J A N UA RY 2 018
BRAND & BLOSSOM
real talk and faith activated journaling with
RACHEL LUNA BRAND PLANNING
TERRA BOHLMANN
M A L L I K A M A L H OT R A
free 2018 planner + guide
business planning
brand photograpy
editor’s note HAPPY NEW YEAR!
I’m so excited to bring you this issue. We start off the issue with a guide to brand planning for 2018. I created a brand new free printable planner so you can start your year off on the right foot. Our cover girl is Rachel Luna, author of the upcoming book Girl, Confident. We talk about confidence and what it means for your business. Terra Bohlmann talks all about creating a signature framework. This is a don’t-miss episode! Having a signature framework quickly positions you as an authority figure in your industry. Learn Terra’s top tips on how to make your mark as an industry leader. Mallika joins us to talk about brand photography and visual brand storytelling. She offers up some amazing free resources to help you take your personal brand photos to the next level. I hope you enjoy this new issue of the new year. Wishing you the most magical 2018! xo, Stacy
table of contents E D IT ORS NOTE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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BR A N D PLANNING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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T E R R A BOHLMANN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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M A LLIK A MALHOTRA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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R A CHEL LUNA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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T H E GARDEN MEMBERS HIP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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FR E E BIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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INDICATES L IN K TO ITU N ES
B R A N D
planning In episode 15 I talked about the four pillars of a profitable brand. In episode 21, I talk about planning out your brand content for 2018. Brand mapping and calendar planning go hand in hand. Here’s how you can take your brand to the next level in the upcoming year.
PR IN T O U T YOUR PLAN N E R First, grab your planner at http://brandandblossom.com/planner. The planner was designed to be printed on 8.5x11 US letter paper, then just hole punch and place inside a standard binder. G E T A N OV E R V IE W OF TH E FOUR P LLA RS Listen to Episode 15 to get a breakdown of the Four Pillars. http://brandandblossom.com/episode15 Position: where you are in the industry relative to your competition People: your target audience and ideal client Presence: what your visual brand looks like, fonts, colors, photography, etc. Promotion: your content and social media strategy CR E ATE YOUR COMPAS S Define your vision and goal before you start jumping into the calendar. Use the front of the planner to dive into the four pillars. These will guide your actions throughout the year. If an action doesn’t align with your compass, then it shouldn’t go on the calendar. V IS U A L IZE YOUR ID E AL YE AR Map out your ideal month, week, and day. Use the blank (un-numbered) calendar provided to create a vision for what your ideal schedule looks like. I even recommend meditating or sitting in a quiet space for about 20 minutes or so to really dream out what this would look like for you. MO N TH LY PLAN N IN G AND REVIEW Use the remaining portion of the calendar to plan out your actual months. At the end of each month is space for you to review and set new goals.
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TERRA BOHLMANN YOUR FRAMEWORK
I met Terra at an event and I wish I had a recorder with me. She’s full of wisdom and I got the opportunity to chat with her - with my mic - and we recorded an episode that’s all about creating your signature framework that positions you as an authority. H E R E A RE SOME H IG H LIGH TS FROM HER EP ISODE: W H AT E X ACTLY IS A SIGNAT URE FRA MEW ORK It’s your method of getting results for your clients. It’s how you give a solution. Terra’s framework for creating a business model for her clients Clarity: Get clear on your ideal client and what you want to offer Climb: Define how you deliver it, create the customer experience Confidence: Develop your dream team H O W TO CR E ATE YOUR SIGNAT URE FRAMEW O RK Here’s a simplified breakdown. 1. Write out a step-by-step. 2. Simplify those steps and categorize into buckets. 3. Acronyms or alliteration can help make it easier to remember the steps. CR E ATING CONS IS TE NCY It’s important to be consistent. If it’s on the calendar, it’s going to happen. Being consistent and doing what you say you’re going to do helps build trust. “ TH E TR ANS F OR MATION IS IN T HE T RA NSAC T IO N.” This is one of James Wedmore’s famous quotes. We chatted about the truth to this. People are not willing to change unless they first make an investment.
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MALLIKA MALHOTRA BRAND PHOTOGRAPHY
Mallika is not your run-of-the-mill portrait photographer. She is devoted to creating visual brand stories through photography. Her sole focus is to work with entrepreneurs, which means she really takes the time to get to know your brand to create a set of photographs that capture who you are as a business owner. Here are some highlights from her episode: H O W TO F IND A PH OTOGR AP HER If you can’t find a true “brand” photographer, look at portrait or wedding photographers. Just know that you will then need to educate them on what you need in terms of photos. Regular portrait photos do not always translate into brand photos. G E T CL EAR ON YOUR STORY FIRST Before you ever hire a photographer, web designer, or graphic designer, really take time to get clear on your brand story. Figure out what makes you unique and different. Then use that to translate into your visuals. TH E IMPOR TANCE OF V ISU A LS Consistent and cohesive visuals creates a recognizeable brand, positions you as an expert in your industry, and helps tie in all your content together. Professional images really help increase the know/like/trust factor. A WA L K - TH R OU GH OF WOR KING W IT H A BRA ND P HOT O GRAP HER (MA L L I K A’S PR OCE SS ) First, a discovery call and questionairre. Then review different packages for your specific needs. Create a Pinterest board to show what kind of visuals you like. A strategy call to help create a photo story. Develop logistics. Shoot day (1/2 to full day). Review proofs.
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A L L P H O T O S B Y M A L L I K A MALH O TR A. CR O PPE D FO R E D I TI NG PUR PO SE S.
A L L P H O T O S B Y M A L L I K A MALH O TR A. CR O PPE D FO R E D I TI NG PUR PO SE S.
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K E E P I N G
I T
Real B O S S
with R A C H E L
L U N A
Amy Porterfield calls her a “F I R E C R AC K E R” Rachel’s personality is bright, bold, and brazen. Though she stands at 4’11”, her voice fills a room and her ideas can spark a movement. She is the author of the upcoming book, “Girl Confident”, host of “Real Talk with Rachel Luna”, and founder of “Faith Activated: A Journaling Experiment.” In this interview, Rachel talks about the cycles of confidence and why it’s not enough to just “fake it ‘til you make it.”
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TH E CYL ES OF CONF IDE N CE Expectant: When whatever we were expecting doesn’t happen, we go into paralysis. We don’t take action and our dreams start to die. False: “Fake it ‘til you make it.” But when something you were expecting actually happens, you feel like a fraud and. True: Having a confident mindset and detached from the outcome. MA N I F E STIN G AND J OU R N ALING Rachel created Faith Activated: A Journaling Experiment to help others “unlock [their] blessings and generate life-changing results”. She wishes that we all approached every aspect of our busienss as an experiment. There’s no emotional attachment because you’re just trying something. If it doesn’t work out, it doesn’t say anything about us. And you can always go back and try again. A S K I N G H IG H QUALITY QU EST IONS Throughout our interview, Rachel “rewrites” the questions I present her. But you can see how her mind works. She’s all about asking powerful questions. She mentions Tony Robbins quote, “Quality questions create a quality life. Successful people ask better questions, and as a result, they get better answers.” A D V ICE FOR E N TR E PR E N E U RS W HO FEEL ST UC K Check yourself. You say you’re trying everything, but your not OR you’re trying things in the wrong order. Have a “Come to Jesus” moment with yourself and hold yourself accountable. Show up everyday. Be consistent. Think about the potential impact you could have on someone just by showing up..
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INTRODUCING THE
garden Want to uplevel your personal brand? Want to create stunning graphics without relying on a designer? Want feedback on how you’re doing with both graphics and business? THEN JOIN US IN THE GARDEN Inside of the Garden Monthly trainings to show you exactly how to create graphics for your business Beautiful stock photos to help jump start your graphics A library of tech trainings to show you how to use free and inexpensive tools A private community to mastermind with peers
JOIN NOW GARDEN.BRANDANDBLOSSOM.COM
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I ’ M N OT
competing W I T H A N Y B O DY E XC E P T
myself - R AC H E L L U N A -
freebies Here’s a roundup of all the featured freebies in this issue. TERRA BO HLMA NN SELLING STYLE QUIZ http://www.terrabohlmann.com/q/quiz/
MA LLIKA MA LHOT RA B R A N D P H OTO G R A P H Y L O O K B O O K www.mikifoto.com/free-brand-photography-look-book G U I D E TO H I R I N G A P O RT R A I T P H OTO G R A P H E R https://www.subscribepage.com/50questions
RAC HEL LUNA CONFIDENCE CHALLENGE http://www.rachelluna.biz/home
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FINAL THOUGHTS I hope you enjoyed this New Year’s edition of Brand and Blossom. If you haven’t already, be sure to join us in the new Brand & Blossom Community on Facebook here.