My #notsorry fail . . .

You'll never guess what I did the other day.

I totally reverted to one of my old patterns. One that rolls perfectionism in with overworking in with trying to carry the world on my shoulders.

Well, let me just show you. It all went down like this:

Me: Drops the toddler at preschool then puts together a healthy crockpot meal (Woke up sick! Better make something healthy I can eat for the next few days!)     
                                       
Ben (my husband - sick 3 days later): Drives to work

M: Hops online for weekly lives on IG and FB (Because I promised and they need it!), then crawls into bed to continue working

B: Leaves work shortly after arriving and goes straight home to sleep, even though it’s Day 2 of an important military exercise . . . that he’s in charge of!! (His team will handle it.)

M: Gratefully accepts help from Mom to walk the dog, grab some groceries and bring the toddler home . . . but feels concerned and a bit guilty (What if I overtire her?)

B: Zero emotional labor. No checking to see if the child, dog, or anybody else needs anything. (Jenna’s got it!)

M: After taking care of the baby the rest of the day, remembers to put on retinol cream and carefully braid hair up to avoid breakage (HD is NOT kind to women over 40!)

B: Deodorant? Check! (What does my appearance have to do with anything?)


Ok, not sure how you’d interpret all this (my mom thinks, "That’s just the way it is,")

But here’s what comes up for me:

It’s NOT that men are useless. Or babies. Or self-absorbed.

(Because really . . . he’s sick! Why shouldn’t he take off work? Why shouldn’t he give his body the sleep it needs? Why shouldn’t he rely on trusted loved ones to temporarily pick up the slack?)

It’s that we’re so concerned people will think WE are!! (Or we might feel like we are.)

It’s pretty frustrating comparing my sick day to his . . . how the "right" things come so easily and effortlessly to him, but to me it’s kind of like a foreign language!

Here’s what I mean:

If I’m well rested and prepared, I do pretty well with the #notsorry vocabulary -- the lack of apologies, self-sacrifice, the worries about "imposing". . .

Heck, I even help OTHER people with it! #notsorry is one of my things!

But as soon as I’m off my game in some way (sick or new situation . . . which obviously happens a lot in the entrepreneurship game) I catch myself reverting to my "mother" tongue.

(Once I suggested that my mom go to the emergency room. She said she didn’t want to "bother" the doctors with something that might not be serious.)

So what's a girl to do?

Well, I’ve come up with a new tool to use in those situations! Because one of the most effective ways to break an old habit is to have a default intervention on hand so that IT becomes the new habit.

I’m calling it, "WWBD" aka What Would Ben Do? And all I have to do is ask that question when I suspect I might be slipping.

And what I’ve been thinking about today is . . . what would it be like to go through life like that ALL THE TIME? (And is it even possible??)

That’s something I’m going to play with more and more in 2020!

What about you? Are you an #imsorry or a #notsorry person?


Jenna

Cherry Blossoms, Electric Shocks and Grandbabies

I want to tell you about a groundbreaking experiment . . . and how it finally explains WHY we make so many self-sabotaging decisions.

It started when researchers introduced the smell of cherry blossoms to a group of mice right as they received a mild electric shock to their feet. Before long, when the mice smelled the cherry blossoms, they became fearful and showed physical signs of anxiety.

No big surprise, right?

True. But wait till you hear what happened next.

The children of those mice were raised in environments without shocks or blossom smells.

But then when the smell was introduced . . . they were extremely sensitive and "alert" to the smell.

Their parents’ fear had been passed down to them.

And it gets even crazier. The GRANDBABIES of those mice also were extra sensitive to cherry blossoms!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Which brings us to you . . .

For thousands of years women have been told

… don’t stand out
… don’t be too intelligent
… don’t be too independent
… don’t impose
… don’t be too attractive (but don’t be unattractive, either!)

And for God’s sake, be a people-pleaser and be beyond humble about your amazing talents, capability and power!!!

Because really bad things could happen.

You might not procreate. You and your family might be cast out of the village. You might be institutionalized. You might even be burned at the stake, stoned to death, drowned or beheaded.

Ouch.

Is it any wonder that we get triggered as we build our businesses?

It’s like the smell of cherry blossoms comes wafting in, and we freeze.

Or run for the hills. Or bury ourselves in a blanket on the sofa binge-watching shows that we’ll forget about next week. Or drink too much wine so that we’re foggy-headed the next day. Or get sick. Or get in a fight with a family member. Or manifest a mini-crisis that consumes all of our time. Or get lost in a social media rabbit hole. Or overwork ourselves to the point of burnout. Or "forget" to follow up on that lead. Or stop ourselves from responding to someone’s post because "that’s not exactly my area of expertise." Or refrain from talking truth about our amazing work because we don’t want to seem "too braggy." Or fumble our words when it’s time to share our price on a discovery call. Or struggle to stay motivated when we’re gaining momentum. Or make excuses about why "now’s just not the right time to invest."


ALL signs of resistance, driven by underlying anxiety and the physical fight-or-flight response.

(And btw, that stuff I just wrote? Those are REAL things that my clients have described.)

The cherry blossoms are no joke.

So what about you?

What are YOUR cherry blossoms? What are the things that run counter to traditional female roles that make you feel uncomfortable, ashamed or anxious when you do them?

And what are you going to do about them?

Because not only will it change YOUR life, but the lives of future generations, too.

The good news is that you CAN do something.

Just like there are ways to work through limiting beliefs created during events in your own life, there are ways to work through inherited fear.

And the first and best way is to hop over to Women Taking the Leap and tell us what’s coming up for you right now . . .

Because exorcizing those inherited demons starts with recognizing them openly and without shame . . . and that’s so much easier to do when other people are doing it, too.

And because it’s exactly the safe supportive #notsorry community of like-minded women that your strong-but-oppressed female ancestors WISH they’d had!

Here’s to breathing easy,

Jenna

Ambition . . . or Groupon?

I’ve got this really fun friend who’s a total Groupon fanatic. And whenever she scores a deal, I get a text.

Normally my answer is, "Thx but no." I mean how many 5-day trips to Taos can a girl take when she’s got a toddler and a business?

But today I said yes to a wine-tasting lunch in Manitou Springs, a cute historic gold rush town nestled in the mountains not too far away, honoring my New Year’s resolution to get myself out of my cozy green office chair and take advantage of the fact that I became an entrepreneur.

(Hence the ice skating, the pottery lesson and the cannabis massages … but those are Groupon stories for another time.)

Anyway, by taste #4 we found ourselves talking about an acquaintance who is just as driven as me and has a similar grand vision for her life.

"I just don’t get it," my friend said. "All those things . . . the partner, the children, building a business, leaving a legacy . . . aren’t they just unnecessary anxiety? I’ve got enough anxiety just from my cat! I’d much rather just play around on my phone searching for Groupons!" she laughed.

And that’s a perfectly fair decision . . . except that thx but no.

I’d go through (and have gone through) crazy discomfort to avoid the anxiety of NOT pursuing my dreams.

So if you feel like you’re at a crossroads (or you get there in the future) . . .

. . . maybe you’re wondering if you should start a business / family / marriage or wondering if you should continue with one . . .

Let me ask you this:

Which feels worse for you … the status quo, or the discomfort you’d have to move through to change it?

And which feels better . . . who you are when you’re changing, or who you are when you’re staying the same?

Sometimes the most difficult decisions just need the right framework, and then the answer becomes crystal clear.

Here’s to being clear about what you want and what it’s worth to you,

Jenna

How to Really Believe in Your Prices and Raising Prices

I received a question posted in the Women Taking the Leap Facebook group about how to sell your services effectively, set prices for your services, and really believe in your prices. 

This topic about how to sell your services effectively is going to be a two-part series because it comes down to two things in the beginning: 

1. Believing in your prices

2. Your sales conversation 

In this post, I want to focus on pricing, money mindset, and believing in yourself. 

When you're offering a service, it feels all about you, and it makes us all so nervous to talk about what we are worth and what we think somebody else should pay us. 

I'll give you some mindset shifts and tactics that will hopefully take you all the way home!

My backstory . . . 

I used to feel seriously handicapped by this. 

I grew up in a military community, and there’s a really strong value system there about altruism, selfless service, and not doing it for the money. My dad was a pilot, and there were so many people that would get out of the military and fly for commercial airlines where, obviously, they'd make a lot more money with a lot less risk and hardship. 

At the time that seemed, “So, so terrible! How could they do that? How could they chase the money rather than doing the good and honorable thing?” 

I grew up with ideas in my head that charging money or even being interested in money was bad. 

When I started taking business courses, I quickly gobbled up some sales courses because I thought, “How in the world am I ever going to do this?” 

(Now, let me know if you are like me and you’ve wished you could skip straight ahead to creating and selling courses. It's like, “Please can I just sell courses where I have a landing page and it's all anonymous and I don't actually have to talk to people?!”

But, I gotta tell you…it is SO great working with clients one-to-one. You get such motivation and immediate feedback from people when you can be really invested and partner with them. You actually SEE those results and hear them thank you for those results. It’s a totally different kind of gratification than when you're selling an information product.) 

Long story short, I’ve come to a better place now. 

Now when I get on a sales-type conversation, it's nothing! I don't wake up that morning going, “Oh my God! I have a sales conversation.” Because, to me, it's market research. It's a way for me to tap into my market and get to know people. I don't have those jitters the way that I used to.  

Okay, time to dive into two things - believing in your initial pricing and raising your prices later.  

Believing in Your Initial Pricing

When setting your initial price, you want to think about two things:  

1. The lifetime value for your client  

2. Your specific value as a service provider  

LIFETIME VALUE FOR YOUR CLIENT 

Your service can affect your client’s whole life! 

The value for the client may not be just the result they get from you over the next month, or three months, that you’re working together. It can continue contributing to their well-being for LIFE. 

What happens for them? Do they feel more self-assured? Do they leave their job and have less stress? Do they feel the confidence, ease, and peace of mind? What is it really that is going to continue to grow for them over time?  

I've had clients say to me, “Well Jenna, it's fine if you're selling a business service. But, what about me? I wouldn't know how to quantify that lifetime value. Would my clients even think about that?” 

But here's an example for you. People will pay premium bucks for a good mattress. Is that $3,000 mattress really any better than the $500 or $750 mattress? I don't know. But maybe it is. And maybe it's giving them that better night’s sleep for the next 10 years (or maybe even 20 years if you’re going to throw that mattress into a guest room or something)!

People will pay more money for things that they perceive will improve their daily life over time. 

That's something that's really worth thinking about - and later, talking about with prospective clients - in terms of pricing your services.  

YOUR VALUE AS A SERVICE PROVIDER 

There is a lot of value in being a beginner.  

People completely undersell themselves when they’re starting out! Think about the extra time you will be able to spend with your clients precisely because you don't have that many clients. Think about the investment you will put into them because you want those results almost even more badly than they do! Those great testimonials are going to mean EVERYTHING to you!All of that is really valuable . . .   

Here's an example. Say you wanted to learn to shoot some hoops. Would you run off to Michael Jordan and ask him to be your coach? Probably not. Right? 

One, you'd be so intimidated you’d be shaky and probably wouldn't even make the goal anyway. Two, he'd probably charge you a gazillion dollars. Three, he's so far ahead! He’d probably be like, “Girl, I don't know how to teach you how to shoot a hoop. It's all muscle memory for me at this point. I put in my ten thousand hours. I can't even tell you what it was like to start out.”  

Chances are instead of going to Michael Jordan, you’d go to someone like your nephew or a coach at a local gym. That coach would be closer to your beginner status and able to remember the steps they had to go through when they were at your starting point. And, you really don't care about the fact that they're not of Michael Jordan! 

( Meanwhile they may be suffering from imposter syndrome thinking, “Oh my God! I'm not Michael Jordan. How could I ever even take money for teaching this person how to play basketball?” But you know what you're thinking? “Well you're many steps ahead of me, so teach me what you know, and I’ll be better than I am now. That's the result I want.”) 

The same thing goes when you’re starting out with done-for-you services, like designing websites. You’ll probably allow more revisions than somebody with a more robust client load would be able to offer. 

And when you think about the long-term value to their lifestyle, what if they're converting even one extra client? One extra client a month. That's money! What is that worth? 

Also, what about the fact that whenever they go to a business conference, or they're out with friends, they're meeting people that may ask about their work? They can say, 'Check out my site!' and feel really good about it. That means something; that's worth something.  

Raising Your Prices for New Clients

It's okay to start out low when you're setting your pricing. 

I know there's a lot of hype out there about how you need to set this premium pricing and you need to position yourself strategically in the market. But my thought on that is, if you start out that high then you may not actually sell what you're trying to sell. (Chances are it’s because they're picking up on your doubt.) 

And then you think, ‘They're not buying it so maybe I'm not worth that pricing.’ 

It becomes this circle, this self-fulfilling prophecy, and you just don't want to go there. 

Start with pricing that feels reasonable for you to sell, and then you can discipline yourself later to raise your prices.  

So now let's talk raising your prices!  

1) Baby steps!

First thing I recommend is to start with baby steps. Raise your prices like $500 at a time. In your mind, you'll be able to say, “Okay, $1,500 and $2,000… That's not really that different!” 

2) Practice in front of a mirror

Practice it over and over so that it comes out naturally. 

3) Get ready

Change all your payment links. Make it real, where you're not going back. 

4) Do the mindset work

This is SO important! Work through those stories! 

Why have you really been holding back from charging higher prices? What does money mean to you? What has money meant to your family? What stories have you picked up from the past? What are you ready to change, and why?

Really get yourself primed for having a conversation where you can sit down, and if you're on Zoom, look somebody straight in the eye and tell them what your prices are. You won’t have to babble nervously after you give your prices. You can just state your prices, close your mouth, and wait for them to process and come back with an answer.  

Here's something people have asked me over the years, “Why did I lose my first client when I raised my prices?” This is usually because you don't quite believe in it yet. That doubt is getting transmitted to your customer on the other end of the phone or video call. 

That’s why they may say, “no.” But that's okay! You are moving forward so you just gotta persevere. Persevere with that next person. Don’t rush back and lower your prices. Wait until it becomes more comfortable, more natural for you, and it will happen.  

Raising Your Prices for Current Clients

As for raising prices for your current clients, it’s a completely personal thing.  

I choose to let them know as far in advance as possible. If somebody is, for example, on their first contract with me, I like to allow them to maintain the same price if they want to continue for the next month or maybe for the next three-month contract. I really believe when someone invests with you in the beginning and they make that leap, they're projecting that amount over time. I want to give them time to settle in to the benefits they're getting.  

When the time comes to raise your prices, here's what I suggest. 

Go back through your notes and make a list of all their wins, all the benefits that you've helped them achieve. Then, let them know in a call that you're going to review everything with them. 

That's really powerful. We as humans tend to be so negative and always think about what we're NOT doing rather than what we ARE doing and what we have accomplished or learned. 

So it's very helpful, especially if you're in coaching but also if you are a service provider, when you can come back with analytics and statistics to let them soak in all their wins and the results they've accomplished (that also will help you with a testimonial!).

Get that fresh in their mind and then you’ll be able to say, “I'm so happy you’ve achieved these great results. You've really done the work and it’s paid off! I'm so excited to think about what would happen in the next three months, if we continue working together.” Just like that, right? No shame in your game. It's just an offer! 

Unfortunately not everybody is going to say, “yes,” and that's one of the big fears you need to release when you're having conversations and believing in your prices. At some point it's a numbers game. Some people are going to say “yes!” Some people are going to say, “no.” If it’s a “no,” ‘meh,' right? That's what it all comes down to. It's a big, old meh. 

You just need to know that you're moving forward, and you have value. Over time you are getting greater and greater wins for your clients and becoming more and more self-assured. 

But you’ve got to be bad before you can be good and good before you can be great. 

Here’s to setting, and raising, your prices like the confident boss you are, 

Jenna 

P.S. If you’d like my support in helping you and your business grow so much more quickly and easily than if you were to do it on your own, go ahead and schedule a FREE call with me. Together we’ll map out a personalized roadmap that will help you build the right business for YOU.

2 Common Biz Pitfalls That Almost Derailed My Business

I want to be honest about how I almost derailed my business…  

TWICE! 

…because I do see this playing itself out over and over. 

I see it with clients and in Facebook groups. People talk about what's going on in their business, and I think to myself, ‘I KNOW those things can be avoided!’ (You know…I wish I had me telling me this back in the beginning of my business.)  

Let’s put this into terms many of you can relate to. 

Your business is like a relationship. 

If you haven’t been through major issues in your business yet, you may think, “This really doesn’t apply to me” or “It's not going to happen to me.” But, many of us have been through the standard breakup, so almost everyone can relate to this comparison.  

I’m going to touch on two different types of relationships. 

Relationship Type #1: You think everything's going along just fine…Then, out of the blue, your partner says, "Hey, I think we need to end this…we really need to go our own ways.” 

Um, WHAT?! You're so caught off guard thinking, "What just happened? I didn't see that coming!”  

That's what was going on in my business. I was humming along thinking everything was great. I had a few clients and was consistently gaining new clients. I felt like I was on my way when suddenly…the brakes slammed. 

I was at a complete standstill. I felt like I wasn't booking any discovery calls or sales calls. I wasn't getting the referrals that I used to. I felt like engagement was down. I didn't know what was going on, and there was a big, panicky part of my brain that thought, “You know, maybe this is it. Maybe, you just plateaued. Maybe, the market's changed. Maybe…you just got lucky with those first clients.” There was a part of me that wondered if I was ever going to scale again, and if I'd stayed in that place for too long, I really think my business could have fully derailed.  

But, here's what happened.  

I was working with a business coach, and she was the one who said, “You know what, I think there may be some mindset stuff going on here."  

So, I started working with a mindset coach. That is when I realized I was working so hard (feeling so overwhelmed!), but deep down, I really didn't want more clients. 

I could never admit that to myself. I sure as hell couldn't admit that to my husband who was supporting me financially! I couldn’t tell him that I was the one getting in the way of my own clients.  

But, here's the thing. When you work with someone on mindset, it’s not like you have this little light bulb realization of, “OH, I’ve been blocking myself from getting clients!” You have to go deep to understand the beliefs of why you think that way so you can start to unravel it and retrace your steps to get things going again.  

For me, there was this belief that I wanted to be striving but never arriving. There was a lot of safety in that for me because then maybe I could just run away, go back to my beach in Spain, and be the hippie I used to be…right? As if that would be the good life. 

Except deep down, this more evolved part of me knew I didn't want that. I believed in this meaningful business.

I needed to re-frame how I thought about business and what it would mean for me. The fact that it didn't have to be so encompassing, so overwhelming. 

I'll tell you the truth…I work my ass off, still. I’m not one of those people who works four hours, and the rest of the day, I'm off in a yoga studio. Since I have a baby and choose to spend quality time with him, I’m working about 80 hours a week between the baby and my business. 

BUT…I've removed the drama from it. I don't feel the same anxiety, pressure, or fear of building up my business.  

So the big tip there is to humble yourself to the power of your own mind.  

That’s why this whole entrepreneurial mindset thing is so critical. 

I have a background in performance coaching, so I thought I should be able to coach myself out of this. That made reaching out to a coach SO much harder. But, no matter how great a coach you are, I am convinced, at some point, you need an objective viewpoint from somebody seeing your stories in a way that you aren't used to seeing them. 

Humble yourself, so you don't get into the situation where you think everything's going fine because you’ll feel completely unprepared, and like you can't crawl out of that hole, when the partner of your dreams suddenly leaves you. It’s still going to hurt, but at least you have the tools, and chances are, you're going to be able to work through it like I did. (Thank goodness!) 

Now, let’s dive into the second type of relationship . . . 

Relationship Type #2: This one is the relationship you know is bad. 

You know it's not right for you, and yet you continue along with it anyway. Until you finally get to the point where you two are such strangers you look at each other and wonder…why are we even together anymore? 

That's what was going on with my business early on. I spent close to two years without any clients. I was blogging my heart out, spending time in Facebook groups adding value and answering people's questions, trying to show up as “the expert” …and it wasn't working.  

Here's what I really did wrong.

I didn't step in for a quick intervention. I let it go on too long.

Your motivation is correlated with your belief in success. The strongest way to up that belief in success is to see PROGRESS. If you're working for too long without seeing that progress, your motivation’s going to tank. You're going to feel demoralized (that's certainly how I felt!).  

That's why so many businesses close up shop. They're not getting the proper support, so they think, “This is the way it has to be,” and they keep going and going. But, there's a part of them that's so demoralized that finally they feel they have to close down. 

Or, the way I would have said it, because I'm a huge idea person, "You know what, I thought of a better idea."  I would have then started from scratch on a completely new business.   

What I should have done was gotten the support.  

I should have asked for help. I wish I could look back and say, "You know what, I didn't even know there were business coaches.  I had no idea this was available to me." But, the truth is, I did…because I reached out to a couple of them and had sales calls. I was so overwhelmed by their prices and I thought I didn't deserve it yet. I thought, “When I get further along in my business and I'm actually earning money that's when I can allow myself to hire a business coach.”

The crazy thing is, looking back over that year or two, I trickled out so much more money than if I had just hired somebody for the few months it took to get me up and running. I regret that. 

Luckily, at the very last minute, right about the two-year mark, I did invest in a business coach.   

It made a huge difference, quickly. I wish I had allowed that intervention sooner. We always kind of know that deep down, but we don't do what is necessary because we want to be able to say we did it on our own.     

So, the two major tips for avoiding these “relationship conundrums” aka business pitfalls: 

1. Humble yourself to the power of your own mind to get in your way. 

Allow yourself, even if you're reaching out to talented coaches, mentors, or someone that you can turn to that will allow you to see your stories from an outside perspective, to really get in there.  Get deep and understand why you are holding yourself back, and how you have that power to change.   

2. Intervene QUICKLY, when things just aren't right.  

All right! If you have any questions, message me anytime. I'm always available, and I'd love to talk to you!   

Here’s to transforming the relationship you have with your business (and getting out of your own way!),

Jenna 

P.S. If you’d like my support in helping you and your business grow so much more quickly and easily than if you were to do it on your own, including understanding the ways you might be resisting growth, go ahead and schedule a FREE call with me. Together we’ll map out a personalized roadmap that will help you build the right business for YOU.

3 Ways to Describe Your Business (You Need All 3!)

Do you feel tongue-tied when people ask what you do? If you had to, could you describe your business in one sentence?! 

Knowing EXACTLY how to describe your business is so important, and I’m going to give you a few different ways to do it!   

Think of this like clothing shopping … 

You walk into a fun boutique, and you're trying on an outfit. It’s SO cute! But, deep down, you know you're not going to wear it too often…

That’s what I see with so many business descriptions. They are a little forced and make people wonder, “Where exactly are they going with this?” 

I recommend people have a 3 different business descriptions. 

1) The Everyday Description

The first is the one you need to think of as your “everyday outfit.” It's something that's so YOU. 

You're comfortable in it and you can take it with you anywhere! You can remember this description so well it just rolls off your tongue. You can say it to anybody, and you feel good saying it. 

An example of this for my business is, “I help women get really clear on exactly which business to start and exactly what steps to take to make money quickly.” 

It’s short and sweet! Nobody, no matter what, would have a problem understanding it. It is the perfect description to have in your pocket that you can whip out. 

2) The Wow Description

But, sometimes you want to make people go WOW! That’s when you come up with a statement that’s a bit more descriptive with more impact. 

These types of descriptions can serve different people. A great example is somebody you have nurtured on your list, and you know they’re an ideal customer. You really want to drive it home about the value you can bring to them. This is an example of a “dressier” description.  

An example for me would be, “I’m a business coach that helps women get really clear on exactly what business they should start and then exactly the smartest and fastest way to actually make money, so they never have to worry about what they're doing.” 

(I am adding an additional qualifier from the very beginning by stating, “I'm a business coach.”) 

For this description, I added some “accessories.” But, it's still in the client language. It’s still something that an actual client would say. This type of description is so important when you're marketing online.  

3) The One-Word Description

Last, but not least, the third description is the opposite of dressing it up—this is when you strip it down. 

It’s the one foundational piece that is so versatile you can put it everywhere. It is the foundation of all your other outfits. It's so subtle, they may not even notice it. They wouldn't even realize you've worn this before…or that you wore it the day before! 

This is your one-word description.  

The one-word description is extremely important. Not necessarily for them to know, but it's so important for YOU to know. 

It’s a question of selling them what they want versus giving them what they need. With this last, one-word description, it’s really the thing they need that they may not even realize. 

For instance, in my business, that one thing is “peace.” I'm giving people peace of mind, so they don't have to worry. I alluded to that in the fancier description. I said they'll never have to worry about what they're doing.  

Knowing that I’m being REALLY clear on that, even if I'm not saying it to everybody out loud, helps me put that into so much language. (If you start to pay attention, you’ll see it!) 

Because I know that’s really what is needed. Right? Especially for my customers. That’s really what's needed when you're growing a business. You just need peace of mind… 

So, spend some good time thinking about what that ONE thing is that really describes your business and what you're selling - that core nugget. 

Again, you’ll want an everyday description that rolls off your tongue without a problem. It feels very comfortable for you!  

After you’ve determined this, then think about that fancier description where you're really splashing out and making people say WOW! 

And finally the one-word description that highlights what you’re REALLY selling.

Here’s to crafting and showcasing your stunning “wardrobe,”

Jenna 

P.S. Get my FREE guide “Idea to I Did It!” and learn the daily actions that will transform your idea into an actual, thriving business (including how to get away from that nasty to-do list!). Includes a sample schedule and checklist! Get it here.

From 0 Clients to Full Group Program (in 2 months!)

"How do I get clients? What am I doing wrong?"   

I’m going to tell you a story…  

My client, Karen, went from a year (or more!) with no clients to having a group program up and running within a couple of months!  

The reason I want to share this story is because I want you to see how possible it is for YOU! This story will show you how understanding your target audience and shifting your strategy might be all you need to get going.  It reminds me of a quote I say to pretty much anyone that will listen - “It's not you. It's just that you have more to learn.”  

Think of it this way.  

My son, Dylan, is a year and a half, and he loves peeling stickers or labels off bottles. It takes him so long because he doesn't have the strength yet. So, he tries to get my help (by saying, "Mama, mama!") I know if I peel off the label, he'll think, "Okay, onto the next thing!”  BUT, if I make a fun game of it, he'll actually enjoy it. And, when he accomplishes it, he'll feel so much better…the victory will be that much sweeter!   

This entrepreneurial journey is like a game. You learn a little bit…then a little bit more…then a little more.  If you keep that mentality, you'll save yourself so much sanity in the long run. 

Here's what we did for Karen.   

Karen is a grief coach. When we first started working together and searched the internet, the grief coaches we found didn't look like they had their sh** together. (She even reached out to a few of them, and they told her the truth…they weren't making that much money!) That was demoralizing because you think, "All of this time and money I’ve put into this…Is it really worth it?  Is this ever going to work?"  

We did some investigation of her target market and noticed her audience didn't really understand what coaching was. The first thing they would think was, "I need to go see a therapist."  They didn't understand the difference between therapy and coaching, how coaching could benefit them, or where in their grief journey they should start seeking a coach.   

Even Karen was not 100% sure she would be able to sell that 1-1 coaching package. If you're only working with a few people, you need to charge higher rates in order to make your business profitable. Pure and simple. 

So, we took everything together… and by the way, I suggest you don’t automatically apply this to your business because there are so many variables involved when pulling your strategy together. Your business isn't exactly like Karen’s, so it may not work the same way. But, I want you to see how this is possible! 

Now let me share the REALLY good stuff of how we transformed Karen's business.   

Based on her market and strengths, we decided to move forward with the group program instead of trying to sell 1-1 coaching. Because, honestly, who knows how long that would have taken and we wanted to get the quick win to prove that this business is viable, to prove that Karen was on the right track, and to prove that she could actually make this happen, right? 

She needed that jolt of motivation and inspiration.  

We put together a group program and did a very short launch. We didn't want to spend too much time on testing the idea.  

It was less than weeks, but we were really intentional about the kind of information we were putting out there to inform people about the program. We were talking about what coaching was, describing exactly what people are going to receive in this program, and letting them know how they were going to benefit. How was their life was going to change? What could they expect?  We also made it a point to get in front of and counter some of their objections.   

We built this all up, like a layer cake, in a strategic way, getting closer and closer and building the momentum until the cart opened … that is how she was able to get six people to raise their hand and say, "Yes, where do I sign?!" 

That's a HUGE transformation to go from zero clients and wondering, “Is this ever going to work?" to having a group program up and running! This is SO important. If you get one client, you may think, "Okay, can I do this again? Did I just get lucky?" But, when you get three, four, five, or six clients that all say “Yes!” to exactly the same thing, you’ll know that's scalable!  

There're so many possibilities now for Karen!  

-- Up-sell some of these group program participants into a 1-1 package.   

-- Roll out another similar, but different, program that these people might be interested in and new clients will want to join.  

-- Do the exact same program over again…because she knows it works! She just needs to bring in new people or some of the people that already heard about the first program but were a little bit on the fence.  Now they’ll be ready because they've heard about the great things that happened for those that were in the first group program! 

There is so much potential and possibility in her business, and it's all because of the shift and strategy.   

Sometimes that is really all it takes… Like I said, it's not YOU! It's just about learning a little bit more, growing a little bit more, and trying new things to make sure you understand the needs of your target audience and your client’s expectations. 

Here’s to learning a little more each day, 

Jenna

P.S. If you’d like my support in helping you and your business grow so much more quickly and easily than if you were to do it on your own, go ahead and schedule a FREE call with me. Together we’ll map out a personalized roadmap that will help you build the right business for YOU.

4 Ways To Shift Into An Abundance Mindset

Does it feel like there are not enough available ideal clients? 

OR that there's just never enough money…? 

I promise, there are plenty…and I'm going to share 4 things you can do to shift into more positive thinking (aka an “abundance mindset”). (Because, this shift will increase the revenue in your business!) 

Scarcity Mindset 

The feelings I mentioned above stem from something called “scarcity mentality.” This means you feel something is scarce when actually…it’s VERY abundant!! 

Here are a few symptoms of Scarcity Mindset: 

1. Deep down you’re worried somebody else could steal your clients or a client will say no to you and you will never find another client like him/her (like, that was the BEST client!)  

2. You feel you're striving but never arriving.  

3. You play “what-ifs” in your head all the time.  

Those are all symptoms of scarcity mentality… BUT, if that's you, don't worry! Here are 4 things PROVEN to make a difference in how you think.  

1. TELL A DIFFERENT STORY 

I want to give you two examples of how to tell a different story.  

AIR. Right now on planet Earth, air is a limited resource. We only have the amount that currently exists, but no one's running around freaking out because there's not enough air! It's the same with money. There is a limited amount of money on the planet, BUT it continues to grow just like the trees produce more air.  

RELATIONSHIPS. When I was single, my girlfriends and I would always talk about how there are never enough good men, and it was such a shame because there are all these GREAT women out there! There are accomplished women who are so kind-hearted and loyal…if only there were good men! 

The crazy thing is, when I met my husband, I discovered he and all of his friends were saying EXACTLY the same thing…but the opposite! They were saying, “Oh man, there are no good girls anymore!” So, neither statements were true! There are plenty of good men, there are plenty of good women … we just weren't connecting or allowing ourselves to connect with this other story. 

If you're in a coaching, web design, or social media management niche, these markets are growing at an astonishing rate. More and more people are starting to understand it, want it, value it, and pay for it, so there is plenty to go around when it comes to clients and money for these services. 

You've got nothing to worry about … but it all starts with telling a different story! 

2.  GATHER EVIDENCE

You need to gather different evidence, and YOU need to be the one to gather it. Our brains take in tons of data daily, but we would not be able to function if our brain couldn’t process some of that out and only give us the bits it thinks we want to know. 

When you start this practice of looking for evidence that you're wrong, your brain’s not naturally going to bring those stories to light. You must start seeking it because you could tell yourself a new story all you want, but if you don't truly believe it, it's not going to gel. Seeing is believing! 

Don’t only go to your friends for information. We tend to surround ourselves with people who are similar and have similar beliefs. Go somewhere where you can have an objective viewpoint, like a Facebook group or similar platform, and submit a question asking people, “Hey, could you share some stories with me of instances where it turns out there were many more clients out there than you first realized?” (Or, whatever it is you're trying to build evidence around!) 

3.  CHANGE YOUR LANGUAGE   

Language is SO important! 

It reinforces our beliefs which affect our thoughts, and our thoughts affect our actions. This changes our perception, and our brains literally physically change over time! 

The great thing is when you start using the right language supported by the right evidence supported by telling yourself the right stories… it becomes EASIER to think positively! Your brain becomes rewired! 

Once your brain knows you want to see positive results or positive evidence, it starts to filter everything for you, and you don't have to work as hard at being positive. It comes naturally and that really helps your business! 

Here are 2 examples of changing your language: 

“There's more where that came from.” 

You can say this whenever you're making an expenditure and you feel like you may not get that money back. It can also work with clients! Say a client says “No” to you on a sales call. No biggie! There's more where that came from! 

“My clients are out there looking for me. I just need to reach them.” 

I wrote a post a long time ago revolving around the idea that ‘the thing you're looking for is looking for you.’ This goes back to that belief system! 

4. LET IT GO 

You have to let old beliefs go. To do that, you need to ask yourself, “How has this been serving me?  What is in it for me? What am I gaining by doing this? By holding onto this belief? By being this way?” 

So many of us think, “There’s no way I WANT to be like this.There's no way I want to feel anxious about money or clients.” 

But, there's always some reason why we're doing it.   

For example, let's say you were always nervous about money, felt like you were on the edge of the ledge, and about to go broke. How would that benefit you? One way is you may be careful with your bank account, so you notice every expenditure you're making. That's helping you keep a tight rein on where your money's going and could help you retain money. Another way is you may work extra hard because you feel like you're always on the brink. 

Understanding why the belief was there in the first place, how it helped you, and thinking about what is in store for you, if you change your beliefs? What do you stand to gain?  

This is where I want to talk to you about how shifting your mindset into something more positive increases your business revenue. Let me give you 3 examples: 

You will stick with it. 

If you feel there are no clients out there and you hit a road bump, you may think you should close up shop because this obviously isn't working. BUT, if you believe there are tons of clients and you hit a road bump, you'll most likely think, “I might need to work on my messaging” or “I need to do something different because I KNOW there are tons of clients out there. I'm just not getting them.” So, you'll keep going!  

That is how you'll start increasing your revenue. You'll be so certain in that belief that you'll start trying different things.  

It lets you see opportunities.  

Things you didn't even notice before start coming in front of you. You start thinking, “Because there are so many clients out there, I could try that! They may really resonate with that.” You wouldn't have necessarily tried those new things if you thought they weren't there waiting for you. It can make it SO worth it. 

People are happier to be around you. 

This increases sales, engagement, and partnership opportunities!  

Having a positive, abundant mindset helps strengthen these 3 areas which will change your behavior, and in turn, change the results you bring for yourself! I deeply want to see you be able to take the leap, launch that business, and be successful in the business of your dreams. I absolutely know it's possible! 

Here’s to the abundancy mindset that will drive you to the next level,

Jenna  

P.S. If you’d like my support in helping you and your business grow so much more quickly and easily than if you were to do it on your own, including understanding the ways you might be resisting growth, go ahead and schedule a FREE call with me. Together we’ll map out a personalized roadmap that will help you build the right business for YOU.

How to think up great STORIES in no time (for social media, blogs, newsletters and more)

Every night as she tucked me into bed I’d beg my mom to tell me the story of her yellow shoes:

In high school, she fell in love with a pair of butter-yellow, soft-as-gloves, adorable yellow shoes.

She’d admire them in the store window every day as she passed by, and prayed they’d still be in stock if/when she finally saved up enough babysitting money to pay for them ….

And then it happened. 

She BOUGHT her yellow shoes! They were the most beautiful things she had ever owned! And she paid for them All By Herself!!

She wore them to school the very next day, to wide critical acclaim (from her girlfriends). 

And then when it was time for gym class she put them in her locker … but because she was running late, she didn’t actually lock it.

And when she returned and opened her locker, the shoes had disappeared!!!

For weeks, for months, she and her posse of girls fastidiously scanned the feet of everybody in school, hoping to catch the thief. But no luck...

The shoes were gone forever. 

*****

As her voice trailed off wistfully night after night, I’d exclaim with wonder, “When will I ever have stories to tell??”

Because my life was boring. Nothing ever “happened.” Or, at least, nothing of consequence. 

But looking back I’ve realized … I still love the story, but it’s not exactly Shakespeare.

And it sure as hell isn’t the most exciting thing that’s ever happened to my mother. Or to me. Or to you! But none of that matters. 

All that really matters is that IT STICKS WITH YOU.

Because it’s a STORY! And humans are wired to remember stories. 

Meaning this:

No matter what the story, it’s a thousand times more powerful than saying, “Hey! Lock your locker. Something could get stolen!”

*****

So many women I talk to sound a lot like my 5-year-old self: “Ugh, Jenna, I just don’t really have many stories to tell!”

But the truth is they don’t think their stories are GOOD ENOUGH. 

Exciting enough. 

Impactful enough.

Is this you??

My friend, you’re overthinking it. Trust me! You have PLENTY of stories to tell. 

You just need to train yourself to recognize them! (More on that below.)

Because that’s what helps people remember what you’re teaching. And get to know you. And BELIEVE you.

EVEN IF IT’S NOT THE MOST AMAZING STORY EVER!

*****

So here’s how you can start exercising those “story recognition muscles” right now:

1. Think back over the last week and write down 5 things that happened that made an impact or stick with you for some reason. (Over time you can get in the habit of jotting some down each day.)

2. Ask yourself WHY it spoke to you ... what it’s teaching you. (This is a great self-development tool, besides!)

3. What does that have to do with your audience?

4. And now tell the story! In your online content, during your livestreams, and … huge one here … every time you’re on a discovery call.

Do this exercise now, before you close out this email … and just like that you’ll have a month’s worth of content! 

*****

On the surface, the story of the yellow shoes is about nothing more than the perils of leaving your possessions unguarded.

But if you dig a little, it’s about so much more…

To me, it was about everything I feared: 

The whims of fate! The vagaries of human nature! The emotional rollercoaster of life!

And everything I longed for: 

Autonomy (Oh, the sweet freedom of making your own purchasing decisions!)

Glamour (Nobody was ever or has even been as beautiful and fashionable as my mother!)

Adventure (No more boring, repetitious days on autopilot … but stories that last a lifetime!)

A different person would probably interpret a totally different set of meanings! And that’s a-ok. 

Your only job is to share what it means to YOU ... and how that can help your audience.

I’m speaking truth when I say stories are EVERYTHING. To humans in general … but especially when it comes to online marketing.

Go forth and SHARE yours. Because somebody’s waiting to hear it. 💛

Here’s to making it mean something,

Jenna

How to Conduct Market Research for a New Business

How do you know that your online service-based business will actually MAKE MONEY?

• Yes, it's because you have a positive mindset.

• Yes, it's because you want it SO badly.

• Yes, it's because that's just part of your character -- to be tenacious and to problem-solve.

But, let's get really “left brain” here for a minute…What proof do you have that your business will ACTUALLY make money?

If you're like my clients, you've done your due diligence and market research.

And part of that market research is actually making money, so that’s your proof right there!

Now, you've probably heard about some business coaches that only work with people that have a business up and running and are already making a certain amount of money.

Or some coaches only focus on one specific type of business-building (something that the coach is especially comfortable with, like building lead magnets or creating website copy).

But I like to work with all kinds of entrepreneurs in all different stages of their business.

And we NEVER proceed to anything else unless we’ve fully researched, vetted and actually tested the business.

That’s why my clients are able to grow their businesses so quickly! They have a strong foundation and proof of concept, so you won’t see them struggling for years to get things up and running, or unfortunately, close up shop.

That's why market research is KEY.

You don't waste all that time (and MONEY!) building a glossy website or spending forever in Facebook groups before you even know if people are going to be willing to hand over their credit card to you for that service that you offer.

By doing this in the beginning, it will help you:

1. Figure out what business to start.

2. Get really clear on the RIGHT small business idea.

Truthfully, the most successful and profitable online business ideas all start with this critically important step.

So, how do you conduct market research for a new business, so you can make money as an online entrepreneur?

Here are 3 steps for how to do market research before starting a business:

1. Online research

Go ahead and Google to see what kind of competition is out there for you. A lot of online entrepreneurs have this misperception that if other people are doing what they thought about doing, then they shouldn't even bother.

But the opposite is true! If you see that there are a lot of people providing the kind of solution or service that you want to offer, it's actually a really GREAT indicator that there's a demand for it. You can always improve upon the service that somebody else is providing.

Also, start researching the search terms that people use around your topic, and you can look for Google and YouTube search terms that'll help show you there is a demand for a solution to that specific problem.

2. Talk to REAL people on the phone

When people are typing online, they're able to edit what they're saying. But when they’re having a conversation, the real truth comes out!

That’s why it's so valuable to talk to people directly.

First, reach out to some people that have businesses similar to what you’re considering for mentorship. Let them know that you just have a couple of quick questions and you would appreciate it so much if you could take five minutes of their time. You want to find out things like what advice they have for you or what they wish they had known when they first started that would have helped them move forward so much faster.

Then, you want to talk to people that would be potential clients, and you want to find out from them:

A) What’s the gap between where you are and where you want to be? (How do THEY describe what they're going through?)

B) How does that make you feel?

C) What would an ideal solution look like?

D) How would that change things for you? Why is it so important?

E) What has made this difficult for you to solve on your own?

F) How much would you be willing to pay?

3. Make an offer

If you've been actively listening to these people and getting clear on what it is they want, what problem they want solved, how they perceive that, and how they describe that… You should be able to turn that into an offer, present it to somebody, and have them say ‘YES.'

If you're just starting out, you may not have the testimonials (or the “social proof”) to really prove that you are able to deliver the solution you promised, and so you may be charging a low price in the beginning…That's okay!

This is just market testing. You want to demonstrate that a few people will say 'yes' to your specific offer, so that you can prove it's worthwhile to move forward with your business (and gain some testimonials in the process!).

If you aren't sure exactly how to package that offer, you should check out the video where I share three of the top business models my clients are using very successfully to grow their businesses. (You can watch it here.)

Here’s to market testing that will lead you to a really SMART business,

Jenna

P.S. If you’d like my support in helping you and your business grow so much more quickly and easily than if you were to do it on your own, go ahead and schedule a FREE call with me. Together we’ll map out a personalized roadmap that will help you build the right business for YOU.