Never confuse movement with action. -Ernest Hemingway
Here is the audio version of this post. Thank you so much for listening.
Waiting at one of my fave new restaurants for my take-out order, I noticed a feedback form on the front desk. It was the first time I had seen it, on my 3rd time to the restaurant. I took me by surprise, as I would have given them awesome feedback, and told them how much I loved their space.
Then it struck me, there was no system in place to ask me for feedback, yet someone had taken the time and money to make the form, thinking it was a great idea. Sound familiar?
You see, a form is just a form. A form, with a system and process behind it, executed consistently, can become a business building tool. Once again, it’s all in the execution, not the idea itself.
Small business owners are almost always sharing with me how busy they are. One of my questions is always… “busy doing what?”
If we are ever going to grow and create more awesome in our biz, we have to continually evaluate our systems, processes and programs. And of course, all of our “forms”.
Before you create another beautiful form, brochure, card, contact us page, appointment inquiry, program, promotion or engage on another social platform, take a couple steps back and ask yourself these questions…
1. Do we have a system and process to execute this?
2. Is it bringing real value to our biz, clients or team?
3. Is it honestly helping us grow?
If the answer is no to any one of the above questions, well, I think you know what the next step is.
Great marketing is all about telling your story in such a way that it compels people to buy what you are selling. -Gary Vaynerchuk
Here is the audio version of this post. Thanks so much for listening. Enjoy.
Gary Vaynerchuk knows things and even better, he shares things. He recently shared some insanely awesome infographics which simply break down some key facts about the social platforms we love, and our clients love. What I love about these is that they focus on awesome content examples that fit the context of the platform, which is key to true engagement, inspired by his latest and awesome book Jab Jab Jab Right Hook.
In this latest book, he uses the example of boxing where the jabs are the set up, the value we create by posting relevant and interesting content, and the right hook being the big punch, or asking for the sale. I love him and his brain. Consider this. Are you posting all jabs and no right hooks? Or all right hooks and no jabs? The sweet spot is more jabs than right hooks. Think about it.
Check out these super awesome infographics Gary created to help us share our story with the right content in the right context for the platform to provide value, build relationships, engage and ultimately make a sale. Brilliant.
Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
So now its time to look at your content strategy. Are you jabbing on the right platforms? Right hooks? Storytelling? Is it time to re-think it? I want to know. Share your comments below or click here to share your thoughts with me. I’m listening and I care.
It’s not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives. It’s what we do consistently. -Anthony Robbins
Here is the audio version of this post. Thank you so much for listening. Enjoy!
So what does it take to create awesome? Over the last couple years, and really, over my entire career I have studied many businesses, including my own. I am one for keeping things real, and simple. While there are several ways to create awesome and people are doing it every day, it is the following traits and actions that I see which are some of the most important, and conveniently enough, they all begin with the letter C, so I call this the Creating Awesome Recipe.
Confidence
Believing your awesome and learning to love yourself and believe in you. This is absolutely the biggest roadblock to awesomeness in the professional beauty + wellness industries in my experience. You can have all the education and motivation in the world, BUT, if you do not feel deserving of success and happiness, another class or workshop will not help you. Truth.
Courage
Turning your fears into creative fuel. Learning to say YES, and more importantly, NO! It’s a decision. It’s a choice. Make it.
Clarity
Discovering your awesome and finding your purpose, promise and passion for yourself and your business. When you have clarity, those around you will too. If you want people to buy into your vision, seek clarity first, and then share it.
Consistency
Living your awesome and creating systems, processes and plans for growing your business, consistently. This holds true in business and in life.
Commitment
Are you prepared to make it happen, even on the days you don’t feel like it? Enough said.
Connections
Sharing your awesomeness by engaging and marketing online and off to grow yourself, your team and your business. Creating deep connections with the world around you brings so much more meaning to owning and leading a business.
Communication
George Bernard Shaw once said,” The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” Truer words have never been spoken. Communicate with your team, clients and community. They will be grateful, and you will be a much happier owner, leader and awesomeness creator.
So there you have it. Pick one, work on it, then move to the next. Rome was not built in a day… and neither are our businesses or lives.
A business exists to create a customer. – Peter Drucker
Here is the audio version of this post. Thanks so much for listening. Enjoy.
So here I sit. In a new place, in a kinda new town, well, at least for LA it’s considered a new town. Even though I am 8 miles from where I lived for over 13 years and in the city I was born in and have lived most of my life, when you move in LA, particularly to DTLA, you might as well be in another state.
As I continue to settle in, only 4 big boxes left, I am reflecting on the process that got me here, and the process for how I am getting settled in my new space and “town”.
How did I get here? I used YELP, Zillow, Trulia, Craigslist and lots of Google searches. All digital platforms.
Yes, I know, some may tire of me writing about the power of engaging on social + digital platforms, but it’s not the platforms I am in love with, it’s the power of the platforms and how they empower people & businesses, if we choose to let them.
Food, Shelter, A Nail Salon And More…
I found my loft on Craigslist via Google search then hit YELP to see if I even wanted to make an appointment to view it. And before I found my space, I looked at about 10 other spaces on Craigslist and YELP. My loft had some really good and really bad reviews, yet I still moved in. Why? Just because a business has some bad reviews, does not always mean its a bad place. But it did allow me to ask all the right questions, and move forward with open eyes.
I found my new nail salon on YELP. It has mostly great reviews, a few mediocre ones, but it was very convenient. I can walk there. Did I love the experience? I’m not 100% sold, but may try it one more time.
I found the best sandwich shop, which just happens to be 2 doors down from me, on YELP. It has killer reviews, and they were right, it was the BEST! Marie’s on 7th. Give it a try when you are here.
I found my pizza place on YELP and via Eat24. Ugh, yes, 2 foods in a row, but you know, a girl has gotta eat. OMG, wish I never found this place. But if you love pizza, check out 9th Street Pizza in DTLA.
I found my Internet service via referral from the building and then YELPED it just to be sure. So far so good, since you are reading this blog, my Internet is working, and they are some of the nicest people for an Internet company. Bel Air Internet, a small but mighty company that seems to really care. So much more awesome than my experience with the BIG internet companies. Happiness.
I found a couch cleaner and an installation service to mount the TV on my wall, both on YELP.
When was the last time you moved? When was the last time you needed to find a new service? Whether you have or have not, people like me are moving, and searching, or wanting a new experience. Where are they going to find that service? More and more, they are hitting search engines, and yes, YELP. A good offline referral program coupled with awesome online reviews have the potential to really super charge your biz.
If you want YELP to work for you, you have to work it. What does that mean? Create systems and processes for gaining reviews. The more reviews you have, the more you will show up in search engines and in YELP searches. And Google search LOVES active YELP pages. Provide an exceptional experience offline. Always. And ask people to share their experience on YELP.
Worried about bad reviews? How do you handle them now, offline? It’s really no different. And trust me, if you have 10 great reviews and 1 shitty one, and you handle it well in your response, nine times out of ten, the prospective new clients will love you even more, knowing that experience matter to you, even if it’s some nut case just stirring up trouble.
Wouldn’t you rather know someone was disappointed with their experience than just telling a bunch of their friends and not allowing you the opportunity to make it better? I think we all know the honest answer to that.
If you are looking to create more awesome in your biz, it’s time to begin to better see through the clients eyes. Want new clients to find you? Engage. Show up, online and off. You never know, the next new kid in town could be your best new client.
“A group needs only two things to be a tribe: a shared interest and a way to communicate.”
Seth Godin
Pictured: Erin + Carrie of The Hair Nerds, Josh XO and Douglas McCoy of The House of POp
Here is the audio version of this post. Thanks so much for listening. Enjoy.
As I write this post, I am preparing for the ISSE show, which is, if you don’t know, the kick-off of the annual hair show season for hairdressers. And it’s pretty awesome.
One of the most exciting parts of this weekend, is connecting with my tribe, offline. What is even more amazing to me, is that most of my tribe I have only met in the last 1 1/2 years. Ahhhhh, the power of the social web. Shared interests and empowering platforms such as Hairbrained, Facebook, Instagram and blogs like The Hair Nerds brought us together. And now, you cannot keep us apart.
So many people complain that social platforms are making us less connected, I say, it is what you make it. This goes for both our business and private lives. We can see these platforms as empowering connectors, or time sucks. The choice is ours.
Where the real magic happens, is when those online relationships go offline. Because in the end, we all crave good ol’ fashion face to face connection and a sense of belonging. There is nothing like a big, tight hug from someone you admire and respect. It just seems to make everything better.
If you are one who is not sold on social and how it can empower your business, I challenge you to take a step back and think about how you are using the Internet. Are you using it as a tool to build relationships? To engage and provide value? Because in the end, that is why we are here. To connect, to share, to love, to provide value and to serve.
I hope to see you online or on the road. And give you a big hug.
