Uncomplicate Your Business

Do you think you’re attracting new people to your business through social media? The social media platforms that have been around for a while used to be that way. These days, though, fewer people see your content on most social media. So what is social media good for? Most of it now works best for nurturing your existing audience. But in this episode, I talk about my experiment with TikTok and reveal what I look for when leveraging it to attract brand new people to my business. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 2:36 - I discuss the social media landscape that existed when I first started my business and the magic space you need to best leverage a new platform. 5:15 - What happens when you miss your window of opportunity on a social media platform? 8:20 - I reveal my hypothesis about what makes TikTok different and get into how I decided to play around with it. 16:38 - I’m committing to six months of posting to TikTok five times a week as my goal. What’s my secret to staying consistent on this (or an

You know you must get in front of more potential clients to grow your business. So you make plans to get more visible, whether it’s through interviews or guest blog posts or videos or whatever. Yet, you feel this anxiety creep up at the thought of getting more visibility. So what do you do when the concept of putting yourself out there more feels scary and intimidating? In this episode, I dive into how to prepare yourself for more visibility (even if you feel like you’re not ready) so that more opportunities show up more quickly for you and your business. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 2:57 - Let’s start with the easiest place to set yourself up for success. Ensure these are ready to go before you start the process of increasing visibility. 7:40 - How do I pitch myself? I give an example of how I have everything prepared before an interview and how you can do the same. 10:33 - I make a pitching recommendation that helps if you’re already feeling nervous about putting yourself out there. 12:26 - H

You spend so much time posting on social media or writing blog posts or sending newsletters to your email list. But no matter what you do (or how much), your marketing just. isn’t. working! You’re not seeing results in the form of new, paying clients. Today, I kick off a new series all about marketing that converts. In this first episode, I dive into the top three reasons why your marketing isn’t converting and how you can fix it. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 3:10 - Do you only hear crickets when you get your message in front of people? I reveal two reasons why you might be making mistake #1. 7:26 - Fixing the first mistake involves doing something that the current marketing ecosystem ignores. 9:41 - Do you have a plan in place to prevent mistake #2? Here’s how to make sure you do. 15:17 - Mistake #3 is a big one and the basis for my upcoming marketing strategy intensive. It’s where I see gaps in people’s marketing strategy. 19:36 - I clarify attract marketing and discuss the pros and cons of t

Imagine you’re watching a movie about two solo entrepreneurs: One is so excited about her business but finds herself spinning her wheels. She has an amazing vision for growing her business but goes from one idea to the next because instant success eludes her. The other also loves the idea of growing her business. But instead of constantly changing course while trying everything under the sun, she takes the slow and steady approach and inevitably reaches her goals with the framework and consistency advocated inside The CEO Collective. So in this tale of two entrepreneurs, which one do you want to be? Tune in as I discuss why what you’ve done over the previous few months has resulted in the business you have now. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 4:57 - What’s the real problem for women entrepreneurs struggling to get clients? I see this so often! 10:58 - My mindset shift during my TikTok experiment thus far demonstrates why giving yourself enough time to try out strategies is so important. 15:44 - He

I’m a business growth strategist who’s revealing the truth about scaling your business, so this episode series may have surprised you. But I want your eyes wide open when you go into business growth mode. It’s not just about making more sales; you also need to scale your team, customer experience, and infrastructure behind the scenes so your business doesn’t implode. In this final installment, I break down some key things for you to start thinking about to be more strategic and sustainable when you’re ready to go into high growth business mode. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 3:57 - Which mode allows me to have the lifestyle I want? Being more strategic and intentional while looking towards business growth. 7:26 - Women entrepreneurs tend not to step into leadership in their finances. You can’t allocate resources or make smart decisions otherwise. 11:42 - Keep it simple, upgrade as you go, have perspective, and stop comparing yourself to others. Here’s a particularly helpful recommendation for bot

When you hear of businesses blowing up overnight, you get the glamorized version. You see the celebrity entrepreneurs online living the high life. They’re taking luxury vacations, driving fancy cars, and talking about how their business makes six, seven, eight (or more) figures. But here’s what they’re not telling you. Their business isn’t sustainable because things are constantly breaking behind the scenes. They feel stressed out due to all the fires they have to constantly put out. So how about we take a different approach? In this next segment of the “Truth About Scaling” series, I talk about the three mistakes I often see entrepreneurs make that cause problems when it comes to scaling your business. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 4:29 - How do you know if you’re making this first mistake? Here are the warning signs. 11:52 - I reveal how I’ve fallen into the trap of mistake #1 myself and how you can avoid doing the same. 14:54 - Hiring is another area in your business where you may be making t

Just because you know something isn’t the same as experiencing it. As a CEO, you undergo rites of passage as you progress through your business, especially if you want a successful and sustainable one. In this episode, I share some of the lessons I’ve learned the hard way so you can see a little further ahead on your path, mitigate some of these challenges early on, or just have a more realistic view of what you’re up against. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 3:46 - Lesson one: you cannot do this on your way to sustainable business success. 8:03 - I get angry when I see how too many others fail to implement this lesson. You won’t have a dream business team with this mindset. 16:03 - What will you struggle with when you attain success, and why? The third surprising lesson I learned. 23:16 - Lesson four: the more your business grows, the less and less you’ll find yourself seeking this. 30:55 - The biggest celebrity influencer entrepreneurs make it seem like marketing solves all business problems. Her

This week, I went live on Instagram to share a little Rach Rant that I knew I needed to share with you on the podcast. I've been hearing from so many small business owners who are looking for real support but when they bring their legitimate business challenges to the so called experts - they are told that the reason they are stuck is mindset.Mindset it important! But there are very real challenges that we all are facing that impact our small businesses. If 2023 was a challenging year, then listen in!On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO:00:00 Rachel Cook challenges mindset struggles for small businesses.03:09 Challenges faced by women micro business owners.06:56 Limited availability drives up costs for working families.11:35 Global pressures can't be offset by mindset.13:11 Consumer behavior shifts impacting small business owners.18:45 Get proactive with marketing to boost sales.20:19 Be wary of misleading marketing messages on social media.

Scaling is the name of the business game online, or so it would seem. So often we hear about people having seven-figure launches or seven-figure months (or even days). But there’s something that really doesn’t get talked about regarding these eye-popping figures that you need to know. Beyond just making more money, what does it really mean to scale your business? Is it possible to double, triple (or more) your business in just a year or two? Scaling just for the sake of it can be detrimental to your business. So I wanted to do a new series to talk about the truth behind scaling. In this first episode, I talk about everything you need to consider before you press the “scale” button on your business. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 3:16 - What’s the difference between growth and scale? These words get used interchangeably a lot but aren’t exactly the same. 8:41 - Too many people go after scale at all costs and put their business into unstable territory. I reveal one of the biggest red flags that exp

As soon as you get up, the dog is already begging to be let outside. The kids don’t want to get ready for school, so you have to practically drag them out of bed. Your partner is wondering where the hell this or that is while you’re trying to get ready yourself for the day. And you’re still just barely awake in all this and haven’t had your coffee yet! Are your mornings crazy like this? Let’s do something about that! High performance CEOs know how to manage their day and conserve their energy to get the results they want in life and business. So in this last installment of the “Run Your Business Like a CEO” series, I talk about three surprisingly key things to running your day like a CEO, based on my own experience. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 7:54 - A great day truly starts the night before. I used to never be a great sleeper (and even failed at it, according to my FitBit), so here’s how I fixed that. 15:48 - Morning routines can be so different from person to person. As an introvert who like

As a CEO, you’ve got many potential distractions in your business. Answering emails or other ongoing administrative work can keep your attention off the tasks that’ll actually move your company forward. Then by the end of the week, you’ve made little (if any) progress on the tasks that do drive business growth and success. In this episode, I talk about how you can run your week as a CEO with five top strategies that help you skillfully manage your time and energy while prioritizing those higher-value tasks that move the needle. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 5:01 - What is a model calendar, and how do you use one? I talk about how I created my model calendar and really dig into the details of how I use it now. 21:57 - If you have other people on your team, here’s something else you should consider doing to protect your time and energy. 26:33 - What’s the second most important strategy to run your week like a CEO? I do this for my business every Monday morning. 39:46 - I’m pretty ruthless when I i

I go on CEO dates with myself. Once every month (as well as on a weekly basis), I take some time to check in on my business and ensure I’m continuing the progress toward the goals I’ve set. This is how I create business plans that I follow through on and adapt as circumstances arise. And in this episode, I discuss how you too can build in self-accountability so that your plan isn’t just another document you’ll never open again. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 2:59 - I talk about my monthly CEO date and dive into my check-in process. 7:48 - What kinds of questions can you ask yourself as you look back on the previous month? 11:28 - I reveal another reason why I absolutely love working with The CEO Planner. 14:15 - What are the consequences of not tracking and documenting things in your business on a consistent basis? 20:07 - Your business metrics and revenue help you predict your company’s future. I reveal how I check on mine every month without obsessing over them. 27:20 - What if you discover tha

Every new year feels like a new chance to go after the big, audacious goals of your dreams. But as recent years have shown, you need to have adaptable plans for your business so that it can have the flexibility it needs while still getting the results you want. That’s why I love running my quarter through 90-day plans. Today, I talk about how to actually dig in and start creating these plans for your own business. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 3:34 - Why go for 90-day plans? Entrepreneurs love setting big, ambitious goals, but it can be overwhelming. 7:27 - How do you break down big goals into more manageable chunks to fit your time, energy, and resources? You can make your best guess, or do this instead. 11:24 - As an example, I quickly walk through how you can launch a new group program within a year (or sooner). 16:03 - How do you actually create your first 90-day plan? I dig into it and discuss the kind of goals you want to focus on during this process. 19:50 - Start the process by looking o

It’s one thing to have the right people on your team. But do you have them in the right roles?Assessment tools like StrengthsFinder (now officially called CliftonStrengths®) can help you not just learn more about yourself and your team members but also give you the information you need to help put them in a better position for success. Specifically, StrengthsFinder helps you discover your top talents so you can maximize your personal and professional potential.CEO Collective member La Tondra Murray has over a decade of experience with CliftonStrengths® and uses it as part of her strengths-based leadership coaching to help established entrepreneurs create business results with a lean team. She’s helped more than a thousand individuals and over 40 teams (including my own) in assessing their talent, work-life integration, and emerging leadership.In this episode of the Promote Yourself to CEO podcast, you’ll learn about how using the CliftonStrengths® assessment tool can help you truly set your team members up fo

You have all kinds of personality assessment tools available to use. You’ve probably even taken some of the tests like Myers-Briggs, StrengthFinders, or the Enneagram.But what about a tool that can help you assess and build your team in the best way possible? That’s where the Kolbe A™ Index comes in! It’s a tool that small business owners can use to understand their natural instincts in problem-solving and decision-making.So, how does it work, and how can you implement it for yourself and your team? Kendra Tillman is a former client and founder of StrongHer.Me Coaching & Consulting specializes in using this system so that you understand your natural strengths as well as those of your employees. And she’s here to tell you how!A system like this is essential when building a strong company culture. In this continuation of our culture series on the Promote Yourself to CEO podcast, you’ll learn how the Kolbe system works and how to use it to build, support, and lead a better business team. On this episode of P

You’ve seen and heard about it from the hiring room to the Hollywood screen. For the last few years, every workplace imaginable has been discussing and trying to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion by implementing DEI practices in their company.But Mia Henry, founder and CEO of Freedom Lifted, sees a flaw in the way these concepts often get applied. Her approach involves pioneering innovative work, and she has lots of experience working with those committed to promoting justice and equity.In this episode of the Promote Yourself to CEO podcast, we’re continuing our work and business culture series with Mia. You’ll learn how to cultivate a sense of belonging within your team by using a more effective way of applying these concepts in your small business. Mia will reveal what shared power looks like, why it’s important to have it, and the process she uses to help others begin to do DEI work differently.On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO:7:03 - Why are diversity, equity, and inclusion so important w

Are you a small business owner who is hiring more employees and building a real team? Then it’s time to start thinking at an entirely new level about how this will change the game for your company. And you need to have a culture in place that helps you attract and retain the talent you want onboard.In the last few years, we’ve seen huge changes in the way people work. In fact, the pandemic accelerated changes that were already underway. These changes very much revolve around company culture and how that affects its employees, something that the human resources department of every corporation has a direct hand in.Dr. Tiffany Slater is very much a product of this change. She has over 20 years of experience as an HR professional but had to leave a toxic workplace situation. Now, she specializes in helping other busy entrepreneurs take the lead on their human resource needs. And she’s here today to help me kick off a new podcast series on business culture.In this episode of the Promote Yourself to CEO podcast, yo

Do you often have to throw your 90-day business plan out of the window because events come up that throw a wrench in the works?Over the past few years, pandemics, social justice movements, and wars have made the world feel more chaotic than ever. And that impacts you as a small business owner, as do the things just going on in your personal life.So, how do you bridge that gap between your quarterly plans and yearly goals? In this episode of the Promote Yourself to CEO podcast, you’ll learn how to take your goals for the next year and turn them into an achievable plan. I’ll teach you the difference between process and project goals, the critical systems you need to make it all work, and examples of where you might need to shore up your business.On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO:5:19 - What type of goals are you setting for your business? There’s a difference between process goals and project goals.10:43 - Many small business owners are doing project goals they think will grow their business. Ask yours

Forgetting to market and prioritize making sales consistently? What about letting your schedule get so out of control that you don’t give yourself any time off for months on end? Or chasing every next shiny object instead of focusing on what works in your business?What you suffer from, dear entrepreneur, is a lack of plan implementation. In the final part of this year’s Best Year Ever challenge, you’ll discover how to take all the insight from the previous episodes and turn them into an actionable 12-month profit plan for 2024.On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO:6:40 - How does my 5-part framework form the foundation for your 12-month plan?11:56 - Here’s where I start when I’m mapping out my 12-month big picture profit plan.13:52 - Discover how to plan out what you’re going to sell and when you’re going to sell it.17:28 - I reveal one thing you need to make sure you’re doing throughout the year and another you need to do every month.19:57 - What do you do about any goals that aren’t covered by your cli

You tell yourself, “This year, I’m gonna do it!” You write down your business goal. You put it where you can see it constantly. You’re determined to reach that pinnacle you’ve set for yourself this time! A few months later... you’ve forgotten about it or given up on it.We tend to only set goals once a year, and that’s one of the reasons why goal setting often doesn’t work for most people. On day 4 of this series, I take a different approach to goal setting to help you establish business milestones you’ll actually follow through on in 2024.On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO:4:54 - Many of us have such a love/hate relationship with goal setting. Why does it fail so often?6:17 - As you brainstorm all of your potential goals for the new year, refrain from doing this.8:40 - What is in your client growth engine and in your team engine? 10:50 - I talk about using my five-part framework (Attract, Engage, Nurture, Invite, and Delight) to help you as you create goals.16:12 - Once you’ve brainstormed, how can yo