Do you ever get a chance to take a timeout from your business? I know it can be extremely hard to step away without feeling guilty.
When I first started my business I would constantly find myself burned out, run into the ground with all the work I put on my shoulders and I was making zero progress in growing my business. It got so bad. I was having panic attacks and my personal relationships were suffering.
I look back at that first year and realize my priorities were all twisted.
Fast forward two years later (today) and my business looks completely different...thank goodness! I’m actually working with 5X as many clients, yet I don’t feel as stressed.
How is this possible?
I’ve shifted my priorities and fiercely protect the things that matter most.
Want to know my #1 priority in business? Taking care of myself.
You might think this sounds selfish. Maybe it is, but it’s completely transformed my business in a great way. By gifting myself time to rest and recharge on a regular basis, I’m able to bring more creativity, more thoughtfulness, more of myself to each interaction with my clients. I’m able to accomplish more in less time, be present and bring more value to you and everyone around me.
If you want to read more on the power of making time off predictable — and required, click here.
Now let’s get into my favorite resources and tools from August!! You guys really seemed to enjoy the July favorites, so I’m going to make this a monthly event...
AUGUST FAVORITES:
How I’m Generating Leads:
LeadPages: This is a great resource to help you scale your business, because it allows you to confidently roll out lead-generating campaigns in record time. Whether you want to promote a free resource, webinar or need a high-converting landing page, this is an amazing tool! It will help you grow your email list quickly and efficiently, saving you a ton of time and money.
Extra bonus: it integrates well with Squarespace websites. You can add pop-up windows and attach leadboxes to Squarespace buttons, which is a major plus for me since that’s my website platform. It does cost $70 a month, but for me it’s worth it!
How I’m Delegating:
Fiverr: I “fiverred” for the first time and loved it!! I was nervous about trusting a stranger to help me work through a complex analytics issue I was having, but after spending five hours banging my head against the wall and getting nowhere I hired a pro. Things went smoothly and they had my issue resolved in a few days….wheeew! It cost me $30 to do something simple that would have taken me FOREVER to figure out and now I have built a relationship with a partner who I can trust to help me in the future with similar tasks… a huge win!
How I’m Investing:
Acrorns Investing App: Have you heard of the latest micro-investing craze?! I’m no pro when it comes to knowing how to invest in the stock market, but I'm starting to think about my future since I kissed that 401K match goodbye when I left my corporate job.
In a nutshell, (get it…..) Acorns is an App that allows you connect your bank cards and it rounds your purchases up and sweeps the extra change into an investment portfolio. You select how aggressively you’d like to invest and they do the work. It’s not a get rich quick scheme but a fun and easy way to start investing and learning. In a month I’ve been able to invest almost $100 without thinking about it. This is a great tool for college students and young adults who want to get a jump start on financial planning.
How I’m Thriving:
BulletProof Radio: If you’re a nerd like me when it comes to health and fitness and are interested in biohacking, then you’ll love this podcast. Their mission is to help people perform better, think faster, and live better using a proven blend of ancient knowledge and brand new technologies. Some of their topics get really technical, but I’ve learned a lot from listening so far!
Not A Fav Yet, But Worth Mentioning:
ManyChat: I am not sure how I feel about Facebook bots because I value real human interactions, which extends to social media. However, I wanted to try ManyChat because I kept hearing about how Facebook bots are a fast and effective way to generate leads. The way it works is if someone messages you on your Facebook page they become a subscriber instantly and you can send them a series of pre-scripted messages. You can even include links back to your website and lead people towards buying your product or service. There’s more to it, but that’s the gist. People are raving about these bots saying they are receiving 80 to 90% open rates, which is amazing.
I just started using ManyChat on my Facebook page so we’ll see how it goes. Based on what I’ve learned so far it has potential, but you really need to spend some time mapping out what information you want to deliver and when. I need to put more thought into my strategy before I really start to see the leads roll in (so far I’ve received 4 subscribers).
So there you have it! My loves, my favs, a few things I'm incorporating into my everyday routine to stay on top of my game. I'd love for you to comment with your favorite business/marketing/productivity resources????
P.S. If you have friends, family or colleagues who are working hard to bring their dreams to life, forward this article. Sharing is caring!
Xo