In this article, we're diving into the fascinating world of crafting a powerful three word rebellion. Dr. Michelle Mazur, founder of Communication Rebel and author of "The 3-Word Rebellion," has developed a process to help experts effectively communicate their message and attract clients. Join us as we explore the steps to distilling your ideas into a concise and impactful three-word statement that resonates with your audience. "My job is to translate their expertise into a message that moves people to wanting to work with them and also into a marketing strategy that helps them do less but better." - Dr. Michelle Mazur **This was also a podcast episode (episode #206. Use the player below if you'd prefer to listen to this message. Tapping Into Your Uniqueness As An Entrepreneur Like many of us, the realization of our unique talents and strengths often comes through a process of self-reflection, coaching, and personal development. Dr. Mazur speaks of her own journey, acknowledging the imaginary nemesis, Donald Miller, who once made her feel inadequate in the messaging world. However, she emerged from this self-doubt by recognizing her own expertise and the need for a different approach. "I started seeing that and seeing how I was different and how we could both coexist, it really helped me start owning what I'm great at and not apologizing for it." - Dr. Michelle Mazur "I definitely walked through the muddy waters for quite a long time, and now I just feel very grounded and rooted in my power and the quality of the work that I do. So it's easier just to show up as myself because I believe in what I'm saying and what I'm doing. So it makes advocating for my work so much easier." - Dr. Michelle Mazur "It's a process. It's also a lot of trial and error, and you kind of have to kiss some frogs in order to find out who you want to work with." - Dr. Michelle Mazur Unlocking the Power of Your Marketing Messaging One of the challenges experts face is effectively marketing their expertise. They often get caught up in the nitty-gritty details of how they do their work rather than focusing on the benefits it provides to others. Dr. Mazur highlights the importance of finding a way to express your work in a way that resonates with potential clients and encourages action. Enter the concept of the three word rebellion. The Birth of the 3-Word Rebellion As A Marketing Framework "The three word rebellion is all about creating a one of a kind message that really captures your right clients attention, makes them want to know more, kind of provokes that curiosity a bit, and draws them into your world so that you can have a business that is bigger than you and really a movement." - Dr. Michelle Mazur In 2016, while working with speakers in the industry, Dr. Mazur noticed a pattern - successful entrepreneurs and social movements often had a succinct message that captured attention and rallied people together. Through a series of exercises, she realized the potential impact of this framework. Thus, the concept of the three word rebellion was born, with a focus on helping clients effectively communicate and explain their message to others. "The message was like planting a flag for people to come gather around for people to talk about." - Dr. Michelle Mazur "Creating this framework was a process too. What I've realized is you just have to go with the flow of that messy middle of not knowing when you're creating something new, because there's always this point where you're like, I can't see this thing yet, but I know it wants to be something." - Dr. Michelle Mazur Crafting Your 3-Word Rebellion Now, let's get to the heart of the matter - crafting your own three word rebellion. Dr. Mazur provides a step-by-step process that begins with identifying what you're rebelling against and the injustices you see. These prompts can be applied to both personal and business situations, allowing you to tap into your passions and beliefs. The second set of prompts revolves around envisioning the kind of world you want to live in, focusing on the desired change and impact. "You can't get to your three word rebellion if you don't do the work. So that's why I was like, you've got to write in this book, because otherwise you can't even get close to the result because you can't think your way into a three word rebellion. We're way too up in our heads about our message most of the time, and it really doesn't come together until we can get it out of ourselves. So that's why I was like, you must write in this book." - Dr. Michelle Mazur "I give like six different writing prompts and I group them in two ways. So the first group of prompts are all about what are you rebelling against? In fact, that's one of the prompts, like, just thinking about the things that tick you off, make you roll your eyes, the injustices that you see." - Dr. Michelle Mazur As you go through the prompts, make sure to jot down any key themes or phrases that resonate with you. These may include powerful action verbs and words that capture the essence of your message. Building a word bank will help you gain clarity and refine your three word rebellion. The next step is walking away from what you've written down for a few day so you can come back to it with fresh eyes. From there you distill your answers into the 3-Words that fit what you're trying to convey. Another option you can take if you find yourself stuck with this process is looking back at the content you've already created. Dr. Mazur mentions that you're already trying to share this message but you probably don't even notice it yet. "Your three word rebellion already exists. It's in things that you've been saying over and over again. It's just probably buried and probably needs to be packaged up and shined up a little bit." - Dr. Michelle Mazur The Three Types of 3-Word Rebellions Dr. Mazur shares that there are three main types of three word rebellions: battle cry, naming change or change agent, and declaration or mantra. The battle cry style focuses on starting with your "why" and using strong action words. The naming change or change agent style revolves around naming and identifying the change you want to bring. Lastly, the declaration or mantra style emphasizes affirmation and providing clients with a memorable statement. The Battle Cry (ex: Start With Why) Name Your Change (ex: Five Second Rule) The Declaration or Mantra (ex: Everything Is Figureoutable) "There are three different types of three word rebellions. So there is the battle cry, which is kind of your Start With Why message. So it starts with a verb, has a strong action after it. Then there's also the one that's a little bit more abstract, but it's about naming your change or your change agent. So this would be like a three word rebellion or a Five Second Rule. And then the final one is the declaration or mantra where you're just like, Everything Is Figureoutable." - Dr. Michelle Mazur Change Is Going To Happen & Your Marketing Messaging Will Too Many driven entrepreneurs focus on getting the words "right" when it comes to marketing messaging but it's important to remember that this is a process. It's impossible to have everything figured out when you're trying to discover what type of business you want, who you enjoy working with, and what you want to stand for as an entrepreneur. Give yourself time and the ability to evolve in your business. "I always tell my clients, you want to build the foundation and then tweak and evolve because you change and your clients change." - Dr. Michelle Mazur "There's no 'right'. There's just clearer, more persuasive, more compelling, more curiosity, provoking, more compassionate and empathetic towards your clients. There's not just like, this right destination. It's always growing and evolving." - Dr. Michelle Mazur Take Away Message / Action Now it's time to craft your very own 3-word rebellion! You can give it a shot by listening to this episode and Dr. Michelle's podcast too or you can make it even easier by purchasing a copy of her book The 3-Word Rebellion. You won't be disappointed! You can find it on Amazon, Bookshop and other places books are sold. Crafting your own three word rebellion is a powerful step towards effectively communicating your message and attracting your ideal clients. Dr. Michelle Mazur's expertise and the 3-Word Rebellion process provide a roadmap to guide you on this journey. Remember to walk away from your work for a few days, come back with fresh eyes, and identify the themes and important phrases that resonate with your message. So, go ahead - unleash your three word rebellion and make a lasting impact in your industry! Until next time give yourself permission to rebel and grace along the way. I'll talk to you soon! About Dr. Michelle Mazur: Dr. Michelle Mazur works with brilliant business owners who are shaking things up...but having trouble talking about it. She combines the tools of successful social movements with the qualitative research skills she earned in her communications PhD to help them craft their powerful, captivating message. The author of 3 books (including the newly-updated 3 Word Rebellion) and featured in Fast Company, Entrepreneur and Inc., she knows that speaking about what you do in a clear and captivating way is the key to reaching the people you could help the most. Michelle's Resources: Michelle's Website: https://drmichellemazur.com/ Michelle's Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rebel-uprising/id1046973626?mt=2https://drmichellemazur.com/3-word-rebellion Michelle's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drmichellemazur/ Michelle's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmichellemazur/ Other Resources Mentioned: Define Success Free Resource: https://www.amandamckinney.com/success All podcast episodes: https://pod.link/1473751874 Amanda's Coaching Options: https://www.amandamckinney.com/coaching Amanda's Book: https://www.amandamckinney.com/book "The three word rebellion is all about creating a one of a kind message that really captures your right clients attention, makes them want to know more, kind of provokes that curiosity a bit, and draws them into your world so that you can have a business that is bigger than you and really a movement." - Dr. Michelle Mazur Build Your Business YOUR Way! In my book: Why Not You? An Accidental Entrepreneur's Guide To Success, you create your Y.O.U. Promise which becomes your guide to building the business of your dreams...not your nightmares.

So often we're concerned about what we are delivering to our clients and while this is definitely important, have you ever asked "what's the before step for my dream client?". Chances are you haven't thought about this but the answer to this question could help lead to more successful client engagements and overall, your happiness in your business. When we have a win-win situation for us and the client, this is what builds a great business. My guest, Erica Courdae, shares how she discovered the "before step" for her clients in this conversation. **This was also a podcast episode (episode #205. Use the player below if you'd prefer to listen to this message. Identifying The "Before Step" For Your Clients This is likely something you've never thought about as an entrepreneur so it's impossible for you to know the best answer right away. Instead of trying to come to this answer quickly, I'd encourage you to start noticing who you work best with and how they found you. Chances are you can identify what that "before step" is by reflecting on this and asking your clients as you work with them but it will take time. Erica and her business partner, India, didn't activity seek this question out but rather stumbled into this information as they realized who they worked best with. "Values matter so much, they are the cornerstone of what we do." - Erica Courdae "It didn't work when it didn't happen." - Erica Courdae Once they realized that there was one thing (values) that helped them work well with clients, this became the idea to work with. They knew that some sort of values exercise/experience is what they needed to create as the first step to working together but they didn't have all the answers yet. If you're finding yourself wanting all the answers right now, catch yourself in this thought process because it's impossible to know it all, today. But through the curiosity of what is possible, you will find the best answers for you and your company. "It's a process so give yourself grace and patience." - Erica Courdae "We have the desire to skip the process...but you also know what happens when you do skip the process." - Erica Courdae The Testing Phase Once Erica and India knew what they needed to create, they started testing different ideas they had. While no testing phase will be the same, it can follow a similar path: Started as a short workshop in other people's communities (getting feedback) Started charging but it was still experimenting (it worked for what it was) Pricing changed over time as well as the delivery of the workshop For you this could look like an idea today, a free workshop or training that you host in the future to gather insights and questions from your audience, then based on that, you create a paid offering. The key is to start charging once you've tested it in some capacity and know it's valuable but before it's "final". "People can get stuck in "I can't charge for this, it's not finalized" but if that was the case we could never charge for fashion, it's always changing." - Erica Courdae "It is very realistic to acknowledge: this is in beta, I want your feedback and what you're sharing with me can help shape this'. But what I'm giving you still has value and I'm acknowledging that by asking you to value it and give me an exchange for what I'm offering." - Erica Courdae If you go through this process and realize that the "before step" is something you don't want to charge for, that's okay too but make sure it become your freebie so that you can grow your email list by people accessing your free resource. This allows you to have a value exchange of an email address as the payment and can make more sense for your business model. Remember, as an entrepreneur you're able to adjust as you see fit for your audience but just be sure you aren't undervaluing your offerings. The Season Of Your Life & Business Plays Into This Process One thing I really appreciated throughout Erica and I's conversation is that she was very quick to call attention to the fact that we need to recognize our season of life and entrepreneurship journey as we go through this process. "This doesn't happen in a vacuum and there's no one answer." - Erica Courdae While Erica and India were able to follow the process that unfolded over the course of a year, this might not be possible for you, currently. Don't try to replicate something that you hear from someone else that doesn't realistically fit into your season of life and business. As you identify the before step for your clients and want to test your ideas, ask yourself these questions: Do I have the capacity to tackle this project currently? If this is important to me and my business, what other things need to be on the back-burner while I work on this project? How long can I dedicate to this project so I'm not rushed but I'm also not dragging it out? Once you accurately decide on your capacity, you can then create a project plan and move forward with your ideas and testing. The Process Of Learning In Entrepreneurship Is Not Failure As you navigate through testing a new idea, chances are you're not going to hit a home run on the first try. It's during these times that I hope you remember Erica's words: "Failure is not the end, failure is a discovery process." - Erica Courdae "The more that you are comfortable with the imperfection of it, the better the results because you are willing to just try it." - Erica Courdae Being comfortable with imperfections in this process may be difficult but as you embrace the learning through the imperfections, you will be more comfortable. The key is to go with what's right for you, at this time and in this season of life and business. Set boundaries that work for you and also give yourself grace Take Away Message / Action Erica shared a question that lives inside her "before step" which is a values workshop called Implicit & Explicit, and I'd love for you to make this your takeaway message: "What are some of your non-negotiables that have to happen in order for you to work well and to partner well with others." - Erica Courdae This is the best lens for you to identify the "before step" for your dream clients and for your dream business. Because no matter what, the goal is to create a business that allows you to happily live the life of your dreams and in order to do that you want to work with people that you enjoy working with. Asking what your non-negotiables are will be invaluable to this process. Until next time give yourself permission to know your non-negotiables and grace along the way. I'll talk to you soon. About Erica: Erica Courdae is a trusted advisor to entrepreneurs and executive teams committed to shifting focus, power, and resources in order to create more equity in their business and the world. She believes imperfect action is necessary to create meaningful social change and helps public figures engage in the work without fear of judgment. In 2018, Erica co-founded the Pause on the Play Podcast. After receiving requests from listeners for a space to connect on the show’s topics, Erica expanded the Pause on the Play brand to include a community and consultancy. Her leadership has now helped thousands of individuals define their values, diversify their networks, and call people into conversations about inclusivity and individuality. A certified coach and 20+ year beauty industry veteran, Erica has provided training for established businesses such as Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Paul Mitchell School. Her voice has been featured on podcasts, workshops, and online communities with a combined reach of over fifty thousand people. Erica's Resources: Erica's Website: www.pauseontheplay.com Erica's Values Workshop: https://pauseontheplay.com/explicit Other Resources Mentioned: Define Success Free Resource: https://www.amandamckinney.com/success All podcast episodes: https://pod.link/1473751874 Amanda's Coaching Options: https://www.amandamckinney.com/coaching Amanda's Book: https://www.amandamckinney.com/book "What are some of your non-negotiables that have to happen in order for you to work well and to partner well with others." - - Erica Courdae Build Your Business YOUR Way! In my book: Why Not You? An Accidental Entrepreneur's Guide To Success, you create your Y.O.U. Promise which becomes your guide to building the business of your dreams...not your nightmares.

Create an excellent online customer experience through marketing that feels good. It's possible and only takes a simple shift in how you approach marketing. Many accidental entrepreneurs view marketing as "bad" or "slimy" because of previous experiences that felt that way. As someone who is trying to build a business that operates in a way that serves your customers in a way that helps them, you certainly want your marketing to feel good too. But the question is how to do this? In this article, I've interviewed an expert in creating a positive online experiences. Caitlin shares her pro-tips on how to approach marketing in a way where you are the guide to an excellent online experience that welcomes in your dream customers. **This was also a podcast episode (episode #204. Use the player below if you'd prefer to listen to this message. Think Like IKEA When You Plan Your Marketing & Online Experience As silly as this might sound, when it comes to creating an excellent online experience it's actually helpful to think about an in-person experience first. If you've ever been to an IKEA store you know a few things: It can be very overwhelming because there's so much to see They have a very thought-out way of helping you navigate because of this As you walk into an IKEA there are arrows on the floor and specific pathways to certain sections of the store. For example, if you're ready to spend time and wonder around, you can follow that path but if you know you're looking for curtains, you can navigate there quickly, find what you need and get out of the store. This is how we want to approach creating the online experience for your customer, specifically think about your website. Caitlin shares that it's best to think about it in terms of you being a guide for the person who's visiting your website. "You follow the arrows, that's what we're talking about when we say being a good guide" - Caitlin By being a "guide" for your potential customers you aren't trying to sell them something right away but rather ask questions to help you suggest something specific for them. This is what you can accomplish with your marketing. What Entrepreneurs Need In Order To Create A Great Online Experience & Marketing In order to be an effective guide for your customers, you need the following: Understanding what your audience knows and the language they use Knowing how they arrived at your digital space Approaching the creation process with grace and the approach of helping and being of service to the person on the other side of the screen The number one thing that will help you become an effective and supportive guide for others is being curious about your customers/audience. As you continue to talk to your current customers and interact with others on social media, be curious to understand where they are struggling and how you help them. While you always listen to others, this is perhaps a new lens to listen through. As you ask questions and talk with people, start to note the specific words they use to describe what they are struggling with and how they describe how you help them. "Being a good guide would be staying curious during that conversation, asking them lots of questions about their experience, what's going on with them, what are their goals, how can you help them? And then at the end of the conversation having being a good guide also is saying this isn't the path for you, but here's some other ways that you can go. And giving that what a generous thing to say and what a real and honest and authentic thing to deliver to them is to say I don't think you're in the right place, but I know exactly where you could go." - Caitlin "By being a guide you're being a leader...but you still want to stay curious the whole time." - Caitlin How To Call In The "Right" Client For Your Business As An Entrepreneur When it comes to creation of an experience, it's critical to know exactly who you want to connect with. Many people often forget that the goal of effective marketing is to both attract the "right" person for you and repel the "wrong" person for you. To be clear, we aren't saying there are right and wrong people, but as a business you can't try and please everyone so it's important to know who is the best-fit customer for you and who isn't best fit for you. Once you know this, it's easier to create an excellent experience for the best-fit person for you and your services/products. "When you take on clients that aren't the best fit for you, you will learn in that experience as well. It's all part of the journey." - Caitlin The first step to this creation process is to know who is the best fit for you. This comes from experience of working with people. As you continue to work with others take note of what works well and what doesn't and you'll get more and more clear on who you work best with. The next step is to speak directly to that specific person. The way in which this happens is by noting the very specific words your customers and clients use. For example, "I work with entrepreneurs" isn't very clear but "I help entrepreneurs who are stuck in procrastination so they can make progress and feel proud of their successful business" is much more clear. This is one of my specific examples and it's clearer because I've heard many of clients say "I procrastinate" and "I want to be proud of my business but I'm not taking action". By understanding the specifics of how my audience feels about their struggle, I'm able to use their words in my marketing. *Side Note: if you're finding yourself procrastinating, check out my accountability coaching options here. Being Honest About The Experience All good guides are accurate in how they describe what to expect and this is what you want to do in your marketing as well. Sometimes this is easier to see when the opposite happens. Imagine that you're someone who doesn't like strenuous hikes and you signed up for a hike that was advertised as "easy" but it ended up not being easy. This would lead to a very negative experience for you and that's not what we want for our clients and customers. The way in which you can do this is to be accurate and generous with your information. Don't gate-keep information you have. "Be generous with your information." - Caitlin You Won't Get It Perfect At First, All Progress Helps You Get Better Over Time Just like with anything else in life, you likely won't this perfect at first but it will get better and better over time. As you continue to learn about who you work best with and how your customers share about their struggle and how you help them, you will become a better guide. "When things shift in your business, things have to shift in your marketing and it can feel messy in the middle but it's part of the process." - Amanda McKinney "I used to think I was striving for the end so the goalpost was always moving and it caused me stress...now I feel more comfortable that business is always evolving and your customer is always evolving so how you serve them will evolve too...we need to give ourselves permission to play and see what works." - Caitlin However, as you learn and grow as an entrepreneur, you will tap into a more comfortable-confidence. While you don't feel this when you're in the messy-middle of shifts and learning, it will happen. Navigating The Emotions & Thoughts About Entrepreneurship Marketing Throughout the process of being a good guide in your marketing, you'll also be navigating many ups and downs in entrepreneurship overall. Caitlin shares how it's important to have support of others during this journey. "Talk with other online business people. Tap into some sense of community, even if you're not a big community person, find a few people so you can vent and let it out. You need to be around people who understand." - Caitlin By having a support system, this will help you sort out the feelings that come along, shake it off and get back at it again. It will help you get back up after you feel like you've fallen down, which happens to all of us. Our support system will also help us remember to take care of ourselves during this journey as well. "Take excellent care of yourself as you go through this journey." - Caitlin When it comes to finding your support system, it's important to find those who have similar values as yourself. When you find these people you will have support in setting and holding boundaries, navigating the tough parts of entrepreneurship as well as celebrating the wins along the way too. *If you'd like to learn more about finding your support system, chapter 6 in my book Why Not You? An Accidental Entrepreneur's Guide To Success goes into detail on this process. I've identified 5 groups of people that make up your support system and I share who they are, when you need them and how to find them. Take Away Message / Action As you've learned from Caitlin on how to be a good guide in your marketing, I'll leave you with her words as your next step. "Be a guide, stay curious, take care of yourself." - Caitlin Allowing yourself to be curious in your conversations with others and allowing that to inform your marketing will help you be effective. Take note of things you hear repeatedly and let those words inform what's on your website and the content you create to build your business. Until next time give yourself permission to be a guide through your marketing and grace along the way. I'll talk to you soon. About Caitlin: Caitlin creates digital experiences that are delightful, engaging, and smooth as buttah. She helps online business owners make sure each of their clients are superbly serviced, their needs are anticipated, and the ball never drops. She’s fascinated by human connection in digital spaces and harnessing tech for good (+fun!) Caitlin's Resources: Caitlin's Website: caitiemeansbusiness.com Caitlin's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caitiemeansbusiness/ Other Resources Mentioned: Define Success Free Resource: https://www.amandamckinney.com/success All podcast episodes: https://pod.link/1473751874 Amanda's Coaching Options: https://www.amandamckinney.com/coaching Amanda's Book: https://www.amandamckinney.com/book "By being a guide you're being a leader...but you still want to stay curious the whole time." - Caitlin Build Your Business YOUR Way! In my book: Why Not You? An Accidental Entrepreneur's Guide To Success, you create your Y.O.U. Promise which becomes your guide to building the business of your dreams...not your nightmares.

Are you tired of churning out cookie-cutter content that lacks depth and connection? Do you yearn to make meaningful stories that resonate with your audience? You're not alone. In this blog post, we'll dive into the world of storytelling, exploring how your personal experiences can be transformed into powerful narratives that captivate and inspire. So, grab a cup of your favorite beverage and let's unleash our inner storyteller! **This was also a podcast episode (episode #203. Use the player below if you'd prefer to listen to this message. The Power Of Storytelling In Your Content As An Entrepreneur In a world flooded with generic content, it's the personal touch that stands out. People crave authenticity and relatability. By infusing your personal experiences and unique perspective into your storytelling, you create a genuine connection with your audience. Remember, you are not just creating content; you are building bridges of empathy and understanding that will lead to growth in your business. As humans we enjoy and learn through stories. This is why they are used in school as we learn because we tend to remember them more than facts and figures. When there is a beginning, middle and end, we tend to remember and are able to recall information more. This is helpful for us as entrepreneurs because often we are trying to teach or inspire others and if we can tap into using storytelling as part of our marketing, we can likely influence more people in a positive way. "I don't want to make people like stuff, I want to make things people like." - Jay Acunzo How To Pull Stories From Your Entrepreneurial Journey & Life Overall Every experience holds valuable lessons and insights. It's time to dig deep and extract those non-obvious gems. Ask yourself, what knowledge or perspective do I possess that others wouldn't know? Perhaps a simple trip to the local grocery store unveiled a profound truth about consumer behavior. By uncovering these insights, you transform mundane occurrences into captivating tales. "The difference between a good storyteller and an effective storyteller is that an effective storyteller moves you. And specifically they move you by making sure that you have internalized the meaning of the story." - Jay Acunzo We often overlook the power of everyday experiences in storytelling. But guess what? Mundane moments can pack a punch too! Find metaphors and parallels in the ordinary and elevate them to deliver potent and impactful messages. Just like a pizza place's secret starter creates unique dough, your personal experiences are the "starter" for creating standout work. "I would ask people to change that [something noteworthy] to notable, in that you noted it. It stuck in your brain for whatever reason. That's a sign, there's something there and you can use it." - Jay Acunzo 3 Parts To Tell An Effective Story: Jay shares his formula for telling an effective story and broke it down to make it simple and applicable: Part 1: "This happened..." (describing the event that really happened) Part 2: "...which made me realize..." (connecting it to a topic that you teach) Part 3: "...which means..." (share what this can change for the audience) Here's an example of how this could sound: Part 1: "It took me literal years to stop buying espresso or asking my wife to use the machine we have in our home to make it for me. For years I would not make it myself but today I make it all the time. What changed? I made it for myself one time." Part 2: "So this made me realize that so often when we feel intimidated or we hold back, our usual behavior is to go and research things, talk to experts, outsource it or resist. We just don't do it but what I realized in that moment is we fear the things we just haven't tried before. So what we fear is not actually the task, it's the unknown." Part 3: "So what if in moments we feel afraid or we feel like we just need that extra hour of research or we've got to hire that consultant or we need more budget or, I'll just delay this a day. What if in those moments, all we really need to do is to try the thing one time because if what we're really afraid of isn't the task but the unknown, then as quickly as we possibly can, what we need to do to get over that is to make the unknown, known, right?" How To Become An Effective Entrepreneur Storyteller There are two pieces of the strategy that Jay shares that will help you step into being a great storyteller: The backend strategy The frontend strategy Backend Story Strategy This is the easier part of the two and it's how you deliver the story. By following Jay's 3-part formula you can tell an effective story but the key is to share the story through your lived experience. "Ask yourself, what is something that only you would know if you lived it or experienced in the way you did?" - Jay Acunzo By doing this it allows you to share your unique experience, therefore it will be different than how anyone else can teach that lesson. Plus, when you're close to the experience you can pull from it specifically and it allows you to connect more authentically. And it's critical to lead with your unique experience versus sharing that at the end of the lesson. It's important to start with your uniqueness. "We are the starters in our work. We need to start with our own lived experiences. We need to start with the things that make me, me. Don't sprinkle it in as a topping at the end." - Jay Acunzo Frontend Story Strategy This is the part of the strategy that takes time and it's how you walk around and become a storyteller. Basically you want to approach life with the lens that everything that is notable to you could be used in a story. "It's almost like you have a certain colored pair of glasses on and you see the world in a certain way that allows everything to appear at inspiration for your work." - Jay Acunzo How To Develop Your Unique Premise For Your Business Stories are great but the goal in your business content is to connect with your audience and share a centralized message with them. You've likely heard of niching down and getting specific in your business and that's where this comes into storytelling. In order for your audience to know your uniqueness, it's important to have a cohesive and consistent message. However, coming up with your unique message is tough to do! Jay shares that he calls this your "Premise" and that it takes time to define but the key is to make it specific and clear. If it feels too big to identify your overall premise for your work, Jay suggests breaking it down into smaller chunks and he uses this framework in his membership: The Creator Kitchen. Step 1: Explore Your Frustration Ask yourself what are you frustrated by right now? Step 2: Start Sharing with Empathy Take that frustration and share it in your content with the goal of sharing and finding the others who are interested in this topic. You don't say you have all the answers, you are simply sharing your journey. Step 3: Create Your XY Premise Pitch Once you've shared content, you come up with a simple sentence that shares your premise for your content. Here's the template for that pitch: "This is a podcast about X. Unlike other podcasts about X, only we Y." For Example: "This is a podcast about entrepreneurship but unlike other entrepreneurship podcasts, we explore the idea of unapologetically using the methods and tools that work for you, not what others say you should use. This is The Unapologetic Entrepreneur." Just like the title of a book or movie, your premise statement comes last and after several iterations and trying different words. You have to get started and go through the messy phase in order to figure this out. "Aerate your ideas with others before they feel ready to support your whole business and that's scary but that's how you build these transformative ideas." - Jay Acunzo Creating exceptional content takes time and effort. Don't be afraid to iterate and refine until it feels right. Embrace the journey of frustration and empathy, learning from your missteps and celebrating your victories. The process of crafting meaningful stories is a constant evolution, so keep experimenting and evolving. "That's it: Do a thing. How did it feel? What do you think about that thing? Do it again slightly differently." - Jay Acunzo Take Away Message / Action As content creators, it's our responsibility to move beyond surface-level content and forge real connections with our audience. By sharing our personal experiences, extracting insights, and embracing the art of storytelling, we can create impactful narratives that leave a lasting impression. So, tap into your unique perspective, find inspiration in the everyday, and let your stories paint a picture that resonates with the hearts and minds of your audience. The world is waiting to hear your voice! Remember, the journey to becoming an effective storyteller is ongoing. Keep honing your craft, and don't be afraid to unleash your inner storyteller! Until next time give yourself permission to be a great storyteller and grace along the way. I'll talk to you soon! About Jay: Jay Acunzo is one of the world’s most sought-after business storytellers. He's an author, speaker, and the host the podcast Unthinkable, where creators take us inside unconventional choices that led to refreshingly original work. Jay was an early leader in the rise of content marketing, holding media and marketing roles for startups as well as brands like Google and HubSpot. He’s developed and hosted original podcasts and docuseries for clients like Salesforce, Wistia, Help Scout, GoDaddy, and Drift, and he’s now the cofounder of the Creator Kitchen, a membership program helping professional communicators push themselves creatively. Jay’s grandest aspiration-slash-delusion is to be the Anthony Bourdain of workplace storytelling. Jay's Resources: Jay's Website: https://jayacunzo.com Jay's Membership: https://creatorkitchen.com Other Resources Mentioned: Define Success Free Resource: https://www.amandamckinney.com/success All podcast episodes: https://pod.link/1473751874 Amanda's Coaching Options: https://www.amandamckinney.com/coaching Amanda's Book: https://www.amandamckinney.com/book "The difference between a good storyteller and an effective storyteller is that an effective storyteller moves you. And specifically they move you by making sure that you have internalized the meaning of the story." - Jay Acunzo Build Your Business YOUR Way! In my book: Why Not You? An Accidental Entrepreneur's Guide To Success, you create your Y.O.U. Promise which becomes your guide to building the business of your dreams...not your nightmares.

Are you a content creator who yearns for a way to generate high-quality content without constantly hustling? Look no further, because in this blog post, we're going to explore the concept of "lazy content creation." Don't let the word "lazy" fool you – it's all about being efficient and maximizing your efforts to create abundant podcast content. We'll delve into the insights shared by my podcast interview with Shannon Weinstein, where we discuss the secrets behind her successful content creation process. "We built up 25,000 downloads a month in my pajamas." - Shannon Weinstein Identify Your Content's Priority and Purpose: Before diving into content creation, it's important to identify the priority and purpose of your podcast. Is it just a side dish or the main course? Shannon emphasizes that success should be defined by your content's goals, whether it's growth, impact, or driving sales. Having a clear purpose will help you stay focused and avoid creating content just for the sake of it. If you're feeling like you "should" create content because others are telling you to, pause and examine if you truly believe and want to take this path. While I firmly believe that creating content can and will help you build your business, you will only do something with passion and consistency if you truly want to do it. My suggestion is to identify your goal so you know why you want to create the content so that you have a reason to follow through. "Your effort has to mirror the goal for it." - Shannon Weinstein **This was also a podcast episode (episode #202. Use the player below if you'd prefer to listen to this message. Understand Your Business Seasonality & Use It To Your Advantage: To ensure that you don't burn yourself out as you create your content, it's important to understand the seasonality of your business. It's likely that you have slow or down times during the year and you can utilize that time to get ahead with your content for the months when you're busy. *Pro Tip: the "J-Months" are typically slow for most businesses, meaning: January, June and July. If that's the case for your business, it allows you to use these means to prep for the others. Shannon, a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), shares how she utilized November and December – slower months for accountants – to pre-record multiple podcast episodes and create content ahead of time. By doing this, she was able to stay consistent during the busy tax season from January to April. Take a look at your business and identify your slower months when you can dedicate more time to content creation or strategy behind the content. The Power of Long-Form Content: Long-form content is effective because it caters to people seeking specific guidance or information. For example people who are searching for an answer to a problem they are experiencing leads them to searching "how to ....." in Google. When they find your blog post or piece of content they are ready to learn. This is opposed to someone mindlessly scrolling on social media. When they are doing this, they aren't searching for answers and in the mindset to learn, they are looking for entertainment. This contrast is why long-form content such as blogs, podcasts and YouTube videos are helpful for your business. Additionally, when engaging in long-form content, people are often engaged in activities that put them in a flow state, making them more receptive to the content. By capturing their attention during these focused moments, you have a unique opportunity to influence their thinking. When it comes to determining which platform is best for you it comes down to what platform has the lowest barrier of entry for you specifically. Everyone has their unique gifts and challenges and it's important to know what type of content you can get started with that has the lowest number of challenges for you. The goal is to identify the barriers and then navigate them one step at a time. If you can make content creation easy for you, you're more likely to be consistent over time. "Most of the time when people are reading your long form content, listening to it, consuming it, they are typically in flow state or they're typically searching for specific guidance, searching for you."— Shannon Weinstein "What is your medium of choice. Choose one long-term channel for content and go all in on it." - Shannon Weinstein Creating Content Ideas: It's easy to get caught up in the idea that you don't know what to say in your content but that's not really the case. You have a lot of knowledge and expertise that you can share with your audience, you're likely not tapping into it though. Remembering that you don't have consider yourself an expert to be helpful to others is key. Once you have this in your mind, it will be easier to create content and we suggest starting a Google Doc or note in your phone to start capturing ideas. When you're asked questions, use them as topic ideas for your content. When you see someone you're talking to have a lightbulb moment, use that topic as a content idea. The key is to never start from scratch. Start your Google Doc or note today so you can begin capturing ideas and then creating your incredible content. "Content creation is never on my calendar, which is such a sin in the content world. It's never on my calendar. You know what is on my calendar? Go for a walk. And then when I'm on that walk, all the crap that hits my brain when I get downloads of whatever it is, I immediately go on a walk but have a way to capture what is kind of coming in through that flow state when you can actually open up your brain up to think. You get your best ideas."— Shannon Weinstein Reuse and Build Upon Existing Content: Instead of constantly creating something completely new, Shannon encourages reusing and building upon existing content. Analyzing data and feedback from her podcast, she can identify which episodes and guests perform well and either re-use that content in other places or expand on that specific topic in a future episode. By leveraging this information and expanding on popular topics, she can produce valuable content that resonates with her audience. When the idea of repurposing content is shared many people will worry about other's noticing that it's the same content. If this is something that comes up for you remember these two things: Most people won't see it the first time You're constantly growing your audience so new people didn't see it the first time Many of us need to hear/read things multiple times before it really sinks in There are many benefits to sharing content again or expanding on an idea you've already covered. This is a great system to use in your business and while it might seem "lazy" it's actually very smart. Embrace Self-Awareness and Avoid Overwork & Making Excuses: Self-awareness plays a crucial role in content creation. It's easy to get excited about completing tasks and checking things off and Shannon and I both mentioned how easy it is to fall into this trap but it's important to notice. While it has helped us to succeed, it can also become toxic if taken to extremes. By being intentional about how you spend your time and energy, you can avoid overworking yourself and create more without constantly hustling. Likewise, it's also easy to make excuses when it comes to content creation. Do any of these sound like you: I don't have time to create content I don't have anything to say If I start, I'm worried I'll run out of things to say Who am I to share on this topic, I'm no expert If these are thoughts in your mind, you're not alone. Many accidental entrepreneur's have these thoughts and it's why I ended up writing my book: Why Not You? An Accidental Entrepreneur's Guide To Success. The truth is you have information that would be very helpful to your audience and they are waiting to hear from you! "We are great at making excuses but we need to be making progress." - Amanda McKinney Take Away Message / Action Lazy content creation isn't about being lazy – it's about maximizing your productivity and creating abundant podcast content with less effort. By identifying your content's priority and purpose, fitting it into your core customer experience, capturing and expanding on ideas efficiently, reusing and building upon existing content, and embracing self-awareness, you can work smarter, not harder. So, commit to your chosen platform, harness the power of long-form content, and leverage Q&A sessions to provide value. Remember, content creation should be efficient, enjoyable, and aligned with your goals! Until next time give yourself permission to be efficient and grace along the way. I'll talk to you soon! About Shannon: Shannon is a CPA and fractional CFO for growth-minded business owners. A teacher at heart, her real-life relatable examples simplify the financial side of business so you can stop stressing and start scaling. She is the host of the IRS's least favorite podcast, Keep What You Earn, which consistently ranks in the top 200 in Entrepreneurship. She is a frequent speaker in business coaching communities and masterminds. Shannon's Resources: Shannon's Website: https://www.fitnancialsolutions.com/ Shannon's Podcast: Keep What You Earn - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/keep-what-you-earn/id1580071347 Shannon's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shannonkweinstein/ Shannon's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fitnancial-solutions-llc/ Other Resources Mentioned: Define Success Free Resource: https://www.amandamckinney.com/success All podcast episodes: https://pod.link/1473751874 Amanda's Coaching Options: https://www.amandamckinney.com/coaching Amanda's Book: https://www.amandamckinney.com/book "What is your medium of choice. Choose one long-term channel for content and go all in on it." - Shannon Weinstein Build Your Business YOUR Way! In my book: Why Not You? An Accidental Entrepreneur's Guide To Success, you create your Y.O.U. Promise which becomes your guide to building the business of your dreams...not your nightmares.

Thinking of starting a podcast but not sure where to start or if you can actually make it happen? I remember this feeling well and I wish I had known my guest today, Krystal Proffitt, when I started. She has all the answers to help you start a podcast in a simple and actually doable way. She negates all the excuses and answers all your questions in this conversation. Podcast has been a game-changer in my business (I shared more about this in episode #200) and if anyone asks me about starting a podcast I tell them two things: Do it, start now. Learn from Krystal Proffitt and she'll help you keep it simple and doable Why Podcasting As An Entrepreneur "The expectations (for podcasting) are so much lower than with blogging and YouTube." - Krystal Proffitt YouTube feels like you have to have a fancy camera and lights and a set up since people can see what's behind you. Podcasting removes that boundary and you can even start by recording on your phone. "I see people scared to start because they just see the Instagram worthy experience that someone has in their business or in their content and they think "but I'm not that, I can't do that" so why even get started." - Krystal Proffitt **This was also a podcast episode (episode #201. Use the player below if you'd prefer to listen to this message. How To Start A Podcast Step 1: Plan your first 20 podcast episode ideas "Sit down and plan your first 20 podcast episodes ideas. I'm not saying your full script or a whole outline. I'm talking about just ideas that you would feel comfortable talking about...they don't have to be chronological and we aren't judging these ideas." - Krystal Proffitt Step 2: Understand how podcasting works "You have an audio file, you upload it to a podcast host and they distribute it to Apply, Spotify and all the places. Those are the 3 things you need to know: you have an audio file, you have to have a host and then they will distribute it to all the players where people can listen." - Krystal Proffitt Step 3: Rip off the bandaid that's stopping you (practice) "We just have to say I'm going to do this and I'm going all in. Maybe it's recording a voice memo on your phone, not even somewhere it could be released publicly on accident. It doesn't have to be anything earth shattering or groundbreaking...but the only way to get to the other side is to go through that messy middle." - Krystal Proffitt Go through Krystal's FREE Podcasting 5-Minute Bootcamp to learn the rest of the steps with all the details. "I show you exactly what you have to do. It's a workflow. I walk you through from planning to publishing and marketing an episode." - Krystal Proffitt Naming Your Podcast & Coming Up With Content Ideas If you're struggling with the concept of creating content because you don't feel like you're the "expert" on this topic, you're not alone in this feeling. Imposter Syndrome will unfortunately be a part of your entrepreneurship journey forever but the topic will change. You may feel like an imposter today when it comes to starting a podcast on a topic but later down your journey you'll feel like an imposter about the next thing that's taking you out of your comfort zone. "You're normal. If you have these feelings, know 100% everybody feels this way, it's just how you find the courage and the confidence to move through that. That's the way you become a content creator." - Krystal Proffitt So when it comes to coming up with the title and topic ideas for your podcast, focus on what you know and how you've helped others. Even if you're just starting out in your business, you've either seen results in something for yourself and/or others and that's what you can share about. You can also take questions that people have asked you and that can lead to content ideas. "I always tell people to work with your expertise, work with your knowledge, your education, how you've helped other people get results. It's super important to not put the word expert up on a pedestal." - Krystal Proffitt Keep Your Expectations Realistic When it comes to podcasting it's easy to get caught up in the idea that you'll have millions of downloads quickly and that will create even more revenue in your business. While this is a great daydream, it's not realistic. Podcasting is something that will help your business over time and therefore you need to focus on creating a strong foundation of things that work for you and keep your expectations realistic. Downloads will be low for a while, don't get discouraged You'll make mistakes along the way, that's okay Things will change as you learn and that's a good thing It's also important to know what you actually want with your podcast. Understanding what success means for you is critical because the number of downloads isn't the only metric that matters. As a matter of fact, it's likely not the metric that matters to you but it's important to go into podcasting understanding what you want to get out of it. "I'm not going to tell you how to get a million downloads tomorrow because I don't think that you need to speak to a million people in order to have a successful podcast or have a successful business." - Krystal Proffitt Pro Podcasting Tip: Go into podcasting with commitment for the long-haul. Since podcasting takes time to develop, the key is to understand how you work best and what systems and processes work for you. Once you know this, podcasting turns into something that's very enjoyable for you as a content creator. "Let's not quit on our business, let's find a way to make it fun." - Krystal Proffitt Take Away Message / Action Go through Krystal's Free Podcasting Bootcamp to kickstart your podcast. Don't let your excuses get in the way of something you really want to do. If you've been thinking about starting a podcast for a while now, it's time. Go for it! And if you're looking for even more support, Krystal has a course that I highly endorse as well. So much so that if you use my affiliate link to join her course you'll receive a special bonus from me because I want you to follow through with your goal of starting a podcast. Go to amandamckinney.com/favs to find my affiliate link for Krystal's course on podcasting. Until next time give yourself permission to start a podcast and grace along the way. I'll talk to you soon. About Krystal: Krystal Proffitt is a content strategist, coach, and host of the award-winning show, The Proffitt Podcast. She specializes in helping content creators create with confidence. Krystal teaches content strategy, repurposing, branding, and marketing through her podcast, digital courses, and YouTube channel dedicated to content creation. She also appears as a Content Expert on other YouTube channels such as Buzzsprout and Streamyard. Krystal's Resources: Amanda's episode on The Proffitt Podcast: https://krystalproffitt.com/redefining-content-success-amanda-mckinney/ Free Bootcamp: https://krystalproffitt.com/podcastbootcamp/ Amanda's Affiliate Link for Krystal's Course: Proffitt Podcasting: https://www.proffittpodcasting.com/a/2147557230/fwCuWFNo Website: https://krystalproffitt.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/krystalproffitttx/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/krystalproffitt Krystal's Book: http://thebestpodcastbook.com/ Other Resources Mentioned: Define Success Free Resource: https://www.amandamckinney.com/success All podcast episodes: https://pod.link/1473751874 Amanda's Coaching Options: https://www.amandamckinney.com/coaching Amanda's Book: https://www.amandamckinney.com/book "I always tell people to work with your expertise, work with your knowledge, your education, how you've helped other people get results. It's super important to not put the word expert up on a pedestal." - Krystal Proffitt Start Your Podcast In 30 Days! No more Googling all.the.things. Krystal has you covered in her Proffitt Podcasting course. From Idea to Launch in 30 Days! Krystal's course is trusted by many people...including Amy Porterfield of the top-rated podcast: Online Marketing Made Easy. Let Krystal walk you step by step through the process of starting your podcast with ease.

200 episodes! What a journey it's been to create and publish 200 episodes on my podcast. From the nerves of getting started, to excitement of interviewing guests I admire, to finding the systems that work for me, it's been quite a wild ride in the past few years. And I'm sharing it all in this article: my podcasting journey, lesson's learned, and the future of the podcast. **This was also a podcast episode (episode #200. Use the player below if you'd prefer to listen to this message. My Podcasting Journey 2017: Started a written Blog to start with the least resistance 2018: Added YouTube videos to blog posts and learned more about what people were searching for 2019: Started the Podcast 2022: Changed content structure (pillars) 2023: Changed the name of the Podcast "I think everyone's podcast journey will be a twisty-road and not a straight line. Changes will happen and it's a good thing as that means you're learning and adjusting to what you want and what your listeners want." - Amanda McKinney My Podcasting Celebrations: 200 episodes released 150,000 unique downloads (*update this!) 2,285% increase in monthly downloads from July 2019 to July 2023 95 Interviews (some repeat guest) = 47% guest interviews / 52% solo episodes 1 audio editor hired and it was the best decision! "To look back and see all that I've been able to accomplish in 200 episodes was a great exercise because so often we are going through the motions and forget to celebrate our accomplishments." - Amanda McKinney Podcasting Lesson's Learned: Start Now & Learn As You Go It's impossible to know what systems will work for you before you try different things and this is especially the case with creating content. The best thing you can do is just start and learn along the way. Give things time to find your groove and know that it's also okay to realize something isn't working and you can let it go. Change Will Happen & It's A Good Thing Just like it's impossible to know what systems and processes work for you, it's also impossible to have everything else figured out at first too. Your content will change over time and you can even change the name of your podcast along the way too. As long as you aren't always changing, it's okay to change things along the way. Consistency & Commitment Matters When it comes to creating content, commitment to the process and being consistent matters. The reality is that no one will be listening at first but the only way you'll grow the number of people listening is if you keep going. I highly recommend committing to a specific amount of time when you start a podcast or any type of content (ex: 3 months or a season). You can absolutely stop your podcast if you realize you hate it but stopping after 5 episodes isn't giving it enough of a chance. Another lesson I learned on the topic of consistency is that when you switch up your rhythm after being consistent for a long time it feels pretty 'bumpy' for everyone. I tried using the idea of series on my podcast for a while and the concept worked well but I choose to have a week break in between the series and that didn't work well. This confused my listeners and they thought they had missed something so I went back to every week. Guest Interview Lessons: When I first started the podcast it was a solo show because I didn't have credibility as a host and interviewer yet. I slowly started asking people I knew to be on the show to help me get a feel for interviewing others and that worked well. Start with who you know, who trusts you already and then branch out. The popularity of the guest doesn't matter as much as the willingness of them to share. Of course there are exceptions to this lesson but when a guest shares the interview with their audience multiple times, this is when the numbers actually go up. It's not simply the name, it's the marketing. On that same note, it's AMAZING when a guest will re-share their episode 2, 6, etc. months after it airs. It's common for the guest to share it during the week it's live but less common that people share it later but it's incredible when it happens. It gives the host another chance to share it too when they are tagged on social media or know about it. I love interviewing people! Once I found my groove with this I realized how much I really enjoy it. At this time the episodes are almost 50/50 with solo and guest interviews which I like but if I'm not careful, it would easily be 100% interviews because I enjoy them so much. The answer is no if you don't ask and a 'no' isn't a no forever. When it comes to asking for people to be a guest, you have to ask and often have to ask multiple times. Don't get discouraged when someone says no to being a guest at first, ask again at a later date when you have more experience as a podcast host. Titles of Episodes Matter A Lot: The 20 - 45 minute content matters but it only matters if the title gets people to listen. It's imperative to do keyword research for your podcast titles and not just wing it. I was winging it at the beginning but I've learned to spend time doing keyword research and it pays off in the end. It's also important to note that you can change the title of a podcast episode after it's published so you're not doomed if you didn't do this well. Go back to your previous episodes, find the ones you think could have a better title, do the research and then change it. Not All Show Notes Are Created Equal: All podcast hosts do this differently and I don't believe there is a right or wrong way but rather it matters what your goal is. For me I want my podcast to drive traffic to my website as well as my podcast so my show notes are treated as blogs on my website. Each episode has an in-depth blog post that is connected to the episode and is optimized for SEO so that it can drive traffic to my website as well. Often times the blog title is a different title than the podcast as the keyword research produces different results for these different locations. It's worth the time to do the research for both so one piece of content is serving you in multiple ways. Creating Audio Content Is Fun For Me: This is a lesson about me rather than podcasting in general but I love creating audio content. Between the fact that I enjoy interviewing people and I don't mind turning on the microphone by myself and recording, it's a win-win. I've tried blogging and YouTube and podcasting is by far my favorite form of content. However, this doesn't mean I don't do the others as I actually use my podcast episode to create blogs and content for YouTube but the primary piece of content is the one I enjoy the most and then I pull from that to create other content. Find what works best for you and it can help you create more content if you'd like that but the key is to understand what you really enjoy. Because if you don't enjoy it, you won't be consistent with it. Podcasting Helps Me Grow My Business: This is what most people hope for when it comes to creating content and I've found that in the long run, podcasting has helped me grow my business the most. It didn't happen overnight but as I was consistent and learning from my audience, the podcast became the #1 driver of new email subscribers and new clients. How this works is primarily through building trust. Through producing free, valuable content I was able to build trust with people on the other side of the podcast who were listening in. That trust allows them to then want to learn more and work with me and leads to revenue in the business. Tactically, I do this is by: promoting my freebie in episodes promoting my offerings in episodes By understanding what topics are resonating, that helps create offerings The Future For My Podcast: After 200 episodes I'm ready for more! There's no end in sight for my podcasting days as I love it and I can't wait to produce more episodes, interview more guests and help more people through this free content. My goal is to inspire motivate you to pursue what you want in your entrepreneurial journey. I love that we are on this journey to being Unapologetic Entrepreneur's together and I'm excited to see what's next as I move forward with the podcast. If you'd like to share ideas for episode topics and guests with me, there is a place to do this on my website. Go to amandamckinney.com/podcast and you'll see the button to share your thoughts and ideas. I would absolutely love to hear from you! And if you've enjoyed even just one of the 200 episodes so far, the best gift you can give me is to leave a review for the podcast. It helps me reach more people and I read each and every word of the reviews. Thank you in advance for taking the time to share your review. Until next time give yourself permission to start because you'll learn along the way. I'll talk to you soon. Resources Mentioned: Define Success Free Resource: https://www.amandamckinney.com/success All podcast episodes: https://pod.link/1473751874 Amanda's Coaching Options: https://www.amandamckinney.com/coaching Amanda's Book: https://www.amandamckinney.com/book "I've learned a lot after publishing 200 episodes on the podcast but the #1 lesson is that I'm glad I pushed through the nerves and fear to published the first episode." - Amanda McKinney Unapologetically Pursue The Business Of Your Dreams Why Not You my friend? You have a dream and a desire to build a business that integrates into your life instead of taking it over. And it's time to make it happen! If you'd like to explore this concept even more, my book Why Not You? An Accidental Entrepreneur's Guide To Success is waiting for you. In this book I help you create your Y.O.U. Promise that becomes your guide to unapologetically pursuing success for you.

Do you want more as an entrepreneur? Chances are you do and guess what? That's okay! You can be grateful for what you have and also want more. The key is to understand what your 'more' is so that you can pursue it in your life and career. My guest Molly Asplin shares how she transitioned from corporate to entrepreneurship and still pursues 'more' every day while staying grateful for all she has currently. Noticing That You Want More In Your Career "Is this really it? Is this really what I'm supposed to be doing? But I didn't tell anyone because I thought, yes it is. This is my degree and this is what I'm supposed to do. What else could I do?" - Molly Asplin Molly shared that she worked in the corporate world because that's all she'd seen growing up but that after a few years she realized that something was off. While she didn't say anything to anyone at first, she knew deep down that she wanted more but she wasn't sure what 'more' was. As she continued to follow a passion of hers (fitness training) it opened her eyes to a world that she had never considered before...entrepreneurship. What started as a side-hustle has turned into her full time career and she couldn't be happier with that decision. It's allowed her time and location freedom which is what she identified as her 'more'. After witnessing people working at coffee shops she got curious about what they did as a career and simply started to explore ideas and options. However, as Molly and I talked we both discussed how when you follow a passion and a true strength of yours into entrepreneurship it's easy to get caught in the trap that you can't charge for that service. "It's really easy to fall into the trap of thinking that if it's not hard, it's not valuable enough to charge for it." - Amanda McKinney When we find something that our natural strengths align with, that's a create sign that we are living and working in our zone of genius but it can hinder us from thinking we can charge for it but that is where we can help people. What comes naturally to you doesn't come naturally for others and that's where you can help and support others. "I have this natural strength of talking to people about health, fitness and mindset goals and it's easy and fun for me and people are willing to pay for it. But it was weird for me in the beginning because I had done it for free for a very long time." - Molly Asplin **This was also a podcast episode (episode #198. Use the player below if you'd prefer to listen to this message. The Difference Between Contentment & Complacency In Entrepreneurship "There's a big difference between contentment, which I think is desirable and needed; and complacency." - Molly Asplin Contentment is about being happy and satisfied with what you have and where you are in life. It doesn't mean you stop trying to improve or achieve goals, but rather you appreciate and enjoy the present moment. On the other hand, complacency is when you become too comfortable and lazy, not wanting to make any changes or put in effort to grow. It's like being stuck in a rut and not caring about personal development. Contentment is a positive state that allows for growth, while complacency holds you back and keeps you stagnant. When we are complacent in our life or career it can feel like we are on a hamster wheel doing the same thing day in and day out. Or we feel like we aren't being challenged in the way that we'd like to be challenged in life. If you're feeling this way, it could be time to shake things up a bit in life or your career to get that spark back into your life. This isn't to say you need constant change in life because that's likely not what will help you feel content but depending on the season of your life, a change could be what can help. "I think a lot of people don't let themselves say it but that's when I started to feel very numb and not excited about my days. And it wasn't that I wasn't grateful but it boils down to is you can be grateful for what you have and want more. " - Molly Asplin What Do You Want 'More' Of As An Entrepreneur "You have to figure out what your 'more' is and lean into it." - Molly Asplin More time freedom More money More quality time with family/friends More clients More location freedom Give yourself a few minutes to ask yourself what your "more" is because what you want more of will help you understand what to pursue as an entrepreneur. *If this idea of change gives you a bit of nerves, make sure to read this blog post on navigating change in entrepreneurship. "I want to do meaningful work that brings me joy on my own time and location freedom was also really appealing to me." - Molly Asplin If you aren't sure what your "more" is, here are some questions to help you explore: What are you curious about currently? What are you unhappy/disgruntled with about your current career? Once you identify the 'pain' you're currently experiencing, then ask "what do I really want?" to understand your why. If you want to go even deeper in this exercise you can define success on your terms with my free guide in just 20 minutes. Enter your info into the form and get it immediately: Traction Takes Time In Entrepreneurship While it's important to make changes in your business that allow you to fulfill your desire for more, there's also a time for sticking something out to give it time to work. Many accidental entrepreneurs can give up too easily when you don't see traction in your business right away but the key is to give something time to work. This could look like: Focusing on a specific offering or project for 90 days Adjusting your marketing copy as you learn from clients over the course of a year Committing to trying different approaches in business for at least a year "There's something really important and needed about sticking with something long enough to see it through and see if it works. People start side hustles all the time...but you're going to have to roll up your sleeves and kind of get gritty and give it a year or even two years to really know." - Molly Asplin I highly recommend reading (or re-reading as I do once a year) the book Essentialism by Greg McKeown. The overall concept is focusing on one thing for a period of time so you can make more progress. This doesn't mean you can't take on all the projects you have in your mind but instead it means you focus on one at a time so that you can actually accomplish them, quicker. "Pick a lane and go because that's where the big growth happens." - Molly Asplin Take Away Message / Action It's 100% possible to be grateful for everything you have and also strive for more but you have to know what your 'more' is. Explore what you're 'more' is so that you can unapologetically pursue it and live it. I'll leave you with Molly's words that were perfectly said: "Create your own box. Really living life on your terms. It's possible and there are so many opportunities and ways to do it different. You have to have the courage to go for it and start something. Start small and scale it as you go...Your path gets to be your path and it's nobody else's." - Molly Asplin Until next time give yourself permissions to be grateful and want 'more' and grace along the way. I'll talk to you soon. About Molly: After 7 years of working in corporate finance with a background in Accounting, Molly found herself waking up every morning thinking “there has to be something more”. While she appreciated her coworkers and her company, she wanted to directly impact the lives of others. She felt complacent and surface-level happy, like life was on autopilot and she was going through the motions. She felt bored, yet overwhelmed, with busy days but mundane outcomes. She knew there was something more that she wanted to give to the world. She found herself wanting more time flexibility in her daily schedule beyond the corporate conference calls, spreadsheets, and keeping up with emails. She wanted to create meaning through her work that made her feel passionate and live in alignment with her priorities. Looking for a solution, she started working on herself — her nutrition, fitness, and daily personal development. She found that these daily habits created productivity, energy, and opened her eyes to a future career. She surrounded herself with others who were growing, and in doing so, she sensed a large need to mentor other over-achieving females who wanted the same things she did — to feel healthier, happier, and live life with more meaning and purpose. Today she leads a team of over 1,200 coaches, helping other women find more fulfillment in life. She is a firm believer in helping women create options for their families - financial flexibility, location flexibility, and time flexibility - so that they wake up every morning feeling peace, excitement, and purpose. When she’s not helping high achieving women, she finds joy in fitness, reading, running outside, hiking, and spending time with her family at the lake. Molly lives with her husband Steve and their 2 young girls in Minneapolis, MN. Molly's Resources: Website: https://mollyasplin.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/molly.asplin/ Podcast: https://mollyasplin.com/dream-it-do-it-podcast/ Other Resources Mentioned: The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks: https://bookshop.org/a/81920/9780061735363 Essentialism by Greg McKeown: https://bookshop.org/a/81920/9780804137386 The One Thing by Gary Keller: https://bookshop.org/a/81920/9781885167774 Define Success Free Resource: https://www.amandamckinney.com/success All podcast episodes: https://pod.link/1473751874 Amanda's Coaching Options: https://www.amandamckinney.com/coaching Amanda's Book: https://www.amandamckinney.com/book "You have to figure out what your 'more' is and lean into it." - Molly Asplin Unapologetically Chase Your Definition Of Success No matter what your 'more' is, it's important to have one thing truly defined and that's your definition of success. If you'd like to explore this concept even more, my book Why Not You? An Accidental Entrepreneur's Guide To Success is waiting for you. Defining success is just one chapter but in the book we will explore many other things that help you create your Y.O.U. Promise that becomes your guide to unapologetically chasing success for you.

Hey there, accidental entrepreneur! I'm thrilled to announce the release of my new book, "Why Not You? An Accidental Entrepreneur's Guide To Success." In this article I want to take you behind the scenes of why I wrote this book, what it's all about, and the incredible journey that led me here. Let's dive in! **This was also a podcast episode (episode #198. Use the player below if you'd prefer to listen to this message. Why Not You? Book Overview: Are you an accidental entrepreneur, stumbling your way through the business world without a business degree? Don't worry—I've got you covered! Why Not You? An Accidental Entrepreneur's Guide To Success is a guide designed specifically for people like us, who are forging their own paths and creating businesses that integrate seamlessly into their lives. This book helps you set a strong foundation, discover your true desires, and navigate entrepreneurship with intention. It's time to unapologetically create the business and life of your dreams! The Story Behind the Book: Why Not You? An Accidental Entrepreneur's Guide To Success It all began when I realized how much I had learned from books and podcasts during my own accidental entrepreneurship journey. I wanted to pay it forward and create the book that I wished I had when I was starting out at my kitchen table, frantically Googling every question that popped into my mind. Initially, I thought of writing a book focused on marketing, given my educational background and experience. However, as I started writing, I felt a different calling. I wanted to address the fundamental aspects that truly matter in our entrepreneurship journeys—the things that often get overshadowed by website design and other external factors. I wanted to help entrepreneurs like you set a strong foundation and focus on what truly matters in their lives and careers. You can hear even more about the story behind the book in Episode #168 where my book coach, Eric Koester, interviews me about the book writing process. This episode was recorded after the first draft was written but the book wasn't finalized yet so I was in a different time in the process. Key Takeaways From The Book: In Why Not You? An Accidental Entrepreneur's Guide To Success, I share several key takeaways that can transform your entrepreneurial journey: Create your Y.O.U. Promise: this is a promise you make to yourself as you're diving head-first into accidental entrepreneurship and it becomes your guide for whatever comes your way. If you know the why, you'll figure out the how: Discover the power of understanding your deep-down-honest WHY and how it fuels your success. Don't pick your values from a list, reflect on what makes you pissed: Uncover your core values by paying attention to what frustrates and motivates you, rather than relying on generic lists. Define success for yourself, or someone else will: Take control of your definition of success and align it with your true desires, rather than chasing someone else's idea of achievement. Set boundaries today and they will later pay: Learn the importance of setting boundaries in order to achieve the success you desire without compromising your well-being. Finding your support system isn't selfish, it's necessary: Discover the importance of surrounding yourself with a supportive network of people who understand your journey and can uplift you. Focus on your strengths instead of trying to fix your faults: Embrace and leverage your unique strengths to fuel your entrepreneurial endeavors. If you don't know your business finances, you have an expensive hobby: Gain confidence in managing your finances as an entrepreneur and learn practical tips to stay on top of your numbers. You don't need to set goals, you need to set realistic goals: Follow my step-by-step process to set realistic 90-day goals and track your progress effectively. Book Launch Behind-the-Scenes: Now, let's talk about the book launch! I must admit that launching a book has been quite a unique experience compared to anything else I've done in my business. Here are a few insights into what went on behind the scenes: Longer Process: Unlike other products I've launched, the book took me a year to complete. It involved extensive writing, revisions, and beta readers who helped shape the final product. More Vulnerable: Launching a book feels more personal than any other product I've created. It's a piece of my heart and soul, and it required a different approach to marketing and sharing. Launch Stats Were Different: Despite my experience in launching various products, the book launch didn't follow the usual conversion percentages. It was a pleasant surprise that reminded me of the uniqueness of this journey. Pre-Orders Are Difficult: Offering pre-orders allowed me to sign copies for readers, but it also introduced complexities and confusion. Although it was an interesting experience, I might reconsider this approach in the future. Where You Can Buy The Book: Excited to dive into Why Not You? An Accidental Entrepreneur's Guide To Success? You can find it in various formats at these locations: Amazon Barnes and Noble Independent book stores Bookshop.org If you prefer supporting your local bookstore, just ask them about the book and they can order a few copies and have it available for you. Additionally, you can access the book through your local library by requesting it or checking if it's already part of their collection. Key Takeaway Message/Action: Before I wrap up, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you who has supported me throughout this book publishing journey. It has been an incredible ride, and I appreciate all the love and support more than words can express. If you want to support me further, here's how you can help: Purchase your copy of "Why Not You? An Accidental Entrepreneur's Guide To Success" and create your customized compass for your entrepreneurship journey. Take a few moments to write a review of the book. Your thoughts and feedback mean the world to authors like me. Share the book with a friend or someone you know who could benefit from this guide. Let's spread the word and empower more accidental entrepreneurs! Thank you once again for joining me on this adventure. Together, we can inspire and uplift each other as we build the businesses and lives of our dreams. Until next time give yourself permission to unapologetically pursue your dreams and grace along the way. I'll talk to you soon! Resources Mentioned: Define Success Free Resource: https://www.amandamckinney.com/success All podcast episodes: https://pod.link/1473751874 Amanda's Coaching Options: https://www.amandamckinney.com/coaching Amanda's Book: https://www.amandamckinney.com/book "My book is officially published and I can't wait to share it with you!" - Amanda McKinney Unapologetically Pursue The Business Of Your Dreams Why Not You my friend? You have a dream and a desire to build a business that integrates into your life instead of taking it over. And it's time to make it happen! If you'd like to explore this concept even more, my book Why Not You? An Accidental Entrepreneur's Guide To Success is waiting for you. In this book I help you create your Y.O.U. Promise that becomes your guide to unapologetically pursuing success for you.

Let's get one things super clear...It's okay to change things in your business. It's easy to get caught up in the idea that once we make a decision about something with have to stick with it forever. While it's great to actually stick with something for a while to give it time to work, that doesn't mean you have to keep it the same until you shut down your business. The other thing that typically gets in our minds as we navigate change is what others will think or say. The truth is that people are going to have their thoughts about what you're doing but you're the one that lives with your decisions so you have to do what's best for you and your business. The only constant in life is change and that's especially true for accidental entrepreneurship. If we don't adapt to our customers, our business will go under and so we have to navigate change with confidence. I'll share my stories of changes over 6 years in business as well as tips for how you can navigate change too. **This was also a podcast episode (episode #197. Use the player below if you'd prefer to listen to this message. Things Change In Our Journey of Entrepreneurship There isn't a successful entrepreneur I know or have learned about that hasn't experienced lots of change in their business. From the person who started as a fashion blogger to then opened up a boutique to the VC funded business who focused on working with pharmacies who shifted to work with individual clinics. This is a mark of a successful entrepreneur because they followed the breadcrumbs that their customers were leaving them. If you are 100% resistant to changes, you'll likely go out of business. But for people who like structure and stability, this can be difficult. My example: 2017 - marketing consultant who worked with corporations; focused on retainer and project-based revenue 2018 - marketing strategies who started to work with yoga teachers; started group and one-on-one coaching 2019 - marketing coach who worked exclusively with yoga teachers; started a podcast and an online membership 2020 & 2021 - marketing coach for yoga teachers; focused 100% on the online membership and saw growth 2022 - marketing coach for yoga teachers but started to notice changes in students and what I wanted to focus on; started writing a book 2023 - business coach for accidental entrepreneurs; published my book, changed the name of the podcast and closed the online membership to focus on coaching In both 2018/2019 and 2022/2023 I navigated extreme change in my business and it was difficult both times. However, both times had some commonalities: The internal nudge - I knew there was something changing. It wasn't fleeting, it stuck around for months. I had lots of feelings - I was scared, confused, excited, unsure, ready, worried about what others would think. Others noticed - my close biz besties and coaches mentioned the change/shift. Conversations happened so that I could put words to my feelings. It was a transition - I made slow, deliberate changes that helped me and my clients/students. Nothing was done without intention and time. When it was time, it was time - there were moments when it was clear that it was time and the decision was made and communicated with clarity. I moved forward with confidence. "Overall, change is inevitable in your business but it doesn't have to happen overnight, although it can when that feels right." - Amanda McKinney Why We Resist Change As Humans (& Entrepreneurs) It's important for me to acknowledge that I don't love change. Being the super-structured person I am, this isn't a surprise but entrepreneurship has really helped me in this department of my life because change is inevitable. "The only constant in life is change and this is especially true for accidental entrepreneurs". - Amanda McKinney For me it's helpful to understand (1) that I'm not alone in this resistance and (2) the science behind what's happening. The reasons that we often resist change are: Fear of the unknown Fear of failure Fear of losing control Fear of change itself Past experiences, beliefs and cultural norms And in the case of accidental entrepreneurship, the fear of what others may say or think is most likely the highest probable cause. This is especially the case when we have clients who will be impacted by the change that's made. "Once we see or think of the faces of those who the change will impact, things get tough but you still have to follow what's best for you and the business overall." - Amanda McKinney People will always have an opinion and they have the right to but their opinion doesn't have to shape your decisions. You're the one that has to live with your decisions in your business day in and day out. Remember that no one else knows the ins and outs of the backend details so they can't make the decisions for you. So if you find yourself hesitating to make a change in your business because of the fear of what others will think, please make sure to remind yourself of the fact that you intentionally chose entrepreneurship so you could control your work and most likely your schedule. The only way you'll be able to successfully accomplish this is if you make decisions that feel right to you and adjust to the market needs. As humans, we like to stay in our comfort zone but as an entrepreneur, you know that likely the only way to grow your business is by expanding outside your comfort zone. This is where the fear kicks in and leads to not taking action. When we are resisting change this could show up as: hesitation in moving forward and taking action defensive words or thoughts about the possible change skeptical of the change that's taking place or will take place While most of the time we think of this as change that happens to us (ex: detours on our drive), as entrepreneurs we are in control of many things in our business so we are often making the change happen. We can use this to our advantage because one thing that typically trips us up as humans is when a change is thrown at us quickly and we didn't have time to prepare or communicate about the change. As entrepreneurs we are reacting to our customers and the market but we can navigate it with more preparation. "Resisting change could show up for you as procrastinating, making excuses, and anxiety with taking action." - Amanda McKinney An article in Psychology Today shares a lot about the body and brain and how it impacts how we react to changes in our environment. "Inertia - a tendency to do nothing or remain unchanged. Homeostasis - helps our bodies maintain a normal body temperature, metabolism, weight and other functions necessary for our survival." - Psychology Today Article Overall, our body was created to resist change so everything it's built for is actually working against us. But they also go on to say that it's possible to make lasting change but it takes more conscious effort. Tips For Navigating Change In Business As An Entrepreneur In addition to navigating many changes in my business, including 2 major shifts in what I offer and who I work with in my business, I've also coached many other accidental entrepreneurs through this process. While every situation is different, there are some common tips that help most people. Notice Before Acting - if you notice a change in your customer's behavior (purchasing, consuming, etc.) note that change and track it over the period of 3 to 6 months. Data is your friend because it will help you make data-driven decisions with confidence. Talk It Out - as you're tracking changes, don't do this alone. Talk to a biz bestie, a partner, a coach, a mastermind group. Find people who will ask questions to help you dig deeper before making any changes. Also, talk to your customers to gain insight, this is a great time for customer conversations and surveys. Move Forward With Intention & Confidence - once you know it's time to make the change, go forward with clarity, intention and confidence in your decision. You may have to change again down the road but take this step with intention. "A client of mine once said to me 'Amanda, if you tell us this is where we're going with confidence, we will follow you but if you're hesitant, we will be too.' and this is something I remind myself of often. Go forward with confidence." - Amanda McKinney However, in order to have the confidence, know what you need. For me this is data so before making any changes in my business I look at data points and if I don't have them, I research them. In addition to my personal suggestions, I found a great blog post from Calm that listed 9 ways to navigate change. As an app that focuses on meditation and mindfulness, I appreciate these tips very much. Resist resisting - open up to the opportunity of growth Validate your feelings - it's okay to be unease about change Manage your expectations - don't try and move too quickly, take your time Flex your equanimity muscle - this is the minds ability to be okay with whatever is happening, good, bad or ugly. Pause when the feelings arise and remind yourself that you'll be okay. Lean into routine - focus on the things you can keep the same and it will help you feel safe Reflect on your resilience - remember times when you've been out of your comfort zone before and how you navigated it Prioritize self care - seek support of others if you need it Savor the good - enjoy the things that bring you joy, your senses can help with this Express yourself - share with a trusted friend or therapist Take Away Message / Action Recognize that change is inevitable in your business. You've been a customer of a business that changed so you've seen it in action many times but you simply weren't behind the curtain. In this situation you're behind the curtain and see the unbelievable mess that happens back there. Remind yourself that you're not alone in this and that every successful business has to navigate change or else the business dies. You've done it before and will do it again but it will likely take time and feel uncomfortable along the way. If you're navigating change now and feeling lots of feelings about it that aren't pleasant, I recommend: Collecting data and noticing what's changing. Talking it out with biz besties and ask them to probe for more questions and answers. Give yourself time to learn and decide how to move forward with confidence. If you're not navigating change right now, I recommend reflecting on what you will need the next time this comes up for you. Have a plan in place for people you will reach out to when you need to figure out what to do next. Regardless of what you're navigating now, know that you've got this. You've done hard things before and will do them again. Collect the data, talk it out, and move forward with confidence. Until next time give yourself permission to embrace change and grace along the way. I'll talk to you soon. Resources Mentioned: Psychology Today Article: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-truisms-wellness/201701/why-we-resist-change Calm Blog Post: https://blog.calm.com/blog/navigating-change Define Success Free Resource: https://www.amandamckinney.com/success All podcast episodes: https://pod.link/1473751874 Amanda's Coaching Options: https://www.amandamckinney.com/coaching Amanda's Book: https://www.amandamckinney.com/book "A client of mine once said to me 'Amanda, if you tell us this is where we're going with confidence, we will follow you but if you're hesitant, we will be too.' and this is something I remind myself of often. Go forward with confidence." - Amanda McKinney Unapologetically Chase Your Definition Of Success No matter how many ideas you have, it's important to have one thing truly defined and that's your definition of success. If you'd like to explore this concept even more, my book Why Not You? An Accidental Entrepreneur's Guide To Success is waiting for you. Defining success is just one chapter but in the book we will explore many other things that help you create your Y.O.U. Promise that becomes your guide to unapologetically chasing success for you.

If you have lots of ideas but not a lot of progress happening in your business, this article is going to help you change that. My guest, Brionna Ned is a self-proclaimed multidimensional misfit with multiple businesses to allow her freedom in entrepreneurship. It's possible to have it all but it's not possible to pursue it all at the same time and Brionna shares how she approaches being a multipassionate entrepreneur and the #1 question that will help you make decisions. Brionna's 30,000 ft View Of Her Multidimensional Entrepreneur Business While many entrepreneurs know it's important to focus on a central theme/niche for your business, there are other entrepreneurs who 100% embrace their multipassionate desires. Brionna Ned is one of those people and here's what her business currently looks like. *Please note I said "currently looks like" because it's also important to know that her business (and yours) will evolve over time so this won't be what it looks like forever. **This was also a podcast episode (episode #196. Use the player below if you'd prefer to listen to this message. Finding The Common Thread When You're A Multipassionate Entrepreneur If you're a multipassionate entrepreneur with lots of ideas and passions, I'd encourage you to do what Brionna did and find the common theme that runs through them all. Attorney = she wanted to help people understand legal words Submissive List = she wanted to help people understand zodiac resources Sustainable Cadences = she wanted to help people know how to live slower paced lives Her Overall Theme/Message: giving people knowledge "I really get bothered when people don't tell you how or empower you with the knowledge because the only way you're going to be able to do these things for yourself is if someone gives you the knowledge...All of my work is giving people knowledge." - Brionna Ned Even though her businesses are providing knowledge and guidance on different topics she has a central theme that helped her understand her overall message. So how can you find this out for you? Here are some questions to ask yourself: What makes you mad? What do you get on your soapbox about? What keeps you up at night? Reflect on these questions and see how this shows up in your business. Focus On One Thing At A Time To Make Progress As An Entrepreneur You can have it all but you can't pursue it all at the same time, you're not superhuman. We have limited time and energy and it's important to know what to focus on next in order to make progress However, this is difficult when you have multiple passions and interests. Brionna found that asking one question can help you identify what to focus on and put your energy towards: "When you're choosing between things, pick the pain point that speaks to you the most." - Brionna Ned And it's important to be very honest with yourself when answering this question. While there are millions of thoughts in your mind, what is the main pain point that you're thinking about. That will help you identify what you truly want to focus on. When reflecting on this it's likely that you'll want to say they are all equal but in this moment remind yourself that you can pursue all your passions over time but the key to making progress is to focus in on one at a time. "I'm going to answer the call and I'm going to answer it faithfully." - Brionna Ned Here are a few more questions to help you reflect on this and help you focus: What is the passion you're willing to prioritize when it means saying no to other things? If you could leave people with one message right now what would it be? "If you're trying to do too many things at once you won't have time for the meltdowns. Doing one thing at a time helps you process and integrate stuff from the past because then you know when it's ready to come off the shelf and come back around and you can actually engage with it instead of having it really trip you up." - Brionna Ned Successful Entrepreneurs Embrace The Evolution Of Their Business Especially when you're multipassionate, it's important to embrace the changes in your business. While you don't want to always change things up, when you can openly share that things are changing, your audience will appreciate it too and it helps you navigate the changes in a clear way. Brionna shared how she has done this within her business: "I've done this (change) to this group of people at this point a couple of times and they're still rocking with me. They aren't going anywhere and I think partly because they value the transparency, the transparency makes you human." - Brionna Ned She also spoke about how we can think about our entrepreneurship journey like traveling down a road. Sometimes we will hit every red light on the way and others it will feel easy when we hit all the green lights. Green Lights = things feel easy and in alignment Yellow Lights = time to slow down to reflect on lessons being learned Red Lights = when things don't feel in alignment and it's time for reflection and/or change Once you have the "green light moment" or the realize that something doesn't feel in alignment with what you want to do in your business that doesn't mean you'll have all the answers right away. Sometimes we have to let things simmer for a time before we understand what our next step is. "All you're looking for is the next right action." - Brionna Ned Goals Help You Do It All...Eventually There are times in our business when we need to focus on quick wins and low-hanging fruit so that our needs are met but that doesn't mean we abandon our overall dreams and goals. Knowing what you want in the long run will help you set goals to help you get there but you still have to take it one step a time. Remember you can have it all but you can't have it all at the same time when it comes to making progress on your goals. Focus helps you move forward. "One of my dreams and why I have these (free) newsletters is that I want to be a known public speaker and do more corporate workshops...and the proper way to do this is to build an audience." - Brionna Ned Brionna found the avenue under her business umbrella that she could monetize so that her financial needs are being met but she always keeps her other dreams in mind. She found what felt easy and she knew the market was there and allowed that to be the financial component while she builds up the other avenues in her business. Take Away Message / Action "You have to understand that time is a finite resource and you've got to be realistic about what's possible." - Brionna Ned Sometimes we have to go for the low-hanging fruit when it comes to making money in our business while we plan for the future of what we hope to do later. By getting your financial needs met now, you can plan for doing it the way you want to in the future but if you don't approach it this way, chances are you won't get to that final place you hope to be later. Your next step is to identify two things: (1) what pain point do you want to focus on and remember not to lie to yourself with this, and (2) what is the low-hanging fruit currently to help you meet your financial goals now to set you up for the future. Remember that things evolve in business and to embrace that evolution. Until next time give yourself permission to know what you want to pursue and grace along the way. I'll talk to you soon. About Brionna: Brionna is a self-described multidimensional misfit who writes, teaches, and talks about building more equitable, liberated and sustainable societal systems. She uses her formal training as a lawyer to help everyday people become legalese fluent. She also has two newsletters. Sustainable Cadences is for folks who want practical and actionable tools for creating a slower-paced life. The Submissive List is for people on self-transformation journeys who want tools and resources for working through and aligning with change. Brionna's Resources: Brionna's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_everyday_lawyer/ Brionna's Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrionnaNed Brionna's Websites: https://www.theeverydaylawyer.co, https://www.brionnaned.com Other Resources Mentioned: Define Success Free Resource: https://www.amandamckinney.com/success All podcast episodes: https://pod.link/1473751874 Amanda's Coaching Options: https://www.amandamckinney.com/coaching Amanda's Book: https://www.amandamckinney.com/book "You have to understand that time is a finite resource and you've got to be realistic about what's possible." - Brionna Ned Unapologetically Chase Your Definition Of Success No matter how many ideas you have, it's important to have one thing truly defined and that's your definition of success. If you'd like to explore this concept even more, my book Why Not You? An Accidental Entrepreneur's Guide To Success is waiting for you. Defining success is just one chapter but in the book we will explore many other things that help you create your Y.O.U. Promise that becomes your guide to unapologetically chasing success for you.

Lara Heimann is a successful business owner but this didn't happen overnight and throughout our conversation I was able to understand more of the origin story. So often we can look at someone who is further along than us and think they have it all figured out but in reality, every entrepreneur is taking it one step at a time and doing the best they can with the information they have. *This includes you! No matter where you are in your journey, know that you're doing great and there are more great things to come. We talked about how her business started and where it is now that includes an online platform with 600 classes, multiple trainings and a podcast that has over 3 million downloads. But at the core you'll read how she had clarity on her definition of success, boundaries and core values. These components guided her to the business and life she has today. You'll walk away feeling inspired and ready to chase your definition of success. **This was also a podcast episode (episode #195. Use the player below if you'd prefer to listen to this message. The Language You Use Impacts Your Entrepreneurship Success Just like when we say something like "I have a bad knee" about our bodies, we can easily fall into this trap about negative self talk as an entrepreneur. We have to watch this language as it truly impacts how we take action and see ourselves and this starts with the very beginning of the journey. "I often say I was a reluctant entrepreneur meaning it wasn't something that I specifically chose, it kind of chose me." Lara Heimann Because Lara viewed entrepreneurship through this lens she was able to approach it in a way of one step at a time and a gift to her life. Instead many of us can look at things in entrepreneurship as challenges, she viewed it as an opportunity to learn. "I didn't say I'm a bad business person, I said 'I haven't yet learned this'." - Lara Heimann It's also important to know that as an accidental entrepreneur who is following your passion, there are going to be other things that have to get done but that aren't your cup-of-tea. At the beginning you'll likely need to take these actions on yourself but as you grow your business you'll be able to outsource the tasks that don't fit into your zone of genius. "You're doing something that you have a passion about, that fuels you and you have to be careful to not let all the other things that might in fact drain you, overcome that passion." - Lara Heimann Entrepreneurs Do Best When You Learn From Your Students/Clients/Customers Lara was clear throughout our conversation that she knew what she wanted in her business and was willing to do the hard work in order to achieve her success. But she also clarified that she approached entrepreneurship both steady in her conviction but also humble in her willingness to learn along the way. "I never betrayed myself...my clear mission. But I'm also very willing to listen to what could be done differently." - Lara Heimann "Be super passionate and super committed and also really humble because that means you're willing to change, you're willing to listen, you're willing to adapt and pivot as needed for the better good." - Lara Heimann She listened and learned from her students all along the way and it was like she followed the bread crumbs to each step. When students asked "would you do this...." she checked it with herself and if it felt right to her, she would listen and move forward. "My students were kind of telling me, they were a little voice box for the outside world saying more people need this." - Lara Heimann "It's like the ball rolled and I just kept answering the need." - Lara Heimann This combination of determination and humbleness is what lead her to the true success she has today. She attributes this to her devotion to customer service and how she is always willing to listen to her customers as they share information with her and her team. This is a key component to success whoever you define it in your business. Following your heart and mission is one part but also listening to your audience is the other part you have to balance as you grow your business. Know Your Strengths & Season Of Life To Succeed In Entrepreneurship Another component to Lara's success was understanding the different seasons in life and she encourages all entrepreneurs to recognize this too. While you may be ready and excited to grow your business today, if you're trying to wear all the hats, it might not be possible in this season of your life. "I think it's a load of BS when people say that we can do all the things really well because I would argue you can't. You just decide what are your priorities and then be satisfied with slower growth so that you can manage it all." - Lara Heimann Acknowledging what season of you life you're in currently is one piece of the puzzle and the other is knowing your personality and how you're wired. I've seen this in the clients I've coached as well that sometimes you want to follow the passion but then realize that you're not quite wired for the ups and downs of entrepreneurship. And we are here to tell you that it's 100% okay to figure this out! "You need to know your wiring. I'm wired for this. I'm great with people but I'm really good with my vision and on my own...pretty much any success entrepreneur would say that it's going to be some solo time and you gotta be okay with that." - Lara Heimann "If you're coming back every day feeling inspired then that means you're wired for this. If you're coming back every day for the most part, feeling drained and overwhelmed, it might not be your thing and that's okay." - Lara Heimann As you continue down the path of following your passion and turning it into your career if at any point you realized that you don't want to continue, it's okay to let the business go knowing that you didn't fail. However, if you want to continue but you're not enjoying all the tasks, figure out what those tasks are and create a plan to outsource the them to others who have the gift of that skill and knowledge. Progress Leads To Entrepreneurship Success "Forward progress of any kind is great. It doesn't have to be large steps." - Lara Heimann It's so easy to get caught up in wanting to make the big leaps in business that we forget how powerful small steps can truly be. Look back to the times in your life when you made small and steady progress and how far you truly made it. Apply this to entrepreneurship too. It's often the small steps that lead to what seems like an over "overnight success" to others. "Be patient, push the boulder but know that at some point it's going to get traction." - Lara Heimann Lara also shared how important it is to know what you're passionate about and go after it in the way that it feels right for you. It's really easy to get caught up in following what others do but the reason you're starting this business is because you do things differently and it's important to highlight that. "Listen to your hear and then look for the gaps...where the service is not being met to the same degree. Don't be scared to do something different." - Lara Heimann Define Your Entrepreneurship Success, Boundaries, & Core Values There are many coaching sessions where I've been asked about how I deal with negativity or how I make decisions in my business and the answer is that I have a filter that these are run through. These are my definition of success, my boundaries and my core values. Lara reiterated many times in our conversation how she was guided each step of the way in her business by these same things. It's critical as you step into the entrepreneurship space to know what's important to you and what you will stand for as a business. "Hold a standard to what you want and what you will not accept." - Lara Heimann Take Away Message / Action All along the way, Lara knew what she was going after because she knew what success was for her and that guided her. If you haven't defined success on your terms, this is what I highly recommend you do next. Enter your information below to get my step-by-step guide on defining success on your own terms: If you know how you define success, then I'd suggest setting aside a few minutes to reflect on where your business and life is currently and if you feel successful. If you do, keep going! If you don't, ask yourself what needs to change to get closer to your definition of success. You might not be able to change it all right away but at least knowing what needs to change will help you move forward with intention. Until next time give yourself permission to follow your definition of success and grace along the way. I'll talk to you soon. About Lara: Drawing from her background as a Physical Therapist, Lara has combined her love of anatomy, creative movement and functional training to develop LYT (Lara’s Yoga Technique) YOGA, a powerful, challenging flow style that emphasizes anatomy, alignment and intelligent sequencing. Movement has always been Lara’s favorite form of medicine, beginning with her early years as an athlete and dancer. She graduated from Duke University with a BS in Biological Anthropology and Anatomy and a Masters in Physical Therapy, worked as a Physical Therapist and began teaching yoga in 1996. With her postgraduate specialization in neurological training, she learned the importance of the brain in remapping more optimal movement. Lara’s passion for yoga transformed into a career and sparked a personal mission to help her students find their source of inner strength and deeper understanding of the brain-body connection. Lara has an online movement platform, LYT Daily with over 600 classes, an online teacher training for both 200 and 500 hours, and a podcast, “Redefining Yoga” with over 3 million downloads. Lara's Resources: Lara's Website: www.lytyoga.com Lara's Instagram Accounts: @lara.heimann and @redefiningyogapodcast and @lytyogamethod Other Resources Mentioned: Define Success Free Resource: https://www.amandamckinney.com/success All podcast episodes: https://pod.link/1473751874 Amanda's Coaching Options: https://www.amandamckinney.com/coaching Amanda's Book: https://www.amandamckinney.com/book "Forward progress of any kind is great. It doesn't have to be large steps." - Lara Heimann Unapologetically Chase Your Definition Of Success Now that you've drafted your definition of success, it's time to chase that definition unapologetically. If you'd like to explore this concept even more, my book Why Not You? An Accidental Entrepreneur's Guide To Success is waiting for you. Defining success is just one chapter but in the book we will explore many other things that help you create your Y.O.U. Promise that becomes your guide to unapologetically chasing success for you.