CX Fanatics Podcast

1st Impression Business Busters

You only get one chance to make a first impression.
I'm sure you've heard the saying before, but when it comes to business first impressions, you may be making one without even realizing it.  Your customers are stalking you (not inappropriately - get your mind out of the gutter) long before they ever reach out to you. But if your online presence is lacking, you could be sunk in the water before you ever get the chance to show them your sails.
It's time to polish up your business online before it busts your opportunities.
I have had many inquiries from potential clients as well as the opportunity to do my own bit of stalking as I look for staff.  Let me tell you, I know it's a bit judgy, but I don't take the people who break these 9 unwritten rules very seriously as business owners. Episode 98 lays out the 9 original sins of branding and marketing a new business.  For all the insider tips and a break down of what not to do, listen to the entire episode here.
1. What is your first impression?  
Social media profiles are a wealth of information. As a business owner, how are you showing up? Do you have professional headshots or did you take one in your bathroom mirror? Or worse, do you have a blank avatar? What are you posting on social? Is it intentional? Did you create a strategy around it? Does it jive with your vibe or are you keeping the real you in hiding? When you are posting content is it helpful to your audience or are you just picking a pretty quote and praying that someone clicks on it?  Without a plan and some professionalism, it's going to be hard for people to take you seriously.  A few little polishes and you will be looking like you are in the game. Get a professional headshot (tips in the episode), think about that post twice before you post it and, for the love all things holy come up with a strategy before you invest time and energy in your social media.
2. Have a professional email address.
When you use your Hotmail account (please tell me you don't have Hotmail!) as your business email address, how seriously can people really take you? Put yourself in their shoes.  You need to hire a tree trimmer.  There are 100 tree trimmers in your area.  When you narrow down candidates are you going to go with joe@WeTrimTrees.com or are you going to go with joetrippingtrees@aol.com. More than likely you are going to go with the professional.  Because something as simple as having a professional email address sets you apart as "knowing what the heck you're doing" vs. I just woke up today and decided I'd try tree trimming.  People want the best that they believe they can afford.  So if it comes down to you and Joe at WeTrimTrees, Joe is winning the deal.  Get the email address.  It's $6 a month using GSuite and you get some other nifty bonuses.
3. Update/Create Your Google Listing.
Almost 92% of people use Google search to find whatever it is they are looking for.  That means YOU.  They are looking for you.  If you aren't on there as a business, they CAN'T find you.  It's free, it's awesome and you need to do it.  Here's the link to get started. The same is true if you set up your google account and then forgot about it. It needs to be up to date and kept that way.  It's the first thing that people see and you need to keep it polished up and ready to shine. Use this link to check yours out and be sure it's up to date.
4. Your social profile is outdated.
Did you know that your LinkedIn profile is one of the highest-ranked search items on Google?  Don't believe me? Go type in your name or the name of your competitor and see if their LinkedIn profile shows up on the first page of results.  Go ahead, I'll wait.  It was there, wasn't it? So why in the world would you not be sure that thing is UP TO DATE?  The same goes for all of your social profiles.  Your future customers are soaking in everything you put out there. If they are old, outdated, or have messaging or posts that don't align with your business, you have some clean up to do.  I gave more tips in the episode, check them out here. 
5. Your connections are not intentional.
Just like promoting on social media, creating content, or building a strategy - you have to be intentional with who you are connecting with in real life and online.  You wouldn't go to a dental conference if you sell dog collars.  That would make zero sense.  Yes, they may own dogs, but they aren't there to buy a dog collar.  They are there to connect with other dentists and dental vendors.  The same goes for social media.  You don't need 700K subscribers if they have no interest in purchasing from you or don't need your product.  Be intentional with whom you connect and create a plan around why you are connecting with them.
6. Your website is outdated, broken, or doesn't exist.
You may have been told that you don't need a website to succeed.  Perhaps you don't, but I will argue you do need at least a home page to be taken seriously.  If you are going to have a website out there for people to find make sure it is isn't broken and that your visitors don't have issues accessing pages worry about their security or that you indeed have a website for them to visit and it's not missing. Nothing screams "I don't know what I'm doing" louder than "here's my website" and they go and nothing is there or they get a 404 error.  There are only 3 pages you need on a website, I'm going to cover those in a future episode.
7. You make it hard to do business with you.
This can be connected to #6 above, if they go to your website and they have to search and search for what you do, how to contact you or how to place an order, they just won't.  I give several examples in Episode 98 that I experienced during COVID (and am still experiencing). Don't be that guy (or gal) that people really want to buy from, but you're making it too hard to do.  If they call on the phone and it's busy more than twice, they are going somewhere else.  If they try to place an order and it won't go through, they will buy it somewhere else.  The easier you can make their experience the better.  Which is why there is an entire industry built around user experience (UX for short). They study the best way for companies to create the ultimate user experience for their customers and leads.  Do what you can to make it simple, easy, and move forward in working with you.
8. Do what you say you're going to do.
If you don't keep your word before they are clients, then what is that showing them about how you will treat them and their business once they are clients? If you say you are going to complete something, show up for something, do something, just do it.  Even if it's not perfect and most of the time it won't be, what people will remember is that you showed up and did what you said you would. This just happened to me as I was writing these notes. Someone signed up for a consultation, I had a gut feeling they wouldn't show up, but I called and did my due diligence regardless.  It doesn't matter that I knew in my gut they would be a know show, I still did what I set my intention to do.  It's the little things that add up to the big things.
9. Follow up with all your leads.
This is the number one reason people don't close deals.  The salespeople (and you are a salesperson even if you don't want to be) that follow up will close the deal. Because, people are busy. They don't have time to babysit your business. If you want their business, it's your job to show them that you not only want them as a customer but how you will treat them once they become customers.  It takes up to 11 times for someone to interact with you before they buy.  Don't believe me? Go turn the tv on and watch how many commercials repeat during a single movie or a few shows.  I noticed it this weekend while I had Hallmark on (yep there was a marathon). Usually, I don't watch much tv, but I happened to have it on in the background.  Within a 2 hour movie, I had seen the same 4 commercials at least 3 times.  Why? Because repetition sells.  People are busy, they need to be reminded of who you are and what you do.  Following up with them enables you to stay top of mind.
That's a wrap for this week.  I would love to hear which of these you are taking action on so that you can beat the business busters.  Head on over to the Facebook group and let me know.
What did you learn from this episode? 
Come and tell me in the Facebook Group. Not in the group yet? Consider this your official invitation to join the Small Business Builders Community in the Facebook Group. Small Business owners unite to feed each other with inspiration, information, experiences, and knowledge.

The Biggest Marketing Mistakes Small Businesses Make

Do you ever re-examine your life and wonder what the heck have I been doing?
This was my experience recently while going through old boxes.  What I realized is with the MANY businesses I have had, I have made a TON of mistakes.  But with every mistake, I also learned what to do and what not to do.  The rollercoaster of entrepreneurship is definitely filled with learning opportunities.
In Episode 97 of the Feed U Podcast, I divulge the 10 biggest mistakes small businesses make.
I confess at the beginning of the episode that this list was created based on some of the MANY mistakes I've made and learned from, but also from being able to help others navigate mistakes and turn them into lessons and opportunities.  I break down all the details in this week's episode, but in the meantime, here is the skinny on those 10 mistakes so you can avoid them, commiserate with me or see them coming and stop them in their tracks.
 
1. They haven't defined or know who their audience/ideal client is. 
Oh boy, did I make this mistake.  More than once I might add.  But getting super clear on your audience and learning everything you can about them, will not only make your marketing stronger, but it will also save you time, money, and frustration. When you figure out who you are talking to and can get in between their ears, that's when the magic happens.  This is ALWAYS step one with my clients because as I share, even those who know their clients well will miss something important that throws everything into a tailspin.
2. They put too much time, effort, and money into being on social media.
I know so many people that jump on social media to promote their business.  No plan, no strategy, and no way to track whether or not it's working.  Why? Because some ding dong told them that was THE way to promote their business.  Here's the scoop.  Social media is crowded, it's complex, and if your audience isn't where you are you are WASTING your time. If you don't have a plan to take them off of social media and buy something from you, you are wasting your time. Social media works, but it doesn't work alone.  
3. They spend money on the WRONG things.
I give you the full-on confession here about the MANY things I have invested in for my business that were just plain a waste of money. Unfortunately, I am not the only one who has spent money on coaches, products, software, marketing, you name it with the intention of growing and making money in my businesses.  We all do it, but I give you lots of tips on how to choose the best places to put your money and not spend because you are sucked into someone's magical sales pitch, inside the episode.  I also give you a hidden tip (3.5) in the episode.  Check it out here.
4. They want a quick win or overnight success.
Let's be real.  Owning a business is work.  Can you love the work, absolutely.  Is there a magical fairy that will come and give you a million-dollar business because you asked for one.  Not likely. If you think the top entrepreneurs out there woke up one day rolling in the dough, you should probably read a few more success stories.  Lots of showing up and doing the work all while learning and growing.
5. They try to learn and do EVERYTHING themselves.
Raising my hand, yep that's me.  But, I'm reforming.  Entrepreneurs are go-getters.  We get shiitake done. If we didn't we wouldn't be on this train.  But, it also makes us control freaks.  Don't deny it, I see you trying to hide behind your shirt color.  The reality is we CAN'T do everything without burning ourselves out. Ultimately, trying to do everything will burn us out, make us feel like we are working a job again, and leave us hating our business.  We don't want that, which is why we have to get help and offload the things we aren't good at or that we don't enjoy.
 
6. They bring a corporate mindset to a non-corporate world.
There is NOTHING wrong with being corporate or professional. But, you left that world for a reason. I see so many people struggle with success when they leave because they have NO idea how to succeed out of corporate.  They don't know how to market, sell, create an offer, do research, or all the other umpteen things YOU have to do to have a business.  I've seen friends jump out and then jump right back in because they didn't know how to propel their customer base and grow.  There is no business success handbook. We have to figure it out and realize we are all the corporate departments (just us) for HR, Accounting, Sales, Marketing and the list goes on. Which is why #5 is so important. (See above)
7. They don't create a compelling offer that people will pay money for.
So many times people (yep me included) will create fabulous wonderful products, downloads, etc. and not realize no one wants them and if they do, they won't pay you a dime because they don't' want them badly enough. We have to be smart to make it in this world. This took a LONG time to figure out (mostly because I was trying to find my people) but once I figured it out, it was like margin.  Spend the time figuring out who you can help and create from there.  Any other way will be a huge disappointment and waste of time.
8. They ignore their audience.
I get on my soapbox a little for this one during the episode, but it's a bit of a pet peeve of mine.  Don't bother creating or building an audience if you are going to ignore them.  First, it's just plain rude. Second, it's a huge waste of time because people are smart and they will realize soon enough that you don't care enough to stay in touch. Third, you will be like a good majority of other companies out there and you MUST find a way to stand out or you will be ignored.  Showing up regularly is THE best way to stand out.  Regardless of where choose to show up.
9. They sell too soon or never get to selling.
I walk through several examples in the episode of people who have done this well and people who are FAILING miserably.  You should for sure check them out here. But, there is a fine line to walk.  Not selling too soon and not selling at all.  I've sucked at both of these one time or another.  It's definitely like artistry, it takes time to perfect when and how.  Just keep in mind that you don't want to be like the people who feel sleazy at the car lot nor do you want to give away everything for free and never give your people the opportunity to buy from you.  Fine line.
10. They don't have a customer service process or policy in place.
You work too dang hard to earn your customers.  Bringing them on with some pizazz, excitement and extra love takes a little time.  But if you do it right, they will be raving fans and bring you more customers.  Thinking outside the box and making sure you go the extra mile to let your customers know you appreciate them will pay for itself tenfold. Don't drop the ball once they've paid you. Keep the momentum going. Because as you know getting a new customer is WAY harder than selling a current customer into something else.
That's a wrap for this week.  I would love to hear if any of these failures hit too close to home.  Head on over to the Facebook group and let me know.
What did you learn from this episode? 
Come and tell me in the Facebook Group. Not in the group yet? Consider this your official invitation to join the Small Business Builders Community in the Facebook Group. Small Business owners unite to feed each other with inspiration, information, experiences, and knowledge.

96. 2 Step Decision Making With Rico Racosky

As business owners, we are constantly bombarded with decisions.
But, we don't often make decisions because we are busy weighing the angles, procrastinate, or just plain don't know which decision to make.
But what if decision making were made simple?
In this week's podcast episode I'm joined by Rico Racosky from Just2Choices. In Episode 96 he explains his simple Just 2 Choices system that will help you make even the toughest decisions quicker and easier. Because ultimately, you have Just 2 Choices.
In the episode, Rico talks about the split-second decisions required as a commercial pilot.
When flying an airplane you are constantly bombarded with decisions including things like passenger comfort,  turbulence, flight patterns, and many many more. You don't have time to think about each of these decisions, they have to be made instantly. Any delay could be detrimental.
This is how the Just 2 Choices system was honed and perfected.
When you apply this simple methodology to the decisions in your life, they can be made quickly and efficiently and will easily propel your business forward. Eliminate the mindset that there are "bad" choices, instead, make a different choice.
Tune in to the entire episode to learn how to apply the Just 2 Choices methodology to your business.
 
That's a wrap for this week.  I would love to hear how you are going to apply the Just 2 Choices system to your business and life.  Head on over to the Facebook group and let me know.
What did you learn from this episode? 
Come and tell me in the Facebook Group. Not in the group yet? Consider this your official invitation to join the Small Business Builders Community in the Facebook Group. Small Business owners unite to feed each other with inspiration, information, experiences, and knowledge.
Listen to the entire episode here:

7 Ways To Grow Your Email List

If you want to grow your business, then grow your email list.
You've heard it once, maybe you've heard it multiple times - but without an email list, you don't have control of your marketing. If you don't have control of your marketing it's hard to generate new leads, if not impossible.  If you are generating new leads, well, you aren't generating business.
But what they don't tell you is that growing an email list takes work.
Here's the deal, in life, in business and anything worth having you have to put some effort and action into attaining it. Does it have to be hard? No. But it does take consistency and commitment. Episode 95 gives you 7 strategies to quickly grow your email list.  I challenge you to pick just one and take action with that choice today. Not tomorrow. Not next week. Today. Even if it's just a small step. To get all 7 tips as well as some keen examples, listen to the entire episode here.
1. Create an email course. 
This is your opportunity to showcase some of your expertise and teach your audience one thing they are dying to know. Some people worry about giving away the farm, but, if you look at this as giving away a sample of milk so they want to join the milk club - then you're closer to the truth. I give some great examples in the episode, but thinking about one thing that would give your audience a quick win and then breaking it down into steps sent via email is a GREAT way to grow your list. I've done this one and had great results in adding qualified leads to my list.
2. Create a template.
You know you have that one task that you do over and over again. It's repetitive and likely second nature. Well, there is someone out there that would love to know how to do that task and doesn't know where to start. If you created a template for that task and shared it with them, they would love you forever. Or at least enough to want to see what other tips you've picked up along the way. Which they would only learn about by joining your email list.   So think about those things that may make your life and someone else's easier and create a template for that task.
3. Build a quiz.
Alright, everyone loves quizzes.  This is why everyone on Facebook uses one to suck you into watching their commercials in order to get your results.  You've probably taken three already today.  Okay, maybe that's just me. But regardless, quizzes are hot.  People love to take them and as a marketing tool, you couldn't ask for a better data collection device and email segmentation tool. The great thing about quizzes is people don't even realize they are giving you all the data you will ever need to improve your marketing.  I'm trying out some quiz tools so I'll have an update on those in a future update as well as the results from my quiz as I roll it out.
4. Turn your physical book into an ebook or a piece of your book.
Authors do this all the time.  They will often give you the first book in a series for free to get you hooked and then you end up paying for the entire series because you want to know what happened.  Also, this is a great tool to get your material in front of more eyeballs and build your authority. On the backend, you can ask for reviews and feedback and use that to create whatever it is you're going to sell them into. Because the reality is you won't likely make your fortune from book sales. Most published authors are lucky to sell about 30 books.
5. Create a challenge experience.
Just like quizzes, people LOVE challenges.  Why? Because it forces them to take action. Especially if you are engaging, attentive, and offer tons of value.  Similar to running an email campaign, a challenge focuses on one piece of the pie that you offer and helps people overcome a BIG obstacle that they haven't been able to figure out. If you help them solve that mystery, they become your greatest fans.  Especially if they can measure their success in some way.  To add a cherry on top, celebrate their success publicly on your Facebook Page or in your group.
6. Host a webinar.
You may think that webinars are yesterday's news because of COVID and everyone being zoomed out. But, the reality is people still want to learn what you have to teach. A webinar gives them the opportunity not only to absorb knowledge but to ask questions and get real-time answers.  It is THE best way to grow your list and even better convert new audiences into sales.  But, there is a formula to succeeding and it starts with, you probably guessed it, giving your audience value. Don't underestimate the power of a webinar, it can make all the difference between an unengaged list and success.
7. Create a resource list.
This is one of my favorites as it doesn't require you to create a ton of content. You can put together a list of resources regarding a specific topic and provide it to your audience. For example, if you were familiar with all the different CRMs out there but you were not an expert, you could create a roundup of articles about those CRMs and offer the roundup as your download to grow your list.  This can be a little tricky because you definitely want to provide a resource around a topic that your audience is struggling with.  In other words, don't create this unless there is a need for it and then be sure that what you pull together is REALLY good stuff.  You see this often at the end and beginning of the year featuring the best and worst of lists.
That's a wrap for this week.  I would love to hear which of these you are committing to trying in the weeks ahead.  Head on over to the Facebook group and let me know.
What did you learn from this episode? 
Come and tell me in the Facebook Group. Not in the group yet? Consider this your official invitation to join the Small Business Builders Community in the Facebook Group. Small Business owners unite to feed each other with inspiration, information, experiences, and knowledge.

Help! No One Is Engaging With My Emails!

So maybe you love writing email . . .
...and maybe you don't. Either way, it takes a lot of time to consistently show up in your audience's inbox. If that time isn't paying off in increased sales, Houston we have a problem! Engagement is key! If your emails aren't engaging people to take the next step in your sales funnel, you can't make sales. No engagement = no $$$ cha-ching.
This is why the 7 email engagement tips below, will make your time investment worthwhile.
In Episode 94 I cover the 7 email engagement tips that I use with my clients to achieve success in increasing email engagement. You can listen to the entire episode here.  Even implementing some of these tips will increase engagement, implement them all and your emails will be ON fire. 🔥 🔥 🔥
1. Grab and keep the reader's attention. 
Congratulations! You got them to open your email. That's step one. And it's definitely something worth celebrating. Because as I mention in the episode, average open rates are around 20%. So, getting that baby opened is a victory. But, now we need them to keep reading. One of the ways to do so is through the power of story. I give lots of examples on how to do this in this week's episode, so check it out. The other key strategy is to solve their biggest problem and start creating a relationship with them. Story also helps with that piece.
2. Use one Call To Action (not 5, 10, or more).
I know you're excited about your goods, but a confused mind DOES NOT buy. Nor does it take action. At all. It will be paralyzed by choice and then choose to just move on down the road.  You DON'T want that. This is why it's critical to give your audience one choice. Whatever it may be to propel them forward to doing business with you.  You've got to figure out the funnel first, then lead them through it with breadcrumbs. Give them a solution to the problem you talk about above and then make it SUPER easy for them to make that decision.  Episode 94 gives you the details.
3. Email length is negotiable and needs to be tested.
Nearly everyone I've ever worked with on marketing wants to know "how long should my emails be". The answer is, it depends. Email length really does relate to the objective of the email. If you don't know why you are sending the email, start there. Just as with any marketing activity, the strategy proceeds the action, otherwise you are wasting your time. There is no magic email length recipe. You simply have to understand why you are sending the email, what will engage your audience and test the crapola out of it. Because every email and every audience is different. What works sometimes, won't work other. Testing and retesting is really the best medicine for success.
4. Use those headings (because you've got skimmers)
"More Than 347 Billion Emails Will Be Sent and Received By 2022" according to Statista.  Nobody has time to read every email that comes into their inbox. This means they are ignoring the ones that are irrelevant or don't keep their attention (see #1 on this list). This is where the power of using a header (more training on what that looks like coming on Facebook) in your copy, comes in. When you place strategic headers in your copy you own the ability to draw them in again and grab their focus on what you want them to do. Those headings stop skimmers in their tracks. They are worth GOLD. 🥇 🥇 🥇
5. Create traction with your images.
Adding images is a great way to grab attention. Utilizing those images to get your audience to the next step is even better. First, ensure that your image is relevant to your content, otherwise, it will just come across as slimy and untrustworthy. In marketing, they call it bait and switch. I've succumbed to it in the past, and I'm guessing you have to. It feels gross and it won't win you any awards. Instead, use the image to add depth to your story and if possible, a call to action that takes them to the next step. Images are so impactful, that if done right, they will make or break the chain of continuing to read the email. More details on this in this week's episode.
6. Covertkit Ninja Tip --> Resend to unopened emails.
This little trick you can actually start using today.  If you go into your analytics you will see an option (a great Convertkit function and some other email service providers) called "resend to unopened". This enables you to pull up a list of people who didn't open that email broadcast and change the subject line so that you can try to get it in front of them.  Should you do this every time? Probably not. But if you've got something that's hopping, it doesn't hurt to test it and see how many more people open it up and take action. Give it a try.
7. Use link triggers to segment your audience.
As I was trying to talk you through this component, I thought it would be MUCH easier to just show you. So look for a YouTube training in the coming weeks on how to do this. The quick answer is you can set up a link in your email that will tag someone when they click on it. With that tag, you can indicate their area of interest.  I give really simple examples in the episode to explain what this looks like. The reason this increases engagement so well is it enables you to deliver customized content to those subscribers based on the links they have identified as interest areas. For example, if you had tags set up for strawberry, vanilla or chocolate ice cream and Sally your user clicked on strawberry, it's a pretty good indicator she likes strawberry. So you could then cater your content to send her all things strawberry. Strawberry shortcake, strawberry rhubarb sauce, strawberry pie, you get the idea. Instead of all things chocolate, because she didn't choose chocolate.
That's a wrap for this week.  I would love to hear which of these you try and what your success looks like.  Head on over to the Facebook group and let me know.
What did you learn from this episode? 
Come and tell me in the Facebook Group. Not in the group yet? Consider this your official invitation to join the Small Business Builders Community in the Facebook Group. Small Business owners unite to feed each other with inspiration, information, experiences, and knowledge.

93. Keeping Your Boundaries & Sanity

Let's be real for a minute . . .
Keeping your boundaries can be at the least challenging.  Especially if you aren't practiced at it.  Holy shmoly people, the world can be a crazy place. Especially this year. But let down your boundaries or let people push you past those you have set and it could be like the initial scene of the Wizard of Oz.
The universe has been giving me a TON of boundary opportunities
This is why I decided to focus the podcast this week on lessons learned from keeping and not keeping my boundaries.  In hopes that some of my less than success opportunities will help you.  Click here to listen to the entire episode.  I have seven tips that I took away from recent boundary lessons to share with you, as well as some symptoms of being boundaryless at the end.
1. Boundaries help you realize what you do and don't want. 
I give multiple examples of what this looks like in the episode, but without boundaries, you are pushed here and there with no direction and it's easy to lose track of what you were originally aiming for, making it nearly impossible to attain your goals and desires. If your boundaries are being circumvented, I found that its a great time to take stock of what is happening in your world.  See the symptoms below.
2. Holding your boundaries helps you reestablish and reconnect with your goals.
It's easy as a business owner to just jump in and power through. But if all that effort isn't moving toward an end result, or you've lost sight of what the end result is, then reaching the finish line will be impossible.  More often than not, if someone pushes your boundary it makes you aware that something is off-kilter. It is a warning shot per se to reconnect with where you are going and what you are trying to accomplish, which typically requires you to enforce a boundary.  Funny how that works, eh?
3. Saying yes means saying no to something else. What do you REALLY want and need to say yes to?
Episode 93 has many examples of what this looks like. But, simply when you say yes to something as simple as ice cream after dinner - you are saying no to things like your diet, vegging out on the couch later, one flavor over another. A simple decision really is complex. This is why when you say yes to things in business, like working with that high-maintenance client, you can easily be tilted off-track pushing you further and further off course. When I evaluate what saying yes means, it ensures that I am empowering myself to follow that decision through.  I chose to hire a cleaning lady, there are a lot of inside details about this situation in the episode. Hiring this company empowered me to say no to feeling guilty about the house being dirty, spending my time on a chore when I would rather be doing something else, and most importantly family disputes every weekend on who would be doing what.
4. Take 100% radical responsibility for you and only you.
That seems easy enough, but 100% responsibility requires extreme effort and practice.  Notice that end piece, for only you.  I talk a bit more about that below - but you are not responsible for other people.  It's easy to pick up their projects (especially mental projects) which is why in the episode I share this important tip: "I'm sure you'll figure that out!"  Listen here to hear the entire story and know why it works to keep you in your responsibility lane protecting your time and energy.
5. There is no point in trying to fix other people.
First, you can't fix them. They can only fix themselves.  I shared this Julia Roberts quote, which I am seriously thinking of making my mantra.  Swap out man for client, child, or whatever fits for you.  Listen to the entire scoop on not "saving" others here.
"Women, you are not rehabilitation centers for badly raised men. It's not your job to fix him, change him, parent, or raise him. You want a partner not a project." - Julie Roberts
6. Take time to Reflect, Recharge & Reevaluate (the triple R).
When confronted with your boundaries, you are also confronted with an opportunity for choice and change. Sometimes you need to take a deep breath and reflect on what is going on. Why you are feeling the way you are. Is it because you're tired, stressed out, or something else.  Taking a few minutes to connect to your gut and ask yourself what is coming up helps you recharge and then you can reevaluate what you want to do next. Helping you to act with precision and confidence as you move forward.
7. You only get one shot. Today.
I butchered the "today is a present" saying, but I know you've heard it. I also know that it is true. This is why I give you some important questions to ask before you answer "yes" or "no" to decisions that impact your boundaries and your sanity. Because tomorrow is a new day, you have an opportunity. But sometimes that can fluster our decision making. I came up with these simple questions to help you determine whether you say yes or no.
What will "yes" mean tomorrow?
What will "yes" mean next week?
What will "yes" mean next month?
What will "yes" mean next year?
What will "yes" mean in 5 years?
The same questions can be used for "no". You can hear some specific examples of how this scenario looks by listening to the episode here.
Last but least. You may be struggling with boundaries if you have these symptoms:
You feel worn out all the time.  More than exhausted.
You feel emotionally overwhelmed.
You aren't sleeping well.
You're stressed out, all the time.
You are exhausted, frustrated, cranky, and angry and can't figure out why.
You are feeling melancholic. 
If you are feeling any of these, check your boundaries.  If they feel out of whack, implement one of the options from above and see how you feel afterward.
 
What did you learn from this episode? 
Come and tell me in the Facebook Group. Not in the group yet? Consider this your official invitation to join the Small Business Builders Community in the Facebook Group. Small Business owners unite to feed each other with inspiration, information, experiences, and knowledge.

92. Echo Episode: Landing Page vs Opt-in Form

Landing pages, opt-in forms, oh my
It can be a smidge overwhelming, don't you think? Everyone is telling you to put a freebie on your website, but how exactly do you get it on your website, and which format works better? A single page or an opt-in form, a pop-up form, a combination?
I am giving you the low down
This week's episode of the Feed U Podcast gives you the low down on what option of opting in works the best.  Click here to listen to the entire episode.  I have found that using a separate landing page, works the best. But I also give you the inside scoop of what to do when you have a broken, horribly hideous, or non-existent website, to still grow your list.
1. A landing page screams intent to your page visitor. 
Why do you need to give your visitor a specific reason to visit your page and keep them on task? Simple. We as a society are uber distracted. If you have a potential subscriber that comes to your landing page, you know they are there for one of three reasons. To buy, to get on your list, or to learn more. Your goal for a landing page is simple, you either want to sell, add them to your list or get more information from them so you can make your emails irresistible. By removing every other attention grabber, you are able to get them to take whichever action you intend.
2. A landing page creates a distraction-free zone.
The #1 reason I love love love landing pages is that you have made your intention clear, there are limited distractions, hence, you get higher conversions. Whereas an opt-in form on your website opens you up to oooh, what's this pretty thing over here, wait there's a blog article on that, they're on Facebook, let me go check that out.  You see the problem. They never opt-in because there is WAY too much vying for their attention. Pop-ups work fairly well, but also run the potential of being annoying. If you're going to have a pop-up make it match the opt-in you are trying to drive traffic to.
3. Track conversions, easily.
This is where a lot of business owners drop the ball, they don't track what is working. When I say "what is working" I mean are people downloading your freebie and continuing down your sales funnel? Or are they getting to the page and not exchanging their name and email address for your content? Or worse, are they not arriving at all? It's more difficult to track conversions (especially if you are using online advertising) if you don't have a specific page that you can track. If you are putting in the effort to grow your list and want to sell products, the best way to do that is to track that landing page. This is also a great tactic if you are testing different opt-ins to see which one performs better. Lastly, if something is broken, you know where to track what needs to be fixed.
4. Introduce new visitors to Y-O-U.
When people arrive at your website from the internet ethers, if you have a landing page that leads to a thank you page, you can direct them directly to another page on your site that could be of interest. Keeping them on your website builds the relationship. It is more difficult to create this experience if you have them fill out a landing page not connected to your website.  More on this in just a bit.
5. Benefits your SEO and Search.
Google searches pages, it cannot search forms. When you set up a landing page for a specific opt-in you can then have the URL for that page be specific to the content on that page. Google loves content that matches the URL, when you can do this, it will naturally increase your ranking for those specific search terms.  You also have the ability to include keywords in your description and title for the landing page and any other content you have on the page. Meaning, Google will see those terms and say "hey, they are talking about "x" and so and so is searching for "x" we should pop this into their search results. Win. Win. Win.
6. Easier to track advertising effectiveness.
Similar to #3, when running Facebook or Google ads, it is easier to add a pixel to a certain page or have that ad track to a certain page and calculate effectiveness.  Sometimes Facebook's numbers are inflated, and the same for Google, when you have your own statistics you can compare and ensure that your ad spend is truly working the way they say it is. Reports from third parties aren't always accurate, when you have your own numbers, you can verify and know when something is truly working or it isn't.
What to do when you don't have a website.
First, don't panic, you can still grow your email list even if you don't have a website.  I DON'T recommend this as a long term strategy, but you can get started without a website.  When you use an email service provider (highly recommend) like ConvertKit (my personal favorite)  you have the ability to build a landing page within their app. Here are some of the benefits of using a landing page through Convertkit:
They have easy to use templates, making it easy to get your landing page up and running.
Typically you can personalize the page with images and sometimes video.
Usually, colors can be customized to match your brand or an upcoming brand to keep consistent.
The information on the form will automatically go into your email service provider so you can email them.
You can connect the form to Google Analytics, Facebook Analytics, and Segment Analytics.
A few pitfalls to only using a landing page with an email service provider:
No specific thank you page to track conversions for advertising.
Can't direct them to additional content to further the relationship because you aren't using a website.
Subscribers can't learn more about you and it may dampen the know, like, trust factor.
No central hub for any of your marketing.
May be seen as "not really in business" if you don't have a website or a coming soon page - hindering your authority.
I also mention LeadPages in the episode, but pitfalls 2-5 will still apply to LeadPages.  Long term, you will want a website even if it's just a simple website.
What did you learn from this episode? 
Come and tell me in the Facebook Group. Not in the group yet? Consider this your official invitation to join me in my Facebook Group. I talk about all things online business growth but specifically sales funnels, branding, and WordPress.

Linking Self Care and Success

2020 has been a doozy of a year so far, how's your self-care regime going?
If you answered, what self-care regime - then this week's Feed U Podcast episode was made for you. There is a direct correlation between how you take care of yourself and success. With so much going on, I thought it critical to challenge you to put yourself first. Because putting yourself first isn't selfish. In fact, when you refuel and replenish you have more to offer and give to those who need you.
This week I share 7 tips that will keep you sane and sassy when it comes to self-care.
Some of them you may have heard before (but it never hurts to be reminded, especially with everything going on). To get the entire lowdown of how to take care of you, tune in here and listen to the episode. As always, here are the cliff notes for this week's episode:
1. Eat well.
I know McDonald's can be easy and sound delicious when you don't feel like figuring out what's for dinner. But, there is a direct correlation between stress and eating. I also talk about my realization of junk food addiction and tuning into your body to listen to what it wants. Of course, everything in moderation is my motto. You don't have to be perfect, but you do need to listen to the cues your body gives you when it comes to eating, sleeping, rest, exercise, you name it.  For all the deets tune in here.
2. You've got to move it move it.
Yes in fact in this week's episode there is a bout of brief singing. What can I say? I'm a Madagascar fan.  Just something about the Zebra. Anyway . . . moving your body counts.  Even if it's in short spurts.  Research has shown shorts spurts over time are as effective as longer periods of exercise. Meaning you don't have to do it all at once. But, this body we are in was meant to move. When we don't move things get kinked up, clogged up, and jacked up. Yep, those are the clinical terms.)  Even if you have to sit at a desk all day there are ways you can get up and move it move it move it. Listen to the ideas I share about what I'm doing to keep moving during zoom calls and computer work.
3. Meditation is cool.
I'm not just saying that because I live near Boulder. I think by now we can agree that the meditation thing is not just a trend. It's been going on for 1000's of years - so I think we can quit calling it a "thing". When we sit, quietly and listen. Turn off our thoughts and listen. It's amazing what will start happening in our lives.  I reference Insight Timer when talking about a tool to get you started.  I've used it for many years now, and that free version has a TON of content.  Check it, tune out and let me know what you find out.
4. Turn off devices, the news, and social media.
Holy cow could we have more distractions? I give a great example of what happens when we tune into our device first thing in the morning during the podcast. As humans, we are problem fixers. If we jump into a problem before we have even given ourselves the chance to wake up or plan out our day - we are like Doug in the movie Up. "squirrel". We won't get done what we need to. Our goals won't get accomplished. And, we can't achieve what we want to achieve. It also makes it really hard to focus and stay neutral energetically. With so much going on and so many distractions, it's exhausting just thinking about it. No wonder we are tired. Last, I give some before bedtime tips for devices in this week's episode. Give it a listen here.
5. Simply sleep more.
Sounds too good to be true, doesn't it? But sleep is one of the BEST stress-busters out there and most of us don't get nearly enough. Getting 7-8 hours of sleep daily helps your brain function at it's best. Even more, even better. But many of us don't get enough sleep or can't fall asleep or stay asleep. I shared several tricks to fall asleep during this part of the episode. Below are the links to some of the tools I reference. For more detail, listen to the episode.
Yoga Nidra Meditation Julie Rader
Tuning Forks (I have the 136 and the 128)
Lavender Essential Oil
Serenity Blend Essential Oil
6. Take action.
It is easy to get caught up in our thoughts and let our emotions propel decisions or keep us stuck. When we start to take action, things will start shifting and moving again. Sometimes it's as simple as taking that first step. Sometimes we have to take smaller steps to gain momentum and see big results over time. But overanalyzing and spinning our thoughts over and over in our mind only increases our stress. So take that first step and see what tomorrow brings.
7. Get creative.
As entrepreneurs and business owners, we are creators. When our creativity gets blocked we don't have new ideas, we feel stuck and wonder what the heck we are going to do and how got into this mess in the first place. When we can find a constructive way to release that creative energy we are more productive, find solutions faster, and achieve our goals quicker. We have to expend the energy somehow. It doesn't matter if your creation is perfect (let perfectionism go for the love of all things holy) and just play again. I reference my addiction to crayons (learn more here about that) but choosing what fits your creative needs will be the best way to go.
Simply if you want more success then put your self-care first with these 7 tips. If you're ready to declare your self-care commitment, come tell us in the Facebook Group this week.   In the meantime,
Listen to the entire episode here: