Think you're ready to hire a business coach? Jessica did! She asked what kinds of questions she should ask during a hiring interview.
Not so fast!
Before you plunk down your hard-earned cash, make sure you know what you're getting - and that you're ready to make the investment.
Too many creative entrepreneurs get burned by hiring the wrong person at the wrong time. This episode gives you specifics about the different kinds of business support that exist - including coaching - to help you determine what will serve you best at your current stage of business growth.
Rising Tide community members can login and access your free downloads here.
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Special thanks to our Patrons for your continued support.
Music: "Welcome to the Show" by Kevin MacLeod. Music and sound effects licensed under Creative Commons 3.0
Brace yourself... Creative Freedom Season Five is here!
That's right! After a year of researching, scripting, filming, editing, and travelling, Creative Freedom is back for another season of inspiration and education to help you Own Your Dreams Without Selling Your SoulTM.
Creative entrepreneurs from all over the place sent me questions to answer, and we're kicking off the season with a few of the most important ones. Today, we're talking about branding, specifically how to re-invent yourself or brand yourself as a creative entrepreneur.
It's not always easy to brand yourself when you're constantly evolving. Heck, even the concept of branding has evolved over the years. This episode gives you some questions to consider, along with a brief history of branding through the centuries - and what it means to you (and your clients) in its current evolution.
If you’re listening to just the podcast, you’re only getting about a third of the deal. Catch the Creative Freedom web series or join me on Facebook on Fridays at 5:30pm Central time for a LIVE Q&A about the week's topic.
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!
Sponsors & Credits
Special thanks to our Patrons for your continued support.
Music: "Welcome to the Show" by Kevin MacLeod. Music and sound effects licensed under Creative Commons 3.0
This is Season Four, Episode Ten. Last episode, I talked about events from the attendee perspective. Today, I'm talking about them from the host perspective. Over the past 10 years, I've hosted hundreds of live events. From my basic monthly Accountability Club teleclasses and weekly Facebook Live Q&A's to more complex virtual and in-person events like Creative Freedom Live (Happening in October! Yeah, baby!)
If you're thinking about hosting your own events, here are the mistakes and lessons I've learned to help you host a successful event that works for you AND your attendees.
Download Season 4 Episode 10 | iTunes | Stitcher | Spotify
If you’re listening to just the podcast, you’re only getting about a third of the deal. Catch the Creative Freedom web series or join me on Facebook on Fridays at 5:30pm Central time for a LIVE Q&A about the week's topic.
9:07 - The live event screw-ups that almost cost me my car
15:30 - The Jeep event that created an experience that hit all their goals
21:20 - The most effective way to get people to attend your event
25:02 - The importance of ethics and delivering on your promises
Not a member? It's free! Click here to join our Rising Tide to get email updates, transcripts, and bonus downloadables only available to members.
Mentioned in this episode:
Music: "Welcome to the Show" by Kevin MacLeod
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
This is Season Four, Episode Nine. The doors are now open to Creative Freedom Live, and this is high season for business conferences and events for creative entrepreneurs. But how do you know whether or not it's really worth it to invest in attending in the first place?
In this episode, I provide a simple "equation" that will help you get clarity about which events will be vital and beneficial to your business, and which ones you should skip.
If you're curious about Creative Freedom Live, we've got a few seats left. This intimate gathering is capped at 10 participants, and we're half full already. Join us in October and we'll build a customized growth plan that works for you and your business for the next 12 months (and beyond)!
Download Season 4 Episode 9 | iTunes | Stitcher | Spotify
If you’re listening to just the podcast, you’re only getting about a third of the deal. Catch the Creative Freedom web series or join me on Facebook on Fridays at 5:30pm Central time for a LIVE Q&A about the week's topic.
3:52 - The simple equation that can help you get clarity on which events are worth it and which you can skip
6:05 - The 3 basic goals or attending any event
15:20 - Why it's important to focus on the needs vs. wants of your business goals
24:04 - Why a "no" today isn't a "no" forever, and the importance of patience and understanding opportunity costs
Not a member? It's free! Click here to join our Rising Tide to get email updates, transcripts, and bonus downloadables only available to members.
Mentioned in this episode:
Music: "Welcome to the Show" by Kevin MacLeod
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
This is Season Four, Episode Eight. It's our final episode in our Summer series about underearning, and yet, it's the most important topic of all - getting the support you need to succeed. I bust the "self-made" myth bubble in this episode, because regardless of whether we start at the bottom or now, we all need people to help make our dreams come true. Support is critical. Whether that's your personal environment, or surrounding yourself with the right kind of people, help is a non-negotiable when you're building your Noble Empire.
If you need more structure to get the support you need, or more practice in asking for help, join us in A-Club. You'll get a lot out of our tight-knit community of folks. We're all in there, working toward owning our dreams, one step at a time.
Download Season 4 Episode 8 | iTunes | Stitcher | Spotify
If you’re listening to just the podcast, you’re only getting about a third of the deal. Catch the Creative Freedom web series or join me on Facebook on Fridays at 5:30pm Central time for a LIVE Q&A about the week's topic.
2:00 - Why the term "Self-made" is a myth and misnomer
12:00 - The 4 kinds of people you need to support you on your journey.
23:54 - How to make connections with your role models
27:32 - Why your environment needs to be like "fertile soil"
This week, you can download a support matrix that will help you get clarity on the gaps in your support network. Not a member? It's free! Click here to join our Rising Tide to get email updates, transcripts, and bonus downloadables only available to members.
Mentioned in this episode:
Music: "Welcome to the Show" by Kevin MacLeod
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
This is Season Four, Episode Seven. This is one of my most dangerous episodes, because I'm talking about shame. I'm talking about what Dr. Brene Brown calls "Unwanted Identities" and how they can impact your ability to charge higher rates for your work.
If you find yourself saying "I'm not (famous person), I could never charge THAT kind of money!" then this episode is for you.
This episode contains excerpts from my program, Overcoming Underearning for Creative Entrepreneurs. If you need additional support unpacking your stories of shame around your rates, consider joining us!
Download Season 4 Episode 7 | iTunes | Stitcher | Spotify
If you’re listening to just the podcast, you’re only getting about a third of the deal. Catch the Creative Freedom web series or join me on Facebook on Fridays at 5:30pm Central time for a LIVE Q&A about the week's topic.
9:00 - How Dr. Brown's own words illustrate how shame compounds the problem of underearning for creative entrepreneurs
12:00 - How I shamed myself out of doing something I loved because of my own unwanted identity
14:30 - The danger of owning the truth of your identities publicly versus the importance of owning it privately
17:48 - Why so many creative entrepreneurs struggle with a compelling CTA (Call to action) in their marketing
22:00 - A personal example of how I unravelled and re-wrote the story of one of my unwanted identities (and how you can do it, too)
Not a member? It's free! Click here to join our Rising Tide to get email updates, transcripts, and bonus downloadables only available to members.
Mentioned in this episode:
Music: "Welcome to the Show" by Kevin MacLeod
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
This is Season Four, Episode Six. This is the next logical step after our last episode. Once you get clear that it's time to raise your rates, how, exactly do you go about raising them? Have a listen to this week's episode, where I walk you through a few different approaches, from the basic, Nike approach (just DO it already!) to the "Tuna Can" approach and more. This is the fifth episode in a series about overcoming underearning.
Speaking of which, my program Overcoming Underearning for Creative Entrepreneurs is now open. If you need support in owning the value you bring to the marketplace, and adjusting your prices accordingly join us! Students are already reporting positive results!
Download Season 4 Episode 6 | iTunes | Anchor | Stitcher
If you’re listening to just the podcast, you’re only getting about a third of the deal. Catch the Creative Freedom web series or join me on Facebook on Fridays at 5:30pm Central time for a LIVE Q&A about the week's topic.
4:22 - Several options to raise rates with existing clients
10:23 - 2 of the 4 big questions every offer needs to answer (and why it matters to your pricing)
14:26 - How one coach cut her content in half and doubled her rates, effectively quadrupling her hourly rate.
21:26 - DIY, DWY, DFY - and how I use these tiers in my own business
Not a member yet? It's free! Click here to join our Rising Tide to get email updates, transcripts, and bonus downloadables only available to members.
Mentioned in this episode:
Music: "Welcome to the Show" by Kevin MacLeod
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
This is Season Four, Episode Five. This one's all about the dolla billz, baby! Whether you've raised your prices in the last year or the last month, it could be time to raise them again if they didn't go high enough in the first place. Many creative entrepreneurs get emotional when it comes to price increases. So, what if there were an easy, external way to know that it's time to raise your rates?
Your wish is my command! Here are 11 external indicators that can help you determine if a price increase is right for your creative business. Need help communicating that price increase? Consider joining us for the Creative Freedom Guide To Overcoming Underearning, and build your confidence in changing your pricing!
Download Season 4 Episode 5 | iTunes | Anchor | Stitcher
If you’re listening to just the podcast, you’re only getting about a third of the deal. Catch the Creative Freedom web series or join me on Facebook on Fridays at 5:30pm Central time for a LIVE Q&A about the week's topic.
02:21 - Why working for free is problematic, and why you might be inadvertently "programming" people to ask you to work for free.
06:31 - How a client in an economically depressed community managed to raise his rates.
11:00 - When someone is playing "Moneyball" with you, it is time to raise your rates!
16:30 - The "tuna can" tactic that helps you raise rates without changing your current pricing.
19:07 - How to look at barter/trade differently.
22:00 - The power of a $25k offer.
Click here to join our Rising Tide to get email updates, transcripts, and bonus downloadables only available to members.
Mentioned in this episode:
Music: "Welcome to the Show" by Kevin MacLeod
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
This is Season Four, Episode Four. Where we talk about how to say "no" with class and authenticity. Got someone who wants to pick your brain, ask you for a discount, or - GASP! - work for exposure? Need a classy way to say "um, no thanks!" without burning bridges or sounding like a jerk? You need this episode!
Being a doormat in your business sucks, quite frankly. It's also potentially a sign of co-dependence, which is one of our 5 Symptoms of Underearning. If you're saying yes to everyone and everything except yourself, it's time to re-wire your brain. Saying "no" is sexy, y'all, and today, I'm sharing tips to help you say it with class & authenticity. This is the third episode in a Summer-long series that deals with different aspects and triggers for underearning.
Need help with that whole "re-wiring" thang? Look no further than Overcoming Underearning for Creative Entrepreneurs. In just 5-weeks, you could build the clarity, confidence, and courage you need to finally beat the cycle of underearning once and for all. Plus, you get individualized email support throughout the program, so you're never alone in this journey.
Download Season 4 Episode 4 | iTunes | Anchor | Stitcher
If you’re listening to just the podcast, you’re only getting about a third of the deal. Catch the Creative Freedom web series or join me on Facebook on Fridays at 5:30pm Central time for a LIVE Q&A about the week's topic.
3:08 - The alternative to the vicious cycle of deadbeat clients and doing work you hate.
04:32 - The "Beef Stew" problem that shows up when you don't stand your ground and say "no".
9:00 - The importance of honoring boundaries
12:06 - What to say when someone is trying to talk you down on your rates
16:00 - The importance of saying "no" and trusting others to do their own work.
19:16 - The greatest lesson my Mom ever taught me.
24:03 - What happens when the desire to "not lose" ruins your plan to succeed (and how to fix it)
Still trying to decide what to say yes to, and what to say no to? There's an exercise in the Rising Tide this week for you to try.
Not a member? It's free! Click here to join our Rising Tide to get email updates, transcripts, and bonus downloadables only available to members.
Mentioned in this episode:
Music: "Welcome to the Show" by Kevin MacLeod
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
This is Season Four, Episode Three. The overwhelm episode. Overwhelm is a common trap for creative entrepreneurs caught in an underearning cycle. What can you do when you're knee deep in a project (or multiple projects) and have to keep going? Lisa shares what she learned running her first (and only) 10-mile foot race about how to keep momentum when you get overwhelmed.
This is the second episode in a Summer-long series that deals with different aspects and triggers for underearning. If you want to take this learning deeper, consider joining Overcoming Underearning for Creative Entrepreneurs.
Download Season 4 Episode 3 | iTunes | Anchor | Stitcher
If you’re listening to just the podcast, you’re only getting about a third of the deal. Catch the Creative Freedom web series or join me on Facebook on Fridays at 5:30pm Central time for a LIVE Q&A about the week's topic.
01:06 - How running The Crim (as an overweight 26-year old) gave me a new perspective on dealing with overwhelm.
03:38 - The importance of a finish line in a race (and your work).
07:12 - The "Heartbreak Hill" of overwhelm, and how to get from the start to the finish through even the toughest part of your "race" - even if it's not sexy.
12:15 - Why running together is a different race than running alone, and how that impacts the way you deal with overwhelm.
17:11 - The reasons the 3 creative types can't give up control or accept help - and how to see things differently.
20:14 - The art of delegation - it may not be what you think it is.
Download the delegation worksheet in the member area
Not a member? It's free! Click here to join our Rising Tide to get email updates, transcripts, and bonus downloadables only available to members.
Mentioned in this episode:
Music: "Welcome to the Show" by Kevin MacLeod
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0