Facebook ads. #Winning hashtags for your small business. How to still be productive when WiFi goes down. Just a few of the latest and greatest things I’ve found on the Internet the last few weeks, curated just for you. You’re welcome!
You can make excuses or you can make progress. By Alexandra Franzen. Damn. If this little boy doesn’t inspire you to get off your butt and stop whining about why you can’t succeed, nothing will.
62% of small business owners says that Facebook ads don’t work. Here’s why experts disagree by Marla Tabaka @MarlaTabaka
Now, you know I can’t be everywhere so help me curate! Got a link you’re dying to share with the tribe? Post it to the Facebook page right now and share your sensational find! Cute animal videos count, too.
Flashback: I’m seventeen and my mom and I are driving somewhere, talking about my future career goals. College application season was in full swing so the topic weighed heavy on me. What did I want to study?
My mom would have loved for me to pursue acting or journalism, but I wanted to study business and go into advertising or marketing. Rebel.
Some people know exactly what they want to do and go for it. But I was never the person who had an early calling on any one thing. Maybe you can relate? My attention span is too short, my interests too varied.
From age ten, one of my older brothers wanted to be a lawyer. And at fifty, he’s now…a successful lawyer. How I envied such clarity.
Some of my friends wanted to be doctors, teachers, scientists. Wanting to make a difference myself, I was torn up by my non-philanthropic career goals. I longed to create, communicate and impact in my own way, like running marketing for a city arts or theatre company.
“Maria, it’s okay to do something you love,” Mom said. “Not everyone can pursue a ‘noble’ profession. Things still need to get done. But you can still do good in the world, no matter what you do for a living.”
This conversation is a hazy memory, I’m not sure if it was real or imagined. Regardless, it has shaped my world view.
My deeper purpose has always been to engage, inform and delight with my work in order to make the world a better place. And it informs one of my primary values: With great success comes great responsibility.
We don’t all have the drive to join the PeaceCorps. We can’t all run into burning buildings to save puppies. Our work may not involve curing cancer or advancing world peace, but we can do many philanthropic things with our businesses.
Here are five ways your business can make the world a better place:
Donate a percentage of profits: You can use your good fortune to help worthy causes. This type of social entrepreneurship is getting more and more popular. Why not make yourself successful so you can in turn support honorable causes? You can do this consistently or with special promotions. You could become a one-for-one company and donate an item to people in need for every item you sell like Tom’s or Embrace Baby Warmers. If you can’t be in the trenches, find a way to use your profits to support those who are.
Give the gift of giving back: I do this every year at the holidays. Instead of useless mugs or pens that will just get lost or thrown away, I thank my clients and partners by allowing them to choose from a selection of my favorite charities and I give a gift in their name. They remember my brand with respect, feel good about not cluttering their desk, and the organization gets the resources to continue its good work. #winning
Take on a pro bono project: My friend used to run a design agency and every quarter they would take on one pro bono project to help a community organization. They had deep values in promoting social good and did a lot of paid work for socially responsible companies. Those paid gigs enabled them to generously donate their time and talent to help local worthy causes with tiny budgets. And side bonus: the PR was priceless.
Choose your clients wisely: No one says you have to serve organizations who pollute the environment or product marketers who scam old people. It’s your business! You absolutely have the right and responsibility to define your values and work only with people or brands who do no harm. This includes partners. The more you support those kinds of people or businesses, the more we all win.
Be a good, authentic person: You can choose to add to the scandalous marketing trash out there polluting our hearts and minds or you can rise above. Stay truthful in your advertising. You are called to create something that matters, so offer value and substance. Be good to your customers and clients. Show empathy. Keep your word. You can only control yourself, so be the example.
As I snuggle with my three year-old son at bedtime, it’s fascinating to me the lessons he’s already learning about life from these charming books.
Lessons all of us entrepreneurs need more often than we think.
Lessons on resilience, taking action, understanding that things won’t always go smoothly. Lessons on failing over and over again yet still not letting go of your dreams.
Here are three wonderful children’s books you should add to your business library, whether you have kids or not!
This one may seem like a “Duh” selection, but have you ever actually read the words with an entrepreneurial mindset? The main lesson about the ebb and flow of success and failure is profound:
Fame! You’ll be famous as famous can be, with the whole wide world watching you win on TV. Except when they don’t. Because, sometimes, they won’t. I’m afraid that some times You’ll play lonely games too. Games you can’t win ‘cause you’ll play against you.
Entrepreneurial A-Ha: The road to your destiny is paved with good days and bad ones; successes and failures. And sometimes your worst enemy will be yourself. (TWEET!)
Another great passage for entrepreneurs:
You can get so confused that you’ll start into race down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space, headed, I fear, toward a most useless place. The Waiting Place… …for people just waiting Waiting for a train to go Or a bus to come, or a plane to go …or waiting around for a Yes or No —or waiting perhaps for their Uncle Jake or a pot to boil or a better break. Everyone is just waiting. NO! That’s not for you! Somehow you’ll escape all that waiting and staying. You’ll find the bright places where Boom Bands are playing.
Entrepreneurial A-Ha: Don’t fruitlessly wait to follow your dreams, get your break or request permission. Take action. (TWEET!)
An eager little boy loves stars and dreams that one day he will catch one star to be his friend. Despite multiple worries and setbacks, he keeps trying new ways to make it happen…until in the end, his hopefulness pays off and his dream finally comes true, just not quite in the way he had thought.
The boy tried to jump up and grab it. But he could not jump high enough. So, very carefully, he climbed to the tallest tree he could find. But the star was still way out of reach. He thought he might lasso the star with the life preserver from his father’s boat. But it was much too heavy for him to carry. Perhaps he could get a seagull to help him fly up into the sky to reach his star? But the only seagull he could find didn’t want to help. The boy worried he would never catch a star.
Entrepreneurial A-Ha: Never give up your dreams because success comes in many forms. (TWEET!)
A little boy discovers a small patch of abandoned garden in his otherwise dreary industrial city and–through trial, error and love–helps it thrive, thus transforming his community. The most poignant passage talks about the power of contributing what you can, however you can and learning as you go.
Liam may not have been a gardener, but he knew that he could help. So he turned to the railway the very next day and got to work. The flowers nearly drowned and he had a few pruning problems, but the plants patiently waiting while Liam found better ways of gardening. As the weeks rolled by, Liam began to feel like a real gardener and the plans began to feel like a real garden.
Entrepreneurial A-Ha: Even if you don’t think you’re qualified to do something, with enough caring, learning and patience, you can create something beautiful. (TWEET!)
Branding expert and author Dorie Clark first came on my radar when I saw a powerful video about bravely being yourself and not allowing others to define your brand. Inspired, I began following her work: Harvard Business Review, Forbes and Entrepreneur columnist, TEDx speaker, professor at Duke University, consultant for Fortune 500 companies.
This woman clearly knew how to build a recognized and influential brand that stands out.
And she seemed so…..nice.
In 2014, I boldly reached out to her to offer a free copy of my book, Branding Basics for Small Business, 2nd Edition. If you dig it and you have the time, I emailed, I would so appreciate a kind Amazon review. She didn’t know me from Adam. But she kindly read the book, enjoyed it, and gave me a lovely review.
We developed an Internet friendship: Sharing posts, retweeting each other, and occasionally emailing. Dorie is seriously one of the most generous people I know.
In 2016, we finally met in person when Dorie kindly invited me to an intimate dinner gathering. She was in town for business and curated a group of interesting and accomplished people who simply “needed to know each other.” It was such an amazing night! I met authors, philanthropists, and savvy business consultants. Dorie even facilitated the lively discussion so we could share both personal and professional happenings.
Dorie is smart and savvy and understands how valuable these face-to-face connections are in an Internet-fueled world. They open doors, build your personal brand and enable you to connect and promote in a friendly, comfortable environment. She organizes these dinners everywhere she goes in the world.
You can’t just hide behind your screen 24/7 and expect to make a name for yourself or your business. I know, the introverts out there are shaking in their boots, but you can do this in intimate groups or one-on-one, not just at chaotic, crowded conferences!
If you want to increase your visibility and become a recognized expert, make time for face-to-face connections.(TWEET THIS!)
The personal touch cuts through the clutter. Nothing can build your brand like shaking hands, sharing a cocktail and looking each other in the eye. And yes, giving each other big hugs at the evening’s end!
If you’re like most entrepreneurs, you love being creative, dynamic, bold, innovative.
But there is one thing that you probably hate with the white-hot passion of a thousand suns:
SELLING
Which is unfortunate, seeing as how that generates revenue. Women business owners especially struggle with what they perceive to be “annoying”, “slimy” or “sleazy.” We see those kinds of pitches every day.
And so we think, “I hate sales. I hate talking about myself.”
Well, good. Because it’s not about you. It’s about them.
See, the best sales pitches are conversations. Listen and engage so you can show them how your offerings solve their problems or help them achieve their goals.
I’ve been in business for over nine years. I’ve never once had to “pitch” a client. I’ve lost out on proposals, sure, but I’ve never had to do a “sales” presentation.
Pushy salespeople are the ones who are all about their own agenda: Take my business card! Buy my product! Here’s why I’m so great.”
Here are four tips to sell without “selling:”
Be consultative: Stop pitching and just discuss their goals. Be generous with guidance, resources or connections. Don’t work for free, but offer simple “teaser” advice. Believe me, if they see value, they will pay you for it.
Ask questions: Like a good date, don’t just brag about yourself the whole time. Find out about them. What are they struggling with? What do they value? You can then organically sprinkle your value and experience into the conversation.
Show empathy: Put yourself in the customer’s shoes, addressing their pains and offering solutions. A past Harvard research study found that “empathy” was the #1 trait for a successful salesperson.
Network: I can see you rolling your eyes from here! Get out there and network with people, either in-person or online. Let others see you and get to know your value without ever making a sales pitch. Make connections. You never know who knows who. Warm introductions are always the best (and easiest) sales opportunities.
Here’s the cold, hard truth: You have to clearly confidently talk about the value you provide at some point. Why?
If you are not your own biggest fan…if you don’t believe in the value of your goods and services, why should you expect your prospective clients to care or get excited either?
We all want those customers who adore us, right? Like superstar singers or best-selling authors, we want groupies who can’t wait for our next album to drop or our next book to hit the shelves.
We see people like Beyonce or Elizabeth Gilbert and we think, “Wow! They have millions of people who can’t wait to learn from them and buy from them! I want that!”
But we forget about the audience we already have in our midst. The quiet, studious ones in the front row who’ve been with us since the beginning, supporting our work and telling people about it.
It’s not always about “getting more.” It’s about loving the ones you’ve got.(TWEET THIS!)
Wherever you are, whatever your follower numbers or subscribe rates: START WHERE YOU ARE. Focus on making those loyal people happy. Delight them, Connect with them.
How? Show empathy.
Imagine if all your best friend talked about was finding new friends to hang out with. You’d be pretty annoyed and little hurt, wouldn’t you? Yet when businesses are constantly about their “list size” or low Instagram follower number , they’re not focused on providing quality to their existing fan base. Those people should feel like VIPs.
Instead of a constant focus on attracting new people, listen to the ones you’ve already got. Here are 4 ways you can show them the empathy and love they deserve:
Listen to them. REALLY listen:Ask them what they want and need. Stop guessing! And don’t put words in their mouths to suit your own needs. Mirror their exact words and emotions back to them. If you sense that what they really want is actually hidden underneath that “ask,” probe further. If you spend time and money shaping your offerings to truly solve your current tribe’s pain this will be much better than constantly chasing new fans.
Be clear and offerthe right solution to the right people: As I always say, marketing is not about lying to people. It’s about amplifying the truth so the right people who need what you’ve got can find you. Don’t push circles on people who really need squares! If you sell a high-priced mastermind program that’s roughly the cost of a tiny house, don’t try to convince the dreamer who’s eating ramen every night and already in massive debt to bury themselves deeper. That’s not cool. Don’t be afraid to clarify your message so it reaches the right people …or simply change your target market altogether.
Woo them: No one wants to be “sold to.” People want to be seen, heard and respected. And they want time to get to know you. Put yourself in their shoes: Do YOU like in-your-face sales pitches and hype-filled promises? Prove your value with insightful content. Be generous with resources and connections. Be consistent and keep your word. Surprise them on occasion with playlists, free trainings or a special thank you! Go for the lasting marriage not the lustful affair.
See the person, not the number: Especially when things go wrong. Treat your existing customers and fans like you would a friend. Robotic responses and canned apologies are not the way you’d comfort a pal, right?
Focus on delighting, engaging and celebrating the tribe you already have. By putting your focus there, the growth will follow because they won’t be able to stop talking about you!
In today’s digital world, here’s what works well for getting clicks:
Lists of quick-hit tips
Images
Shock value
Salacious gossip
Outlandish claims
It’s fun to click on “10 Celebs Who Have Not Aged Well” or skim shocking headlines to have something pithy to say at your next cocktail party. It feels sinfully delicious to escape reality by watching The Real Housewives of Whatever or skim sexy–but inaccurate– tabloid headlines while we get our nails done.
But all those tiny, harmless choices come at a cost. We’re losing out on a diet balanced with substance, truth and intellectual growth. (TWEET THIS!)
Please take a moment to read Seth Godin’s recent and very important post. It’s all about the price society pays when we constantly sacrifice substance for style, in-depth analysis for a quick-read or hard word for ease.
Let’s get real: We can’t be academic, curious or “serious” all the time, I get it. Heck, I enjoy my crime dramas, game shows and renovation “reality” shows as much as the next gal.
But we do need to be clear that our choices have consequences on the culture as a whole. On our own mindset. On how we see “the truth” and on how our next generation learns how to fully contemplate, assess and explore.
Our tiny individual actions may not change things overnight…or ever. But every time you turn on that reality show where people are just awful to each other, or buy that clearly false tabloid, or even sign up for that expensive program that promises you a get-rich-quick success scheme, you vote with your time, energy, money and attention. You vote and support that behavior. This is why I absolutely refuse to watch any of the Real Housewives franchise or shows about toddler beauty pageants or whatever. They may be hilarious and entertaining to some people, to be sure, and those people may think I should lighten up, but I just don’t want to support the impact to our culture. That’s my own personal choice.
Am I reading War and Peace every night or diving into scientific journals? Hell no. I’m not some sage or martyr about this issue. It’s simply a reminder to always be conscious of feeding our intellectual curiosity. A push to keep seeking out truthful stories, accurate claims–and to question all sources. How incredibly healthy your hearts and minds would be if we simply balanced the candied-apple guilty pleasure articles and wickedly clever Tweets with documentaries, nature programs, well-researched articles that are longer than 500 words and by listening to true leaders and great minds.
PS, for a nice mix of both cleverly entertaining and extremely factual reporting, follow Scott Bixby.
My pledge to you, dear reader. I will never offer you hype or sensationalism. Only practical and inspirational advice that educates you, helps you see things differently, or consider something you had not before, boosts your spirit or sparks your creativity. Will it make you a million dollars? Maybe, maybe not. That’s not for me to say….or claim. Yes, clients have taken their brands to the next level with my advice and teachings. And others have done nothing. It’s the way it goes. It doesn’t give me permission to make more outlandish claims to get attention or build my audience.
All I can do is offer you the very best knowledge and insights that I can and help you move forward. This should be your pledge as well: to create something of substance that matters. Something with integrity, honesty, and real value. Served with a side of splashy style, if you can, of course. I mean, we gotta have some fun, right?
Another year behind us. Another year ahead. It’s a crazy time for our world and for some of us personally.
How did things shake out for you? Did you meet your goals and then some? Or did a few things get sidetracked by this thing called “Life?”
This year’s been a busy one here at Red Slice! I launched an epic year-long coaching program, MOMENTUM, in September and am thrilled to coach this amazing cohort of creative entrepreneurs on how to master their marketing, build their brand and stay focused. Want to be the first to know about next year’s class? Get the details and join the Wait List for special pricing when it opens.
The Juicy Guides for Entrepreneurssweet little boxed set of all four for just $5.95 made its debut. Bite-sized nuggets of sage advice on branding, inspiration, and time management. Makes a fabulous holiday gift for the client, colleague or entrepreneurial nephew in your life. #justsayin!
And, oh the content! We held a free telejam to Price Right and Conquer Cash Flow with the amazing finance coach, Debbie Whitlock. I ran not one, but TWO free MOMENTUM 5-Day Challenges that people adored. And of course, blogs, blogs, blogs.
And with that in mind, here is a collection of my best advice and musings from 2016. Enjoy!
When you think no one is listening or you have no influence, read this. (Um, they are and you do!)
You are a maker. You’re a doer. You’re a business owner.
You write. Or create art. Or teach others.
YOU HAVE INFLUENCE.
I don’t care if you’re just starting out or have been at this awhile. Your email list may consist of your mom and your best friend. You may only have 100 Twitter followers.
Or you may reach tens of thousands each week. You may serve hundreds of customers each month.
Wherever you are, use what you’ve got.
Never underestimate the importance of your work or message. It may seem trite, but if you can influence or inspire even just a few, then you have done your job well.
Now more than ever, in these tumultuous times…when folks are feeling raw, vulnerable and afraid…now is the time to use your voice and choose love.(TWEET THIS!)
Not “love” in the romantic sense, but like this:
Love yourself and be self-confident so you don’t feel the need to bully others or let bullies win over you
Love your neighbor so that all people can feel accepted and appreciated
Love your clients so you can bring real, honest value to them
Love your customers so you can make their lives better with your products or services
Love you partners so you can create wins for that benefit everyone
Love your community so you can collectively pull everyone up together
Love your environment so its beauty and nourishment enriches generations to come
Love your family and friends so they have a firm foundation to fully spread their own love to others
Here’s what I know to be true: No matter what your religion, nationality, gender or sexual orientation, the only thing that matters is how you show up in the world and love. You are the example when you think no one is watching – because sometimes only YOU are watching, and you want to be proud of what you see.
Give thanks for the gifts you’ve been given. Start small and share them with whoever is in your circle of influence right now. If that’s just your family and friends, choose love. If that’s tens of thousands of email subscribers or Instagram followers, choose love.
We’re in this together. But do your part. Show up. Choose love.(TWEET THIS!)
THANK YOU so very, very much for being part of my tribe. Thank you for letting me inspire, inform and love you – whether I deliver practical business info or motivational advice. My goal is to make your life + work better. If I do, please share this post with a friend or colleague. And if you’re not already on my weekly list, please sign up below. Thank you!
We all have those moments of which we’re not proud of, right?
The other day, I was THAT customer.
At 8:15 am, I waited for the drive-thru pharmacy to open, as they should have at 8 am. With another car in front of me, and a 9 am meeting, I fumed.
I can be quite a forgiving soul, especially when there’s a reasonable explanation. But I have zero patience for arrogance and incompetence. Especially as a customer.
The pharmacy gave me a hefty dose of both on this particular morning.
Mind you, there was baggage. This pharmacy has already created a horrible brand experience: understaffed, long lines, misplaced scrips, and a constantly frazzled and rushed pharmacist. I can never just pop in and have things go right. But it’s the closest to my house.
Back to the other morning:
I called the store from my car to ask the clerk if the pharmacist was even in. I explained there were two cars waiting in line and could he please let her know?
Finally, someone showed up and the first car got through quickly. I pulled up to the window.
“Your prescription is not ready…” the tech started to say.
That’s when I lost it. “It’s the last day of my prescription and I’m on auto-fill, it should totally be ready!”
“If you’ll let me finish, MA’AM…we’ll fill it right now and take care of it for you, Stop yelling at me.” (for the record, I wasn’t)
“Well, I’m frustrated that you were supposed to open up over 20 minutes ago and now you’re making me wait even more. I’m going to be late for a meeting.”
To which the snarky tech barks, in the most condescending tone:
“Excuse me, our pharmacist was a in car crash and just got here. Show some compassion, will you, and we’ll help you.”
Now I was impatient AND insulted. She just accused me of being a monster with no compassion. What the what?
“Well, I didn’t know that, of course. How could I? I’m very sorry about that and hope she’s okay, but that was uncalled for and I don’t appreciate your tone.”
Inside, I felt horrible as I saw the poor pharmacist struggling to fill the scrip. But I was super pissed at someone condemning my character for no reason. Had she said the woman had been in a car crash and I still didn’t care, then that’s another story.
So I didn’t let it go. When the tech came back, I said, “Look, please tell the pharmacist I’m very sorry and that I hope she feels better, but I had no way of knowing this. You could have just said, ‘Please be patient with us, our pharmacist was late because of a crash.” Instead you decided to insult me.”
Just then, the pharmacist came to the window and apologized for the inconvenience and to ask if I had any questions.
“Please don’t worry,” I told her. “I’m so sorry this happened to you and I hope you’re okay. Please go easy on yourself today.”
This whole exchange haunted me. The tech’s snitty, lecturing tone. The sad look in the pharmacist’s tired eyes. The shame at flying off the handle so easily.
I’m not sorry I defended myself and stood up to the bratty tech. It was completely uncalled for accuse me of being a horrible person for no reason.
But I was sorry for the pharmacist. She’s always stressed and then this happens. I’m sure her tech was just acting like a Mama Bear. And I was sorry because, yes, I’m a compassionate human who cares that someone was in a car accident.
With all the conflict and hateful behavior in our world, especially in politics, I decided to make a choice.
Wars, racism, sexism, inequality are all big problems we can’t always control. But they stem from our everyday human interactions. And that is something we can control. (TWEET THIS!)
If we don’t start with being the change we seek in the world, as they say, what hope to we have for tackling the larger problems?
So I wrote her a Get Well card and apologized for stressing her out (I’m still ticked at the tech, though) and left it at the pharmacy counter.
Who knows if she’ll get it? Who knows if she’ll care? But I know and I do. And when we can act the way we want others to act – and show true compassion – I have to hope that makes a ripple effect to make the world a better place.
You have that opportunity every day. You don’t have to change the world by curing cancer or building some global empire or writing a best-selling novel. Delight a client. Help a customer. Chat with a neighbor. Let that driver merge in front of you on the freeway. Look your cashier in the eye (and yes, get off your phone) and say “Thank you.”
You know, like one compassionate human to another.
