The BOPCAST with Hélène Scott: bite-size personal

Expectation. Perfection. Fear. Procrastination. Doubt. A sampling of the “gremlins” present (in our hearts & minds) during the very fragile and delicate time when we put our things out into the world. When we launch. Not to mention mental loops like… Is anyone going to register/sign-up/buy..? Did anyone read my last blog post/email/social media post? And if they DID read it, did they get anything out of it?!? Sound familiar? What shows up for you when you put yourself out there? In this week’s On-Air Coaching Episode I dive in with solopreneur Susan Williams-Goebber to uncover a hidden (and self-sabotaging) way in which she’d been holding herself back in her business. Be sure to listen in to find out what NOTE she’s going to tack up on her wall to remind herself for the next time she launches. Key takeaways from the coaching session: Why Susan was holding back online and how to go/push through the fear that shows up The fear that shows up (for all of us) in the UNKNOWN of whether what you are putting out there will work A valuable tip on re-framing your mindset Testing & Pivoting around a launch Awareness of the emotional drain and how to be pro-active in your self-care Bottom line… launching is hard and takes a toll – emotionally, physically & mentally. So it’s important to take the time to know what ‘gremlins’ show up for you and how to best take care of yourself (having practices, tools and systems set up to support you through this time). xo, Hélène :: Links & Resources Mentioned: BOP 011: Launching and Self-care (in the vacuum of no response) BOP 010: Set Your Biz True North (and keep your brand & business in alignment) BOP 05: How to Take ACTION on your Biz ideas (using BOPCAST as an example) BOP 016: TEST & PIVOT (what it is & why it’s invaluable) Elizabeth Gilbert’s book BIG MAGIC Susan Williams-Goebber’s Website   I know there’s a ton of great content to choose from in this online biz building space, and here you are listening to mine! Honored, Humbled & oh-so Grateful. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider taking a moment to leave an honest comment and review on iTunes — they help tremendously in rankings and ultimately, in being found. And last… if you want the BOPCAST to magically appear on your phone every week, simply subscribe to the podcast on iTunes

In the last episode I spoke with Rachel Moriarty, an interior designer and self-proclaimed introvert, who woke up one morning with a “divine download” to try out Facebook Live via a self-imposed 30 day challenge. The result of what it did for her business is astounding and HOW it all went down is a perfect “real life” example TEST & PIVOT in action. So… what is TEST & PIVOT, and why do I talk about it all the time? First a quick backstory… I was a designer and brand/creative director in Silicon Valley when the Lean Startup method came onto the scene. (somewhere along the line I started referring to it as TEST & PIVOT because that was simply my main takeaway) The methodology came about as a solution to the old way of doing business: spending all of your time and resources to build a product before you realize it is viable to the people you're serving. The new approach, however, is to test small and pivot quickly in short increments, and to build your product as you receive feedback to know if it is falling short or what more is required, then continue from there. How it pertains to YOU If you take this concept to your personal brand business, it suddenly gives you an easy framework to incrementally build your business so it’s not only viable to the people you serve… but is in complete alignment with YOU (i.e. you’re actually building the business of your dreams… not the cookie cutter stylings, or based on any should do’s… your biz YOUR WAY, all the way). Regardless of whether you're just starting out or have been in business a few years, there are at any given time a lot of unknowns. How are your packages going to look? Is your brand reflecting your true voice? What social media platforms work best for you? Will you offer retreats, workshops and/or speaking gigs? How else will you market yourself? Are you strictly online within your platform? Etc. Etc. Etc. It can be downright overwhelming! This is where last week’s episode was such a great example of the TEST & PIVOT philosophy; Rachel had been in business for about a year and was searching for an ideal way to engage and connect with her clients. She gave Facebook Live a try (with a 30 day challenge to herself) > was to morph the daily challenge into a daily riff that she continues to do 6 months later. The important part here is that rather than jumping into FB Live with the heavy weight and expectation that it would be the ‘magic bullet’ for engagement… she simply tried it out in a pre-determined amount of time. She was playful with it rather than being overly tactical and strategic. It was only after the obvious success… the unexpected finding of her Sweet Spot -- that (within her PIVOT), she become strategic on how to best use within her business. In today’s episode I dive in deeper offering up 2 more examples of how you might use TEST & PIVOT within your business in hopes that you walk away with a clear idea on just how powerful (almost magical) a tool it is.   I know your vision is big for your business. I also know the day-to-day reality can feel overwhelming and sometimes it’s easy to lose site on exactly HOW one goes about building their dream business.   TEST & PIVOT is that HOW.   xo, Hélène   Links & Mentions From This Episode: Ep 15 (FB live w/Rachel Moriarty) Ep 10 (Biz True North) Ep 3 (How to get Unstuck & Decide) “The Lean Startup”  by Eric Riles   I know there’s a ton of great content to choose from in this online biz building space, and here you are listening to mine! Honored, Humbled & oh-so Grateful. If time allows, please consider taking a moment to leave an honest comment and review on iTunes — they help tremendously in rankings and ultimately, in being found. And last… if you want the BOPCAST to magically appear on your phone every week, simply subscribe to the podcast on iTunes

In this episode, I speak with Rachel Moriarty, a resident of San Diego who took the leap from corporate banking to growing her design firm full time. As you’ll note from our banter and ease, we know each other well, as she’s been a client and currently a member of The BOP Collective community. Rachel had been Testing & Pivoting during her first year of biz in finding the best way to engage and communicate with clients online. A self-proclaimed introvert, Rachel had an unexpected “divine download” to get in front of the camera through Facebook Live. And as it turned out, she uncovered her “sweet spot” through video blogging… which would have never happened had she not left the safety of her comfort zone and tried it out! Throughout the conversation Rachel will provides us some oh-so-valuable tips and tricks around getting the most out of Facebook Live (and I share a super helpful --and somewhat sneaky-- tip for testing before I go live), but a tremendous takeaway in sharing her story is ‘real world’ example & lesson of Testing & Pivoting. As you’re listening to this episode, I’d love if if you took the opportunity to sit and reflect on the ways YOU can test and pivot. Where can you try out different things in order to reveal your sweet spot? Through her willingness to try new things - even outside her comfort zone - she increased her momentum, opened new doors and changed the trajectory of her business. While she continues to serve her design clients (to which she doesn’t even need to pitch jobs anymore...they’re coming to her with the ask), other opportunities are exploding from this experience! Listen in and take lots of notes…..hope you enjoy! xo, Hélène Takeaways from this episode: From “designer to designated driver” -- Rachel reveals how her “30-Day challenge” on FB Live came to life   The ways in which FB Live elevated her in the interior design industry and continues to engage her with her audience. How to stand out and succeed on FB Live Some tips around framing, lighting & camera placement (she used to be a stylist, so the lady knows her stuff!) What to do pre-filming, during filming and re-purposing your content Why low engagement in your FB biz page is actually a good thing as you’re going live (especially for us introverts)   Huge Announcement for BOPCAST! I'm super excited to share with you some new formats that I’m bringing to the show! In addition to my “solo riffs” and “hotseat coaching,” we’ll also hear from experts in their field (such as copywriters, launch specialists, etc.), and other times the conversations will feature fellow entrepreneurs (like this episode) who’ll share an experience that I know will be of benefit to us all!   Links & Mentions From This Episode: Everything Rachel Tune into Rachel's Daily Design Riffs on FB Live: https://www.facebook.com/rachelmoriartyinteriors/ Rachel’s website http://www.rachelminteriors.com/ Follow Rachel in Instagram: rm_interiors Follow Rachel on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/rachelmoriarty/ #RMFBLive BOPCAST episode that will go well! with this one... BOP 014: Comfort Zones equal Entrepreneurs Purgatory   I know there’s a ton of great content to choose from in this online biz building space, and here you are listening to mine! Honored, Humbled & oh-so Grateful. If time allows, please consider taking a moment to leave an honest comment and review on iTunes — they help tremendously in rankings and ultimately, in being found. And last… if you want the BOPCAST to magically appear on your phone every week, simply subscribe to the podcast on iTunes

As a brand and alignment coach, a lot of the conversations I have with my clients focuses on mindset– the bravery, the vulnerability, the grit, the gumption– and what it takes to actually put your “thing” (whatever that “thing” may be) out into the world.   In this episode, I’m discussing the constant journey in, and out of our comfort zones and the stories we tell ourselves that get in our way. What I love about this topic is that it puts the power in our hands; we have the choice on how we’re going to show up.   We have a comfort zone that is so cozy to stay in, but the flipside is that if we don’t go past the comfort zone (and don’t take that leap), then we’re stuck in that pretty horrific space of purgatory: on our ideas not being realized, on never knowing whether the “thing” we wanted to do, could have taken off or not.   In this episode I cover A vulnerable reveal of a (self-identification) story I told myself for so long that was like a shield of armor and protection…a place of comfort for sure. How these types of self-identifications/stories that we create for ourselves allow us to to lean upon them in a crutch-like manner when facing resistance in doing something outside our comfort zone Why it’s a continuous discovery to look at your patterns, look at your stories, and the way you’re holding yourself back.   And pose a few questions to you… Within your own life and business, where are areas that you’ve been playing it a little bit safe? Are there stories (or self-identifications) that you are telling yourself, that you’re hiding behind, that are not true and therefore holding you back?   Bottom line if you find yourself repeatedly hitting up against certain patterns that are holding you back, then it’s time to make a choice…   Will you do the work to find your way past them, or not?   Not means hanging out in entrepreneurs purgatory for a spell,   and I KNOW you don’t want to be there.   With hands extended, I hope you’ll join me on the flip-side were, yeah… it’s a bit scary… but crazy rewarding too.   xo, H   ::   Links & Mentions From This Episode: Todd Herman   BOP 008: DO THIS First Step in Creating a Personal Brand Business (and attract your perfect-fit clients)   I know there’s a ton of great content to choose from in this online biz building space, and here you are listening to mine! Honored, humbled & oh-so grateful. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it using the social media buttons above.   And if time allows, please consider taking a moment to leave an honest comment and review on iTunes — they help tremendously in rankings and ultimately, in being found. And last… if you want the BOPCAST to magically appear on your phone every week, simply subscribe to the podcast on iTunes

My guest Carole Dupre was in the Corporate world for years before jumping into Solopreneurship just 2 years ago.   We start the call on the practical subject of doing a re-brand on her current business because she realized what she'd been building wasn't in alignment with her deeper vision (it was kind of a repeat in what she'd been doing in corporate).   As the conversation unfolds we touch upon the strategy of testing small before going big, how very different Entrepreneurship is from corporate (no room for perfectionism and you kinda have to muck around in the mud while testing) and finally land on the common subject for women Solopreneurs of playing small and fully owning their expertise.   Listen in as we de-tangle the questions and provide a clear what’s next as she embraces the fact that "Entrepreneurship is Messy" (as she put it... yes indeed).

shownotes w/links: helenescott.com/episode12   Knowing what stage of business you’re at will bring you clarity on what to spend your time working on, and more importantly… what not to.   For example, it’s super common for those at the very beginning idea/dream stage (that haven’t tested anything yet), to get caught up in creating the ‘perfect website’ or try to ‘nail’ your tagline, or spending hours setting up your Facebook page.    When in truth because there’s a world of difference between the idea in your head and the day to day of it being a real-live offering, your time is best spent on testing it out, and then pivoting your growth from there.   In this episode I focus on the first few stages of business offering up various tools and resources on determining where you’re at so you can eliminate the solopreneurs kryptonite of trying to do All.The.Things. and get to work on what will move your business forward, now.

http://HeleneScott.com/episode11 Launching is a big ol' topic within our online biz building world with most of the emphasis on planning, tools and systems -- critical components for sure. But what about the part of launching that's not talked about so much... That heightened emotional state of raw vulnerability that accompanies putting something new out into the world. And from that state the myriad of stories you might tell yourself that ultimately may lead to doubt, second-guessing... you know the drill. In the latest episode of the BOPCAST I kick-off with a story/experience my client just went through that I refer to as... "the vacuum of no-response" (that time when your thing is now 'live' but perhaps the response isn't what you'd hoped for... a.k.a. crickets), and use that as the talking point around... the heightened emotional state of a launch learning what YOU NEED in terms of self-care when launching something new into the world and how to combat the stories your mind will weave (which are mostly not true) in that vacuum of no response

Setting your Biz True North is like creating a non-negotiable tether between you (how you want to show up, the impact you want to make) and the business you want to build.   It’s so very easy to get taken off track through comparison, shiny object syndrome, the latest social platform... you name it, everywhere you turn — a myriad of distractions await.   In this episode I walk you through 3 questions that set the foundation (& tone) of your Biz True North. A brand alignment tool that you can use in all of your business decisions (as well as a powerful ritual at the beginning of a new year and/or quarter).    This practice of checking in to see if what you’re taking action on (offerings, collaborations, marketing) and your Biz True North match up — will, bottom line — result in a brand that attracts (and a biz that delights) you and your perfect-fit people.   This is where you mold your brand story to match what you WANT to build.   Listen and if you want to dive in deeper there’s a companion worksheet to explore these questions in more depth.

http://HeleneScott.com/episode9   As an Entrepreneur you have zero assurances.  You have no idea whether your idea will work, or not.    So you leap with your vision as fuel.   A thrilling, highly charged, empowering and creative place to be… that will always be accompanied by doubt.    Luckily, how you decide to greet those doubts is totally up to you. As a Biz & Brand Alignment coach I see it time and again with my clients (and myself) the tremendous shift that happens when you acknowledge the doubt as it arises, but stop letting it take control. The very act of not giving it any power in itself dissuades the situation.   And it is in that moment that you actively invite the continued evolving of you and your business — which will always equate in a brand that is undeniably magnetic to your perfect-fit people.   In this episode I offer up a little re-frame on doubt… introducing a different take on what this unlikely muse has to offer (you and your biz).

http://HeleneScott.com/episode8 When you show up YOU, and are in alignment with your business offerings, not only does your brand become magnetic to the very people you most want to work with… you are — actively & purposefully — building your business YOUR way, on YOUR terms. A concept that seems straight forward enough, but can be elusive when you’re out there in the day-to-day of building your business.   So how do you achieve that first step? Or even know what it means for you to "show up you" ?!   The good news is that entrepreneurship is a crash course in self awareness, providing you with limitless opportunities to deepen your connection (& understanding) with who you are and what you want to be in this world. And it’s THAT very ‘rite of passage’ which in turn will help you in the discovery of what it means for YOU, to show up you (a completely unique recipe for each of us).   In this episode I walk you through a few tools to discover and harness the power of bringing YOU into your personal brand biz.

If the idea of having a niche market in your business makes your creative entrepreneurial soul feel boxed in… I hear ya. As a multi-passionate type myself with LOTS of ideas around the whats and hows of my own business I too find it hard to imagine only doing one thing. But worse than that is being stuck in the bigness of attempting to market to too many people. In this episode I break down why you should consider niching down and I promise… you won’t feel boxed in.

Personal Branding is VERY different from branding a product (where the product is front and center) or a company brand (say, Nike or Apple), yet because Personal Branding is a relatively new concept — many of the ‘standards’ from the old school branding have been brought into the personal branding space. In this episode I flip the current online biz ‘standard’ around consistency on it’s head and insert the opinion that consistency has to do with HOW you SHOW UP, not in how often and what days you post your content, send your newsletter, etc. When you’re building a Personal Brand Business the old school rules just don’t apply. It’s about you.

In episode 5 of the BOPCAST, I introduce what the bopcast is (something that's 'typically' done in the first episode of a new podcast), and offer up a CASE STUDY of: how to take action on an idea regardless of how big it may feel and how to ignore what's 'typical' and do things YOUR WAY (one of those secret sauce tips to building a personal brand that resonates with your perfect-fit tribe). Using the BOPCAST as the case study, describing my fears, what barriers of entry felt 'too big' -- I walk you through the steps I took (so you can follow along with your own idea) on how I broke my big idea into a small one that I was able to start and test,  immediately. Welcome to the BOPCAST, I can't tell you how thrilled I am you're here!

If left to run amuck the (industry & self imposed) SHOULDS will do everything in their power to pull you further and further away from creating a business that's in full alignment with you. But the most insidious part of building your business based on shoulds... is that your brand story becomes confusing. And a confused brand equals a click off your site (rather than a click YES, to opting-in) So dear one, I implore you... to Save your Biz and Brand Story by Shedding the Shackles of Shoulds, starting today! You can start small, just start :: Not sure the how & where of your version of... "Just Start?" This free companion worksheet (originally offered with BOPCAST ep.3) will step you through in finding your next best (and most brand aligned) action to take within your business.

Are you a multi-passionate, highly creative entrepreneur with no shortage of ideas... but at times find yourself frustratingly stuck on deciding between them all? Me too. So I devised a way to hack through those moments of indecision, listen in, download the companion worksheet & get unstuck!    

Every little thing you do within your business adds to the story people tell themselves about you, your brand and offerings. That story, is your brand. So although it may seem a subtle thing to choose between the word Path or Funnel when describing the sequence of offerings you unveil to your new clients, the two words will hold different meanings and in turn become part of the story your people tell themselves. In this episode I'm talking about the words Path and Funnel, but the idea of thoughtfully choosing your words within your brand and messaging is universal. Want to create a purposeful brand that attracts and delights your perfect-fit tribe? Click here to check out my free resource that walks you through the 3 pillars of a stand out brand.

Your brand is the story people are telling themselves about you & your business... is it the story currently being told a match to how you want to be perceived? In this online business world where list building is crucial, it's just as critical to thoughtfully plan out what happens after they opt-in. People buy from those they know, like and trust...what are YOU doing to build that kind of relationship and trust with your tribe? Because it's in the post opt-in "courtship" that your brand story has the opportunity to become one of loyalty and trust, or of disinterest and disconnect. In this bite-sized episode I talk about creating a connection with your audience, and provide an example of a small simple thing I do that ALWAYS delights. Want to create a purposeful brand that attracts and delights your perfect-fit tribe? Click here to check out my free resource that walks you through the 3 pillars of a stand out brand.