Be Unstoppable
30 Day Blogging Bootcamp – Now Available!
Blogging is a great way to grow your reach and engagement with your target audience. It’s also fun and easy to do and frankly, it can be quite profitable if you do it right. I invite you to join me for 30 days, inside the TVS Workshop for my Blogging Bootcamp. I’ll have a fresh new post for you each day that will help you accomplish two things:
1. Give You Plenty of Ideas for New Content to Help You Become a More Consistent Blogger
My first goal with this challenge is to give you plenty of ideas for things to blog about. Sometimes it is hard to come up with something fresh and unique to write about. So, when you’re stuck with writer’s block or just feeling a little uninspired, look no further than these quick and easy content posts.
Use them right away, or file them away for those days when you’re struggling to post consistently.
2. Tips, Strategies, and How-To Info to Help You Become a Better Blogger
My second goal is to help you and challenge you to become a better blogger. We all have things we can improve and strive to do better. Every other day I’ll have a new tip, idea, or strategy for you. Try them as we work through the Bootcamp and start incorporating as many of them as possible in your blogging.
The reward will be more engagement, more traffic, and more subscribers and hopefully, at the end of the day, more cash in your pocket – results will vary of course, but I promise to share my best stuff with you.
30 Day Blogging Bootcamp
How This Will Work
Once you sign up, each day for the next 30 days I will send you an email and share either a content or strategy tip with you. If you haven’t already, become a member of New Entrepreneurs Workshop in to find inspiration and discuss each day’s content with others that have signed up.
So don’t wait and start building your blog and your confidence online. Learn how to provide consistency, easily keep your commitment and find clarity.
I think you’ll love getting into the habit of blogging consistently and you’ll be amazed at how much your audience and your traffic will grow in those 30 days.
As an added bonus – be sure to bookmark 52 Blog Ideas for your business, to help you with some great content ideas for your blog!
Blog consistently with confidence by signing up for the bootcamp.
Studio Update: Coronavirus COVID-19
As concerns about the spread of the coronavirus COVID-19 increase, I wanted to update you on what I am doing to care for both my employees and clients during this time.
My plan is as follows:
Working remotely, connecting digitally: My team is continuing to work normal business hours and has the resources and tools they need to do their jobs remotely. We are hustling from home and here to support you with the best-in-class service you’ve come to expect.
Your health comes first: I encouraging everyone to wash their hands, socially distance, and follow best practices to protect the health and wellbeing of themselves, their family, and our community at large. Additionally, we believe in supporting all members of our team should they become ill and we are asking anyone who feels sick to take as much time off as they need to fully recover.
Taking care of one another: I will be donating 5% of profits over the next month to a local organization supporting vulnerable families who need food assistance and direct relief during this difficult time.
In addition to these steps, I will be closely monitoring the latest information including recommendations from The Public Health Agency of Canada and World Health Organization and doing my part to stop the spread of this disease.
I will continue to keep an eye on the situation and make further adjustments to my action plan if and when necessary. The health and well-being of my family, clients, team, and community are of utmost importance to me and will continue to be my north star as we navigate the road ahead.
Thank you for your steadfast support of my business—I am truly grateful.
Coronavirus COVID-19
Stop Compromising Your Happiness
Stop Compromising Your Happiness
Did you know you could be compromising your own happiness without even realizing it?
If you constantly find yourself feeling unhappy and dissatisfied with your life, it’s worth looking within yourself.
Discover 4 things that could be compromising your happiness right now.
That Inner Critic
We all have an inner critic and sometimes it can be pretty hard to ignore. It’s constantly there judging you and making you doubt your own abilities.
It’s true, we’re often our own worst enemies and listening to your inner critic is only going to crush your happiness. So, how can you stop yourself from listening to this negative inner voice?
When you notice that inner voice telling you negative things, contradict it. Think something positive to counteract that negative thought or judgment. Replacing negativity with positivity will help you to start fighting back against your inner critic.
Playing it Safe
Do you avoid taking new opportunities out of fear? Playing it safe may feel like the best course of action, but it could be really jeopardizing your happiness.
It’s often the fear of failure which stops us from going after the things we want. However, if you start seeing failure as a positive learning experience, you’ll start taking more opportunities. You’ll never know what you can achieve if you don’t even try.
So, stop playing it safe. Take those opportunities. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain!
Focusing on the Past or Future
While it’s normal and healthy to look back in the past or towards the future, it’s important not to lose sight of the present. The trouble is, if you’re too focused on the past or the future, you’re not going to be able to enjoy right now.
The past cannot be changed, and the future cannot be controlled. However, right now at this very moment, you can choose to be happy. So, stop beating yourself up over the past and stop worrying about what’s to come. Live in the moment and see just how much happier you feel.
Over-Dramatizing Things
In life, things do go wrong. It’s impossible to be happy 100% of the time. However, some of us have a habit of over-dramatizing the negative experiences in our life.
Do you find that when the smallest things don’t go your way, you think to yourself “that’s it, everything is falling apart”? Blow the littlest things out of proportion and convince yourself it’s worse than it really is. It’s a big drain on your happiness and all you’re doing is worrying too much over nothing. (I’ve been there, and live every day making the conscious decision to keep the over-dramatization of things under control.)
These are just 4 things that could be compromising your happiness. What you need to remember is that you control your happiness. So, make the decision to stop making these mistakes and learn to let things go if you truly want to be happier.
Have some more tips on how to not compromise happiness? Join us inside the Studio Workshop Facebook Group and please share! We’d love to hear from you!
Stop Compromising Your Happiness
Stop Compromising Your Happiness
For more great articles and resources – check out my resource page!
Adopt a mantra and live by it.
Adopt a mantra and live by it
Building your confidence is not easy. Doing it so you can magnetically attract new clients or customers is even harder. One small thing you can do is to adopt a mantra and live by it.
In the 1999 movie, “Galaxy Quest”, an entire civilization bases its core values on a cheesy TV sci-fi show from Earth. They take the series hero’s glib motto, “Never give up; never surrender” to new heights—and achieve peace within a warring society before teaming up with earthmen to defeat a supervillain.
This is what happens when you adopt a mantra, motto or slogan—and live by it.
“Never give up; never surrender” is a great motto, when you are trying to build new habits that increase your confidence.
P.S. Come on – admit it. Galaxy Quest is one of the best bad movies ever made! You love it as much as I do.
Do you already have a mantra? I’d love to hear it, leave a comment and tell me what it is!
Oh and don’t forget:
NEVER GIVE UP, NEVER SURRENDER
P.S. Have you joined us over at the TVS Workshop Community? If not, stop by and share your mantra with us there!
Adopt a mantra and live by it
Adopt a mantra and live by it
Recognize Business Burnout & Recover, before it’s too late.
Recognize Business Burnout
Whether you are an entrepreneur, online or off, a full-time employee building your career, or both, it typically means working more hours than you want, at the start of your new career, as you build your personal or business brand… but what if you’re still working all those extra hours, two, three, or more years later?
That’s when business burnout really strikes.
You’ve heard the term, I’m sure, many times. So, what exactly is it, and why does it happen?
Burnout is defined as physical and emotional exhaustion that takes all the joy out of your business and saps away your ability to be proactive and engaged. In that way, it lies dangerously parallel to depression. It can manifest any time in your career, whenever two conditions creep into your work life: Stress, and the feeling that your business is controlling you, rather than the other way round.
I’ve been there, it isn’t pretty and it is an easy spiral down that is very hard to climb out of. I do not want to see anyone go through it – ever.
The moment you have burnout creeping in, the stress you are already feeling tends to magnify. Warning signs include:
- No longer feeling energized by working long hours
- Frustration with your inability to accomplish tasks that were once easy
- Not wanting to come to work (or sit down at your computer)
- Feeling angry with yourself at not accomplishing more
- Procrastination and avoidance behaviours
- A decline in self-worth and self-esteem
- Resenting clients and customers
- Feeling overwhelmed
- Feeling hopeless
Above all, burnout is characterized by physical and emotional exhaustion. It takes a toll on your family relationships, your health, and your business … and makes a mockery of your freedom-based purpose of going into business for yourself.
In the end, each entrepreneur’s ideal recipe for reducing stress and ending burnout is different. Be sure to download the 21 Ways to Take Action – Recognize and Heal From Business Burnout.
Or take further action by signing up for my How to Recognize and Heal From Business Burnout, available in the classroom. If you would like to learn more about the masterclass, take a peek at the course page, here.
Recognize and Heal From Business Burnout
Join us inside the TVS Workshop and share your experience with Business Burnout. Do you have some advice you can help others with? We’d love to hear it!
How to talk to your family about working from home.
talk to your family about working from home
When you first realize the possibility of working from home, it’s normal to get super excited and believe everyone else will be excited for you. But often, the family isn’t as happy as you are, nor as trusting.
They think it’s just a pipe dream, or worse, a scam. They haven’t done the research you have so they do not realize the true possibilities and potential surrounding the idea of working from home.
I know, for me, it was not easy explaining my new business adventure to my family. My husband was very supportive but the rest of my family…. Let’s just say it took a long, long time for them to finally see the light.
Below are a few things I learned along the way that helped me communicate with my family on my plans to work from home, I hope they can help you too.
Show them your research.
Your family cares about you so much that they simply want to protect you, therefore they want you to play it safe and get “a real job”. But, if you show them the research that you’ve done, they may quickly realize that you’ve done your homework and that you’re not making the decision lightly. That you are taking the steps you need to ensure you are not being scammed.
Show them examples of others doing it successfully.
More than likely, at this point you have a circle of influence that includes work-at-home success stories. Let your partner and family in on the fact by talking about how so-and-so is making x dollars and all from working from home. Explain what they do, and put the bug in their ear of the possibilities and potential. Now, be sure you are not using examples of people who are trying to sell you their program. Only tried and true stories, of people you have connected with and trust.
Write out a business plan.
If you know anything about me, you know how important I feel a business plan is, this reason is no exception. Banks want business plans to ensure that you’ve looked at all aspects of the business you plan to run. They want to see the numbers, and how you plan to make more money in the short term and the long term.
Your family will feel better seeing these numbers, too. Even if you don’t plan to get a loan or find investors for your business, showing those you love the plans you have made, down on paper, will impress them.
Transition slowly, timing is everything.
Success doesn’t happen overnight, neither will 100% support. Don’t expect everyone to be on board from day one, the idea takes time to sink in for some people. Mostly out of concern for you, but sometimes also from fear. People fear what they don’t understand and not everyone is entrepreneurial or likes taking what they see as risks.
Even though telecommuting has been around a while, it’s still rare enough that people are shocked to find out that their home shopping orders, or pizza orders, even travel plans are booked by someone working in their home office.
Show them the money!
If you’re not getting any place with discussion, you might want to start working a little bit extra to show them the money. Cuba Gooding Jr.’s character in the movie, Jerry Maguire, had it right.
People think differently about many things when they see the cash. If you have a spouse or family like that, you can work around their schedules doing something to earn money and then show them by paying for something fun, like a family vacation.
Explain about “Work” time.
You’re going to have to talk to your family, a lot, about work time. You might even have to with your spouse. There is no way you can work in chaos and constant interruption, no one can. You need a place you can work, and that people realize to leave you alone when you’re doing it. Just like if you had an office outside of the home.
You can use a sign on the door, timers, and other incentives to get everyone on board and obtain understanding. As for family that lives outside your home, just don’t answer the phone or door when you’re working. Everyone will get accustomed to it eventually.
Get your family involved.
As they start to get on board with the idea of your working from home, reward them by making them part of your business. You can hire family members and spouses on a contracting basis and pay them, and deduct it from your business taxes.
Plus, they will start making money too and that will make them really get on board. Children can file, spouses can sometimes do what you’re doing or offer technical help. Family can assist with errands, deliveries, pick-ups…the list goes on.
Keep the lines of communication open, always.
The most important aspect of talking to your family about working from home is to keep the lines of communication open at all times. You want to be honest with what is working and what is not working, and you’ll be surprised at how much your family is on your side with the goal of your working from home.
Family can sometimes be a hard sell, but it’s not because they don’t love you. It’s because they do love you. Sometimes it’s just because they don’t really understand the idea of what working at home means. This is especially true of an older individual, with them, you might want to let them see you working so they get it.
Now, I would love to hear from you! Are you struggling with getting your family on board with you working from home? Or you have any tips or ideas that might help others through this time of their career? Let us know in the comments or in the Studio Workshop Community on Facebook!
talk to your family about working from home
How goal setting can help in the pursuit of happiness.
the pursuit of happiness
In your pursuit of happiness, you’ve likely focused on all of the obvious things – de-stressing and doing the things you enjoy. However, did you know that setting goals can also contribute to your happiness?
It doesn’t matter what type of goals you’re setting yourself, just the process of goal setting itself has its benefits. Keep reading to discover why goal setting can help in your pursuit of happiness.
Writing Down Goals Helps you Visualize a Better Future
One of the reasons goal setting can help to boost happiness is because it forces you to think of your future in a positive way. Visualizing what you want and how your perfect life looks, will automatically make you feel happier.
It’s short-term happiness, but it does help to get you started in terms of thinking more positively. If you’re stuck in a rut for example, and you’re creating goals to help you out of it, you’re going to find it great to visualize how your life is going to be once you’ve overcome your current situation.
They Help You See the Progress You’re Making
Of course, it’s not just the setting of the goals which you’ll be focusing on. You’ll also be working towards them, ticking your short-term goals off the list as you go along. This allows you to see consistent progress.
As you see that you’re getting nearer to your goals, it can have a wonderful effect on your happiness. Often, the reason we give in to negative thinking is that we don’t see anything changing. With goal setting, you get to actually see how things are changing and celebrate your progress.
Why it’s Important to Set Goals to Help Others
While personal goals are no doubt important, it’s also important to set goals to help other people. Setting a goal to make somebody smile that day, for example, will really help to boost how you feel.
Studies have been carried out over the years, which have shown those who set goals to help others, are generally happier than those focusing solely on personal goals. So, don’t forget to focus on making others happy too.
Overall, goal setting can really help in the pursuit of happiness. It keeps you focused and helps you actually achieve the things you want in life. Whether it’s relationship goals, financial goals or career goals – they’ll all help you to become a happier, more successful person.
I would also like to mention that a little TPOH goes a LONG way on a long day, so – why not hit play and listen to their album below, while checking out these goal setting tips.
P.S. Join us inside the Studio Workshop Community and share your goals! We’d love to hear them and support you on your journey to happiness.
the pursuit of happiness
the pursuit of happiness
Apps for Creative Entrepreneurs
Apps for Creative Entrepreneurs
Apps were made to make our lives easier and more exciting. But mostly easier! There are also apps that are specially made for all you creative entrepreneurs out there. Here’s a list of the most common and popular apps that proved to be helpful to the creative business person.
Easy Scanner Pro
This app helps when you need to scan documents on the go and don’t have access to a different scanner. This app is very convenient when you need a digital copy of print contracts. The Easy Scanner Pro app costs $4.49.
Business Calendar 2
This app is perfect for scheduling things around your hectic schedule. It’s easy to use and you know exactly what you have going on the next day. This app doesn’t cost you anything to use.
Evernote
If you’re looking for a good app to use when taking notes, this may be one of the best ones you can get. You can keep a unique journal of all the projects, ideas, and reminders all in one place. For some people, it’s a lifesaver for spur-of-the-moment events and any ideas that may come to mind. This app is also super handy as you can sync all your devices onto the one app.
TripCase – Travel Organizer
If you’re looking for help in keeping your travel plans organized, TripCase is the app you’ll want to look into getting. It’s a free app that lets you keep all of your bookings in one place and organized.
Dropbox
Dropbox allows you to be instantly connected to people so you can share your photos, videos, and documents. This app makes it easy to share files among the people on your team so that you can ensure everyone has the same information.
Audible
I LOVE Audible! This app can be used anytime you have free time and can enjoy a good book but don’t have the time to sit down and read it. You’re able to listen to books on the go and allows you to not have to focus on the books as you are travelling.
Slack
Slack allows you to easily collaborate with your team members on any project. You and your team get notifications whenever something has been changed. You can then talk to your team members about any changes made, using the chat feature on the app. This app is most useful on a computer because of the drag and drop features but can be used with your phone. When using the app with your phone, you may notice that the app isn’t as easy to use, unless it is for a chat.
It’s easy to get caught up in life and forget things. But with the use of these apps, hopefully, life can get a little bit easier and less hectic.
Use one of these Pins to save this article to your productivity board on Pinterest!
Apps for creative Entrepreneurs
Apps for creative Entrepreneurs
Starting an Online Business: How to Set Clear Goals
Starting an Online Business:
If you are starting an online business, you are joining the ranks of hundreds of thousands of others. There are many tasks to achieve when it comes to your online business. One of the most important and perhaps the most beneficial ways to achieve success is to set clear goals for that business.
There are several ways on how to go about setting clear goals. For many individuals, their goals are so broad that success is something that never happens. However, you can learn to rely on your set of goals to achieve success if you set them up correctly.
How to Set Clear Goals for Your Online Business
1. Be specific
When you set a goal, it is imperative that you be specific about that goal. Simply stating that you want to reach a specific target audience or to make money is not a specific goal. A specific goal would be something like “I want to gain 100 more likes on Facebook in the next three months.” Or, “I want to make an additional $5,000.00 in the next three months.” Goals need to be specific to be successful.
2. Write everything down
No matter how trivial you may think it may sound, it is imperative to write everything down on your action plan. Without writing it down, it is as though you are not declaring it to the world.
3. Break it down
Break down your goals into sub-goals. It is as though you are choosing a niche and then choosing a sub-niche. For example, if your niche is women over forty, perhaps you could break that down even further to make it divorced women over forty. Break it down and be specific.
Breaking down your goals makes them easier to reach. If you have a goal to gain three more clients in the next six months, break it down on how you plan to reach that goal. For example, “I will guest blog on other sites” or “I will join LinkedIn and promote my business.” However, you want to do it, make sure to break it down precisely.
4. Put a timeline to your goal
Giving yourself a deadline to achieve a goal is probably the best thing you can ever do for yourself. You are accountable to yourself and your business partners by attaching a timeline to your goals. By doing this, you put a little pressure on yourself to achieve that goal by or before the set time.
5. Be accountable
Being accountable to yourself and someone in your new business is an excellent way to make, keep, and achieve goals. Giving your word is a powerful tool not only reaching but also in exceeding clear and specific goals.
When your goals are specific and clear, success is just a stone’s throw away.
Get started on your business with these free resources from inside The Virtual Studio
Be sure to join us inside the TVS Workshop Community for inspiration and support the journey ahead!