There comes a time - or maybe even multiple times - in your business when you’re done with the income you’re currently making and it’s time for more. Most of the time, you don’t want to be DOING more to get there. That’s when you need to strategically consider how to increase your profits - your profitability, the money that stays inside the business - to achieve the freedom goals that you have.
That profitability begets sustainability. Because that means you can pay yourself more. You can pay your team more and still have money in the business for growth.
There are lots of potential ways to do that, but today I’m focusing on the 3 things that most directly impact your profitability and help you experience true creative freedom.
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Theme music: “Welcome to the Show” by Kevin MacLeod, incompetech.com. Music licensed under creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
In 2007, Consumer Reports did a taste test with McDonald’s coffee and Starbucks. The Consumer Reports Coffee Taste Test showed that McDonald’s plain black coffee edged out Starbucks and other fast food chains and had the best tasting black coffee of them all.
Then in 2009, a more informal Starbuck’s taste test was held to look at some of the flavored coffees. This was a bit less scientific, but still a blind taste test. The result? McDonald’s wins again!
But here’s the point I thought was interesting: everyone still preferred the Starbucks environment, even though the McDonald’s coffee is better.
McDonald’s charges less for their comparably - and purportedly better - flavored coffees than the Seattle coffee giant, but people happily pay more because of the experience of shopping at Starbucks. This is a great illustration of how pricing is subjective and based, at least in part, on the story you’re trying to tell.
There are also a lot of “feels” that come up around pricing. Today, I want to tackle one of the most common concerns I hear from entrepreneurs with an existing book of business: How do I raise my rates so that I don’t lose my current clients or come off looking like I’m only in it for the money?
Listen in below!
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Theme music: “Welcome to the Show” by Kevin MacLeod, incompetech.com. Music licensed under creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
I have an Incubator client right now that’s working on building their business, and they don’t have a large audience. Between fits of frustration around wanting to go faster and inspired ideas that need execution, we’ve been having conversations around who they serve and how to talk to them to stimulate sales without coming off as sleazy. As nice as it would be to just jump from a great business idea to loads of sales, it just very rarely works that way.
Could she walk up to every person she meets, introduce herself and offer her services? Sure. But she’d likely end up with more folks running screaming for the hills than she would new customers.
There’s probably nothing people hate more than to be sold to. And maybe you’re even thinking to yourself:
"I don’t want to be that slick, sleazy salesperson and have to push, push, push all the time just to keep my nose above water."
What can you do? Listen in below to find out!
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Theme music: “Welcome to the Show” by Kevin MacLeod, incompetech.com. Music licensed under creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
In our last episode we talked about how to find folks and I intimated a little bit about the need to talk TO them, not AT them. But we didn’t get into specifics of how to do that - what to say, etc.
I don’t want to leave you hanging. So, that’s what this episode is all about. This episode will be useful regardless of how well connected you are with this audience. Whether you’re just getting started with them or you’ve got clients, or the start of an audience but not many Raving Fans, I’m going to save you the two by four to the head.
Because it’s not enough to know who they are, you’ve also got to reach and connect with - engage with - them. Listen to the show below to become "coffee worthy".
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Theme music: “Welcome to the Show” by Kevin MacLeod, incompetech.com. Music licensed under creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
A moment of truth telling: Finding your audience is actually more about them finding you. Being a lighthouse, in many respects, for your right people who need a safe harbor from the storms of their world.
What kind of a light are you shining out there? Where does that light come from?
There was a time in the big bad world of business, where you could pretty much sell anything and people would buy it. You didn’t need to persuade people about the benefits of choosing you because you were the only game in town. They either bought what you were selling or they went without. Period.
But buyers are smarter, do more research, and have a LOT more options at their fingertips. It takes more than just “buy my stuff, it’s great” to encourage a buyer to say yes.
But even in a world where a whole lot of people MIGHT say yes to your offer, you need to practice a little discernment.
Today, I want you to understand the principles behind finding your target audience - how to determine if you’re talking to the right people in the first place, and if not, what may need to shift so that you can actually FIND these folks.
Inside this episode, we're talking about:
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Theme music: “Welcome to the Show” by Kevin MacLeod, incompetech.com. Music licensed under creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Pivot! It was one of the biggest buzzwords of 2020, thanks to the pandemic that shall not be named putting a monkey wrench into EVERYONE’S plans!
Not to brag, but I’ve been pivoting since before it was cool. I’ve probably done the pivot 5 or 10 times in my nearly 30 years online. I mean, nothing lasts forever and the only constant is change, right?
Last episode I talked about how Taylor Swift pivoted to a new music genre...and she’s not the only one. Fine artist Henri Matisse and lots of companies have started down one path, decided it’s not working for them (or has stopped working for them), and turned to something new.
So yes, pivots are a thing, and they absolutely CAN be done successfully, but how do you know if it is, in fact, time to pivot? Listen in to find out today.
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Theme music: “Welcome to the Show” by Kevin MacLeod, incompetech.com. Music licensed under creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
In my hometown, there’s a concrete pump house situated between the train tracks and a T intersection by one of our high schools.
I’m pretty sure it’s a defunct building now because the hatch on the top has been painted shut for decades. You couldn’t get into it if you wanted to… although some folks have tried, and there are still a few citizens of the town who HAVE gone in there at some point in the past and lived to tell the tale.
We call it “the rock” - and we called it that long before Dwayne Johnson started wrestling in the 90s. It was first painted by students of that high school - “SWP Oh yeah!” That was the start of over 50 years of community building - through vandalism.
We used to joke that the rock must have originally been only a few feet wide, but years of paint had made it ginormous. A few years back, several inches of paint actually peeled off the rock, revealing layers of work from years past. The rock is so popular, it has its own facebook page.
So the question of the day: How does a rock get its own facebook page? Tune in below to find out!
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Theme music: “Welcome to the Show” by Kevin MacLeod, incompetech.com. Music licensed under creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
I LOVE me some thrift store shopping! If you have the patience and enjoy treasure hunts, you can come up with some fantastic finds!
As a kid though, I didn’t see the attraction. I grew up in a welfare family, so hand-me-downs constituted the bulk of my wardrobe - and I was the oldest girl, so I was handing them down again! To me, thrift stores were full of hand-me downs, and cheap-o, secondhand crap. Why would I want to be there?
But now? I actually enjoy browsing the shelves, looking for those hidden gems that will make my life better. Like I said, you just never know when you’ll find something that can change your life.
I’ve bought and used all kinds of second-hand treasures. Many of which I later donated again for someone else to enjoy.
Why am I prattling on about thrift stores on a business podcast? Because you can do the same thing with your content! You can uncover the hidden gems in your existing content by doing a treasure hunt of sorts and sharing those golden nuggets with the world.
We call it content repurposing, and you can get a lot more mileage from one piece of long-form content if you do it.
Together we're going to walk you through how you can uncover the hidden gems in your existing content by doing a treasure hunt of sorts and sharing those golden nuggets with the world.
Ready to get started? Listen in below!
Inside this episode, we're talking about:
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Theme music: “Welcome to the Show” by Kevin MacLeod, incompetech.com. Music licensed under creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
We're back with our first **official** episode of our Season 6 re-launch. Our bonus episode last week gave you the explanation for that.
Our earlier episodes of Season 6 laid the groundwork for what we’re talking about today: your content strategy. If you’ve missed those or you need a refresher, you may want to pop back to the beginning of Season 6 to see what you’ve missed. We’ve talked about how to make sure your content strategy is sustainable, and how to narrow in so you’re actually getting some visibility. This episode, we’re gonna teach you how to build out your strategy.
Listen in to the episode below to get started!
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Theme music: “Welcome to the Show” by Kevin MacLeod, incompetech.com. Music licensed under creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
The Creative Freedom Show is back!
This time, I'm re-starting Season 6 with something special. A "bonus" episode that breaks down how 2021 went.
Tune in as I go through a month-by-month breakdown of the highlights of what happened last year both personally and professionally, and end the episode with insight around what the changes we are making at Creative Freedom HQ that were inspired by 2021's rollercoaster.
Check out the show to get started.
Inside this episode, we're talking about:
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Theme music: “Welcome to the Show” by Kevin MacLeod, incompetech.com. Music licensed under creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Nickelback. That band everyone loves to hate. Well, thanks to a lot of stock video footage, their rock anthem is now a parody of what it takes to get more visibility in your creative business.
Want to remind your customers of your creative business and develop a sustainable marketing strategy? Check out Episode 6 of the Creative Freedom Show today.
Special thanks to our Patrons for your continued support.
"How I'll Remind You" is a parody of "How You Remind You", originally recorded by Nickelback. Parody lyrics by Lisa Robbin Young.
Ever feel like you're on the hamster wheel of hustle when it comes to your marketing? I can SO relate! So much so that I created this parody based on my favorite Mark Schultz tune, "Running Just To Catch Myself"
So, here's the social media/marketing edition of his super fun tune!
And if you're looking for support to develop your marketing strategy WITHOUT having to be on the hamsterwheel of hustle all the time, check out Episode 5 of the Creative Freedom Show today.
Special thanks to our Patrons for your continued support.
"Running Just to Catch Myself" is a parody of "Running Just to Catch Myself", originally recorded by Mark Schultz. Parody lyrics by Lisa Robbin Young.
This week's parody is an 80's throwback shout out to Swing Out Sister - one of the most inspiring songs of my youth. We tweaked it for a business audience, obviously, but it's still a toe-tapping good time.
If you're ready for your breakout year, be sure to check out Episode 4, where we talk about business planning and ways to make the rest of this year even better for you.
Special thanks to our Patrons for your continued support.
"Your Breakout Year" is a parody of "Breakout", originally recorded by Swing Out Sister. Parody lyrics by Lisa Robbin Young.
If your business is running you ragged and your clients are a PITA, this video is for you!
This is the full version of the musical parody for episode 3 of Creative Freedom Season 6.
Inside this episode, we're taking a closer look at how each creative entrepreneur type can take advantage of different business models. Sure, you can have any business model you want, but each creative type needs to focus on doing business in a way that's in alignment with their strengths.
Check out the episode to learn more.
Special thanks to our Patrons for your continued support.
"Do What Comes Natural" is a parody of "Natural", originally recorded by Imagine Dragons. Parody lyrics by Lisa Robbin Young.
Here's the full-length parody from Season 6 Episode 2 - How to find a profitable niche.
How can you use the Creative Freedom Business Model equation to help you find your niche - even if you don't have a lot of data to determine if your niche is profitable yet? Find out when you tune in to Season 6 Episode 2 of the Creative freedom Show!
The podcast takes a deep-dive look at Katy and Shania Twain to show you how to carve out your own profitable niche in your industry. BOTH of them came from a musical world that was different than the one they ended up in. It required a little patience and courage to make the jump... and it made all the difference.
Special thanks to our Patrons for your continued support.
"There are worse things I could do than niching" is a parody of "There are worse things I could do", originally recorded by Stockard Channing for the movie Grease. Parody lyrics by Lisa Robbin Young.
As part of Season 6 of Creative Freedom, we decided to take our parodies to a new level. Here's the full-length parody from Episode 1.
How do you build a business that lets you stay true to yourself - you know, without selling out? That's what Season 6 Episode 1 of the Creative freedom Show is all about!
T.A.D.A. is an acronym we developed to help you listen to what's really on your heart and bring yourself and your business into alignment (or back into alignment) with what's true for you. Check out the show episode to learn more.
Special thanks to our Patrons for your continued support.
"Be True to Yourself" is a parody of "Be Good to Yourself", originally recorded by Journey. Parody lyrics by Lisa Robbin Young.
This week we’re going to focus on brand visibility, but not until I tell you a story about Marvin the rooster. That’s right, a neighbor’s stray rooster is going to teach the importance of brand visibility for your company.
After the recent storms in Mississippi, Marvin has been seen strolling up and down our quiet neighborhood street, stopping traffic, blocking our driveway, and waking me up with his obnoxious crowing at 3am every day this week.
I always know where he is because he’s got an unmistakable sound. There’s another rooster somewhere else in the neighborhood who doesn’t crow nearly as often, and I can tell them apart.
Yes, Marvin has branded himself, and it feels like he is EVERYWHERE in my life right now. I can’t get away from him. Even when I chase him off, he’s right back a few hours later.
So... how do we grow brand awareness as a creative entrepreneur? It’s all about showing up consistently to your target audience and having a great logo that draws people in and creates an impact.
As I mentioned in my last episode, consistency and frequency are not always the same thing. No, you can’t just post one youtube video and call it a day - but you don’t have to post multiple times a day either.
It really boils down to finding a rhythm you can commit to for a while, mapping out your visibility strategy - and yes, we’ve got a downloadable in the Rising Tide Learning Library to help you with that.
This episode walks you through finding a rhythm you can commit to for a while and mapping out your visibility strategy.
Check out the show to get started.
Inside this episode, we're talking about:
Rising Tide community members can login and access your free downloads here.
Not a member yet? It's free! When you register for the Rising Tide, you also get email updates, the FREE learning library, and access to episode transcripts, worksheets, and more!
Special thanks to our Patrons for your continued support.
"How I'll Remind You" is a parody of "How You Remind Me", originally recorded by Nickelback. Parody lyrics by Lisa Robbin Young.
Theme music: “Welcome to the Show” by Kevin MacLeod, incompetech.com. Music licensed under creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
In this week’s dose of empowerment for creative entrepreneurs, I’m keeping my word. Last time, I told you we’d dig into how to build a sustainable marketing strategy for your business. It begins with knowing your stories, so before we go any further, be sure to download your copy of the mini workbook inside the Rising Tide learning library that accompanies this episode. Think of it like a study guide that’s going to help you make your content marketing plans go a whole lot faster from here on out.
Let’s also address the elephant in the room when it comes to creating content and then marketing said content: Burnout. Decision fatigue, and the sheer volume of tasks that have to be done to create and promote that content.
Too many folks have equated consistency with frequency - myself included. But they are NOT the same thing!
So how do you develop a profitable, sustainable marketing strategy that doesn’t lead to burn out? The good news is that it’s totally possible.
This episode shares 3 sustainable business practices that help to pull you out of the content hustle and step into the creative freedom you crave.
As a friendly reminder - this month I’m leading the Cashflow Creator workshop - a small group intensive where we take a long hard look at your business model. You know: You + why + who + what + how. All things that will help bring the tips from this episode to life for your business!
Check out the show to learn more.
Inside this episode, we're talking about:
Rising Tide community members can login and access your free downloads here.
Not a member yet? It's free! When you register for the Rising Tide, you also get email updates, the FREE learning library, and access to episode transcripts, worksheets, and more!
Special thanks to our Patrons for your continued support.
"The Content Hamster Wheel" is a parody of "Running Just To Catch Myself", originally recorded by Mark Schultz. Parody lyrics by Lisa Robbin Young.
Theme music: “Welcome to the Show” by Kevin MacLeod, incompetech.com. Music licensed under creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
In today’s dose of empowerment for Creative Entrepreneurs, we’re getting tactical and practical. By that, I mean, we’re looking at your planning for your business. Now, I don’t mean business plans - which I believe are mostly useless for creative entrepreneurs who aren’t looking for external funding. There’s a much simpler and easier way to do them - which we’ll talk about in a future episode.
Instead, I’m talking about strategic planning and goal-setting for your business.
I know. I know. It’s March, and I hear you saying, “Lisa. Why are we talking about goal setting and planning now, when the year has already started?
Because if you’re like some creatives I know, you’re still in recovery from 2020, which was a hell of a ride in more ways than one.
The end of Q1 is hot on your heels here in March, so it's a GREAT time to reflect and re-set for the remainder of the year if you've already done your annual planning. OR, you can get your year in gear now and set yourself up to be on track for the rest of 2021.
This episode shares 5 tips to help you get your strategic business planning done for the next 12 months - whenever the year begins for you!
Check out the show to learn more.
Inside this episode, we're talking about:
Rising Tide community members can login and access your free downloads here.
Not a member yet? It's free! When you register for the Rising Tide, you also get email updates, the FREE learning library, and access to episode transcripts, worksheets, and more!
Special thanks to our Patrons for your continued support.
"Your Breakout Year" is a parody of "Breakout", originally recorded by Swing Out Sister. Parody lyrics by Lisa Robbin Young.
Theme music: “Welcome to the Show” by Kevin MacLeod, incompetech.com. Music licensed under creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
We started talking about business models in our last episode. Don't let your eyes glaze over because whether you like it or not, you've already GOT a business model. So, it's important for you to have a better understanding of how they work and - more importantly - which business models are best for your creative entrepreneur type.
This week, we're taking a closer look at how each creative entrepreneur type can take advantage of these different business models. Sure, you can have any business model you want, but each creative type needs to focus on doing business in a way that's in alignment with their strengths.
That's what we're looking at in this episode.
The podcast "deep dive" this week shares an example of how a Chaotic Creative can transition from a product-based business model to one that is more profitable and capitalizes on the boutique nature of a high-touch, personalized business.
Check out the show to learn more.
Inside this episode, we're talking about:
Rising Tide community members can login and access your free downloads here.
Not a member yet? It's free! When you register for the Rising Tide, you also get email updates, the FREE learning library, and access to episode transcripts, worksheets, and more!
Special thanks to our Patrons for your continued support.
"Do What Comes Natural" is a parody of "Natural", originally recorded by Imagine Dragons. Parody lyrics by Lisa Robbin Young.
Theme music: “Welcome to the Show” by Kevin MacLeod, incompetech.com. Music licensed under creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/