Work Less, Earn More

In just a few weeks, I'm going to be turning 30 years old.This last decade has been such a crazy one filled with so many adventures, starting with getting married at 20, then having my first baby the following year, and buying our first house the year after that. And since then, we’ve gone on to buy a couple more houses.I had four more babies, started several businesses, and visited 12 countries. It’s been a really packed decade and God has taught me so much both through all of these different projects that I've done and also through all the challenges that I've faced, both personally and emotionally. There have also been external challenges like tackling growing a business or buying a house.So I thought that today would be such a good opportunity to reflect on some of these lessons that I've learned, both to remember them and to share them with you guys.Listen to the full episode to hear:The most important lessons my twenties taught me about earning money and building wealthThe physical and emotional factors that help me stay healthy and happyWhat my twenties taught me about supporting my mental healthWhat I’ve learned about trust, faith, and my relationship with GodHow my relationships in my twenties taught me about commitment, security, and reaching outLearn more about Gillian:Small Business 101Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!Instagram: @GillianZPerkinsResources:The Mood Cure: The 4-Step Program to Take Charge of Your Emotions--Today, Julia Ross

Financial freedom is a common goal and an amazing thing to experience, but it often gets tied together with the idea of penny-pinching today so that you can save for the future, with the end goal being to amass as much money and stuff as possible.Regular people call this saving for retirement. Others take it to an extreme and call it F.I.R.E: Financial Independence, Retire Early.And some people don't save at all and just hope for the best. But a lot of us somewhat goal-oriented folks at least feel like we should be making sacrifices today so that we can eventually retire fabulously wealthy.Whether or not we successfully do that, of course, is up to our personal motivation, willpower, and ability to strategize.But is accumulating money and stuff even truly the highest ideal? Should it really be our priority? Do we really need to feel guilt over not making those sacrifices today?Listen to the full episode to hear:How feeling financially secure is a moving goalpost with diminishing returns on your happinessFive priorities that guide the way I save for the futureWhy you have more control over what you earn than what you can saveHow to make your spending intentional rather than emotionalHow I shifted my mindset to being a good steward of my financesLearn more about Gillian:Small Business 101Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!Instagram: @GillianZPerkins

I have a new baby!Surprised? So was I!Meet Ezra Perkins. He’s almost three weeks old and he arrived three weeks early, so he truly was a surprise for us.Today I want to take a few minutes to share the story of Ezra’s birth because it’s kind of a funny story.Listen to the full episode to hear:How Ezra surprised us on our 10-year anniversary trip to the beachLearn more about Gillian:Small Business 101Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!Instagram: @GillianZPerkins

Have you ever had a moment of clarity when you suddenly realized that your life doesn’t have to be the way that it is?Maybe it’s when you see someone else’s life, or something on Instagram, and you see how beautiful it is and you wonder, why doesn’t my life look like that, or feel like that?Sometimes it’s the moment when we realize the only reason our life is the way it is–that we live where we live, have the friends we have, eat the food that we eat–is because we’re in the habit of doing them.The good news is that regardless of whatever led you here right now, you can start making different decisions and completely transform your life.And it doesn’t have to take years. In as little as six months, your life could look dramatically different.So today, I’m sharing the fundamentals that will take you from where you are now to where you really want to be and make dramatic changes in your life.Listen to the full episode to hear:Six ways to categorize and clarify the changes you want to makeHow to decide what area of your life to focus on firstThe major mindset shifts that will help you make big changesWhy setting quantifiable goals is essential to making plans and staying motivatedLearn more about Gillian:Small Business 101Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!Instagram: @GillianZPerkins

There are two big reasons I wanted to talk to Jereshia Hawk.First, a few years ago she overhauled her business to make it more streamlined, a move that has proved wildly successful. I wanted to know what that looked like from the inside, what simplifications she made that had such a big impact, and if there were other factors that contributed to the way her business took off like a rocket.Secondly, I wanted to nerd out about sales funnels and sales systems. I love getting into the nitty gritty details with people who have really successful sales systems. Jereshia has a system that is driving her multimillion dollar business, so obviously something is working, and I wanted to get the scoop on how her systems work, how she’s getting leads, and how she’s turning those leads into customers.Thankfully, she agreed to do a deep dive with me and I’m so excited to share it with you.Jereshia Hawk is a sought after business coach and sales expert who grew her business from $0-2 million in less than 4 years with organic marketing, a lean team, and high profit margins. She helps high-achieving experts launch and scale leveraged group coaching programs by packaging and positioning their intellectual property and strategically repurposing live videos to generate new leads. Jereshia’s mission is to help narrow the racial wealth gap by helping 100 women of color (and their allies) per year build and run million-dollar online coaching businesses that contribute to a ripple effect of positive impact and lasting legacy.Listen to the full episode to hear:How simplifying the business solidified how her audience perceived her, and why that translated into salesHow Jereshia made the call for which offers to drop, and where to put her focusHow she validated the demand for Leverage before committing to the programWhy Jereshia says a more personal, human approach to sales is necessary for higher price point programsThe three simple steps in Jereshia’s sales funnelLearn more about Jereshia Hawk:jereshiahawk.comInstagram: @jereshiahawkLearn more about Gillian:Small Business 101Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!Instagram: @GillianZPerkins

Is bigger, always better?The point of running a business is to make money. Making more money means your company is more successful. And a bigger business makes more money, right?Well, not always. Turns out the profit margins on big businesses can be razor thin, or even non-existent.It can be easy to get caught up in messages that you should grow your business to be as large and as successful as possible. But is that really your goal? Not if you’re like most people who want to run their own businesses. You probably started your business because you wanted freedom, a flexible schedule, to be your own boss, and to create a better lifestyle for your family.So how do you achieve those goals? By taking a minimalist approach.Listen to the full episode to hear:Why bigger business can mean higher costs, more effort, and less profitHow simplifying your revenue streams and offerings actually helps you earn more money, with less time and effortWhat minimalism means for your businessLearn more about Gillian:Small Business 101Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!Instagram: @GillianZPerkinsResources:The Minimalists

I frequently get questions about affiliate marketing, and it’s something that I do myself.If you’re not familiar with affiliate marketing, the short version is that you promote someone else’s products in exchange for a commission whenever you make a successful sale.But there is a lot of confusion and false perceptions about what affiliate marketing is, who it’s a good option for, and how it could fit into your business strategy.So today, I’m going to give you a complete rundown of affiliate marketing so you can really understand whether or not it’s the right fit for you that will make the best use of your time, and will make you the most money.To help me, I’ve got Startup Society and 100K Mastermind member, Denise Wilbanks. She’s going to interview me with all of her questions about affiliate marketing, so you can learn along with her.Denise Wilbanks is the boss babe behind This Is My Everybody, where she is passionate about helping overwhelmed women to simplify their life, home and business so that they can start creating a life filled with what matters most to them.Denise believes in living a life you love, pursuing your biggest dreams, and surrounding yourself with what matters most to you. Living a simple life clears a path to get you there.Listen to the full episode to hear:The differences between affiliate marketing, referrals, sponsorships, and ad networksWhy successful affiliate marketing serves your business and your audienceWhere to start when you’re looking for affiliate programsQuestions to ask yourself when you’re thinking about adding affiliate marketing to your business strategyLearn more about Denise Wilbanks:This Is My EverybodyYouTube: This Is My EverybodyFacebook: @thisismyeverybodyInstagram: @thisismyeverybodyPinterest: @thisismyeverybodyLearn more about Gillian:Small Business 101Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!Instagram: @GillianZPerkins

Discover the power of email marketing and effective strategies for converting subscribers into paying customers. Learn about the importance of abandoned cart emails and how they can address objections and provide answers. Find out how to clean up your email subscriber list and improve open rates. Explore the importance of reengaging cold subscribers through email sequences and how to implement them in your own business.

If you’re running a business these days, it’s pretty much standard that you’ll do some kind of social media marketing.But the unfortunate truth is that most small business owners don’t have any real strategy for their social marketing. They’re just randomly posting content or trying to copy their competitors.The end result? They don’t see any impact on their bottom line and it becomes a massive waste of time.Today, I’m going to share the process that I use to develop our social media strategy every year, which has grown our audience to over one million followers. It’s also the strategy we teach inside Startup Society, that helps members develop social media strategies for their businesses.Listen to the full episode to hear:The two biggest mistakes people make when they’re creating a social media strategy for the first timeWhy you need to get as specific as possible with your goals for your social media presenceWhy you should review the actual data on your past and current posts’ performance rather than relying on your own impressionsWhy going to the platform where your customers are isn’t necessarily the best adviceThe two systems you need to stay consistent with your strategyLearn more about Gillian:Small Business 101Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!Instagram: @GillianZPerkins

Everyone has had the experience of meeting someone who you think might be a good fit for your product or service, but you’re not sure how to shift the conversation from a casual chat to talking about what you do or what you offer, and getting their interest.So today, we’re talking with Nicole Cramer about how to start conversations that lead to sales. She is an Exactly What to Say Certified Guide, and she’s going to share that method for making sales while you’re making conversation.Nicole Cramer is a high-vibe sales coach for female health and wellness entrepreneurs and CEO of Healthy Steps with Nicole. She specializes in how to start conversations that lead to clients through her proven sales system and she is also one of only twelve Exactly What to Say Certified Guides, making her a specialist in sales language and conversion. Nicole’s focus is on high-touch, relationship based selling where making the customer is more important than making the sale.Listen to the full episode to hear:How planning for the critical conversations in your business can help you stay in the momentWhy you need to bring curiosity and empathy to your sales conversationsHow asking questions keeps you in control of the conversationThree rejection-free ways to open a conversationLearn more about Nicole Cramer:Healthy Steps with NicoleInstagram: @thenicolecramerLearn more about Gillian:Small Business 101Startup SocietyGet on the waitlist for VALIDATEProfit Planning ChallengeGet in touch!Instagram: @GillianZPerkinsResources:Exactly What to Say: The Magic Words for Influence and Impact, Phil M Jones