Uncomplicate Your Business

Are you constantly running your business in emergency mode? You might be running your company by default instead of by design, constantly putting out fires and working crazy long hours. But panic as a business strategy isn’t a wise recipe for success. In this episode, I talk about how to design a business that works for you and runs like clockwork in 2024.On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO:3:51 - Why should your business design come after your life design?5:39 - What does personal and professional success mean to you? Here are some things to keep in mind.10:41 - Who are the dream clients you want to focus on attracting and attaining in 2024?11:40 - Time to shift into money mode! But you don’t want to pull a revenue goal out of thin air here.16:03 - The final thing you want to look at as you go through this process of (re)creating your business by design.Mentioned in Is Your Business by Default or by Design?Best Year Ever ChallengeGet Paid CalculatorProfit First by Mike MichalowiczRacheal on Instagram

With our hustle and bustle culture, we’re always in danger of burning ourselves out. The last couple of years, however, have made it even worse. It always feels like there’s something going wrong in the world--pandemics, war breakouts, etc.--that can have an effect on our business, causing us to worry about its future.No matter what’s happening in the world, though, you can still build your dream business. This Best Year Ever series can help you get clarity about what you want to experience right now. In this episode, I dive into the second challenge and it’s a powerful one!On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO:3:52 - Today’s the day you jump into your time machine! What do I mean?5:50 - I reveal the best place to start as you go through today’s exercises. This is all about getting intentional.7:03 - I give examples of how you can use this exercise to upgrade your life (with a little insight from my own life).9:24 - How can you upgrade your business and have it support the life you want?10:10 - This is w

With the holidays just around the corner, it’s not just time to look ahead in your business. This is also a good time to reflect on your progress over the last year. So many entrepreneurs don’t reach their goals because they keep running up on the same obstacles over and over.If that’s you, let’s not do that again. Instead, let’s start planning your best year ever! In this episode, I kick off my annual five-part series where I walk you through the same strategic planning process I’ve used for over 20 years and shared with thousands of women entrepreneurs to help create a solid action plan for 2024.On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO:2:16 - Do this before you listen to the episode. It’ll help you follow along as I dive into the first BYE challenge.5:25 - Doing this helps you determine the best course of action as you shift your business. It’s a move professional athletes understand well.7:21 - Need assistance answering the questions for this challenge? Using these tools can help you get really clear on

If you’re out of alignment with your business and want to realign yourself, it starts with your vision. But it doesn’t end there. You’ve got to get your values on board as well.In this episode of the Promote Yourself to CEO podcast, Erica Courdae is back to help me dive into how you can realign your business with your values. You’ll learn how being out of alignment affects everyone in your company, the one band-aid you want to avoid using when you’re feeling stuck in your business, and what might be behind that resentfulness you feel towards your business.On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO:3:02 - Why have this conversation now? Erica and I talk about why doing more isn’t the answer to fixing the problem.6:12 - You’re not the only one affected in your business when you’re out of alignment. We reveal an inflection point for many small businesses.13:52 - Why do values not exist in action in a lot of businesses (both large and small)? We discuss what it takes to realign your values.21:17 - Here’s how the

Are you at the point where you dread showing up to your business each day? Do you feel stressed at the thought of working in your business and would rather do anything else?If so, that’s a sign that you’ve fallen out of love with your business. But how did it happen, and what can you do to rekindle the relationship?Today, we’re starting a new mini-series. And in this episode of the Promote Yourself to CEO podcast, you’ll learn about the two parts to re-aligning your business vision and how your definition for success provides the foundation. I’ll reveal the likely cause of your misalignment and give you a few suggestions to help you clarify your new business vision.On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO:3:05 - Why do you get out of alignment with your business vision?6:01 - When you hire others, what’s in it for them? There are two parts to re-creating your business vision.7:36 - I talk about owner’s intent and how I define success in several areas of my life outside my business.15:32 - Cultivating this h

“You won’t make any real money doing that!” Has someone said something like that to you when you revealed you want to pursue a creative career in something like art or music? So many people stop chasing their dreams because they’re afraid they won’t be able to make it work.Today, I chat with one of the founding members of The CEO Collective, Jennet Ingle, who took her talent as a musician and turned it into a sustainable business. If you’re a creative person, you’ll love our conversation in this episode!2:36 – You’d be surprised to know this about me. That’s why it always makes me happy to see others in musical careers.6:29 – Traditional paths for musical majors are few and heavily guarded. Jennet reveals how she’s forged her own path.10:20 – What was Jennet doing when she first came into my world and joined The CEO Collective? It’s such a niche thing that snowballed.16:05 – Jennet reveals the surprising audience receptive to her programs and how the pandemic actually made it easier to reach and teach them.21

What’s the antidote to inconsistent cash flow and clients in your business? Having a solid plan certainly helps, but too many entrepreneurs are just winging it in hopes of finding success. In this episode, I deliver a little tough love and talk about how to figure out the kind of plan you need in place for your business to grow.1:25 – What do most entrepreneurs do first when wanting to create the freedom and flexibility they desire? I explain why it’s a backward approach and a short-term solution.5:08 – You find true freedom with a certain level of control in your business. I clarify what I mean by control here, because a lot of people might have mixed feelings on it.7:39 – What do you need to have in place to get consistent cash flow and clients? I reveal the first of several different components necessary.10:28 – The second component is one where a lot of people trip up. There’s a common trap entrepreneurs can fall into here as well, and I discuss how to avoid it.14:23 – Having these two things in your busi

You have money buried in your business somewhere. It doesn’t require you to gain more followers, run more ads, or hustle further to get your hands on it, either. It just involves taking advantage of the lowest-hanging fruit in your business.Today wraps up this series on ending hustle culture, burnout, and entrepreneurial poverty. In this episode of the Promote Yourself to CEO podcast, I reveal the third and final strategy to grow your business sustainably. I can’t wait for you to unlock this one!On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO:4:13 – I share a quick story and reveal the final secret to sustainable growth for your business. 7:51 – I expose the huge problem not being discussed in the business world right now. What could be the culprit?9:36 – You need to nail these things to form the foundation for finding hidden money in your business. I see too many people ignore the last one.14:33 – What simple offers can you provide your clients behind the scenes? I reveal one way to ensure your 1-on-1 clients fit

Are you on this entrepreneurial journey with someone else?Business owners often ask whether or not I can help them with their specific type of business. Perhaps they’re a business selling a product instead of a service, or they’re in a very unique niche. And while most of the small businesses I work with are solopreneurs, sometimes I see two people who’ve come together as business partners.Co-CEOs need support, strategies, and systems specifically designed to help them too, because a partnership can open up new communication and work challenges. That’s why today I’ve invited Carmen Reed-Gilkison and Deirdre Harter, the co-CEOs of Encore Empire, to share their perspective on how two people can efficiently work together.In this episode of the Promote Yourself to CEO podcast, you’ll hear how they’ve streamlined and upleveled how they communicate in their business. They’ll discuss how they ensure they’re not stepping on the other’s toes or accidentally re-doing the other’s work... and avoid overworking themselves

What do you think you need to gain in order for your business to change and grow? Too often entrepreneurs get hyped up to chase vanity metrics like huge numbers of Instagram followers or email subscribers. Ultimately though, gaining five or 10 new clients is all you need to have a massive impact on your business.The simplest, easiest way for getting those clients isn’t something sexy or glamorous. It involves using a real strategy to invite people in, actually connect with them, and let them know how you can help. Continuing on with this series to avoid hustle and burnout, today I talk about the second strategy you need to adopt to grow a truly sustainable business.On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO:3:27 - I rant (again) about an issue in the business world that sets so many people up for failure.5:18 - What is a predictable profit plan? It’s key to how I help entrepreneurs break out of the feast or famine cycle, so I walk you through how to put one together.10:00 - I reveal the most important but lea

Are you running your business on a wing and a prayer? Meaning, you don’t have a plan for what to do next in your business?Andrea Bentschneider has been a leading expert genealogist in Germany for almost 20 years. She’s been featured on international TV shows and is a sought-after guest on German media.But when she first joined The CEO Collective, her business and marketing strategy was winging it. She didn’t have consistent demand for her services, so she would have to hire and let go staff as demand went up and down, respectively. And she ended up in the feast and famine cycle because of it.Things have turned around for Andrea now, but how? Today on the Promote Yourself to CEO podcast, we continue our entrepreneurial poverty and hustle culture series. In this episode, Andrea will share how being clear on how you’re going to market your business, and being consistent with it, is a complete game changer. You’ll shift from reacting all the time to knowing what the right next steps are so you can move your busin

We women entrepreneurs keep underpricing ourselves when offering the same service or product as our male counterparts. On average, we price up to 20% less. When I first heard that, I was blown away!Pricing is one of the quickest and most powerful ways to adjust your business trajectory and make it more sustainable. I’ve seen it in my business and those of my clients. So in this episode of the Promote Yourself to CEO podcast, you’ll learn why properly pricing your offers is the first step to designing a successfully sustainable business and how to figure out the math in your pricing.On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO:4:49 - What is the feast or famine zone, and does your business fall into it? 13:43 - Discover the two biggest reasons why businesses in this zone struggle to compete. 16:54 - I demonstrate how underpricing can easily lead to overworking by using the example of a wedding photographer.20:07 - Taking the wedding photographer example further, this simple step is an easy way to improve your pr

Do you dread looking at the numbers in your business?So many people say they aren’t good with numbers or don’t understand what’s happening with the money in their business. They make financial decisions without knowing where the money’s going and just hope they’re making the right choice or that it’ll magically pay off.But you need to understand what’s coming in, what’s going out, and make very discerning decisions about where you’re spending the money. It’s key to halting the cycle of cash flow problems so many small business owners go through.Wealth & Worth Within CFO Carla Titus joins us today in this continuation of our series on ending entrepreneurial poverty and hustle culture. She has over 15 years of financial planning, analysis strategy, and business consulting experience and has helped her clients have more cash to pay themselves and begin building more personal wealth.And today, on the Promote Yourself to CEO podcast, she joins me for a no-nonsense discussion about where you really need to be p

When you think of entrepreneurial poverty, you probably think of money, right?Entrepreneurial poverty isn’t just a financial concept, though. And while I’ve talked about this concept in lots of interviews over the last year, I’ve never done it in-depth on this show... until now.Today begins a new series on getting yourself out of the entrepreneurial poverty that comes with hustle culture. In this episode of the Promote Yourself to CEO podcast, you’ll learn how hustle hype has directly led to women entrepreneurs bearing the brunt of this situation and the three kinds of entrepreneurial poverty you can experience in your business. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO:3:47 - What does poverty of time look like for women entrepreneurs? It’s not (just) about literally working around the clock.8:53 - I share the big mindset shift that helped me realize the necessity of avoiding the poverty of time struggle when I started my business.11:52 - Energy poverty is HUGE right now for entrepreneurial women, and the c

When it comes to visibility for your business, you can’t ignore one of the most prolific ways of marketing online for the last few years: social media.And so many influencers make it seem like they have it all figured out. It’s like they live on the platforms, posting 24/7 about the things they do and the things they buy. The shopping excursions, the vacation photos, the lifestyle tutorials--all of it designed to sell to a mass audience and make them think they too can have this kind of life if they do (and buy) what the influencer recommends.Being a CEO is completely different than being a social media influencer, though, so you don’t have to document your life on social media just to have business visibility there successfully. But how can you make the shift from trying to get a mass audience to trying to get the right audience?If you’re tired of being told that you need to show up more on social media and do all the things the influencers do, then you’re in for a treat with my conversation with Andréa Jone

When you think of visibility, you tend to think of the things you can see... literally.You think about the posts, photos, and videos you consume on social media, blogs, and Youtube. But what about introducing yourself to an audience and letting them get to know you using a sense other than sight?Audio has been one of the best ways I’ve gotten my message out there. But you don’t have to be a podcaster like me to use audio in your marketing. And today, in our visibility series, I have an expert who knows all kinds of creative ways to use audio in your business for visibility.Introducing Kim Tradewell of May and James Co! In this episode of the Promote Yourself to CEO podcast, you’ll learn how to leverage audio for business visibility purposes and hear a simple framework to make the process work without overcomplicating things. And as you listen in, the ideas Kim and I discuss can even spark new ones that might be perfect for you!On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO:5:00 - Kim shares a bit about her busine

Are you staying ahead of the marketing shifts that affect your business?Trends come and go--like Myspace, which was once all the rage, but isn’t even in the marketing conversation anymore. What once was effective becomes less so, like you’re seeing on certain social media platforms.But if you wait too late to get ahead of the shifts and change your approach, you’ll find yourself struggling to get your business back on track. So what can you do now?Getting in front of other people’s audiences is one of my favorite ways to create more visibility for myself and my clients. Not through cold pitching, though, but building relationships and creating collaborative partnerships. And today as we continue our conversation on visibility in your business, I have the perfect expert to talk about collabs on the show!In this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO, my friend Jordan Gill is back to talk about how you can leverage collaborations in your business. You’ll learn about ways in which you can form these partnerships, ho

The world of marketing and sales is shifting. Some of the strategies you’ve used may not be as effective as they used to be (or work at all anymore).But one thing does remain the same: visibility. One of your biggest jobs as CEO is getting the word out about your offers, products, programs, and services. And giving yourself a little experiment or challenge can help you get more eyeballs on your business.CEO Collective member Megan Gersch is incredible at getting visibility! She ran a challenge for herself on Tik Tok, and what started as a goal of 100 turned into over 262 potential clients, which sparked a lot of momentum for her bold brand and website design company for creatives.In this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO, we kick off a new podcast series about visibility for small businesses. Today, you’ll hear Megan describe her experiment and learn about how doing a similar challenge can help you gain visibility and insight into what your potential clients are actively looking for.On this episode of Promot

If you had maternity leave or a health emergency requiring you to be away from your business for a couple of months, could your business handle it? Could it even survive?Let’s say, for instance, that you’re a chiropractor who injures her wrist and can’t work on clients for 12 more weeks. That’s where Dr. Lisa Griffith (my chiropractor, client, and friend for the last three years) found herself...and that happened after she’d taken a 12-week maternity leave from her practice the previous year.But not only did her business make it through, it’s growing! So how did she do it, especially as an entrepreneur who has to work face-to-face and be hands on (quite literally) with her clients?Today on the show, Dr. Lisa talks about how she transitioned into having her own practice, grew her team, and continued to grow her business despite the maternity leave and the injury necessitating time away.In this episode of the Promote Yourself to CEO podcast, you’ll learn many insights into how you can continue to grow your busi

“What questions do I ask myself in a review? What do I do when I sit down to check my progress? How do I adjust my plan?”We’re almost at the midway point of the year which is the perfect time to do a review of your business. But not everybody knows where to start when it comes to doing a review, and these are the types of questions I get when working with clients.What if you’re not sure if you’re on track with your goals? Don’t worry! With my framework, you can figure out whether or not you’re still on pace to meet your goals for the year.In this episode of the Promote Yourself to CEO podcast, I walk you through a mid-year review. You’ll learn the questions you need to ask yourself to help you determine what is and isn’t working in your business and how you can start planning for the second half of the year.On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO:5:00 - Look at each goal you set at the start of the year and ask yourself these questions. I discuss a couple of mine.10:39 - What goal am I not currently on tra