with the commitment you made to yourself to stick with something, you’d be in a different place today.My “come to Jesus” moment was simply making sure I blocked the time to do the work.Ever since I started my business I’ve had resistance to creating a super structured schedule.I told myself a plethora of stories and justified that “this is why I work for myself”… blah, blah, blah.Even though I’ve always gone to my office, I’m at my desk by a certain time, etc. I knew that I could make better use of my time.I use what I call ‘gentle structure’ in my life. I truly need a certain amount of white space in my life so I make sure to take that. Outside of that, I hold myself to a different standard to “do the work.”The more I dig in and do the work, the more excited I get.Having recently made the decision to focus in on email marketing and newsletters through my personal brand (I announced this in a recent issue of #FtheHustle), I feel like a kid in a candy store.I felt like I was competing with myself with the Content Creators Planner. We talk about, teach, and focus on all things content marketing with that brand. I was constantly struggling with where I should do what…My excitement level is so high with this decision that it reminds me of when I first started my business (anyone else remembers that ignorance is bliss feeling?), only now I have a totally solid foundation, skillset, AND… I have an audience.For the last 13 years, I’ve continued to #JustShowUP and put one foot in front of the other. Could I have been more strategic?Probably.But you don’t know what you don’t know. It’s perfectly O.K.. to figure it out as you go.Here’s what I would recommend as a starting point to finding new inspiration. I’m going to bullet list these here but go into more detail in the actual podcast, so be sure to listen 😉 .Medium.comSocial media: share, respond, engage and ask questions.Facebook groups or other communities: choose to participate! Especially in groups or communities for courses and products you’ve purchased!Newsletters: holy moly… so many opportunities here. It can be a bit of a rabbit hole, so don’t say I didn’t warn you.*Suggestion* create a new Gmail address for newsletter subscriptions.Ads: this might sound crazy, but I do a little backward hacking here. If I see an ad for something (example: an email marketing product) and I’ve never heard of the person or company, I may click through on the ad (to dig into the copy and messaging), but often I just search them and go to their website.Podcasts: I have discovered so many new people by listening to podcasts where they were the guest! Dig a little deeper after you’ve listened to an episode and find out more about the guest.*Suggestion* tweet to them or send them a message that you listened to them on a podcast and that you enjoyed the show!Different industries: step outside your comfort zone and read something about an industry, product, or market that you’re NOT in. For example: maybe you don’t have an e-commerce store but you think you “might” want to try someday. Find someone in that space you can follow, listen to, get inspiration from.Hobbies: my love of lettering, journals, and planning are what gave me the idea for the Content Creators Planner. #nuffsaidYour OWN list! Start having conversations with people you’ve never talked to before. Ask for people to reply, ask them to tell you where they’re stuckBuild-in public: this is a new one for me, but I think I’m going to do it with the 3rd newsletter I’m launching.Whew… that’s a pretty decent start wouldn’t you say?There is something SO fun about stepping outside of your comfort zone. It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day and same ol’ same ol’.Growth doesn’t happen when you don’t stretch or push yourself a little bit. You don’t have to be hard on yourself, you simply need to be honest with yourself.There’s no right or wrong, good or bad here.Another question my therapist asked me once, that quite frankly, stung a little bit, was “Do you really want this?”Lastly, I wish there was a way to really express how amazing you will feel by doing this for yourself. Who you become in the process and the level of trust this creates within is truly priceless.It will give you everything you need to continue reaching for what you want.I’m rooting for you!

Bridget Willard joined me on the podcast to talk about her brand new WordPress plugin, Launch with Words. We also discussed her books, social media, and marketing in general.

Creating your own niche IS possible…If you’ve been in the online space for any length of time, at some point or another you’ve heard/read/been told that you need to niche down.As someone who hasn’t ever really done this, I’ve been a little giddy to see a couple of articles popping up lately that go against that age-old advice. I’m going to start by saying you don’t necessarily need to be a generalist either… I’m saying create your OWN niche.Back in the day when I was creating websites for clients, I never niched down. I also never advertised or marketed my services (which I’m not saying is a smart strategy, I simply didn’t want to be doing that work so let it just unfold and see what showed up, but that’s for another day).Before we get too deep into this episode I think it’s also worth noting that if you are in a niche and it’s working for you, then fantastic. I’m not saying that niching down doesn’t work, because I can give you plenty of great examples where it does.I have a friend whose niche is the building industry (construction). She has created a solid and growing business in a very specific niche. However, she didn’t start her business because she went looking for a niche and then picked the construction industry.When I started my online business I more or less stumbled upon WordPress, enjoyed what I was learning and grabbed a great domain name (The WordPress Chick).Those were the good ol’ days…. ignorance was bliss.My imposter syndrome showed up as I started to learn more and it wasn’t until I found my own little space within the WordPress community (marketing & WordPress) that I started to slough off the feelings of being an imposter.Which is why I shifted to my personal brand.I love EVERYTHING about marketing.Content creation, email marketing, copywriting, product creation, offers, chatbots, traffic, etc.I go deep on things that interest me and let them evolve.Let’s look at content creation as an example.I started creating content and continued doing things I loved. I knew very little about SEO, had never done the ‘content silo’ and many of the posts or episodes I’ve created that have resonated most with people have very little to do with SEO.Again, not saying SEO doesn’t matter (it does, and it’s worth doing and getting good at).What I am saying is it’s brilliant to create and publish from a different place. If I don’t feel inspired by what I’m doing it’s simply not going to work.Let’s talk about the whole “niche” thing, shall we?First, let’s differentiate who we serve from the niche.When you’re creating your customer avatar, with demographics and psychographics, you want to get specific. Whether or not that ends up being exactly who you serve isn’t the point.Meaning, let’s say I were to say that my target audience is a female, between 35-60, who has an online business and is looking to stop trading time for money. In other words, even if they love the service work they’re doing they want some leverage. My psychographics are clear: they’re self-responsible, willing to do the work, and are non-judgmental.Does that mean I don’t work with men?Or I don’t work with someone outside of that age rangeOf course not. What this does is help me get crystal clear on my messaging and who I’m talking to when I create content or copy (including email). When I was in the WordPress space my audience was pretty split (50/50 between men & women).I don’t have current data on this right now but I can tell you that more women purchase from me than men (especially coaching services).In a recent article by Nicholas Cole, he said:Creators who stand out don’t “find” their niche.The Reason why is hidden in the phrase above.Finding your niche is another way of saying “figuring out where you fit in.” And people who stand out don’t fit in anywhere. Which is the whole reason why they capture and keep people’s attention.They’re different.– Nicolas ColeOne of my favorite lines from that article, titled “Find Your Niche” is Terrible Advice” is this:“In short: it encourages a mindset of competition.”How much time do you waste paying attention to “the competition?”There’s a huge difference between looking at what other people are doing and doing research. We can all go down that rabbit hole of FOMO when we start comparing what we’re doing or how other people are doing (thank you social media).Here’s another mind-bending question (IMO): where do you think you would be today if you had simply launched or created the thing you wanted to create as opposed to judging yourself because you hadn’t gotten specific enough?Before I get too much further with this, let me clarify that you still have to be crystal clear on the problem you’re solving.Let’s take my latest obsession with newsletters.In the last 2 months, I’ve coached people in a handful of different industries. For most of them (not all of them), I recommended launching a newsletter.Why?They all had a common need: to grow a quality list of subscribers, provide value to their audience, and sell more through email marketing.So in this case, lead generation and email marketing were the problems.The solution was the newsletter.I didn’t decide that I was only going to help female bloggers who “X” or only help freelance content writers.See what I mean?The book “Blue Ocean Strategy” goes deeper into this entire philosophy. The tagline of the book alone is enough to make you think twice about how you’re doing things:“How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make the Competition Irrelevant”What to do insteadI’ve often referred to the work I’m going to talk about as the intangible, sort of ‘behind-the-scenes’ work.Getting clear on who you serve and the problems you can solve for them is only part of the process.The harder part is how you define all this. In other words, your messaging. I’ve always been a “figure it out as I go” kind of person, but that will only get you so far.At some point, you have to do the work.To hopefully make this more tangible, let me share something I’ve been working through.In the next month I’ll be opening up a brand new group coaching program, called “#JustShowUP INSIDERS” – it’s a private, 6-month group coaching and mastermind.I’ve outlined the 6 months in terms of content and deliverables on my end, how the calls will be structured, who I want to work with, and how I can help.Here’s the “do the work” part…Defining all that and being able to communicate it in a way that connects with who I’m serving and THEN… inspires them to buy.THAT is the real work.And it takes patience and diligence.Specifically, it was writing out the who and the what. Then taking that and going deeper. Sometimes it’s painful and other times it flows and is easy. I don’t force things when I feel like I’m stuck, but more often than not getting started is what’s most painful.After I’ve started that part I start turning it into a headline and using a framework (I have a sales page framework that I use for a lot of things now as it addresses a lot of the things I’m trying to get clear on) to get even clearer.Then I’ll ask a friend to go over it with me.Having an extra set of eyes from someone who knows me and is willing to give me constructive feedback is priceless.This entire process is about communicating how and why they should work with me. In other words, circling back again to the problems I can help them solve.Back to nichingThe purpose of this episode is hopefully to get you out of your head and into production mode.If you have a niche, you love it, and it serves you, by all means, continue with what you’re doing.This isn’t an argument against niches.I do agree with Nicolas Cole that “finding your niche” is terrible advice.With more people trying to find their way online the biggest differentiator we have is who we are.One of the reasons I read so much content online is that I get excited every time I see a new way of doing something that has been around for a while ( I recently shared an article about YouTube sensation Mr.Beast launching a 300 location burger chain in a single day with something called “Virtual Concept Dining”… that such a thing even exists is exciting!).Being the low price leader or adding features and benefits to something that already exists isn’t enough anymore (and quite frankly sounds uninspiring, to say the least).Courage and Bravery are requiredI don’t know about you, but I am SO ready to mix things up!Last year was challenging for all of us, and the few years before I had some serious personal challenges that took a lot of time and energy away from my business.This past year (I’ve been in Idaho almost a year already, hard to believe) has been immensely healing and I feel a new sense of excitement brewing.Change is in the air.I’ve made a few content predictions lately, but beyond content, I think there are new marketing opportunities as well (there always are, right?).What’s old is new again: The bottom line with marketing is that everything works if you do the work. Whether it’s webinars, live streams, email marketing, podcasting, blog posts… they ALL work. You just need to be willing to be consistent and put in the time.*Here’s the opportunity: how can you do it differently? What unique spin can you bring to a methodology that has proven to work?New ways to connect & build community: Things feel like they’re settling down a bit now that the US elections are over, we’ve had the inauguration, etc. I don’t know about you, but after the last year, I’m certainly craving more human connections! New relationships, reconnecting with old relationships, forming new communities, etc. With the new onset of platforms like Circle.so, where can you build your community?*Here’s the opportunity: How can you create a community of supportive and like-minded community on a platform YOU choose?Gated content: Business owners are going to be much more selective about what they “give away.” There is a certain strategy to creating quality content that engages your audience without giving away the farm so-to-speak. Take a look at newsletters: there are lots of businesses growing a paid newsletter. The price point is low (there are much higher priced newsletters as well), but the model of going wide vs. deep feels like a breath of fresh air.*Here’s the opportunity: Whether it’s a newsletter, monthly audio subscription, video subscription, or community. Look at the models that you pay for and notice what interests you.I know these might not be the hacks and tricks you’re looking for (yes, I totally thought about “these aren’t the droids you’re looking for), but, to quote myself, “this shit works.”Go deep on the mastery of your subject. Create quality content, spend more time promoting than you do creating (find your own happy place here, but just do more than the scheduled promotion… note to self here), and for the love of ALL that is good in the world… make your offers!Start selling.Give your business the chance to do what you set out to do. Be uniquely yourself and put in the work.

The best path to long term success online is taking an audience-first approach to everything you do. Focus on who you serve and why. In this episode, you'll get:Optimize your websiteGet pickyBoring worksAsk questionsCreate a solid foundation for your business by focusing on customers, quality, and long term strategy and growth.