Slay Your Success

Organization beats overwhelm any day.  

At the end of every month, you'll hear at least one person say "I can't believe how fast this month flew by."

We all know that the speed of time doesn't change. What happens is we usually don't get everything done that we planned on. We throw around the dreaded B word.

Before every month, or realistically, by the 10th of each month I map out my monthly goals. Yearly goals, quarterly goals, and monthly goals determine your success level. So obviously if you haven't set your yearly and quarterly goals, the monthly goals won't be so easy.

No worries, you can always start over. You can ALWAYS revamp your goals because this biz life is full of moving parts.

So each month you want to break down your bigger goals [yearly + quarterly]. Without breaking them down into actionable tasks and reminding yourself of the reason these tasks are imperative...you're just going through the motions. Reviewing these goals monthly also helps determine if the strategy you have in place is working.

If every day at 11 am you post on Instagram and your follower count, engagement percentage, and clientele haven't increased. Next month you need to do something different.

Goals 101:
You want to map out your goal. [Be very clear + concise]
The steps/process that you need to do in order to complete the goal.
Why is this goal important to you and your business?
How will you measure that the goal has been completed/achieved?

Every month I review 10 areas in my life, that help me to plan what I need to be working on.

Financial
Health + Fitness
Philanthropic
Family
Social
Biz
Self-Care
Spiritual
Romantic/Love Life
Recreation

1. Financial - #moneygoals I determine how much money I want to make each month and assign a purpose for those funds. I also map out money to save and pinpoint what I'm saving for. Every cent should have a purpose. I even note if there's a big purchase I may need to make personal or business wise, so it won't be a surprise the budget.

2. Health + Fitness - review where you can improve your health + fitness. It could simply be drinking more water and keeping up with doctor appointments.

3. Philanthropic- I truly believe in giving back and helping others. Find a cause that's bigger than you and contribute to it. This doesn't just have to be monetary donations. You can volunteer your time or money, build awareness for causes that are important to you. Positively influencing the world and the inhabitants will always be a great thing to do.

4. Family- create goals for your immediate family. If an overall goal for you is to have good relationships with your family, then monthly a goal can be to communicate weekly with certain members you don't regularly speak to. Family is very important to me. Each month we have a family night and a family meeting. So when planning, these goals/tasks need to be acknowledged. In addition to the tasks that may come up for my children's activities.

5. Social-planning socially or making social goals does not apply to social media. With social media, it makes us think we are being social and engaging with people. But to truly thrive, get out of the house and go enjoy your faves and friends. Make dinner plans and actually keep them. Go to the hot new spot you saw on Yelp. Live a lot and enjoy the life that you are steady creating. So whose birthday is this month? Any social events that you previously RSVP'ed for that you need to be aware of when you are scheduling your project's for the month.

6. Biz- map out the 1-3 goals/projects that you have for your biz each month.

7. Self-care- to create balance in your life, you need to take time out to establish monthly self-care practices. This area is the main area that most women fail at in life...truly caring for ourselves. Develop a plan that you will be able to integrate into your life so you are able to manage the daily stressors. Self-care is replenishing yourself weekly. Create routines that allow you to refresh daily, so a morning and night routine to ensure you get enough rest or quiet time, if that is something you notice that you need.

8. Spiritual- some refer to spiritual as organized religion, others view it as finding the meaning to life, and some define spiritual as a connection to something bigger than ourselves.

9. Romantic/Love life- relationships are hard. Even the good ones with no major "problems" are hard. And as with anything else that's hard, you need to put in work. Monthly you should plan to go on regular dates [without discussion of the babes, finances], plan to learn/do something new together, and discuss your sex life weekly to ensure you keep that fire burning.

10. Recreation- recreation is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for fun. This category can integrate with many of the other categories. Finding an activity that is fun and brings you pleasure can be part of your fitness plan to lose weight, or you may find a Groupon for pole dancing and decide to go with your bestie to fulfill the social need that month. Or you may take up a recreational hobby that satisfies your self-care needs. Have fun...it's not a hard concept to grasp. Just make time for it monthly.

Now that you know the ten goals to focus on for each month, you should be able to slay every part of your life. Living holistically and focusing on yourself, social circle and business are the only ways to truly SLAY SUCCESS.

Because I believe you are dope as hell. I created a workbook SLAY your SUCCESS to help you map out these goals.


 

The concept is simple but can lead to exponential growth when put to use month after month.

Success is in the details.
The 30-page workbook is only $10. It is interactive and you're able to fill in the PDF's from your computer and print or just print and fill them out by hand.

Stay Amazing,

How to beat the Instagram Curve

You're scrolling Ig and then you see this: 

Or even worse, you start seeing posts from 5 days ago, all on the same scroll. Your clients and potential consumers are seeing the same things. Even worse, they might not be seeing you at all.

Instagram makes big changes almost quarterly. And I'm not talking pseudo-Snapchat filters or swipe to the left for even more selfies of your fave ig baddie.

Seriously, some of these ig baddies are baaaaaad! #Girlcrush

Just like Facebook, Instagram has an algorithm that makes absolutely no sense to the common eye. 

Algorithm: a formula that determines how posts will be seen and filtered on timelines. 
Facebook’s algorithm is the most complicated. 

After a big update, your engagement will decrease and your likes will be nonexistent in comparison to before the update. 

Ride the wave baby. 

I've managed several Facebook pages and Instagram pages and these tips have worked time after time. 

On average, people miss 70% of content on their Instagram feed. You don't want to fall within that percentage.

Here’s what you can do: 

1. Post multiple times a week. It doesn’t have to be three to six times a day, in order to get optimal results. 

Quality content beats quantity day after day. Post content that your followers will adore + feel like it’s talking just to them. The algorithm was created to filter through the boring and irrelevant content, so the amazing high-quality content could shine and be shown the masses. Take the time to be creative. Everyone can share the same meme + throw their branding on it. 

2. Create captions that makes the reader want to engage with you.
Write mini blog posts (microblog) as your captions. 
Give a call to action: “double tap if you feel me” “tag your biz bestie”

3. Login in daily and commit to commenting on 10 accounts that you don’t typical interact with. Genuine comments...there are enough bots out here leaving comments under posts that are totally unrelated. 

If you already have an actively engaged audience, look at those that recently followed you or liked your latest image and interact with these peeps. If your audience isn’t interactive yet, and you don’t know who to start talking to...go to your competitor and look who is talking to them. Interact with these individuals. You know they aren’t shy and they may be interested in your content as well. No spammy-ness, just true interaction. 

4. Pods. 

Pods are groups of people that commit to raising engagement on each others Instagram posts. There are rules to these “secret societies.” For example: ‘Comments must be at least three words long, cannot just be emojis, and must happen very quickly after the post goes up on their profile.’ 

Instagram measures how quickly users engage with your content to determine if they should continue showing it to others. 

There are formal pods with a total of 15 people, typically bloggers who are matched by a pod company (there’s a niche for everyone). You don’t have to seek anything like this, create your own version of a pod with a few of your biz besties on Ig. It doesn’t have to be immediately commenting as soon as they post. Because I really hope you are working and not playing on Instagram all day or responding to every notification on your phone. But showing love and increasing their ranks. 

5. Use hashtags. I know hashtags can be lame, but I’m telling you the right hashtags can take your brand places. Take time to research 30 hashtags [that’s the maximum # of hashtags allowed on a post by the creator]. Copying + pasting and influencers hashtags won’t do you any good. Your audiences aren’t the same. 

I keep my hashtags stored in ‘Notebook’ app on my phone and just simply copy and paste as the first comment on the post. I alternate hashtags depending on what the post is about. 

6. Post during peek times. Stop posting at 8am-9am with EVERYBODY and their mama. Look at Insights in Ig + actually review your stats for the peek times for your audience. 

7. Use Ig Stories. Post on ig stories at least twice a day, no more than five times, unless you’re actually telling a story. Get on snapchat if you’re randomly posting more than five times. Post in the morning and at night, so you pop up at the beginning of Ig Stories. No one is going to go through their entire story, so if you post in the am + pm, you’re vetting that you’ll be right at the beginning for everyone to see you. Here is where you can post behind the scenes, little bits of motivation, and fun things that you want to share with your crew. 

Create themes and fun things, so your audience is looking forward to your story and keeps coming to your profile checking for an update. [When people are constantly searching/checking for you this boosts your ranking.] 

8. Go Live. Sooo this is definitely one of those “do as I say, not as I do” moments. I have yet to go live on my biz account. Post an image [either in stories or on your feed] and let your peeps know what time you’ll be going live or ask them what they want you to talk about. Full Disclosure: I usually have on gym clothes and look homeless M-F. So going live, just doesn’t fit into my schedule. I did commit that on the days I get cute for my masterclasses, I would follow my own lead and go live. Especially now that they can be saved. 

I have a client that goes lives every weekday at the same time, and the engagement is phenomenal. It becomes an event and soo fun. Another client that goes live every Monday at the same time, and again...remarkable results. 

9. Have an Instagram Contest. First, ensure that you read the rules. Contests are huuuuuge engagement drivers. The prize doesn’t have to be a brand new Macbook or a VIP trip to your summer retreat, it could be a free copy of your book, your product, or a gift card.  I usually have mixed feelings about contests, because once the contest is over, the engagement and new followers disappear. So this leaves you with the task of keeping them. 

10. Pay to play. You knew it was coming. Hit that boost button and boost your post to your own audience. $2 can do you wonders when Instagram [Facebook too] isn't sharing your content to the masses. 

Social media is a way to bring people in closer. Give them sprinkles of your personality. Let go of status quo and boring tactics that you see everyone using. Algorithms and updates will come and go, but your creativity is with you forever. Make use of it and keep your peeps engaged. 

10 tips to beat Instagram and increase engagement. | Biz Bestie 

Stay Amazing,

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.

The Tale of Two Memes

I have two clients by the name of Mimi. For the purpose of this Post, I'll spell their names differently. Mimi and Meme (and not meme like the images that give us kicks and giggles but Me-Me)

Follow me?

Great...let's proceed.

Mimi owns a day spa and hired me to get her business online and streamlined.

Meme runs an online fashion boutique. She hired my team to eliminate the chaos and create structured processes.

A tale of two memes is a marketing story. Read up on how your business strategy should integrate client experience. 

Both Mimi and Meme have profited over $50k in this quarter alone.

SN: You can make money without systems, but the real profits roll in when your systems are flawless.

Meme was marketing through Facebook (paid and unpaid), Instagram (unpaid) and through email marketing. I actually was surprised that she was using content marketing beyond sales.

Meme sends out monthly newsletters that feel like an invitation to get a glimpse of the rich and fabulous. Meme is working with Instagram sensations and celebrities monthly and she's sharing these experiences with her fans. The stories and the pictures are beautiful...just one issue....it's all about Meme.

That's right it's ALL me me me me me!

Who the hell cares? Am I being harsh, no ma'am. Anyone reading an email that's just me me me is thinking that...IF they even continue to read.

Meme hired us for automation. She told me she had marketing under wraps. We automated her sales flow and initiated a flawless client experience.

Despite initial thoughts...marketing is a major part of client experience.

Meme changed her copy to highlight her products and her clients. No more long novel like emails detailing her experience but she began to highlight her customers desire for this fabulous lifestyle. Styling tips from Instagram sensations and success mantras from the celebrities. She invited fashion bloggers to share styling tips, how to pack for the weekend to month long trips, and makeup hacks. Instead of sharing her lifestyle and experience through email she moved those stories to snapchat. The strategy behind this was genius...if I say so myself.

Now the other Mimi wasn't online officially. She had a website, but it was just a placeholder for the day spa on the web. Nothing memorable, to make you want to go into her spa.

And what a disservice that was, because Mimi’s salon is gorgeous. The essence makes you feel amazing as soon as you walk thru the door. It smells like jasmine and lavender mixed with sweet scents of women with good taste in perfume. All of her staff is remarkably stunning.

It's as though she hired models just for a photoshoot. Nope, they work there every week.

Mimi's Facebook surprisingly was poppin! Mimi has been operating off of word of mouth and Facebook. And the Facebook love was by chance, whenever someone would leave they immediately went to the page and raved about it.

Mimi didn't have anyone managing this page to even ‘like the comments that were being left. There was no one checking in on the clients once they left. Mimi’s client experience was solely focused on those that entered the day spa.

Ignoring client experience is leaving money on the table.

Mimi previously had photo stock photography on her site. Which is fine, but considering how remarkable her salon and staff are, that was an instant do-over.

Mimi had a photo shoot and had her website redone. Mimi added a scheduling app for her clients to book online which would save them a few coins in addition to capturing their email and phone number.

This way her receptionist only needed to call those who have not verified that they want to receive text or email reminders. With this extra time saved she was able to tackle social media and comment on that abandoned Facebook page.

Mimi started utilizing those emails she was capturing online (from clients and potentials). Monthly Mimi sent an email telling her peeps about the most purchased service and included a discount code/coupon for those who were on the email to utilize within the next 7 days.

Mimi started using Facebook live and having a Facebook live party once a week. Mimosas and manicures with Mimi every Monday. This was genius considering her clients were naturally attracted to Facebook.

We got ads running on Facebook. Created an Instagram account because image is everything and ran ads over there too.   

You want to be like Mimi and not Meme when it comes to your business strategy, marketing and client experience. You want to create an exclusive experience that builds rapport and relationships with your customers based on their needs.

Major key: understand the necessary wants and needs of your clients is the first step to designing what an amazing experience would look like for them.  

Mimi understood client experience, yet she just did not extend this same experience online. It’s a digital world we live in and we’re all connected, like it or not.

85% of consumers use the Internet to find local businesses.

The experience of your brand should be amazing in person, online through ALL mobile devices and desktops or MacBooks [laptops], social media, email, sales process and support process. This is where Mimi was slacking.

Your target market may be a business (B2B) or a consumer (B2C), and behind every interaction is a person. And it’s up to you to make the experience worthwhile for this person.

Remember Meme was only showing her consumers what she was doing...this was not meeting any needs of her consumers. Meme thought their need was cute and trendy clothes and she was focusing on showing them a fabulous life. Although the cute and trendy clothing brought them to Meme’s site and social media, their need was greater than clothes and drooling over someone else’s online life. They wanted fashion and beauty tips, confidence boosters, and inspiration. When she transitioned to meeting those needs, there was a transition in her business.

Focus on your consumer from the beginning to the end. And the end isn’t at the end of the day or the end of the session. Building a successful business means you are thinking about longevity and not just this quarter or this year. Create a client experience that will yield lifelong relationships. [Even if that relationship is just them raving about how amazing your business is when they utilized your services and/or products.

Live. Love. Action

1.Evaluate your current client experience.

2.Determine your client’s needs

3.Brainstorm a client experience strategy with steps to delight your clients for the lifetime of your business.

Luxe Business Planning

Planners make me happy. They do. They are right up there next to sparkly unicorns and new shoes. Seriously.

On June 1st Erin Condren introduces her new line of life planners. I was sucked into the glam planning world in 2015. Previously I just went to target and picked up a plain Jane planner. The traditional planners were a bit too profesh for me. One day some goddess introduced me to Erin Condren...thank you who ever you may be.

I do know you offered me $10 off my first purchase and for that I say thank you. No worries, I have that same code for your first purchase...just click here and create an account. Check your email that you used then boom...$10 savings.

Erin Condren peeps were gracious enough to send me some goodies before the launch to show my lady friends. I opted for the luxe planner because I'm fancy. The cover is a vegan faux leather. It's not removable, but why would you want to take off such lusciousness. To touch it's very soft and thick. The color is a deep plum purple which in person is just gorgeous. The coil is rose gold [matches the foil lettering perfectly] and very easy to move the paper through. 

The updated paper is thick and has a nice feel. Paper quality is important, when you have important things to do! I opted for the neutral theme (black and white) and its simplicity is everything! It adds an extra bit of sophistication.

I have a business planner, a personal planner, a social media planner, a project planner, fitness planner and a ^i know I'm forgetting one^ planner. So I was just going to wait until January.

This planner starts in July. Only $5 more for the 18 month option [July start] . I've never started a calendar in July before and initially told myself I would just wait until January. That was until the Luxe Life Planner came.

18 month planning nice to meet you...I'm Kimber!

Previously I thought of 18 month calendars as something for the super [borderline obsessive] productive and "that" mom no one ever wants to admit to being. I digress...

I typically plan for business in quarters.

Q1 Jan 1-March 31st

Q2 April 1- June 30th

Q3 July 1 - September 30th

Q4 Oct 1 - December 31st

One big goal per quarter.

That means I have three months to break that goal down and make it attainable. Really pimp my productivity.

BIG Goals require BIG plans!

18 month calendars give you the opportunity to tackle Q3, Q4, Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 all in one book.

Doesn't sound like much until you are staring at the possibilities of your growth and success straight ahead. Growing to 6 and 7 figures does not happen by simply winging it. There has to be strategy and planning involved. In 5 minutes I can break down a business...5 minutes yo! That's my zone of excellence, but that alone didn't make me successful...strategy and planning did.

And if you enjoy life and being social as much as you enjoy work...planning makes it all possible.

At this point in my life my friends are marrying, having babies on purpose, turning 30, renewing vows, turning 40, divorcing, having more babies and just throwing amazing parties all over the world. Not to mention the social and school calendar of my babes.

This means I need to be able to take a real good look at my various work projects and these social events far in advance to make it work.

I usually don't start planning for the next year until October/November. Now I have broken the planner up into quarters, separated by these beautiful book marks.

I know how many clients I can work with individually per month and quarter. Depending on the other things going on in the quarter these numbers are adjusted. Quarterly planning helps me to know when I can release products and run groups. Planning is for bosses.

The month at a glance is the big picture for the month. A clear picture of everything that is going down and what objectives need to be met by what date in addition to the day to day work and life activities. You cannot negate the life. Seriously, it will pass you by, if all you do is work.

In the beginning of the life planner there is a section that says: "your greatest success is believing in yourself" with coordinating boxes. 12 success goals and a spot to break them down right in the front of your planner.

Save the best for last, my favorite accessory, which was updated is the insertable sticky note dashboard. I write quick notes to myself and ideas. It's incredibly easy to forget a million dollar idea...not with these babies. 

 Check out the video below to flip through the new EC Luxe Planner.

xo,

Kimber

4 Business Lessons I Learned From Shopping at Ikea

Last month I put together a desk from Ikea. I'm strong, independent and at the very least... I can read. I sipped coffee, ate a roll of Girl Scout cookies (seriously can anyone just eat one?) and mapped out how I would get the desk up.

90 minutes later...I was annoyed and I vowed to never shop at ikea.

This cute desk that I've been swooning over via Pinterest and Instagram was finally here and up; and instead of being happy and fulfilled...I was annoyed.  And this instantly made me think of business.

Here are the 4 things I learned about business from my Ikea experience:

1. Outsource

I realized that I would have been more satisfied if 1.) the desk was already assembled  or 2.) someone else assembled it. It has nothing to do with the quality of the desk, because a month later I'm so in love. The annoyance stemmed from the time that I wasted.

If there was an Ikea handy man or lady I could have paid to outsource this task, I could have saved myself the 90 minutes that I slaved over matching pieces and bolts and googling in depth directions that didn’t exist. I could have been doing something more fulfilling.

In business, there are tasks that you may not like to do and they may take you forever. While it could take someone else literally seconds and they looooove to do it. These tasks should be outsourced. Your time and happiness is definitely more important than money.

So often, people penny pinch and hold on to doing things themselves, just so they don’t have to pay someone else. But you have to weigh the options. How much time and money are you wasting in completing these activities? How much joy are these activities or tasks bringing you? And then look at what could you be doing within your zone of excellence during this time.

2. Don’t believe the hype

Pinterest and Instagram hyped me up for this Ikea desk. It’s in everyone’s office and pinned all over Pinterest. All that hype made me want this desk. Not a similar desk, but the EXACT desk that I’ve seen for months.

There are hype artists EVERYWHERE online.

Hype artists are people who are loud and boisterous and always talking, but they aren’t really saying anything. There’s no substance to their message. Their whole objective is to HYPE you up and get you excited and motivated...and that’s where their purpose ends. The usually can’t do much else for you. There’s no true plan or strategy to help you move forward with this motivation developed through hype.

You definitely have to learn to determine what is hype and what is information that you can use. Look through the glitter and pretty websites, squarespace is $10 a month...anyone can look official. Is the information fluff delivered by a hype artists or is it information that you can put to use in your business today and benefit from?

3.There are no directions

Ikea furniture comes with instructions, but they aren’t true directions. It’s a series of pictures. Yet there isn’t any clarity on what to do within the pictures. Truly, a waste of paper.

There are no directions in business either. People will give you blueprints that they used or even what they think may work for your business. But, that doesn’t mean it will work. Business is a series of experiments and you are the chemist. You will determine what works together and what doesn’t. You business chemistry will only work when you are in action working. So just reading and researching will not give you direction...you have to take action to see if it works for you.

If I would have followed the Ikea “directions,” I would not be sitting at my desk now writing this post. I had to take things into my own hands and figure it out.

4. Shipping is high

I don’t live near an Ikea, so I ordered the desk online, and the shipping was HIGH. I didn’t mind because I wanted this desk.

Seth Godin introduced the term SHIP to the business and self development word. And by ship he doesn’t mean transporting, but rather producing and getting your ideas and products out to the world...instead of being held back by fear.

The price of holding yourself back by fear is high. The price of shipping is high because everyday you will have to FIGHT through the fear and the lizard brain telling you negative things to keep you from shipping.

In your business look for areas or holes where you aren't meeting your clients major needs. Do you have a DIY Option and a done for you option?

This could look like a product or course and a VIP done for you service.

I offer agency services which are done for you services where the client meets with me once or twice to express their needs and my team completes ALL the work. Then there's a service where I teach women how to automate their businesses and what steps THEY need to take...but ultimately they do the work.

IKEA left all the work up to me...they easily can hire a team to put together the products and increase the price on products that are pre-assembled. There's a market for that. Just as they're a market for both your DIY and done for you services.

XO, Kimber

Social Media Like a Boss

Are you ready to boss up & social media like a BOSS?!?  

Anytime you say "like a BOSS" it just sounds so much more official.

These tips my friend will up-level your social media marketing game.

First thing first. There are so many social media platforms out here. So be clear on your three. 

Anything over three will be counterproductive.

Social media can be a MAJOR time suck. Even for the most disciplined lady. Willpower is a strength. Pick three platforms that work best for you. Factor in your personality, attention span, and overall enjoyment. Look, don't be on a social media platform just because you see everyone else on there. Likes, follows,and hearts don't pay for Chipotle, hydrafacials, or even Facebook ads.

Simple social media best practice: 

Follow others and engage genuinely. If the celebs can follow back and comment, so can you. Lurkers are lame! 

Facebook

Facebook is for friends and people we don't really remember from high school and maybe elementary school if their profile pic is cute. Yes, the algorithms change, but the thing that remains: Facebook is for friends. Position your content as helpful [educational/informative], funny & encouraging [inspirational]. And it doesn't hurt if you package all that up beautifully.

Facebook is also for ads. Forget those that complain about paying to play, because ads can grow your business and Paypal substantially. I have a biz bestie who has a $12 per month Facebook ad budget and doing big things with a little spare change. Research has shown time after time, that majority of Facebook users are online consumers. So many people opt-in to majority of their online profiles using Facebook, which provides even more information about their buying habits and lifestyle...things that you would never know on your own. In addition to marketing companies selling your information to Facebook for marketing experts to enjoy. Pinterest and Twitter ads can't compare to Facebook ads. 

Twitter

Twitter is the place to share timeless content over and over. Remember show and tell? Twitter is the adult version of show and tell, only your teacher isn't making your class pay attention to you. When the quiet girl who never spoke up brought in the new baby alive, you paid attention. Unless she was your friend, you would pay attention to her anyway. Twitter is all about connections and sharing.

Find dope people and create lists so you can keep up with them and share their content. Just don't be spammy and stalkerish.

That will get you noticed, just not in the she’s super awesome let me tell all my biz besties about her kind of way.  

BEING spammy will get you....BLOCKED!

The best part of twitter is Kanye's rants. Everyone loves a good Kanye West twitter rant to take away the stress of the day. In between the randomness, he leaves a business gem, for us to reflect on.    

Instagram

Instagram. I love Instagram. Beautiful pictures, inspiring views and quotes. The trick to Instagram for business is to share your behind the scenes, personal shenanigans, breakfast lunch and dinner. I kid, but have you seen the lady that eats grapes every day and nothing else?

Pique your audience’s interest and make a true emotional connection. If you’re only posting that you sent a newsletter...no one cares. Don't post the same things you post one your other platforms here and vice versa. Switch it up!

I actually wrote this post, months ago and my new favorite is snapchat. I’m using it in the same fashion as I would Instagram. Behind the scenes, personal shenanigans and random biz tips on the go. More shenanigans than anything else. 

Periscope. Pinterest. Meerkat.Google +. YouTube. LinkedIn. Am I missing a platform?

Content sharing tips: 

TA McMann recommends the 5-3-2 rule

• Five posts should be content from others that’s relevant to your audience.
• Three posts should be your own content, again relevant to your peeps, but isn’t a direct pitch.
• Two should be non work related...things to humanize your brand. Hello funny viral videos on Facebook [increases reach too - I share them twice a week]

What’s the 411? Mary J tried to tell you…

The 4-1-1 on twitter is sharing 4 relevant pieces of content [not your own], and retweeting others for every 1 piece of self- promoting content.

Curating and finding content to share:

Content curation is when you share someone else’s content [note share & not steal]  that you receive value from. You are doing the hard work for your peeps. You are saving them time from having to find the information.

Curate like a boss:

Share your takeaway for an added gem.

Share a quote from the article.

Give credit where it’s due, tag the business the first time you share.

Save time curating:

Sign up for Pocket and get the Pocket Chrome Extension : on a website and see something you want to share with your peeps that you aren’t ready to schedule yet, save it to pocket. Get fancy and link your Evernote to Pocket, so the article will be sitting in Evernote waiting for you. Or you can you use the Evernote Web Clipper. 

Ready to share: 

Use Buffer or  Buffer Chrome Extension to either share the article immediately or schedule it out.

If you are signed up for Edgar [amazing tool to manage your social media with a FULL library of stored content] you can use the Edgar Extension.

Wordpress users can use Coschedule.

Stop searching multiple websites on the trending topics: Check out Buzzsumo they have a variety of topics covered from 24 hours up to 2 hours.

Or you could go old school and use Feedly [an RSS reader where you can have your favorite blogs go] and save it to pocket or evernote for later access.

Instagram Tools

Check your Instagram Stats with Iconosquare it will help you with the times that your followers are most engaged [to help guide you when to post], your most liked and engaged posts, and your most engaged followers. 

When you know the perfect times to post to your peeps, use latergramme to schedule the post. It will PUSH to your phone and then you will push the post through. Instagram wants to keep the platform mobile so most tools won’t post it through for you. Be clear of those that do, your account can be flagged to be deleted.

Instagram + Twitter Tools

Crowdfire manages your relationships on Twitter and Instagram - see who is following you and who unfollowed. Another Instagram and Twitter goodie is Hashtagify to determine which hashtags are popular and relevant.

IFTTT has a recipe to post your Instagram picture to twitter as a native picture [so no link & the actual picture populates].

Pinterest Tools

BoardBooster was created for bloggers to schedule their pins at optimal times.
Tailwind is another pin scheduler.

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. 

Strategy is how you SLAY in business [Beyonce case study]

Strategy is how you slay in your business

On December 13,2013 do you think Beyonce woke up thinking, “...tonight I'm going to release an entire album minutes before midnight.”

No way!

Her team and her came up with a plan as to how they would change the music industry forever.

The change in case you were stuck under a rock until a few moments ago, was without any advance PR, a single to promote the album or any leaked music on the internets. Beyonce released a self titled album on itunes with 14 songs and 17 videos. And unlike most digital records, you weren’t able to pick and choose which songs could be purchased for 99 cents...you had to purchase the entire album for $14.99.

Strategy is how you slay in your business.

To slay is to be nothing short of AMAZING. 

828,773 copies were sold in the first three days becoming THE fastest selling album on itunes.

Strategy is how you slay in your business.

In 2013 Beyonce performed during the Super Bowl halftime show. She performed for free, with only the production costs totaling $600,000 being covered by the sponsor [Pepsi]. Immediately following her incredible performance with her biz besties and former Destiny’s Child members...there was a commercial announcing her world tour: Mrs. Carter.

2013 is when Super Bowl commercials hit the record high of $4 million dollars for a 30 second spot.

Strategy is how you slay in your business.

In business you should always be thinking about what's next...and begin to prep for that next step. Connect the dots that you have already established. Your content and actions are related to services that you want to sell. Services and products make sense with where you currently are in your business.

This requires you to take the time to create the systems and strategy that will make your business profitable.

Strategy is how you slay in your business.

A few weeks ago it was confirmed that ColdPlay was headlining the halftime Super Bowl show. There were rumors circulating that Beyonce would perform. The beyhive (Beyonce ‘s following) had difficulties confirming this for weeks. Saturday before the Super Bowl Beyonce released a jaw dropping and controversial video...formation.

Beyonce gave her fans hours to learn the words and enjoy her creativity + greatness while celebrating womanhood. Amazing efforts right before a traditional male dominated event. Then as expected it was Super Bowl time, ColdPlay, Beyonce and Bruno Mars left America astonished with an amazing show. All of the entertainers performed for FREE. However, if paid we're talking $6 million dollars. Seconds after this performance flashed the shortest super bowl commercial...Beyonce's world tour formation. 2016 Super Bowl commercial rates started at $4 million dollars for a thirty second slot.

Strategy is how you slay in your business.

Conversations across social media and America shifted from an intense football game to how could they purchase Beyonce’ concert tickets.

Strategy is how you slay in your business.

You don't have to be Beyonce to create buzz and slay with your business, but you do need to be unapologetically you, understand your audience and have a defined strategy. Spend money on things and services that will advance your business.

Beyonce has used her strategy over and over and each time it breeds miraculous results.

You don’t need a big budget to make big bucks...you need strategy.

You don’t need 14.2 Million followers on twitter to have a substantial business, you need strategy to grow a following that adores and supports your work. [Side Note: Beyonce hasn’t tweeted since August 2013]

You, my friend, won't know what works until you do the work and implement strategy.

Has your business experienced the big O?

Some ladies will never experience the big O. Despite all the deep intense talks they have with their biz besties...none of those techniques will help them get that O that they crave, desire and know they've worked hard for.

Outsourcing doesn't just happen.

What big O were you thinking of?!?

via 

Don't answer that and let's focus on the big O!

Outsourcing is more than just hiring another business owner to complete work for you. << click here to tweet this >>

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Much of the information out here goes a little like this:

You're busy...you need help. Hire someone to help you. Boom! Everyone gets a unicorn!

via

Or like this...

You're a girl boss...you don't have to do the things you hate to do...hire someone else to do it.

And here's my favorite...

You can't afford to NOT hire an assistant to help move your business forward.

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Well guess what happens to 85% of chic + savvy solos who shoot their shot with the big O the first and second time?!?

They don't see sparkly unicorns or the light or anything that looks like relief.

They experience more work...frustration and chaos.

Hiring before you are ready is an amateur move. Yeah...I said it.

You HAVE to be ready! [and not just financially]

Here's three things you need to do today before going after the big O!

1. Get your business out of your head.

Stop storing your business ideas, plan and procedures in your mind. Create a standards of operations that outlines how your business runs.   The more detailed the better.

2. Make a list of the tasks that you do in your business. Then classify which tasks are:

• Money generating
• Administrative low
• Administrative high
• Zone of Genius (only you can do)
• Time suck but necessary

Things outside of your zone of genius that are money generating should be outsourced first.

You already got your business out of your head in step one, so you should be very clear on what parts of your business generate money.

3. Determine a budget for the tasks that you need/want outsourced.

A. If you can't afford to hire help, you can't afford it. Stop trying to be like the Joneses because the Joneses are broke!

Create a strategy of how you can hustle to make the money necessary to pay the contracted person got their work at minimum of 90 days.

B. You've looked over your expenses and you know you can afford to outsource tasks to on a regular basis starting with at least 90 days.  

Pop the champagne or water bottle (if you’re counting calories) and start preparing for the big O!