Archive for January 2014
Prioritizing Your To Do List: 9 Entrepreneurs Share Their Systems
Do you have a business To Do list that’s about 10 miles long? Do you keep adding awesome project ideas to the list? Do you take action on those projects or get stuck trying to decide which project to do first?
Which Project Should You Do First?
How do you decide which projects to do first? How do you prioritize when it feels like re-branding, talking to potential clients, making videos, starting a podcast, writing a book, developing online courses, etc., etc., are all equally important and all need to be done right now for your business to succeed?
Sometimes the answer is crystal clear and you can move forward without a backward glance. But when there’s no clear answer to “What should I do first?” it’s easy to get stuck circling around that question and lose momentum and motivation.
How Does Everyone Else Do It?
I’m always interested in seeing how other entrepreneurs make these kinds of decisions. I believe there’s a lot to learn from behind-the-scenes looks at how others manage their projects and businesses.
If you’ve found yourself paralyzed by the idea of how to choose one project to start with, take inspiration from these ladies and keep your business and projects moving forward.
Grace Quantock
I tune in.
What’s needed now energetically? What am I ready to give? What does the world need? And, what would best support us to thrive?
That usually gives me my answer, it’s inside me already.
Grace is an award winning international wellness expert, writer, and speaker you can find her online here.
Kimberly Gosney
I have the easiest decision making process ever when it comes to what projects I do next.
I have a dance party in my minivan to my theme song and if I feel good about it after I dance it out I do it.
I dance a whole lot nowadays.
You can find Kimberly helping women build their own mini van empires at The 365 Project.
Nikki Groom
It’s definitely a combination of things:
On the one hand, any project needs to feel deeply aligned with who I am and what I’m ultimately trying to achieve with my business. On the other hand, it has to be something that fires me up, otherwise I’ll never see it through.
Money definitely factors in, but a lack of cash only slows things up for me – it doesn’t put the kibosh on a project completely.
I might ask friends and fellow entrepreneurs for advice, but the most important thing is that it feels good to me and will help me build momentum in my business.
Nikki is an ink slinger + digital scribe. You can find her online here.
Clare Fielder
I have a vision map of where I want to be in three years. It’s a simple one pager.
Firstly, I look at that and see if the project/task will help me move towards my goal/s. Then, I decided if I want or need to do that task, or is it something I can outsource.
Then, finally I work out if it “feels right.” That usually gives me enough clarity to decide on how important it is.
Clare helps us remember and celebrate special days over at The Virtual Nudge.
Chantelle Adams
I do a big brain dump on paper because I love picking up a paper and pen.
Next I write down on a big whiteboard 90 day calendar all of the events, launches and time frames. Then I go through the list and categorize them in list of priority and based on time frame.
Lastly, I plug in small bite sized chucks in my planner in a easy to accomplish time frame leading up to the main events. I have been known to place more on my to do list than is humanly possible to complete but I try to keep it to 3 main accomplishments each day!
This process helps me to see the big picture and also break things down in to doable action steps on a daily basis.
Chantelle is a courage coach. You can find her online here.
Karen Sergeant
Once I have my overall vision or goal (quarterly or a 6-month-horizon thing), then that’s the measuring stick I use to evaluate all the project ideas. “Does it get me closer to my end-goal?”
Not: is it cool, is it on sale, is something I always wanted to do, is it what everyone’s talking about. I *absolutely* get the appeal. I’m wooed by those qualities too! But remember your mission is to drain the swamp, not chase alligators.
With a short enough time-horizon on your goals (quarterly or half-year), there’s plenty of time to rethink the wisdom and viability of them, and readjust where you’re headed. But no fair picking projects that don’t gain you yardage towards where you’ve said you already want to be.
Karen helps entrepreneurs create courses over at The Sunny Patio Project.
Fon James
You have to go with what you are most excited about right now or you won’t have the momentum to finish it.
Strike while the iron is hot and push ahead. Set a crazy deadline that will stretch you beyond your comfort zone and tell your coach/support system about it to hold you accountable and get it done!
Pick the one that you are so excited about YOU just can’t stand it!!!
Fon is The Emergency Business Coach. You can find her online here.
Diana Brown
I have a mission statement, so I just make sure whatever projects I’m planning are going to accomplish my mission, if they’re not then I ditch them.
Sometimes I catch myself veering off the mission statement and I have to refresh and realign. Usually that happens when a really charismatic person wants to work with me and it seems like a “hell yeah.” But then when I have a moment alone to evaluate, and realize it’s not a beneficial project, then I would talk to the person about possibly making some changes so it’s a win/win/win.
Diana creates and sells apps. You can find her online here.
Tatiana Escalada
I have a 3 step system:
1. I start with the things that will take the longest to complete ASAP, things like writing a book, or creating a new course or program, building relationships. The way I do this is by setting aside a couple of hours per day for these and I do them first thing in the day.
2. Then I take care of the things that either bring in the most profit right now or that could potentially be the most profitable short term.
3. I take care of the “urgent and important stuff.”
Tatiana is a business consultant and life coaching for entrepreneurs. You can find her online here.
Thanks Grace, Diana, Fon, Nikki, Tatiana, Kimberly, Clare, Chantelle, and Karen for sharing your systems!
Tell me:
What’s your process for deciding which projects get priority in your business? Do you trust your gut, brainstorm, talk to your coach, follow the money? Share in the comments!
Brand and Be Seen: Family Law Firm
Brand and Be Seen is a series of blog posts offering brand style guides for fictional brands to inspire you to create your own beautiful brand. Feel free to use the font combinations and color palettes as you wish. Happy branding!
About the Brand
Whitfoot LLP is a law firm that helps families with estate planning. Many of their clients are making these decisions because they are older and wanting to get their estates settled before they start experiencing major health issues.
They want their customers to know that they understands their concerns about keeping as much of their estates intact as possible. They want their clients to feel confidence, competency, and wealth radiating from their branding.
They are a very traditional company. Their choice of gray tones for brand colors and very traditional looking fonts is a nod to the seriousness of the topics they help their client with and the care they take in handling these issues for their clients.
Details:
Logo: Caslon 540
Tagline: Univers Light
Colors: #e7e7e7, #5e5e5e, #3a3a3a, #000000
Texture: Photoshop vintage patterns, search for “vintage patterns Photoshop” on Creative Market (affiliate link).
Learn how to choose fonts and colors to best tell your brand story and build a website to match in The Brand Workshop or work one-on-one with Christie Halmick of Jewels Branch to brand your business and website.
Online Resource Roundup: January 2014
Check out this awesome list of online classes, programs, and resources offered by entrepreneurial women to help you live your best life. If you have an online offering available that supports women entrepreneurs please share in the comments. If you’d like to be included in future roundups, please fill out this form for consideration. Thanks!
Spotlight
This month we’re shining the spotlight on …
Simplify 2 Magnify
With: Shannon D Caldwell
Price: $29.00
Description: Simplify 2 Magnify is a month-long action-shop designed to clear out and clean up your everyday spaces (physical + mental) in order to make room for new developments, i.e. your BEST life. The project kicks off Wednesday, January 15, with an audio download discussing the process and your first action email.
More Info
Sales Close: January 17, 2014
Congrats, Shannon!
And now, on to the full list…have fun, grow, learn, explore, live!
~~~JANUARY~~~
Business Growth & Personal Development
Be Your Own Guru
With: Laura Gates and Sarah H. Nicotra
Price: $497
Description: Be Your Own Guru is a 9-week journey with Laura Gates and Sarah H. Nicotra to connect with your inner guidance and align with your soul’s path. This class is designed to help you both tune into and interpret inner knowing while moving into action towards the life you want to create. Sarah and Laura will guide you along the way.
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Sales Close: January 11, 2014
Video Rockstar University
With: Share Ross
Price: $477
Description: Video Rockstar University is the ONLY online video training that helps you get past all the obstacles to being on camera, refine your message, and learn the “behind the scenes” stuff about how to create professional-looking videos without a lot of expensive equipment. Your message will change the world.
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Sales Close: January 13, 2014
Jewel Sessions
With: Christie Halmick
Price: $299 and $999
Description: One-on-one consulting, accountability, and motivation to help you get your BIG branding, marketing and digital product projects planned, started, done.
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Sales Close: January 15, 2013 (for January sessions)
Smart Women Make Money
With: Sherold Barr
Price: $298
Description: Smart Women Make Money is a six-week online program that will unleash your ability to make more money by removing your money blocks, and create a new money story that you are eager to step into. You will learn to ask for what you are worth, understand the sales pipeline and how to get clients and ask for the sale.
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Sales Close: January 20, 2014
Free Event Planning Strategy Session with Aimee
With: Aimee Prezzano
Price: FREE – introductory offer
Description: So you want to hold a kick-ass biz event. It has been on your wish-list for a super long time, and its about to happen.….But you’re hopelessly stuck in the Event Planning process. Let me help you get out there into the world, so you can do your thing. My talent is to make Special Events go off without a hitch. I am going to help you as your thinking partner to make sure that we get you back on track so you can get onto hosting that Special Event like the Rock Star that you are! For FREE. On the Phone. You + Me
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Sales Close: January 31, 2014
Let’s Make a Plan – One to One with Aimee!
With: Aimee Prezzano
Price: $195.50 (normally $395 – 50% close out price!)
Description: Is your life a series of fire drills? Finding it difficult to prioritize? To-do list mania driving you crazy? Are you on the verge of a serious meltdown? THE TRUTH: Your mind is currently a dangerous neighborhood. Don’t go in there alone. Brain overload is the worst culprit to time suckage and negativity. My superpower is organizing your ideas, tasks, and dreams and to prioritize them according to your needs, and then sending you off to fly. With my help, you’ll be able to think about things logically and rationally, and become the master of your own time, so you can get back to rockin’ your amazing life in no time!
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Sales Close: January 31, 2014
Seven Manifesting Secrets to Get Anything You Want
With: Yiye Zhang
Price: FREE before Jan. 31, 2014
Description: Ready to get more clients and money? When it comes to manifestation, it is pretty simple. You don’t need to be supersmart or born lucky. You just need to train yourself to be a PRO. I’ll show you how to clear 7 manifestation grey areas + 5 specific tools that you can take away, with a few juicy real life examples.
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Sales Close: January 31, 2014
Soul Work & Creativity
Tribal Bliss-Dance and Vision- a movement journey
With: Paulette Rees-Denis
Price: $49.00
Description: Tribal Bliss starts January 12th, with Paulette Rees-Denis and Lynea Gillen. This is a course for you if you want to sparkle, move, dance, stretch, shake, write, shine, dig in, breathe, create, and move some more…combining Tribal Bellydance, African Dance, writing, yoga, healing, therapy, trance and meditation.
More Info
Sales Close: January 16, 2014
~~~Ongoing~~~
Business Growth & Personal Development
Jewels Branch Creative Community
With: Christie Halmick
Price: Starting at $49/month.
Description: As a creative member you get access to a growing library of self-paced digital courses and the Jewels Branch creative community. Learn graphic design software, branding, content strategy, and more at your own speed (no more overwhelm!). Get support from other entrepreneurs on the same journey as you. Get constructive, helpful feedback from a professional graphic designer and content strategist.
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Abandon Your Inner Bully: 5 Ways to Give Yourself a Break
With: Joanna Z. Weston
Price: Regularly $15, but only $5 through January 15
Description: Are you sick of treating yourself worse than your worst enemy? Through five daily emails, “Abandon Your Inner Bully” supports women with a history of depression, who are sick of tearing themselves down and are ready to do something about it.
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The B Word for Artists
With: Laura C George
Price: $450
Description: The B Word for Artists is designed as an all-encompassing course giving artists the tools they need to build an online presence from the ground up. (Psst – that “B Word” is “business”!) If you’re overwhelmed with building a business around your art and don’t know what to do next, this is the program for you!
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Biz Therapy Session
With: Jessica Williams
Price: FREE
Description: It’s a 15 minute FREE phone chat where you tell me what is making you bang your head against the wall right now or what you’re struggling with, and I will give you at least one action step that will move you forward (and a dessert recommendation if need be).
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The Confidence Boost Project: 21 days to build confidence from the inside out
With: Joanna Byrne
Price: $60
Description: The Confidence Boost Project is a 21 day self-study program to help you learn about your own self-confidence, tools to build and develop it, and how to make it resilient.
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Creative Ambrosia
With: Victoria Prozan
Price: $99
Description: Creative Ambrosia is your ambassador to kick@ss creativity! Start getting your imagination in gear with creative inspiration from OUTSIDE the internet bubble. Something different. Something high-quality. Something thought provoking. Something innovative. Click to read all about how Creative Ambrosia will feed your imagination!
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Developing Discipline University
With: Trish Funk
Price: $99
Description: Your six week course that will guide you step by step through mastering self discipline in your life for good. Lives too short to live it with the “I wish I…..”. You can move mountains, you just have to start with one rock.
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Free Your Mind
With: Beth Cline
Price: $49
Description: With the Free Your Mind program, create awareness around the energy you bring. Begin to identify your thought patterns and belief systems that may be holding you back. Learn to intentionally choose your thoughts, and believe in the power of them.
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Golden Basket Club
With: Shirley George Frazie
Price: $9 – $97
Description: Starting or growing a gift basket business? Need help with gift baskets or want to learn more about this creative enterprise? Golden Basket Club is your source to make gift baskets for fun or profit. Videos, product sources, marketing support, monthly Q&As, weekly tips, one-to-one support, and much more is here for you.
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Pricing for YOU: How to find the right price for your products + services
With: Nahanni Faith Hartwood
Price: $19.00
Description: As an entrepreneur, pricing can feel really hard! There’s a lot of conflicting info out there, and it’s easy to get stuck on what to charge. In Pricing for YOU, I teach you quick, simple methods for tuning in to your intuition to find the right price (that you feel good about!) for your products + services. Video workshop + pdf.
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Websmacked
With: Sarah Yost
Price: $395
Description: We’ll create a wordpress website for you in one week. It will be beautiful, affordable and easy to create. And you’ll be able to make all changes to it down the road.
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The ZAP!
With: Helene Scott
Price: $297.00
Description: When you unleash your unparalleled spark, you become a magnet to your people. Make it easy for them to find you. Without a doubt the most effective way to STAND OUT online is by infusing YOU into your website/brand/message. In this 1:1 session we roll up our sleeves and unleash yours.
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Finances
Easy AirBnB
With: Jack Middleton
Price: $99
Description: AirBnB is one of the fastest growing websites in the world. It’s also your opportunity to turn your spare room, empty caravan or garden shed into extra cash. The EasyAirBnB online training will show you how to optimise the income you can earn, an easy way to supplement your income whilst growing your business.
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Personal Finance Transformation
With: Trish Funk
Price: $129
Description: Your six week course to transforming your relationship with your finances.
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Health & Beauty
21-Days of Vitality
With: Cheryl Bigus
Price: $47
Description: My 21-Days to Vitality eCoaching program is designed for you to work on each day, on your time and at your pace. Here is what will be covered: Weight Management, Cravings, Energy and Mental Clarity, Emotional Balance, Stress Management, Mindset for Success
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Defeat Your Beast
With: Evan Hennigar w/Tina Hennigar
Price: $15
Description: My son suffers from anxiety, and we decided that, since there were few tools and resources available to anxious children (that weren’t written by doctors who don’t suffer from anxiety), that he would write his own! His children’s book and 10-Top Tips To Defeat Your Anxiety is perfect for young children.
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Foot Reflexology Long Distance Training Program
With: Jacqueline Fairbrass
Price: Special Beta-testing $885
Description: Reflexology is simple, easy to learn and there’s a growing market for it as a wellness modality. The best part though is that you can now choose to study REMOTELY, no matter where you are in the world. Our NEW distance-learning program brings the classroom to you. You’ll have instantaneous access to your lessons anytime.
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Lighten your Load
With: Chivon John
Price: 19.99
Description: Are you tired of saying that you’re fine, when you really want to admit that you’re not? Lighten your Load is a 21 day self-paced ecourse designed to help you burn your cape, bring ease back to self-care and your permission slip to take inspired action to make yourself the priority.
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Life & Relationships
Create Your Nomadtopia: Home Study Edition
With: Amy Scott
Price: $97
Description: Create Your Nomadtopia is an online program designed to help people reach location independence and create the ideal life for their nomadic soul. Through six modules of audio lessons, checklists, worksheets, and resources, experienced nomad Amy Scott guides you to identify what your ideal life looks like and make it a reality.
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The Free 21Day OooCamp: make orgasm your rocket fuel
With: Michele Lisenbury Christensen
Price: FREE
Description: What would your life be like if you experienced a whole lot more pleasure? What would become possible with consistent play and turn-on in your body and your day? LET’S FIND OUT. I designed this free 21-day experience to give women a glimpse of who they’re meant to be. You were born for pleasure. I’ll help you prioritize it.
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HAPPY & HEALTHY IS A CHOICE: A Spiritual Workbook on Radical Self-Care and Self-Love
With: Rosa Conti
Price: FREE
Description: People often ask how I stay inspired; this workbook shares my how. This 47-page FREE guide explores 8 meaningful self-care areas, and offers practical, loving, and useful examples for protecting your time, your choices, and your personal world.
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My Organized Chaos
With: Jo Ebisujima
Price: $497
Description: Busy moms, I can help you organize your kids so that they become more independent and helpful around the home. Freeing up your time so you have more time for the fun stuff! Having more independent kids and a more organized home will also reduce stress, reduce fights and bickering and promote a helpful and more caring atmosphere.
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Soundboard Session
With: Renee Pena
Price: Free
Description: It’s a 20 min session where we talk about whats on your parent mind on any education issues come up for your young child.We tackle one problem and come up with a practically and customized solution.
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Soul Work & Creativity
Creative You 8 Week Online Course
With: Kathie Holmes
Price: $97.00
Description: Supporting women in achieving their dreams of owning their own business. Our course delves deep to identify your unique creative ability and then takes you through step by step to create your online business. In addition, you will be fully supported through our exclusive Facebook Mastermind Group.
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Temple of Tales: Persephone and Your Power
With: Hayley ‘Haloquin’ Addis
Price: £59
Description: A four week video-ritual journey into magic to guide you in stepping into your true self and your power to change the world! Become Queen of your life with Persephone, able to choose the shape of your life every day, to know what matters and to weave more of what is truly important to you into your life ever moment.
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If you’d like to be included in the next roundup, please fill out this form for consideration. Thanks!