Business tips learned from getting a Brazilian

Warning: this post may offend those sensitive to conversations about girl parts and those without girl parts. No girl parts were harmed in the creation of this post.

Had to make that disclosure just in case someone wants to tell me they are offended. 🙄

By nature people seek referrals and recommendations for almost everything. I live in a big military town (multiple Naval bases, the Air Force and the Army) and my wax lady (esthetician) moved away. She was referred to me by my cousin, who was referred to her by her college roommate. We'll end this referral cycle here. My wax lady was good. I didn't know great yet, so I couldn't complain. I had experienced bad and she was far from bad. For 9 years, each summer, I was loyal and had a standing appointment. Winter time my loyalty faded with the warm weather.

So last summer I was left without my wax lady. I didn't even realize she had moved, because of my faded loyalty. My cousin had moved away + her college roommate [4 local Universities- yes college + military town - people come and go often] so I couldn't ask them either. My friends either shaved like it was 1999 or were inhaling Nair in the comfort of their own bathrooms.  🙄

As uncomfortable as you are reading this post, yet wondering what my girl parts have to do with business, but are still reading because you really want to know...that's how I was with trying to find one friend that could refer me. One friend told me to just go on Groupon. No ma’am, I was not entrusting my girl parts to whoever had a sale on Groupon.

What type of lady did she think I was?

My good girlfriend referred me to her wax lady. She even invited me to her next appointment.  yeah I passed on that

Went online and scheduled my appointment. Time for my appointment came and I was blown away. New wax lady was nice and very gentle. She even told me about a Groupon [go figure] that she had now so I could save money and every appointment afterwards I would receive a special rate. We talked about skin care and how to treat the area in between waxes.

This was ALL new to me and I had been getting waxed forever.

Fast forward a few months. My lady had been preparing me for when she was going out on maternity leave. She told me that the other lady that works in her spa would be available while she's gone. She told me that she trained her and taught her EVERYTHING that she knows.

Time came for me to schedule with the new lady and I was skeptical but figured I was in good hands. She was nice and funny. I love a good joke.

So she tells me that K (my wax lady) trained her.

I forgot that there was pain involved in waxing. New lady was "quick + efficient" but gentle is NOT a word I would use to describe her technique. There was even one point where she had attached the wax paper to a piece of jewelry and I almost died.

She apologized profusely but the damage was already done. Despite my lady teaching her the technique, she hasn’t mastered the art, as my lady has.

You can't simply copy and paste someone else's strategy to your business.

Even with the same type of business and similar audiences. It will not work out for you the same exact way.

My assistants know my businesses in and out. They know the secrets + the strategies, but they don't possess the same mastery that I have. You can learn techniques and strategy, but you have to desire mastery and seek it on your own.

This is why when I see someone copying my efforts or even a friendly competitor, I don't get in my feelings. There's no way that they can match this hustle that I have. They could never serve my clients in the same way that I do.

I'm 100% sure you are not the only person who does what you do. That means your consumers have options, more than they probably even know.

You have to MASTER one aspect of your business. Yup, just one. A baker needs to MASTER the tastes of her delicacies. Each cake should be moist and delicious. No burnt edges along the cupcakes.

Her decorating style could be decent, but her baking techniques need to be MASTERED.

In time she can master decor. Hell she can even hire an art student to work on the decor or take a class at a local AC Moore or Michaels for cake decorating. But that baking skill must be mastered to ensure her success.

We all see pretty cakes and cupcakes, but the moment you bite into an unforgettable cupcake, you will tell everyone you know. Anytime someone is looking for a cake or cupcakes, you will refer them to the MASTER baker.

Your business should be set up for your current clients + consumers to readily refer you to others. If anyone they know needs anything remotely similar to what you sell and offer...You should be the one they refer to.

What does your referral system look like? [Please tell me you have one]

What's the one thing you want to be known and referred for?

Most business owners don't take the time to MASTER their craft. They just get good enough in their field. Times are gone where you can survive off just being good enough or average.

Chic Biz Tips:

1. Invest in your business with time + development weekly.
   1. Work ON your business and organize the boring back end needs.
   2. Schedule time in to learn as much as you can about your craft + running a biz.
2. Enjoy life. Step away from your phone, tablet, and computer. Come back refreshed with a new perspective.
3. Shake up your industry by being so far from the status quo that you too have people coming to get Brazilians who usually rough it out during the winter.

Don't be the stand-in replacement that knows just enough but was only picked because the superstar was either booked or unavailable.

Erin Condren for Business

To be successful in business you have to have a strategy. Strategy is your roadmap to success.

Particularly with online business, things change so often, and you have to plan for that.

Business planning usually can be dull, dry and just plain ole boring. Yet, when done correctly, you are truly working towards building an empire.

A few months ago I shared with you a post on The Best Planners for Women in 2016  and shared with you my love of planning on paper. There’s truly something magical when pen and paper meet.

It featured the Erin Condren Life Planner which is currently the bloodline of my business. [more about that in a bit] 

The lovely peeps at Erin Condren reached out and sent over some luscious goodies for us to add to our business organization and development. 

I immediately gravitated to their jot your thought journals to manage business planning. The paper quality is perfect and there is minimal to no bleed through, if that type of thing bothers your creative process. The journal trio comes in graph paper, lined paper and blank paper.

Here is a breakdown of how those three notebooks are being utilized:

House of Chanel:

The creative hub of the empire which houses product development and potential timelines. To include - 

• workshop planning

• webinar ideas

• current projects

• collaboration ideas

• service ideas and upgrades w/ development timeline

• product ideas and upgrades w/ development

The Biz Bible:

The heart of the business, which includes -  

• Mission and vision [outlines company culture]

• Trilogy [what 3 things are we focusing on/positioned as an expert on]

• Quarterly goals

• Big dates across other biz/life

Running TDL :

To do's that you come across throughout the day/week that isn't on your or your teams radar.

• Write it down in this Running TDL.
• Add to your calendar to add this to your business hub at the end of each week. [Even if you just take a picture and upload it but delegate to your team to add it to the business hub online.]

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Last year I used the life planner as a LIFE planner, but this year I wanted to focus on just content creation. The set up is amazing and very practical for getting your content done! Click here to save $10 on your first Erin Condren order. 

Planning means nothing if you don’t put the ideas into action.

On the note pages before each month, I outline ideas for blog posts, podcasts, periscopes and YouTube videos.  

Then break each task down into the smallest subtask for completion on the weekly pages. 

The Erin Condren Life Planner vertical layout is perfect for business planning. On the left there's lines for to-do's which are synced in our Asana, but it helps to see it in the planner to know exactly what to conquer and the time available to knock it out.

Strategy baby! 

The individual boxes are used for: content creation tasks, social media tasks, and client work tasks. Underneath the last box is four lines which I use to write down the top three people I need to contact or respond to on that day. 

The snap in dashboards [laminated paper that snaps in the planner] are perfect for jotting down TDL's and random ideas that come to you throughout the day. I keep one on the current monthly spread, one on the current week and one on the next monthly spread. Use wet erase markers to write and wipe off with rubbing alcohol and a paper towel. 

The sticky note [post-its not created by post-its]  dashboard is my bestie. I have an insane addiction to sticky notes. I write quotes I see on Instagram and Twitter and make notes to myself all day long. The dashboard makes it convenient for when I'm away from my desk. 

I added additional folders into the life planner to add marketing inspirations, I may get in the mail or pretty postcards that spark creativity. And on a bad day, because let's face it the biz rollercoaster can be rough, I may throw in a nice card from a client. 

Speaking of cards, I love writing out cards to my current and past clients...just because, for their birthdays or when they make big accomplishments . So when, I saw this box full of cards, I was excited to send some love around the world. 

The cards are thick and colorful. The picture doesn't show the true beauty of these. The wording is in rose gold, silver and gold foil with coordinating stickers to enclose the envelopes. 

I’m a doodler (is that even a word?) I doodle when I’m bored, busy and just because. So when I saw the Creative Color coloring book and sketch pad my heart jumped a few beats. Coloring is so therapeutic, so on those days when you can’t get your biz bestie on the phone or Skype...pull out an adult color book and calm your nerves. Or when your ADHD is flowing with energy doodle away. I just leave it on my desk and finish where I left off from the days before when I need a break. I love that paper is thick and can actually be framed around your office for positive vibes with the various inspirational sayings.

Thank you to the Erin Condren team for sending me these wonderful products to review and share. 

7 Brilliant Tips for Brain Dumping

Back in October I started working with this amazing chic biz owner, Raine. I wish my mom was dope enough to name me Raine, but as I was saying... Raine came to me because she was having a hard time getting work done in her business.

Raine described herself as an "idea person," meaning she was full of ideas and always had a new idea for a project, product or business.

These ideas weren't helping her at all. She would start working on one and then would get stuck. She wasn't getting stuck because the ideas were bad or not well thought out. 

The problem is the new ideas were flowing in and stopping the workflow of the previous idea(s). Raine and I developed a brain dumping system to help her move these ideas into action...one at a time.

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Brain dumping is bae! [the love of your productive life. Before Anything Else]

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Brain dumping is when you physically eject your mental trash.  No lobotomies needed. Only a pen + paper. Oh and a timer.

Here's the brain dumping system I created for Raine:

1. Set one day per week for brain dumping.

Think about how you plan your workflow:

What day and time do you usually plan your work for the next week?

Raine found that brain dumping closer to the end of the week at the end of the day was best.

You may be tired at the end of the week and your brain needs recharging. Consider brain dumping in the beginning of the week or day.

2. Set your timer for 10-15 minutes.

Raine used her phone timer and started with 15 minutes for a few weeks then moved to 10 minutes.

Don't be intimidated by the time or think you won't have anything to write.  Just embrace the process and let the thoughts flow.

3. Fold your paper in quarters or draw quadrants. 

Raine started off with a full piece of paper and was overwhelmed with the full page and found it easier to have the quadrants smaller to help the ideas to flow naturally.

You can label the quadrants if that will help your process. Example quads:

Personal

Business/Work

House

Family

4. Write freely (no editing...just write) about whatever comes to mind until your timer goes off.

Raine initially would tell me that she would just sit there and couldn't think of anything. There's never a time when our brain isn't working. That was just resistance that Raine was experiencing. I encouraged her to doodle pictures until thoughts surfaced or the timer was up.

[doodling reduces anxiety and is therapeutic]

5. When the timer is up do a little dance! Brain dumping relieves your body of stress and anxiety.

How often you brain dump is going to depend on how often you're feeling overwhelmed and unproductive.

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Organization beats overwhelm!

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6. Now it’s time to organize the clutter.

Raine wrote random words that came to mind, several uncompleted tasks, projects she wanted to complete and appointments to schedule. Immediately she started feeling relieved, but she was just getting started.

Brain dumping is the beginning of an organizational planning system. 7. Action Jackson Time! 

You want to:

• Group the similar tasks together.
• Prioritize task groups:
  • [complete today, tomorrow, this week, next week, near future, etc.]
• what needs to be done now
• what needs to be done this week
• what needs to be done this month
• what needs to be done sometime in the near future
• what doesn’t need to be done at all
• what can be outsourced

Break down big tasks into bite sized tasks with due dates.

Store your brain dumps in Evernote with a simple snap of your camera phone and upload it on the mobile app. Add the new TDL (to do list) to Asana, so you can complete the tasks and get one step closer to your productivity goals.

Once you get the hang of brain dumping you can create a master list.

xo,

Kimber 

Never Launch On Your Birthday

Launching is stressful and birthdays are wonderful. I celebrate born days like no one else in America. A party ain't a party until its ran all through. 

Case in point: I've been celebrating my birthday since October and my birthday is today. 

Evernote Mastery was supposed to launch this month. [No sob story or excuses to follow, but pay close attention, because I want you to get the gems out this post.] 

Tuesday November 23rd to be exact. Monday's aren't really good for much but Monday Night Football and even then I don't watch football. So launching on a Monday wouldn't work. People are just trying to get through their day and they don't care what you or I have to say.

Truth hurts but it is what it is.

Then Thanksgiving is just a few days away. Competing with national holidays can be tough for micro businesses. Especially with all the Black Friday Sales. Perfect time for a birthday and all the gift cards at your disposable. Pretty bad for a launch. 

So I re-evaluated my strategy and release date.

Your business is a pathway for you to live an amazing life...however you define. You should never spend your birthday launching...never! There's 364 other days where you can launch your brilliance into the world. Your birthday is your personal new year, a fresh start, and a time for you and everyone that loves you to celebrate you.

I knew early on not to launch on my birthday but what I didn't plan for is the actual launch being so close to my birthday and how it would impact celebrations. I know launches are stressful despite the glitz and glam most filter over theirs. A recent $24,000 launch made me want to take a nap for the rest of the quarter, but it was my Huni's birthday and time to celebrate. 

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Birthdays are great for presents, discount codes, and not so discreet passwords. But not for launching.

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Work life balance isn't a myth or a secret cult that you have to pledge into. Balance exists with systems and strategy, so you don't have to work 24-7 and be captive to your business. 

Let’s be real everyday won't be a vacation, nor will you only work four hours a week. The balance comes when you plan in days for those you love and the things that you love to do...beyond work. Give yourself permission to change important dates you have set for your business and [or] how you run your business. Rid yourself of any guilt surrounded around these changes. You're the boss! 

3 chic tips to mastery:

1. Never launch on your birthday!

2. Write out three reasons why what you're creating is needed in the world. [Why should she hit purchase? How will it truly benefit her?]

3. Set up a notebook in Evernote to track your launch- create a note for your goals, desires, and tools you will need to execute the launch effectively.

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Three Things You Need To Do Before You Quit Your Online Business

You just got off the phone venting to your bestie about how you really just want this business to succeed, but none of your efforts are working. “Girl, just quit!” You hang up with those words lingering in your mind. Your bestie isn’t in business, so she doesn’t get it. Yeah, you can get a job. You know you can even get a bridge job to make things a little more secure. You text your other bestie, because after the last call, you just aren’t up for talking. She tells you to just go with your heart. Neither one of them, get it.

Part of you wants to quit and other parts just want to do the work.

You start dissecting what the hell does 'do the work' even mean. You've been working hard and to no avail, you haven't had the traction that you see everyone in Facebook groups, Twitter, & Periscope talking about.

Here are three things you need to QUIT doing when you are thinking about quitting.

(wine isn't included, but get yourself a glass of Shiraz)

First thing first, stop watching what everyone else is doing.

Some are lying (fake it to you make it is a horrible phenomenon) and others you don't want to take on their business model.

Constantly watching others will dilute your brand, message and work.

If listening to them, doesn't push you into Action Jackson [extreme action + doing} mode, then you need to unsubscribe and stop paying attention.

2. Quit getting on social media until you've done the work.

Yea yea, I know you're "marketing." Listen to me, if you aren't making real money (pay your mortgage + beyond money), you don't have the luxury to laugh out loud with people on Facebook + Twitter all day. That is not marketing, it's just passing the time with others who have time to waste. 

2.1 Make a list of EVERYTHING you do that is a time waster. Post that list next to your computer. Anytime you catch yourself doing something on the time waster list, rewrite the list three times. 

Discipline is a must for success! Train yourself to become disciplined. 

Set a time period where you work on money generation activities (client work, product + service development, and creating amazing free content for people to get a taste of working with you).

From whatever time I wake up (don't judge my promptness) until 2 pm EST Monday through Thursday you will not see me actively on social media. If im not with a client, working on agency client work, doing non profit work, or testing out new tools for you + my clients to automate biz. Then I'm working on free content to share.

3. Review your strategy or lack thereof for the past 30 days.

What services/products were you offering/had available?

How did you let your ideal lady know about this?

How did she respond?

Now look at the gaps of last month and develop a plan to fill them those gaps over the next 30 days.

When you are at the breaking point of quitting, it’s time to set your business up for a breakthrough. You cannot set yourself up for success without strategies designed to grow your business and maximize profits. Besties are great, but when they aren’t in business, they don’t know how to help you get out of a rut into action that will make a difference. Grab your spot in the Business Bestie Breakthrough Program today!

Talk soon, 

Kimber xxo

8 important questions to ask before hiring a business coach

Eight months into the year and I’ve spent close to $9000 on business consulting/coaching & development. The school of life doesn’t have all the answers. Over the years, I’ve developed a gift for determining frauds aka those less skilled than they portray.

[via]

Learning a coach is a "bad coach" or a less developed coach can be expensive and time consuming. Aaaand as you know, I’m all about saving you time and maximizing on your profits.

Here are 8 important questions to ask before hiring a business coach:

1.) Do you have a coach? 

Yes, coaches have coaches. You want to ensure that this person invests in their business and development also. Books, podcasts and e-courses cannot take you the same place a coach can. There's something about the experienced guidance and strategies that coaches can provide to push you towards your desired goals.

So why would you want a coach who isn't investing in their development to help you with yours? Just sayin'. 

If they aren't currently being coached, who was their last coach? When was the last time they were in a coaching program?

2.) What business experience do they have? 

Is this her first business? RUN! I kid...partly. What experience does she have to teach you? There are no true qualifications for coaches and consultants, legally, so inquire about her successes in her own business or past business ventures. This may sound evasive, but wouldn't you ask a nanny 'in your face q's' before leaving your baby with her? Yes, you would. 

3. What are you an expert at?

This is actually a trick question. You should KNOW what she's an expert at. General business coaches are not what you need unless you are super super super new to business aka your business is in the "crazy ideas I don't quite think I can pull off" section in your mind. You want to work with someone who specializes in a niche/topic/area that you need help with. So if you aren't sure what she does and you follow her website and her social media, she isn't for you yet. She maaay have issues with her messaging, branding or marketing and that's why you aren't clear. But that only means she isn't clear either. So if you have to ask this question, the answer is KIM. And not in Kimber, but: 

Keep it Moving

[via]

4.) Why did you become a business coach? 

This is a fun Q and generally we work with those that have the same values and mission as us. 

5.) What success has her clients had? 

Testimonials are cool, but on the spot: what real results have you gotten for your clients? She should be able to tell you a quick case study on how her strategies have helped her clients to succeed. 

6.) What can I expect from coaching with you?

Listen. Is this a regurgitated sales page or nah? Seriously, listen to determine is this what you were seeking. 

          6.1) What’s your coaching style? Does she hold your hand and coddle you through? Or does she call you out             on your bull and ask you why you haven’t done anything you committed to doing?  Is she willing to fire you if           you don't show up and do the work to grow your business?

If you were wondering, I will fire you if you aren't ready to show up + show out!

          Question 6 is gold. Ask + pay attention....take notes if you need to. 

7. Have you ever owned a business that failed? 

95% of entrepreneurs will answer this with a YESS! And I left 5% for error which technically is 100%, shout out to Grad school research class for that lesson. Which I failed by the way with a B-. See how all failures, really aren't failures but learning lessons. [No worries, I retook it and have the principles down.] 

This question ties in with question two, but don't ask in order. Which is why it is down here in the trenches. Trust me on the ordering. 

8. What systems do you have in place in your business? 

Of course I would suggest asking about systems, as systems + processes are what make a business run smoothly. I have seen and worked with some "top" coaches whose systems were a hot mess. It doesn't take away from the expertise, but it definitely can be distracting and make you appear unprofessional. 

When working with a great coach, you can feel as if you gained a new bestie. However, you don't need a new bestie, your business does. An amazing coach partners with you to understand your business and your goals to help you win! Your coach becomes your business' bestie. 

Click here if you are ready for breakthrough in your business and know your business needs a bestie. 

Biz Bestie Podcast: What is a business bestie?

The podcast has rebranded to the Biz Bestie podcast: short, actionable bites of biz truths given to you with love and a bit of sass, just like a bestie would. 

Listen below: 

Download here