The Self-Employed Life

Social media is a necessity for every business. What started out as a tool for personal expression is now an important way to gain brand recognition. As Facebook usership declines, Instagram is leading the charge- it's recently hit one billion active monthly users. If you're dragging your feet on taking your brand to Instagram, you're missing out on some massive opportunities. Hashtags, stories, business vs. personal profiles...there are so many ins and outs to Instagram that it can feel overwhelming. Plus, the platform is constantly evolving. For example, Instagram has always been driven by quality over quantity in the feed, but the new stories promote the idea of quantity over quality. You have to keep up with the changes to know how to reach the right audience. To fully understand how to strategize for Instagram, I've brought on Viv and Tash of Ace The Gram. Tasha (Tash) and Vivien (Viv) are Instagram Experts who met at Otago University a few years ago while studying Food Science. With numerous positive testimonials and a growing client base, Tash and Viv left their 'real' jobs and began to focus on spreading value and knowledge about Instagram so that more could take advantage of the platform. To learn how using Instagram for your creative business download this episode now. THE CONNECTION WARRIOR "Top of screen, top of mind." - Viv and Tash Highlights - Instagram's simple interface is what makes it successful. Business profiles should have a face and a personality. There needs to be consistency in the captions. Bring people behind the scenes with Instagram stories. Worry about your audience's reactions to posts, not your peers. Stories get a lot of reach and should be utilized. Once you have 10K followers, you can use the swipe up function. Have an engagement strategy: find similar pages and recruit their followers. Posting everyday or every other day is optimum. Guest Contact - Viv and Tash's Website and Free Resources Viv and Tash's Instagram VIv and Tash's Podcast Tash's Instagram Viv's Instagram Viv's Twitter Contact Jeffrey - Website Coaching support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDX LincolnSquare video and please share! Mentions - The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks Cut Story App Resources - Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website and are all your marketing materials speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Often it's not which is why you're not converting traffic and leads to clients and attracting your most profitable customers. Fill out the simple LINGO Review application and I'll take a look at your website. If I have suggestions for you to improve your brand message (I almost always do), we'll set up a complimentary 30-minute call to discuss. A select number of websites are also chosen for my LINGO Review Video Series. Fill out the application today and let's get your business speaking the right LINGO! Music by Jawn

Many of us grew up thinking that if you work hard and you don't give your boss any trouble, you'll you have a nice future. There was a clear hierarchy, and you had to stay in your lane. But as the world is changing, the definition of leadership is changing, too. When we talk about leadership, no longer are we talking just about the heads of companies- anyone can be a leader. You have the responsibility to take the world in the direction you think it should go. Furthermore, you don't have to just be a leader, you can be a "lifter," someone who works towards the greater good of everyone. We are in the middle of a revolution of consciousness. To dive deeper into what it means to be a "lifter," I've brought on the inventor of the moniker: Paresh Shah. Paresh has advised global executives from 20 countries on business strategy and is a former executive at strategy firm Monitor Company. He is a graduate of the MBA program at Harvard University, his insights have been featured in publications like Forbes, Entrepreneur and Inc, and he has taught strategy and innovation in multiple MBA programs around the world. To learn what it means to be a lifter and how it can change the way you show up for your life, download this uplifting episode now. THE REMEMBRANCE WARRIOR "Lifters are the new rock stars." -Paresh Shah Highlights - 4 C's for Happiness: don't compare, compete, complain, or criticize. Cold water in the morning is very powerful. Lifters are the pioneers that are bringing new ideas to the planet. We are in a revolution of consciousness that will be bigger than the internet revolution. It's about helping other people before helping me. Lead the younger generation by giving them purpose. We used to think that the world changes fast and people change slow. But now it seems people change fast and the world changes slow. Guest Contact - Paresh's Website Paresh's Twitter Paresh's Book: Lifters: How Everyday Mindful Leaders Elevate Their Companies, Customers, Communities and Our World Paresh's Lifter Quiz Contact Jeffrey - Website Coaching support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDX LincolnSquare video and please share! Mentions - Read the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Resources - Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website and are all your marketing materials speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Often it's not which is why you're not converting traffic and leads to clients and attracting your most profitable customers. Fill out the simple LINGO Review application and I'll take a look at your website. If I have suggestions for you to improve your brand message (I almost always do), we'll set up a complimentary 30-minute call to discuss. A select number of websites are also chosen for my LINGO Review Video Series. Fill out the application today and let's get your business speaking the right LINGO! Music by Jawn

For many entrepreneurs and small businesses, the upcoming holiday season can be the busiest time of year. While hopefully, that's a good thing, it can also take its toll on your health and mental state. Having been a portrait photographer for so many years and doing 60-70% of my business in the last 3 months, I know this feeling very well. I offer some practical advice on how to avoid and recover from seasonal burnout. The Talking Stick is in your hands now. Let us hear from you. Be part of the conversation - Join our community Facebook group, Creative Warriors Unite, at www.joinwarriors.com and share your feelings and continue the conversation. Contact Jeffrey - Website Coaching support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDX LincolnSquare video and please share! Resources - Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website and are all your marketing materials speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Often it's not which is why you're not converting traffic and leads to clients and attracting your most profitable customers. Fill out the simple LINGO Review application and I'll take a look at your website. If I have suggestions for you to improve your brand message (I almost always do), we'll set up a complimentary 30-minute call to discuss. A select number of websites are also chosen for my LINGO Review Video Series. Fill out the application today and let's get your business speaking the right LINGO! Music by Jawn

One of the biggest challenges creatives face is the onslaught of advice. So many of us are running around chasing our tails because there is so much information available. Best practices can feel like spokes on a wheel that are endlessly turning, and it can be difficult to break the cycle. You can't shut off advice in today's world, but you need a filter of discernment. Figure out what works for you in your unique context. You can do this by listening, being open, and looking outside of your industry. Instead of acting like an expert, you need to act like an investigator and figure out how to ask the right questions. To get a better handle on the concept of "breaking the wheel," I've brought on author, speaker and entrepreneur Jay Acunzo. Jay is waging war against conventional thinking. He is a globally touring keynote speaker, author of the book, Break the Wheel, and the founder of Unthinkable Media, which creates documentary series with B2B brands. Previously, Jay was a digital media strategist at Google, Head of Content at HubSpot, and Vice President of Brand and Community at the venture capital firm NextView. Jay's work has been cited in courses at Harvard Business School and by writers at the New York Times, the Washington Post, FastCompany, Forbes, and more. Today, he delivers speeches and hosts shows telling stories about people who break free of stale approaches and average results to do their best work. To learn what it means to vet the possibilities and be open to knowledge outside your wheelhouse, download this episode now. THE CHIP WARRIOR "Vet the possibilities." -Jay Acunzo Highlights - Finding best practices isn't the goal. Finding the best approach for you is. Shift the way you view advice. You're not getting answers, you're getting possibilities. A visionary doesn't see the future. They just see the present more clearly. The theme of "openness" is key to honing your intuition. The signal of someone who vets possibilities well is that it looks crazy from the outside looking in. Noise isn't the problem- sameness is. Perform an extraction. Find something you like and make it your own. "I'd rather be vaguely right than precisely wrong." - John Maynard Keynes You have to be ready to constantly course-correct. Instead of preparing to start, start. Our job isn't to be creative, it's to create. Guest Contact - Jay's Website Jay's Twitter Jay's Book: Break the Wheel Jay's Podcast: Unthinkable Jay's Youtube Channel Contact Jeffrey - Website Coaching support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDX LincolnSquare video and please share! Mentions - Calvin and Hobbes Comics Merriam Webster Dictionary on Twitter Death Wish Coffee Tim Urban's Blog: Wait, But Why? Resources - Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website and are all your marketing materials speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Often it's not which is why you're not converting traffic and leads to clients and attracting your most profitable customers. Fill out the simple LINGO Review application and I'll take a look at your website. If I have suggestions for you to improve your brand message (I almost always do), we'll set up a complimentary 30-minute call to discuss. A select number of websites are also chosen for my LINGO Review Video Series. Fill out the application today and let's get your business speaking the right LINGO! Music by Jawn

Why is it we are often encouraged to get out of our comfort zones but rarely encouraged to get IN our comfort zones? Well, that's what I'm encouraging you to do during this holiday season. Get IN your comfort zone. Shouldn't it be about balance? If you're going to stretch outside your comfort zone, which you will as a Warrior, then it needs to be balanced with being in your comfort zone. What better time of year than this season of tradition, celebration and comfort food. The Talking Stick is in your hands now. Let us hear from you. Be part of the conversation - Join our community Facebook group, Creative Warriors Unite, at www.joinwarriors.com and share your feelings and continue the conversation. Contact Jeffrey - Website Coaching support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDX LincolnSquare video and please share! Resources - Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website and are all your marketing materials speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Often it's not which is why you're not converting traffic and leads to clients and attracting your most profitable customers. Fill out the simple LINGO Review application and I'll take a look at your website. If I have suggestions for you to improve your brand message (I almost always do), we'll set up a complimentary 30-minute call to discuss. A select number of websites are also chosen for my LINGO Review Video Series. Fill out the application today and let's get your business speaking the right LINGO! Music by Jawn

So many creative professionals get frustrated with the idea that they need to have a "niche." We don't like to feel like we're being painted in a corner. It can feel paralyzing. We think to ourselves, "Why do I need to choose just one thing!" Most of us are driven by feeling fulfilled by the creative work that we do. We don't want to sacrifice it for the sake of the business. So how can we find the direction that will make us successful in our work and then focus on it? The good thing is, you won't know what your niche is immediately. It takes time to even begin thinking about it. You can then refine it as you go. The key to a niche is that it does not come from inside (what do I want), it comes from outside (what does the market need). If you're sensitive and empathetic, you will be able to see where your skills can be most used. It doesn't have to be just one thing. To dive deeper into the idea of "niche," I've brought on author, speaker and coach Ilise Benun. Ilise is the author of 7 books for the "creatively self-employed" and founder of Marketing-Mentor.com. She tailors her one-on-one mentoring to the needs of each and every creative professional who engages her and helps you build the business that provides the freedom you want. To learn what it means to choose your niche and how it can help you focus, download this episode now. THE DISPASSIONATE WARRIOR "It is your responsibility to build the muscle of self-confidence." -Ilise Benun Highlights - Weed out what's irrelevant, and weed in what's relevant. Finding your niche is refining your focus little by little over time. The niche is so deep that there is infinite work to be done. People hardly ever pick the right niche first. The obstacle between focus and direction is the inability to say no. You don't have to know immediately if you said no to the right projects Creative people are able to stand out in their work but often not on the business side. There are three questions to ask to figure out your pricing: who are you talking to, what can they afford, and do they value what you're selling. Guest Contact - Ilise's Website Ilise's Twitter Ilise's Books Contact Jeffrey - Website Coaching support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDX LincolnSquare video and please share! Resources - Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website and are all your marketing materials speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Often it's not which is why you're not converting traffic and leads to clients and attracting your most profitable customers. Fill out the simple LINGO Review application and I'll take a look at your website. If I have suggestions for you to improve your brand message (I almost always do), we'll set up a complimentary 30-minute call to discuss. A select number of websites are also chosen for my LINGO Review Video Series. Fill out the application today and let's get your business speaking the right LINGO! Music by Jawn

Not doubt, creating an About page is one of the hardest parts of a website. I share what the objective of your About page should be, what a visitor to your site should be saying in their head as they read it, and some really good tips from a colleague of mine who is helping me with my About page. Be creative, be vulnerable, create a connection, build a relationship and create a killer About page! The Talking Stick is in your hands now. Let us hear from you. Be part of the conversation - Join our community Facebook group, Creative Warriors Unite, at www.joinwarriors.com and share your feelings and continue the conversation. Contact Jeffrey - Website Coaching support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDX LincolnSquare video and please share! Resources - Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website and are all your marketing materials speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Often it's not which is why you're not converting traffic and leads to clients and attracting your most profitable customers. Fill out the simple LINGO Review application and I'll take a look at your website. If I have suggestions for you to improve your brand message (I almost always do), we'll set up a complimentary 30-minute call to discuss. A select number of websites are also chosen for my LINGO Review Video Series. Fill out the application today and let's get your business speaking the right LINGO! Music by Jawn

So often, we rush into giving advice to others. We don't see the people around us as creative and whole so we don't believe they have the tools or knowledge to achieve their goals. In an effort to help, we can actually stunt others' growth. However, if we stay curious and ask the right questions, we can help the people around us realize they already have all the answers. We can learn how to bring out the best in others. This will only help us as we build our teams and strategize towards our own goals. Coaching isn't just being hired as a coach. It's a way of being with each other. It's how we can achieve higher-level conversations with our co-workers, clients, and family. We have to lead with curiosity rather than advice and solutions in order to give space for things to bloom. To understand this concept further, I've brought in the writer of The Coaching Habit, Michael Bungay Stanier. Michael is the founder of Box of Crayons, a company that champions coaching as a force for leadership development and culture change. They teach managers leaders practical tools so they can coach in 10 minutes or less. He was the first Canadian Coach of the Year, is a Rhodes Scholar, and has been recognized as one of the Global Gurus in coaching. Download this episode now to learn how to be more coach-like in your life and become a better leader. COURAGE WARRIOR "Tame the advice monster." -Michael Bungay Stanier Highlights - Pick something and really focus on it. Focus less about becoming a coach and more on becoming coach-like. Encourage higher-level thinking. The "AWE" question is the most important when coaching. It stands for "And what else." When you're writing, whatever your first chapter is, just drop it. Understanding what you want becomes the foundation for action. The first challenge is rarely the real challenge. Advice-giving is pointing in the right direction. Being strategic is a courageous choice. Everything you say 'no' to, you can say 'yes' to something else. Guest Contact - Michael's Website Michael's Twitter Michael's Book: The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever Contact Jeffrey - Website Coaching support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDX LincolnSquare video and please share! Resources - Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website and are all your marketing materials speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Often it's not which is why you're not converting traffic and leads to clients and attracting your most profitable customers. Fill out the simple LINGO Review application and I'll take a look at your website. If I have suggestions for you to improve your brand message (I almost always do), we'll set up a complimentary 30-minute call to discuss. A select number of websites are also chosen for my LINGO Review Video Series. Fill out the application today and let's get your business speaking the right LINGO! Music by Jawn

As has become an annual tradition here on Creative Warriors, it's time to think about your theme for 2019. Your theme is different than a goal, intention, or vision. Your theme is the intersection of what you want and what feels like the right time. Your theme is your guiding star for the year ahead. With just a couple of months left in the year, the time is now to think about it so there's time for your theme to arise without forcing it. The Talking Stick is in your hands now. Let us hear from you. Be part of the conversation - Join our community Facebook group, Creative Warriors Unite, at www.joinwarriors.com and share your feelings and continue the conversation. If you want to apply to be a guest on Creative Warriors Talking Stick, CLICK HERE. Contact Jeffrey - Website Coaching support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDX LincolnSquare video and please share! Resources - Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website and are all your marketing materials speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Often it's not which is why you're not converting traffic and leads to clients and attracting your most profitable customers. Fill out the simple LINGO Review application and I'll take a look at your website. If I have suggestions for you to improve your brand message (I almost always do), we'll set up a complimentary 30-minute call to discuss. A select number of websites are also chosen for my LINGO Review Video Series. Fill out the application today and let's get your business speaking the right LINGO! Music by Jawn

I'm as guilty as anyone for saying "good isn't good enough." Our society encourages people to be the best they can be; even capitalism is based on the idea that everything has to be exceptional. But perfectionism can stop us from even beginning. The acceptance that we are good enough now is critical to success in our work. We're all made up of incongruences, but that doesn't mean that we're not good enough or worthy enough to begin. Those of us from diverse backgrounds are especially susceptible to feelings of inadequacy. We have no idea what amazing idea is about to come. To be open to creativity, we have to release the need to know how something will end. The important part is starting. You have to realize that failure is part of the process- it leads to relationships, ideas, and loyalty. If you can't try, then you at least need to "try to try." To understand this concept more clearly, I had a conversation with an expert on diversity and self-acceptance: Jessica Pettitt. Jessica, M.Ed., CSP, pulls together her stand up comedy years with 15+ years of diversity trainings in a wide range of organizations to serve groups to move from abstract fears to actionable habits that lead to teams that want to work together. She's the author of several books including Good Enough Now. Download this episode today to learn how creatives must accept themselves in order to unleash their possibilities. WARRIOR OF CONTENTMENT "If we are the best tool we currently have, then we must be good enough to try." -Jessica Pettitt Highlights - The biggest excuse we use to not engage is that we don't feel good enough. You can be inspired by your own ideas, and that re-invites you to engage. Don't be the fly that can't get out of the open window. Tackle the incongruences in your life. Clarity is the fearless union of conflicting ideas. Supervisors should figure out a way to reward failure. The Platinum Rule: find out how others want to be treated, and treat them that way. You have to trust in something. Trying is a big risk. At least try to try. Guest Contact - Jessica's Website Jessica's Twitter Jessica's Book: Good Enough Now: How Doing the Best We Can With What We Have is Better Than Nothing Contact Jeffrey - Website Coaching support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDX LincolnSquare video and please share! Mentions - The Art of Possibility by Benjamin Zander and Rosamund Stone Zander Resources - Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website and are all your marketing materials speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Often it's not which is why you're not converting traffic and leads to clients and attracting your most profitable customers. Fill out the simple LINGO Review application and I'll take a look at your website. If I have suggestions for you to improve your brand message (I almost always do), we'll set up a complimentary 30-minute call to discuss. A select number of websites are also chosen for my LINGO Review Video Series. Fill out the application today and let's get your business speaking the right LINGO! Music by Jawn