What’s Your Business Olympics?

Meanwhile, back in 1988...

Meet Eddie.

A dude who got the thing he wanted more than anything in the world:

He competed in the Olympics.

And I'm not talking about the elite ones who've been shipped off to the best training camps thanks to their parents, who've had the support of their country backing them, who'e had access to the best.

I'm talking about the kid who wasn't good at any Olympic sport, but never gave up.

And still made it to the Olympics.

Not to get gold. Not to get silver. Not to get bronze.

To just be there.

When he was shite at every Olympic sport available on offer, he shifted his focus to the Winter Olympics.

He trained as a downhill skier.

He wasn't good enough to make the team.

He didn't care.

He shifted his focus again, to ski jumping.

At the time Britain didn't have a ski jumper, so he was it.

With no experience, no money, and the weight of the world telling him to GIVE UP every day.

What did he do?

Not give up.

Sure,

He was a broke joke. He was self-funded.

He was a fat joke. He was overweight compared to all the other athletes.

He was a blind joke. He had to wear thick glasses under his goggles that fogged up.

He was disadvantaged at ever fucking corner.

But he arrived at the training grounds with nothing more than his own skis.

He's boots weren't the right kind, so he put on 6 pairs of socks over a borrowed pair of boots.

He got the fuck up and he trained.

And he trained.

And he trained.

He didn't care HOW he got to the Olympics.

All he wanted was get there.

Every damn day there was an opportunity to bail.

An opportunity to quit.

An opportunity to go home.

An opportunity to believe the doubters.

It wasn't his option though.

Because this was IT for him.

His dream.

How he go there was irrelevant to him.

Downhill skiing, ski jumping. Whatever sport he could qualify was his ticket.

The how didn't matter.

What mattered more than anything was what he wanted more than anything.

To go to the fucking Olympics.

Through a loop hole that they've now tightly plugged, after one whole year of doing nothing else but showing up every goddamn day and training, he qualified.

He went to the Olympics.

The rest doesn't matter.

He competed. He sucked. They made a movie about him.

None of that matters.

Nothing but making the Olympics matters.

And because of that laser focus, and entire life's dedication to his dream, it was his reality.

So question: how bad do you want this business to work?

For real now,

With a husband, with kids, with a family unit to run.

With dogs, with a day job, with time against you.

With your lack of funds.

With all your disadvantages.

Are you willing to pull an Eddie the Eagle and go all in on your business?

Are you ready to show up every day, and keep giving it that shot?

To go all in over and over and over again?

To go all in when everything and everyone is telling you to stop?

Will you ignore them and follow your Olympics?

Because life without out it means you may as well roll over and die.

When all's said and done, the one who makes it is the one who never quits. No matter what life throws at them. No matter how broke and broken they feel.

Never give up when the odds are stacked again you. When even your loved ones tell you you're a joke. When you feel the whole world is rallying to stop you.

Your mission is to keep on going.

That's where the gold is at.

Are You Speaking Dothraki?

Walking your dog is routine. Nothing spesh. Generally it’s the same-same and that’s cool… I mean it has to be done…except on this particular walk you bump into Chris Hemsworth!!!!

He stops to pay your pooch, telling you he’s the cutest dog in the entire world (you know)

OMGGGGG do you have a story to tell your boyfriend when you get home!

When you get home, your man is chilling on the couch.

You open your mouth and words come out in Greek.

No worries, right?

Except your man speaks English.

And so off you go, it’s a game of charades as you reenact the moment his bicep bumps into yours and how even your pooch went love heart eye emoji…

Your story is greeted with silence.

And not just silence. A blank expression.

EXCUSE ME MOFO?!

You’re fuming.

He NEVER listens to your stories…

You start screaming at him… in Greek.

And he still doesn’t get it.

He’s the worst boyfriend ever.

You want to break up with him. Immediately.

Wait. Don’t do it!

If only you realised you’re not speaking his language.

He literally doesn’t understand what you’re saying. But he’s dying to. He really wants to get excited with you about how you bumped into one of your celeb crushes because watching you reenact it is the cutest thing he’s seen all day.

You start to speak in English, he understands, he laughs and cheers and gives you the sweetest forehead kiss ever, and you guys live happily ever after.

Guess what?

The reason no one's buying?

You're doing the same with your business + with your clients.

The Story Of A Health + Wellness Coach Who Sells Her Life Purpose For Business Riches + Ends Up Poor + Hating Her Life

Once upon a time, there was a badass, smart and very pretty lady who was obsessed with all things nutrition, health and wellness. She would experiment at home with all the fancy superfoods money could buy and boy were her concoctions delicious. Even her main squeeze ate all the foods, and he’s a pizza and beer kinda guy.

She had a special skill for bringing love into everything she did. She was the definition of living the nourishing life. She would follow all the blogs, soaking up every word like a sponge until one day she had her own a-ha moment: I could do this myself! I could be a health + wellness coach!

So off she went, to enrol into the most famous health coaching certification in the world, that every health + wellness blogger needed to be credible.

She studied hard, learning more and more about how our bodies react to food and stress and exercise that after every lecture she was blown open with knowledge.

While she was studying she bid her time working in the corporate world, until one day, 6 or so months later, she got home to see her certification in the mail.

This. Was. It.

This little piece of paper was her everything.

This sweet lady wasn’t just a pretty face. Oh no. She had brains too. While she was studying, in-between lectures and actual work she knocked up her very own website. She started sharing tips. Recipes on coconut bliss balls with that super secret activated superfood that will give you energy for days, and how self-love is the new HITT session.

She wrote before work and after the last lecture.

And she hired a business coach.

Her business coach helped her with the set up. First priority: get professional photos and hire a graphic designer to make her website look like self-love and flowers and ‘look at how amazing my life is’ had an orgy and gave birth onto her website. Oh and the technical stuff too like, a coaching package, welcome gift, mailing list and Facebook page.

She was set up to live happily ever after.

Let’s fast forward 6 months.

Our fair lady is getting antsy.

Those pro bono’s clients she had that made her feel successful finished up and she scored one paying client that had one session with her, for like $50.

She’s still trapped in her day job, but she’s gotten pretty good at social media. She's getting good followers, and likes, and engagement.

Sales though? Nope. And she’s starting to crack.

Why oh why is it so freaking hard to sell health coaching… she stresses.

Why can’t anyone throw her $200 a month when she seems to invest triple that into business coaching. And willingly?

If only she was a business coach… she thought. Then it’d be so easy to sell.

The thought passes by as she finishes typing up her latest articles on how meditating can help you lose weight and presses publish.

But she's defeated.

Clients and cash have dried up.

All her leads have been exhausted.

She’s officially entered a business drought.

And desperation sinks in.

I just need to make money is her new obsession.

Whatever it takes to make money is her new mantra.

If only I could be a business coach...

That night in her dreams she's paid a visit by the evil online business fairies. They show her scenes of being rich, living the location free lifestyle and never worrying about money again.

There's one trade off in all of that though: hand over your life purpose.

She doesn't think twice.

Signed, sealed, delivered.

When she gets up the next day she starts writing an article about how to social media for other health coaches.

She writes an article about how to set up your healthy + wellness coaching business.

Just like that, she’s changed.

She’s a business coach for health coaches now.

She can almost feel her taste for success.

She lands a client. It’s working!

Let’s fast forward another 6 months.

She’s been a little more successful than what she was if she had stuck with her passion. Read: she ain’t rich, or living location free. And money is still a huge stress.

When she stops for a moment and checks in with herself, there’s blank space. That contract with the evil online business fairies means her life purpose is gone. She can’t even remember it anymore.

She goes on to coach other health + wellness coaches in setting up their business basics and that’s it.

But something’s missing.

She made a deal with the devil she wished she never made.

If only she kept on wishing she could make her passion work. No matter what it takes. Because she was a women obsessed. And she truly believed in her message.

And if only she had asked the question: How can I communicate my message so it leaves my audience obsessed with me and my work?

She goes on to mediocrely helping other small business owners set up their business basics and lives a mediocrely ever after.

So, the moral of this story?

One career choice isn’t better than another.

It’s your obsession that matters.

You’ve already got the obsession down because you can’t stop thinking about it.

Stop wishfully thinking your exit strategy is a different career choice because it’s an easier sell. You might wake up 12 months later wondering why the fuck you went down that road wishing you just took a moment to speak to someone about communicating and articulating your message so it sells.

Ask These 7 Questions For An Awesome Testimonial

We work with incredible clients and we get incredible testimonials. And today I’m going to walk through how to get your own incredible testimonial that not only gives you soundbites but constructive feedback too.

Here's a sample I prepared earlier, from one of my favourite clients MINT LIGHTING.

Take these questions, send them out to your clients + gather the kind of feedback that makes a difference.

The Questions

What hesitations did you have about working with me?

Investing the total fee up front was the only hesitation as it felt a little like stepping into the unknown, but I relied on your confidence and approach to tell me that it was all going to be OK.

What results have you achieved since we started working together?

So many people now say that when they read our website, it speaks to them – they quote parts of it back to us and feel completely engaged with MINT from the outset.

What did you like best about working with me?

Your confidence in your approach and your ability to think differently from me and therefore give me a better result than I could have ever come up with.

How else have you benefited from our work together?

Our own language has improved – for me, when I present I’m noticing that I speak more like your copy, and find clearer ways to convey our message to clients. We’ve also incorporated some of the copy into our Social Media, and it always lands really well.

Would you recommend me and my services? If so, why and to whom?

Absolutely – to any of my business colleagues, everyone should have such great copy to sell their services.

Is there anything you would have liked to see done differently? If so, what?

Possibly a running checklist of our scope and tasks so I could see how we were progressing through as we went, rather than having to go back to the proposal to see what was next.

[Elizabeth's note: done + implemented. All clients can now track their work! How good is constructive feedback?]

What's the most important thing people should know about working with me?

You have your own voice, but you also have the ability to adjust your style to work for completely different businesses.

You have the courage of your convictions – vital for any creative service – and you’re also totally approachable for any questions and queries.

If there anything else you'd like to add?

You have been the single best investment in growing my business this year – and we’ve taken on a lot!! It’s been a delight, and I can’t wait to scope out some more projects to complete together to create the perfect cohesive voice for all our written communications.

When You Hate Your Business + Want To Change Everything. Back Away From The Laptop Now

If today is an especially shit day and you’re dragging your feet in business, I want you to listen up and listen good.

Some days you’re going to feel like absolute balls.

Some days you’re going to look at your site and want to vomit.

Some days every business task you do is going to feel like drawing blood from a stone.

Some days you’re going to compare the shit out of what you’re doing, to that shiny looking perfect person over there.

And on those days you’re going to want to either run for the (corporate) hills or you’re going to want to revamp your whole entire business, because obviously something just isn’t right anymore.

And on those days, where it seems like a good idea to change from being a health coach to a business coach, I beg you to NOT. DO. THAT.

Do not touch a thing in your business.

Do not change your name.

Do not offer a new service.

Do not write a social media post to vent.

Back the fuck away from your business. For now.

Look, business is hard. Hard as fuck, and that’s a reason why the big corporations stay in business, even when their employees hate it. It's easy to rock up to work, run the clock out, and get a salary.

You’re doing something that not even half the population would dream of doing or even WANT to do.

And so yeah, you're special. And also, shit's going to get hard from time to time.

And when shit gets hard you’re going to start analysing every little detail of your business.

You're going to question everything.

And you’ll start planning the revamp. The new product. The new service. The new website. A whole new way of doing things.

And it feels right. At the time.

But wait.

It’s actually NOT right.

Not in the frame of mind you’re in.

Not in the space and energy you’re in.

Not right now.

Now is not the time to throw your business out the window because it’s been a rough few days.

Now is not the time to reinvent yourself – not even in the new hair department.

Because no one reinvented themselves from a space of low low waayyyyy low energy.

And right now, your energy is low baby. It’s scattered, it’s fearful, it’s scared.

It’s hating on everything.

And you are in no space to create anything that means something. To you and your clients.

Today is not the day to change your whole entire business model and life.

Today is the day to stop.

Today is the day to get the fuck off your laptop.

Today is the day to call in sick with your current clients.

Today is the day to curl up in bed and watch reruns of Younger.

Today is the day to get out of bed and go for a walk.

Today is the day you drink wine at 12 noon.

Today is the day you remember that you're your own boss, and right now you can do whatever you want, so you pull a sickie and do whatever the hell you want.

And you better bloody enjoy it.

Because I know that when you wake up tomorrow, you'll have the kind of mind that knows exactly what you need to do.

So go do that. Tomorrow.

How To Answer The Dreaded 'So, What Do You Do?' Question In A Room Full Of Old People + Parents Who Just Don't Get It

So you started a business. But no one really knows what it is. Because you don’t know how to articulate it.

It’s a feeling. Energy swirling around in your body. You just KNOW in your bones that this is what you’re meant to do.

But try telling that to your baby boomer parents.

So it’s Sunday night family dinner at their place. And you’re dreading it. They ask how your ‘blog thing’ is going. ‘Fine’ you say, and try to change the subject.

You think you’ve dodged a bullet. Phew – you don’t have to try and explain to them your mission to change the world! Until…

‘I saw Aunt Sally today and gave her your website address. She was asking about your work and I didn’t quite know how to answer… What is it that you do again?”

The dreaded question.

What is it that you do again?

So you start to talk about how you’re paving the way to raising the vibrations of the world. How you want to uplift and inspire women across the globe to live their best lives. How you want to teach people to own their power, tell their truth and live wholehearted lives.

You’re losing them. So you throw out that word. Coach.

“I’m a coach!” you almost yell in the frustration.

You’re met with a confusing stare… “What?”

You try something else. “I help sensitive, high-vibing women.”

“What does that mean?”

“Ummmm…” You start riffing.

“Change agent… Lifestyle blogger… Life coach… Success coach… Wellness coach… I help people fall in love with their lives!”

But the questions keep on coming

“And someone actually pays you for that?”

Game over.

“Don’t worry about it.”

Proceed to sink into one helluva shitty mood that would put even the most petulant teenager to shame. (Stomping and sullen glares optional.)

I know. I used to be there.

And my coping mechanism? Part defensive, part denial.

I didn’t think I needed to explain what I was doing to these people who just didn’t get me. I mean, I didn’t need their approval. Far from it. They weren’t my ‘target market’ after all… so why’d I need to explain what I was about?

Here are a few damn good reasons.

I wanted to sound like a fully-fledged professional business woman who was confident and knew what the hell she was doing. Not a half-baked hippy who blogs to blog.

I wanted my baby boomer parental units to invest in my business.

I wanted my accountant (yep, pros get proper financial advice) to understand what my business was. Same with my banker, my insurance agent, and the woman at the tax office. I didn’t want to return to my default mode of freezing up and mumbling about chakras and high-vibration living.

I wanted to learn how to articulate what it is that I feel inside. What it is that gets my juices going. Because there’s nothing more disheartening to your biz aspirations than not being able to spill out a sentence about what the fuck you actually do.

I wanted to it to be real. A REAL BUSINESS in the REAL WORLD.

Where there are contracts and privacy policies and forecasts and business plans. And clients, a shitload of clients.

So, for all of this to happen, I realised I needed to be a player in the real world.

I needed to understand how the normal channels of business work.

And look, before you dismiss me, I get it. I get that the world is in the midst of a revolution. We’ve got massive organisations like Hay House rocking our socks off. Mainstreaming meditation, the law of attraction and mindfulness.

But here’s the big BUT – they’re doing so with contracts, privacy policies, forecasts and business plans. In fact, those very things are WHY they’ve got shitloads of customers.

By playing by the existing rules of business, they can reach so many more people. They can get their message across so much more effectively.

The thing is, you still need to know the rules by which businesses become successful in today’s world. Even if you’re working in the land of spiritual soul swirling energetic fields.

Our revolution is happening, but for now, we’re still living in a world of plans and policies and proposals. Don’t ignore that. Don’t stick your head in the sand.

And let me tell you, once you know the rules, you get to bend them. You get to dance on their edges, shape their form, and work with them to achieve your vision.

You get to incorporate everything you love – the Universal laws, your manifesting mojo, the divine downloads from your highset self… Hell, you can add as much glitter and sparkle as you damn well please.

‘Cos here’s the straight-up truth: the normal channels of doing business will support your vision, not hinder it. They are the earthly anchor from which you can soar.

And if you still think the rules of the real world don’t apply to you and your biz because your ideal customers ‘don’t care about that boring stuff’, I’ve got two words for you: their partners.

That’s right, we all know that if our partners don’t get what we’re spending our moolah on – whether it’s high-top sneakers or high-vibe coaching – it makes it a lot harder to feel good about it. So you’re going to need to talk THEIR language too.

Here are my top tips for developing your non-woo-woo business spiel, so that even the most blokey, beer-swilling boyfriends – plus your own beloved dad – finally get what you’re doing:

1) Don’t tag yourself with a label. As much as you love being a ‘change agent’ or ‘revolution representative’ or ‘catalyst consultant’ (and you totally are creating change in your clients’ lives), real world peeps won’t get it and you won’t be taken seriously.

2) Make it really simple. You don’t have to give a page-long précis of what you do. You don’t need to explain your 8 step signature program of how you do it. If you’re talking in too much detail, it’s because you haven’t nailed down the essence of the value you provide.

3) Describe what you do. “I help X do X.”. At this stage, it can still be all sparkly and glitter-filled, stated in your own pretty words.

4) Now simplify it. Use the thesaurus in reverse. Look up your fancy unique word and find the boring generic equivalent. Use that. You’ll end up with something that’s practical, logical and value-driven.

It’s the difference between “I help soul-centred sisters tell their heart-fuelled stories and expand their business consciousness” and “I help female entrepreneurs develop effective communication strategies to grow their revenue.”

5) Say it confidently and succinctly. Seriously. Like you mean it.

6) Expand when asked. If someone wants you to explain further the how – that’s when you go into the detail. Do not confuse the ‘what’ with the ‘how’.

And for the record, when I applied this – when I told my baby boomer dad that “I help small business owners write words that sell,” – I got a thoughtful look, a big smile and some awesome fatherly feedback.

“That's awesome!”

It's Never Been About Your Job Title.

You started this business despite your job title.

Because there was something inside.

A reason.

A desire.

A message.

And the message was bigger than the container of a job title.

Then the container of the 9-5.

And no matter how big or small it is, your message isn't going anywhere.

Sure, you can bury it deep under strategy and rules and desperation.

Whatever it takes to run a successful business.

But the message is always there.

Lurking under the surface.

Waiting for you to remember.

It's crystal clear too.

Despite what you think.

Because it’s a feeling.

And feelings are your truth.

But the moment you try to translate it into words and letters, it gets messy.

Like shit hit the fan messy.

So you question it.

You change it.

You standardise it.

You sterilise it.

But it doesn’t feel right.

It'll never feel right.

That’s where copy comes in.

It’s about honouring your message and the expression of your zone of genius.

And translating it in a way that gets your paid.

Copywriting is truly the art and science of expressing your message in a way that gets your paid.

Need help? Check out our services here >>

No One’s Buying Your Position Description. Here’s What They Do Buy.

Bright eyed and bushy tailed.

An aha moment to change for the rest of your life.

A Facebook Page set up.

A website made.

A photo session completed.

A list growing.

A shining service with all the trimmings ready to go.

A coaching certification framed and hanging on your office wall.

You’re good to go.

In theory, you did everything right…. right?

On top of studying, applying yourself and becoming the best damn coach you possibly can be…

You showed up, daily.

And you wrote your heart out.

You woke up before work, while your man stayed in bed, all snuggled up, even in winter.

You wrote and wrote and wrote.

And blogged and blogged and blogged.

So you’re stumped.

Because people are not stopping by and getting cozy on your online couch (with a glass of wine), settling in for the long haul.

We can dress it up anyway you want…

But here’s the cold hard truth:

People are not buying what you’re selling.

What’s missing is:

Your emotional message.

Here’s the thing: people buy based on emotion, they then use logic to justify the purchase.

But the thing that’s going to get them over the line, is when you make them feel something.

The cherry on the sales sundae? Make them feel like they’re missing out if they don’t buy and you’ve got yourself a sale.

Nail your emotional language in your copy and and you solve your very real problem of not having enough in your bank, and booked in your calendar.

Most people get really tripped up with emotional language. When they try to get people to purchase from them, they end up describing their job title.

If you're a marketing coach, you end up saying: I’m so damn passionate about helping people market their business.

If you're a life coach, you end up saying: It’s my life purpose to help people live their best life possible.

If you're a graphic designer, you end up saying: My dream is to make art for cool entrepreneurs.

It's all really awesome stuff... But it doesn’t get anyone to feel anything.

When people feel, they buy.

Get them to feel something, and you’ll get them to buy something.

Email Girl To The Rescue Part 2

Previously on Email Girl, Ms. Business Owner was under the evil spell of Mr. McDouchey Internet Marketer. Using his powers of mind control, he was stopping Ms. Business Owner from sending out fun, entertaining + engaging emails that sell for fear she would become just as sleazy as the devil himself.

This had dire effects on Ms. Business Owner. She wasn’t getting any new clients which means she wasn’t making any money.

Email Girl: Ms. Business Owner, I hear the evil Mr. McDouchey Internet Marketer is mind controlling you, stopping you from sending out your very fun, entertaining + engaging emails that sell.

Ms. Business Owner: It’s true. I don’t know what to do?!?

Email Girl: I’ve got a plan. Do you trust me?

Ms. Business Owner: I do.

Email Girl: Listen to me very carefully. I want you to go into your inbox. Let me know when you’re in.

Ms. Business Owner: I’m in.

Email Girl: Okay, I want you to locate the email from Mr. McDouchey Internet Marketer.

Ms. Business Owner: Found it.

Email Girl: Open the email.

Ms. Business Owner: What? Are you crazy Email Girl?

Email Girl: You said you trust me. Do you trust me?

Silence.

Email Girl: I said, do you trust me?

Ms. Business Owner: Yes, I trust you. I’ve opened the email.

Email Girl: Right, now scroll all the way to the end.

Ms. Business Owner: I’m at the end of the email.

Email Girl: At the end of the email you should see an unsubscribe button.

Ms. Business Owner: I don’t see it

Email Girl: It will be almost invisible. In very small font.

Ms. Business Owner: Oh, I see it.

Email Girl: Click it.

Ms. Business Owner: But what if he sends an email that I really need…? what if he’s going to give me the secret formula to success?

Email Girl: CLICK THE UNSUBSCRIBE BUTTON NOW

Ms. Business Owner: I did it. I unsubscribed.

Meanwhile, across town Mr. McDouchey Internet Marketer doesn’t feel so crash hot.

Mr. McDouchey Internet Marketer (to himself): I don’t feel so good. I feel weak. My powers, what’s happening?

Meanwhile, back on the call with Ms. Business Owner + Elizabeth, I mean Email Girl.

Email Girl: Yes! Mr. McDouchey Internet Marketer’s powers are shrinking!

Ms. Business Owner: I can feel it too. It’s like, all that fear was sitting around me like a cloud and it’s lifting. I can see clearly.

Email Girl: He has no more control over you. Are you ready to start sending out your very fun, entertaining + engaging emails that sell?

Ms. Business Owner: Yes! I am. I just don’t know how.

Email Girl: Then come with me. I’ve created something just for you.

Ms. Business Owner follows Email Girl right here. Ms. Business Owner signs up. Ms. Business Owner writes emails that sell.

Ms. Business Owner lived happily ever after.

Email Girl To The Rescue Part 1

Elizabeth sits at her desk. Her coffee has coconut milk in it and she's so delighted she’s got the perfect smug-smile on her face as she sips it.

She's wears her activewear because she just smashed a workout like she’s a superhero or something. She’s sweaty, has no make up on, and her menagerie of dogs are snoozing in her office which means it’s time to get on the phone and speak to her client, Ms Business Owner.

Elizabeth: So, tell me what you’ve done with your current list to tell them about your coaching packages?

Ms Business Owner: Nothing. I haven’t emailed them in a while, so I don’t want to email them with my services.

Elizabeth: Why not?

Ms Business Owner: I hate getting sales emails so I don’t want to do it myself.

Elizabeth internally rages.

Elizabeth: OMG you have a list and you’re not selling let alone emailing to said list?

Pauses. Thinks about it.

Elizabeth: I can’t blame you.

Ms Business Owner: It’s just, I’ve been in the business world for so long, I get so many sales emails and most of them a sleazy AF. They pretty much tell me that if I don’t sign up to whatever they’re selling then I’m a loser business owner who’ll always fail. It’s so gross.

Elizabeth: It’s so gross.

Meanwhile, across town Mr. McDouchey Internet Marketer is getting ready to hit send on another sales email.

Mr. McDouchey Internet Marketer (to himself ): Muahahahaha. This email is going to make everyone who reads it feel so bad about themselves they’ll buy my product. They’ll have so much FOMO they’ll buy it immediately. Even if they can’t afford it, I’ll use my evil powers to make them use the money they don’t. Once the transaction is done, I’ll assign them a number and forget all about them. My plan is flawless. Muahahahahahaha.

Meanwhile, back on the call with Ms. Business Owner + Elizabeth.

Elizabeth: Listen love, you not sending emails isn’t going to stop that evil Mr. McDouchey Internet Marketer. All it’s stopping is you getting new clients which means it’s stopping you from getting paid. And I’m not okay with that.

Ms. Business Owner: It’s true. I haven’t had a new client since I stopped emailing my list. What’re we going to do?

Elizabeth: Sit tight. I’ve got a plan.

Elizabeth gets up and heads into her room, coming out moments later wearing a Harry Potter costume with an envelope image sewn on.

It’s Email Girl to the rescue.

Email Girl: Ms. Business Owner, I hear the evil Mr. McDouchey Internet Marketer is mind controlling you, stopping you from sending out your very fun, entertaining + engaging emails that sell.

Ms. Business Owner: Email Girl! Thank God you’re here. It’s true. I don’t know what to do.

Email Girl: I’ve got just the thing for you….

To be continued….

Overwhelmed In Business? Read This.

We need a new word for overwhelmed in business.

Because you’re not actually overwhelmed.

You’re a business owner.

Running your business.

And once you realise that.

You can’t be overwhelmed.

You can only be free.

Because you have complete control over how you feel.

So if your to-do list is stressing you out, you have full permission to throw it out.

All of it.

You don’t have to do anything on your to do list.

Ever.

No matter how damn important you think it is.

You’re the boss.

You get to do business your way.

So if you’re feeling this pressure-fuelled overwhelm.

Know it’s your own construct.

Which means you can stop it.

Today.

Press delete.

Breathe.

Tap in.

You know the only thing to do next.

Do it.

That’s how simple business can be.

When Firing A Client Doesn't Go Exactly To Plan

Gather around, it's storytime.

Once upon a time in 2017, I had to fire a client mid-way through a project.

It wasn’t that she was a terrible person.

She got stuck listening to Aunt Karen's opinions on what her sales page should look like and sound like. Which stories should be told. Which were ‘nice’ and which 'were a bit much.'

All from someone who was never ever ever going to buy her service.

We’d already had a coaching call and nailed down her message, her edge + her audience. We'd locked that certainty in. I had taken care of that and she was excited so off I went.

I wrote and wrote and wrote.

She loved it.

Then, she came back with another email saying that Aunt Karen's Best Friend Who's A High School Teacher thinks this.

And all I could think was:

Who gives a shit?

Aunt Karen and Her Best Friend aren't your target market. They've never paid you for this service. They'll never ever ever (with Taylor Swift certainty) pay you for this service.

But it was too late.

Aunt Karen has infiltrated my client's brain.

She started questioning whether her services were right.

She started telling me that because Aunt Karen said *this* we needed to change the message, change the direction, change the copy.

Big mistake. Huge.

The next day, I terminated our project.

With Aunt Karen's opinion taking a dump all over my copy, I couldn’t deliver what I had promised:

Results. With integrity.

I gave her the first version of the sales page I wrote, refunded a portion, and wished her well.

Fast forward to present day.

Recently, I got an email.

From my fired client.

She was interested in hiring me again.

She ended up using the first draft sales page copy I wrote.

And she was loving it.

She was selling her coaching packages easily + effortlessly.

And she wants more copy from me.

Why do I tell you this?

Well, sometimes you’ll get clients that aren’t a perfect match and yeah, you gotta fire them.

But mostly I'm telling you this because copy matters every single time. Even if your Aunt Karen thinks it’s all a bit too much and you shouldn’t swear and she doesn't get the punchline.

Copy is exactly the reason whether you get clients or not.

Not getting clients?

Get a copywriter.

*Waves hellooooo*

Check out our services here >>

Emails Equal Endless Cash. Here's How.

Emails. Are. Everything.

If you’ve been in my world for a while, you’ll know that I’m all about screwing the stock standard. Rules? I don’t care for them.

Tell me to livestream one more time and I’ll unfollow you faster than you can say organic reach.

I’ve got a not-so-secret passion for giving the finger to Internet marketing gurus and doing things my way.

But there’s something that I just can’t seem to give the finger to.

Because it’s helped me so much in my business.

And that’s email.

Email marketing is one of the most important things you need to do when you run your business solely online.

Here’re a couple of whys.

It’s basic stalker maths but every time someone joins your list, you own the information you collect. That means you own the name and the email address (and anything else you collect at the time of signing up) of a potential client or customer.

And that means if Facebook shuts down tomorrow, you’ve still got access to a community you can continue to connect with and sell to.

When you grow your following on Facebook or Instagram those contacts aren’t yours. You don’t have a list of their names and an address to contact them should Mr. Zuckerberg have a change of heart and shut down your Facebook page.

But if you’ve collected those email addresses yourself, you can take them anywhere you go.

So go ahead, Mark, shut it down, my business doesn’t rely on you.

The other reason why emails are everything is because emails are sooooooo not social.

No one jumps on their emails when they’re in a social situation.

They don’t jump on emails to mindlessly scroll in an attempt to be entertained because the date they’re on is super awkward and no one wants to talk about the reason why you can’t eat gluten.

People pick a time to sit down with a cup of coffee, open their inbox, and pay attention.

And when your audience is already poised to pay attention, it makes your job of connecting with them, and selling to them, insanely easy.

It’s within the private walls of your audience’s inbox that you’re able to build rapport, grow your business, and make sales.

So, emails.

They’re amazing for business owners.

I give you permission to throw every single online marketing method out the window, screw the stock standard and show up doing business your way with an email welcome series working automagically for you.

Do your emails right and they’ll pay off.

Want our help? Check out our services here >>

What The Email? Why No One Writes Back, You've Got The Worst Open Rates In The World, And No One's Buying From You

The cloak of invisibility is all fun and games when you solemnly swear you’re up to no good. But when it comes to writing emails for your marketing campaign, being invisible sucks.

You’ve got the worst open rates in the history of emails. No one writes back, it’s a total one-way street. No one takes action and no one is buying.

Before you declare your email marketing campaign to be over, let’s work out why this is happening.

You’re boring.

You've bleached your personality out of your business so much so that your neighbours are hedging bets your business is modelled after Dexter.

You’re completely removed from your audience and they don’t feel like they know you. They don’t know who you are, they don’t know anything about you, so they don’t trust you.

We’re going to inject your personality into your emails so people not only know you, they’ll like you and trust you and they’ll love getting emails from you because you’re just so damn fun to hang out with, inbox styles.

There’s no FOMO.

You’re too formal, too stiff, too logical, too rigid. And you might think it’s all very good and educational. And helpful. But that doesn’t switch on the part of the brain that makes the buying decision.

People buy based on the little tiny part of their brain that activates FOMO.

Make people feel like they’re missing out and they’ll want in on everything you sell. We’re going to infuse your emails with the kind of FOMO that opens wallets.

There’re too many things going on.

Your emails are asking people to do too much. You’re asking them to share the email, then like you on FB, then join your FB group, then hit reply, then book a coaching call with you, then check out your new eBook . . . ummmmm, decision overwhelm.

Your Reader Can. Not. Compute. And what do they do? Quick! Bail! Close the email and go back to looking at cat videos. There’s only one thing to do there. Watch the video.

We’re going to streamline the hell out of your emails so your audience knows exactly what to do, increasing the chances of them actually doing it.

Inconsistency is an email killer.

You get on a roll and send emails out once a week. Then you read somewhere that you should be emailing 3 times a week. So you start for a week. Three emails, done. Then, it gets to Monday and you have nothing to write about, so you skip Monday’s email. Wednesday rolls around and you got nothing. Friday comes and goes. Three weeks later you realise you haven’t sent them an email.

Candy canes have shown up in the supermarket, blink and it’s hot cross bun season. And as you’re munching that delicious hot cross bun while looking at your to-do list you’ll realise you haven’t emailed your list in forever. And in the meantime your people, who would have read your email if you sent them, has already bought from someone else.

Inconsistency breeds untrustworthiness.

We’re going to get you off to a consistent start that’ll set you up for ongoing success.

You’re a hater.

You think your list sucks. There’s no denying it. In fact, you’re hating on your list so hard right now. Just, like, you can cut the tension with a knife, like when you walk in on lovers fighting—and your email crew can feel the resentment you have towards them. Bad energy is bad for business.

It’s time to flip the switch on how you feel about your current list. You need to love them, appreciate them, respect them + thank them for being in your world. So repeat after me: I love my list.

Want our help? Check out our services here >>

ActiveCampaign v. ConvertKit. Leadpages v. ClickFunnels.

If I had a cent for every time someone asked me about Mailchimp or ConvertKit or Leadpages or ClickFunnels.... let's just say I'd have a shitload of cents.

Granted, there's so many options to hack every single area of your business. These questions will cross your mind. But when you focus on software, you're asking the wrong freaking questions!

The one question you should be asking is: 

What about the words?

You’ve got Mailchimp right now and your emails aren’t getting opened or actioned. That’s not Mailchimp's fault.

You’re using ConvertKit and your list isn't writing back or buying from you. That ain’t ConvertKit’s fault either.

If your open rates are down, it’s not ActiveCampaign’s fault.

You use Leadpages and your conversation rate is sitting at a sad 20%? That’s not Leadpages fault.

Using ClickFunnels and your conversation rate is struggling with 17.5%? Still not ClickFunnels fault.

These issues you’re experiencing all have something in common:

Your words.  

Which means your solution isn’t the software.

Your solution is the copy.

How you show up on the page and what you write will make or break you.

Stop distracting yourself wasting hours + energy + time trying to figure out that weird little trick or strategy to get that sale or client.

There is no trick.

It’s just straight up clear, compelling communication.

Want our help? Check out our services here >>

The Business Vampires Keeping You Broke.

It’s Halloween. I’m in the middle of a Buffy binge. Let me be your Giles and help you slay the vampires, demons, and forces of darkness that are keeping you broke.

Meet The Three Business Vampires:

1. Scaring People Off Trying To Sell Your Big Idea.

Impact. Success. Confidence. Freedom. Up Level. Transformation. Dream Life. Attract. Manifest.

Yawn.

These are weak, high level concepts without a tangible outcome. Which is why people won’t lay down the cash.

How can they measure its worth it when they don’t know if they’ve successfully upleveled?

You need to turn your big idea into a service, product, offer, or something tangible.

There’s no point having an amazing looking website if you don’t have anything real to sell.

2. Butchering The Copy To Fit A Design Layout

The super long forever scrolling pages with 50 million calls to action?! They’re the bane of my existence.

Read this.

Click here.

Find out more.

Meet me.

Follow us.

Go to the blog.

Get your free ebook.

Book your discovery call.

Work with me.

Check out the course.

Too many choices leads to analysis paralysis.

And analysis paralysis is a sales killer.

Somehow, graphic designers want to include everything and the kitchen sink on the home page.

Hot tip: Your Homepage is your first impression. Everything we see and hear gets filtered through this initial impression. And the impression you want to make is:

I want what you’re selling. Let me buy it now.

It’s a simple concept. Your homepage should reflect that.

3. Hacking the Headline

The reason the headline isn’t the name of your offer is because it wastes precious copy real estate. 1:1 Mentoring or Shop doesn’t exactly snap people out of their zombie scroll state long enough to keep them reading.

Let’s give your people a little credit. If they’ve landed on your sales page, chances are they know what you’re selling. So don’t bury the strategically written headline somewhere down the page. It’s designed to be the first thing they read.

It has one job only.

To get your reader to the next line. And the next line. And the next line.

All the way to the buy now button.

Want our help? Check out our services here >>

Marketing Is About The Direction Your Standing

What’s the difference between a business that has staying power and goes from strength to strength and a business that crashes out faster than a kid after a sugar high?

The direction you’re standing.

Market orientation.

You listen to your customers. Really hear what they’re saying. You put yourself + your experience in the backseat. And let your target market drive. You learn their language. You learn about how they see the world. You ask them what they want. You give them what they want.

They buy from you.

Self-absorbed orientation.

You had a profound experience. Your life changed. You want to package that up and sell it. It’s your passion after all. That’s all that matters. You know what people need. It’s not what they want. Silly human. You force feed them what they need. You put earplugs in and keep shouting.

They avoid you.

What kind of marketing messages are you sharing with the world?

All about them?

Or

All about you?

Make money easily.

It’s never passion first.

It’s people first.

Your people.

Need help reframing your marketing messages so they’ll actually get you seen, heard + paid more handsomely than Chris Hemsworth?

I’ve got availability to work with business owners on their marketing, message, and communication with my communication coaching Express Yourself.

A current client reframed her webinar to speak her clients language and made $9k off the back of it.

That’s the power of speaking to your people. And not yourself.

How Beyoncé Gets Things Done

You can have it all. You just can’t do it all.

It’s not that you suck at time management.

A new to do list app won’t help you get it all done.

You don’t have your priorities fucked up.

You’re ambitious. A go getter. Big plans.

And you chip away at them everyday.

Sure, some days you want to bathe in a tub of cheese fondue and forget the world.

Congratulations! You’re human.

But you’ve got this whole superwoman thing backwards.

Have you heard the saying: You have the same hours in the day as Beyoncé?

People use that quote to make you get off your arse and do all the things.

Because you’re not doing enough.

And Beyoncé is doing it all.

Fuck that.

She’s doing her bit.

And her team are doing the rest.

Yes, you can have it all.

You just can’t do it all yourself.

And why would you?

Why would you want to set aside 2 hours a week to clean the house when instead you could spend that time taking yourself out for a coffee date?

Why would you want to spend hours making pastry from scratch in an attempt to become a domestic goddess when you can just buy the crust shell and enjoy that time savouring every mouthful of pecan pie.

And why would you want to be a CEO who has to spend a whole day writing sales copy when you could hire someone to do it so you can get back to taking care of clients, inspiring people with your big idea, and spontaneously booking that spa treatment you've put off for so long?

The path to having it all is not doing it all.

It’s delegation.

Getting a team to support you.

So what are you going to remove from your to do list and add to your to delegate list?

You absolutely deserve to have it all.

But you’ll never get it all if you try to do it all yourself.

Self Expression Stops Sales

It started with speaking your truth.

And ended with sending emails that no one gives a shit about.

It was supposed to be the answer. To make writing easy. To move the masses. To finally start making money from your words.

All you had to do was tap into your heart and write whatever it wanted.

No filter.

Express your truth. Honestly. And they will come.

So off you went. Expressing your ass off.

But it’s still not working.

People still aren’t paying you.

And your personal brand business hasn’t turned you to the level of famous you were hoping for just by being you.

Let me tell you why.

Self expression isn't an end game.

The thing all humans crave the most is to be seen and heard.

But your email open rates are at an all time low. No one’s listening. No one’s buying.

Because no one cares.

The missing piece of your self expression is engaging the listener on the other end. Never lose sight of the fact that your reader is an actual human. Someone willing to see you, hear you, and take the action you want them to take.

There’s only one way to get and keep their attention. It’s about moving from a monologue where you’re talking at people, into a two way conversation where the reader is considered.

In a world filled with unnecessary noise, this has never been more important. Especially if you’re wanting the reader to buy.

Buy your offer. Yes. But also buy your idea. Buy into your movement. Buy into your method.

Buy into you.

Ask yourself:

Are you talking to the reader, or at them? Is there something in it for them?

Because the reader is the one who’s going to give you everything you want.

Am I There Yet? When Comparison Strikes

When you’re first starting out it's so easy to look up to the established business owners, your coach or the guru with the hundo thundo followers and freak out thinking you're so far behind.

The comparison bish sneaks in and before you give yourself a real shot at running a business, you switch your focus, you pivot, or you shrink back to where it's comfortable.

So, before you go sabotaging your business, I've got some golden nuggets of wisdom I picked up from the one and only Taylor Hanson.

Yes, he's the hot one from the boy band Hanson, and while this advice was directed at artists and musicians, it’s 100% applicable to starting up and running a business.

Because your business is your craft.

Here's what Taylor taught me.

The only difference between being a new business owner and someone who’s super successful is the pattern.

You don’t have a history yet.

Which means you need to go create one.

And the only way to create a pattern is to go out there and start doing.

Not thinking.

Or planning.

Doing.

And doing a lot.

And doing the stuff that scares you.

Because the bottom line is, you can’t avoid doing something for the first time.

You can’t avoid starting up your business for the first time.

You can’t skip that.

You can’t skip ahead to be the guru, or the aspirational one with the successful business everyone looks up to.

So where does that leave you?

Get out and work.

Get out and make things.

Get out and make really bad things.

Because all of that doing and making?

It's the path to building the business you love.

You can only figure out what you love doing by actually doing it.

So how do you decide what to do when there's a million and one things you could do?

Do the thing that when your head hits the pillow after a big day, you drift off into a peaceful sleep, proud of what you've done that day.

Remember, no one else’s name is on the thing you created except yours.

Because once you start going to bed proud of what you’ve created, then you can move onto the next goal of getting paid to do it over and over and over again.

And once you've mastered that, you become the guru. You become the aspirational one.

You become bulletproof.

This is your forever business after all.

So, tell me.

What do you need to create today that you can be proud of?

What kind of offer do you need to create and put out into the world, with your name proudly stamped on it?

What kind of email do you need to send?

What kind of message do you need to write?