Solopreneur Podcast – Solopreneur Smarts

Rachael Kay Albers of RKAInk.com is a Web Designer & Digital Strategist.  She's fun, colorful as can be and super smart.  I've invited her here to help us create a One Page Business Plan! Elements of a One Page Business Plan: Mission Statement Vision Statement What are you selling? Who are you selling to? How are you selling? Annual Costs Pricing Competitor Research Option 2nd Page: Detailed Client Profile Rachael ran through every one of these elements in our interview, so listen in – it's meaty! FYI, I connected Rachael in Ash Ambirge's Community. You might love being part of this group if you enjoy the free flow of expletives and women being totally real about life and business. Claim Rachael's free gift ‘Don't Hire A Web Designer Until You Read This Book‘

Ruama Camp is a Non-Profit Strategist. She helps dreamers like me plan, launch and grow Non-Profit Organizations. I met Ru at an event this Spring and I've been thinking about her ever since because I'm super curious about starting a Non-Profit to expand the good my circle of influence can do!  I'm thrilled she's agreed to be on the podcast. Tweet “Every for profit business should have a nonprofit compassion arm of business.” – Ruama Camp via @kellymccausey   Her website is on the way, in the meantime: Like her Page on Facebook & Friend Her Up Too!

Michele Scism is our Keynote at the April 2017 Beachpreneurs Beach Camp on Daytona Beach and I invited her to join me for a great conversation on how she transitioned from the offline business world to become a rocking online business success story. Some topics we covered: Why she's moving completely to Click Funnels. Who she was first mentored by. The importance of knowing what you want to gain from the events you host. She's a super lady with so much to share – I look forward to every minute we get to share with her at Beach Camp! Stop by her website, Decisive Minds, to claim a free list building gift. I did! Oh – and remember her tip:  Sell something on your optin Thank You Pages!

Linda Stirling of The Publishing Authority helps writers achieve the income and visibility they deserve. An international bestselling author herself, she has worked in publishing for decades and is the author of 54 books in various genres.  Her publishing house, Circle of Light Books, is described as “embracing a new paradigm in publishing.” Recurring income is one of my favorite things and I love how Linda has tapped into new streams of income by publishing small books – listen in for details! Linda is speaking and leading a workshop on this topic at Beach Camp on Daytona Beach this April 21-23rd!

My guest this week is Maruxa Murphy of Perky Perky Coffee! We're chatting about doing what it takes to bring a physical product brand to life and see those first sales come in.  Maruxa has brought her masterful community building skills together with determination to learn the ropes of a new product launch and we get to soak up her smarts! Buy Perky Perky Coffee Here or on Amazon. Follow Maruxa & Perky Perky to find out where you can meet Maruxa and taste Perky Perky in person. Facebook Instagram By the way, we'll be serving Perky Perky at the Beachpreneurs Beach House in March! Hey… I had even more great discussion with Maruxa after this interview, that meaty good conversation is for members of my Love People + Make Money Mastermind.

Angela Wills of Laptop Lifestyle Blogger is my guest and we're talking about how she created a strong finish for her business in 2016 by holding an affiliate competition and offering great specials for her community. Mentioned in our Conversation: Nicole Dean's Awesomization Nation Angela (and Kelly) both use aMember Learn aMember Fast with Member Skills Angela's Teach WordPress Kelly's free Affiliate Training

I've been teasing my community for weeks now and it's time to say ‘Ta-Daa!' and reveal Love People + Make Money! This is a rebrand of my Big Tree Income course combined with a launch of a new Coaching Program for 2017. I'm in a coaching program myself right now, in fact we're more than half way through as I get ready for this podcast episode.  It's been incredible to participate in. I learn so much from the two gals I'm in it with and our facilitators.  We've been consistently encouraged to surprise ourselves and lean into what we value most. There's a question that comes up a lot, “What do you want to create more of in the world?” It can be intimidating to think about impacting ‘the world', so we can get personal…. What do you want to create more of in your family? What do you want to create more of in your relationship? What do you want to create more of in your business? What do you want to create more of in your industry? Have you ever considered that you could be intentional about creating change in your life – and perhaps have an impact on the world around you? There's a great saying that we don't really know who to credit with:  “If you always do what you always did, you will always get what you always got.” So true, right?  If we can predictable create more of the same in our lives, can't we predictably create more of something different? Of course we can! It starts with me.  (And you!) And because we are adept with online social tools, the changes we create in our own lives have an impact on the world.  This happens naturally every day – almost without trying, we share a change we've made in the way we eat. We like new recipes and pin healthy preparation ideas – and voila, we're seeding healthier concepts among our friends. “Be the change that you wish to see in the world” – Mahatma Gandi What Do You Want To Create More Of In The World? Health? Positivity? Creativity? Success?  You can spread whatever you want to. As marketers, we can go beyond what happens organically and be intentional – expanding our reach and impact exponentially. And, we can invite others to cooperate with us!  (This is my favorite!) “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead I've developed Love People + Make Money to create more of what I want to see in the world. I want to see: Successful solopreneurs running profitable businesses without sacrificing all the good things of life in the process. Individuals leaning into their desire to help others, stepping up to spearhead projects that do good. Business communities cooperating to have a a greater impact. People finding love, support and acceptance in small groups. Children all over the world surviving cancer with their ability to procreate intact. I could go on and on, but you get the idea. What do YOU want to create more of in the world? Everyone Has A Dream. Everyone has an inkling of something good they'd like to do for others.  I want to light a fire in your belly and foster the belief that you CAN do it. You can build a great online business, be part of amazingly warm communities of like minded people and have a positive impact on the world around you. You can Love People + Make Money – and I want to be there to support you. Click here to learn more!

Laura West is an Innovation & Creativity Strategist, Creative Success Coach and the CEO of the Center for Joyful Business.  I've enjoyed getting to know her and want you to know here too! Tweet “Inspiration flows outside the office. Implementation flows inside of it.” – Laura West Claim Laura's gift here.

Ann Boyum of Boyum Executive Coaching is a new solopreneur and you're going to want to be like her when you grow up. After a long, happy career with Target, Ann has busted out on her own.  But here's what's interesting: She didn't wait to be self employed to pursue the work of her dreams.  She actually did that while still in the corporate world!  Listen in to hear all about it! Ann is my Opening Keynote for Exposure & Profit 3 :)

Therese Sparby joined me today to chat about how we want to show up when we attend live events like my Exposure & Profit 3 coming up in Atlanta this month. I'm asking her to share on two topics: Body Language and Being Open To New Things. As a Life Coach working with Executives and Entrepreneurs and as an experienced group facilitator, Therese has wonderful perspectives and advice for coming ready to make the most of any in person experience. Learn about Coaching with Therese Discover Radical Leadership Come meet her in person at EP3!

Lain Ehmann took her love for Scrapbooking and made money writing about it until she’d won quite a bit of industry recognition.  She didn’t stop there and went on to build her own website Layout a Day and is now able to say that she built her online efforts into a six figure business in the last eighteen months.  That’s an amazing feat and I’m glad to have her on Solo Smarts to share tidbits from her journey. Lain credits investing time and money into being mentored for a large part of her success, saying: “Mentors mean less hard lessons learned on your own”.  She named Lynn Terry, Nicole Dean, Paul Evans and Jack Born during our conversation. Learn more about Lain’s Craft Your Biz opportunity. For Solo Smarts Readers & Listeners:  Use coupon code SOLO to save $40 through 12/30.  (Thanks Lain!) Kelly Talked About: Last chance to grab the Silver Key at $147 lasts until midnight on December 24th. Check out the new Topics on Target membership. Would you like to share a Solopreneur’s New Year’s Resolutions?  Click on the button to the right side of the website and send your voice mail. Be sure to include your full name and speak out your domain name clearly.  For example: ‘This is Kelly McCausey from Solo Smarts dot com”

Kevin Riley has been in and around the online marketing community for a very long time and has a lot of perspective on what works.  An information marketer, Kevin has created tons of products and has some great advice for budding marketers. Check out his holiday special here. I first learned of Kevin at NAMS, I wonder who I’ll learn of, learn from and get to meet at the next NAMS event in February 2013? Kelly Talked About: Biz Sugar has been a fun new place for me to visit each day and I’m sharing why in this podcast. Read Kelly’s feature on BizSugar. Listen to Kelly on Connie Ragen Green’s podcast. Just a few more days left for my Silver Bells Christmas Special! (Special Pricing Ends Christmas Eve)

The need for this podcast episode became obvious to me this week. First, when a coaching client who deals with serious allergies that have the power to wipe our her day at a moments notice.  Second, when someone made a nasty remark about someone else using their disability as an excuse.  Third, my own deep gratitude for the energy and clarity of thought I’m enjoying these days. Starting a business when you have a health condition or disability that limits your time is tough. If you’re perfectly healthy, chances are you don’t have all the time you’d like to invest in your business.  Imagine an invisible foe that swipes hours off the clock and turns your thoughts into a muddle – try ‘hustling it‘ then! It’s not impossible to succeed when you’re dealing with health issues – but it is challenging. The Answer?  You Have To Manage Your Energy. In the book ‘The Power of Full Engagement” the authors express the importance of making the most of your best engagement hours.  While you can focus, Focus! When your focus begins to fade, it’s to move on to something else because you’re going to experience diminishing returns on your time and attention anyways. They studied world class athletes and high level executives – from one admirable achiever to the next, they were able to work better and stress less when they embraced the principle of managing their energy and engagement instead of their time. If this is so for those with NO handicaps, how much more valuable is this advice for anyone dealing with a body or brain operating at something less then than optimal? If you are only going to get 90 minutes of clear mindedness, what are your priorities for them? Group tasks by the level of clarity and creativity they require and prioritize the items that need you at your best. Things that don’t require a lot of deep thought can be managed after you’ve tended to the important stuff. Focus on ONE project. Multitasking and project juggling do not play well with brain fog. Kelly’s Rule for Brain Fog Survival:  No New Learning! No more learning new things til you’ve done something with what you already know. New learning is a waste of your mental energy right now.  Get something DONE. Pursue accountability if at all possible. Having a coach to meet with weekly or just a friend to help get you centered on the work at hand can be a powerful tool. Links Mentioned On This Episode: Nicole’s Challenge. Pandora.com (Search for Baroque Radio for peppy classical music & Jim Brickman Radio for soft piano music.) Grab my Silver Key.

Kristen Eckstein is the Ultimate Book Coach and not because that’s what she chooses to call herself, it’s what her clients call her. I met Kristen at NAMS (the online business workshop I go to in Atlanta twice a year) and sat in on one of her sessions this past August.  She’s an obvious expert on the topic of successful indie publishing and has attracted clients I have a great deal of respect for.  Kristen credits events like NAMS as being key to her business building over the years. Check out Kristen’s Self Publish on Demand course here. It is her exact plan that she uses for her own books and high end clients.  (Use the coupon code ‘crazy’ to save half off.) Explore Kristen’s books on Amazon. Grab Kelly’s Christmas Special! See what all I’ve included in my Silver Key

Too many people think of building a business on the internet as being ‘easy’. – To be honest, compared to what people in the offline world go through, we do have it easier. The big truth is this:  Building a business takes effort!  If you don’t give your business real effort, you’re not going to get very far. We all dream of that wonderful ‘set it and forget it’ business model and yes, I have and continue to experience a lot of income from projects I completed years ago.  Still, if I had ‘forgot it’, I’d be in the poor house by now.   Business do not grow on their own. Notice that I do not say ‘If you don’t give you business TIME….’.   No, time in and of itself doesn’t do much – it’s the effort we expend in the amount of time we work. So, how much effort are you giving your business?  How carefully do you monitor your own productivity?  Are you busy working, or just busy? I recommend The 10X Rule to plunge deep into this topic.  The author, Grant Cardone suggests that most of us have three possible speeds. No-action Retreat Normal Action That lines up nicely with this graphic “Everything you do…: I published earlier this year. Psst…. Sign up for the Stretch Yourself Challenge here! Featured Solopreneur Interview Barbara Austin of Sweet Dreamz Designs is with me for a quick chat about her graphic design business. With two years under her belt, I wanted to find out how she got her business off the ground and what client building activities have proven most useful. Have you ordered your Kindle Copy of Solopreneurs are Smarter yet? Grab it on Amazon!