Beyond The Status Quo Podcast | Entrepreneurship | Career | Finances | Motivation | Personal Development | Relationships

Money isn’t everything, but it is one of the main reasons we do what we do. Sometimes we feel like money can be hard to come by or we just need a little more to keep going. Everyone has been there, but few know how to approach those feelings the right way. This episode centers around using your mind to multiply your income. We have control over so few things in our life, so we should take the opportunity to control the things that we can. One of these things is how much money we can make. Today, I’m going to give you specific strategies on how to use your mind to benefit your income. Clear your brain and grab a pen and paper because these are real life tips you will want to put into practice right away. “Money isn’t everything, but money does help a lot and money does give you the tool as a tool. It helps you accomplish the things you want to accomplish. It helps you live the life you want to live in order to then turn around and add even more value to the world.” In this episode Avani talks about: The

This episode is all about how to get your creative juices flowing. Since my wedding, I feel like I’ve lost my creative flow. Because there was so much going on, my brain was doing and thinking and processing so much that my creativity was on the back burner. Creativity is one of those things that can be a little fickle when other things are happening in your life. If you’re stressed, if you’re overwhelmed, if you’re very emotional, if you’re going through something personally, it’s hard to find your creative spark or get your creative juices flowing. As I work through getting my creativity going again, I wanted to share my tips with you, too. “If you have something weighing on you right now, that it’s okay. It’s okay that your creative spark isn’t there, that your creative energy isn’t there temporarily, but you do need to face the facts and sort through your emotions so that you’re able to perform at the level you want to.” In this episode Avani talks about: What happened to her creativity since her wed

I realized early on in my freelance business that there was a limit to the amount of work I could take on. I didn’t like it. It made me feel boxed in, and like I was wasn’t in control of how much I could grow. Trying to figure out a way to scale my business and reach beyond my personal limits was challenging. The best way I found to grow was to hire other great freelancers to help me out. So, here are some tips about hiring the best freelancers for your business. “Making your first hire is very important because the moment you do this, the moment you pay someone else to do something that you don’t need to be doing, you are freeing up your own time to do higher ROI tasks.” In this episode Avani talks about: How to find the right talent without spending too much time on the process. How she manages the people working for her and what she expects from them. Her tactics for keeping employees working hard and making sure they are taken care of. 1. Write a job description Even if you know what the job is

As many of you know, I got married last week! After surviving the chaos, I put together some tips for how you can stay sane while getting married, or whatever you’re encountering during your day-to-day life. I came away from my wedding weekend with four life lessons that will help you continue to move your life and business forward. “Your work should be filled with joy and laughter and fun. And so should the moments you spend with your loved ones, the events that you have that you can celebrate and cherish.” In this episode Avani talks about: The events surrounding her wedding and the lessons she learned from them. Coming to terms with not being able to fully experience every moment all the time. Strategies for alleviating stress and staying healthy during busy weeks. 1. You can’t catch every moment Your brain can only process so much — it’s impossible to be present for every single thing happening in your life. It’s important to figure out the times that you should be present and soak up as much as

This week we're running some of our most popular episodes. Enjoy! If you’re anything like me, you’re a perfectionist. This is great in a lot of ways and can really help your business grow, but sometimes you need to throw caution to the wind and stop being a perfectionist and people pleaser. In this episode, we’re going to talk about five ways you can stop being a perfectionist and why it matters. Carve out some time to listen to this episode even if you have work to do because you need to hear it! “We can ditch the idea of being a perfectionist and get better. We should strive to be imperfect.” In this episode Avani talks about: Why you should learn to put yourself first in a non-selfish way. How she learned to deal with letting people down. How focusing on yourself sometimes can benefit others. Five Ways to Stop Being a Perfectionist 1. Don’t feel bad about letting people down. You can’t hold yourself responsible for other people’s actions or feelings. If you say no to a client, you don’t need to feel ba

This week we're running some of our most popular episodes. Enjoy! Today’s guest is Ashlee Hightower. Ashlee is an attorney for creatives and the owner of Contracts for Creatives as well as Cobalt Chronicles. In this episode, she talks about what we’re missing in our contracts as freelancers, as well as what we need to do to protect ourselves, protect our businesses, and make sure we’re getting the most out of our contracts. Ashlee began her career as an attorney working at a large, national law firm. After a few years, she moved into the corporate world (freeing up a lot of her time) and began reading local blogs to find out about things going on in her city, Washington D.C. Intrigued by the idea of a blog, Ashlee started her own travel and wellness blog. This foray into the creative world allowed Ashlee to connect with more creatives in the D.C. area. She soon realized that many of them were having trouble with contracts, or were afraid of them, because they seemed to complicate the creative process. As peop

This week we're running some of our most popular episodes. Enjoy! In this episode, we’re talking about one of my favorite things on the planet: Instagram. More specifically, Instagram Stories. I was checking my numbers and I realized that in the last 12 months alone I have had $35,000 of work come in just through Instagram stories. That is a crazy amount of money! I truly believe that stories are the most valuable part of the whole Instagram platform. Today, I wanted to talk about exactly how that’s working for me, what I do in order to create relationships with people through Instagram Stories, and how you can play the long game on Instagram. Instagram doesn’t have to work the same for each and every person. It depends on who you are and what you like and what you’re hoping to accomplish with your business and the platform itself. This is just what has worked for me. “Clients or prospects feel like they know you and they like you because they keep watching you and they want to work with you somehow. So when

This week we're running some of our most popular episodes. Enjoy! We’ve all had coffee meetings where we sit down with someone just to “pick your brain”. Today, we’re talking about why those meetings are actually super important, and how you can maximize your ROI from a simple get-together. We’ll dive into some strategies to help you make sure your meetings have a purpose, and both parties get value. While these meetings are important, you want to make sure that no one leaves feeling like it was a waste of time or that it was all give and no take. These meetings should be mutually beneficial. It is totally possible to make these kinds of meetings mutually beneficial and valuable for your business. “Prepare ahead of time and go into this meeting with a list of questions and ideas that you want to discuss and talk about. You should be going into that meeting knowing exactly what to say and how to say it confidently.” 1. Know your purpose Why are you asking this person to meet? You need to know exactly what yo

This is going to be a bit of a niche episode. As many of you know, I’m getting married soon, and all of the planning that needs to happen around this wedding can get to be a little much at times. I know I’m not the only entrepreneur out there planning a wedding (or planning one in the near future). Today we’ll explore how to get all of the planning done while running your business and staying sane at the same time. If you’re walking down the aisle soon, the tips in this episode might just make your big day a little easier. “The reason we get overwhelmed with tasks is because we don’t see clarity. We don’t see when it’s all going to get done. Having a project management system is essential.” In this episode Avani talks about: How she manages all of her due dates and tasks for the wedding. Her strategies around time management for wedding-related tasks. How she relies on herself and people she trusts to get everything done. 1. Treat planning like a client or job It will be difficult for you to remember

I work hard to have a positive mindset every day. But sometimes it’s just not enough and the stress ends up getting the better of me. With running my business, planning my wedding, and moving, I’ve been overwhelmed and stressed as of late. Even though my life is stressful right now, it’s a great opportunity to talk about how to effectively manage stress when you’re running your own business. In today’s episode, I’ll review four tips for managing your stress. Some are mental, some are physical, and all of them are important. If you’ve ever dealt with stress, this is the episode for you. “A lot of times managing stress starts with having a foundational practice or foundational principles that you can go back to easily.” In this episode Avani talks about: What stress actually is and how it affects our bodies. Strategies for mentally dealing with stress. What you can do physically to combat stressful periods and bring them into check. 1. Meditate Meditate every day, even if it’s just for a minute or two.

Today I talk with Kate Jones of Kate Waldo and Co. She’s the organizational queen. Kate is a professional organizer for influencers, and she gives them the tools they need to streamline and organize the behind-the-scenes of their businesses so they can focus on what they love. In this episode, we talk about one of the things that used to stress me out the most in my business: finances and taxes. It can be an uncomfortable topic, but we’re going to show you today how you can change that. Kate is passionate about this topic because part of her own business is to help bloggers organize every aspect of their operation, which includes optimizing their finances and taxes. Necessary disclaimer: neither of us are CPAs and we’re simply giving our advice on how we handle tax season. Regardless, this episode contains a lot of good advice that can help you feel less stressed about taxes and finances. “I think the most important thing to keep in mind is that what you do is valuable and it is not a strength of everyone

Today we’re talking about how to give clients proof of the transformation you are offering them. This is something that is a little tricky, and is one of the ways you can hurt a sale if you don’t get it right. This was born out of a question I received through Instagram: “In a service based creative business, how can you provide guarantees that when working with us, we will do a good job to take our business and our clients’ business to another level?” We’re going to cover four ways you can provide proof of your value, and some tips on exactly how you can communicate that value to your clients. “As soon as someone feels comfortable, they trust you and they feel confident. That is when they’re going to say yes, that’s when they’re going to take out their wallet and throw the dollar bills at you.” In this episode Avani talks about: Why giving your clients proof of transformation matters to your business. How you actively deliver transformation to your clients through your business. What parts of your tr

People have been asking me a lot lately about mistakes freelancers make. So in this episode we talk about the top mistakes you might be making when trying to get clients. As we all know, getting clients isn’t easy. It takes a lot of work. In this episode I identify the mistakes that I see freelancers making all the time when trying to get clients. Some are easy to fix, some are not. If you’ve been struggling to land clients, give this episode a listen because it might just be the advice you’re looking for. “Grab all the best practices from everyone. Implement and see what happens. See what the results are, see if it’s better or worse. Start to look at getting clients scientifically.” In this episode Avani talks about: How you can connect to potential clients. Why consistency is key in trying to land new clients. How your communication to potential clients might be hurting you (or at least not helping). 1. Stopping outreach too soon If you’ve been reaching out to clients with two messages a day, don’

Life is busy. Busyness is good because it shows we’re getting things done, but often our routines and habits can suffer. Sometimes that’s no big deal. Certain habits can fall by the way side and not be picked up for a while. But there are probably some crucial habits that you want to be doing (or were doing) and you need help bringing them back. This episode is all about getting those habits back and strategies to help them stick. We’ve all done it, so this episode is here to help you reboot your habits. “Everything you need to do in this life, in this world, is already inside of you. Habits and consistency are just a way to have that come out. To help you really flourish in this world.” In this episode Avani talks about: The reason habits are important and what they can do for you day-to-day. Why you shouldn’t get defeated if your habits fall by the way side, or take some time off. How your habits affect your identity as a person. 1. Start small Starting small gives you at least a starting point f

I was recently talking to my friend Jason Resnick from Feast and I found the content of our conversation too important and helpful not to share with you all. This episode is pulled from our conversation and covers many topics that will help you in your own business. From how he started coaching, to how he thinks about advertising, and more. Jason is a coach for freelancers and he runs his own development agency. He’s also created an amazing community called Feast. It’s a freelancers roadmap and community for you to niche down, specialize in your business, and build recurring revenue. From group coaching to building products, Jason’s business has continued to evolve as the needs of his clients have changed. Many of the services and products he’s added to his business are a direct result of his customers and clients asking him for specific things. One of his biggest challenges as a business owner and coach is managing group dynamics and working through realistic timelines for helping clients make significant s

We all want to live happy, productive lives. But that’s easier said than done. We have a million things going on and sometimes it feels like we’re just trying to keep our head above water. In today’s episode, I’m going to share my strategies for making things just a little bit easier so we can all live more productive, happier lives. If you’ve been stressed and want to figure out a way to lighten the load a little bit, this episode is for you. “Asking for help is a talent. Not everyone can do it. And if you get good at asking for help, you will be great at building anything you want.” In this episode Avani talks about: How to ask for help, and why it’s a skill that will help you in every aspect of your life. The power of mindset, and how thinking about things being easier can actually make things easier. Understanding when and how to cut things out of your life. 1. Ask for help Whether it’s contractors, family, or friends: you can’t do it all by yourself. When things get a little too hairy, make sur

Today’s guest is Ashley Copeland. Ashley is a blogger, podcaster and YouTuber who focuses on investing and growing your money — specifically how you can make your money work for you, and grow it passively. Ashley has a podcast and a YouTube channel called Stacks and the City, which is all about how to get money, save money, and be financially savvy while still living a very urban, millennial lifestyle. She has a six-figure net worth and built it through real estate and investments. Ashley’s journey goes all the back to her childhood. She was raised by a single, working mom and lived below the poverty line even with her mom working multiple jobs. She knew that she never wanted to feel like that in adulthood, so as a teenager, she started reading investment books and figuring out the best way to bolster her income for the long-term. For Ashley, there was no other choice but to save money on things like shopping and eating out, so she could focus on building her investments and provide a foundation for her fu

Sometimes you land in a funk and it feels like life is just out to get you. Last week, that was me. I had a few days that didn’t go very well. This happens to everyone at one point or another. So the question is, how do you handle it? On today’s episode, I want to share a few tips on how I handle those “manic moments”. At the end of the day, when we have crazy moments of anxiety, stress, tension, or just negative things in our lives, we get to choose how we face them. We can either reach into our toolbox and pull out tools that we have cultivated and established over time, or we can just let it take over us and become the victim of the situation. I’m sure you’ve experienced the same thing, so let’s dive in and learn how to overcome those frustrating times. “Real impact is different than just filling in the holes and being reactive. So if you’re going to be able to be proactive and pick the things that matter, that you should actually worry about and give your attention to, then your manic moments will diss

I’m excited to talk with Victoria Levitan on today’s episode. She and I talk about a lot of nitty gritty details about how you can use video to make a splash in your business, and to grow the audience you’ve always wanted to have. Victoria is an online video expert, and her mission is to help online service providers and entrepreneurs figure out how to share their message and grow an audience using video. Her goal is to make video marketing easy and accessible for people who want to learn how to do it right. Originally from Switzerland, Victoria came over to the U.S. 10 years ago to attend college. Being an introvert and far from home, she wanted a way to connect with people online, so about four years ago she started a personal blog. Video was an extension of her desire to connect with people online in a meaningful way. Victoria believes that video is so powerful and important because you get to connect with a real human being. You see them on camera, you see their personality, and you get to know them. You

I’m back from vacation and ready to talk about money! Specifically, I want to talk about how I pulled off $40k in June. I love talking about this subject because it gives me the opportunity to save you some time and stress by showing you how you can achieve similar results. Here are three strategies I used to finally hit a $40k month and all the details around building up to that number. I’ll also talk a little bit about my revenue, expenses, and the “boring” stuff of making money. “Have your goal literally be the background music playing in your life. You are in the process of brainwashing your own brain to make this dream, this goal, a reality.” In this episode Avani talks about: Where she got the inspiration to hit $40k months. Her strategies for tracking her money and getting to that number. The three mantras she implemented to finally get her above that magic number. 1. Thinking You need to become obsessed with your goal. This helps prime your brain to take in the information that will help you achie