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Overcoming Imposter Syndrome by @HeidiDalzell

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by Heidi J. Dalzell, PsyD.

“If you don’t believe you’re good enough or smart enough or informed enough to have a voice in the conversation, you never will.” Susie Moore, Life Coach and Entrepreneur

Imposter syndrome is that oh so painful feeling of not measuring up. For many of us it’s a fact of life, even within our businesses, and often despite evidence that we are experts in our own rights. The problem with imposter syndrome, as Susie suggests, is that it holds us back from creating the life we desire.

My recent bout with imposter syndrome came during my first international speaking gig, and ironically with the critical, judgmental voice of a fellow American.

At this conference, a colleague and I were facilitating a workshop we’d done many times before to pretty universal accolades. Not this time. Instead, we had a heckler in the audience. This person criticized an exercise I was facilitating, and in a very public way. It didn’t help that the individual had some clout and a following at the conference, or that the person also handed us a written accounting of all we had gotten “wrong” at the end of the session. I somehow ended up as a participant in several other sessions that this “expert” attended, and her “expertise” and need to provide commentary was pretty universal. Each facilitator, including the conference keynote, received a similar love note. While I saw this, I of course noticed that I was not the only object of such derision. But it did not change my sense of devastation at being so publicly attacked.

All I wanted for some time afterwards was to retreat, and in all honesty to wallow a little in self-pity. We’ve all been there.

While I’d spent all that time developing expertise in my field, and had stepped into the role of an influencer, I longed for the relative anonymity that comes with hiding. The tale I spun: I was not an expert at all. In fact, I was an imposter, a fraud. And no, it didn’t matter that I was a therapist who knew and understood imposter syndrome.

Many of us have had experiences of not measuring up to someone’s standards, either within the professional world, or early on as children and adolescents. As, women in particular it is easy to parlay these experiences into imposter syndrome. The good news is that in the same ways we learn imposter syndrome, we can also unlearn it.

Assessing Sources of Imposter Syndrome

At least one source of my imposter syndrome clearly evident. They may not always be the case, and at times we have to take a walk down memory lane to see where our fears originate. It’s helpful to sit down with a journal and ask yourself some questions:

  • In which areas in my life do I lack confidence?
  • How does this lack of confidence manifest?
  • What childhood experiences have led me to believe: “I need to be perfect,” “I must always get things right,” “I can’t ask for help,” or “My competence is measured by what I know and how much I do”?
  • What present day experiences have contributed imposter syndrome?

Another area to explore, especially for women business owners are connected to our socialization. Many women are socialized to be humble and deferential. While I was encouraged to have a career, I was equally encouraged to stay home and raise my daughter – the model I was given growing up. Such mixed messages can contribute to imposter syndrome.

Once you’ve done a thorough inventory, you’re ready to begin the process of questioning.

Questioning the Validity of Imposter Thoughts

We internalize many pieces of information day-to-day. This does not mean that this information is valid or correct. When the so-called expert expressed criticism, at first I swallowed it hook, line and sinker. As I gained perspective I was able to incorporate the remarks that were valid, and leave the rest behind. That process involved me asking myself what was constructive in the feedback and what I could leave behind. Painful as the process was, using it constructively, rather than destructfully, helped me to grow. Thus, we must learn to critically question our thoughts. Does this thought help me? Or hinder me?

Many time this balanced awareness is just what we need to let go. Other tools include taking these negative thoughts about self and envisioning tying them to a balloon to float away or throwing them into the waves or fire. Whatever works for you is fine.

As we continue to create a personal brand, and are successful at it, we can attract detractors. Football superstar John Madden, who has a number of witticisms, says “the higher up the flagpole you climb, the more your underwear is exposed.” That is certainly true, so keep climbing to that place where you no longer care.

Reclaim Your Confidence

Reclaiming our confidence is challenging, but so important. What are you good at? Come on, it’s ok to brag – despite what you may have been told early on. In fact, a great tool for claiming or reclaiming your confidence is a brag book.

Originally used as an interviewing tool, a brag book (or wins journal) is a book of accolades about you. It can include recent accomplishments and successes, positive feedback from supervisors, colleagues and clients, even “thank yous” you’ve received. Keep your book updated as these kudos roll in, at minimum update it monthly. In addition to building confidence, your brag book can be helpful in developing points for your business elevator pitch.

Having Female Role Models

Who are the role models (especially the female role models) and experts on your field? How can you best emulate them and use them in an aspirational way? For me, that’s Brene Brown, hands down: a strong, confident role model that also allows herself to be vulnerable. She shares my own values of genuineness and authenticity. As you explore why these women and men are your role models, be sure to make note of your takeaways, including those areas of growth and synergy.

Mindfulness Practices

Finally, a plug for mindfulness practices as a great way to address that internally judging mind. Mindfulness involves consciously cultivating moment-to-moment awareness of thoughts, feelings and body sensations using a compassionate, non-judgmental framework. When we sense ourselves judging, we can simply tag those thoughts as “judging” and move away from them. Using a mindfulness lens we learn to stay in the moment and offer ourselves compassion for our perceived shortcomings. This present day focus moves us from the past (and future) to being fully in the present for self and others.

Overcoming My Fears

Numerous pep talks later, and after being strongly urged to get back on the horse rather than entirely changing the exercise, I began to get some distance. We looked at our workshop, and incorporated the feedback we felt was fair and balanced. The next conference was a success, as was the one after that, and so on.

Imposter syndrome just doesn’t square with my values of genuineness and authenticity.

 

Taking A Stand in Your Business by @HeidiDalzell

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by Heidi Dalzell

“I write for those women who do not speak, for those who do not have a voice because they were so terrified, because we are taught to respect fear more than ourselves. We’ve been taught that silence would save us, but it won’t.”

— Shirley Chisolm, first Black woman in Congress

Change has been a constant over the past weeks. I can’t believe it’s been almost two weeks since the death of George Floyd, and longer since the passing of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Aubrey and Tony McDade. This has been a time of personal reflection and change for me as well. As a business owner — and a therapist — I’ve asked myself some difficult questions about how to address racism within my business and my practice. I have considered what I am communicating to others, including clients and colleagues. My hope is that sharing these thoughts may jumpstart your thinking processes. I write this from the perspective of a White, Jewish, educated woman. Some of those statuses afford opportunities that I would not have otherwise.

When I shared my first blog for She Owns It, the topic was about embracing the changing world of Teletherapy and reinventing my business. I was thrilled to have my guest post published, and am now even more excited to be featured as a contributor on this site. None of us could have anticipate the recent examples of racism and injustice affecting our nation.

These events represent generations of violence against Black and Brown people. I stand in solidarity with the Black Community and state emphatically that Black Lives Matter. Sadness, anger and outrage are just a few of my emotions connected to the deaths of these innocent men and women. What can I do with these emotions.

Businesswoman and Advocate

Core values of my psychology practice include compassion, acceptance, tolerance and love. These values are the literal foundation on which my business is built. I have seen other women owned businesses speak out and some remain silent. Not speaking out and walking the walk would feel incongruent and inauthentic with of my mission.

I know that sharing my views may affect my business, and after a recent newsletter and blog post in which I advocated for change and racial justice, some people unsubscribed from my email list. That was ok. I do not want to be complicit in the racism that lies behind ignoring the voices of Black people.

I can use my privilege to speak out. Imagine if all people did this. When Martin Luther King led civil rights protests only 25% of Whites supported these ideals. Gloria Steinem encountered similar opposition. While many of us know Steinem, others are not as familiar feminists like Shirley Chisolm, Dorothy Pittman Hughes and Flo Kennedy. These women taught us that women should speak out.

Examining Privilege and Bias

Racism is “prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one’s own race is superior.” Privilege refers to unearned advantage or entitlement that benefits White people over non-white people.

As business owners, it’s important to be aware of our privilege. It aids our communication with others. And systematic privilege hurts everyone, especially women in the business world. Many of us would not be reading this blog had we not dismantled the systems of patriarchy during the Women’s Right’s movement. And while it’s still an uphill battle for women, Black women face bigger challenges in the workplace.

While conscious examination of privilege is a start, it is equally important to thoroughly examine our biases.

There are three main components of bias: stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination. Stereotypes are beliefs about a group, such as the false belief that Black men are violent. Prejudice is a preconceived opinion that isn’t based on reason or actual experience. Discrimination often begins with prejudice, and involves unequal treatment of people due to the various groups they belong to (racial, ethnic, etc.). Discrimination can range from inequities in opportunity to hate crimes and violence.

We form biases at an early age based on things we see in the media and learn from parents and peers. It can be helpful to sit down and create a list of adjectives that describe your feelings about a group. Are they factual, or do they reflect stereotyping or beliefs that may not be true? If you used these adjectives in your everyday communication, would the language be seen as neutral or dehumanizing?

Be honest—this list is for you.

Don’t Allow Invisibility

How do you promote diversity and allow Blacks within your organization to be seen? This includes being sure to actively provide depictions in artwork and other items within your work setting. For example, one of our waiting room magazines is Essence. Within workplace settings, provide ways for Black men and women to take up space and to be visible. It’s also helpful to consider the additional challenges faced by those with intersectional identities, such as Black transgender women. They are a group who face significant violence, discrimination, and many kinds of disparities.

Bring It Home

Another way to work on racial justice is to bring it home —literally. Seek out places where you can genuinely and authentically interact with people of different races and ethnicities. This may include in social settings or religious settings—places where you are interacting as peers. This does not include settings where there is an imbalance of power, such as interacting with someone who is providing a service. If you have children in your life, it’s also nice to be able to volunteer. If you choose a setting in which that imbalance of power exists, such as a soup kitchen, be sure that you augment the activity with a discussion of the disparities and injustices which led to economic disadvantage.

 

 

As we continue to witness the nationwide trauma unfolding, I encourage She Owns It readers to be kind, be sensitive, be compassionate, and be part of the solution. Please use your anger and grief to work for systemic change, and dismantling institutional racism and inequality in our communities.

 

How to Stand Out As a Solopreneur by @DONNAAMOS

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by Donna Amos | Featured Contributor 

Building a business as a solopreneur can be fun, yet overwhelming. The most important job you have is working to stand out among the competition. This requires the right amount of focus so that you are continuously working toward more leads and sales inside your business. Here are tips that will help you build a larger business year over year.

Stay Consistent

Stick to the plan you’ve laid out for your business. Get ready for being challenged on your journey and understand that a business owner’s path is never a continuous upward climb. You’ll encounter difficulties and challenges on your way to the top. There will be times when it feels as though nothing is working. That’s when you need to be consistent in your effort to identify what works and what doesn’t. Course correct and continue onward from there.

Develop New Skills

Work hard to develop new skills that help build your business. For example, you need to become good at the following skills as a business owner:

  • Leadership
  • Marketing
  • Copywriting
  • Content creation
  • Networking
  • Consistency

You’ll discover that your business profits will increase the more you broaden your skillset.

Attend Networking Events

When things return to somewhat normal then get back out there. Attend local events to meet and network with future customers. Use your Chamber of Commerce to find out about the various events happening in your local area. Many virtual events are available now. Check out Meetups and begin building your network. Practice your what you do dialogue and get it down to 30 seconds: who do you help, what is the problem you help them with and what are the results after working with you.

Would you rather build your business entirely online? Try the hundreds of Twitter chats that occur each day. As your Twitter account grows, start your own chat and get conversations going that eventually end up with bringing new customers on board.

Use Testimonials Effectively

Nothing stands out better to potential customers than seeing what your current customers say about you. Testimonials are social proof in a world where people need to see that others are happy with your product or service. Get creative in the beginning by capturing screenshots of nice comments customers have made on Facebook or Instagram. Ask those people if you can show their headshot and comment as a testimonial to others.

Join Facebook or LinkedIn Groups

Take the time to build a reputation as an expert inside LinkedIn or Facebook groups. Don’t overtly promote and sell in these groups. Instead, offer tips and expertise that show that you’re there to help others. Do the following inside these groups:

  • Contribute to the threads
  • Answer questions
  • Engage with other members

You’ll soon be an expert authority in that community. Opportunities to do business will arise when others in need of your help start reaching out to you personally.

Stay In Contact With Customers

Use snail mail or email to stay in contact with former and existing customers. Nothing stands out more in today’s world than a simple thank you. Thank them for being a customer and ask how you might help going forward. Mention any special offers you have at this time, as well.

Consider a quick video message using a tool such as Loom. Send a thank you note in the mail. Anything you do to personally connect with customers will go a long way in gaining their business again and again.

Create a Facebook Business Page

Create a Facebook page and become active on it. You can get comments, reviews and messages from leads and customers on your page. Use various forms of content to connect with prospects, such as:

  • Videos
  • Quotes
  • Mini-articles
  • Ads

Use Facebook Live to periodically get yourself in front of followers. More people will show up for these sessions as your number of followers grows because Facebook notifies them when you start a new Live session. Use your Facebook Live sessions to:

  • Provide helpful tips
  • Inform leads about sales and promotions
  • Use it as a selling webinar

Use Instagram Effectively

Stand out on Instagram by using images effectively. Make sure your profile is completely filled out with a link back to your most important URL. Use a high-quality profile picture and research hashtags that are relevant for your business.

Use stories to engage with your fans. Post excellent images on a daily basis with the correct hashtags so your core target market can find you. Convert your account to a business profile after reaching 10,000 followers so that you can add links to the stories that you post. This will increase the amount of traffic over to your email opt-in landing pages.

Stand Out With YouTube Marketing

People are increasingly consuming video content online. Start a YouTube channel and publish weekly video content to it. This is one of the most effective ways to stand out as a solopreneur if you work at your channel consistently. Your subscriber base will grow steadily if you post great tips and ideas and encourage viewers to subscribe.

YouTube videos will help your website search engine rankings improve as well. The reason is that you can embed your videos on your site’s pages. As your visitors watch these videos, Google notices that they’re on your site for a longer amount of time. This is one of the metrics that helps improve your overall search rankings.

Don’t forget to optimize your videos for quality rankings in the YouTube search engine. Optimize by using:

  • An attractive video thumbnail
  • Detailed descriptions
  • Keywords
  • Linking to other relevant resources

Stand Out With Your Website

One of the best ways to gain customers inside your small business is getting good at attracting prospects who are further along the buying cycle. Some people are online searching for general information around your topic and niche. Others have done their research already and are now just about ready to buy.

You want to create content on your website that attracts both types of people. However, the more you can attract the people who are ready to buy, the more effective your search engine optimization (SEO) efforts will become.

Your website will stand out well if you focus on putting out excellent content that informs and educates. Do keyword research and find keywords that have the following words in them:

  • Buy
  • Review
  • Top
  • Comparison
  • Price

These terms indicate that your visitor is looking for the best company to buy from. If your content gets found in the search engines for those types of terms, then you will notice an increase in the quality of your site’s visitors from a purchasing standpoint.

Don’t forget to also create “how-to” content to capture visitors just starting down their research path. You’ll have the ability to capture them as leads and nurture them into buying from you later.

Use Email Marketing Intelligently

Your ultimate goal to stand out as a business owner should be to build an email marketing list. An email list allows you to market to your prospects over time until they trust you enough to buy your products or services. Work hard to place strategic ways for people to become email subscribers on your website and social media channels.

Send out weekly or bi-weekly newsletters that provide helpful content for your subscribers. Educate them and help make their lives better. Link them to your new blog articles or social media posts. Send them to your latest YouTube video. Ask yourself how you can best nurture them along so they come to trust you enough to buy from you.

If you take the time to build a large email newsletter list over time, then you will discover that you can often create revenue on demand by sending out the right offer or discount at the appropriate time.

Standing out as a solopreneur isn’t as difficult as you might think it is. Yes, the marketing world is a noisy one with many business owners trying to get their messages out. Your job is to use the above tips in a way that resonates well with your target market. Teach them something valuable first. They will notice that you’re different from your competitors and will buy from you.

 

Public Relations in A Covid-19 World by @lucyrk78

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by Lucy Render-Kaplan | Featured Contributor 

Public Relations is most often the team quickest to respond to (unexpected) situations clients may find themselves in. Because of this, PR is often looked at as the quickest-to-respond communications department. Brands will be remembered for a long time depending on how they act during this crisis and how they are perceived. People are seeking answers and help and brands that can provide this in a sincere and well-informed manner will be the ones that come out of this the strongest.

You do not want to be remembered as the brand that is sending out sales newsletters for luxury vacations no one can take or hash jacking the #Covid19 tag just to garner higher opening rates. Leading with empathy and acknowledging that most people have lost their jobs or may be about to, should be your guiding principle.

It is nearly impossible to tune out of the constant news cycle covering the Corona Virus. The news is dominated by it and analysis, speculation and rumors are rampant on social media. As more states this week extended their stay at home order for another month, both brands and members of the media need to begin to plan for a longer “abnormal” time.

So, what does this mean for brands that rely on news mentions? Or for reporters and outlets that do not want to ignore the pandemic, but also still have deadlines on news outside of Covid-19? Editors know that while they are still the first line for conveying what the public needs to know, they also recognize that readers’ focuses are changing, and now  they are looking for entertaining and uplifting stories more than ever before. The media is looking for stories that give readers even a slight respite from the stress of all of this, and it’s up to us, as PR professionals, to provide those stories.

You may have better luck with local news. Stories about neighbors helping neighbors, food pantries available for those who cannot shop or have lost work, even shout outs to small businesses offering new services – deliveries, masks…think local when looking at what you are looking to pitch.

Keep in mind – no matter how much research you have done to deeply understand your current and potential audience, consumers’ priorities are changing rapidly to try to get a handle on their new normal. People are stuck at home for the foreseeable future and social activities that once filled families’ calendars are now blank spaces. There is an incredible amount of lost work, and daily we are given lists of festivals, sports events and cultural events that are being cancelled. While PR pros are certainly in a scramble to try their best at moving as many of these events online, the reality is most will be cancelled for the remainder of 2020.

What this means, is that more traditional events become more meaningful. Birthdays, Mother’s Day, and events as such will need to be planned as they never have before. This gives PR pros the opportunity to get creative and showcase how these events do not need to be sad days, but new ways of coming together for celebration.

 

Here are some tips to help guide your PR efforts during this time of crisis:

HELP. Then Help More.

No matter your situation, you still have the capability to help others. Yes, some of your clients may provide products or services that in no way can be made relevant to help during this epidemic.

That does not mean your clients cannot be of assistance to others. Depending on your industry, the ways to help will differ.

Perhaps you can organize team members to wear company shirts and help deliver meals to seniors (while always maintaining social distance and protection). You may be able to donate a percentage of profits to a charity assisting in Covid-19 care or research. Maybe you can utilize your platforms to offer tips on making working from home, homeschooling, or ways to stay healthy is something your audience would appreciate seeing you offer.

Yes, some of these ideas will not bring in revenue right away. However, the more trust you can build, the more consumers will think of your brand in a positive light when they are ready to make a purchase.

Strengthen Your Thought Leadership

While this is an ongoing goal for all public relations pros, now is an even better time to focus on employees you can offer as experts in their field. This helps your brand stay in the public eye despite any cancellations or postponements of scheduled launches or announces.

Look at having your clients write blogs on their websites, find guest blogging opportunities to grow a new audience or consider placing professionally written op-ed pieces that your clients have written on news sites. People have more time to read longer content than they may have had before so do not worry about TLDR.

Social Media is Better Than Ever

Marketers have been rejoicing (and complaining less about tricky algorithms!) as people are spending much more time on their computers and smartphones. Fear, feelings of isolation and craving to connect has elevated the use and importance of social media. It is a great time to engage with your customers where they are; learning how their needs and wants may have changed, finding out what questions they aren’t finding answers to that your brand can provide and ensuring you’re spending more time on producing content they want to see, over what your brand would like to get across. This will mean less posts about any new funding or showcasing people using your brand in ways and in locations they will not be able to replicate for the foreseeable future.

Now is the absolute time to rethink your messaging. We would recommend pausing pre-scheduled social media posts. Take the time to review each one and evaluate if it is appropriate or helpful considering our current situation. That is not to say you must scrap all the work you have done. Perhaps it just means putting certain content on hold. Before every post, we recommend asking yourself:

  • Is this necessary currently? Relevant?
  • Is this helpful?
  • Is this empathetic, inclusive and kind?

Where some brands have struggled with being transparent and 100% honest on social media, for fear of looking weak, or nerves or just not feeling comfortable with being “themselves” on social, it’s of utmost importance now. It may just take reframing your thinking – it has never been easy to be forced to layoff people because of COVID-19. The public is seeking information on how brands are internally responding to difficulties. You will find your brand earns respect with honestly and publicly addressing your brand’s struggles. Have you had to close an office? Reduce your workforce? Cancel orders? The faster you can honestly communicate this information to customers, the more they will respect you for being open and transparent.

The worst thing you can do is ignore the crisis and pretend you are conducting business as usual. This comes across as tone-deaf.

We all pray this COVID-19 pandemic ends quickly, but it is how your brand responds now that will determine how they fare in the future. Remember – brands are human. Customers are human. Everyone has new fears and stress and will benefit the most from thoughtful and helpful communication.

 

Leading teams effectively in this new COVID-19 World by @LeadToInspireC1

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by Crystal Smith

Within a matter of weeks many of us have been forced to manage our teams in this new virtual world because of the COVID 19 pandemic. In just three short weeks I have witnessed teams overcome the challenges extremely well. I have also witnessed teams crumble at the core. There are many leaders in my field that I follow on social media platforms who I admire and respect. Their ability to transform and pivot their organizations ranged from phenomenal and timely, to inefficient and too late. In my first week working in this virtual environment, I had a team member who resigned, a team member who needed accommodations because they were unable to perform in the work-from-home environment, and I introduced team members to two new platforms that allowed us to stay connected. What are the biggest takeaways thus far from this forced work from home environment?

  1. Leaders are the same people in the virtual world that they are in the brick and mortar world. In other words, we cannot expect people who were poor communicators, not engaged with their teams and unapproachable, to all of a sudden become amazing at all of these skills because we are now working virtually. These areas of deficiency will actually become more evident in this new world because the curtain has been pulled back and there is no office door where they can close and hide. The lesson – leaders, like all employees, should be evaluated and have 360 assessments from their teams in order to identify their areas of strengths and areas of improvement regularly. If these things are not done, when any other disaster or emergency takes place, these inefficiencies will be more challenging to overcome for the leader and for the team.
  2. Leaders don’t have to duplicate what was done when we were in buildings and offices. In other words, just because we met every Tuesday and Thursday at a designated time, doesn’t mean we have to do the same in a virtual environment. Quite honestly, many of my face to face meetings were not productive. In this new world we can re-evaluate what meetings are important and what can be sent in an email. So many of my meetings have been cancelled in this new virtual world and people are beginning to realize that not everything is “urgent”. We can also introduce new meeting platforms that allow us to meet using technology (Zoom, Skype for Business, Microsoft 365 Team, etc.). The lesson – we can use this tragedy as an opportunity to re-imagine the way we lead and do our work that is productive for our teams, our customers and our personal lives.
  3. Leaders may want to limit the “reply all” emails and ask team members to send a message to the leader first to determine if it is “reply all” worthy. I realized within two days that some people confused this “out of sight” experience as an opportunity to lead the ship that already had a captain – that captain was me. The request to the team to send all “reply all” messages to me first allowed messaging to be streamlined. During chaos and confusion, emails are often coming from everywhere, and it is easy to have messages become lost in translation. The lesson – it is important to control some of the messaging during times of uncertainty.
  4. Leaders should identify tools/apps that are useful to help teams stay engaged and stay connected. The tool that was most helpful for me in the beginning and continues to be useful, is Slido.com. It allows me to establish a platform for questions to be asked and I can answer as the moderator. Everyone can see the questions and responses. This limits the constant back and forth emails and provides a place for team members to go for quick questions that need to be answered. It also allows me to create polls that became fun activities. I created word clouds with simple questions like “How would you describe your first week working virtually in ONE word”. It was truly a learning process to gauge how the team was doing that first week in a visual word cloud. I also used a platform called FlipGrid that allowed team members to create quick 2 minute videos and respond with fun and engaging videos. We were able to laugh and connect in ways that were similar to visiting our offices throughout the day. The lesson – people still need to see people and connect beyond meetings and emails.

The quote on my office door says “leadership is a verb”. This is true whether in a building or in this new virtual world of work where many of us currently live.

 

 

Crystal Smith is a lifelong educator who currently serves as an administrator at a community college on the east coast. Crystal is a graduate of both Hampton University and The College of William and Mary, where she received her bachelors and master’s degree in Sociology. Her area of expertise is in the fields of family and gender studies and research and development.

Crystal started her career in human resources and worked with several Fortune 500 companies, including Lockheed Martin and Arthur Anderson Consulting. This work led her to consider education and teaching as a possible career goal. After an amazing career teaching in the K-12 system for five years, she decided to pursue a career in higher education. Crystal has been a higher education professional for over 17 years and this work led her to start her own consulting firm that specializes in leadership development, strategic planning and branding development.

How Public Relations Can Benefit Your Brand by @lucyrk78

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by Lucy Render-Kaplan | Featured Contributor 

Public Relations is vital for increasing your brand’s visibility. Not only can it help more people learn about your company and services, it can strategically speak directly to your target audience. A successful PR campaign generates media coverage, builds your status as a thought leader, helps develop trust and increases your presence, which leads to more sales, new clients and even potential investors.

Develop Brand Identity

Getting the word out about who your brand is and why you exist is important! Only you can tell the unique story about your product or services and why people should choose you over other similar brands. If the public doesn’t know that you exist, you are missing out on sales and helping others via your services.

Grow Trust and Credibility

People buy from people they trust. More and more, consumers are growing wary of companies telling them who they are – they’re listening to others recommendations. When a company keeps popping up in the news or written about by a journalist people follow is not only beneficial in building trust, it can directly lead to sales. Being featured in the press – especially in this day and age, where social media outlets can distribute your articles across the entire spectrum of Internet users — allows you to leverage this attention as support for your cause. Create a press page on your company’s website so you can display your success in the press to viewers.

Thought Leader Spotlight

Your PR agency can work with the founder of your client’s brand or a spokesperson from the brand on how to best present on camera and in interviews with the press. They can then pitch them to talk as an expert in industry-related news. Having an internal spokesperson serve as an expert is a great way to grow awareness about your company and is key in growing brand awareness.

Create Buzz

A public relations campaign can help share your key messages, create or boost brand buzz and help you build an engaged following, leading to more exposure, clients and brand awareness.

Attract Donors & Increase Funding

Earned media coverage can attract donors and investors to help increase funding.  Media coverage is often vital and can be a deciding factor in how they decide to give.  A powerful PR campaign shows that you invest in your business, your reputation and have a commitment to growth, which is very attractive for funders.  The right media placements at the right times can be used to attract the attention of VCs and other investors. With the right messaging and strategy, PR increases your credibility as a stable and potentially lucrative investment target. So why do PR? If you’re an early- or mid-stage company, your next round of funding may depend on it.

If any of these reasons appeal to you, securing a publicist or signing with a PR firm may be the next step to level up your business.

Gig – Sharing – Youpreneur – [Ec]onomy by @SBSLEducSoltns

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by SJ Barakony | Featured Contributor 

 

‘Lean in … it’s growing daily.’

 

As this blog goes live, we find ourselves on a chronological cusp; it’s not just A New Year’s Eve/Day:  it marks an entirely new decade!

The 2020’s will bring us untold innovation which’ll make us do double-takes; one trend, though, that we can better understand since it’s been growing since ~ 2008 ?

 

A > It has multiple monikers:  Gig / Sharing / Youpreneur. 

 

All = synonyms for an independent workforce which’ll continue to improve day to day life, so long as we don’t stoke fear, assume, become too comfortable, or let corporate entities dictate the narrative.

Here’s a fundamental Q:

 

How can we entrepreneurs be trailblazers for our peer generation, those older, and, yes, younger, for this economic paradigm?

 

Gigs are Great

We’ve likely heard, or know someone who’s a ‘side’ hustler; this person’s also a side ‘gigger’.  She’s pursuing gig economy income, driven not by trading units of time for currency/dollars & cents; rather, via representing a product/s, service/s, &/or sharing her specialized knowledge in/to the marketplace, earning $$ in return.

This infographic offers a flyover, showing how many ‘gigs’ are available, just via smartphone apps.

Yet, there is far more at ‘work’ here: Entire new business models have, and will continue to be formed. One recent example?  Click here.

The back to back [ ‘blue’ & ‘white’ collar ] industrial ages shall continue to be supplanted by gigs, although it will necessitate re framing, challenging 20th century assumptions, & being willing to exchange calculated risk for more time & financial flexibility.

 

For it matters not, how much we own, the cars . . . the house . . . the cash. What matters is how we live and love and how we spend our dash.

 

― Diane Mulcahy, The Gig Economy: The Complete Guide to Getting Better Work, Taking More Time Off, and Financing the Life You Want .”

 

Sharing = Collaborative = Interdependent   

‘Share & share alike ..’ – weren’t we told this by a doting parent(s), or maybe a primary school teacher at some point?

However, as we aged into adulthood, and started our business(es), we might’ve forgotten this sage advice. We either learned how to be dependent ( ‘employ’[ee] – to be used (utilized)) , and/or that we had to be a cowgirl, & do entrepreneurship all by ourselves, as an in-dependent.

Not so fast!  Sharing economic models enable us to rebuild trust with our peers, be inter-dependent, and find/leverage ways to collaborate & partner with others.

This visual is worth many words.

 

Multisided Platforms / ‘Matchmaker’ Economics

This new economic era is restoring and flat out creating new sparks of creativity that were lost in the very linear, centralized, & hierarchical industrial ages preceding it.

This terrific post will make you think; next time you grab your smartphone & search for an AirBnB, you’ll look at this research in a fresh way.

Matchmaker (‘ing) is worth trillions – it squeezes inefficiencies out of conventional producer/seller→ consumer/buyer bilateral relationships & builds bridges. It is beyond intriguing & sits squarely in this new [ec]-onomy.

 

What’s a “You” Preneur, anyway?!  

YOU ‘re worth far more than a rigid, pre-defined wage, salary, or compensation package. Shouldn’t your pay be aligned with the absolute value you deliver to your clientele, & not based on the usage of space & time ( = occupar / occupation ) ?

Most, if not all, entrepreneurial minded people reading this would say ‘absolutely!’

Thus, we’ve 2 words fused together, creating a combo which richly reflects the spirit, heart, & mindset of this new economic model:  YOU + [entre] preneur.

 

Overcoming …   

There are 5 (‘for the hand’) root issues which stand in the way of ‘giggers’ & ‘youpreneurs’ ‘sharing’ more & building a stronger entrepreneurial edifice in the 2020’s:

 

  • Our 125+ year old schooling ( not truly education ) tracks, ‘K-12’
  • Fear ( cynicism, unhealthy skepticism, & negativity )
  • A completely broken political system
  • The incumbent hierarchies

&

  • Comfort/familiarity

 

We can hurdle over the first by focusing on self-directing our education & loosening the grip of credentialed degree signaling ( esp if we have staff ); next, we can win out over fear by being faithful & focused; thirdly, how about turning towards local elections to drive grassroots transformation upwards to state/provincial &/or national/federal offices?

Fourth, be wise to what the ‘status quo’ says, and especially does. Often times, they’ll attempt to buy influence through the deeply flawed politics of today. Don’t let them; put your trust in your own small business & those of your peers. Lastly, don’t rest on your laurels or read your own press clippings. Always strive to sit in a learning zone.

 

Future = Free: IF we Choose

Many step up to ‘be their own boss’ ; yet, the promises heralded in transition tend to be lost in the haze of working harder, not smarter.

Freedom is such an overused word; for the purposes of this post, let’s frame it this way: It’s having many conscious choices always available to match with our  most irreplaceable asset, time.

The ultra flex & portability available in the gig/sharing economy is there for the taking. Lean into it!

 

Twitter ‘To-Do’s 

Youpreneur

Sharing Economy

Future Workforce

VisualCap

Suitcasepreneur

 

Let’s ‘future’ proof …

… your business(es).

Be unique & willing to unlearn what you were taught in a conventional classroom about economics & entrepreneurship.

 

A dozen things I’ve learned about …

6 Ghosts of Fear

 

… Multisided Markets

The Matchmakers 

 

Mutual Aid Societies & the Gig Economy

Rise of the Youpreneur

 

Read to Lead

25 Ideas …

 

Summing up … 

  • A major milestone is upon us!
  • A fundamental question …
  • Multiple monikers
  • Multisided & matchmaker
  • 5 challenges
  • “Free”dom
  • ‘Future’ proofing

 

Thank YOU for reading!

____________________________________________

4 Pillars of a Civil Society by @SBSLEducSoltns

by 1 Comment

 

The ‘Holidays’ …

 

… offer entrepreneurs a renewed opportunity to serve, solve, & be civil, especially in hyper competitive industries.

 

With this mindset, we can ask ourselves a key question:

 

How can business owners strengthen the pillars of our civil society?

 

Please think & then brainstorm ways to turn thoughts into energy; consider this post both informative AND actionable.

 

Defining civil society

This topic echoes last month’s post, many definitions exist, leaving us with another question to ponder that’s also well worth our time. Which to pick?

 

Here’s my chosen one.

 

Yet, if you settle on another, there isn’t a ‘wrong’ answer; your choice is likely tied to your unique perspective, lens, and/or life experiences.

 

Civil societies, in the 19th century, often included a ‘sister’ term, a component, [a] mutual aid society …

 

[they] prefigure most functions of the modern state. They’re at least as old as armies, but their mission is life, not death. For millennia, people have banded together to provide each other with health care, pensions, … and livelihoods. They have also leveraged their numbers to elicit some of these same benefits from those other two institutions, business and the government. Mutual aid extends the bonds of kinship and makes individuals into citizens.

― Anya Kamenetz

 

1st pillar :  The Family   

The holidays & families often are rightfully intertwined: so, too, the first pillar of civil society is emblazoned with the word ‘family’ & it’s an earned label.

 

Maybe you’re a family business? Nearby where I live, the Conway Center is a terrific resource for them & the other businesses who seek to serve this demographic. Quite likely, there are ‘like’ organizations elsewhere in America, as family businesses are very common.

 

Perhaps some/all of your clients/customers are families?

 

No matter how we look at it, it’s rather challenging to separate family from civil society, and a civil society from entrepreneurship.

 

2nd pillar : Non Profits ( inc. social enterprise )  

As the 19th century transitioned into the 20th, mutual aid societies began to fade; previously thriving organizations were often overshadowed as America became more centralized, corporatized, & urbanized.

 

We’ve now begun (  this post offers backgrounder ) turning back, with a modern flair, to where we once were as a civil society. Rough edges & burrs on the saddle of the Gig (Sharing/Youpreneur) Economy can, without question, be ‘buffed’ by devolving & delegating societal challenges & thorny problems to non profit institutions, especially social enterprises.

 

What’s a social enterprise? As stated in this annual report, they’re ‘easy to understand’ & more necessary to renewing our nation than many might realize.

 

3rd pillar : Faith institutions 

Faith in the entrepreneurial ‘square’, our common culture, let alone civil society, often stirs up emotions & thorny debates.

 

To avoid needless arguments, I humbly encourage everyone to consider multiple definitions:

Perhaps you’ll pick ‘faith’ as defined by the venerable Napoleon Hill in his masterwork, ‘Think & Grow Rich’ , or maybe you’ll instead lean into a Judeo-Christian foundational definition, as espoused by organizations like Truth At Work.

 

No matter your decision, this pillar’s densely strong, earning its place as one of the key four; it props up each & every business owner at some point(s) in her journey from ideating a business, to launch/startup phase, thru ebb & flood tides, linear or exponential growth,  & further ahead into an as of yet unknown future.

 

How so? Faith oft times can act as the antithesis of fear; it can buttress your failures & keep you anchored to your purpose & mission.

 

4th & final pillar:  Entrepreneurs

And now, the spotlight shines brightly on Y-o-u:  The business founder/owner, the entrepreneur.

 

If by now it wasn’t crystal clear, it now will be: Entrepreneurship, in all its forms/types , is absolutely a pillar.

 

You’ve likely seen/heard statistics about small businesses’ vast importance to our nation’s vitality.

Or, maybe you’ve encouraged someone to start their own business at some point: maybe a family member?; neighbor?; a past co-worker?; or as a mentor for a future graduate or recent alumna from your alma mater?

 

Action(s) as common as keeping your business viable, including delegating task(s) to someone like Karissa , or expanding your product line, are each useful in ensuring that this fourth pillar will always be foundational for generations of Americans in the 2020’s & well beyond.

 

Further context to the first question

The first three pillars have boundless potential: leveraging 1, 2, or all 3 can enable your business(es) to morph from a pure ‘S’ [ self employed ]; to at least a hybrid ‘ S/B’, or even a straight ‘B’.  It’s the latter state where you’ve reached the nirvana of time freedom; you’re definitely working “on” & NOT “in” your venture, thereby freeing the owner to participate more actively in civil society.

 

Profiles Worth Following

NapHill.org

Social Ventures

Truth@Work

DSC

Sivers

YEA USA

Conway Center

 

Please invest further…

… in your thinking.

You’ve read & trustfully sensed the heart, soul, & spirit of this created content; now, will you commit to dig into this curated content from other valuable resources?

 

Civil Society

Mutual Aid Societies & the Gig Economy

Social Capital Primer

Root

B2C v B2B 

Working “ON” & not “IN” a Business

 

In short

  • The holidays offer a chance to reflect
  • Civil society: Quotable quote & definition[s]
  • First two:  Family & Non profits
  • Second 2 : Faith & Entrepreneurs
  • Further context
  • Follow these Social profiles
  • As always, take action: curated content from add’t resources

 

Thank YOU for reading!

____________________________________________

How does a paper planner help you grow your business? by Danielle Hayden of @KickstartAcct

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by Danielle Hayden | Featured Contributor

Do you download every new app and tool hoping that it will help you get organized and finally set you up to grow your business?

I know, me too! I get so excited and I try really hard to use the new fancy app but I always go back to my tried and true methods. I noticed I wasn’t alone in this. This year, we took all of our clients’ questions and the tools that we have implemented in our businesses and created a 12-week profitability planner.

Finally, a planner that you can use as an accountability partner to spend time every day working on your business as the CEO, setting goals, priorities and taking the daily action task to find the profits in your business all in a high-quality notebook that you bring with you everywhere.

 Why does a hardcover planner work so well as your accountability partner?

  • Have a regular planning session that does not include screen time. Yep, you heard me, walk away from your email and spend time working on your business. Having a separate place that I use to schedule my day away from my computer has given me the opportunity to focus on what’s important.
  • Weekly planning- When you schedule your week schedule time each week to have a planning session. I recommend using a financial dashboard to guide your session. If you can determine your financial position (cash, who owes you money and who you owe money to) you can determine what activities you need to focus on next week. For instance, I have a client who really struggles to collect money from her clients so the weekly dashboard is a reminder to her that if her cash is low and her accounts receivable is high than she needs to spend her time collecting on her client invoices. I also have a client who has been increasing her revenue month over month but she still has credit card and loan debt from when she started her business so this client is using this time to determine if she should be using her surplus of cash to decrease her debt or increase her marketing efforts to continue to increase her revenue.
  • Easy setup and easy to use- even when we are so technologically savvy there can be such a learning curve to every app, they never have all the features I need and they can be difficult to use, can I get an amen?
  • Writing is proven to help you remember. Studies have shown that writing down things by hand actually allows you to think and process better and as a result, you are more likely to follow through and really focus on your goals and tasks to complete those goals.

It’s time to get to know your numbers so you can use that information to grow your business. Review your accounting, pull the reports and get ready to get down to the details.