Start-Up Speakeasy

Why is it that every time you start to make headway in your business, you suddenly feel like you have to change everything?  How does pricing our products and services stump us every single time?  What is holding you back from hiring much needed help in your biz? These are just a few instances are insanely common ways that entrepreneurs (and especially creative types) sabotage business and your ability to make money. Can you relate?  Listen in.  Denise shares a great perspective on why this conundrum sneaks up and what you can do to put money blocks back in their place. Show Notes: http://kristyoustalet.com/53 

When you're a solopreneur or even when you have a small team, business mistakes that you make can feel devastating.  I'm sure you've beaten yourself up over what now seems to be a minor hiccup in the scheme of things… we've all been there. Matthew Turner has a new spin on making mistakes, he believes that by making mistakes you're able to uncover your best work and greatest ideas.  In fact, its not only his perspective, he interviewed 163 entrepreneurs (including me) to get their two cents on turning mistakes into success stories.   Tune into this episode to hear what he learned + the book he's currently crowd publishing on his findings… this is so interesting, y'all.

Show Notes:  http://kristyoustalet.com/51 If you’ve ever buried your nose in a few business books, you know that you’re ‘supposed’ to pinpoint your target market and narrow in on who is a perfect fit for your work. But, its WAY more common to go through the motions and really only scratch the surface while the point is to dig deep. So, if you’re like me, and vaguely consider your true target market while rushing between projects and posts- I think Sarah has some info that will make you reconsider... In this episode, we dive into the steps she took to uncover the subtle correlations between her all-time favorite clients, and how you can too. She also lays out some killer insight on her next steps which she credits as the difference between falling flat in narrowing things down and blowing it out the water. SPOILER ALERT: by taking the leap into truly serving her target market she experienced: Her projects are based around exactly what she wants to be working on, which makes her career way more fulfilling because she’s happier and doing her best work, her clients are excited about her work she raised her prices + booked more clients + and is making more money  

Just when you think you're going to implode because your spreading yourself too thin and on the verge of a business overwhelm meltdown... in walks Maya Gaddie and suddenly things seem a bit more simple and sanity washes over your stressed out brain. Maya somehow always has the perfect solution to take you from overwhelm to business automation. Phew! In this episode, Maya dives into:- the five tech must-haves you need to get a solid biz foundation- automation hacks to get take your business to the next level- software suggestions to bring instant solutions for common biz headaches http://kristyoustalet.com/50

We all have time restraints on our business.  Maybe for you its your kids, or your 9-5, or even client one-on-one work gets in the way.  No matter what it is that trips you up, it’s important to use time wisely and not to get caught up in excuses. We all know that launching and growing a business takes a huge investment of time and energy, so here are 4 time saving tricks that I use everyday to carve out time for worthwhile projects.   Turn off notifications + eliminate distractions from others Something happened when I started getting busier… it suddenly felt like everything got really noisy and dings, chimes, unwanted emails and notifications were always interrupting what I was working on. By eliminating these nagging distractions, it enabled me to keep focus on the projects that really matter to me and my business.  To keep up with my favorite blogs, I moved most of them out of email and into Flipboard.  This is an app that lets you keep up with blogs and media by creating your own electronic newspaper.  I also subscribed to podcasts that I regularly listen to on Stitcher and youtube channels that I watch so that the latest show is ready when I am.   Create time limitations + block your own distractions According to Parkinsons’s Law, “work expands to fill the time available for its completion” so sometimes creating an artificial deadline can produce the same quality of work in a shorter amount of time.   I love artificial deadlines, especially when it comes to tasks and projects that can drag on.  Try this:  limit yourself to 30 minute bursts to make things happen distraction-free.  Close down Facebook, don't check emails and set a timer for 100% focus on one task.   Batch like tasks When I first started working independently, I struggled with always feeling busy and strangely not having much accomplished to show for it.  I heard about this simple concept of batching tasks and this concept is so simple yet completely turned around my workflow. Batching similar tasks together in chunks will decrease the amount time you waste transitioning between projects and increase your productivity.  Let’s face it, multitasking is a waste of time and can exhaust and sneaks away time that should be spent on doing more productive things.   Simplify If there is something you find valuable to work on but you just can’t find the time to work on it, maybe its time to reevaluate and tweak your idea into a more simplified version.  I challenge you to find something that you can simplify, focus and rethink your approach.

Show notes found at: http://kristyoustalet.com/48   Wordpress has been known as the one and only platform to build a professional website to build your business, but Squarespace has made a ton of improvements and have positioned themselves as true competitor in the space.   Everyone has their opinion on which is best, but the real question is which is best for you and your growing business.  Let’s dive into the pros + cons in each to help you make the best decision.   Customer Support: Squarespace: is a paid platform that will answer questions and troubleshoot via email or live chat 24/7.  A Squarespace site generally costs $10/mo.   Wordpress: because the platform is free, it does not include support.  For this reason, its important to choose themes that have good support forums and some even have how-to videos.  Googling for answers can also be helpful.   Nat Note: Headway + Genesis themes have great support forums for WP. Learning Curve/Dashboard: Squarespace: has a drag and drop builder which is easier for beginners to jump into quickly, but with less options.  Website updates are done automatically.   Wordpress: has a little bit more of a learning curve because it is more robust and has much more possibilities and more flexible.  Updates are done manually. ECommerce: Squarespace: Creating an online shop in SS is possible, but the store can only process cards via Stripe.  This creates a huge limitation on international sellers as Stripe only processes payments within the US.  Also, you cannot customize the check-out process.   Wordpress: can use multiple payment gateways to sell unlimited items virtually and internationally. Bells & Whistles: Squarespace: doesn’t let beginners get caught up in all the bells and whistles and can create a clean streamlined site.  You have 19 responsive semi-customizable themes.   Wordpress: you have the ability to use plug-ins which are essentially website apps to end endless functionality.  The look depends a lot of the theme to choose from.  You have thousands of themes to choose from Nat’s WP Theme Choosing Tips: pick one that you like the look of out of the box if you’re a beginner read the reviews from other users see how responsive the support forum is look for a theme that has been updated recently Three premium themes for complete customization: Headway, Thesis, and Genesis Theme Forest has thousands of WP themes to choose from   Which one works best for you?  Let me know what aspects of a site works best for you in the comments below.   Did you like this episode?  I would love for you to share it with your friends + subscribe to the show on itunes.  You can easily do that by clicking here.   All show notes can be found at http://kristyoustalet.com/48  

Show notes found at http://kristyoustalet.com/47   This week’s guest is Jackie Johnstone,  a social media specialist who helps passionate entrepreneurs connect with their clients and share their message.  But, in this episode we’re not focusing entirely on social media.  Long time listeners of the show may remember Jackie as one of my very first guests of the show and she’s here to help me celebrate the show anniversary.   Yep, a full year.  Woohoo + Holy crap!   I can’t believe I made it this far… I’ve gotten to pick the brains of so many amazingly ambitious business owners.  How lucky am I?   Honestly, before launching the show, I was jumping around from idea to idea without committing to a game plan.  I flaked on my own business all the time because my next idea always seemed better than the one before.     It was time for a change.   I double doggie dared myself to stick with the show every week for a solid year, and here we are celebrating its first birthday.  Thanks so much for sharing it with me.   Cheers!   Okay, not onto the show…   Jackie has been working crazy hard on her business to make this her breakthrough year.  Looking back, she has some key insight and tips to share:   Things take so much longer than you think.   Everything from writing a blog post, to get your website up, writing a course and launching a course.   Set a date to launch it, especially if you’re deadline driven. No one ever feels ready and yet almost everyone wishes they would have launched much sooner than when they actually pulled the trigger. Pre-sell your class + develop the course as you go.   Real-time feedback is valuable for the long term success and of the course.  Most people have a tendency to include way too much info, and feedback is a great way to determine where to edit.   Promote your offers + webinars in relevant Facebook groups. Graph Search to find groups.  We touch on this in this episode, but we didn’t dive into this topic.  Learn more from Jackie’s blog here.   Your first offer should be a one session taste of what you do. To choose your first offer, make a list of 10 ways to get your idea out in a single session.  Trust your gut, and tweak your offering until it works for you and your clients.  Rule of thumb: Follow what feels fun + what’s working. Make connections with other entrepreneurs and seek support. Celebrate your mini business wins with other people who understand and have a likeminded support system ready for when you need a reality check.     All show notes can be found at http://kristyoustalet.com/47   I would love feedback on the show as we take a break from the traditional format while we re-brand and restructure.  Email me directly: kristy@kristyoustalet.com        

#001 One Crazy Launch

Show notes found at http://kristyoustalet.com/46   Years ago, our guest, Shenee Howard felt frustrated on where her business was and lost about what direction she should take her business.   Today, Shenee is sharing with us the one thing she did to turn the ship around to create killer copy + Hell Yes! offers. In this episode, Shenee will tell us about the 100 people project, why she did it and how you can do it too.   Let’s start here: There’s no substitute for talking to real people. What does that mean?   With all of the Ideal Client Avatar hype, you run into a little problem… they’re not real + its all about the subtleties that you can only pick up on when your actually talking to a potential client. So, Shenee challenged herself to talk to 100 people to turn her frustrating business around and get back on track she appropriately called it the: 100 People Project.   What’s the point of spending all that time talking to people… for free?   It gives you a chance to stop and get clarity on what you want to do, what you like to do and figure out how that matches up with your customers wants + needs.   Based off those conversations she created her first sold out class.   BAM!  That sounds like a turning point if you ask me...   Interested in starting your own 100 People Project?  Here are a few tips:   How to find the people for the project: Make sure you are in Facebook Groups with your clients (not only people in your industry). Find other people based off of momentum. When you start talking to one person in a mastermind group, offer a freebie call to speak to each one. Ask for referrals. When you reach out (post on social media or email directly) make them feel like they its so good they should have been charged. In other words – give value. Don’t make your offer too general, otherwise people won’t ‘get it’ and see the value. The intention is literally to talk to you for research, so be clear that this isn’t a sales pitch. Create regular content so that people want to talk to you and know what to talk to you about. Be sure to ask these two questions: 1. What do you need?2. What are you looking for?   Free consults to pick your potential customer’s brain is technically like working for free, but so is not having any clients for your latest program…Which do you prefer? All show notes can be found at http://kristyoustalet.com/46    

Show notes can be found at http://kristyoustalet.com/45/   Kimra Luna is a Business Coach who practices what she preaches especially when it comes to Social Media Branding.  In this episode, we’re talking about breaking traditional business rules, being yourself and being your own brand.   In today’s boom of solopreneurship and online micro-businesses, our mindset around business has shifted quite a bit.  The focus now revolves around defining who you want to work with and why, but don’t forget it’s necessary to create a business model and solve a problem.   Every business, no matter what business model you choose, is designed to help other people.   When you think of it that way, it’s always good to resort to the answers to these 3 questions:   1. Who we want to help… who do you genuinely care about and want to work with? 2. Why we want to help them? 3. Why we want to build a business in the first place?   With all of the focus on lifestyle design, its uber necessary to keep these tried and true business points in-check (Tweet this!): * You need to understand and clearly communicate what you’re providing customers (think: results and/or solutions).  Your business can/should be fulfilling to you, it must intersect with a need and provide value to others. (Tweet that!)   * Make sure that customers not only want what you’re offering, but are willing to pay for your solution.   Kimra’s Tips to tweak your idea to fit current market and trends: (*ahem* make sure potential clients are willing to buy what you offer) Survey groups and audiences (facebook groups of ideal clients can be a goldmine) Ask questions and test out ideas on social media. Even if you have a small list, ask them for insight.  One or two responses can provide you with a new perspective. Feedback works well for not only defining products and services but also for creating content and ideas. In short… ask them before you spend time and resources on assumptions. All show notes can be found at http://kristyoustalet.com/45/  

  Links found at http://kristyoustalet.com/44   Suzi Istvan (aka: Social Suzi) works new and small business owners craft their brand identity and get their website up and going.   In this episode, we talk about what you should spend time on in the beginning and what to wait on until you gain a little traction in your business.   As soon as you can, ask for help.  When you start investing in your biz and stop DIYing things It helps you to feel more pro, act more pro, and expect more professionalism from your clients. Suzi’s Start-Up Website Suggestions:   1. What exactly are you selling and who are you selling it to?   Make this the focus of your website.  If you’re just starting out, don’t feel like it needs to be perfect.  Think:  What causes results for your clients?     2. Include clear calls to action (CTA) A rookie mistake is to worry about design and clever wording over clear CTA’s and instructions about where you want them to go and where you want them to click.   The key here is to give people really obvious places to identify that you’re talking to them and entice them to click + move deeper into your site.   Quickie CTA Checklist: Who you’re working with? How you help them? Do they have a clear call to action? Is it really simple and really clear?     3. Drumroll please... Your Opt-in area! People don’t just land on a website and ready to buy, you need to build a relationship and let them learn about you and how it would be to work with you before they become a client.   So what does that mean?  Capturing their email allows for you to follow up, build a relationship + keep in touch.   A great opt-in offer/freebie can make a world of difference to building your list.  No one is craving more emails these days, so you need to give them a reason to subscribe.   Don’t stress about your offer!  Keep it simple + ask yourself: What are your clients coming to you for the most? What are your people looking for when they work with you?   What do your people need?     Branding in the Beginning Create a Pinterest board to see what you’re visually drawn to… you probably have a distinct design style that you don’t even realize.  When you corral them all on one board, you’re able to see patterns you may not have previously noticed.     Think of Markets as Conversations What conversations does your business come up in?   Ex: If you’re in the health fitness industry and you focus on getting fit for your wedding, you would likely focus on bridal conversations.  Another fitness professional may focus on losing weight after baby and be in the new mommy conversation.  See the difference?  Same industry and very similar services, but very different conversations.   How do you want your business to come up in conversations? Who do you want your business to come up with- who else is in your field?   Remember:  Narrowing in on dream clients isn’t about excluding or alienating customers, its like giving a big giant YES! to people you want to work with.   Who have you done your best work with?  Who do you get the best results for?  How do you get in front of those people?   Links found at http://kristyoustalet.com/44  

Http://kristyoustalet.com/43   Today’s guest is Farideh who is a musician turned launch strategist launch products and services to entrepreneurs.   First things first, Farideh believes that the only way to find your voice and infuse your personality into your brand is to dive in and start.  Think about it this way, its a lot easier to test out a few ideas while your audience is really small, that way you’re not really risking anything and feeling the backlash.   If you hear that advice and it makes you feel completely exposed, you are not alone in having weird resistance around putting words, thoughts and opinions out into the world.  Here’s the thing, just by putting your work out there helps to overcome the vulnerability that comes along with putting yourself out there.    

Show notes found at: http://kristyoustalet.com/42   Rebecca Tracey helps solopreneurs get clear on what their business actually IS… meaning when you get stuck spinning, she swoops in and helps you get clear on the foundational bits to actually define what you’re doing and to (finally) get moving forward.   In today’s episode, we’re diving into how to get clear on your core message, what is a core message and why you need it in the first place. Your messaging (should) show up in everything you do.  It becomes the common ground between you and potential clients and it describes others what you care about.     How about that for attracting ideal clients? So, what is messaging?  It’s all about the bigger picture of your business and the bigger purpose of why are you doing it + why should anyone care.   ...It’s the piece that really helps you stand out and be a little bit different + everything you do should relate to your core message.   No pressure, right?   Becca’s Tip:  Don’t obsess with coming up with a message, especially in the beginning.  Do the exercise below and narrow in on: ‘What you do’ and ‘Why you do it’ then, let it go a little. Becca envisions creating your core message to be like a diagram of concentric circles (think- bullseye) working from the outside into the more specific core message sweet spot.   Big picture message: Why you do what you do.  What’s the gist of what you care about? What’s the soapbox you’ve been on your entire life? The core of what care about + give a crap about Becca’s Uncaged Big Picture example: A life of freedom and adventure.   Your point-of-view: Fill in the blank: The best way to (big picture message)   is to  (your approach) It doesn’t have to be something completely unique and it especially won’t seem unique to you because your ‘in it’ What are the three things that you really believe that you take a stand on?   Becca’s Uncaged POV example: running your own online business is the best way to freedom and adventure.   Define the Problem What problem are you actually solving in your business? Who in general have this problem.   Center Circle: The How What are you actually doing for people?  Now it’s time to focus on the result. What’s your role in helping your client get from point A to point B? Becca’s Bonus Tips:Drop the industry jargon. Talk to them in the way they think their problems are.  Use your client’s actual language.  Have a conversation with your ideal clients.   Your message should be reflected everywhere… on your website in your social media and in everything you do.   Use your message as an anchor for the direction and core value for your business. All Show Notes can be found at http://kristyoustalet.com/42

#040 Stuck in the Start-Up Phase? Do this. [Tough Love + Reality Check]

#039 Starting From Scratch

The Start-Up Speakeasy Episode #038Show notes: http://kristyoustalet.com/38Guest: Kendrick Shope   Kendrick Shope has blended years of selling experience in a corporate environment with modern marketing to create an online course named Authentic Selling.  Today, she shares some amazing advice on how we can sell our offerings and ourselves without being pushy or sleazy. Online Biz Myth: as long as you have an online offer, people will buy it. Kendrick believes that in order to sell your offer to ideal clients, its important to focus on three things: 1. Tell people why you’re here2. Let the know why they should trust you3. They’re time is super valuable + why they should part with it for you (even for a freebie offer) #1 reason why people don’t buy is: lack of ENGAGEMENT The best way to overcome the engagement barrier is to have individual conversations with your (potential) audience and talk to as many people for free as you can.   This not only helps you understand your clients better than anything else, but naturally circles back to engaging your customers. At first, it can be intimating to reach out to potential clients, but the rewards quickly become obvious.Here’s what happens: - You become even more confident in your ability to serve your clients. An ‘I can do this!’ attitude shines through.- The human connection factor kicks in, and a personal touch is an important part of the online sales process.- It opens up an opportunity to follow-up, which is where 50% of all sales are closed … Which brings us to an incredible sales lesson here- Quick, where’s my highlighter?Let’s think about this for a sec, if 50% of sales happen during the follow-up process, how would following up change your business? What would 2x the amount of sales bring to you and your business? Apparently, less than 10% of people follow up with their clients more than two times. If you’re one of the ones in that small pool of service providers taking the time to following up, you’re in a whole other league than your competition. Chew on that.   Do you see where this is going?  Following-up = more money. I’m convinced, are you?   Now, take action!  Kendrick’s Follow-Up Tips: Create a simple Excel spreadsheet labeled with four rows:  (Name | Date | Last Communication | Notes) Color code your leads according to how likely they are to purchase an offer (for example: a hot lead = blue and a warm lead = purple). Keep track of when you follow up and continue to check in and engage with your (potential) clients. Having this list of interested people gives you a set of possible clients that you can always fall back on and check back in with when you need a couple of new clients or add a new offer. It also gives you a way to establish a relationship + trust with for long term success.  

Start-Up Speakeasy Episode #037Guest: Maya Gaddie   Today we’re talking with Maya Gaddie who titles herself a Digital Mentor and Tech match maker. She tell us all about her biz in the beginning of this episode, but this interview isn’t about tech at all really… After having her own small business for a little over three years, Maya has transitioned her business through various phases of growth. In this episode, Maya is being completely transparent and taking us behind the scenes of some key points in her business that has shaped what it looks like today. We dive into how she grew it to be a great balance between what her ideal clients wanted, how she wanted to interact with them and what she wants her business + lifestyle to look like. Maya provides insight gems sprinkled throughout no matter what stage of business you’re in now. Some of the key points where Maya tweaked and shaped her current business model was: She noticed a disconnect with her biz and the businesses of her customers She felt over worked and under paid Wanted to work more hands-on with other people (not just crank out client work) She realized that she was working with the wrong customers and not in her genius zone   Good points to remember during transition phases: She trusted her gut when she made her pivot Maya frequently 'checked-in' and reassessed where she was and where she wanted her business to go Focused on connecting to other people and other people’s businesses "Your main business is something you grow into and shape over time" -Maya Gaddie (Tweet that!) Maya’s Lessons learned from her first online class: Should have done it faster. Find a balance between planning out the course as well as you can, but it will take on another life when people are actually in it.  Leave room for adjustments. She sold the class before she created it This allowed her to make sure that people were interested in buying the class- tested interest One-on-one conversations guided her curriculum She adjusted the class based on feedback She continued to listen to smart suggestions+ implemented thoughtful changes   How to find 10 people to talk to (even if your just starting out) Directly contact a handful of people you think would be a perfect fit for your next program. Take a look at their website to see what phase they’re in and write them a personal email (or reach out on FB or Linked In) describing the course and that you would be interested in: This is what I’m doing This is why I think it would be great for you Set up a Skype call to jam about what’s going on in your business right now A few key questions to ask:I have this product that I’m thinking might be good… what do you think? Is that something you’d be interested in buying? If you bought it today, what would you think would be a price you’d pay for?        

Start-Up Speakeasy Episode #36http://kristyoustalet.com/36   I've been talking, brainstorming and strategizing with a lot of the Speakeasy audience lately, especially with the launch of my three month mentorship program.   After a bunch of one-on-one conversations with idea-driven and aspiring entrepreneurs, I was shocked at one thing that didn't come up in a single conversation. In fact, it's something I never thought about in the very early stages of my business and once it hit me- it changed my approach to my business and career forever. We'll get to what that one tweak is in a minute, but first, let's dive into the three main ways that entrepreneurs jumpstart business ideas: 1. They stumbled across a problem that they had trouble solving.  Once they got passed it, they realized that they can help others also overcome this situation. 2. They take a talent or special skill they have and turn it into a business. For instance, as a freelancer or service provider such as a graphic designer. 3. They see a unique opportunity or a whole in the market and decide to fill in the niche.Ex: "Wouldn't it be nice if a bowling alley didn't have to be stinky, dirty and dingy?  That each lane has a personal attendant and we serve high-end cocktails..." These three approaches are absolutely common and a completely legit reasons to start a business… but I'd like to add one tweak. This one tweak could dramatically shift your business mindset… 4.  (Bonus!) You start with one of the previous 3 and once you're in the thick of it- you realize that what you really want is something meaningful. Something that is truly satisfying, that fits into your ideal lifestyle design.  A business that focuses all your projects on serving others in a way that truly touches you.   I'm calling it the "Speakeasy Way".  Here's how I see it: I have [what feels like] a trillion biz ideas floating around my head at any given moment.  Some are practical.  Some are crazy.  Some are bigger than I can handle right now.  Most are ideas that if I truly devoted enough time + energy into I could make it a decent business idea. How do I filter what to act on and when to pass?  I ask myself if it's in-line with what I have going on now + Do I truly care about this idea? My theory:  It takes a ton of ambition and what seems like endless consistent action over time to build a successful business.  Truly caring about what you do and the people you serve is the only thing that stands up to really hard times.  When you're crazy busy, somehow broke, seriously burnt out + overwhelmed it's the one thing that keeps you plugging away.   Where you stand on this concept of creating a meaningful business? Is this something you’ve ever thought of? Is this something you’ve ever struggled with? ** I want to hear from you!  Let me know in the comments what you think about creating a meaningful business.  Head on over to http://kristyoustalet.com/36  

Victoria Prozan’s superpower is to help entrepreneurs craft names and taglines to bring the full power of their voice out in their brand. I mean, who hasn’t spent weeks (months?) caught up in the quest for the ‘perfect’ tagline? She also believes that these names and taglines only scratch the surface of what it takes to fully communicate your brand. In this episode, we’re talking visual communication as a whole… Victoria combines her experience in design, visual communication and storytelling to build a solid foundation to craft your businesses message.     How to avoid the: Accidental Copy-Cat Syndrome Be Observant. When you like something that a leader in your brand has created, take a minute to dissect what you’re seeing and specifically what you find interesting. For example, maybe you are drawn to the bright colors, movement in the images or even the layout. Rather than copying that exact design, how can you be inspired by something + reinvent what you like about it in a fun way?    Two tips to find your voice + visual branding inspiration: 1. Create a private pinboard (on Pinterest) and look for things outside of your industry that you like. Color palettes, quotes, products and patterns. Look for trends hidden in this collection. 2. Look right under your nose + be inspired by your home. What’s your style? How can you translate that into your visual communication?   Your visual identity of the brand should reinforce what you say Look at the visual feel of the page from an outside point of view. Try to ignore the words. We take in so much info visually we make split decisions based on what we see… are you sending mixed messages?   When in doubt: Leave MORE WHITE SPACE. Give everything on your page room to breathe. Tip: If you can create a space where people don’t feel so overwhelmed, visitors will stick around and stay a while. Less is more- the less you have going on the more you can visually direct people where you want them to look.   Everything mentioned in this episode is linked up in the show notes over at http://kristyoustalet.com/35         #podcast #videopodcast http://youtu.be/48IXMUFBRyE

Vicky Lyashenko from SmallBusinessGal.com shares with us a few really great tips for getting traction and promoting a local small business.