The Pieces of My Lifestyle Business Are Fitting Together Like a Dream - 30 Day Blog Challenge - Days 29 and 30

by Debi Auger

Day 29 Challenge: "What does your blueprint for living the dream look like to you?"

Day 30 Challenge: "Tell me how the 30 Day Blog Challenge has helped you to create freedom in business and adventure in life."

Have You Been Doing the Challenge?

If so, here are some additional questions Natalie asked on Day 29 that will probably be helpful for you to answer as well:

      • So what does living the dream REALLY look like to you?
      • What do you want in your life beyond all certainty?
      • What’s a non-negotiable you are not prepared to give up for anything else?
      • What don’t you mind forsaking in return for having more of something else?

How Did It Help Me?

I've not had time to put together a proper, snazzy Painted Picture slide show to share with you because of Niko's surgery. Customers and clients need to come first in my limited time right now. But I do have it in my head, jotted down and sketched out on papers and documented in Evernote. I'm very excited about it and working on it every spare moment.

Doing this 30 Day Blog Challenge really did help me clarify it even more. And the fact that I've been doing a re-brand at the same time, though a bit overwhelming, actually proved to be quite helpful and synergistic - which was my hope when I signed on to take part in the challenge knowing what was already on my plate.

I made a commitment to really embrace this challenge because, having already read Natalie's book, I knew it would really help me stay focused and work things out. I'll admit that blogging every day (which I ultimately didn't do... I combined many into longer posts) wasn't easy. It's way more than I usually blog. But this journey has been enlightening, exciting and quite enjoyable. 

I took advantage of the challenges to do some real soul-searching, dig deep, and be honest with myself. I looked at my "why" and the big picture for my business, worked through my re-brand, planned out my offerings and came up with amazing ideas for Awaken Dreams which have gone into planning mode and are well on their way.

I was able to envision and describe my Perfect Day in much more detail than ever before. It's so inspirational that I've printed it and put it on the magnetic white board in my office where I'll see it daily.

What's Your Take on This?

There's a TV commercial from Prudential airing in the US right now that's making me crazy! Here's why. Here are the 3 questions posed in this commercial (which you can watch below):
      • "If you could get paid to do something you really love, what would you do?"
      • "What if I told you someone could pay you and what if that person were you?"
      • "When you think about it, isn't that what retirement should be... pay ourselves to do what we love?"

First, let me ask you...

What are your answers to these questions? 

And how do you feel about them... especially that last one?

What You Won't Catch Me Doing

I'm all for re-inventing yourself, even if it is only when you retire. But I say... why wait?!?

I'm NOT waiting.

I'm planning my retirement now. Let me re-phrase that... I'm planning on living my retirement now. While I can. While I'm young enough to enjoy it. While I'm still living.

I Will Not Be a Statistic

How many times have you heard of someone who retired then died shortly thereafter? Or just before they were due to retire?

I've heard it so many times! Again just the other day. Then I saw the above commercial. And it pissed me off.

There's no reason, especially with all the tools at our fingertips today, why we should have to wait until retirement to do something we love and enjoy ourselves.

So I don't care if you do want to be a writer, a baker or an architect... or a jewelry designer or a watercolor artist... or a suitcase entrepreneur like Natalie. Do it NOW. Harness the power of the internet, take control of the steering wheel and plot the course to your dream... whatever it may be.

That's what I'm doing. 

I LOVE what I do... ok, correction all the things I do. I'm one of those multi-passionate entrepreneurs, ya know. (I bet deep down you are, too.) And the final pieces of the puzzle to be put in place are my relocation to Hawaii and the marked expansion of my business and charitable foundation that will happen once I'm there.

That IS my retirement.

I don't sit here dreading the "daily grind" and dreaming about the day I can finally quit working. I'll probably never quit working... because my work doesn't even feel like work! I can't wait to get out of bed and get started every day.

What Is A Lifestyle Business?

I've decided that the traditional, delayed gratification model of retirement doesn't work for me. I prefer the idea of a Lifestyle Business. My definition of Lifestyle Business and Success (as you'll see in my new header up top soon if it's not there already) is the same... having a business doing what you love give you the lifestyle that you want.

As I said earlier, I'll probably never fully retire. I love what I'm doing so I've decided the Lifestyle Business model works better for me. My business is location-independent enough for my needs. (It would be 100% if it wasn't for the inventory necessary for Designs by Debi.) I have a flexible schedule. I get to enjoy my environment 24/7 and can even work outdoors if I want. And, as I grow my business and my team, I'll be able to have even more free time and flexibility in my schedule if I want it. That will most likely translate to being available to do more volunteer work for my charitable foundation. 

The more my plans come together, the more excited I get and the happier I am.

Does This Sound Interesting To You? 

Are you a creative person with a new entrepreneurial creative career just waiting to burst out of you?

Does your heart sink when you think you might have to wait until you retire to really indulge your creative side?

Well, pick your heart up off the floor so the two of you can have a little dance because there's no reason for you to wait! 

You can start right now. Right here. Today. 

You see, all it takes is a choice. Yup, that's right. All you need to do is make a conscious decision to give it a shot.

You don't have to run out and quit your day job. 

You don't have to spend every non-job-working, waking hour on it to make it happen.

And you don't have to commit to a life of poverty either. (FYI --> We're going to blow that "starving artist" myth straight to hell.)

You do have to want it... really want it.

You do have to carve out time to work on it. Even a couple hours each week of forward progress is forward progress!

You do have to work hard during those hours.

You do have to learn business stuff... and, yes, DO business stuff. At least for now.

But if you want it, you CAN do it. 

Help Is On The Way

Very soon, I'll have some great tools to help you. There's a lot going on behind the scenes here and there will be an explosion of activity with amazing stuff for you this fall. So be on the lookout and get on my list, too so you'll be the first to know and take advantage of special deals!

I hope you enjoyed following this challenge, that I was able to give you some teachable a-ha moments and that it was helpful. I'd love to hear your thoughts about it AND what you came up with for yourself if you did the challenge. So let me know in the comments below or shoot me an email if you prefer to do it privately.

Much Success,

_______________________________________________________________________________

I'm writing this post as part of Natalie Sisson's 30 Day Blog Challenge during which I'll follow the path she's laying with inspiration and challenges for daily blog posts. I hope you'll enjoy coming along on this journey and share your own in the comments every day. If you'd like to participate in the challenge on your own blog, just click one of the links here and you'll be taken to the page with all the details. 

Share your thoughts...

Where Is Your Favorite Place in the World? - 30 Day Blog Challenge - Days 21, 22, 23 and 24

by Debi Auger

Day 21 Challenge: For those of you keeping track, I don't want to throw you off... Day 21 was a day off; a break before starting the 3rd part of our journey...

Day 22 Challenge: "If you chose to live anywhere in the world, where would that be and why?"

Day 23 Challenge: "What’s your level of location independence and your nomadic quotient?"

Day 24 Challenge: "What are your travel essentials for your chosen destination(s) or the essential elements you’d want it to have (like history, sunshine, etc.)?"

A Long Time Coming

From the very first time I visited Hawaii back in 1987, I've had a deep heartfelt connection with the Islands. I'm drawn to them in a very profound way and feel more at home when I'm there than I do here in Rhode Island where I've lived all my life! 

I love the people, the culture and customs and, of course, the beauty of the Islands. I love the nice weather and the fact that it's nice year round. I love the calmer, laid back lifestyle and how friendly people are. I love the island style of living. I love to walk on the beach. I love to be near the ocean and listen to the sound of the waves... I can do that for hours. I love to watch ocean sunsets. I love living Aloha.

So I've decided to relocate to Hawaii. It's been quite a long time coming and I'm really looking forward to finally living in the place my heart calls home! It's going to be an enormous undertaking moving my whole life and my company 5,000 miles... all the way across the country into the middle of the Pacific Ocean. But I'm so excited about it! 

My Wish List

I talked about my perfect day back on Day 5 of the challenge.

Covered outdoor space is super important. I want a huge covered lanai and that's where Niko and I will likely spend the better part of every day. The beautiful weather is another reason for the move. I'm able to enjoy my environment every day and I'm tired of wasting half of every year dealing with cold and snow. 

Is It a Go?

There are a whole lot of things to take care of and I was hoping 2013 would be the year. But unfortunately Niko has had a rough year and now he needs to have surgery again so alas my perfect days will have to wait. His surgery is on September 6th and I need to give him time to recover. So, since I'm limited by weather and safety concerns, we'll need to wait until 2014.

And it's all up to this cute little guy. Meet my fur baby, Niko. Isn't he precious? (Asks the proud and very blessed Eskie Mom!) He's my most important consideration. I need to be sure I can relocate him safely because he means the world to me. He'll be 15 years old in November so there's a lot to think about with such a big move; especially because of the quarantine regulations in Hawaii. But, he had his first round of necessary testing and he passed! So, we're taking it one day at a time, deciding carefully and, although I would leave right this minute if there was only me to consider, the timing of this move is all in Niko's cute, white fuzzy paws.

I've never been able to bring Niko to visit Hawaii because of the quarantine laws so I'm really looking forward to sharing this special place with him where he'll be able to enjoy the outdoors 365 days a year. 

My Perfect Level of Location Independence

For me, the ability to work from home and on any schedule I please is a blissful amount of freedom. And my perfect level of location independence is to take advantage of those freedoms and relocate to a better place now that I've created the freedom to enjoy my environment 24/7.

 Today Natalie gave us four Suitcase Entrepreneur qualities that must be possessed to live that lifestyle:

          1. A vision for your business and a life that you'll fight for 

          2. The ability to spend time alone and enjoy your own company

          3. An independent nature and strength of character to deal with daily challenges

          4. An open mind and sense of compassion for others

I can say an enthusiastic "Yes!" to all four of them so, within my own personal nomadic quotient, I would say I'm in good shape!

Not Everyone's Idea of Perfect

Of course even Hawaii is not everyone's idea of perfect. I know, huh? But it's true and, just as Natalie has met with resistance for bucking the status quo with her Suitcase Entrepreneur lifestyle, I've had some judgmental comments slung at me for my choices as well:

"Are you serious?!?!?!" (Why yes, as a matter of fact I am!)

"It's expensive to live there ya know!" (No duh, really??) 

"How can you just move away from your friends and family?" (Well, I never said it would be easy.")

"Why do you want to move there? You don't know anyone."

"You're going to be alone!?!" (Sometimes this is a statement and other times a shocked question.) 

And when all else fails to change my mind, there's always the one guaranteed to get to me... "You're going to kill Niko trying to move him there!" Ignore the fact that every single teeny tiny decision made about this move has been arranged with his best interests in mind, no matter the cost (when we go, how we go, if we go...), this one still gets to me every time. Of course I'm nervous! If it didn't matter, we'd be gone already. So I hate having it thrown in my face as if I don't care or haven't considered it.

The questions and comments can be painful, depending on the tone and who they're coming from. But that doesn't mean I'm going to change my mind. I've never really cared much for being told what to do and I'm much less concerned with pleasing people than I used to be when I was younger (clients not included, don't worry). And besides, I think there's actually much more at play here if you look beyond the surface.

What's Really Going On Here?

Natalie made a great point in her Day 23 post and, although she specifically referred to the effects of world travel, I think it's a more widely felt problem. Here's what she had to say...

"Travel can really change people. It can expand their mind, open their eyes and broaden their horizons beyond belief.  This means when you head home after a period of travel, things can feel very different to you and childhood friends may suddenly seem very different, and potentially boring or small-minded.

In return, you might seem like some changed person that they just don’t get and can’t relate to. Trust me, this happens a lot and it’s hard to deal with on both ends if you’re not aware of it."

I wholeheartedly agree that it's extremely hard to deal with. But I think that, though it may be more subtle, it affects all online entrepreneurs, whether they travel or not. 

I've noticed it in my own life. I have much more of an open mind and infinitely broader horizons than most people I know offline; indeed even more than I myself had before starting an online business. 

They are very geographically narrow-minded, "local-focused" and closed off to most of the world with absolutely no idea how accessible it is to them. 

As someone who deals with them all the time, I can't believe how many people do not understand time zones, other than the familiar ones in the US of course. They don't understand the concept, how they work and certainly not how to figure them out.  

I'm met with a look of shock and disbelief if I mention doing a group coaching call with clients from around the world; or being on a Skype video chat with a coaching client from Australia or a friend in New Zealand. The mere fact that I know and interact with people from all around the world downright boggles peoples' minds.

They just don't get it. And they don't get me. And that is very hard to deal with. It's put a strain on quite a few friend and family relationships.

There's a part of me that wonders if (in addition to the fact that they've never experienced it) maybe part of the problem is that it's invisible and intangible because they kind of "get" my jewelry business. But they decidedly do not get any of the rest of it. AT. ALL.

They don't have so much as an inkling of the possibilities that exist for them. And many of them don't want to. 

Fear is another reason for these responses... their own fear. Maybe you're doing something they would be afraid to do themselves. Or maybe what you're doing affects their world and they don't like change. They may even be so averse to it that they want to hold you back... and may try. These issues can be the toughest and, for me, they've meant a whole lot of letting go.

But I'm glad that I allowed my world to open up. And I'm glad that you're in it.

Share Your Thoughts

Feel free to share your thoughts about where you would choose to live and your nomadic quotient in the comments below...

Much Success,

_______________________________________________________________________________

I'm writing this post as part of Natalie Sisson's 30 Day Blog Challenge during which I'll follow the path she's laying with inspiration and challenges for daily blog posts. I hope you'll enjoy coming along on this journey and share your own in the comments every day. If you'd like to participate in the challenge on your own blog, just click one of the links here and you'll be taken to the page with all the details. 

Share your thoughts...

Online Tools Can Make You a Business Ninja - 30 Day Blog Challenge - Day 20

by Debi Auger

Day 20 Challenge: "State your top three tools that you will use (or already use) to save time and money and make your online world more seamless."

Online Tools

I love this topic! I'm a wee bit obsessed with online tools as a matter of fact. I use them for so many things... and use so many of them! It's not going to be easy to pick my favorites.

My Absolute #1 Favorite Is an Easy Choice

That would be Evernote. It's the one tool I absolutely, positively never ever want to run my business without (or my life for that matter!). They're slogan is "Remember Everything" and with the ability to create typed, written, audio and webcam notes and a smorgasbord of other apps developed to work with it, you can literally use it for everything.

I've only been using it for about 14 months or so, but it didn't take long for it to totally transform the way I work and, more importantly, how much I can accomplish. So I love, love, love Evernote. I cannot recommend this tool highly enough. It can be a tremendous help for anyone in any business, and for personal use as well.

They have a very generous free version, a Premium Personal version for $5 per month and a Business version for $10 per month per person that's great if you have a team. It has apps and desktop versions and syncs across all devices. I can access it on my laptops, my tablet and my phone at anytime and it's all in sync. 

Don't underestimate how useful this is, even if you do all your work in one location. I run my business from home, but I have 2 laptops (1 powerful, oversized, desktop replacement and 1 business class), a tablet and a smartphone. These tools allow me to work ANYwhere inside or outside the house and, with the convenience of having Evernote synced on all my devices, I can be productive no matter where I'm working or what device I'm on. Admittedly I wouldn't do any heavy use on my smartphone, but in a pinch - or when I find myself wasting an hour in a doctor's waiting area - it's nice to know I can.

Evernote has developed a suite of tools that work with it and expand its functionality. And other developers also create apps that work with it. As a matter of fact, they host the annual Evernote Devcup, a competition for designers and software developers after which the Evernote community gets to vote on the best products that integrate with the Evernote API.

I'm developing an online program for those looking to leverage the power of Evernote and it will be launching in the new year.

Social Media Mayhem

The number two tool on my list is a Social Media Management tool. I've been using Hootsuite for a couple of years to manage social media, (although I generally post and interact in person on Facebook). But I've been on the lookout for something more comprehensive. 

I hate signing in all over the place so I like to find tools that can serve multiple accounts and multiple purposes, especially if they do it well. It's an important time saver for me because I keep separate social media accounts for each of my businesses and often free/limited plans don't give me the ability to handle them all in one place/account.

I've looked into about 80 or so of these services over the last couple years; using the free version of Hootsuite primarily while tinkering with the others. It's been a long, ongoing project. I'm thankfully down to testing the final two. I'm comparing Sendible and HootSuite/Hootsuite Pro. So far I think Sendible is a more comprehensive service. The user interface is different so the key thing will be which one I actually USE more; because it doesn't matter how much a tool is capable of if you don't use it.

That's a really important point to understand. People ask all the time "What's the best tool for ______ ?" There are millions of online tools and apps available to accomplish things. They may run on different platforms or multiple platforms. They may do one specific thing or they may encompass a whole suite of capability. The bottom line is that the best tool to accomplish the job is whichever one you will actually USE.  They all have their own user interfaces, styles, capabilities and quirks. So it really just comes down to you being comfortable enough and liking it enough to use it. There may be tools I love that you would absolutely hate and vice versa. It depends on you, your workflow, how you work best and what exactly you're trying to accomplish.

The Third Critical Element

Third on my list is finding an excellent Project Management tool. This is huge for me and maybe it should have been higher on the list. It's another area where I'm looking for a really comprehensive tool and I have some strict requirements. I've looked into many of these, but it hasn't been as long a process as the social media tools because many of them got eliminated very quickly.

I suffer from short term memory loss so, although everyone can benefit from this type of tool, it's even more important for me. I used to have a ridiculously excellent memory so I struggle a great deal with this somewhat new reality that I've been living with for the last few years. Evernote has helped a great deal with this in a lot of ways so integration with Evernote is high on my list of priorities for my Project Management tool so it works nicely with Evernote and fills in the functions that Evernote is not robust enough (or meant) to handle. This gets most tools eliminated right off the bat. And for the ones that don't have a direct integration, there has to be something really fabulous about them for me to consider a workaround method of integrating Evernote.

Right now I'm testing out Nozbe, IQTell, Get It Done App, Trello and Asana. They each have their strong points and limitations. The other big thing that comes into play in this decision is the fact that I have multiple businesses and manage about 60 projects on average at a time so the winner has to be able to handle all of it and do it intuitively. The final requirement is that it be easy to implement with virtual staff and employees. It's a tall order and these 5 are the front runners.

Bonus

In my defense, I did admit that it wasn't going to be easy to choose my favorites so here's a bonus... ok, a few of them ;-) ...that I think may be helpful to you.

Do you work using the Pomodoro or another timed work system? Try these clocks and stopwatches and you'll always have one handy.

Do you hoard articles and tutorials and need to organize them? You could use Evernote for that. But you might find a knowledge management app like diigo works better for you.

Do you always run across things while you're online, but don't always have time to stop and read them? Get Pocket and you can save them until you do have time; batch your reading into blocks of times and all those interesting articles will be ready and waiting for you.

Need secure cloud storage? Check out Dropbox. 

Want to get your email signature working hard for you? Go to Wisestamp and get one that will help you spread your awesomeness with every email you send!

Your Turn...

How about you? Are there any tools, apps or other things you use in your business that you couldn't imagine being without? Tell me in the comments...

Much Success,

_______________________________________________________________________________

I'm writing this post as part of Natalie Sisson's 30 Day Blog Challenge during which I'll follow the path she's laying with inspiration and challenges for daily blog posts. I hope you'll enjoy coming along on this journey and share your own in the comments every day. If you'd like to participate in the challenge on your own blog, just click one of the links here and you'll be taken to the page with all the details. 

Share your thoughts...

You Need An Inspired Team to Change the World - Blog Challenge Day 16

by Debi Auger

Day 16 Challenge: "How will you build a team around your vision and work smart instead of hard?"

I Want to Change the World

My vision is for a better world of happy people doing work that truly fulfills them and being paid what they deserve for it. I want to start a movement of women entrepreneurs (artisans and creatives are my personal peeps) taking over the world and fixing the world economy all while living the fulfilled life of their dreams... whatever those dreams may be.

I want to help you build a lifestyle business that gives you everything you need and makes you happy to the bottom of your soul.

My World-Changing Team

I plan to get a whole team of people on board who also believe in my vision. 

See, I own a corporation, but I want to break the old corporate mold. I want to prove to the world that you can run a wildly successful company and still put your employees and customers first AND that by putting them first, you actually have a stronger, more sustainable company in the long run. And you can use the profits from that company to do great things.

I think it's going to take a woman to do it. Not a woman who's trying to keep up with all the corporate males in their expensive suits; or all the egotistical, bullshit-spouting online marketers who want you to believe you can buy a magic formula to make millions without doing real work. But a woman who isn't afraid to be herself, buck the status quo and do things her way... even if that means flip-flops are office attire. I'm that kind of woman. And THAT is my mission.

I have the corporation and I'm working on the charitable foundation, but I can't succeed in this endeavor alone. I need to be smart... which means I need a team... great visions of this magnitude cannot be achieved by one person. I need an inspired team that believes in what I want to accomplish.

I think it's up to me to inspire and lead my team. Uninspired employees just working for a paycheck will do as little as possible. Inspired team members, passionate about their mission, included in the process and encouraged to step up and be involved will give you blood, sweat and tears. That's the kind of team I want to build. And, for their efforts, I want to reward them by giving them the pay and benefits they deserve, and plenty of time with their families. 

I plan to run a very different company. A company on my terms. A company that will not go public, have an IPO and flush its values down the toilet in the process. Nope. My company's only debt is owed to me... and I intend it to stay that way. I don't need investors and shareholders thinking they have the right to place expectations on me or make me compromise my mission and values. It will remain privately owned and the only shareholders will be the carefully selected members of the board. 

How I Plan To Do This

So far, I have one of those members selected... my Mom. She's getting ready to retire and has started doing my bookkeeping. That's my way of helping her retire. She'll work part-time doing my bookkeeping and be company Treasurer. That gives me the ability to fund the retirement my parents deserve, pay their health insurance and let them travel the world or anything else they want to do.

I could really use someone here in person with me full-time, but have not been able to do that. I don't have the space and, since I'll be relocating 5,000 miles away, that person would then be without a job. So that has to wait. 

A virtual team is next on my agenda because I'm in serious need of help even if I don't yet have the space. So I'll build my virtual team now and then build my 'boots on the ground' team once I'm in Hawaii.

My Other Ways to Work Smart, Not Hard

In order to even attempt to accomplish all the things I need to do every day, I need the help of my systems and tools. I'm slightly obsessed with online tools. Ok, really obsessed with them. I have to be because, without an on-site team, it's the only way I can do all the things I do. 

Since I'm behind in this blog challenge, I know we're going to talk about tools on Day 20. So I'll gather up some goodies for you!

How You Can Put the Power of Outsourcing to Work for You in Your Business

One thing that I hear across the board from artisans and creatives is that you don't like the business part of business. You don't understand it. You don't want to do it. You don't have time for it. 

A very common statement I hear is "I don't have time for marketing." It's so prevalent as a matter of fact that I have another blog post about this almost finished. So I'll put my soap box on the shelf until then.

Suffice to say that marketing is a must do. Non-negotiable. Will not sell your thing into oblivion without doing it. Period.

However, I want to give you some food for thought here that will give you some incentive...

If you really want your business to succeed, you MUST get out of the workshop and make time for marketing. 

Then, once you're making enough money (which you will NOT do without marketing), you can hire people to do all the things you don't like/want to do in your business. 

But for now, someone has to do it. And if you are your business, you are the marketer (and the maker, and the bookkeeper, and the order processor, and the cleaning crew... I get it). Delayed gratification is a bitch. I know. But those are the facts.

More on this later.

For now, tell me how you will work smart, not hard in your business in the comments below...

Much Success,

_______________________________________________________________________________

I'm writing this post as part of Natalie Sisson's 30 Day Blog Challenge during which I'll follow the path she's laying with inspiration and challenges for daily blog posts. I hope you'll enjoy coming along on this journey and share your own in the comments every day. If you'd like to participate in the challenge on your own blog, just click one of the links here and you'll be taken to the page with all the details. 

Share your thoughts...

The Money Is In Your List... IF You Understand Why and Use It Right

by Debi Auger

Blog Challenge Day 15: "How are you building your email list?"

Your "List"

Your list technically includes ALL your lists of fans and followers... those who follow you via email, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn and any other of the exploding number of social networks. (Social networks are like the Tribbles from Star Trek, but that's an issue for another time.) For the sake of this article, in answering Natalie's Blog Challenge Question for today, we're going to focus on your email list.

How I'm Building My Email List

I started building an email list as soon as I set up my coaching business. 

I have opt-in boxes on every page of my site (over there on the right --> Yes, as a matter of fact, if you like what I do here, I'd love for you to sign up!), on Facebook, and on landing pages.

I direct people to my list and encourage them to sign up. 

I have an opt-in offer, otherwise known as the freebie you get for signing up, which I'm always looking to improve. (Don't worry whether you should wait for the next improvement... one of the benefits of being on my list is always getting my new opt-in bonuses before anyone else!)

I occasionally hold contests and almost always do this during launches.

Most of all, I aim to deliver valuable content that benefits you with tangible results. My goal is to get the creative entrepreneurs I'm trying to connect with (yup, I'm talking to you!) clambering to gain access to the content and special offers I only share with my engaged community of peeps. (By all means if I'm not succeeding, hop on over to the What Do You Need? page or email me and let me know what I can do better!)

Publishing My Email Newsletter

I use AWeber for my newsletters and campaigns.

I'll admit at first I wasn't on a consistent schedule for sending my newsletters though and had a teeny tiny list (Yes, we all start from zero.), but I've improved a great deal on both fronts. I have a larger list and I've implemented an editorial calendar.

I email my list twice a month and for special occasions. 

I'm a graphic designer and one of the things I like to play with is creating graphics of inspirational quotes. I use them around my office. I send clients relevant ones that support their current goals and/or struggles. And I post them online for others to share and use for their own personal inspiration. 

I recently added them to my newsletter routine - I send an Inspirational Newsletter on the 1st of every month with one of these quote graphics and my well wishes for the month ahead.

My regular issue then goes out on the 13th of the month with all its juicy goodness... usually accompanied by a link to a rather epic blog post.

Are You Making Business Harder Than It Has to Be?

Do you have an email list? 

Do you send a newsletter? 

If you're like most artisans and creatives, you probably don't. You may not have given it much thought. You may not want to "bother" people. (You're not. Remember --> It takes an average of 7 "touches" with that amazingly innovative business of yours for someone to be comfortable enough to buy from you. This will assist you in getting them.)

But this is one of the most common mistakes creative entrepreneurs make - not building an email list.

You often hear it said that "the money is in the list." Well, they lied. It's not.

You see, like most other things that lead to money, your list requires action. Your list is a collection of action-takers who have signed up and said, "Yes, I like what you do and I want to hear more from you!" That's golden! But now the ball is in your court.

That precious list of email addresses is the most valuable asset you have in your business... IF you understand why and use it properly. 

You need to understand that the value in your list is not the list itself, but the people on the list and the relationship you have with them. 

And you need to make sure you use it in the best way. (key word being use... action word) So grab your smelly tennis shoes and the racquet gathering dust in the back of your closet, steal the ball back from your dog and get ready to channel your inner Serena Williams, because it's time for you to rock this email marketing thing and serve up some major value. 

That's what it's all about... realizing that those human beings are the value and building your relationship with them by sharing valuable information that improves their life, business, relationships, or whatever your business is supposed to help them do.

(If you haven't initiated this process, we need to talk and get you squared away. This is an absolutely non-negotiable necessity for your soon-to-be-wildly-successful empire!)

Want Some Proof?

In March of this year, SeeWhy completed an extensive study of online shopper behavior. The purpose was to study shopping cart abandonment. However, there are 2 important points I want to make concerning email from their research: 

1. Email was the #1 source of traffic at 58.8% - a full 40.9% more than from any other source!

2. Email was, even more importantly, the #1 source of traffic that converted into sales at 67.7% - 44.1% more than any other source!

Still Holding Out? Well, Here's Some Incentive

For all of you stubborn hold-outs (Yes, I did just call you stubborn. You'll thank me later.), I'm going to share some powerful insight to give you some incentive.

1) Getting prospective customers to make a small commitment (like saying yes to subscribing to your list) increases the likelihood of getting them to say yes to larger commitments (like buying something from you). Yeses lead to more yeses.

2) The easiest (and least expensive) kind of business to get is repeat business. The second easiest (and least expensive) kind of business to get is referral business.

Your list helps with both of those. It costs 6 - 7 times less to sell to a current customer than to acquire a new one AND they're 40% more likely to buy from you again. 

Also, people are more likely to buy from you if they're referred to you by someone they know.

Ongoing correspondence with your customers is the best way to increase word-of-mouth referrals. It keeps you in touch with your community, keeping you top-of-mind when they need what you offer... and when people they know need what you offer.

So do you see how, by not having and nurturing an email list, you're actually making business harder than it has to be? Good. Then read on for some tips.

Some Do's and Don'ts

• DO use your list to engage and further your relationship with those following your work.
• DO make absolutely sure the peeps on your list know it's a 2-WAY communication mechanism and that they can respond (and that you enjoy when they do!).
• DO email your list on a regular basis - one that's appropriate for your business. 
• DO provide value when you email your tribe.
• DO make being part of your community a VIP Experience. (You know... subscriber-only sales and offers, early bird pricing, that kind of thing.)
• DO let those on your list always be the first to get the deets on the unique goodies you offer.

• DON'T make your list all about the numbers (how many followers you have or how much money you can get out of them).
• DON'T look at your list as as a "push my agenda" one-way street.
• DON'T overstay your welcome by emailing your list too often.
• DON'T use your list solely for marketing your stuff.
• DON'T let your list linger uncared for.
• DON'T treat those on your list the same as you treat every other Joe Schmo who happens on by. (They're special!)

• NEVER share your list with others.
• NEVER spam your list.
• NEVER abuse the privilege of being welcomed into their inbox.

Inspiration

You're probably on a number of email lists and have an ever-expanding inbox full of samples for your perusal. Stop being intimidated by the sheer enormity of it, and use it to your advantage. Evaluate them to guide your process as you create your own.

• Which ones do you like best?
• What exactly is it you like?
• What don't you like?
• What makes you want to open someone's email?
• What makes you want to direct it straight to the trash?

You can make a lot of your decisions about format, design, content, frequency and services by looking at the ones you receive.

Your Turn...

Do you have a list and send a newsletter? 
If not, what are you going to do about it?
Tell me in the comments below... and then get to work on it!
That's my challenge to you :)

Much Success,

_______________________________________________________________________________

I'm writing this post as part of Natalie Sisson's 30 Day Blog Challenge during which I'll follow the path she's laying with inspiration and challenges for daily blog posts. I hope you'll enjoy coming along on this journey and share your own in the comments every day. If you'd like to participate in the challenge on your own blog, just click one of the links here and you'll be taken to the page with all the details. 

Share your thoughts...

My Website and Millionaire Business Steps - Blog Challenge Days 13 and 14

by Debi Auger

Day 13 Challenge: "What 3 things would you most like your website to have and how will you go about getting them?"

Day 14 Challenge: "What are 2 key ways you could use the habits of a millionaire to monetize your blog in the next month?"

The Three Things I Most Want My Website to Have

Well, as you can probably tell by a look around, I'm in the midst of re-branding my business. Lots of work involved in that and it's one of my main projects for the next few weeks.

I plan to have a website with this as the blog component. I have a pretty big wish list for it, and I can have everything I want because I'm designing and building it myself ;-) Here are a few things:

•      I want a unique site that's very "me" and speaks to the artisans and creatives... yes YOU!... that it's for.
•      I want a store component where I can gather all the books and programs I have available (free and paid) in one place, easy to find, because I've got quite a few of them in the pipeline (17 at last count!)!
•      I want an improved and more effective layout that's easier to navigate than this temporary site.
•      I want a more prominent call to action front and center on the home page of the site.
•      I want a Reference Center so materials can be easily found.

Two Millionaire Habits I'll Be Using in the Next Month

The next 4 weeks are about taking many steps forward... a whole lot of continuous forward motion will be happening! (Keep your eyes on this space!)

Here are some of the things I'll be doing here between now and the end of September:

•      finishing my re-brand
•      publishing a brand new ebook free for those on my email list which will also now become my opt-in freebie
•      re-launching my business AND an improved version of my Create Your Artisan Business Success Plan Program in a big launch -- free video series, webinar, affiliates, promotional giveaways, the whole nine yards
•      updating my branding ebook Creating Your Brand ~ Packaging Your Gift to the World and getting it for sale here (thanks to one of Lulu's updates, I lost all my reviews!)

And You?

What are you up to in your business? What are your plans for continuous forward motion over the next month? Tell me in the comments below...

Much Success,

_______________________________________________________________________________

I'm writing this post as part of Natalie Sisson's 30 Day Blog Challenge during which I'll follow the path she's laying with inspiration and challenges for daily blog posts. I hope you'll enjoy coming along on this journey and share your own in the comments every day. If you'd like to participate in the challenge on your own blog, just click one of the links here and you'll be taken to the page with all the details. Cheers!

Share your thoughts...