If you're like a lot of creative entrepreneurs, you might still be scrambling to put your goals down on paper for the year. In fact, several guru-types are only just now getting around to leading those goal planning workshops. The folks in A-Club and the Incubator did their annual planning before December, so that they could hit the ground running this year. I'm not bragging (well, okay, maybe a little), I'm trying to illustrate a point that the longer you wait to set your goals, the longer it will be before you can achieve them.
But even if you're only just now getting around to it, there's still one thing you've got to remember to do before you shore up your plans for the new year. (more…)
If you follow me on Facebook, you probably saw my recent facebook post about the ah-ha's that I had on my Thanksgiving drive. Ah-ha's that led to some of the changes I'm making in 2019.
Changes that I believe will benefit you in a BIG way.
Essentially, I'm creating a free learning library for creative entrepreneurs that's stocked with some of my best and most important programs. I'm also changing how I do coaching, and raising rates on a few offers. In light of all the changes, December will be the LAST time I'll open up my monthly A-Club training to the public.
I had planned a lengthy post about all the reasons current marketing and sales models are effective yet broken, but the truth is that you already know that and/or have experienced it intimately. Instead, I'm going to cut to the chase and tell you what I'm doing to change that dynamic in my own work.
Every year, I put a lot of thought into how my business can be of better service - to my audience and to myself. After all, if the business doesn't work for who you are and how you best show up in the world, it will leave you feeling frustrated, resentful, overwhelmed, and generally burned out about the whole thing. So why bother?
The nexus between serving your best clients and serving your own needs is where the gold is for any creative entrepreneur... including me!
I'm lucky to be able to do a lot of what I love. Incubator applications doubled this year and we were able to add a few new clients, which thrills me. Growing this piece of the business proves to me how much this kind of support is needed (and valued) in the world. I want it to be available to more people. That means it can't all rest on me. I've experimented with adding support staff this year with mixed results. I also had a lot of people apply who simply weren't qualified for the help we provide. I referred most of them out to other programs or services, yet in my heart, I knew there was a way I could help them, if I wasn't already spread so thin.
I also want to do other things besides the Incubator. I'm working on Album #4 and another book. My Grand Vision is to have a full-fledged production company at some point, so I started testing the waters this year with smaller publishing projects. 2019 will see the addition of our hybrid publishing division, and that means I've got to free up my time to put some focus there.
So it's time for change. Here are a few things I'll be doing (or doing differently) in 2019
I want 2019 to be the year of more income - not just for me, but for all creative entrepreneurs. One of the ways I'm doing that is by re-structuring my business to give more free training to the folks who need it most. Most of these early stage entrepreneurs have no money - or should think twice about investing what little they do have in anything. The number one goal of Early Struggle is to get out of it as fast as possible... before the funding runs out. There's an ethics issue that's always bugged me about encouraging an audience with little to no financial means to "sell their cat" in order to work with you. No joke. I actually heard someone say that once in their sales pitch.
Not me. Not ever. Ick.
I can't feel good about selling to struggling entrepreneurs anymore because their money is better left "on the table" and in their pockets, so to speak, to pay the rent, buy food, and take care of themselves.
But I have dozens of training programs designed for this audience. That material is still relevant and as important as it ever was, but it never sees the light of day because there's no ROI in trying to sell it.
So I'm not going to sell it anymore. I'm going to put it in my free learning library.
Let me be clear... I'm not watering them down or offering "samples" from the program as part of some "launch" strategy. These are the very same courses others have paid hundreds of dollars for. Programs that have helped people make good money doing what they love. Programs that are all suitable for someone in Early Struggle - a time when spending as little money as possible can be the difference between surviving and crumbling.
I don't NEED to charge for these programs. It's liberating to say I can afford to give away access to these programs. That's always been one of my goals - to provide real help and training for the creatives of the world so that they can stop being starving artists and make good money doing what they love. So yes, it is partly a marketing experiment, sure. It is also an effort to "put my money where my mouth is" when it comes to leveling the playing field for marginalized and disadvantaged people who need real help to get their dreams launched.
I want more people to have access to that knowledge - and I don't want money to be a barrier.
Yeah, I hear you say "How is giving it away going to help you have more income, Lisa?"
I have several paid offerings that support my company and provide me and my team with an income. Incubator, as I mentioned, is growing. So is A-Club, and with the changes to that program, I see it becoming an even stronger revenue stream. My books, CD's, and live event are also part of my revenue model. So I have plenty of stuff for sale, and my theory is that when these folks have learned and implemented all they can from the learning library, and they're financially ready to make an investment, they'll think of me first.
Rates for all programs related to personal coaching are going up. I just raised the Incubator minimum retainer. A-Club is probably going to double. Individual coaching rates are going up and I'm exploring doing group coaching for the first time. Bluntly, there's a LOT you can accomplish without the need for a personal coach. And when you're stuck to the point that you need personal help, I know I'm pretty damn good and worth every penny. My time is more precious to me than ever before, and one of my 2019 goals is to be able to take an entire month off during the summer to be with my family. So I'm raising my rates to compensate me for my time and the opportunity cost of investing that time with you.
I have often said that when you charge more you can afford to be more generous. I teach this to my clients, and I try to model it myself. Higher rates for one-on-one time subsidizes the other company projects, too.
One of the things that I discovered this year was how much clarity and confidence a person gets from a single session with me. I had a few one-off sessions with my current A-Club clients and they all seemed to make great strides with just a small turn of their key. It got me thinking that I wanted to continue to make this available in a way that worked for me. I can't offer everyone a coaching session every month. What I can do is use private coaching as an incentive to encourage members to stay. Our retention rate averages nearly 2 years, so it feels good to me to encourage people to stick around by spending some one-on-one time with them. Starting in 2019, I'll be offering sessions to A-Club members for every 4 months of enrollment. If you pay for a year in advance, you'll get a bonus session. I don't know any other accountability programs that are offering personal support or guidance to their members. I'm glad to be able to do it for mine. Hint: Get in NOW before the rates go up in 2019!
I've been behind the scenes on dozens of best-selling book launches. I've self-published two Amazon best-sellers of my own, and brought our first client through the publishing process this year. I've experienced a lot of what works and what doesn't. I'll be using the same pay-for-results model we use with the Incubator to help a few authors get their books out into the world next year. Watch this space for more details and our first call for authors in Spring, 2019.
This will be the last year Creative Freedom Live is offered in the current format. The current format will become the Creative Freedom Client Retreat in 2020, and I'm taking Creative Freedom Live on the road. Local, one-day events across the country to reach more creative entrepreneurs where they live. The actual events won't start happening until 2020, but tickets will go on sale in 2019. I'll also be doing more speaking, performing, interviews and guest appearances/posts.
I've always had scholarships for all my digital programs. That's not changing. I just wanted to make mention of it. If there's a digital program you want to attend, contact me. We'll work together to come up with a scholarship plan that works for both of us.
Those are the coming attractions at Creative Freedom HQ. Again, I can do this because I can AFFORD to do it. Not everyone can, and not everyone should. And maybe after 2019, I'll change my mind. But for now, it's game on.
It FINALLY happened to me.
I purchased an online course this year... and I didn't complete it.
You have to understand how RARE that is for me. As a Fusion creative, I'm a learning machine. I'm consuming and assimilating information ALL THE TIME. That's how I improve, how I get great results for my clients. I shorten their learning curve and save them thousands of dollars every year by processing this data for them so that they don't have to.
But this year a switch flipped.
This year, I saw too much crap being passed off as an "online course" that simply didn't deliver the goods. It happened a few years ago with books, and a few years before that with ebooks, so it was only a matter of time before online courses took a similar hit.
Don't misunderstand, there are PLENTY of fabulous online courses that deliver exactly as promised. This is not a slam against online training. In fact, I strongly encourage you to save your pennies and DIY as much of your business training as possible when you're in the early years of growing your company. That kind of bootstrapping will serve you well when the lean years return later in your business (and they will, it's just a matter of time).
But markets mature, and by that, I mean more people get into the game when they think there's money to be had, even if they don't belong in the market in the first place.
The double-edged issue with most courses is that you're learning a tactic, a skill. Learning skills is great and an important thing to do. But often what you're learning may or may not actually help you grow your business if you don't have some other pieces in place first.
But you wouldn't know that because you've been wooed by great copy, snazzy marketing, and flashy sales videos that tell you how much you NEED their course to solve your problems.
One of the great lies of business is the old saw "ask people what they want and give it to them."
Why? Because often, people don't really know what they want. At least, not at a deeper level. They merely see a symptom, and then want it to go away:
Not making enough money = wants to make the dolla billz rain!
Not booking enough clients = wants to book more clients!
Not feeling satisfied in their work = wants to feel happy about their work!
So marketer dude will sell you a course that promises to show you how to get that thing you want. And you buy it. And two weeks into it, you realize there's something else you have to deal with first. Then, you get stuck. AND NOTHING CHANGES.
These are symptoms of a deeper issue. Maybe you're not making enough money because you're not actually asking for the business, or you're not reaching the right audience with your offer. Maybe your product is crap. Maybe it's under-priced. Who knows? If you don't know what the real problem is, you'll spend money on learning tactics that may not solve the problem.
A 6-week branding program might make your website all sparkly and pretty, but it won't do jack to drive traffic to that new website. An online course can't help you refine your message and find your right audience. That takes monitoring the work outside of class - something most DIY courses won't help you with. In fact, depending on where you're at in your business, it can take 6-12 months just to refine your voice and start generating real revenue... but the course creator won't tell you that. They'll just invite you to come back and "re-take" the course next year when enrollment opens again!
And to be fair, they don't have to tell you. If the course is worth its salt, they've done their part; They've taught you the skills. How you implement them (or don't) is entirely up to you. After all, they can't guarantee your success if you don't do the work, right?
Ugh.
I know that's a hard truth to hear. But you need to hear it if you want your business to thrive.
It's not about tactics or courses. It's about seeing things differently and asking better questions to get better results. If revenue is a problem, why? Do the work and really look at what's going on. Don't band-aid the situation with another tactic or course. Get to the root of the issue.
When I was working primarily with Direct Sales professionals, one of the big mantras was to "be duplicatable." Roughly translated, that means only do things that your team can copy, so that they can see the same success that you've had.
But there's a problem with that logic: not everything I do will work for you. You have to tailor things to the way you best show up. Plus, the things that make me unique are my key advantages in the marketplace!
If I'm a single mom, I can crack jokes about my kids and relate to people based on that area of interest. But if you have no children, that will be hard for you to do authentically. The lesson here isn't to crack jokes about kids, which is what I might do, but rather, find a common area of interest outside your product offering and relate to your audience that way.
I know an online marketer who raves about how facebook ads made their business and how anyone can be a facebook ads ninja if they just take their course. What they fail to mention is that they had a $20,000 credit limit on one of their credit cards and a relative that was well versed in developing audiences for Facebook ads... neither of which come standard with their online program.
I'd guess that if you had $20k to throw at a problem, you could probably figure it out, too, right?
Often times, however, the omission is less overt. You simply don't realize your natural gifts and abilities that make some things easier for you than others. I know I'm a great conversationalist, so when I train sales conversations, I HATE giving word choices because the words I use won't be authentic for someone else. Instead, I train on why you say what you're saying, so that you can find the words that are best for you, and create sales language that is authentic to the way you actually talk to people.
Look, I bought into and perpetuated this lie for years. I really believed that there was no excuse for failure if you just followed the step-by-step, brain-dead simple blueprint or plan. Until I realized that it was either too simple, left out too many considerations, or simply couldn't work for a person in my situation. The more accurate statement should be "If you're like me, and I can do it, then you can probably do it, too."
But all too often, we're NOT like that teacher, that guru, that influencer. Should that diminish our results?
Again, not if you think differently.
Instead of expecting a cut-n-paste approach to success, look at ways to translate their success to your business model. Instead of looking for a blueprint (unless you need a tactical tutorial), be willing to do the harder work of analyzing your own business from the inside out and doing the work to improve it. Ford doesn't look at a Corvette to figure out how to make a better Mustang. In fact, Corvettes were around for almost 10 years before Ford debuted the Mustang. They didn't just jump on the sports car bandwagon. Ford does their own market research, and looks at what's already going on inside the existing car before deciding what's next.
Not everything has to be hard, but if you're skipping the hard work in favor of learning new tactics, you're killing your business.
I promise.
Instead, take the time to do the work up front. Get the clarity you need to move forward. It's not as sexy, it's not as fun, but it's important to the health and longevity of your business.
Sometimes that means getting an outside eye on your business. Sometimes that means getting support and accountability to keep you on track. And sometimes that means getting hands-on help to manage the day-to-day tasks of your growing enterprise. Don't be fooled into thinking an online course can solve your problems. Sometimes they can, but most of the time, there's deeper work to be done.
"What do you do when YOU cant see around the bend? When you KNOW on a deep soul level that you are meant to do something bigger and different and more expansive but you cannot see what it is? And every time you THINK you might have glimpsed it, something comes in that makes you second guess the thing you JUST thought was this huge revelation?"
That was the question staring me in the face as I read a check-in email from one of my Portable Coaching clients.
I blinked a few times while my stomach churned, not really sure how to answer. It was an all-too familiar question, one I've asked myself several times in the past 3 months. All of my best-laid plans have fallen short. I'm not dying over here, but it's discouraging to think you're on the right path, doing the right things, but not getting the results you had hoped for.
You start to question yourself: your motives, your actions.
Am I doing enough?
AmI enough?
Am I really doing the right things?
It shouldn't be this hard should it?
What lesson do I need to learn and why IN THE NAME OF ALL THINGS HOLY haven't I learned it yet??
I knew that she was asking the very question I needed to answer for myself. Like Richard Bach said, "we teach best what we most need to learn."
When I was younger, I was told a story about life out on the high seas. I can't remember who told me, but it was someone I trusted in a moment very much like this. They said that a ship lost at sea might be in the ocean for MONTHS with no land in sight. And once they do spy land, they could still be days or even weeks away from landfall.
Each crew member learned how to spot signs of land - even in the midst of the turbulent sea, with nothing visible but water in every direction. Twigs, seaweed, and other flotsam float on the water's surface. Birds tend to be more plentiful the closer you get to a shoreline. Clouds form and reflect light differently, depending on where you are in the world. The ship might still be far away from land - and land might not even be a speck on the horizon, but those signs - those glimpses - encouraged the crew to know they were indeed heading in the right direction.
Times when I wonder if I'm going to run out of supplies and have to cannibalize my crew to survive. I don't know if that ever changes as your business grows. But what I've learned is how to look for "signs of land" as confirmation that I'm on the right path - even if I'm months (or years) away from land.
It doesn't make the boat rock any less, it doesn't calm the tempest, but it does give me some peace of mind - a calm within the storm, so to speak.
Less metaphorically speaking, I do my best to stay connected to the Divine. I I keep saying "yes, and...?" to get guidance.
"Yeah, I see that my launch didn't go as planned, and what else is there for me?"
"Yeah, I lost that client bid that I thought was in the bag, and what else do I need to see?"
"Yes! I got that media placement that I wasn't at all sure about, and what else can I do?"
"Yes, I feel incredibly lonely in a town where I don't know anyone, and what is my lesson here?"
"Yes, and...?" has become my best friend in my hardest times. The silence that comes after is what takes practice. I got a VERY clear prompting to move to Nashville, so I dropped everything and moved as soon as I had a place to stay. I've been here a year, and I'm still asking, "Yes. I'm here, and why? What is it I'm meant to do here that I couldn't do anywhere else?"
I'm just now starting to catch glimpses of the answer.
A guy gets a copy of my book and says "this needs to be a movie!" Another guy (a movie producer) says "yeah. I'll read your treatment." Has anything really happened yet? No. It's all twigs and seaweed, baby! But I know I'm headed in the right direction, so I just keep showing up and trusting (and sometimes agonizing over) the process.
If you're feeling adrift, and need help spotting those signs of land, I'm here. Book a Next Steps session with me, or join the Accountability Club to get some ongoing support. A rising tide lifts all ships, remember. Let us be that for you.
Every day, we're tasked with thousands of decisions.
How many? Well, Cornell University researchers said we make about 226 decisions just on FOOD in an average day.
The total number for adults is somewhere in the range of 35,000 decisions a day. Many of them are impulsive, and logic-driven (pro/con, etc.), but that's STILL a lot of remotely conscious decision making each and every day of your adult life.
Kids only make about 3000 decisions a day. Ahhh, those were simpler times, right?
Here's a decision making tool that I've used for myself and my clients for years now - one that gets immediate results and gives you clarity when you've probably been feeling stuck on something for a while, maybe even overwhelmed at the prospect of having to choose from several equally appealing (or unappealing, as the case may be) options.
This is just one of the tools you'll be working with in Your Breakout Year - my summer workshop for creative entrepreneurs. This program is designed to help you map out AND implement a clear path to a six-figure annual revenue stream.
THAT piece is the idea/concept/decision that holds the most energy for you, so that's where you need to act first (yes, even if you don't WANT to, which is another thing altogether).
The brain is a funny thing. When we take something out of one modality into another, our brain gets to work on the problem in a different way. By changing the way you assess the situation (from emotional or logical to visual), your brain has a new way of looking at the problem. The old block (which is probably a conflict between emotional and logical) is interrupted and you're able to make a decision so that you can move forward.
Often times, it doesn't matter what you decide, only that you finally make a decision so that you can get momentum again. So even if you "randomly" select a paper ball, you've made a decision and can move forward.
If you're a tactile processor, you might ACTUALLY write each option on a piece of paper and throw them on the floor. But then you've got a lot of cleaning up to do, which is totally NOT my jam. 🙂
Like I said, the messy room technique is is a powerful tool that's quick and easy to use to get clarity now, and get moving again.
Whether you're starting from scratch, been hobbling along at this for a while, or you're ready to expand and add a new revenue stream to your creative business, Your Breakout Year is the exact process I've used with clients - for over a decade now - to help them get clear on what really matters and build out a business model that gets them there faster, with less hustle, and more ease.
Courses and classes alone don't get the job done. You'll just end up with a lot of information and zero implementation. This is an implementation-heavy program because I believe that if you do the work, you'll get results. So doing the work is baked into the program. No "learn now, implement later" in Your Breakout Year. Implement as you learn, decide what works and what doesn't, cut the fluff, and see real financial results in your business.
There are still a few spots left for early bird pricing, and a 4 installment payment option to make it budget friendly.
If you're ready to find your right audience and make good money doing what you love without selling your soul, join me for Your Breakout Year.
This week I had an AMAZING photo shoot that's been several months in the making. I knew when I landed in Nashville, starting over would take up a good portion of my first year here. I also knew that I had projects that still needed to move forward: I've been sitting on Creative Freedom for a while now, and The Damn Whippersnappers have promised to visit this summer for a recording session. So with a new book and new music in the works, of COURSE I needed to get the website redone.
Only, I didn't know anyone in this town, so I had no idea how long I'd have to wait, how much it would cost, or anything. Luckily, my best friend, Google helped me out. I met Emily, a wardrobe stylist from Effortlesstyle here in Nashville. She came over, looked at my closet and said "let's just start from scratch, okay?"
hee. hee.
While I know how to clean up, I've never been at the bleeding edge of style, and I told her that. My closet is full of black, black, and more black - with a splash of solid color here and there. So I gave her a budget and she went to work. A week or so later, we met for the fitting. There was really only one piece I couldn't bring myself to like. Everything else was wonderful - and a lot of it I wouldn't have picked for myself. Like this floral top. When I first looked at it, all the voices in my head took a swing at me:
"Oh, you're too big to wear white!"
"That floral print is just going to draw all kinds of attention that you don't want."
I swallowed hard when she showed it too me. I knew Emily could sense my reluctance. "Just try it on." she politely insisted.
I did. We found a keeper.
I had just raised my threshold of belief around what was possible for my wardrobe. Emily's a professional that's been doing this for years. Despite that, it was hard to trust her at first because I didn't know her. I didn't believe she could style a plus-sized momma like me.
Luckily, she made it easy to like her, and her ensemble choices were on point, so trust came quickly.
Which was good, because the hair and makeup artist I had originally asked to do the shoot booked herself another appointment and was unable to make our shoot date. It wasn't her fault. I was trying to coordinate all the details myself, and things didn't come together. Frantic, I asked Emily if she had any suggestions.
Panic turned to relief, but I had no idea how much I'd be paying for TWO people instead of one.
I swallowed hard again, and just trusted the process.
I arrive at Emily's house on the day of the shoot for hair and makeup. Mind you, two total strangers are about to have their way with my head. The ONLY thing keeping me from not showing up is the commitment I made to my photographer, Ashley.
That, and I trusted Emily. She hadn't steered me wrong yet, so I figured she wasn't going to start now.
I knock on the door, walk in, and I'm greeted by two of the sunniest, most enthusiastic women I've ever met. Both hard-working artists, both incredibly talented. Both eager to make magic happen.
Why did I ever doubt Emily?
Within minutes they are both working on me: Angela at the front, Genia at the back. We're chatting, really connecting, and they're making it easy for me to trust them. But...
I don't even know how much time has gone by, I can't see a mirror, and I'm still too nervous to eat any of the snacks Emily's put out for us. I did manage to down a glass of water, because I kept telling myself "it's gonna be hot outside, you don't want to die of heat stroke!"
Still, I think I managed to keep my self-doubt to myself as we talked about building a business doing what you love, something I'm pretty passionate about. My fear was, hopefully, masked by my enthusiasm for profitable creative businesses.
When they finished, I snapped a quick photo of my glam team and off we went to meet Ashley at Cumberland Park. When I got in my car, I had all I could do to keep from crying. I looked GOOD! Like, I almost didn't recognize myself. I had a vision of what I wanted for the shoot, and even hired Duane "The Hair Fairy" Edlao to cut my hair before I met these ladies to make sure that it would do what we wanted it to do. But to see it actually come to life?
Whoa.
We headed off toward Nissan Stadium to meet Ashley for the shoot. This is the first time we've met in person, and she looks happy, so I'm feeling more relaxed at this point. She's got some ideas about how to get in all the wardrobe changes and make the most of our time together.
The first few pictures felt awkward to me - because my inner critic was having her way.
There was a couple sitting at a picnic table across the way. They both stopped and looked up as my entourage pulled up with all our gear. I joked about being famous, but inside I was a self-conscious mess.
Despite these women all being super talented professionals, my inner critic was having her way with me. I told Ashley to "just shoot everything" because I knew that candid moments would probably end up making the most "natural" shots, plus we'd get some behind-the-scenes shots, too, which would be great for me to share with my clients in A-club. In truth, I was just hoping that, if she shot everything, there might be something that I could use.
Good thing Emily was listening, because she took some great candids, too. Like the shot of Angela, above, touching up my face, or this one, which is quickly becoming one of my favorites.
When I saw the first photo, I knew I was in good hands and I could relax. That's when we had REAL fun!
We joked, got silly, and just enjoyed being together - creatives whose only agenda was to create. Make magic happen. That was all we had to do, and when we could really let loose and trust each other, poof! The magic was there naturally.
The rest of the hour-long shoot went by fast, and it really felt like we were a team - working together to tell a compelling visual story. I look forward to seeing the proofs that Ashley took. Here's a sneak peek from the back of Ashley's camera...
This photo shoot was a massive investment in the future of my company, and it would be easy to just stop there...
...But that would be the least important part of the story.
As the pictures started appearing, people on Facebook started asking me what the shoot was for. It was easy to say "new book, new album, new website," but that wasn't entirely true. It was also a "new me" of sorts.
In the past, I would have tried to DIY as much as possible and keep everything on the cheap - not to be efficient or save money (though those are the excuses I would have used), but because of my own self-worth.
I put at least ten times the money into this shoot than any other shoot I've ever done. I'm not saying that to brag. I still feel strange about it, to be honest. I tell you this because there was a time in my life where I didn't believe I was WORTHY of investing "that kind of money" in me or my dreams.
Some days, I still struggle with my worthiness.
My early photo shoots were courtesy of my kid, or good friends who were skilled with a camera. I actually hired a photographer and hair/makeup artist for my last shoot because I wanted to get some specific shots for the album. I was leery then about spending "that kind of money" on a project that had no guarantee of completion, let alone success. But I was so happy with the results that I used those pictures all over the interwebs for a couple of years.
This time, I had a team of three incredible women who had my back the entire time (four, counting my photographer!). They probably had no idea of the "who do you think you are?" trash talk my inner critic was laying on me. At least, I hope they didn't. I am thrilled that they made it SO easy for me to just be ME in front of the camera.
The next day, I was talking with one of my coaches about my book, online course, and live event all built around the foundation of Creative Freedom. One of the last things she said to me was about the pricing for my upcoming event. I've been in a holding pattern for WEEEEEEKS because I haven't been able to decide how to price it or how and when to offer the online version. I told her I feel confident that I could easily charge twice the price because I believe it'll bring a solid 5-10x return on investment, but I was keeping the intro rate low because I wanted to fill the program (totally an ego thing, by the way).
When she looked at my pricing and asked about my motivations, she reminded me that sometimes, when we offer discounts and low-ball our pricing, it doesn't actually empower our clients, because we're modeling a behavior that comes from a place of scarcity instead of abundance. She then asked me "what if, by lowering your prices, you're denying your clients from having the same experience you just had at your photo shoot?"
Eyes Opened.
If you've got a healthy relationship with money, this probably doesn't apply to you, but if you struggle with naming a price that feels right to you because your inner critic is asking "who will pay that?" - this could be helpful.
The answer to the "who will pay that?" question isn't found in the circle of people you've been begging to buy from you. The answer is found in the faces of the people who light up when you enter the room and say "where have you been all my life!?!?"
Sadly, most of us build our careers around the former and not the latter.
This is one of the reasons I encourage my clients to develop a $25,000 offer... not because anyone will ever buy it (though it does happen), but because it gets you thinking differently, so that when you offer something for $2k or $5k, you'll feel more confident around the real value you bring to your work.
What could happen (for you and your potential clients) if you just created and asked for the price you want without all the baggage attached?
Because it doesn't matter what price you pick, there will always be someone that can't or won't pay it. But there are also probably a few people who will.
Owning your dreams, without selling your soul. Finding yourself and building a life and business that works for who you really are and what really matters to you. Making good money doing what you LOVE (and all the ladies from my shoot love what they do). THAT is what Creative Freedom is about, and I can't wait to share more of this new evolution with you.
Oh, and tickets for the virtual workshop and online event will be on sale soon. If you're not already on my list, get there to be one of the first to know about it!
[Note: This is an excerpt from my forthcoming book, Creative Freedom. If you'd like to be part of the advance team and get more sneak peeks of the book, contact me for more info.]
There's a quote often attributed to John Lennon:
"Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end."
Dreams are kind of like that. It sounds trite, I know, but the reality is that if something really matters to you, there are really only two things that will prevent you from pursuing it in some way:
1. Death (in which case, you're no longer dreaming).
2. Something else that matters more (in which case, it's no longer your dream).
Death is fairly self-explanatory, so we'll leave that here and explore option two.
When I was a kid, I fancied myself as the next Madonna or Paula Abdul. I was a pretty good singer, and I spent countless hours practicing dance routines for the world tour I imagined I would lead once I became a rock star. I studied music at college, got a degree, and even moved west in pursuit of that dream.
Then life happened: single motherhood, relocation, marriage, second kid, etc.
For years, while my dreams of professional achievement languished, I put my focus, energy, and money into being a wife and mom. That was my priority. I made it so. I chose that life over pursuing my dream.
There are all kinds of "reasons" I could give as to why I made that choice. Here are a few:
Ultimately, I let guilt, shame, and fear dictate my priorities. Choosing to be seen in a certain light (by my family, friends, and children) were more important to me than pursuing my dreams.
So I didn't.
For more than a decade, my dreams sat in a metaphorical box on a shelf in the attic of my soul. I didn't touch my musical instruments (I owned seven). I didn't even play the radio much. Music was all but absent in my life, with one exception: community theater.
I was somewhat of a fixture at the local theater. Ted, the Artistic Director, knew I was talented and a hard worker, so I was practically guaranteed a role every season. Usually not the lead, but something that allowed me to be in the spotlight, share my gifts, and get me out of the house a few nights a week during the run of the show.
That was my "fix" and, for a while, it worked. I was happy to contribute and be part of something that gave me a small glimpse into the life I wasn't ambitious enough to pursue because of other "reasons".
A friend and I had approached Ted about doing a holiday musical revue. He loved the idea. As we began rehearsals, Ted told me that ours would be the last show produced at the theater. After 15 years, he was closing his doors.
At first, it didn't register how much I depended on Ted and this rag-tag bunch of musical misfits. We all had "other lives" that kept us busy - teachers, lawyers, service workers, college students - but on Ted's stage we were all equals. We were all craftsmen.
We were family - and Ted was breaking up the band, so to speak.
I didn't realize, until recently, how important that creative outlet was for me. It was my primary source of adult conversation and a safe space to practice my art. It was also a happy-medium for a married mom of two with responsibilities and "reasons" that kept me from pursuing my dream.
And then it was gone.
I briefly toyed with the notion of taking over the theater, but my life and financial situation at the time just couldn't swing it. That's when everything in my life started to unravel. My kid ran away and ended up in jail, we filed bankruptcy, I lost my car, my home, and I hit the skids - quite literally.
I was driving my husband's car on the freeway. As I started to change lanes, it spun out of control. I threw my hands into the air as the car swished and fishtailed across three lanes, landing in the ditch, facing oncoming traffic. I looked up just in time to feel the rush of wind as an 18-wheeler sped past.
Somehow, I was still alive. Unscathed. Awake. The car had stalled out, but was otherwise fine. A Freudian moment.
I reasoned with myself that I should probably be dead. The only reason I survived was because, as Lennon put it, it's not the end.
So why I was still alive? What was this wake-up call all about?
God talks to me in the voice of James Earl Jones - very deep, precise, and clear. Each morning for a few weeks, I posed the "why am I still alive?" question during my sacred practice. One day the notion to spend a year working on a new album crossed my mind. That thought led to doing 100 songs - just 2 songs a week. That's when Darth Vader boomed in.
"300 songs!"
I've learned not to argue when my inner Darth starts talking. So I started on the journey that has now become my 300 songs project.
Jim Rohn famously said "Become a millionaire not for the million dollars, but for what it will make of you to achieve it." About 100 songs into the project, it became clear that it was less about the number of songs, and more about who I was becoming in the process of making them.
I was unpacking my dusty box of dreams, recalling the value of these old treasures - some of which still had meaning for me, others from which I was finally ready to move on. I pulled out those old songs, those dance routines, and I had to decide what my dream really was.
See, your dream is relentless. It persists even when you don't want it to. You almost can't let it go because it keeps coming back to haunt you. Fantasies, on the other hand, are something that you can plow a lot of time, energy, and money into, but at the end of the day, you feel a relief to let it go.
Dancing was like that for me. I still love to dance, but I'm almost 100 pounds heavier than I was when I dreamed of being the next Paula Abdul. While I'm working on getting into better shape, the thought of re-conditioning my body to the level of a professional dancer feels like a punishment worse than death!
When I gave up on the dream of becoming a dancer, I felt unimaginable relief. Can I still dance? SURE, but on my terms - without the pressure of maintaining a dancer's body.
Becoming the next Paula Abdul or Madonna was my fantasy, entertaining and inspiring people is my dream.
In fact, I can't imagine my life without a spotlight and inspiration in some way, but if I could never dance again, I don't think I'd cry too much about it. As a kid, I believed that's what I should do, if I wanted to be famous. I should learn to sing, act, dance, and play an instrument - and be good at all of them. That way, I've got a much better chance at "stardom".
But as I unpack this box of dreams as an adult, it isn't about the "shoulds" of the world around me. I'm older now, and while I still care what people think of me, it matters far less than it did a decade ago when my roles defined me.
Those priorities don't matter like they used to. I stopped defining myself by what I couldn't have and began to shift my focus to what I really wanted - what truly mattered to me.
And that's the point. When something else - even fear - matters more than honoring the Divine call of your dream, you'll try to ignore it. But if it really matters to you, it will not remain silent. It will fight to be heard. It will wake you from your anesthetized way of living. It will violently shake you - with the force of an 18-wheeler - until you make a choice.
Then you will find a way to pursue it - in stolen moments while the kids are at school, or while waiting on hold with the power company. You'll get up early, stay up late, and make any excuse you can to take even the smallest step toward realizing your dream.
Or you will choose to let it go. No longer a priority. No longer the dream it once was. In which case, it's not your dream anymore, so it no longer needs pursuing.
Mourning the loss of a dream, or letting it go joyfully (your choice) is not uncommon. Kids do it every day, with much less drama and heartache. They find something new that captures their imagination, and they pursue it until it's not worth pursuing anymore. Everything they pick up and put down acts like a filter, helping them draw closer and closer to what it is that really matters to them.
For me, dance and drama led me to refine my skills as a storyteller, a performer, and to be more comfortable in my skin - critical skills that make me a better musician, author, and coach. For a time, I thought dancing was part of my dream. Dancing wasn't my dream, but it pointed the way.
Will your dreams always manifest the way you envisioned? Not likely. But that won't deter you if it's really your dream. Many are the stories of elderly men and women who found success with their dreams much later in life. Who cares how long it takes? The pursuit is part of the work of building the dream in the first place.
And should there come a time when other choices, other goals, other priorities truly do matter more than your dusty old dream, then pack it away for a time, pass it on, or simply let it go.
In the end, whatever you choose will be okay. And if it's not okay...
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Feeling stuck and unsure of your direction? I am honored to be co-hosting a webinar on May 12 with Tajci Cameron that might help. Tajci's a former Croatian pop star who left it all to try her hand at the American Dream, only to get stuck herself. Join us as we explore the steps she took to awaken to joy and purpose in her life and break the cycle of pain and fear that was holding her back. Click here to meet Tajci and register for this special event!
It may sound silly to you if I asked “what does your business taste like?” or “if your business were an animal, what would it be?” And yet, these are not uncommon questions to ask in the branding process. While there's not enough time and space to develop your brand in a post like this, here are some things to keep in mind as you develop your customer experience.
Your answers to these (and other) questions can paint a striking picture of your creative brand.
I loved MacGyver (still do!). To me, he was trustworthy, reliable, and he had an unmistakable brand. He never used a gun (except once, in the pilot episode of the show), he ate healthy food, and he had a mullet that every girl seemed to love. I'm pretty sure he was a Fusion Creative. He wore jeans, drove a Jeep, and was never without a roll of duct tape. He used his brain to solve the problems of the world. On the rare occasions he put on a tux, he looked like a fish out of water – he even confessed that he felt like a fish out of water! He preferred his jeans and tennies, his Jeep, and his handy roll of duct tape to the high-falutin airs of some Embassy dinner.
In fact, you might say he was trustworthy and reliable because he had an unmistakable brand. You always knew what to expect from MacGyver.
I had the opposite reaction when I watched Alias. Sydney Bristow was super smart, but hard to trust – even though I knew she was the hero of the show. She was a double agent, always in and out of disguises (most likely a Chaotic creative in the making). She was likable, but it was hard to know who she really was or which side she was on. I loved the show (even after they jumped the shark with that whole Rambaldi subplot), but it took several seasons before I felt like I really knew what to expect from her.
Whether you want to admit it or not you are a character. As a creative entrepreneur, you have to craft a persona – and I strongly encourage you to make it as true to life as possible. BRanding professionals will talk in terms of Archetypes. They'll use terms like "hero" or "innocent" or "maverick" but for creative entrepreneurs, this is more about how YOU want to show up on your best days. Young Steve Jobs dressed like a business man (mostly). As Jobs mellowed over the years, he stopped wearing business suits and became known for his iconic black mock turtleneck and jeans. It was a character, to be sure, but one that was true to who he was as a human being. Did his "archetype" change? Who cares? All I know is he became more likeable, more approachable, and that's the image he wanted to portray for Apple (even if he was a megalomaniac behind the scenes).
Lady Gaga insists on being outlandish in her own way – even when she's dressed conservatively, she'll have a thick layer of glitter eye shadow and long, color-coordinated fingernails (like she did at the 2016 Super Bowl). They are the calling cards of her brand experience.
You need to decide now what you want to be known for – before someone else decides for you. There are countless tales of performing artists who are “made” into a persona by their agents and producers. Don't let that happen to you – even if you don't have an agent or a producer. I tell my clients all the time:
You train people how to treat you based on what they've come to expect from you and what you've come to accept from them.
Knowing what you want to be known for isn't just about your Great Work. Sure, it's important to deliver a quality product or service, but who is delivering it (your character) and how it's being delivered is just as important to the story of your business. Tiffany's could use any color box and still command their lofty prices, couldn't they?
Well, maybe not.
Tiffany's gift box has become synonymous with “excellence, exclusivity, and flawless craftsmanship” according to their own website. Founded in 1837, Tiffany & Young, as it was then known, started as a store for “stationery and fancy goods”. Then, in 1845, founder Charles Tiffany (a Linear Creative by all accounts) published the “blue book” - a catalog of their “exquisitely handcrafted jewels” that featured the distinctive blue shade on the cover. It's said that Tiffany selected the color because turquoise jewelry was a popular gift at the time.
Whatever the reason, Tiffany cultivated a marketing story equally attractive when they started using the color on their boxes and gift bags. It was the one thing you couldn't buy in the store. The box would be given gladly to you - free of charge - when you “bought a little something” to put inside it.
“The rule of the establishment is ironclad,
never to allow a box bearing the name of
the firm, to be taken out of the building
except with an article which has been sold
by them and for which they are responsible.”- a 1906 news article about Tiffany's
Eventually, the color became so synonymous with Tiffany that the company trademarked it – along with the box, the bow, and the name, “Tiffany Blue Box®.” When they filmed “Breakfast at Tiffany's,” 40 armed guards were hired, not to protect the jewels so much as to ensure not a single box left the premises. They also filmed on a Sunday, which required Tiffany's to open on a special day just for filming.
Now, you may not need to go to these lengths for your own company, but if your brand is built on prestige, excellence, or luxury, these might be the minimum lengths you would go to position your brand in the marketplace. This is why it is so critical to get clear on who you are and what really matters to you in the first place. Perhaps, like Tiffany's, you don't want to work on Sunday. That's an important boundary to set in your business. Maybe you want to be seen as friendly and accessible – in which case, applying gold foil to your business cards might be a bit “over the top” for your brand.
It's your business. You get to decide. And decide you must - before someone else does.
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This was an excerpt from my Raving Fans Toolkit, which is part of my forthcoming book "Creative Freedom". Be sure you're on my mailing list to get your free copy of the Toolkit as well as first notice when the book launches!
In the meantime, tell me your thoughts! What kind of a character are you crafting in your business? What are the "hallmarks" and signature moves of your brand? Share your ideas in the comments and let's be a rising tide for everyone.
Welcome to the last post in our Creative Freedom Challenge.
Catch the rest of them here: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5
I love Creative Entrepreneurs. I might be a little prejudiced, since I am one, but I love ya, nonetheless.
Most creative entrepreneurs begin because they love what they do. Often you don't even think about turning it into a business until later - out of a desire to serve a higher purpose (remember those Five Tenets of a Noble Empire?). You're typically a bootstrapper by necessity, not by choice. You never really thought about investors or loans or any of that stuff, you just started sharing your Great Work with the world around you.
Then, somewhere along the line, you found that not only do people love what you're doing, they want to own a piece of it - either through buying your work, or experiencing your services, or just telling the world how awesome you are. So you "hang your shingle" and poof! You're in business.
You'll probably find yourself in the Artisan Trap at some point (sell - deliver - sell - deliver), but until then, things are fun.
Until they're not.
Eventually you hit your limit. You can't do any more by yourself. Stuff is falling through the cracks, and there are not enough hours in the day to get everything done and still have a moment's peace for yourself.
Welcome to Whitewater. This rocky stage of business growth is both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because you've got business coming in and cash is flowing. A curse because there's too much to keep up with by yourself (and maybe even your small team is dropping balls because the right systems aren't in place).
Help is available to you. All you have to do is ask.
As soon as you need it. Maybe even before you need it.
Go back and look at that list of things you need to "handle" that is slowing you down from sharing your Great Work with more of your right audience. I'd bet that somewhere in that list is something you could ask for support on TODAY. You may or may not even need to pay anyone to help you with it.
In a facebook group I'm in, someone posted a photo, offering to pay $5 to anyone that could change the color of the image to a specific shade of purple. Someone else in the group posted back a few minutes later with the edited image along with a note that said "No worries. Pay it forward."
Help is all around us if we're willing to ask. Sometimes it's free, sometimes, it's not. Sometimes the "cost" isn't cash.
This single shift in awareness can create a truckload of freedom!
Over the years, I've compensated my "helpers" in a variety of ways: trading babysitting, pizza, driving them to the movies, back rubs, business coaching, and yes, good old American currency.
The hardest part for most entrepreneurs, though, comes in making the ask in the first place.
I've been there. It takes courage and vulnerability to step out and ask for help. Even after more than 20 years in business, I sometimes forget to check my ego and ask for help. 🙂
Being a creative, out-of-the-box entrepreneur means you need to get used to asking for and accepting help in all its various forms. Build your network of colleagues and friends to reach even more potential clients. The Chinese proverb tells us that "the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The next best time is now". Don't wait to reach out and build those connections. Do it now - before you think you'll need their help.
Last list, I promise! Make a list of people you'd like to connect with, and people you'd like to strengthen ties with. Then pick ONE person to reach out to this week. If you're feeling courageous, reach out to one person every day. Not to sell them, but to share your enthusiasm, your stories, and see how you can genuinely serve them. Then watch what happens.
I'd like to share something I'm enthusiastic about with you: It's my Creative Freedom Apprenticeship.
I developed this program after years of watching creatives like you get swallowed up by their jobs. I've watched too many artists, visionaries, leaders, and out-of-the-box thinkers put their dreams on a shelf for "someday" when the world needs them right now.
The Creative Freedom Apprenticeship gives creative entrepreneurs in the start-up phase of their business a framework you can use to build your own blueprint and forge your own path doing more of what you love - and make a sustainable living doing it.
If you're ready to bring more of your Great Work into the world and reach more of your right audience, I invite you to join us today. We cover a lot of territory - and all the materials are updated since our last round of the course (including three new modules!). I've intentionally kept the time and money investment reasonable. You're not here to spend all your time and money taking a course. You're here to build a Noble Empire and live an inspired life. I'd like to help if I can.
Maybe you have questions, or aren't sure if the Apprenticeship is right for you. I totally understand how that goes! Just reach out and I'll be there to answer any questions you might have.
My vision for you is to make a good living doing what you love so that you can own your dreams without selling your soul. It may sound a little cliche, but I believe that, now more than ever, we need you to bring your Great Work into the world. This is YOUR time. The world is waiting for you. You can do this!
Welcome to Day Four of the Creative Freedom Challenge. Here are links to Day One, Day Two, and Day Three so you can stay on track.
Today, I'm sharing an example of heart-centered marketing in action using what I call the "show & tell technique" It's a great way to bake the marketing right into your offering, and what better business to demonstrate this than a donut shop?
But I'm getting ahead of myself. First, let's talk baseball... sort of.
The movie "Field of Dreams" has been both an inspiration and a thorn in the side of creative entrepreneurs since its release in 1989. It's fun to fantasize about the throngs of people that will come to take part in and appreciate your Great Work in the world.
But what most people miss is the effort Ray Kinsella had to undertake before he ever made a dime with his ball field. In fact, he didn't even PLAN to earn a living from the field. He just kept hearing this voice telling him "if you build it, he will come."
(Notice, that little voice was only talking about one person? That's important to note.)
When many creative entrepreneurs first start out, they don't intend to make a living doing what they love, so this part of Ray's story is all too familiar for most of us.
Ray's neighbors in Iowa thought he was crazy when he started mowing down his corn, stringing lights, and building bleachers. MONTHS went by before Shoeless Joe appeared in the field (the first ghostly ball player from beyond the corn). It took even more time before enough players came to field a full team. By that time, Ray and his family were on the brink of losing everything. It's not until Ray's friend and daughter tell him that he could sell tickets and "people will come" that Ray understands what he's created.
This is the third issue I see so many creative, out-of-the-box entrepreneurs face in doing what they love and getting paid for it... they forget about the fact that it has to make a profit or it's not a business.
There's nothing wrong with plowing your cornfield under to build a ball field, just for the sake of having a ball field. But if you don't want to lose your farm, you need to find a way to make a living from it. And I don't mean squeaking by. I mean a profitable, sustainable living - without selling your soul.
You've got to let people know what you're up to. You have to be willing to put in the effort (and use heart-centered marketing to tell people about it), in order to see real, lasting results. Sure, there are folks that will think you're a little crazy - they said that about Lady Gaga, Steve Jobs, Thomas Edison, and a host of other out-of-the-box entrepreneurs, too! But if you're doing your part to let people know about what you've built, the right people will find you.
And they're going to LOVE you.
But what do you say? How do you tell people about your Great Work?
Smart, authentic selling isn't about pushing anyone or being slimy. Authentic selling is part of heart-centered marketing. It's the part of the conversation where you share your story about your offering with the people who most need or want what you have to offer.
You don't always have to tell the story. Sometimes, you can show it. Remember show and tell time at school as a child? I was always bummed when I forgot to bring my thing to show. Telling is fine, and I'm a pretty good talker, but when you can show - when people can experience your Great Work in a context that amplifies the meaning - it's a lot easier for people to say yes.
When I used to make and sell candles, we would regularly do craft shows where we weren't the only candle maker at the event. Sometimes, we had to compete with corporate competitors, too. Our display stood out because we used our vertical space to elevate the fragrances and make our little booth look more like a shop than a table of crafts. People could see us from across the room. We used twinkle lights to create motion and catch the eye. In short, we did everything we could to show our product in the best possible light (no pun intended).
It doesn't matter what your Great Work is. The more you can show (create an experience) the easier it is to sell.
A couple hours from where I live is a place called Cops and Doughnuts. When the Clare City Bakery was about to go belly up, a group of local cops bought it and transformed the little bakery into a mouthpiece for the community. The entire shop has a law enforcement theme (here's my "mug shot" from one of my multiple visits to the shop). The staff dress like convicts, the bathrooms look like jail cells (it's a poster they hang on the doors), and the cops wear their police uniforms. They've been written up in national publications and people come from all over the world to visit their little bakery and try one (or more) of their tasty pastries. It's quite an experience!
When you walk in, there's a huge display case with all kinds of interesting treats (including a cream-filled maple bar that's topped with bacon - no kidding!). The cops will interact with you, ask you questions, and make you feel welcome. They might even take a video of you singing and post it on their social media channels. They'll tell you about their different doughnuts and help you decide which flavor is right for you.
It's so much fun, and you never feel pressured to buy anything. Just helpful, engaging conversation about buying (and selling) coffee and doughnuts at the Clare City Bakery.
Show and tell at its finest.
What would happen if the employees dressed like every other doughnut shop employee? Or what if the cops put a curtain in front of the display case? How would you know what they've got to offer? Sure, the sign says "doughnuts" but most people want to know what options they have before they buy. I don't know many folks who walk in and say "Gimme a dozen doughnuts. Surprise me."
Smart, authentic selling shares the real you (warts, sparkles, and all) and removes the curtain from your display case so your potential buyer knows what you offer and how it can help (or delight) them.
It's not always about "solving a pain" - although I suppose if you're REALLY craving bacon you might make a case for that maple bar. As a musician, my music can inspire people and create delight. Some of my most viewed YouTube videos are my musical mashups - fun, funny parodies of popular music. It's not solving a pain, but it's definitely serving a delight.
Kind of like the doughnut shop - or "Field of Dreams" - it's up to you to educate people about how you serve them - about the experience you provide for them. Whether you're solving a pain or bringing them joy, be honest, authentic, and REAL with them by sharing the stories of your products and your company.
The best way to build a profitable, sustainable business doing what you love is to be yourself. Use YOUR words, tell your stories, and share your vision for what you're creating.
When you do it (and keep doing it, via heart-centered marketing), the right people will come.
Today, spend a little time thinking about your stories. What made you decide to start doing this thing that you love so much? How does it help (or delight) people? What kind of people does it help (or delight)? What stories do you have from your current customers that put your company or offering in a positive light?
Start thinking about what words you would use to tell these stories. Write them down and start practicing them. These stories are the threads that become the beautiful tapestry of your business. Stories sell. The better you get at telling (and showing) your stories, the more of your right people you'll attract.