When we first start our own business, we have big dreams and grand plans, but we don’t really know if it will take off. Today we hear the inspiring story of Kelly Aaron, who shows us that with perseverance, adaptability, and a commitment to building relationships, success is within reach. “Our biggest limit is self-imposed.” - Kelly Aaron Kelly opened her first business over 20 years ago. Fueled by her passion for modern design and art, she curated museum exhibitions and facilitated the sale of rare pieces through esteemed auction houses. In 2016, Kelly founded Blueprint Lighting, a company that has since earned a reputation for crafting exquisite, modern fixtures.  Blueprint Lighting started from a lightbulb moment with a dismantled light fixture in a garage. From this spark of creativity, the company embarked on a transformative journey that led to its present-day prominence. Here are 3 things you can learn from Kelly’s story.   You can just start and figure it out as you go.  Prioritize exceptional care for your clients.  Actively cultivate meaningful relationships.   “You have to be willing to go, I’m not fully in control of this, but even if I get the least out of it, I’m okay with that.” - Kelly Aaron Kelly sheds light on the importance of planting seeds in our business and patiently nurturing their growth. We may not have control over how or when these seeds will flourish, or which opportunities will materialize, but we need to continue planting them. Because we never know what will come out of a favor we grant, or valuable offering we give, or an email we send. Who knows? That rush order over Thanksgiving might lead to one of your biggest clients.  Connect with Kelly Aaron: Instagram Contact Blueprint Lighting: Website Facebook Instagram Pinterest  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we're exploring the tools used by one of the biggest theme parks, Universal Studios. By studying their systems and processes, we can learn how to use the same tools in our own businesses and play the long game like a pro.Here are some of the things Universal Studies does right to make sure their park is a success and guests enjoy every step of their experience: Plan - Before any construction took place, not only did they plan the park layout, but they also considered where the guests would line up for rides, and where they’d get in and out. Before each ride, as the guest gets closer, they placed different elements to build anticipation and expectations. As they exit the ride, they made the guests exit through a gift shop, enticing them to make more purchases. Leverage automation - Many of the rides are automated and timed perfectly so that while the guests are waiting, their anticipation and excitement increases. They also use biometrics for ticketing. Not only does this prevent ticket sharing, but the guests go through the lines much faster and smoother. Be creative and innovative - There are many gift shops around Universal, and yes, they have the standard collectibles and fun items for each franchise, but they also sell high quality, useful items, like backpacks. They had a limited-edition Marge Simpson backpack made with Hershel, and I bought this not only because of the brand, but also because I was able to use it while we were going around the park.  “It’s good to notice the processes that the big guys utilize, and to know that you have the power to incorporate the same successful concepts into your own business.” -Sandra ScaianoBy studying the proven methods of Universal Studios, you can unlock a treasure trove of insights and strategies that you can apply to your own business. From streamlining your processes to leveraging innovative technology, there's a lot to learn from these successful companies. Don't be intimidated by their size or resources; instead, use them as inspiration to take your own game to the next level. Remember, playing the long game is about consistent growth and improvement, and by adding these tools to your toolbox, you're setting yourself up for success. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Branding is one of the most important factors in your business. It’s more than just a set of pretty colors and fancy fonts. It’s what sets you apart, how your audience can identify you, and the expectations you set about what you do and who you are. It is the first level of communication you have with your audience. “Branding requires a wide range of skills, including graphic design know-how, copywriting, and an understanding of marketing strategies.” - Sandra Scaiano With all the intricacies and layers that go into branding, here are three mistakes you might be making:  DIY colors and logos  Font choice and low readability  Using stock photos   I’m not a DIY hater. I understand that sometimes DIY might be necessary, especially for those who are just starting out and on a tight budget. But when you do things yourself, you may miss little details that the pros take into consideration when helping you build your brand, such as readability and how the design looks across platforms. “It’s easy to struggle when you go the DIY route, and it’s hard to create a brand that communicates your values and resonates with your target audience.” -Sandra Scaiano Today I dive deep into this topic and also share how you can avoid these mistakes. With a little research and a little help, you can curate an online image that really showcases your brand and who you are.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There’s a common belief that in order to build your Instagram following, create a viral post, or develop your community, Instagram would have to be treated as a second job, almost. You may think you have to spend hours and hours to craft that perfect post and connect with people. But how true (or false) is this claim? That’s what we’re taking a deep dive into today.“For every business, you need people behind it to talk about and endorse it and tell their friends about it in order to scale and grow… It’s the power of the people that amplify opportunity.” - Sue B. ZimmermanWho better to guide us through the Instagram landscape than Sue B. Zimmerman? Sue teaches small business owners how to become the go-to authority in their industry by using Instagram marketing strategies to establish and grow an engaged following that converts. She’s built my career empowering entrepreneurs and marketing professionals to utilize the power of Instagram to get tangible business results.Here are three common questions about Instagram that Sue guides us through: How we’re supposed to keep up with all the changes What makes an effective Instagram post? How do we present ourselves on Instagram?  “At the end of the day, the most important thing in a business is relevant content. And if you’re not speaking to your audience with the content they want to see, hear, laugh to, look at, save, all of that, growth is hard, and building community is even harder.” - Sue B. ZimmermanMore than the understanding of Instagram as a platform and getting into the nitty gritty of effective posts, Sue reminds us that at the end of the day, it’s is a free tool. Yes, we need to define our brand and develop our processes, but having those will significantly decrease the time we spend on the platform and will improve the way we can create connections.Sue kindly offered my listeners a free downloadable in-depth Instagram guide. All you have to do is go to her latest Instagram post, comment your questions and thoughts about this episode if you have one, and ask for the download.Connect with Sue B. Zimmerman:WebsiteFacebookInstagramYouTubeTwitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I've been where you are - struggling to make informed marketing decisions and wanting to drive growth for my business. By diving into Google Analytics, I discovered the importance of audience segmentation, targeted ads, and remarketing to increase conversion rates and engage potential customers.  I'm sharing what I’ve learned so you can get better results with your own online business marketing. In today's competitive online landscape, effectively utilizing Google Analytics for website optimization is essential to unlock your business's true potential.  The power of data analytics gives you insights into your audience's behavior so you can develop targeted marketing strategies. It’s one of the most effective methods for online growth.  Understanding how to successfully leverage Google Analytics to ensure that your business stands out from the competition is key for growing and thriving in today’s online world.  In this episode I’m covering major changes to Google Analytics, specifically Google Analytics 4 (GA4) which is going to be the only option starting July 1, 2023. If you have Google Analytics now, you’ll need to export your data because it will all start new come July.  If you’re new to this, hang with me. I know it is techy and can be overwhelming but understanding how this can work for you is really important and I’m here to help.  A few things to know:   This episode is for anyone who has a website, be it WordPress, Kajabi, Shopify, Squarespace, ClickFunnels, and more. All of these various website applications allow for GA4 integration.  If all of this is new to you, no worries. Start today, where you are with the basics covered in this episode.   Tracking codes are what allows GA4 (and other applications) to track who comes to your website, and what happens while they are there. It’s really that simple.   Using that info, you can determine how people are finding you, and how they move through your site. Are they opting into your funnel? What happens at checkout? This is the type of data GA4 can provide.   The whole point of all this info is to help you make better decisions about how you market your business and where to put your resources.    There are some privacy issues and I cover those in detail on the podcast. I also outline how and why I’m comfortable with data gathering, as a business owner and as a consumer.  Start with the basics.   Set up Google Analytics account and install tracking code.  Conduct regular website audits, focusing on key performance indicators (KPIs) such as bounce rates, conversion rates, and average time spent on site. By keeping track of these KPIs, you can pinpoint areas where improvement is needed and respond with targeted solutions.   When ready you can integrate with Google Ads. I outline some great examples that you’ll recognize right away. Now you’ll know why you see ads for something the day after you do a search for it!    The importance of leveraging Google Analytics for business cannot be overstated.  I know this can feel overwhelming. The idea of having analytics and data sounds great but I know many of you may not have an interest figuring all of this out on your own.  If that’s the case, reach out. I’d love to help. We can take some time to strategize about what data you need to see and what you want to analyze to meet your particular goal.  Now is the time to get this set up so you can begin gathering the info that’s important to you and your business.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As business owners in different fields, we might be working in different industries, but as we interact with other entrepreneurs and hear about their journey, we learn that we share many of the obstacles, struggles, and experiences. Today, we’re talking all about the journey of building an herbal apothecary business, and sharing the lessons learned along the way. With us today is Shannon Mayernik. She’s an herbalist and plant medicine maker based in Northern New Jersey. Shannon is also the Co-Owner of Mayernik Kitchen, a modern day Herbal Apothecary. Shannon is participating in a year-long clinical program for herbal medicine and continues to study and teach herbalism to her community. “It’s all about community, creating your group. You have one another to lean on, to learn from, to share with.” - Shannon Mayernick In the business Shannon runs, she has to think about so many things, from farming, harvest season, pest control, developing and making products, delivery, community engagement, content creation, course development, apprenticeships, and even just the everyday management of the business. So how does she do it all? Well, many things go into the success of Mayernick Kitchen, and Shannon shares her journey through it all. Here are three entrepreneurship lessons we all can learn:  Make your own opportunities by putting yourself in situations outside your everyday life, and when the opportunities come, you just take it and start.  It’s important to have a system and streamlined process, but this will take time and experience to develop and perfect.  You have the power to create an environment that your community will engage in.   “Sometimes, it does seem a little more magical or romantic. And some days it’s completely out of control. But if you’re creating something for you, a family, a friend, you want to put good intentions into it.” - Shannon Mayernick Another thing that helps her business succeed? Shannon puts intentionality in everything she does, whether it’s in preparing the tinctures to sell, or creating content for Instagram. Shannon approaches everything she does with the intention of it helping and being for someone else, and this intentionality can be felt every time people interact with her business. If you want to learn from Shannon, I highly recommend the recently launched online course, The Table, where you can learn about gardening, farming, herbalism, suburban homesteading, and everything in between, and also be surrounded by a community of people like you. Long Game listeners get a 10% discount with the code TheLongGame23. Connect with Shannon Mayernick: The Table Website Facebook Instagram Twitter Pinterest  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As business owners and entrepreneurs, we experience so many different situations that require us to be light on our feet and we have to make quick decisions. In those times, it’s all about making the decisions now. But other times, there’s a need to make calculated, data-driven decisions. And I think a lot of us prefer this so we can have more time and information before we make a decision. So how do we get the data we need for our businesses? One way is to do testing, and this is what I’m talking with you about on this episode. “Data-backed decisions are not based on a whim.” -Sandra Scaiano From as early as my college days, I’ve seen how companies conduct tests. It can be either in the quality of their products or the quality of the materials they use. Tests can also be run before you launch a large marketing plan. Tests aren’t a waste of resources in the short term. They help us make better decisions in the long run. These tests bring so many benefits to our businesses. They can save us money on the resources and strategies we invest in. We can develop better products and services, then trust and loyalty is built between us and our clients.  “Honing in on strategies builds stronger relationships and loyalty.” -Sandra Scaiano Now, you might be asking, “What type of tests can we be running?” or “What are the mechanisms to collect data?” Great questions! And I’m going to be addressing them in upcoming Data and Tracking episodes, so send your questions my way, and stay tuned for them. Listen in to hear more about the benefits of testing, and how I’ve personally applied it to my business.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the past several years, there’s been a rise in life coaches, meditation teachings, and self-help programs, and a lot of them can feel so disconnected and impersonal that people want to distance themselves from them. That’s a shame because when done right, mindfulness, awareness and meditation have so much benefit. The key is to find what works for us, to find something we connect with. This is exactly what today’s guest does. Juan Alvarez is an Executive Coach and mindfulness teacher for entrepreneurs. His goal is to help conscious leaders stay present, peaceful, and purposeful so they can bring their best selves to the world. This is why he developed his coaching programs and hosts the Life is the Practice podcast. These lessons in mindfulness, being present, healing and letting go of the past that Juan learned through the years are now the lessons he teaches to others. I love the approach that he applies. He only teaches what he does, and he’s conscious to not get too attached to his teaching and to still be approachable and relatable to his students. He keeps everything practical and applicable for a lot of people. “Because we are not present in our inner experience, we tend to operate from patterns of fear, anxiety, and scarcity all the time.” - Juan Alvarez Juan answers these questions about mindfulness in this episode:  The difference between being present, mindfulness, and meditation.  Why it’s important to be present in the moment.  How we can live in awareness and achieve a state of mindfulness.  How we can integrate mindfulness into our everyday, busy lives.   Sometimes it can take a long time for us to become aware that we need to make some changes in our lives and approach things in a different way. Juan didn’t start being intentional about learning these skills until he was in his early thirties, but after applying them, he immediately saw the effects across all areas of his life. “You can only help others to the extent that you have helped yourself.” - Juan Alvarez Connect with Juan Alvarez: Website Instagram LinkedIn YouTube  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Podcasts are changing the game for people who want to present themselves and share their stories. It’s proving to be a competitive alternative to traditional ways or social media for reaching your ideal audience, building quality connections, and growing your business. I’ve personally seen the benefits of podcasts after hosting almost 150 episodes, but our guest today is even more qualified to talk about the benefits. Scout Sobel is a trailblazer in the media industry for utilizing Podcast Tours™ as a powerful form of PR. She founded Scout's Agency, an agency that runs high-profile Podcast Tours™ in February of 2019, and has since led it to grow 600% since year one, book over 2,000 podcast episodes, cultivate a database of over 5,000 podcasts, and run over 150 Podcast Tours™. She’s the author of the bestseller, The Emotional Entrepreneur: The Emotional Guidebook to Entrepreneurship, the host of The Emotional Entrepreneur Podcast, and the co-host of top-charting podcast, Okay Sis. “You go on a podcast today, but the benefits can continue to bear fruit years and years later.” - Scout Sobel Truly an expert in the field of podcasting, here are the three things Scout talks about in this episode:  Benefits of podcast tour  Differences between podcasts vs. traditional or social media  Podcasts as a human and authentic way of reaching your audience   “The medium of podcasting is deep, so naturally, the results are going to be deep.” - Scout Sobel No one can argue with all of Scout’s success and achievements, but what makes her truly special is her authenticity and sincerity which comes through in our conversation. She doesn’t believe in competition, recognizing that there’s enough space for all voices to be heard and for everyone to succeed, and only wants to help and serve as many people as she can. This is why she recently launched the Podcast Tour Academy, which provides private and group trainings for agencies, freelancers, and entrepreneurs to get them certified in running Podcast Tours™. Connect with Scout Sobel: Website Instagram LinkedIn Twitter  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One huge category of online products today is online courses, and they vary in topics, industries, audiences, and even sizes. Some courses have hundreds to thousands of participants, and these are the ones with the goal of hitting the most numbers they possibly can.  “Courses get to be intimate spaces. They don’t have to be behemoths to become successful.” -Sandra Scaiano But maybe that’s not for you and your course offering. Maybe you want to develop an intimate environment and only have a few dozen students at a time. In this episode, I’m talking to you about the intimate strategy and how these smaller courses can drive success. Here are three benefits of smaller courses I discuss in this episode:  You really highlight quality.  It’s a more manageable workload.  There’s greater flexibility in delivery, teaching methods, and processes.   If you’re someone that’s better at catering to smaller groups and personal coaching, maybe developing intimate courses is for you. Or maybe you start out with the smaller setting and discover that having a large number of students is better for you and your business. That’s okay too.  “You can’t ‘think’ your business. It’s through doing that your path becomes clear.” -Sandra Scaiano By running your business, you get to know your business and can decide what works best for you. By doing that you can have a clearer vision and get to plan better for the long game.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices