Shotcallers #34 - May 2022 by Shotcallers

Three Questions with Women Who Lead

MotivationandSuccess.com May 2022 FREE

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Welcome to this month’s very special issue with the best-selling authors from the book series, “Women Who Lead!” This month I had the honor to sit down and connect with 12 of the amazing ladies from the two-part book series! You can find all of these ladies and many more in either Vol.I or Vol.II of the series, “Women Who Lead” today! Each of these amazing women were asked three questions during the interviews regarding their experience as authors and women in business. I can not tell you how extraordinary these answers were from each lady, and to learn from them was something I am very grateful for today! After you are finished reading the interviews, we have a lot in store to help small businesses find their voice and power! Find out the effective steps to a sales letter, how to organically grow your Instagram account, how to get ahead through clever management tactics even when you are small, and even learn the most effective guidelines to follow when marketing for your small business! b Clara This issue also comes with an article written by, Capano where she will share how to make the most out of the time that you are given as a busy working woman in today’s world! https://motivationandsuccess.com/shotcallers/

May

Three Questions with Women Who Lead pg. 4

Mental Health Awareness Month Military Appreciation Month Employee Health & Fitness Month National Pet Month National Barbecue Month National Blood Pressure Month

8 Steps to an Effective Sales Letter - pg. 18 How to Organically Grow Your Instagram Account - pg. 24 Managing Individuals: How Small Businesses Can Get ahead through Clever Management - pg. 27

May 1 - May Day May 5 - Cinco de Mayo (US) May 8 - Mother’s Day May 30 - Memorial Day (US)

8 Guidelines for Effective Small Business Marketing in 2022 - pg. 29

2nd - International Harry Potter Day 2nd - Brothers and Sisters Day 3rd - Teacher Appreciation Day 4th - Star Wars Day 5th - Hoagie Day 6th - Nurses Day 7th - Fitness Day 9th - Women’s Checkup Day 10th - Shrimp Day 10th - Clean Your Room Day

10 Tips to Write Effective B2B Customer Case Studies - pg. 33 How to make the most of your time as a Busy Working Woman - pg. 37 Fun Facts- pg. 38 Infographic: A Current Cyber Secuirty Snapshot - pg. 39

June Great Outdoors Month Men’s Health Month Pride Month Oral Health Month Safety Month

To your business, Dennis M. Postema Founding Editor & CEO P.S. Want to get a back issue or help a friend sign up for a FREE Shotcaller subscription? Visit our website today!

June 14 - Flag Day (US) June 19 - Father’s Day June 21 - First Day of Summer (US)

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11th - Technology Day 11th - Eat What You Want Day 13th - Fair Trade Day 13th - Apple Pie Day 15th - International Family Day 15th - Chocolate Chip Day 15th - Peace Officers Memorial Day 16th - Mimosa Day 16th - Love a Tree Day 16th - Barbecue Day 20th - NASCAR Day 20th - Bike to Work Day 20th - Endangered Species Day 20th - Rescue Dog Day 21st - Whisky Day 21st - Armed Forces Day 24th - Brother’s Day 25th - Missing Children’s Day 25th - Senior Health & Fitness Day 25th - Wine Day 26th - Ascension Day 28th - Brisket Day

1st - Go Barefoot Day 1st - Global Running Day 1st - Say Something Nice Day 2nd - Leave The Office Early Day 3rd - Donut Day 4th - Cheese Day 4th - Trails Day 5th - World Environment Day 5th - Cancer Survivor’s Day 7th - Animal Rights Day

8th - World Oceans Day 8th - Best Friends Day 9th - Donald Duck Day 11th - Corn on the Cob Day 12th - Loving Day 14th - World Blood Donor Day 14th - Bourbon Day 15th - Nature Photography Day 15th - Worldwide Day of Giving 16th - Fudge Day 16th - Career Nursing Assistants’ Day 19th - Martini Day 19th - Juneteenth 21st - World Day of Music 24th - Take Your Dog to Work Day 26th - Food Truck Day 27th - PTSD Awareness Day 27th - Sunglasses Day 28th - Insurance Awareness Day 30th - Meteor Watch Day 30th - Social Media Day

Three Questions with Women Who Lead Three Questions with Women Who Lead In 2021, frequent guest and friend of the magazine Dr. Izdihar Jamil released her new book, “Women Who Lead: Timeless Life, Career, and Business Secrets from Inspiring Women Around the World.” Within days of its release, the book was a number one national bestseller.

offer. After publishing and seeing some sales success, I realized that, first and foremost, writing a book is an act of service. It’s my legacy, it’s my words. I saw that my success happens when other people rise with me.

Dennis: What is the biggest adversity you overcame as a woman in business or just This month, we’re profiling as a human being in twelve of the women in the business? book. We’ll kick it off with our longtime friend, Dr. Izdihar: I grew up in Izdihar Jamil. Malaysia, so being a Malay, I was one of the Izdihar Jamil majority in the country. So I had the confidence Dr. Izdihar Jamil is a media expert and everything. But then and a twelve-time, number one when I moved to America, bestselling author. Her passion is I suddenly had the media helping women share their voices saying negative things on prestigious platforms without about me, and there was prejudice. this preconceived notion that really knocked down Dennis Postema: What my confidence. changed for you once you became a number I shared in my chapter, one international there was a moment when bestselling author? someone knocked on our door and my young Dr. Izdihar Jamil: Where do daughter and I opened I start? When I was writing it and there was a bag of my first book, I was sad, dog waste right on our thinking I’m not good doorstep. My daughter enough, wondering who was asking, “Mommy, would listen to me and Mommy, why do this to thinking I had nothing to us?” Like, what can you

I lost myself in the preconceived notions of others.

say? We just came from a different country—did we make the worst mistake of our lives? Another time, I went to Whole Foods to get some dates and this other shopper, a middleaged white guy, says, “Are you Muslim?” I answered that I was, and he said, “Well, I have read the Quran,” and he says that, “Killing in the name of Islam is permissible. Are you gonna blow yourself up?” It’s those little things, coming from being in the majority to hearing, “No, you’re wrong, you’re different.” I mean, I look different, anyhow, with my colorful hijab and my tan—I have a glowing California tan. Eventually,

before my TED Talk, my coach—he used to be an NFL player and his brother was a quarterback The moment I discovered in the NFL—he said, that who I am is enough, “Izzy, if you commit to that I should stop being relentless practice, your apologetic for being life will be predictable.” different, that I could be That’s what I did on my unapologetic of the truth TED Talk. Every day, over of who I am and how I was and over and over and raised, that is what helped over again. Practice with me to overcome this myself, practice with preconceived notion that my coach, practice with people have about me. people. I would interview I love my family, family’s people, then ask if they important to me. I care had 10 minutes so I could about other people. I care practice my TED Talk. about each of the ladies Over and over and over who contributed to the and over and over again. book. I was raised to take Because relentless practice care of people like family. is going to make my life That’s the biggest thing predictable. that I’ve learned: who you are is enough, and I have I cannot be an NFL player, the right to be here and I’m not built like an NFL be really unapologetic player, and there’s no way about this. I’m going to wear those bulky things and tights Dennis: What advice running around the field. would you give a But I am a champion. I young entrepreneur fight for championship. I or a younger version fight for people. The thing of yourself if you were that makes it happen is starting over? not on the championship Izdihar: If I knew then what day. On the championship day, you just run. So that’s I know now … I don’t my biggest tip: relentless think I’d tell them to do practice. it. Do you know what I mean? This is so scary, so Learn more about Izdihar big, can they handle it? on her website, https:// I think what I would tell my www.izdiharjamil.com. younger self is: relentless practice. I remember

Sara M. Ruda Two-time international bestselling author Sara M. Ruda has been featured in “Business Innovators” magazine and many podcasts. Her focus is on trying to help people build and rebuild their self-confidence through outdoor experiences. Dennis: What has changed in your life since becoming a number one international bestselling author? Sara M. Ruda: In my first book, I told the big story of what I’ve been through. In this one, I highlighted what it was like to deal with critics and how to move past them. It’s given me a huge boost of confidence, being able to reach out to people who need hope and need that motivation that they can do what they think is impossible. I have had people from all over the place talking to me, getting a hold of me. Izdihar has been such a huge inspiration for me, I would not be here without her. The biggest change right now is just the positive light that everybody puts out in this group. Everybody supports each other, and when you have that in

your tight group, you’re able to help others and give it to others. Dennis: What is the biggest adversity you either overcame as a woman in business or just as a human being in business? Sara: I think one of my biggest challenges was myself. I was working in the medical field in Georgia as a paramedic at the time, and I would run these calls on domestic violence, and I would do everything I could to get them to report it, to take them to safe houses, that kind of stuff. For a bit, I thought, “I don’t get why they don’t do this or that.” Then I became involved in a violent relationship, and it all clicked. I thought, “Oh, I get it now.” There was a point in there where I

drew the line.

Little things like that.

stronger.

From that point on, I abide by one of my quotes that I put in the book, “I live by choice, not by chance.” We all have control over what we do with our lives, and when you’re put in those violent situations, you’re made to feel that you’ve lost all control.

I finally started building up my confidence again, and I thought that other people need to know that they aren’t the only ones going through this. That it is possible to push through this and prosper afterward. Thrive. Not just be there. For a long time, it was my own mental block, and then I found a greater purpose for myself. I’ve always been in the medical field, so it’s always been naturally instinctive for me to want to help others. What better way to help others than to give them hope and to help find them the ways to get through what they think is impossible?

There’s a couple things in my past that I could regret, but you just move on from that, use that as a stepping stone. It doesn’t do you any good to look back on the negatives, unless you are using it in a positive way to make yourself better now. You have to make everything as positive as possible for yourself, because you’re the only one who will. It all starts in your own head. You are the only one who has control of your own thoughts and how you make yourself feel. The only way someone could make you mad is if you let them make you mad. Someone could only make you feel bad if you value that opinion enough to let them make you feel bad.

When I decided to move halfway across the country, there’s a fear factor, right? But fear isn’t always a bad thing. It motivates us, pushes us, makes us better people, and it shows us that we’re aware of the level of what we’re going through. We can’t grow, we can’t get better, we can’t improve if we don’t have that level of fear that we are willing to Dennis: What advice cross over. would you give either a young entrepreneur That violent relationship or a younger version was my breaking point, of yourself if you were and that’s where I really starting over? started to flourish. Then I ended up going through Sara: Let go of regret. these battles on learning Everything that we’ve how to be a person again, been through and and remembering what I everything that is yet to liked and what I want to come is there for a reason. do and who I am and who When people turn you I was growing up. I was big down or say no and you on just doing little things, think, “What could I have like writing down what done differently? Did I not you like to do. Writing pitch it right?” The most down things that you you can do is just learn actually like about yourself. from it and let it make you

a bad thing, but it has to come from the people that want to see you be your best and who have the best intentions for you. Find Sara Ruda on Instagram @ TheNebraskaHuntress, on Twitter @ SaraMRudaCoach, or on her website, www. saramruda.com.

in the world, such as becoming a contributor to other magazines. The way people see me now is more in line with who I know I am as a leader.

In “Women Who Lead,” I share my journey around self-worth. I used to be somebody who faked it till I made it. I hated myself, but you never would’ve known that by looking Amber Howard at me. This still comes as quite a shock to many Amber Howard is an instructor for people in my life because the University of Toronto, where no one would’ve seen me she teaches business analysis, that way, and that caused change management and project so much disconnection management. An expert in to people and limited my mindset and business strategy, ability to really express my Sara hosts a podcast called “What full love for people in the Would Amber Do?” where she world.

interviews leaders who are out to make a difference. Sharing that story, part

of what I’m out to do is Dennis: What has normalize for people that changed in your this is a human experience. So you have to let go of life since becoming By sharing my journey to your regrets and have a number one loving myself, by sharing confidence in yourself and international bestselling the things that I’ve learned what your true abilities author? along the way, it does are, because every failure, become an inspiration for every “no,” every hard Amber Howard: I think other people, and it gives experience makes you for me, it’s twofold: One, them permission to share a stronger and better how my life has changed as well, because we live in person if you use it and since doing the book a world that tells us that you look at the ways that project with Izdihar and it’s not okay to experience it will teach you—to move these incredible women. shame, it’s not okay to not on, how to interact with From a credibility point be okay, it’s not okay to different people, how to of view, there are new not be happy. be better either at your job opportunities to make a or speaking or listening. difference and have the The more we can Constructive criticism isn’t impact I want to have authentically share our

journeys to get to today without having to hide the parts of ourselves that we think are not acceptable, the more other people are freed up to be able to do that themselves.

past. Up until 2016, when I really started my journey of personal development, I was a powerful person. I’d overcome a lot, but I was living my life from that place of survival and overcoming. To be able to Dennis: What is the get in the driver’s seat of biggest adversity you your own mind and really either overcame as a get everything that you woman in business or want, you have to be the just as a human being in one to say, clearly, what business? you want, authentically— not based on what society Amber: If I look back at the tells you, based on what arc of my life, there has been a lot of trauma. I was a teenage mom with two kids who got out of an abusive relationship. I’m the daughter of two parents who survived generational trauma and childhood abuse. I could be like, “The greatest thing that I overcame was all of that,” but it really had nothing to do with those events. your culture or your The biggest thing that parents or peer group says I had to overcome on you should want, but what my journey to be an you authentically want for entrepreneur were the yourself and your life. barriers that I put up about life. The view I had Then, you have to believe about life inside my own it’s possible, because mind. I believe that we everything gets created are always creating our twice: first in our mind, life, either from a place and then in reality. You of choice, based on what have to be willing and it is that we want, or by have the courage to speak default based on our into existence the life that experiences from the you say you want, and that

takes courage, especially when we live in a world where we’re constantly told what isn’t possible, what you can’t have, what the limits are, what the boundaries are.

human beings—and it’s no one’s fault, it’s part of the human condition. We turn people into objects: “Amber’s driven. She’s nice. She’s rebellious.” We create these identities and then we relate and it starts in childhood. But when you understand that there’s no fixed way that you are, that every way of being is available to you, you could then get out and plan life. We don’t teach our children about being. We are human beings. We teach our children about having and doing; we do not teach our children about what it is to be. And that is an access to creating the life that you want.

Oftentimes, those conversations about what’s not possible come from a good place—a place of love. Parents telling their kids not to become a musician because there’s no money in it or not to be an actor or that they should get a certain type of job because that’s safe. It’s all well-meaning, it’s just existing networks of conversation that keep getting passed on in the guise of tradition. There’s nothing wrong with tradition—there’s some really beautiful things about tradition. But when we use tradition as a reason why we can’t have what we want in life, then it becomes another barrier, and we’re the only ones who keep perpetuating that. So, to me, when you ask that question, “What’s the biggest challenge I overcame?” It was my own mind and my own set of limiting beliefs about who I was. I believe that we objectify people as

Dennis: What advice would you give either a young entrepreneur or a younger version of yourself if you were starting over?

points—with shame, which has us separate and disconnect from one another. Don’t allow your fear of what might happen to stop you from reaching out to community and asking for support, because what you will discover on the other side is you are surrounded by eight billion people who all, as part of their own shared experience of humanity, want to contribute. That’s what it is to be a human being. You are surrounded by people who want to contribute, and they can’t contribute if they don’t know you need support or care. So ask for help. Don’t be the lone wolf.

I believe that everything is energy, and energy has to flow. I used to give all of this energy out to other people because I loved doing it, and there was a part of me that wondered Amber: You’re not alone, why none of it came back. and don’t make your life It’s because I was blocking harder than it needs to be. it. Because no one ever You are surrounded. knew that Amber needed anything. Because Amber Up until January 2020, I had everything covered had a hidden belief that and Amber was fine and my asking for help was she’s got this. How can shameful. Not anyone the energy flow back to else’s. We are hardwired me if I don’t ever let the for love, connection, and people around me know belonging, and yet we are that there’s anything that consumed—at different they could contribute

to me? Create reciprocal relationships, allow contribution in, ask for help. To find out more about Amber, visit her website at amberhowardinc. com, or listen to her podcast by visiting whatwouldamberdo.com.

Gaby Puma Gaby Puma is a spiritual coach, missionary and international number one bestselling author. She offers her clients in-depth reconnection to their most elevated spiritual high self. Dennis: What has changed since becoming a number one international bestselling author? Gaby Puma: My chapter in the book talks about radical self-forgiveness from my Indigenous perspective. I am blessed that I was born with such a heritage, so I go about elevating everybody’s voice. Elevating through the book to become united, creating the inner peace that is needed in this moment to be continually healing, growing, evolving and elevating each other.

Dennis: What is the biggest adversity you either overcame as a woman in business or just as a human being in business?

inner peace. Now, I warily and consciously choose to create from this space, rather than perpetuating all that is already bust in our world. So, it is thanks to my people who gifted me my most ancient spiritual connection that I stand here, on the shoulders of our ancestors, shining the light—a beacon of hope—for all of us.

Dennis: What advice would you give either a young entrepreneur or a younger version Gaby: What did I not experience in this journey? of yourself if you were starting over? All the shades of what humanity goes through Gaby: Believe in yourself. on the beautiful path of Through and through and entrepreneurship—all of through and through. that societal education Believe in yourself, persist releasing in a sense of unbecoming and learning and create big in the mind. Believe so deeply to rediscover who you in yourself. It is you. It has are. When that moment always been you. It will happens, the universe always be you. The world opens up, and you are in that you are dreaming this state of being where of, the career, the joyous, you are super aware of prosperous life, it’s you. It is what you want to create. always you. As a person with Visit Gaby and learn more Indigenous roots, whose people have experienced about her work by going to her website, www. a tremendous amount thelighteningofhope.com. of abuse and violence in every form, I am blessed to see every powerhouse of Michelle Mehta our leaders’ ambition. I’m blessed to be able through Michelle Mehta is a TEDx speaker this lens of love, hope and and three-time international 10

bestselling author who has been

featured on Yahoo! Finance, ABC and Fox. Michelle supports women and teenagers in owning their confidence and allowing them to go after their dreams.

a TEDx speaker, I also got rid of imposter syndrome, which had been hindering my growth, because I wanted to go and become a life coach, a speaker, and help other people, but it was frowned upon. Because there was not enough money, there was not enough knowledge, there was not enough expertise. Now that I have books with my name on them—literally with my name on them—it totally removed the idea of “You can’t do it,” because it’s almost like taking me as I am or watching me as I go. I took me as I am and I flew far, far, far away on to one of the biggest platforms on this planet, which is the TEDx platform.

Dennis: What has changed since becoming a number one international bestselling author? Michelle Mehta: Going from not being an author to being one means all of a sudden, you become the subject matter expert. “Women Who Lead” was my third international bestseller, all three of which took place during the pandemic. The journey I discuss in “Women Who Lead” is about how I became a TEDx speaker. When I was sixteen years old, I wanted to be a motivational speaker. In the Indian community, motivational speaking means going into sales and corporate America and selling products and services for other people and making their dreams come true. So what about our own dreams? That’s where motivational speaking and keynote speaking comes in. Through my journey, not only was I able to become

Dennis: What is the biggest adversity or problem you overcame in business?

be working in corporate America. Your personality has great management skills. What are you doing being an entrepreneur? Why are you taking this route? Do it when you have money. Do it when you can. Do it, like, five I decided to break away years from now. Nothing’s from this inherited pressure and go down the going to go away.” I thanked them for their entrepreneurial route in 2018 after getting laid off feedback and told them that if I didn’t create a the third time under the age of 30. The first thing I strong foundation now, I wouldn’t be able to do it. did was hire a life coach. Not only did I hire a life In 2020 I applied for TEDx. I coach, I hired a business applied to five places. One coach. I told my family, “I person came back, we had finished my certification, one conversation, and I I’m out of a job, I’m not got the audition. It was going back to corporate. an unheard-of situation. I’m going to go and become an entrepreneur Because you have to do and hire a business coach.” a two-minute video, fill out an application, and they go through rounds My family was like, “But and rounds of interviews you’re losing all your before they select you. I capabilities. You should had one call, and I got the congratulations email.

Michelle: It totally piggybacks off of the imposter syndrome—it’s comparison syndrome. Growing up in the Indian community, we were always worried about what society (family, friends and neighbors) would say. Hasan Minhaj pointed this out in his Netflix show [“Homecoming King”]

I took my own advice and invested in myself. I didn’t go buy that great Gucci or Louis Vuitton bag, but I did hire that expensive coach and it got me on TV, in books, and it got me on to being a TEDx speaker. At the end of the day, it’s about how much weight are you going to put on other people to determine your dreams? Last time I

where he said, “The Indian people are so caught up in the ‘what will people say’ that they stopped taking action.” Even if they had dreams, they are ashamed of that dream.

checked, I don’t have any strings above me. I’m not a puppet. Nobody can control us. Not even the universe, because there’s no strings attached to us. Dennis: What advice would you give either a young entrepreneur or a younger version of yourself if you were starting over? Michelle: Take the “no” as a next opportunity.

a double-door refrigerator. There’s opportunities. Visit Michelle at her website, michellemehta. com.

Janis Schiffner Janis Schiffner is an international bestselling author, leader, achiever, speaker and coach who focuses on positivity and resilience.

Dennis: What changed for you once you In the entrepreneurial became a number one space, if they say “no,” you international bestselling when things were very different than they are just say, “Next opportunity.” author? now. There was so much That is what salespeople sexism, it’s almost hard do. They always go back Janis Schiffner: This to describe it because of and say, “If a door slams experience has been one how awful it really was. in your face, it’s okay, just of the most extraordinary I’m delighted to say that pick up the phone and of my life. Thanks to Izdihar the world is a much more call again. Pick up the and this rocket launch evolved place now. We phone and call again.” I of an opportunity, I feel still have work to do, but was a telemarketer at a like I’ve been catapulted we’re making strides in time when no one wanted into a new dimension the right direction. So not to be a telemarketer, so of opportunity by having to see womanhood I’ve been that “no as a establishing friendships as a liability has been the yes” type of person, and I with like-minded people. greatest change, and I would encourage people I believe anything see it now as something to continue to do that, is possible. I would that is empowering and because you don’t know recommend this journey impactful, and we have an what’s on the other side if to anyone. extraordinary story to tell. you don’t go explore. If you’re at home and Dennis: What is the Dennis: What advice you’re quarantined, you biggest adversity you would you give either have no idea what’s in overcame as a woman a young entrepreneur the refrigerator if you’ve in business or just or a younger version never left the bedroom. as a human being in of yourself if you were When you go down to the business? starting over? kitchen, you actually have Jan: I started working

Jan: You’re on a heroine’s journey, and when heroines go on a journey, sometimes they have to fight dragons and sometimes there are huge storms, but you just keep going, no matter what. Be resilient, be able to pivot, never quit—just put one foot in front of the other until life is just extraordinary.

Dennis: What has changed in your life since becoming a number one international bestselling author?

Monica Ward: This is my second bestseller. The first I co-authored with Izdihar. Being a bestselling author gives instant credibility. Beautiful relationships are formed—the camaraderie You can reach out to Jan with these amazing on LinkedIn at Jan Schiffer. women has been life changing. Speaking engagements have come Monica Ward up from all over the world. Monica Ward is an Dennis: What is the international bestselling biggest adversity you author and co-author of overcame as a woman the book, “She Made It Happen.” A transformation in business or just as a human being in coach, empath, medical intuitive, Reiki master, PGI business? consultant, entrepreneur Monica: One of the and high-profile success coach, Monica tackles the biggest adversities is what I wrote about in “Women difficult subject of how Who Lead.” My kids and I losing everything opens us up to creating our ideal were once woken up in the middle of the night life. to a house fire, and it was intense. I always feared being in a house fire in the middle of the night, but being in the middle of it, it’s not as bad as one would think, because adrenaline kicks in. We lost everything in that fire. It allowed us to understand loss, and it gave me the opportunity to script out

what I wanted my life to look like, so I started focusing on that, and I have that life now. Dennis: What advice would you give either a young entrepreneur or a younger version of yourself if you were starting over? Monica: You’ll fall in and out of things that will use your gifts, and it may feel like you have a tiny piece of chaos or disturbance within you all the time, but you’re searching for your ultimate purpose. It’s the journey that matters, not the destination. I’ve always had this push-and-pull of being creative versus being analytical, like with my telecommunications role versus being an energy healer. My ultimate purpose was the journey that I’ve taken to get to where I am. Find out more on Monica’s website, monicawardhealer.com.

being a victim of bullying. Sometimes people don’t think they can overcome difficult times, so sharing my story is about making a difference and showing people that you can come out on top. I’ve opened and sold three companies, starting from the bottom every time. You have to have passion, follow what you really believe in, and push through heartache.

Sarah P. Antonella Sarah P. Antonella owns an import-export business that services the government and large corporations. She is passionate about sharing her experience as a woman and minority business owner in her space.

Dennis: What is the biggest adversity you either overcame as a woman in business or just as a human being in business?

I close deals on the phone with new clients so they don’t know what I look like. After we’ve done a couple deals, if they suggest we meet up, I agree, because I know they are basing the request off my work results.

Import Genius,” and he was shocked. He said, “No, I never knew, we’re old school, this is foreign to us.” His company had been in his family for generations.

Charlene Helm and Noelle McGough are virtual life event managers and business consultants at The CQ Event Agency. Together, they help social and spiritual entrepreneurs attract more clients, expand their influence and create connected online communities using virtual events.

The upside of being young and thinking outside of that box and that structure is proving to other people that you can talk to me like that, but I’ll probably blow your socks off with the Dennis: What has knowledge that I have. changed in your life since becoming Dennis: What advice a number one would you give either international bestselling a young entrepreneur author? or a younger version of yourself if you were Charlene Helm: It’s really starting over? about the inspiration that Sarah: Persevere and lean it offers others, because they get to see that we on God. said yes to ourselves and took the risk of stepping He’s been my biggest out of our comfort zone cheerleader through to fall into a process, to everything. I’m an output our work out there, to of-the-box thinker, so I haven’t had a partnership put ourselves out there, with anyone I can relate to, to be visible, to allow our so I lean on God and know message to be heard. By doing that, it gives other that I can get through it. people the permission to I like to have my deep, interpersonal “best friend” do that for themselves. To talks with Him—He’s there help people to live their life forward like that is the for me all the time. most meaningful thing Learn more about Sarah ever, and if we can be a P. on her Instagram: @ part of that experience, to SarahPAntonella. show other people what’s possible for them, too, then that’s amazing.

Sexism and racism are still out there. Being in a corporate space, you deal with it constantly. I still need to overcome that aspect if I meet clients: Are they going to look at me differently because of the way I look?

Recently, at the bank, the Sarah: My biggest trial is employee said, “Oh, you’re trying to avoid meeting twenty-one or twenty-two, people in person. It I’m sure,” and I said, “No, sounds funny, because you have my ID, I’m in my my social media is my thirties.” I look young, yes. image and I love to Yes, I’m dressed in sweats. Dennis: What has inspire people, but on It was a holiday weekend, changed in your the business front, most but you can’t judge me life since becoming people I meet don’t take because of my appearance a number one and because I’m a woman. international bestselling me seriously, whether because I look young or I feel like even at the bank, author? because I’m a woman. if I were a man going in there with a complaint, Sarah P. Antonella: I’ve had One client put his hand on my thigh, and I asked they would’ve taken me a my own book that was a top bestseller on Amazon him, “What are you doing?” lot more seriously. and am working on a Wall He told me, “I’m just being I was teaching a client Street Journal book. All of friendly. We’re talking.” I said, “No, we’re not just import-export, and people it always has to do with talking. You’re buying a don’t realize all the tools inspiring other people product from me, and I’m they can use to top their through my journey— supplying it to you. That’s competitors. I told him, not only as a minority all this is.” “You can check all your business owner, but also competitors’ info just on

Charlene Helm and Noelle McGough

Noelle McGough:

First of all, we’ve had opportunities arise after we wrote this book. We’ve been asked to be on different people’s platforms, and it is such an honor to encourage others to surround themselves with collaborative partners and say yes to themselves. Since the book launched, I’ve received messages about how I’ve encouraged people to step out and maybe contribute to a chapter of a book, or to write their own book. People have been inspired by us doing that, and that’s been very humbling and fun. Dennis: What is the biggest adversity you either overcame as a woman in business or just as a human being in business? Charlene: For me, it’s really been the lesson of adversity can be your advantage. It’s your best teacher and the clue to finding your purpose. I believe the key is in all

the pain you’ve suffered through. If you look there, how can you carry it forward in a way that helps other people not trip? That’s what helped me follow my yes forward. You need to find the courage within to follow your own path forward. Don’t get caught up in that comparison trap. Live a life lit up, rather than burnt out, trying to figure out things all by yourself and living somebody else’s vision, maybe for a life that wasn’t meant for you to begin with. Everybody’s uniquely gifted with skills and tools to manage the adversity, so if you look back at the bread crumbs, what has led you to where you are now, and what are you supposed to be doing with it?

anyway, we immediately introduce ourselves and then the follow-up question is, “What do you do?” You need to identify as something that you do, instead of who you are. In other cultures, it’s not so, but when you grow up within that structure, you feel like you need to be doing something, not I was inspired by a podcast some things. on “Advance Your Reach,” where somebody asked, Dennis: What advice “What is it that people would you give either come to you for?” My a young entrepreneur answer was brainstorming or a younger version businesses with people, of yourself if you were because I get excited starting over? about business and Charlene: Follow your people’s passions. passion, seek wise When I looked back over mentors—because they’re the course of my career, going to hold that belief as I realized that I’ve been you step into it—and trust created to empower other yourself. You’re capable people through their of much more than businesses, to believe in you could ever possibly Noelle: I would say I now them when they may not imagine. proudly identify as a be able to. serial entrepreneur, but Noelle: Find your tribe for a long time, I felt like Like Charlene said, of people, and if it I should be operating your adversity is often doesn’t come easily to within a box, because the thing that ends up you, keep searching, I didn’t think that serial strengthening you and because they’re out there. entrepreneurship was a that you’re able to help Surround yourself with thing, or that if I wasn’t other people with. So like-minded people who focused on just one thing, getting out of the box and will give you the belief and then I was too complacent being very free outside encouragement to follow or distracted. That box of the box, I’m able to your dreams. existed in my school encourage and empower and home growing up, people to operate outside If you’re feeling alone, where I felt like I needed of the box they may have keep seeking those to operate within the placed themselves in. I people, because they do confines of the four walls think in Western culture, exist.

Follow Charlene and Noelle on social media, @ thechallengequeens, or visit their website, www. thechallengequeens.com.

of this box, and I had to become something or be really talented at something. I couldn’t go after multiple things. I started getting caught in the comparison trap, and I thought I wasn’t consistent or committed enough, I wasn’t enough being created how I was.

Francisca: I’m in South America now, and my biggest adversity has been dreaming big despite my surroundings. I’m a very open-minded person, and when I lived in Europe, Francisca Garcés it was a whole different world. It takes a lot of Francisca Garcés is an resilience and courage English confidence coach to surround yourself who created a program with big dreamers. As a for non-native English teenager, I went through speakers to improve their anxiety and depression grasp on the language a lot, and I’ve been without leaving their surrounded by limiting home country. beliefs from my family. We’re a traditional society, Dennis: What has and I’m unconventional changed in your life and creative, which is since becoming basically the opposite of a number one the societal expectations international bestselling in my country. author? Being part of amazing Francisca Garcés: I haven’t projects and social media even absorbed it yet. and connecting with It sounds crazy, but it amazing people has been instantly gave me more life changing, and I don’t confidence, and that’s think everyone could do what achieving big goals that. gets you: self-confidence. I come from a country I started reading more with limited beliefs around books and imitating what’s possible, but I’ve others’ thoughts. I always been a dreamer, so loved “Everything is I said, “Let’s do it.” And I did Figureoutable” by Marie it. Forleo, and I followed every step. That changed Dennis: What is the my mind, and I began biggest adversity you being mentored by either overcame as a amazing mentors. woman in business or just as a human being in There’s so much value in education, and I feel that business? the city I live in doesn’t

value education enough, and it pains me, because they’re missing out on a lot. I know I’m valuable, as we all are. I know what I have to offer is valuable. If you’re willing to spend a lot of money on material stuff, you can do it, but if you’re willing to do that and you’re not willing to invest in yourself, you’re missing out. Dennis: What advice would you give either a young entrepreneur or a younger version of yourself if you were starting over? Francisca: I would say, be stubborn as crap. Surround yourself with big dreamers and be stubborn. It doesn’t matter if they’re your friends or your family, they love you, but you have to be stubborn. Find out more about Francisca on Facebook: @ englishtothrive.

to write a compelling, effective sales letter.

8 Steps to an Effective Sales Letter Writing copy that converts is an essential skill that all marketers should have. For anyone running their own online business, this is a skill that many never develop, which can lead to two different outcomes: they either have to spend extra money outsourcing to a good copywriter, or their business flounders because their landing pages don’t convert as they should. To put it bluntly, your marketing funnel is like a leaky bucket if you don’t know how

The process is simple: your sales letter must highlight the pain points your target Whether you’re trying customer is suffering from, to turn visitors into leads show them a solution, or turn those leads into highlight the benefits of customers, the sales your product or service, letter is the all-important and weave a compelling link between them. No story. No, you don’t have matter how good your to have majored in the arts products are, or, if you’re or creative writing to tell a an affiliate, no matter how story. Mankind is an innate much you believe in the storyteller, and when products your promoting, working on a sales letter, if you can’t convince your you don’t have to possess prospects of that, it’s all for the writing skills of your naught. As such, your copy favorite novelists to grip must be more convincing your audience. than all your other Step 1: Brainstorming marketing. when your Mastering this skill will not Remember high school English only help you build your teacher insisted that you email list and make sales before writing or commissions, but it will brainstorm your essays? That wasn’t also help you write your just to pile on more work, ads, meaning spending it was to make sure your less on pay-per-view or was polished pay-per-click traffic if that’s writing and comprehensive. your primary source of Brainstorming is also a leads. great way to find the to write a Lucky for you, good copy inspiration complete sales letter. isn’t some mysterious skill that only those born So, what you want to do under a certain star sign or is grab a blank sheet of with a silver spoon in their paper, although there is mouth can learn. No, it can also software for this if you be learned by anyone! It really don’t like doing it by might take some practice, hand. Print the name of as few skills are learned your product right in the overnight, but you won’t middle of it, then draw a have to pay freelancers circle around it. This is the forever if you take the time main topic of your sales to learn the process. letter, which should always

be your product. Every bit of the letter should orbit around your product in some way, and this mind map will help you keep it that way. Now, branch out and write the number one problem your product solves, circle it, then draw a line from your product to it. If your product solves multiple problems, focus on just one or two so that you don’t overwhelm your prospects. Next, branch out and write down the benefits of your product. You can even write down your ideal customer avatar if you want, just to make sure this person is fresh in your mind as you go, but make sure not to link it back to your main product. Why? Because all of those circles you just made are going to be headlines in your sales letter. Here’s what you’ll want to focus on in your sales letter brainstorming mind map: • The problems it solves. • How it solves the problems, written as benefits. • Your story, which includes your struggle, triumph, and

willingness to help. • Social proof. • The offer and call-toaction. You can branch out as much as you want from these main categories or keep it as bare bones as you want. The important thing is to create a skeleton outline that you can reference as you write.

what our product purports to do, which is to teach people how to turn leads into buyers. There are a few things to keep in mind when you’re writing a catchy headline, though.

put them in the mood to solve that problem right now. Remember, your product is the solution, but you’d never pick up a book hoping to get the ending first. The ending doesn’t have an impact if you can’t experience the protagonist’s burning desires and hardships.

is aimed at marketers and solves a marketing problem without having to explicitly mention it by name.

Next, you reveal the benefit in a way that • Keep it short. doesn’t promise anything • Call directly and untrue. One of the best indirectly to your target. ways to do this is to use evocative language in • Emphasize a pain point either directly or your headline. If you can conjure up a visual image, indirectly. an emotion, or another • Highlight the main Step 2: The Main one of the senses, it’s benefits Headline extremely powerful. Again, • Use creative language referencing the example that engages the The main headline headline, words like “ice imagination. is possibly the most cold” and “sizzling hot” play important part of your with the imagination. These are the things that sales copy, as it’s the will get your prospects first impression, and Step 3: Point Out Their to continue through the you can’t overstate the Problem and Twist the sales letter. It should be first impression. To do Knife short and easy to scan this, your headline must over while emphasizing point to your product’s Your potential customers a pain point. You don’t biggest benefit (more have a burning problem. have to point out the pain detail on that in a bit) They may have two point directly; you can use without giving away the problems that go hand the solution to indirectly entire solution. The idea in hand, but you should bring attention to your is to generate curiosity never focus on too many customer’s main problem. by promising a solution at a time even if your to one of their pressing product solves many problems. problems. Try to keep it Your headline should down to one problem to also let the viewer know focus on if you can, two at Example: “Discover the 7 whether or not this Steps We Use to Turn Ice product is for them. If your most if they’re related to each other. Cold Leads into Sizzling headline starts out with Hot Buyers” “Calling all Doctors” then The most important thing you know an electrician is to twist the knife as you isn’t going to waste time The headline points to a do this. Make them feel pain point many marketers reading your sales copy. In the above example, it’s the pain and frustration as face (deadbeat leads) obvious that the product keenly as possible so as to while also pointing out

keenly feel the struggle. Step 4: Relate Through Your Story

Empathy is a trust builder, and if your customers know that you’ve felt the same pain points and solved them for yourself, they’ll be more likely to trust you as an To that end, you bring the authority. When most problem to their attention Internet marketers and and convince them that it business owners, both can’t be left alone. It won’t large and small, go into just solve itself, and the a specific niche that longer it plagues their life, provides solutions to the unhappier they’ll be. people, it’s because they know what it’s like For example, notice how to struggle themselves. weight loss programs They’ve struggled to turn focus on the lethal prospects into customers, statistics surrounding lose weight, learn that obesity and make it language, or build an personal by showing authority site. This not overweight people only makes them a true struggling to get thin authority but also gives and putting themselves them a story they can through a lot of pain at the use to build rapport with gym to get there, all to no others. avail. They emphasize how much they hate looking in Even if you’re an affiliate the mirror or hate going to marketer, promoting the beach. products that aren’t your own, the story of your All of this is done to own struggles and how make them primed for you found a product that the solution, whether made all the difference that’s a supplement or goes a long way in a personalized weight connecting with others. loss program. Focusing on the product from the Tell your own story with start doesn’t have the passion, letting your same impact; you need to potential customers know 21

that you, too, have been in their shoes and have tried all the things they’ve likely tried. You’re not some slimy hand reaching for their credit card, you’re a real person, and a credible one at that. Don’t skim over the struggle, either. Go into the details of how you lost sleep over your troubles, got into financial hardship, felt like you were letting yourself and others down, or even made a total fool of yourself. It makes the success all that more palpable, like getting to the end of a good book and realizing that the protagonist is going to triumph. People love stories, and humans are the ultimate storytellers. We use them to change minds, help people see things from another point of view, and even sell products and services. It’s an innate gift that everyone has, so use it to your advantage. Step 5: The Benefits By this point, you’ve twisted the knife and built rapport with your targets, but now you need to actually tell them how you’re going to solve their problem. This is

the solution, where you introduce your product or service, or at least the product or service you’re promoting.

head puts more force behind every blow.

By turning a feature into a benefit, you present solutions. As many people However, it’s important view features as extras to overcome one little they may not need, temptation that derails a they view benefits as lot of marketers and winds key elements in getting up hurting your sales, and them what they want that’s the temptation to faster and better than the play up every last feature. competition can. That’s the power of a solution. People don’t necessarily want features, they Again, using your want solutions. If your creativity, try to paint customer wants to drive a picture for them that a nail through a board, demonstrates how the they don’t care if you tell unique features of your them that you’re selling product will benefit them. a hammer with springIf you’re afraid of too loaded action and Wi-Fi much text in your sales capabilities. No, they just letter at this point, this is want to know that your a good place in your copy hammer will do a better to utilize bullet points. job than someone else’s. They’re easy to scan and digest without making To that end, if your your landing page look hammer has Wi-Fi like a textbook. capabilities and a springloaded head, you need Bullet points are also to turn those things into easier to remember than benefits. Benefits let the paragraphs of text, so customer know that if your prospect is just these features will help skimming the sales letter solve their problem more or gets to the end and efficiently. So, maybe the wants to go back and Wi-Fi capability in said reread some key points as hammer can bring up a they try to make up their video of a professional mind about a purchase, teaching you how to bullet points come in very pound a nail through handy. They stay in the in one or two swings. memory and are easy to Perhaps the spring-loaded find.

Step 6: Social Proof

people actually engage with you back.

Another great way to move people off the fence is by providing social proof. If you’re brand new and selling your own products or services, then social proof may be something you don’t have off the bat. If you really want it, you should consider offering your product for free to a few people in exchange for reviews. Regardless, social proof can be a real boost, and if you’re an affiliate, you can probably pull reviews from the product’s website or social media pages.

Step 7: The Offer and Call-to-Action

Finally, end the offer with a call-to-action (CTA). This Now you’re ready to tell is merely the last line or them what you expect two of text prompting to be paid for bringing the prospect to make a them this solution, and by purchase. While it may this time, they should be seem silly and obvious primed and ready. to the marketer that a potential customer should Start by telling them what know to do this, a simple the offer includes, but test run will always show don’t get bogged down in that these prompts really details. This is a great time do make a difference. to recap your solutions, and bullet points are again Remember to keep the a good use here. Make CTA simple, not a multisure they understand that step process. It should your product is unique be clear-cut and easy to and leave it at that. understand.

These testimonials can be screenshots or videos people have made, hopefully singing the praises of your product or service. Sometimes you can even provide case studies showcasing the effectiveness of your solution. Screenshots and videos are great because prospects can see that they’re from real people and not just you or your marketing team making things up. They also provide a sense of community, letting people know that you’re engaged with social media and that

advertise about your main product or service should provide maximum value.

This is also where you can introduce bundles, such as the ability to buy two or more bottles of a supplement for half price if you’re selling that type of thing. Bonuses, even for digital products or services, are great ways to entice people to buy, especially if you frame them as benefits and not just extra stuff you’ve thrown in.

For example, a simple “Take Control of Your Weight Now!” is sufficient. If there’s an application process to go through or a sales call, you’d like to get them on, a simple “Fill Out the Form Below to See if You Qualify!” will work so long as the form isn’t lengthy or too invasive. Step 8: Proofread

Finally, you want to make The point of the offer is to sure your sales letter is drive home the amount polished to perfection. of value a customer is This means making sure getting when they make the spelling is correct, the a purchase. Anything you grammar is good, and bundle, give away extra, or you’ve got your commas

and periods in the right places. Again, there’s software on the Internet to help you out here. You’ll also want to read it aloud, making sure that it flows well and doesn’t sound too cringy or clunky. You don’t want your sentences to read like a 19th-century treatise, but you also don’t want a series of short, choppy sentences. Reading aloud will help you refine your sales voice. Finally, make sure all your links and videos are working before you publish it and start advertising. Remember, learning to write effective copy is a skill and if you don’t get it right away, don’t give up. Keep tweaking your sales copy and testing multiple versions of the same landing page so that you identify what’s working and what’s not. In time, you’ll be able to ditch the freelancers and build your own funnels with your own sales copy.

Now, there are companies that you can pay for followers, but the Instagram algorithm is constantly trying to weed out followers that have been bought. While there are ways to skirt around the system, you’re more likely to get engaged, business-building followers from organic growth, even if it takes longer. You want people who are liking and sharing your posts, clicking your links, subscribing to your list, and making purchases. Usually, bought followers won’t do this; they’ll merely be numbers to make your account look more popular. However, with these tips, you’ll be able to start growing your followers the organic way. Optimize Your Account

How to Organically Grow Your Instagram Account For many brands, Instagram has grown to become the foundation of their social media presence. Instagram has surpassed Twitter when it comes to sending traffic to landing pages, building trust, and creating audience engagement. However, as with all social media, it takes time to grow your account, and a handful of followers aren’t going to be giving you the business you crave. 24

Before you work on gaining more followers, you should ensure that your Instagram account is fully optimized. This means you need a bio, proper image captions, a username that connects you to your brand, and a profile image. Everything about your Instagram account should point to your brand and business, which means a username

like “DaletheMale” won’t connect people to a business selling, for example, paintings of cityscapes. Try using your actual business name instead. If your business name is on the long side, however, you can shorten it for your username, making it easier to remember and link to. Also, remember that the link in your bio is the one place you have to drive Instagram traffic to your website, so don’t overlook it. A good tip is to not link directly to your homepage; try product pages that relate to the specific keywords or hashtags you use most often in your account.

However, despite the individual nature of followers and businesses, you should still look at current Instagram trends to see what kinds of content people, in general, are most responsive to. This can be anything from the type of posts you make to the filters, captions, or even post times. Remember, this isn’t so that you can copy your competitors, it’s so you can effectively optimize your posting strategy. There are many analytics tools you can use, too, to track how much people are engaging with your posts. Engage with People

Social media has become one of the primary ways that people come into contact with businesses, and consumers are contacting Post Relevant Content businesses through these connections more One of the first things you’ll discover is that some than ever. As such, it’s important that your content performs better Instagram isn’t just a place than others, and there where you post and wait are no universal rules regarding this. Your brand for clicks to your landing page. and the kinds of people attracted to your products or services will be different Engage with comments, answer questions, and to others, hence why be personable. You aren’t testing engagement is a cold corporation on paramount. This creates a more cohesive experience for users, especially when you tell people “Link in bio”.

Instagram, you’re a vibrant, community-driven entity that wants to make a difference in people’s lives, even if all you’re doing is selling t-shirts.

Perfect Your Hashtags People search hashtags, so before you start sharing your Instagram link everywhere, one of the simplest ways to grow your following is to use hashtags wisely. A good way to start is to find hashtags that aren’t oversaturated. For example, #love has more than 180 million photos connected with it, so standing out among that crowd is next to impossible. Instead, find hashtags relevant to your posts that clearly have engagement but aren’t too populated. If a connection is relevant enough, people will follow.

generating engagement. Post Consistently Posting at random is a great way to lose followers. Instead, people prefer predictable content. Knowing they can expect to see new posts every other day, for example, will keep them checking up and engaged. If you post multiple times throughout the day, make sure those times are consistent. Having a schedule will take you far. On that note, you can always schedule posts in advance. If you have a full marketing team, this can be helpful, so everyone is on the same page, especially if you have a campaign or event going on.

marketing collaborations or sharing your posts for a fee. You can also share other peoples’ content as well or hold contests to promote your brand to a larger audience. Remember, social media is about sharing and engaging.

Managing Individuals: How Small Businesses Can Get ahead through Clever Management

Promote Your Instagram Account

Make sure people know they can find you on Instagram. You can add your social media accounts to your website or business cards, or link to your Instagram account from other social Use Influencers and Help media, such as Twitter or Others Facebook.

Followers are valuable, and using influencers, or large Instagram accounts in your niche or industry, can have a very positive effect. When an influencer shares your content, it Of course, you can create puts your brand before a your own unique hashtags wide amount of people. as well. However, the best You only want to make way to do this is to use sure that you’re sharing unique hashtags to group something of value posts around relevant with them, but many content that’s already influencers are open to

Promoting your Instagram is an excellent way to generate engagement and acquire new followers, so don’t be afraid to promote it instead of a landing page. You should never run paid ads just to promote your Instagram page. You can, however, add your Instagram account link to an ad to generate more interest in it.

Small businesses don’t have a lot of financial resources. If you run a small business, you need to make good use of the resources you do have if you want to get ahead. And the most valuable resource you have is your employees. It is they who determine what your customers’ experiences are like and what kind of view they form of your business. It is also your employees who will work hard, or not, to improve productivity when you’re in a jam. The surest way to gain an advantage over your competitors is to have better, more experienced, 27

more motivated, more loyal employees. And how do you get such employees? The secret is to manage individuals, not groups. The Benefits of Managing Individuals A lot of managers motivate their employees by setting goals for all their employees to meet, promoting the highest performing employees, and firing the lowest performing ones. This style of management wastes human resources. Your employees all have different skills and

styles. Some are better at meeting some goals than others. Some respond to one kind of motivation and some to another. If you manage your employees with a onesize-fits-all approach, all you’re doing is making sure you employee a narrow range of skills instead of a broad one. Why limit your resources like that? Set Individualized Goals To get the most out of your employees, you need all of them to be top performers. However, you’ll never get a team of

top performers by firing all the worst performers until you luck into the team you desire. The only way to get a great team is to help the employees you do have achieve greatness, and the only way to do that is to help each one develop their unique strengths and skills. Set realistic and unique goals for each of your employees, taking into account their particular strengths and weaknesses. Give them constructive feedback and, after they meet the goals you set, set higher ones. With this approach, even low performers can learn to be great.

just coasting until they can find another job. Positive reinforcement works much better.

8 Guidelines for Effective Small Business Marketing in 2022

what’s going wrong and how to fix it. Mentor them a little. Let them know they can always come ask you for help without being afraid for their jobs. If your employees know they can be honest with you when they need help, they will get help when they need it. That’s how they gain the knowledge and experience needed to become great employees. That’s also how you form the kinds of strong individual bonds with your employees that will make them want to go the extra mile for you.

When one of your employees does a good job, approach them directly and tell them what a good job you though they did. Such recognition makes them feel particularly valued, and eager to work harder to get such recognition and praise in the future. When your employees feel like you have noticed them individually, they feel more like a real part of your company, and the more they do that, the Your employees are, more harder they will work for it. than almost anything Use Positive else, what will make or Reinforcement break your small business. Reach Out Getting to know them When you use fear to individually, managing motivate your employees, Get to know your them with a personal you’re really just shooting employees individually. touch, will take a lot of When you see one of yourself in the foot. An time and effort. But it is them struggling, don’t employee worried about time and effort wisely rebuke them. Instead, getting fired is more concerned about covering reach out to them and find invested, and it will pay themselves than doing out why they’re struggling. great dividends to you their best. They may be Try to help them figure out down the road.

(800) 277-7398

If you’re a small-business owner, you know that there’s a lot at stake for your company. You need to make sure that every dollar spent is spent in the right place. That’s why it’s important to create a marketing plan that will help you get the word out about your business without breaking the bank. In order to do this, you need to first understand what the most effective ways of marketing are and how they can benefit your business.

they help to make your website more visible to search engines. There are two main types of SEO: on-page and off-page. On-page refers to things like keywords, meta descriptions, and title tags -- off-page refers to things like social media shares and backlinks from other websites. Marketing Research and Analysis

The first step in your marketing research is to analyze your competitors. You can do this by Here are eight guidelines checking their social media for effective small accounts (Facebook, business marketing: Twitter, Instagram, etc.) and searching for their name Search Engine online. Social media has Optimization (SEO) proven to be the most effective way to reach SEO is one of the most local customers. Check effective and affordable how often they post and ways to market your what types of content they business online. SEO post (pictures, links). Look involves using keywords at how many followers and phrases that are they have and what kind relevant to your products or services in order to rank of engagement their posts receive. Do some of higher on search engines like Google, Bing, or Yahoo. their posts receive more interaction than others? With SEO, your website If so, will it make sense will be more visible and for you to use a similar accessible to potential customers who are looking strategy? for what you offer. You should also take the There are different ways to time to learn about your target audience. Whom do SEO, but they all have are you trying to reach one thing in common:

Identify your target audience -- Before reaching out to any influencers, take some time to understand your target audience and what content they consume online. This will help you find the right people with which to collaborate and create effective content that resonates with your ideal customers.

with your products or services? What types of things are important to them? What do they need in a product? How much are they willing to spend on said product or service? What type of language does your target audience use when talking about the service or product you offer? These answers will help determine whom you market yourself to and where you choose to promote your business. Influencer Outreach An influencer is an individual who has a large following on social media and/or other online platforms. Influencers have dedicated audiences, many of whom value their opinions and rely on them for advice. What makes influencers so attractive to marketers is that they can drive significant engagement as likes, comments, shares, and purchases. In order to tap into their influence, you’ll need to reach out to them directly and make an offer such as a product review or sponsored post. It may seem daunting at first, but if you follow these steps, it will make the process much easier:

meaningful relationships with these people long before asking for anything from them, including their time or attention (i.e., don’t be pushy). The best way to go about it is simply interacting regularly by commenting on posts, sharing content, liking photos, etc... It shows genuine interest rather than self-serving motives, which often does more harm than good when attempting partnerships.

• Gathers feedback from customers • Offers discounts to repeat customers • Forms relationships with other small businesses Email Marketing

Email marketing is a highly effective way to stay in touch with customers and prospects and to keep your brand top of mind. If you’re Set clear goals -- What do not doing it, you should you hope this campaign be. Have all employees will achieve? Is it brand add their business card awareness? New customer Customer Relationship info to the bottom of their acquisition? Increased Management emails for easy networking web traffic? Conversions? with others inside your Whatever it is, be sure that Small businesses are the company and outside. both parties are on the lifeblood of most, if not all, This can help drive new same page before moving economies. They do more sales and leads. Also, make forward on anything than just provide goods sure you are collecting else, including budget, and services; they also information from prospects deliverables, and timeline. create the vast majority when they visit your of new jobs, providing website or respond to an Find relevant influencers breathing room for nations email promotion so that -- Don’t just go after any to grow and build a you can add them to your celebrity or social media resilient future. But small database. star with a big following! businesses can’t survive Focus your search on without loyal customers, Build out a monthly individuals who have which is why customer audiences that align with relationship management schedule of email messages that will your brand values and are (CRM) is one of the most automatically go out on engaged in conversations important elements of specific dates (i.e., the first around your industry or effective marketing. A Monday of each month). products/services (e.g., good CRM strategy will lifestyle bloggers interested ensure that your business: This allows you to create anticipation by building in fashion). a schedule that readers • Understands customer look forward to receiving Build relationships prior needs each month. For example, to outreach efforts -- Don’t if one of your products is just jump right into making • Builds trust with cold weather apparel, send customers requests! You should build

regular updates on what’s new at the beginning of fall, as people are getting ready for winter. Content Marketing Content marketing is another key tool in your small business marketing arsenal. It includes creating and sharing media that is valuable to your customers, and it can take the form of blog posts, videos, infographics, and more. The goal of content marketing should be to grow your brand by increasing awareness and building relationships with potential customers.

if you want an easy platform where people can reach out to ask questions or make comments. Webinars/ Podcasts

Another effective way to create leads is through webinars and podcasts that business and you don’t effectively teach, inform, have a social media and entertain their presence, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity audiences. They’re a costeffective way to market to connect with your your company and customers, grow your promote new products brand, and make more or services that could sales. Social media is benefit your community. a great tool for small Also, a successful webinar businesses because it lets or podcast can actually you connect with your increase sales by improving customers on a personal Effective content level. By sharing interesting audience trust in you as an marketing will help you expert and making them content and replying to show expertise on topics more likely to buy from you questions and comments that apply to consumers regularly. left by customers on your while adding value to a social profiles, you can sales funnel when they engage with your audience As a small business owner, are ready to buy. Content you’ve got a lot to do. Your in a way that feels natural marketing also helps time and resources are and even fun. you get found in search limited, but that doesn’t engines through higher mean you can’t reap Best of all, there are rankings and an increased so many social media the rewards of effective number of links, which platforms out there, you’re marketing. If you’re makes it an effective way to bound to find one that interested in growing your build brand awareness for fits perfectly with your business and reaching your business. more customers, consider business -- Instagram these eight guidelines for if you’re geared toward Social Media Marketing effective small business selling products through marketing. beautiful photos, Twitter If you’re running a small

10 Tips to Write Effective B2B Customer Case Studies

A well-written case study can be a valuable sales aid, especially in B2B (businessto-business) sectors. Case studies provide thirdparty validation and allow prospects to understand the benefits of a product or service in real-life scenarios. However, customer case studies can make a tedious read if not structured and written with care. All too often, what should be a relatable endorsement becomes nothing more than a lengthy description of the features of a product.

the business what they want. For example, the sales team will have their ideas on what they need on the ground and the best customers to feature. The marketing team will also want to have input. Senior management may have objectives, such as targeting specific vertical markets. 2. Identify Suitable Customers

Based on the objectives identified by stakeholders, you can then identify suitable customers for Case studies can take a your case studies. You substantial amount of will, of course, want to time and effort to create. select customers that are Furthermore, you will happy with your product involve a customer in the or service. However, there process. Consequently, are other considerations, you will want the finished too. For example, choosing article to be something businesses representative that will provide value of your typical prospects to the sales team and a would be advisable. Wellsource of pride. Here are known names in a sector ten tips to help you write will carry more weight customer case studies that than unknown companies. help you sell your product And ideally, you will want or service. something that will make an attention-grabbing 1. Collaborate with headline, either in terms of Stakeholders the benefits the customer gained or their innovative The first thing to decide use of the product or is what you want to service. achieve with your case studies. And the best way 3. Design a Template to do that is to ask the various stakeholders in You don’t want all your

case studies to look the same. Still, a template will help you structure the document and ensure you don’t omit any crucial elements. You will need a catchy headline and an opening paragraph that hooks the reader and encourages them to read more. Then, set the scene by introducing the customer’s business and describing their challenges. You then can explain how your product or service solved those issues and other benefits the customer gained. An explanation of why the customer selected your solution over competitors will also be helpful.

from the customer. However, you will need the customer’s written permission before starting work on a case study. You will also need permission to use logos and images. Obtaining the customer’s consent will cover you legally, and a customer who is fully on board with the process will provide a more convincing and indepth case study. 5. Do the Groundwork Customers may be willing to help you out with case studies. Still, even the most cooperative customers will not appreciate you wasting their time. Doing your homework will save time for you and your customer. Start with the basics, such as what products or services your customer has purchased. Check that there are no outstanding issues with the customer. Talking to the sales team will reveal the critical factors in the customer’s decision to buy. Researching the customer’s business will provide background to the story.

Like most sales documents, a case study must be easy to read. So, use subheadings to break up the content and use images where relevant. One critical component of a case study is customer quotes, which are best highlighted to attract attention. In B2B case studies, the customer’s logo and the contributor’s name should also be prominent. 4. Obtain Customer Permission You could write a case study with no input

6. Interview the Customer It is best to have a plan for your interview with the customer and a list of questions you would like to ask. The conversation may go off at a tangent, but at least a plan will outline what you want to achieve. The questions will revolve around the case study template, including giving the background, identifying the problems,

and expanding the solution and the benefits. It can also be helpful to cover how the customer will benefit from the product or service in the future. You can conduct interviews in person or by telephone or video chat. Alternatively, you could ask questions via email or use a survey. In-person interviews provide the best results. However, it is

crucial to keep discussions to a reasonable length and agree on the timing with the customer beforehand. Recording interviews can be helpful, but you will need to get the customer’s permission to do this. 7. Tell Stories A good case study paints a picture that enables a prospect to visualize the product or service’s benefits for their organization. And the best way to do that is through storytelling. Indeed, the case study structure mentioned above has the elements of a three-act play; scene-setting, the challenge, and the resolution. The objective of a case study is not to entertain the reader. Nevertheless, if the story flows and reads well, a prospective customer will be more likely to read the entire document. 8. Answer Common Objections Case studies are one of the documents that continue to sell to a prospect when the salesperson is not with them. For example, people might read a case

study back at the office or on the train home from a meeting. The document will likely be shared with other stakeholders, too. So, it will be helpful to highlight answers to frequent questions and objections within a case study. For example, suppose support is a topic frequently raised by prospects. In that case, you might want to highlight satisfaction with the support services in case studies. Or, if the price is sometimes an issue, emphasizing return on investment might be helpful.

weight to the argument by quantifying the benefits. For example, if the customer says your product saves them time, ask if the time saved can be quantified. Then, prospects will be able to calculate the savings they are likely to achieve.

How to make the most of your time as a Busy Working Woman Far too many times I hear women proclaim that they do not have enough time. Time for Themselves, their families, and time to work on other projects. But the truth is that WE DO have enough time when we use it and leverage it the right way. 168 hours – that’s the magic number. We all have the same amount of time each week. No one gets any more, or any less. The key is not in how we spend our time, but more in how we invest our time. Here’s a few tips to help today’s Working Woman make the most out of her time:

10. Obtain Internal and Customer Sign-Off

Finally, it is advisable to have a completed case study signed off by relevant people within your organization and the customer. Internally, the document might need checking by the appropriate account 9. Highlight Benefits manager, salesperson, and the marketing team. And a Case studies are usually draft should be sent to the written in the third person, customer for final approval describing the benefits before publication. gained by the customer. In other words, the story Customer case studies is about the customer, provide social proof. not about you or your However, unlike customer company. You want the reviews on an eCommerce document to represent site, case studies are your product or service written by the business. positively. Still, your If you are not careful, the customer’s words will carry document can read like more weight than your an advertisement, which own. Consequently, it is would defeat the object. best to use the customer’s You will want a case narrative to describe the study to cover the key benefits they gained from benefits of your products selecting your company as or service. However, for a a supplier. case study to ring true, the narrative should be that of You can add further the customer.

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vision…. Think about your role as the CEO of your life, what really matters and what do you really need to focus on?

Do less. Quite frankly, we all do too much, me included. My mentor, Robin Sharma, once said -the secrete to greatness Is not complexity, but rather simplicity. For me this means doing less, but at a higher level. So I work to focus on a few projects at a time and go deeper with them rather then trying to do 7 or 10 projects. When I try to take on too many different tasks, I may get them done, but I know my focus is not as sharp and Get Clear. Not is not created equal. We need to the quality of my work is start getting clear on what not as strong. is truly important to us and Communicate and Set what we really MUST do Boundaries. You MUST rather than what we can protect your time. Make or should do. When you sure others know what have clarity on your goals you are working on and and vision, it becomes why it is important. When easier to make decisions you can get others to on how to invest your buy-into your vision, the time. I encourage you to support you need will take time and create your follow. Letting others

know what you have to give, the times you are available, and also the times you are not will help them to know what you need, and the right people will help you protect your time. Plan ahead. Take time to layout your schedule and your availability ahead of time. This way you can go into your weeks and days knowing when you are available and where your focus needs to go. You can also time block and this will help you in setting up for boundaries and expectations so others can be aware too. Protecting our time and using it to its highest level is not always easy, but it is important. When you know where you need to invest your time, both personally and professionally, it will help you show up with more focus and purpose. In addition, it will allow you to create more time in the areas that truly matter.

The month of May was named for the Greek goddess Maia. She was the goddess of fertility. • May 3, 2002 - Spider-Man was released and became the fastest movie ever to earn more than $100 million in a single weekend, as well as the most successful film based on a comic book at the time. • May 15, 1942 - Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps (WAACs) was formed, granting women official military status • May 20 ,1927 - American aviator Charles A. Lindbergh took off from Roosevelt Field on Long Island, NY, on the world’s first solo, nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean. • May 25, 1977 - Star Wars opened in movie theaters marking the biggest entertainment juggernaut in modern popular culture. • May 27, 1937 - The Golden Gate Bridge, connecting San Francisco with Marin Count, California opened. • May 30, 1966 - Launch of Surveyor 1, the first US spacecraft to land on an extraterrestrial body (the Moon).