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Pride of Ownership

August 17, 2015Nina KovnerGROW

Small Business isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s for the brave, the patient and the persistent. It’s for the overcomer.  -Unknown

Not everyone is meant to be a small business owner. And that is OK. There are leaders and followers, owners and team members. We each play a very important role in the world, no matter where we sit in it. After decades of working with and for owners, and being one, I have learned a ton about what it takes to be an owner. The key is in the knowing. In the self-awareness, in the acceptance that you may or may not be cut out for this. And that too, is OK.

The owner arrives earlier.

The owner stays later.

The owner serves.

The owner leads.

The owner creates leaders.

The owner seeks.

The owner struggles.

The owner shines.

The owner is grateful.

The owner creates.

The owner gathers.

The owner connects.

The owner is consistent.

The owner is compassionate.

The owner communicates.

The owner coaches.

The owner gets coached.

The owner engages.

The owner empowers.

The owner listens.

The owner is honest.

The owner invests.

The owner fails.

The owner succeeds.

The owner learns.

The owner responds.

The owner commits.

The owner sources.

The owner solves.

The owner sacrifices.

The owner is passionate.

The owner perseveres.

The owner has boundaries.

The owner knows when to say yes.

The owner knows when to say no.

The owner takes responsibility.

The owner is responsible.

The owner laughs.

The owner loves.

The owner cries.

The owner cares.

The owner is brave.

The owner has courage.

Not everyone is meant to be an owner.

Are you?

Love + Awesomeness-
Nina

 

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4 Steps To Creating + Curating Awesome Content

July 6, 2015Nina KovnerENGAGE, GROW

Purpose driven marketing begins (and ends) with a story. – Me

The daily dilemma is seems for so many marketers today, (and if you are reading this and you own a business or work in one, you are a marketer) is what to share on social platforms. And my answer is always the same, which is with questions back, which I know is so frustrating to many. Why do I ask questions? Because I do not know the answer until I know more about the story you want to tell. And how do you figure that out? Start here…

What is your purpose and promise as a business?
What do your clients and future clients value?
What is your objective for engaging on social platforms?

When you know the answers to the above questions, then go here…

1. Create content that communicates your purpose and promise.

2. Create content that tells authentic stories.

3. Create content that your clients and future clients value.

4. Use hashtags (Instagram) and search tools (Google, Pinterest) to curate content that your clients and future clients value and help you tell your story.

BONUS: Make the client the hero of your story. It’s not about us. It’s always about them. And be human. Human always works.

Here is an example for Passion Squared…

My purpose and promise is empowerment, clarity, truth, authenticity…

My clients are creative small business owners and the people who work in them who are seeking love, inspiration, support, clarity, guidance, comfort, reassurance, stress relief, authenticity + truth.

My content communicates the above through quotes, blogs, newsletters, videos and broadcasts.

The content I curate is from sources that fit my promise, purpose and my story. I would not curate (share) from sources, which I would call off brand; content that is dis-empowering, shaming, bullying, negative, self centered or demeaning.

My objective for engaging is to listen, build relationships, share and connect with humans who need my services.

Yes, you can continue to randomly post content a few days and week and wonder why you have little to no engagement, and why you are having so much trouble building a community of followers, or you can do the work. By the way, this is the same process for creating awesome offline content. So either way, its best to start here.

Want to learn how to create more awesome in your career, life + biz? If you are a creative small biz owner, check out A School for Owners. In A School, you get a ton of love, support + brain food, all in a safe, sacred space.

Love + Awesomeness-

Nina

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My Tools for Creating Awesome

May 11, 2015Nina KovnerENGAGE, GROW

You can’t expect to meet the challenges of today with yesterday’s tools and expect to be in business tomorrow. Unknown

Here is the audio version of this post. Thank you so much for listening.

So many tools, so many ways to create awesome. I am asked often what my preferred tools and platforms are. And some change quite often, some stay the same. But before I get into the actual tools, here is what you need to know…

No matter what tools you have, they are meaningless without choosing to create, choosing to be consistent, choosing to engage, choosing to create value, choosing to commit, choosing to find the courage to do stuff that matters. And with that, here are just some of the tools I use for creating awesome every day at Passion Squared…

Website
WordPress (I recommend Squarespace for my clients)
Professional Web Designer + Programmer (You can’t afford NOT to!)

Blog
Wordpress
Audacity (audio blog)

Inbox
MailChimp

Social Platforms + Communities
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube (video hosting)
Hairbrained

WHY these? Because my community and clients engage there. How do you learn where your clients engage? Ask.

Graphics
Professional Designer (always start here!)
Canva.com (blog graphics, Facebook covers, and so much more!
PicMonkey.com (words on graphics in my own brand font, WIN!)
WordSwag (quote graphics, words over pictures)
PicStitch (lots of graphics in one graphic)
Afterlight (framing graphics)
iPhone #duh

Video
QuickTime Player (for shooting #QandAwesome)
iMovie (for editing #QandAwesome)
Flipagram (graphics set to music)
PicPlayPost (graphics + video)
iPhone (Instavids, Zen snoring, stuff like that!)

Webinars + A School Workshops
Go-To Webinar

Client One On One Sessions + Client Team Meetings
Go-To Meeting

Proof Reading + Copyrighting
Spell check (try it some time!)
#teamawesome at Passion Squared

Keeping My Mind Right
Dogs
Family
Friends
Meditation
Prayer
Therapy
Energy Healing
Serving Others

Again, tools matter, but what matters more than tools is commitment, consistency, courage and choice.

Want to learn how to create more awesome in your career, life + biz? If you are a creative small biz owner, check out A School for Owners. If you are in school or recently graduated, check out A School for New Professionals. In A School, you get a ton of love, support + brain food, all in a safe, sacred space.

Love + Awesomeness-

Nina

Objectives Outcomes

Objectives + Outcomes

January 26, 2015Nina KovnerGROW

“Every journey begins with the first step of articulating the intention, and then becoming the intention.”  Bryant McGill

Here is the audio version of this post. Thank you for listening.

Each day, I find myself asking two questions with my one on one clients and A School Group and felt compelled to share them;

  • What is your objective?

  • What outcome are you seeking?

Let’s begin with the first question.
If you ask me about a strategy or tactic for your business, and I am not clear on your objectives, then I cannot answer your question until I know your objective. Otherwise, I am giving you the wrong answer; it’s simply a guess. And does you no service.

Example:
Your Q.
Nina, should I be spending more time on Facebook, Email, YELP or Instagram?

My A.
I don’t know. What is your objective?

Your A.
My objective is to increase word of mouth and referrals, and I have 2 new stylists who need to get their hands busy. I have very limited resources and I do not yet understand how to engage effectively on social platforms.

My A.
My answer is YELP. This platform is proven, if used effectively, to generate more immediate referrals than any other platform for a service business. That is only if the business is delivering an awesome experience of course.

See how this works? If I simply answered after the first question, I would send you off into the abyss of wheel spinning and most likely you would not get any significant results. If you don’t know why you are doing something, how can anyone really coach you?

Now lets move to the second question.
If you ask me about a program, a challenge, and shift in strategy, a discussion you need to have with a business partner, team member or client, and ask my thoughts on your approach, dialogue, plan, I will most likely respond with… What outcome are you seeking? Again, any answer would most likely not mean anything, as our intentions are the power behind our tactics.

Example:
Your Q.
Nina, I am in a very sticky situation with a client, they said XYZ, what should I do?

My A.
What outcome are you seeking?

Your A.
I would like them to understand the situation and I would like to keep them as a client.

My A.
Ah, OK, here is how I would approach that.

You see, the outcome you are seeking matters. If you want to retain a client, getting into a shouting match of he said she said makes no sense. It’s just hurtful. When in reality, you simply want to communicate the issue, and create resolution.

Outcome matters. It can completely change how we approach situations, decisions, communications and relationships.

Objectives and outcomes. Start there.

Love + Awesomeness-

Nina

PS: A School, my group-coaching program, is designed to empower you, your business, and your life. A School helps keep you on a track to creating awesome. Click here to see if  A School is a good fit for you.