strategy

Knowing Your Core Values as a Brand

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Life and business have been super busy “post-pandemic.”  

So many of us have transformed and changed during the pandemic; either really digging deep in our businesses or deciding to go in a different direction. Regardless, I hope wherever life is taking you, you are cherishing it.

Over the past few months, I have discovered the set of core values for my business. Wow!  It has been so enlightening and brought so much clarity to how I operate my business and define my goals.  I’ve included my core values below. 

Click on this video to watch me discuss how my Core Values have helped me in my business. 

If you need help creating your Core Values for your business or team, please contact me for a session.

The Keys to Building Your Tribe

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Do you have a tribe?

Yes, a tribe.

Tribe /trīb/ – noun – a group of people, or a community with similar values or interests

If you have a business, nonprofit or in the building phase of launching one of these, it is important to build your own online tribe. Having your own tribe in person is important too!  We all need those friends and cheerleaders to encourage us and challenge us along the way.
But building a tribe online allows for significant reach and a way to scale your business. 

Below are some quick tips on how to build your tribe:

Build Trust: Similar to an in-person relationship, your goal should be to build trust with your audience. Trust is achieved by consistency and authenticity. How consistent are you with sharing content? Real content… not just selfies.  And how authentic is your presence on social media? Review your online presence and ask yourself “Am I building trust?  Am I building a two-way relationship?”

Be Generous: What are you talking about online?  Be intentional with providing good content. Content that your audience will find valuable or inspiring.  If your content is all about you, it will be difficult to build a genuine tribe.  And don’t hold back.  Don’t worry about giving too much away.  Generosity is a great business strategy.

More on Authenticity:  We can never stop talking about authenticity.  It is so important when building your brand and tribe. Authenticity can include showing behind the scenes video or pics of your business, or being honest about the challenge of growing a brand and working a full time job.  Show your challenges, share the struggle, tell your audience what you need.  People don’t always want to see the perfect moments.  Your future tribe also want to see the REAL moments.

Know Your Tribe:  Be sure you know what is important to your audience, your tribe.  As brand owners, we often have so much in your heads that we want to share.  But what is it that your true tribe wants to hear.  Stop sharing what YOU like and share what your audience is truly interested in.

There are so many other ways you can begin building and KEEPING your tribe.  If you are interested in hearing more, click here and let me know.  I will set up a free online class soon sharing more tips.

Tips for Small Businesses When Managing a Crisis

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With the recent outbreak of the COVID-19 virus, many businesses and organizations are panicking on what this means for their business and their growth opportunities for the remainder of 2020.  How does a small business owner prepare for a recession or an economic crisis?  Below are 6 tips for managing a crisis or potential downturn in the economy. 
1.) Don’t panic.  This sounds very simple, but extremely important.  So often, we become reactive, instead of proactive.  Our response to a crisis will often determine how we manage, how large the crisis becomes and how much it affects our business and clients.  Although we may have some anxiety, we know there are always opportunities within a crisis. 

2.) Look for the Opportunity.  As you stand back and look at the crisis or problem, which issues are not being addressed?  If you do not know your clients or industry well, this may be a challenge for you. (HINT: Know your clients and your industry).  What can you contribute or solve?  Get creative and gain a different perspective about the issues at hand. 

3.) Feel Your Clients Pain.  What are your clients/customers feeling right now?  Are their businesses on hold? Are they doing well (some businesses are thriving right now)?  Will they need to focus on other issues for a short time? Whatever the pain or issue, know it.  Feel it… and then act accordingly.  

4.) Talk to Your Clients:  If your business or society is facing a crisis, assess the situation by speaking directly with your clients.  Ask about their concerns and effectively communicate how you are dealing with a crisis.  Clients want to know that they can still trust that their business is being handled. 

5.) Be a Thought Leader: This is the time to show your value and expertise to your audience, if applicable.  If there is any aspect you know about the crisis, now is the time to write, blog, speak and teach about the subject in various ways. Look at the situation from different angles and determine how you can be of value to your clients.

Do You Want More?

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“You cannot connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards… – Steve Jobs

 

Do you have synergy with your business or organization? Or even if you are an employee… do you naturally approach your projects with a perspective of synergy and connecting the dots?

Synergy is when the sum is equal to more than the two parts. Yes, the connection and energy of ideas meeting each other and creating something MORE. Do you want MORE for your business or organization?

When I meet with a new client, I am always looking for synergy or ways to connect theIMG_0169 dots. Below are the four ways I approach connecting the dots when working on a project or with a client.

1.) What do you value? Every company, organization or brand has something that it values. Event if you don’t notice it right away, there is something happening

2.) What are you really selling: Not your service or product. But what are you really providing and giving to your clients? Why do they choose YOU? Know this.. and the world opens up.

3.) Know Your History: Steve Jobs put is wonderfully with the above quote. You have to look back at all your dots, history and connections. With clients, I’m always looking for the foundation, how it started. What was the sentence, the experience, the event that started the ball rolling. Don’t ignore your history.

4.) Maximum effect: In addition to looking at all the above-mentioned, I also review how each action can have maximum effect. Every action or initiative that we do should have multiple purposes and functions. If one of your actions will only affect on thing, its time to either rethink the action or connect the dots. For example, if you speak at a conference, that speech or preparation should be repurposed to do something else for your brand. How can it have maximum effect?

Synergy.

Connecting the Dots.

Keys to Clarity: Tips for Creating Clarity in Your Life

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Clarity is everything.  Unclear expectations, goals or communication produces unclear results.

Without clarity it is very difficult to move forward and grow your business.  Being clarity lee wattsstrategic becomes challenging without clarity.  You will communicate ineffectively to your audience and clients. Ideas may not flow freely and you are unable to determine the next steps.

Many leader talk about the importance of focus.  However, without clarity – you may not be sure what to focus on.  Clarity must come first before you can obtain true success.

Below are XX ways that you can gain more clarity in life and business:

1.) What do you want?  Sounds like such a simple question, however, so few people can answer this.  I will often start my branding sessions with this question.  Over 50% of the time, my client will stumble through their answer.  Get clear on what it is that you really want.

2.) Exercise.  Exercising is such a big stress reliever, releases endorphins and overall helps you to feel better.  There have been many, many times I’ve received a great idea or an answer to a problem while exercising.  This doesn’t mean that you have to have a strict exercise program or train for triathalon.  Exercise could simply mean walking in the morning or evening or doing yoga in your living room.  The key is to relax, clear your mind and allow your brain to receive.

3.) Write it Out.  Journaling or writing out your thoughts and ideas in an unsensored manner is extremely helpful.  In work, we are trained to sensor our thoughts and ideas.  However, clarity often comes during those times of letting unsensored thoughts flow. If you are not a writer, consider talking into a voice recorder or creating a private video.  The goal is to go back and review for thoughts and look for aha moments or common denominators.

4.) Immerse Yourself in Action.  Often we will sit and review our thoughts and ideas without trying anything.  Immersing yourself in action and taking chances will quickly show us if something will work or not.  Don’t be afraid to try and fail.  Failing is one of our best teachers and can quickly put on on the road to clarity.

5.) Ask Yourself Why. Knowing your WHY has become a little of a catchphrase.  However, if done correctly, it is powerful.  Don’t underestimate it. Knowing your WHY for doing anything helps to eliminate the things in your business or life that don’t serve your purpose.

6.) Watch Your Time. How do you use your free time?  Be careful and selective on how you use your mind when you are not working.  Are you numbing your mind with trash television, filling your body with junk food and sugar?  Create a clear and clean lifestyle, and your mind will follow.

7.) Build Your Tribe.  In addition to creating a clear and clean lifestyle, it is important to have a close network of colleagues, mentors and friends that have similar goals.  This will help provide you with clarity and vision for your business and organization.

Do you have clarity—about work, relationships, health, free time, friendship, or any other aspect of your life?

If you are looking for clarity with your personal brand or the your organization or business, feel free to contact me for a clarity session.  Signing up for a complimentary consultation session may also help with your direction.

 

 

 

Marketing Challenges for Entrepreneurs

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As an entrepreneur, we can get pulled in so many different directions. There are challenges that will distract you on this entrepreneurial journey.  In this article, I will highlight just a few marketing challenges for entrepreneurs and new business owners.

  1. Not knowing your audience: So many people start businesses based on their watts marketing challengespassions and strengths.  This is excellent!  However, we often are so focused on starting the business that we forget to pay attention to who we are selling to, including their needs, desires and burdens.  We sometimes stop at just describing the demographics of our target audience.  However, there is more to knowing your audience than their age or demographics.  How do they purchase?  What keeps them up at night?  Where do they consume information? What do they follow and like on social media? It is critically important to know your audience.
  2. The wrong marketing platforms:  Many new businesses have the wrong marketing platforms.  They hear about so many social media platforms or new apps or programs and they want to start all of them.  There is not careful consideration of which platforms work for your business, target audience or which of them “speak” or sync with each other.  It is important to do an audit of your programs and make sure they work for your business and marketing strategy.
  3. Inconsistency & Lack of Clarity:  One of the keys to branding is creating a consistent story and selling that narrative to your audience.  This requires managing a lot of moving pieces and being able to stand back from your company and brand and decide on a consistent message.  This can be challenging. Often, this is the importance of having a marketing or branding consultant, to have an objective eye to look at your messaging and challenge you on your strategy.  Inconsistent messaging can cause distrust and ultimately hurt your brand and selling opportunities.
  4. Not Knowing Your USP:  Knowing your Unique Selling Proposition is key to marketing and branding.  You must know what value you bring to the table.  What is your differentiator?  Why should your clients and customers purchase from you? When businesses are unclear on this, they stumble through their messaging and how to sell and package their products and services for their clients.  Know your value.
  5. Underestimating Content Marketing:  Most small businesses don’t have the time or staff to work on content for their social media, blogs or website.  However, content marketing is key to establishing your brand and identity.  It is what will set you apart as a thought leader in your industry. No matter what you are selling, work on establishing yourself as an expert in your industry.

All these issues can be overwhelming, however, every business owner faces marketing challenges.  For assistance with any of these marketing challenges, feel free to contact me. 

 

 

Building a Brand or a Movement?

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Creating a movement or a brand-Starting a business is hard work. The hours can be grueling, along with the emotional and mental stamina needed to stay focused and innovative.  One thing that helps with turbulence and challenges of starting a business or organization is to understand if your business or organization exists for more than just paying bills.  It’s always exciting when you are brand is also a movement.  When the company or organization is more than about a product or service, but you are wanting to create change.
Brand vs. Movement
So what is different about creating a movement?  Movements are built on the things that make us human, which is ultimately that we want to be a part of something greater. Connecting to something to believe in and follow.  Movements are about creating a change.  This doesn’t mean that brands won’t do that.  However, the goal of a brand is about telling the story of your business, organization or product and allowing people to experience and follow that brand.  Movement is about transformation, where brands are often looking to dominate and compete in the marketplace. The goal of a movement is to change lives. Both are needed and critical, however the strategy and tactics needed with each are different.
Which are you doing?
If you are interested in creating CHANGE, if you have a message, if you want to go deeper, bigger and bolder, it’s important to see yourself as creating a movement. Movements build momentum and loyalty.  Movements offer hope…
 
Are you creating a brand or a movement?
Below are some key elements to creating a movement:
  •  Inspire.  You can’t get away from it.  If you want to create a movement, you have to inspire people to love something or hate something.  You have to tell the story in such a compelling way that you tug on the emotions of your audience.
  • Experience.  Stories are great; they keep us engaged and help us to think.  However, experiences make us FEEL something.  When creating a movement, you have to create an experience for your audience.  The experience you offer will depend on your industry and the vision for your company.  But don’t ignore it.
  • Live it. Whatever you are asking people to do, you have to be already doing it.  It needs to be ingrained in you and what you believe and do .
  • Create a call to action. What do you want your followers to DO?  Do you just want them to share the information? Donate? Follow? Attend?  Buy?  Whatever it is, tell them what you need for them to do and engage them to be part of the project. You have to show people how to follow.
  • Build a Tribe.  In order to build a tribe, you need to build trust.  Trust allows you to ask people to do some amazing things.  When creating a movement (or building a brand), you need trust.
Again, some brands are both.  They are about telling your company story, creating a following and proposing change.  Whichever you are doing, know the difference and tweak your business model accordingly.  If you need assistance in this area, feel free to contact me at [email protected].  Or attend my next workshop Strategy & Stilettos- The Workshop.

Are You Mentally Tough?

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Happy Spring! I hope that you all have have been enjoying the first glimpses of Spring. Some of you are still experiencing some cold weather. 
During my busy time, my head has been swirling with so many marketing and brandingsmall steps.jpg topics and issues. However, this month, I want to focus more on a leadership issue.  Since starting this business, I am amazed at how much mental tenacity it takes to launch and continue a business or any initiative. Yes, I’ve had other businesses and projects that I’ve started in the past, but I was fortunate to have a partner or groups of people to help me stay encouraged.  Being an entrepreneur is a lonely place.  When you have those moments when you are choosing between sleep and work, paying a bill or investing in a client or your business, quitting the gig or keep trucking along. It is a constant mental game to just stay in the game.  I’m sure I will eventually get to a level where I coast along, but right now, I am relying on the five things below to help me stay focused and mentally strong during these tough days.  If you are in a similar struggle, I hope these points will also help you.
Remember Your Why:  We have heard this many times, but it can’t be stressed enough. When things get complicated, tough and overwhelming, your why should keep you motivated.
Seek Balance: I recently read a quote that is slowly changing my life and giving me life: “Fatigue makes cowards of us all.” (Vince Lombardi). When we are exhausted, we give in to our fears and anxiety.  Get proper rest so that you can make good decision and have the mental strength to deal with issues that my come your way.

Expect Failure:  Wait, what?  Yes.  Not every decision will be a great decision.  Not every risk will be a smart one.  The more you fail, the more it shows your willingness to keep trying and taking risks.  Would we like to avoid failure at all costs?  Sure.  But that would mean you are playing it pretty safe.

Celebrate the Successes:  Every single one of them.  It may be small successes for you, but its important to acknowledge your progress, no matter how small or slow it may be.

Let it Go:  I suffer from wanting to control things that are completely out of my control.  As a leader and entrepreneur, you have to let things go.  If not, you will spend precious time, energy and mental strength on things that cannot be changed.  Let it go.

I hope this has helped you!  Please let me know if you have other tips or advice for the mental state needed for entrepreneurs.

Recharge Your Marketing at the End of the Year

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I absolutely love celebrating the new year!  It is a great time to refocus andPlanning2 recharge, both professionally and personally. However, depending on your business or industry, marketing at the end of the year can be challenging. Below are a few suggestions for year-end marketing and how to get a jump on your new year.
Plan, plan, plan –  This is a great time to plan (and dream) for 2016.  Find time to get away by yourself or with your team and brainstorm on what you want to accomplish next year and begin planning it. There are a variety of marketing strategies and items you can be planning, ranging from content to advertising to social media.  For example, if you have a blog or podcast, now is a great time to plan out your content for at least the first half of 2016.
Trends – What are the top trends for 2016 in your industry?  As you are planning, think of how you can maximize that knowledge.  Perhaps as an article that you pitch to the media or as a blog on your website.  Establishing yourself as a thought leader by discussing trends is a great marketing and client development tactic.
Lessons – The end of the year is also a great time to review the year and highlight the lessons learned in various industries.  Not only can you discuss the future and what is to come, it is also a great time to review what happened and the lessons learned.
Recycle content that works – Highlight your top ten posts, blogs, videos or quotes.  Often people are busy and tired at the end of the year, so this is a great way to still promote and market. Take a step back during the last few months of the year and re-evaluate your top-performing pieces of content. Recycling content or repackaging it in a new way can be a great way to get more out of what you’ve already produced. 
Surveys – Do you know what your audience is thinking about?  Were they pleased with your company or organization?  What are THEIR goals for the new year?  What disappointed them in 2015?  Take this time to KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE – a critical piece to any marketing or client development plan.
New Year Gifts – If you missed getting cards or client gifts out for Christmas, you can also reach out for the New Year.  This is a great time to reconnect with clients and find out what they are working on for the new year.
Remember… the end of year and the new year are excellent times to refocus and market your brand, your organization or company. If you need assistance with your marketing strategy for 2016, please contact me at [email protected]

Does Your Organization Have Raving Fans?

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I had the wonderful privilege of visiting the corporate headquarters of Chick-fil-A yesterday.  As we all know, this company, from top to bottom, sets the bar for exceptional customer service. It was both an honor and overwhelming to take in all the wisdom that was shared regarding their philosophy on honoring others and providing excellent client service.  Each philosophy was steeped in spiritual nuggets and life truths.

Transferring all that wisdom and knowledge into another business model can be challenging, however, it is absolutely

necessary if you want to grow your business/organization and differentiate yourself in the marketplace. If your entity is struggling to grow, take a look at how you and your staff provide service to visitors and clients.

It is easy to think that if you have a great product or service, client service is not very important.  This is unequivocally wrong.  I have seen many small business owners think that because they have a great service they can be rude or not take good care of their clients. Having a great product, service or worship experience may create a satisfied client or member, but it will not guarantee a raving fan.

According to the NY Times, did you know that 83% of satisfied customers will not tell others about your service or product.  This is not a raving fan.  A raving fan will pay full price for your service and then run and tell others about it.  How many of your clients and customers are doing that?

Raving fans directly affect the bottom line of an organization.  If you are not systematically finding ways to create them, you are leaving money and resources on the table.  This is not an easy process.  It requires you and your staff to go above and beyond . . .every single time. It requires you to see your business/organization from the eyes and needs of the client or customer.  It is also critical to create emotional connections and know the real needs of your clients. In addition, creating raving fans is more than great customer service, it is providing the client/customer/member with more than they expected.

What is that one thing that could differentiate your business and service?  Something that shows you have gone above and beyond their expectations?

If you are not creating raving fans or providing exceptional client service, please allow me to help you implement this in your marketing strategy.  Contact me and let me help you connect the dots