Women Branching Out Interviews
Women Branching Out: Amy Scott
I’m very happy to have Amy Scott of Nomadtopia on the blog today. Amy’s been location independent, living and working all over the world, for the last nine years. She inspires the nomad in me to dream of Airstreams and beaches.
Amy’s combined all her experience into an online course: Create Your Nomadtopia. This course will help other nomadic souls figure out what their version of an ideal life looks like and support them as they take steps toward that life. The course starts February 25.
This Wednesday, February 20, Amy is holding a free Q&A call to answer all of your burning questions about creating and living your own Nomadtopia. Click here to sign up.
Here’s Amy …
Tell us about Nomadtopia. What do you do and who do you love to serve?
Nomadtopia is all about helping people create their ideal life, anywhere in the world—their “Nomadtopia,” as I like to call it. This means being location independent or otherwise creating a lifestyle that gives you the freedom to live and work from anywhere, travel long-term, move abroad, and more.
My goal with Nomadtopia is to show people that it is possible to live this lifestyle, and to give them the tools, inspiration, and confidence to make it happen. I don’t espouse a cookie-cutter approach or tell people they should live their life the way I live mine; I give them the resources and information to find their ideal life.
Nomadtopia is for men and women who have this nagging feeling that they want more out of life. They love to travel and are inspired by others who are living a life of freedom and adventure. They’re looking for a way to do things differently, but aren’t sure how to put it into practice.
There are many websites and programs out there that focus on how to build an online business, and while that’s useful and important for many people, I’m more interested in the rest of it: What lifestyle is best for you? How much money do you really need? What should you do with your house? What’s the best way to set up online/international banking? How do you stay happy and healthy on the road?
What are some of the biggest misconceptions people have about living a location-independent lifestyle?
Probably the biggest one is that you need a lot of money. But when you start to break it down, and consider all the costs you have in your “normal” life that you won’t have on the road (housing, cable, cell phone, commute…), you start to realize you could very well save money with this lifestyle. If you don’t move around too much, and you seek out destinations with a lower cost of living, it’s possible to live very cheaply. For example, when I quit my job in 2004 to travel around the world, I had saved about $12,000, and that lasted me for almost a year without working. And, for much of the time I’ve lived in Argentina, my expenses have averaged about US $1,000 a month.
Another misconception is that it’s too difficult or complicated to create this lifestyle. I’m not saying it isn’t complicated, but it’s not any more complicated than the things we often put up with in “normal” life. For me and many others, it’s absolutely worth dealing with the challenges of international taxes and banking, visas, insurance costs, and more, to live this lifestyle—just like other people choose to handle the challenges of long days at the office, raising children, or owning a car because of the benefits and joys those things also bring them.
What’s the first bit of advice you give someone who knows they want to shake up their current lifestyle, but doesn’t know how to get started?
Identify what you want to change in your life and why, and what kind of lifestyle will help you achieve your goals. (Do you want to spend more time with your family? Explore exotic destinations? Work less?) Focus on what you really want, and don’t just follow what everyone else is doing. I always tell people, there’s no right way to live your life, as long as it’s what you really want.
Then, break it all down into manageable pieces to identify what you really need to have in place to make it happen, and just get started. It can seem like a lot at the beginning, but by starting small and taking action, eventually you’ll get there.
What does your own personal Nomadtopia look like?
My Nomadtopia has taken lots of different forms over the years. It began in 2004, when I traveled solo around the world for nine months. I came back from that trip determined not to go back to an office, and since then I’ve started several successful businesses, moved around within the U.S., moved abroad, and continued to travel. I’m now married, and my husband and I keep a home base in Buenos Aires, Argentina, but spend much of the year traveling.
How has running your own business while living around the world empowered you?
It’s made me much more confident in general; I’m amazed when I think back on everything I’ve managed to do in the last nine years. In particular, this lifestyle has made me more comfortable with uncertainty. No matter how much you research and plan, there will always be things that don’t go as planned, and over the years of traveling and running businesses on the road I’ve learned that I can handle anything that comes my way. This allows me to go with the flow and not get stressed out by unexpected events, and it also encourages me to take more risks.
What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced during your travels and what did it teach you about yourself or the world?
Perhaps you were looking for something a little deeper, but truly, finding a reliable Internet connection is one of the biggest challenges of life on the road! It’s taught me the importance of having backup methods to communicate with people, and how to keep my businesses afloat even when I’m offline. But it’s also highlighted the importance of unplugging now and then, and of being present so I can fully experience my surroundings wherever I am in the world.
Finish this sentence. I believe…
If you embrace your dream, and focus on doing everything you can to make it happen, virtually anything is possible.
Where in the world will we find Amy next?
My husband and I are in Buenos Aires until April or so, then off to Peru (where I’m co-leading a retreat!) and possibly Ecuador or Colombia until we head to World Domination Summit in Portland, Oregon, in July. Then, we’re talking about spending the rest of the year in Southeast Asia.
– – – –
Amy Scott left her office job to travel the world in 2004 and never looked back. She’s created a life that allows her to live and work from anywhere and now keeps a home base in Buenos Aires while she travels the world with her Argentine husband. Through her various online businesses she empowers people to reach their dreams, whether it’s becoming location independent or finally writing that book. Instead of prescribing “proven methods,” she offers tips, inspiration, and resources so you can choose the path that works for you—and then gives you the support and accountability you need to actually follow through. Amy is the author of Destination Nomadtopia: Discover the Ideal Lifestyle for Your Nomadic Soul and creator of the online program Create Your Nomadtopia. You can follow Amy’s adventures on Twitter and Facebook.
– – – –
Where would you love to take your nomadic soul? What can you do now to start heading that way?
– – – –
Women Branching Out: Bianca Filoteo
Today we’re welcoming online video marketing coach Bianca Filoteo of Video for Shy People to the blog.
Bianca combines her experiences as an actor, screenwriter, video editor, producer, and filmmaker into her programs and coaching services to help video-hesitant entrepreneurs fall in love with online video.
She also collaborates with entrepreneurs to produce videos for their businesses.
Her 30-day group program Courage for the Camera runs February 11, 2013 – March 12, 2013. It’s designed to help entrepreneurs overcome their fears of being on-camera.
Here’s Bianca …
Tell us about your business. What do you do and who do you love to serve?
I’m an online video marketing mentor. I primarily work with entrepreneurs who want to start using video to market their business but they’re shy, hesitant and intimated with video. Besides coaching them with their on-camera presence, I also develop video scripts and content marketing strategy for their them so that they can attract their ideal clients and grow their audience.
What are some of the biggest misconceptions entrepreneurs have about making videos for their businesses?
There are a few:
-
1. That you need expensive, professional equipment to make videos: for certain types of videos, you may, but you can definitely create your own professional-looking videos on your own on a budget.
2. You can “wing it” and just start recording yourself: the problem with this is that you risk the quality of your content. You want your viewers to watch your videos from beginning to end. If you start your videos with a few points that aren’t that important or interesting, you’re viewers will stop watching. You’re dealing with people’s attention spans and their time so you need to make every second of your video count. Creating an outline of what you plan to talk about can really help with that.
3. That only certain types of personalities or faces can be on video: absolutely not! It’s not so much about looking good or having a larger-than-life personality. You can look gorgeous and still not have your viewers watch your videos. If you have a message or a story to tell, you can make videos. You can be on-camera, or you can just have your voice-over. Anyone can do it.
What’s the first bit of advice you give someone who knows they want to market their business with video, but can’t seem to get started?
The first step is to start from where they are and what they have. Find a camera that records video (whether it’s your iPhone, flip cam, web cam, etc.) then find a room where you have good lighting and it’s quiet. Start filming.
Don’t put pressure on yourself to make it perfect on the first few takes. The best thing you can do at the beginning is to discover and explore – get to know your camera and how different amounts of light would look on video, do a few practice takes where you’re just talking to the camera.
Once you got your feet wet with that, you can start creating simple videos that can market your business and two types I recommend are a Welcome video or a video blog post. To think of the content for these videos, just imaging having a conversation with your ideal audience: What do you want to tell them? What do they need to know about?
How has teaching online video impacted your life?
It has strengthened my being as a storyteller. Through teaching, I’ve been able to connect with really awesome entrepreneurs who are up to amazing things and who also have their own story to share. I loved playing some part (no matter how small or big) in getting them and their work out to the world for everyone to discover and get excited about.
My biggest reward with teaching is being there to witness my clients’ evolution from starting from step 1 with little experience with video … to taking big, bold steps and embodying their true selves, shining on-camera, trusting their abilities to create their own videos.
What life experiences influence your approach to online video?
My work as an actor, writer and filmmaker influence my approach. My actor training for me is an on-going basis – it’s like a gym for me where I get to work out my on-camera presence so I can continue to be natural on-camera (I used to be terrified of cameras, by the way).
When I created a web series with a few of my actor friends a few years ago, that was also quite the learning experience. It was a complete DIY project: we wrote the scripts, we starred in it, we filmed it all ourselves. I was also in charge of the tech stuff as it was my equipment we used and I edited the episodes.
Having to learn how to set-up a set, film yourself with a camera, and how to edit videos in a matter of a few months was quite the learning experience. I, too, was starting from scratch. The very beginning of video editing was frustrating and it finally got easier when I had someone teach me the shortcuts with the editing program – it saved me so much time and mental energy! It’s moments like that where you learn the value of having someone mentor or guide you through a process. I also discovered that “winging it” with your videos isn’t the best solution – you’ll end up spending a lot more time getting that video done without having a plan or an outline.
My overall approach to video is to not be afraid of getting creative. Explore, create and play. Make it fun. Video is such a creative medium that I think that there’s an infinite amount of ways to create your videos. You don’t need to make your videos look like other people’s – do what works best for you.
How has running your own business empowered you?
Running my own business gives me a sense of freedom, it constantly fuels my creativity, and I’m always learning something new everyday (whether it’s about myself, other people, or life in general). It also challenges me to be more courageous, assertive and bold.
What did 7 year old Bianca says she wanted to be when she grew up?
I think I wanted to be a pediatrician, which was something my parents suggested for me growing up. But as time went on and I discovered many other jobs that existed out there, my imagination made me want to be a lot of things! I wanted to be a fashion designer, interior designer, professor, a detective, the owner of a coffee shop or bakery, the list went on…
Finish this sentence. I believe…
Everyone has a story to tell that someone is just waiting to hear. Being seen and heard can be terrifying, but once we put ourselves out there, it actually creates positive effects: it creates human connection, which is something we all yearn for in our lives, and it creates an impact on others.
– – – –
Bianca Filoteo is the founder of Video For Shy People, where she helps video-hesitant entrepreneurs fall in love with online video. As a shy and introverted person herself, Bianca combines her experiences as an actor, screenwriter, video editor, producer, and filmmaker as she works with her clients with their online video marketing. She collaborates with entrepreneurs to produce videos for their businesses while also helping them gain confidence to share their stories on camera. Check out her group program Courage for the Camera or follow Bianca on Twitter and Facebook.
– – – –
What questions do you have about creating videos for your business? Ask in the comments!
Women Branching Out: Anja Schuetz
Today we’re welcoming customer service consultant Anja Schuetz to the blog.
Anja helps companies of all sizes serve their customers better. She also coaches 30-something women and created The Open Hand Café, a social-business network in The Hague, Netherlands.
Throughout February she’s sharing 28 Days of Service (tips to help you be of service, like “Endorse someone on LinkedIn”) on her Facebook page.
Here’s Anja …
Tell us about your business. What do you do and who do you love to serve?
I help entrepreneurs grow their business by connecting with their customers through “remarkable service.” Our most credible (and most inexpensive) marketing force is our existing customers. More and more businesses are begin to realize that.
My expertise is customer service management from A to Z, always focusing on, “How can we make your customers feel ‘seen’ and appreciated?” How can we have systems and efficiency in place but at the same time connect with your customers as human beings, and make things easy and pleasant for them?
I advise and teach, but also “do” customer service and community management for some clients, by becoming the first point of contact for their customers – short term or long term.
In the evenings I coach 30-something women and help them “grow out of the Thirties-Crisis” and connect with other like-minded women. I also run a social-business network in The Hague – The Open Hand Café – which connects service minded entrepreneurs with each other as well as with potential clients.
I love working with inspired people who are “up to something.” All my clients have one thing in common: they want to grow and they want to connect in a meaningful way.
What does being of service mean to you in business and in life?
To me, it means to make a difference to someone, by giving that little bit extra. Specifically, it means to make the other person feel seen, and to show them that they matter. This goes a long way in life, but if we master this in business, it actually increases our bottom line!
Tell us more about the Open Hand Café, what is it and why did you decide to create it?
The Open Hand Café is a small network, which aims to be a “home” and support system for entrepreneurs, as well as a “pool” of quality service providers.
Many people (mostly introverts) have a fear of networking. I wanted to provide them a pleasant way to connect and grow their business or careers. At the same time I wanted to create a resource of reliable, quality service providers for people, who are looking for recommendations.
I want the name “Open Hand Café” to be a quality seal for great service, so I built it on the Open Hand principle: “When your hand is open to give, it is also open to receive.” That means we focus on giving and connecting unconditionally, rather than on selling and getting.
At our events, everyone gives free advice and actively connects people with helpful contacts. People find jobs and clients through the OHC, because we invest in really getting to know each other and treat each other as equals.
We have a “no suits” policy to remove barriers and emphasize that we are a “people network” first and foremost.
When you take the pressure of “impressing others” out of networking, it becomes fun and beneficial for everyone.
What are some of the biggest misconceptions small businesses have about being of service to their clients and customers?
“This is business!” is the biggest misconception I see. Business is personal. Business is a relationship!
A business relationship works exactly like any other relationship: It starts with flirting and getting the other person to like us (marketing). The trick is to not stop flirting once they’ve “accepted our proposal.” Neither in marriage nor in business is “signing the agreement” the end of it. This is when the “service” and the “work on the relationship” begins. If we fail to keep the other party happy, our customer or partner will leave us, saying, “Oh, you just wanted my money!”
Every human being’s most basic (spiritual) need is “to be seen.” Why do people get divorced? Because they don’t feel seen or appreciated anymore. Why do customers terminate contracts and leave service providers? Because they feel taken for granted, ignored, not valued, not respected, etc.
Let’s stay in love with our customers! We wouldn’t have a business without them. Let’s treat them so well that they’ll never want to leave us!
Give me some examples of little ways that small businesses can be of service everyday.
-
Remember your (ex-)customers’ birthdays! Few businesses do that; what a missed opportunity! Whether you send just a personal note or attach a little gift – i.e. an ebook – they’ll love you and you’ll be on their mind again!
Do the same with your anniversaries! When did a subscriber first join your list? How about a personal message that says, “You’ve been on my list for exactly a year now. I just wanted to say Thank You for your loyalty! If you’re facing a challenge with x, I’d be happy to answer any questions/hop on the phone with you/etc…”
Save your customers time! Time is our most precious commodity these days; it is more important than money. A chauffeur I know, drives an executive who always made him stop at Starbucks along the way. Now, he has her favorite drink ready when he picks her up, which saves her 10-15min total time, plus the trouble of waiting in line. What “Done For You” resources can you create for your customers?
Once week or month, ask yourself, “How can I connect with a few customers today in a way that will make them go, “Aw! I can’t believe you remembered!!”
Finish this sentence. I believe…
Service is the new marketing.
What did 7 year old Anja say she wanted to be when she grew up?
I wanted to be a flight attendant. I wanted to travel, see the world, and meet interesting people. In hindsight, I realize that I wanted to serve people who are going places, which is exactly what I do today!
How has running your own business empowered you?
Running a business is a never-ending self-development course. My horizon broadens every single day. I would not have believed that I would one day work “virtually” and serve customers on other continents, as well as from very diverse industries (restaurants, health practitioners, coaches and psychics). I cannot express how grateful I am for the people and clients I’ve met and how much I have grown in the process. Thank you for letting me share this here, Christie!
– – – –
Anja Schuetz is a Customer Service Consultant and Personal Coach for 30-something Women. She is German and lives in The Netherlands, where she runs The Open Hand Café in The Hague, a small social-business network that connects service driven entrepreneurs.
You can follow Anja on Facebook, where she regularly shares tips on being of service in life and in business (check out the “28 Days of Service” in February) and you can download her free “New Year Kickstart Kit” to find inspired ways to grow and make a difference in the next 365 days.
– – – –