The Boss Mom Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Episode 375: Nurture Your Business: When & How to Build Your Team Jan 29, 2019

Show notes

When starting your journey as an entrepreneur, the thought of hiring a team can be daunting. How can you accommodate staff salaries into your budget? How do you know who to hire? Is there a strategic way to build a team? On this episode, I discuss how you can put together a team in the most effective way.

Just freeing up your time won't make you successful. Using that time wisely will. -Dana Malstaff

3 Things We Learned From This Episode

If you're going to hire someone and pay to free up time for yourself, make sure you use that saved time wisely.
Pay attention to the things you do every day that can be repeated easily. Then, hire people who can do that for you.
Record the tasks you complete. You can use this as training when you hire a team.

If you've just started your own business, it's normal to want to manage every detail. However, once you establish your routines, you no longer need to be involved in all aspects of your company. You should be a beacon, rather than a worker for your business. Hire strategically, and you'll soon find yourself working much more effectively.

Episode 374: How to Write Authentic, Relatable Copy that Solves Pain Points for Your Audience w/Tara Bosler Jan 22, 2019

Show notes

Copy and content are a huge part of connecting with and selling to our target market. What are the foundational pieces of content we have to develop before we do anything else? What are some of the key steps often missed in writing content and copy? How do we address these gaps by understanding our audiences, both mentally and emotionally? On this episode, Tara Bosler shares on how we can write content that relates, helps, and converts.

I'm a huge proponent of clarity over cleverness. -Tara Bosler

3 Things We Learned From This Episode

Stay tapped into the pains your audience has (15:12 - 16:00)

It's important to stay plugged into the issues your target market is facing. Even if you started off as your target market, becoming successful takes us further away from that emotional base. This can make it hard for us to write in a way someone facing that problem can relate to. You have to constantly go back to that emotional base to know where they are and what are they experiencing right now. The closer your language is to the language they're using in their head, the more successful your copywriting will be.

How to create authenticity in our copy (17:21 - 21:07)

Authenticity is about consistency and relatability. It's all about being clear with yourself, first and foremost. We have to know who we are and show up unapologetically. You can't tap into what the audience is thinking and feeling if you're not tapped into what you're thinking and feeling. If you don't tap in, you'll always comes off as surface level, and you won't have a brand that people will fall in love with.

Why our content won't succeed if it doesn't address limiting beliefs (26:46 - 28:17)

Some of the key steps between someone becoming interested in what we're talking about, and actually investing in what we sell are the limiting beliefs that stop them from taking further action. We have to understand not only what they want at the end result phase, but also what they believe is possible. If they don't think something is possible, they won't invest in it.

When it comes to writing copy for our businesses, we tend to get excited about the flashier pieces of content like sales pages and social media copy. However, the very first thing we need to do is be clear about who we are, our message, mission, vision and manifesto. That foundational copy allows us to drill down to the things our target audience thinks and feels, and how we can answer those questions. It all starts with us being authentic. It's not about creating a brand and trying to become that brand. It's about being "you", and then building your brand around that.

Guest Bio-

Tara is a copywriter and content creator for creative women entrepreneurs. She is in love with her extroverted daughter, her nervous dog, writing engaging sales copy, and hot, hot coffee.

To get Tara's Complete Copywriting Playbook go to http://www.tboslerwriting.com/

Episode 373: How to Monetize Your Content with Brand Sponsorships w/Monica Pruett Jan 17, 2019

Show notes

Getting brands to pay us for the things we're already creating is an entrepreneurs dream, but it can seem difficult to make this happen. Why is sponsored content something any creator can find success with, even without a massive following,? Do you have to be on certain platforms to get sponsor dollars? On this episode, Monica Pruett shares on strategies for getting sponsorship, how she's helped entrepreneurs of different sizes, and why sponsorships give us freedom.

If you have goals for your income and you know that sponsored work can help you monetize your influence, now is a really good time to reach out to brands. -Monica Pruett

3 Things We Learned From This Episode

Why sponsorships don't require hundreds of thousands of followers (12:32 - 13:01)

It doesn't matter what size you are— it's really about the fit and your audience. Your audience has pain points, and you won't necessarily create everything that will solve every single pain point. Brands and companies who create products that can fill the gaps are great potential partners you can reach out to.

Which platform is best for sponsorships (22:42 - 24:58 )

You don't have to be a blogger to be successful with sponsored content. Whether you have a following on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, or YouTube, having some kind of following is all that matters. The main challenge with some of the platforms is lacking the same level of metrics and data, so you'll have to learn where to pull the info to use for your pitches.

Why sponsored content is so effective (25:21 - 25:48)

We've been conditioned to shut off advertising, but sponsored content is still effective because people will listen to people they already follow and like. Having an audience's attention is what brands are looking for.

Whether you're a blogger, Instagrammer, or a YouTuber, you can actually grow your business and your income through sponsored content and brand sponsorships. It doesn't necessarily matter what platform you're on. Being an influencer is the important part. As brands are planning their strategy for this year, this is the perfect time to reach out to brands. You could be their next influencer and meet your income goals.

Guest Bio-

Monica Pruett is a former advertising account executive turned full-time influencer, instructor, and strategist. She teaches other entrepreneurs who dream of working from home how to create a consistent income from their influence through public speaking, online programs and a range of other agency services. She specializes in helping her clients and students MONETIZE THEIR INFLUENCE through social media, networking, contract collaboration, and sponsored content creation.

Go to http://monicapruett.com/ for more information.

Episode 372: How to Protect Your Brand, Business & Intellectual Property w/Autumn Boyd Jan 09, 2019

Show notes

When you're running an online business and you don't address legal matters, it can come back to bite you. Why should we get the legality components straightened out right at the beginning when the business is small? How do contracts protect us from scope creep, disputes, and different expectations with the people we're working with? What are the documents, agreements, and contracts we need to have?

On this episode, I'm joined by my lawyer and intellectual property attorney to many online entrepreneurs, Autumn Boyd, to talk about the due diligence we must have to protect our businesses.

An ounce of prevention by taking a little time on the front end will save you so much in time, trouble, headaches, and money. -Autumn Boyd

3 Things We Learned From This Episode

The very first thing you do when you start your business (05:19 - 07:03)

The first step you should take as you're getting your business started is a search to make sure no one else is already using the name you've decided on. You can do a basic search on Google and through the patent and trademark office— which is free. In the US, we have trademark rights based on first use. If you're the first, you get all the rights, and if someone else tries to use the same name, you have a right to ask them to stop.

Why you're never too small to take care of your legal matters (16:45 - 18:48)

People on the internet will have a wide range of emotions toward you. Many people will like you, but there are others who might look for the opportunity to report you if you break any rules or regulations. Even if you're a small business, this can happen to you. This is why it's so important to have things like your privacy policy and terms & conditions done far in advance.

How contracts protect us and our businesses (20:30 - 23:01)

Contracts are important. You've got to be clear on responsibilities of each party and how to terminate a relationship if the needs arises. The contract protects you and the person signing it. Even though it isn't a fun conversation to have, it is a necessary one.

Legal documents, contracts, and agreements in our businesses are not the most exciting thing to think about, but they are VERY important. The bigger we grow and the more people we work with, the more at risk we are if we don't protect ourselves legally. By taking care of this stuff we'll look more professional, and people will take us more seriously. We can take a lot of the emotion out of the formal stuff so it doesn't come back to bite us. This is not a place to take a shortcut in our business, so we have to just get it done. If you're running a business and you really want it go the distance, this is a step you can't skip.

Guest Bio-

Autumn Witt Boyd is an experienced lawyer who helps innovative business owners reach their big goals. Together with her team at The Law Office of Autumn Witt Boyd PLLC, Autumn guides online and e-commerce businesses as they grow. She has special expertise in copyright and trademark issues, and her firm offers full-service legal support to creative businesses. Go to https://awbfirm.com/ for more information.

To grab Autumn's 10 Step Legal Road Map® Checklist, go to https://awbfirm.com/checklist/.

Check out Autumn's podcast here https://awbfirm.com/podcast/.

Episode 371: Nurture Your Business: How to Decide What to Focus On In Your Business Jan 02, 2019

Show notes

The start of the new year gives boss moms the opportunity to refocus their business models— but what exactly does that mean? How can we begin to focus on our businesses in a world saturated with courses and advice coming from everyone with a social media following? In the first podcast of 2019, I narrow down three key areas that will help us hone in on the things that make our businesses great.

I want 2019 to be a great year for us, so let's figure out what you're going to focus on. -Dana Malstaff

3 Things We Learned From This Episode

Look at what has worked for you thus far, and identify your gifts. Your gifts don't need to be your passions, but the abilities that have helped you achieve success in the past.
Find your set processes. The repetitive systems you use will ultimately allow you to scale your business and sell more without sacrificing your time.
Acknowledge the work you do— and do not— enjoy. This, in turn, will help you identify the areas you should delegate to others and help you work smarter.

As online entrepreneurs, our goal is to create scalable businesses and courses that allow us to achieve sustained success without sacrificing more time. The only way to do this is to hone in on our gifts, establish systems, and delegate where necessary. 2019 is a new year with new opportunities. This doesn't mean we need to look for entirely new solutions. Instead, we should focus on what's been effective for us and refine the work we've already started.

Episode 370: Nurture Your Business: How to Figure Out What Problem You Solve Dec 27, 2018

Show notes

As human beings, we all want validation. For entrepreneurs, no validation is as great as knowing there's a demand for the problem we solve. Why is it so important to be clear on what we want to be known for? How can we drill down to that problem and turn it into something we can sell or share with clients? On this episode, I talk about some strategies you can implement to define your service and package.

You have to fall in love with the problem you solve, not the thing you sell. -Dana Malstaff

3 Things We Learned From This Episode

Rushing makes you slower. You'll spend more time putting out fires from mistakes, you won't give strategies enough time to grow legs, and you might end up relaunching.
If your name isn't associated with what you should be known for, you're facing an uphill battle.
Think about what you want people to know from you and how you can bottle it into an educational package you can sell.

Businesses and brands that stand the test of time and make money in the long run are built on solving one key problem and really honing in on it. It's important for us to work towards what we want people to know us for. We must also know the key intellectual property we have that solves a problem for our clients. You don't have to know what it is right this second, but you can start getting clarity by thinking of what you're constantly teaching, doing, or creating that could be packaged into a course. That will improve your messaging because you can start talking about the problem so you're not just creating content without a purpose.

How To Create An Online Course To Sell With Amy Porterfield Dec 18, 2018

Show notes

If the goal of an online business is to make money while we sleep, online courses are one of the most powerful ways to do this. What are the clues that tell us we have something we can build a profitable course on? How do courses help us free up more time to be more creative, systematize our expertise, and give value en masse? Why is it so key for us to nurture an audience while we work on the course?

On this episode, Amy Porterfield is back to talk about how to create an online course that can become a stream of income and boost our business.

What will genuinely make you money in a course is taking the results that you have created for yourself or other people and put it together in a system, a roadmap, or a process. That's what sells. -Amy Porterfield

3 Things We Learned From This Episode

How to know we're ready to create a course (01:52 - 02:34 )

You know you're ready to make a course when you keep repeating yourself to different people over and over again. You also know you're ready when you create results for yourself and other people.

Can we create a course if our clients have unique problems? (VIDEO 2 - 01:32 - 04:19)

Even when people have unique problems, they they are still in need of our system or roadmap we create to solving a problem. Many of the people enrolled in our courses will hit the finish line, but even those who don't will still be completely satisfied because of the community around the course. The community is where you get to add that one-on-one advice that's more personalized and unique.

How to market our courses and get people to want them (VIDEO 2 - 10:28 - 16:00)

The best way to market our online course is to use a vehicle that allows us to give value and earn our right to sell the course. Our course needs to be stellar and our marketing must be good and true. Marketing our course start with social media content that leads into our email list because that's the audience that will buy from us. We do this by posting content consistently, and pointing people to our really cool freebies while we're creating our courses at the same time.

After running a service business or doing one-on-one coaching, courses are a really cool way for us to transition into another method of making money and growing our business. Success leaves clues. If we've been able to get results for ourselves or somebody else, that is the area we should make the course about. What people pay for is the road map, system, or process we offer, and our unique way of solving a problem. To make sure this course can actually succeed, we have to nurture our audience through social media and build the list of people who will want to buy it as soon as we launch. We nurture that community by posting content that lends itself to our core message. If we have one course that creates consistent revenue, we'll be able to say "no" to the things that drag us down, and "yes" to more of the things that light us up.

Guest Bio-

Amy is an entrepreneur, coach, speaker, author and podcaster. She runs a top-ranked business podcast and runs best-selling online courses.She teaches business owners, educators and entrepreneurs the profitable action steps for building a highly engaged email list, creating online training courses, and using online marketing strategies to sell with ease. For more information and to check out Amy's podcast go to https://www.amyporterfield.com/.

Watch Amy's first Boss Mom Podcast Interview here https://boss-mom.com/episode-320-tweaking-vs-pivoting-overcoming-camera-shyness-being-consistent-w-amy-porterfield/.

Episode 368: Nurture Your Business: Is Your Content Calendar Actually Hurting Your Business? Nov 29, 2018

Show notes

Many of us spend a lot of time in social media, but we don't actually know what we're getting from it. As a result, the content we put out ends up achieving very little or nothing. What are two of the biggest mistakes people make with their content calendars? How can our content calendars actually lose us business and money? On this episode, I talk about how to actually make our content calendars help our marketing efforts— not hinder them.

It's better to post less, guide people the right way, and position yourself the right way than to just put out a lot of stuff for the sake of consistency of content. -Dana Malstaff

3 Things We Learned From This Episode

Just putting a lot of content out there can confuse the market. They end up not knowing what to come to us for. Our content has to position us to show our expertise and point of view.
If you're sending your audience to other people's blog posts and that person has a great opt-in, you're only helping them make money (unless you're part of their affiliate program).
If parts of our sales pages became part of our content calendars, we would be sharing what we do and how we solve problems.

Our content calendars must not be taken lightly. It's not just about putting out as much content as possible. It's about having a structure and a strategy to reveal our point of view and establish ourselves as a worthy solution to the problems we're trying to solve. A content calendar that's too general won't get you half as far as a content calendar that is really specific and strategic about where we want to drive people.

Episode 367: Making Big Life Changes, Overcoming Challenges & Why We're The Secret Ingredient of Our Children's Happiness w/ Julie Ciardi Nov 27, 2018

Show notes

Sometimes life forces us to make scary choices and bold moves to get what we want. Going through this can be challenging and emotional. How does entrepreneurship make us more equipped to deal with challenges and differences with other people? What are some of the lessons that have come from going through a divorce, co-parenting, and remaining a family even after a split?

On this episode, founder of the Divorced Mommy Podcast, Julie Ciardi, shares her story and how she got through the rough times.

You have to be strong and focused on the kids without sacrificing who you are or your happiness. -Julie Ciardi

3 Things We Learned From This Episode

Why it's so hard to walk away from something that isn't bad (07:13 - 08:01)

Sometimes something is too comfortable for us to get out of. Whether it's a job, a relationship, or a business, it's harder to walk away from something that isn't terrible than to get out of something that's really bad. Sometimes we have to be forced into an uncomfortable place so we can make a decision.

The power of still wanting the best for our exes (24:22 - 25:52)

Many people are concerned about what happens when our former spouses inevitably move on with other people. When we care about our former spouse and trust that they will make good decisions, this isn't something that should worry us. Through splitting up, we both get to learn what we really want. Our exes will find people that will make them happy, and that's what we want for them.

How to be more compassionate (34:43 - 36:10)

There's never perfect in anything— whether it's relationships, motherhood or business. In any relationship, you will bump heads. The big thing is, we have to want to fix it and care about the happiness of the other person in the outcome as much as ours. We bump heads in relationships because we see the world differently, and we just have to be compassionate.

Whether we're walking away from a job we've known for years, a relationship, or a business that isn't making us happy, we're sometimes going to be forced to make a scary change in our our lives. We have to know that it takes work to overcome that, but things can be so amazing on the other side. As entrepreneurs, we already have a leg up. There's so much mindset work and personal development that comes with the entrepreneurial journey that we're more equipped to handle these moments. The more we do work on ourselves, the more compassion and responsibility we have in talking to other people. What we learn as entrepreneurs can be applied everywhere else in our lives and enrich all our relationships.

Guest Bio-

Julie is the founder of the Divorced Mommy podcast and blog. She is a mom of 3, divorced & remarried. She has a very modern blended family that she has worked very hard for. She took the leap from corporate, leaving a high paying multi-six figure executive salary to be an entrepreneur with 2 businesses. She launched a brick & mortar women's boutique styling moms for their daily hustle called Haven Boutique

She launched her podcast to help divorced moms with their mindset & long term vision to create the life they want & their children need.

Find the podcast on iTunes and Stitcher. Go to https://divorcedmommy.blog/, and follow her on Instagram @divorcedmommy.

To read a blog post by Julie's daughter about what parents should know about co-parenting, sign up for Julie's mailing list.

Episode 366: Nurture Your Business: When to Coach & When to Sell on a Call Nov 22, 2018

Show notes

When dealing with prospects, it can be tough to figure out when our advice should be paid for, and how much we should give away so people fall in love with us and want more from us. How we find the right balance between coaching and selling so we're giving value but not giving away what we should be paid for? When is coaching the best way to sell or when should you just plain sell our program? On this episode, I talk about how to coach someone when they are still a prospect.

When you're with a prospect, you have to be a walking sales letter. -Dana Malstaff

3 Things We Learned From This Episode

6 elements of sales pages: frustration, transformation, will they gain the most from what you have to offer, how do you fit into solving their frustration, what are the benefits and features of what they are getting and what is your social proof.
If someone says, "I have a lot to think about, this has been a great call," you have given too much away.
A coach guides people to come to their own conclusions. A consultant tells you what to do and gives you a recommended course of action.

In everything we do, we are the sales rep of our businesses. This is especially true when we're talking to prospects, how we interact with them depends on our goals, the problems we're solving and frustrations and challenges our prospect is facing. What we need to learn to balance is giving value to bring people into our world and giving just enough of that away that people still want to buy from us. We have to fill in their gaps to show our value and then when they see our value, we can ask them to invest in us.

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