H O L I DAY 2 017
BRAND & BLOSSOM
insta-growth with
ALEX BEADON JO BENDLE
JANA BISHOP
A A S I YA H G .
AMY PORTERFIELD
powerful productivity
stylish stock
speaking for success
entrepreneur experience
editor’s note The holidays are upon us and I’m so excited to bring you this actionpacked holiday issue. Our cover girl is Alex Beadon. The YouTube sensation is in the business of making killer impressions. She talks about exactly why it’s so critical in online business. Alex also gives us some insights on creating powerful Instagram stories. Jana from TwigyPosts (one of my fave stock photographers) tells us all about the use of stock photography in your business and how it can uplevel your visual brand. Her photographs are my not-so-secret weapon. I chat with Jo Bendle on amping up productivity with her favorite productivity “hacks”, including the powerful “Mighty 90”. Then we have Aasiyah Ghazi who walks us through how to have success with speaking gigs. She tells us her best tips for finding gigs when you’re just starting out. BONUS: I take you behind the scenes of Amy Porterfield’s Entrepreneur Experience - an intimate, action-packed event that is quite possibly the best entrepreneur event you can attend. I hope you enjoy this issue. Take it with you on your iPad, curl up in a blanket and a warm mug of your favorite holiday drink. I hope you enjoy this Holiday issue of Brand & Blossom. With grace and gratitude, xo Stacy
table of contents E D IT ORS NOTE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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4 PILLARS OF A PROFITABLE BRAN D. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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J A N A BISHOP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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J O BE NDLE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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A A SIYAH GHAZI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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A LE X BEADON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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A M Y POR TERF IELD’S ENTREPREN EU R EX PERIEN CE. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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M E M B ERS HIP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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FR E E BIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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INDICATES L IN K TO ITU N ES
profitable B R A N D I N G
Branding is an elusive concept for many people, so I’ve broken it down into four pillars. Each pillar is powerful in and of itself, but as a whole, they make up the strong foundation for a profitable personal brand. Here are the four pillars, explained.
0 1 | PO S I TION Position is the unique selling point. It is how a brand stands out in the industry. It is what makes it unique. The more unique the position, the smaller the niche, but the bigger potential for growth. 0 2 | PE O PLE People make up the heart of the brand. It is your ideal client avatar and also your target audience. Getting clarity around who you serve will make for a much more effective marketing strategy. 0 3 | PR E S E N CE Presence is how you appear - your graphics, photographs, and overall aesthetic. It is either mistaken as the only pillar of branding or not important at all. By itself it doesn’t do a whole lot, but combined with the right positioning, target audience, and proper promotion, it helps boost the overall brand. 0 4 | PR O MOTION Promotion is not merely sales or discounts, but how you show up online. Promotion includes: creating content, sharing content, consistency on social media, consistently emailing your list, and more.
The best brands are strong in all four pillars. If you feel like your business is struggling, take a moment to look at where your weaknesses are. Focus on improving one pillar at a time. Once you’ve mastered one, then move on to the next one.
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JANA BISHOP STYLISH STOCK
Jana Bishop is my not-so-secret weapon. As much as I don’t want anyone else to use her gorgeous images besides me, she’s too also too talented NOT to share. And so I brag about the styled stock queen any chance I get. In this amazing interview, we talk with Jana about a new kind of stock photography, styled stock photos. Styled photos are scenes that are intentionally layed out for use with blogs, social media, and ad graphics. They are also super powerful in upleveling your brand.
Photo by Lara Jenkins
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a small sampling of Jana’s gorgeous work
W H AT IS S TYLE D S TOCK Styled stock is a new kind of stock photography that incorporates props into “flatlays” or intentionally designed layouts. Styled stock is great for incorporating brand colors into photographs. “ TR A D ITIONAL” V S S TYLE D ST O C K Traditional stock photography can either use models with somewhat exagerrated poses. Or it can also be photos of objects “as is” - landscapes, fruit, still objects. Traditional stock is typically used for eye-catching Facebook ads, evoking emotion, or illustrating a point (an apple to illustrate an article about apple pie). TH E R IG H T AN D WR ON G WAY T O USE ST OC K Use stock in a way that is in alignment with your brand. Choose images that have a similar look and feel to your brand colors and style. Avoid using photos that don’t look cohesive together. Stock collections are a great way to create cohesion. TH E TO OTH BR US H ANALOGY Buying stock photos and lending them to your friends is much like buying a toothbrush and sharing it with your friends. It’s better to recommend where people can buy photos instead of handing them out. Let them have their own license to use. S E T TIN G BUS INE SS BOUNDA RIES Jana no longer takes one-on-one clients. It doesn’t light her up and it doesn’t bring her joy, so she created a business model that works for her. Selling pre-shot collections and a membership site allows her to create the photos she wants while still generating an income.
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JO BENDLE W I L D LY P R O D U C T I V E
Jo is a productivity coach and mentor who helps smart women get more done in their business, in less time. In this episode, we talk to Jo Bendle about maximizing productivity. She gives us some killer tips and tricks to help you get more done in less time. Here are the highlights from this episode. TH E MO S T COMMON PR OD UC T IVIT Y BLOC KS Perfectionism and procrastination. Embrace imperfect action. It’s okay if it’s not perfect as long as you get yourself out there. Procrastination is because we’re not really clear on why we’re doing what it is we’re trying to do. Get clear on your goals. Then when you fall of the wagon, make sure to get right back up. Don’t get stuck on punishing yourself. H O W TO BR E AK DOWN YOUR GO ALS P ROP ERLY Do not sit and work with one massive to-do list. Break it down into weekly goals, then broken down into “M.I.A.’s” - most important action. Each day should have about three M.I.A.’s. that can be reasonably completed in a day. TH E MA GIC “MIG H TY 90” S Y ST EM Take 90 minutes every morning to work on the most important task of your business of the day. (If you can’t do 90, start with 30, then 60, and move up.) Then imagine what it could do if you did that every morning for a week. It would make such an impact. CH O O S I NG TH E BE S T PLAN NER It doesn’t matter which planner you choose as long as you follow it. The discipline in sticking to it is what makes a planner effective, not the planner itself. As long as your consistent with it, any planner will work.
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A A S I YA H G H A Z I SUCCESS WITH SPEAKING
Aasiyah is a certified coach, specializing in personal development. She enjoys teaching others how to have confidence with speaking. In this episode, she gives us her top tips to not only speak with confidence, but how to find speaking gigs even when you’re just starting out. Here are some highlights from her episode: H O W TO GE T S PE AK ING GIGS IF Y O U’RE JUST STA R T ING OUT Start networking. Make friends with people in your industry. Talk to people at events and form collaborations. Look up your local Chamber of Commerce, Lion’s Clubs. Join your local Toastmasters. H O W TO CR E ATE YOUR OWN SP EA KING GIGS One of the best ways to get started is to create your own speaking gigs. Create your own workshops. Use Facebook Live to get yourself out there. When people can see what you are doing, they are more likely to come to you (than if you do nothing at all). H O W TO U S E SU MMITS TO GROW Y OUR LIST Summits are a great way to grow your email list. A summit is like a virtual panel of experts around a certain topic. Each participant promotes the summit to their list which results in a growth of your email list as well. H O W TO CR AFT A CAPTIVATING SP EEC H Know your length of speech. Break it up into a captivating intro, a body with 10-15 points for each section, a conclusion with a strong call to action.
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T H E
M AG I C
o f
killer B O S S
I M P R E S S I O N S
Alex is the girl next door, on the other side of the world. Her home base is in Trinidad, but her reach is global. She’s built an online empire in a place with patchy internet and spotty electricity. But her energetic, make-it-happen attitude is all she needs to make her world go ‘round. In this interview, we talk to the YouTube darling of the online marketing world. While she’s jumped from platform to platform (from Periscope to Snapchat to Instagram), she’s creatively finding ways to get her message in front of more and more people.
Photos by Anna with Love
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Photos by Anna with Love
Here our highlights from our episode: L I S T B U ILDING WITH OU T ADS Take the time to grow your audience by genuinely engaging in their social feed and blog. Leave thoughtful comments without any expectation in return. Do this daily for at least 15 minutes a day. IN S TA - G ROWTH WITH S TORIES Instagram Stories is where it’s at right now. Use the power of story to create your stories. The best stories take you behind-the-scenes of everyday life in a creative way. It’s a great way to show your audience a different side of you.
“What you think is boring about your life, most people will find exciting.” Also, make sure to complete your stories. If it helps, pre-record your stories, then upload after. Nobody likes seeing an incomplete story (or a story that’s out of order). S E L F CA RE AND S U CCE SS Take care of yourself. Be aware of your energy. If you feel stressed or anxious, stop working and get yourself back into energetic alignment. Take a moment to journal your thoughts and be kind to yourself when things aren’t working out. H O W TO GE T BACK UP WH EN Y OU’RE FEELING DOW N Bring the fun back into your work. Remember why you started your business in the first place. It takes time. Do the best you can. Work with mentors. More than anything, watch the story you’re telling yourself. Be intentional about the script that’s running in your mind because it changes how you show up.
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the
ENTREPRENEUR EXPERIENCE with A M Y P O RT E R FI E LD
When Amy does anything, she slays with her signature high quality style. So when she put on a live event - The Entrepreneur Experience - it was top notch all around. Unlike crowded conferences with thousands of people, Amy cleverly chose a smaller, intimate setting of less than 200 attendees. Instead of workshops and keynotes jam-packed into a three day event, Amy opted for a one-day event of high quality content. The sheer simplicity resulted in a magnificent event where less is more. Here are my top takeaways from this amazing event.
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0 1 | D O N’T BE AFR AID TO K EEP T HINGS SIMP LE (DEVIN DUNC AN) We have so many fears (spiders, the dark, clowns), but I never thought that there would be a fear of keeping things simple. We get into trouble when we over complicate things. One of the best things you can do for your business is to *take away* pieces, instead of adding on to it. 0 2 | IMA GINE WH AT YOU ’D DO DIFFERENT LY (AMY P O R T ERFIELD) One of the most powerful exercises we did was write down our goal for 2018, and then answer what we did differently that year to get the result we want. It’s an opportunity to look in hindsight by observing where our behavioral patterns lie. 0 3 | S E A SON S OF INS PIR ATIO N AND SEA SO NS O F FO C US (A MY ) There is a time for learning and a time for doing. There is a balance between absorbing new information and ideas and staying completely focused on your goal. Too often we swing the pendulum too far on one side. Keep a healthy balance between the two. 0 4 | MA KE TIME F OR INS PIR AT ION (JAMES W EDMO RE) We often create a set schedule for creating content, but we need to have more “white space” in our schedule. A blank space for free time, for rest, for meditation so that we can allow inspiration to come to us. 0 5 | N U R T UR E R E LATION SH IPS AT EVERY STA GE (AMY ) Amy’s content creation process involves solid follow-up sequences for newbies and bonus content for established customers. She’s always finding ways to make the experience amazing at every stage of business. It’s how she’s been able to grow such a loyal following that love and adore her.
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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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YO U R W H O L E J O B is to help your client move from
problem TO
solution - T H E S TAC E Y H A R R I S -
freebies Here’s a roundup of all the featured freebies in this issue. T W IGY P O ST S F R E E S TO C K P H OTO S www.twigyposts.com
JO BENDLE P RO D U C T I V I T Y TO O L S www.jobendle.com
AASIYA H GHAZI A A S I YA H T V www.aasiyahghazi.com
A LEX BEA DON THE VIP LIST www.alexviplist.com
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FINAL THOUGHTS I hope you enjoyed this Holiday issue of Brand & Blossom. I’m so excited about 2018 and some amazing training lined up for you. If you haven’t already, be sure to join us in the new Brand & Blossom Community on Facebook here. Have a wonderful holiday and a joyous New Year. See you in 2018!