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5 Burning Questions About Cacti You’ve Been Dying to Ask
One of the first things people ask about when they first see my brand and logo is “Why the cactus?” So today, I’m dishing *all about* the cactus and what it means to me and the business.
It’s been 5 years since I started Capturing Your Confidence and I’ve grown in ways I couldn’t have imagined. What started as a desire to write and help others write has turned into a lifelong passion and the discovery of my true calling. A girl can’t ask for much more than that, can she?
One of the first things people ask about when they first see my brand and logo is “Why the cactus?” So today, I’m dishing *all about* the cactus and what it means to me and the business.
What’s the story behind the cactus?
Cacti are weird little plants - at least they’re little where I’m from because they sit on windowsills. In the wild, cacti are huge! Saguaro cactus, the ones with a straight body and arm-looking structures, can grow up to 45 feet tall.
As I was working on a creative project, I was particularly drawn to an illustrated cactus. It was kind of odd because I'm definitely not known for having a green thumb. Nonetheless, I loved that little cactus for some reason and it stuck with me. As I began researching, I realized why.
Cacti are incredibly diverse. They’re true survivors. Those sharp spines they grow? They developed those over time not just to protect themselves, but also to provide shade. One spine might not provide a lot of shade, but when they’re taken together as a group, they offer the cactus a modicum of protection from the hot desert sun.
They live for hundreds of years in desert environments - some of the harshest conditions nature presents - and some even bear flowers and fruit when they’re mature. By the way, cacti become fully mature at around 70 years old, so it’s completely acceptable if you’re hesitant about being a “mature adult” sometimes. In cactus years, we’re all still young.
The cactus symbolizes endurance, strength, and perseverance. They’re truly adaptable to almost any situation. These are all characteristics I think about when I think about people.
We’ve all experienced the throes of hardship at some point, right? We’ve all been in survival mode at least to some extent. It’s only once we move through and heal that we can begin to live and thrive.
People, like cacti, are wonderfully varied and often go through transformative periods. We both survive under great odds and thrive where others wilt under pressure. When you think about it, it’s pretty incredible.
That’s where the Capturing Your Confidence cactus came from. As for me…I’m definitely a little obsessed now.
What does writing have to do with cacti?
On the surface, not much. But, when you dig a little deeper, it starts to make more sense.
Writing often feels dangerous, like it might hurt you if you approach it the wrong way. Cacti are, for the most part, covered in small spikes - not exactly something you want to cuddle with.
When you’re drained and stressed and burned out, creativity seems like it might be a good outlet. But…what if you do it wrong? What if it’s not enough? What if it feels like just another thing on your already way-too-long list? Cacti spend weeks and months in the desert with no water, surviving on their own water supply, which is impressive and sad at the same time. When it does rain, the Saguaro cactus can soak in up to 60 gallons of water. In the same way, life sometimes is almost unbearably heavy. And yet, we survive. Using writing to express yourself can be a much-needed outlet that helps you bear the weight of life.
Finally, writing can take on any number of forms. Short, long, with pictures, poems, books, and everything in between. Cactus plants come in all shapes and sizes. They’re all pretty neat in their own way, just like writing.
You live in the Midwest, right? So…not anywhere near a real cactus.
Yep! I was born and raised in Indiana and my husband and I (+ our two best boys) live here.
But, I’ve seen real cacti in the wild when traveling and was duly awed. I also recently acquired a cuddly cactus which I’m in love with – she’s so cute.
As I continue to do research, I become more fascinated. Just this week I went to the library on the hunt for a book about cacti for something else I’m working on.
Do you really believe people have the same qualities as a cactus?
100%.
The technology we have today allows for amazing things in the way of connecting with people all over the world. But, it’s also disconnected us from our environment and nature. I think we can all learn a lot from slowing down and observing what other kinds of creatures and organisms do to survive and thrive.
Cacti provide a wonderful example because they are such true survivors. In the same way, people have an extraordinary ability to survive even in the worst environments we can imagine. The way the mind can process and compartmentalize and still find a way to function - wow.
So, yes. We may not have (visible) spines or stand out in the desert, but we are a lot like cacti in other ways.
I want to explore my inner cactus strength with writing coaching, what do I do next?
I’m so excited for you! Let’s do it.
The first step is to read about the options here and book a 15-min call with me to make sure we’re a good match. Fair warning, I’m not about tough love (I mean, I just compared us to cacti, that’s not the vibe). So if that’s what you’re looking for, I’m probably not the coach for you.
BUT, if you don’t mind *some* woo and you’re looking for someone to guide your creativity and writing out of the burnout/stressed out/stuck desert you’re in, I’m your gal. Grab a chat so you don’t have to try to figure everything out on your own.
5 Reasons American Industry Needs ‘Active Listening’ Now More Than Ever
Active listening has many benefits in the workplace. One might even say all businesses need leaders who are adept at active listening. Here’s why.
Expert tips for how business leaders can readily address the root causes of stress and burnout and ultimately facilitate a culture of caring
Employee burnout is one of the greatest challenges facing the U.S. economy to the tune of $300 billion each year, according to the American Institute of Stress. Its studies show that a near majority, fully 83%, of U.S. workers suffer from work-related stress, with over half (60%) of worker absences directly related to that stress. Not only is this a significant drain on resources that drives avoidable opportunity loss, but it’s also a major contributor to both mental and physical health problems of valuable employees.
Today’s employers need not knowingly or unconsciously undermine their own productivity and profitability. While any number of interventions can address and resolve the employee burnout epidemic, one solution is within earshot...literally: active listening.
Today’s modern management must take a top-down approach to support staffers, and not just hear what is being said but rather actively listen to it. For one, a Harvard Business Review study found that active listening is a key factor in improving leadership effectiveness, which, in turn, improves employee productivity, engagement, and retention.
“Today’s modern management must take a top-down approach to support staffers, and not just hear what is being said but rather actively listen to it.”
Conversely, failing to do so presents a mission-critical missed opportunity to address and resolve, the root causes of workforce stress and burnout. With employee burnout so widespread, aptly addressing the issue can seem daunting for managers. However, the overwhelm of the issue can apparently be mitigated with a clarified understanding of common challenges that cause, and exacerbate, employee burnout.
According to Adi Segal, CEO of Hapi.com, below are five red flags that can readily be identified and resolved through active listening. These are:
Social Isolation: When employees feel isolated, their emotional state is compromised and they are more likely to experience anxiety, stress, and burnout–factors that can erode and impair a company’s growth. The work-from-home culture has only exacerbated the issue. In fact, Airbnb’s CEO warned that “the most dangerous part of remote work isn’t lost productivity—it’s loneliness.” Active listening can help leaders identify employees who are struggling with this issue and take concerted steps to help them feel more connected to a manager and the team at large. Knowing that you “belong,” feeling that you are an important “part of something” and understanding that your contributions are valued can produce a powerful and positive mindset.
Relationship Issues: Whether with respect to friends, colleagues, family or a significant other, relationship problems can cause significant pain, trauma, and strain that promotes burnout. By actively listening to employees, leaders can identify these kinds of issues and take proactive measures to address them before they become major problems—for the worker, department, and the company overall.
Mentorship Deficits: Mentoring is an essential part of career development, but it can be challenging to navigate for both mentors and mentees. Many companies today are stretched thin and workdays are overwhelmed with tasks and to-do’s that make “free time” elusive if not seemingly impossible. Even so, it’s imperative for leaders to engage in active listening moments to help identify these guidance gaps and provide the necessary support, direction, assessment, and praise to keep staffers on the right track.
Socioeconomic & Financial Strife: Often, an employee pool represents a variety of socioeconomic factors and income levels. No matter one’s real or self-perceived stature or actual salary, everyone is at risk of struggling culturally and economically. Active listening can be a profound form of activism, with one report underscoring the extent to which active listening can offer much-needed support to help people deal with intense and distressing emotions in relation to these particular issues that fundamentally impact nearly every aspect of our work, home, and social lives.
Sub-Par Problem-Solving: It would be an understatement to say that problem-solving is a critical capability to uphold in the workplace. In fact, problem-solving skills were cited as the most important soft skill of 2022 with fully 86% of employers reportedly seeking this attribute on student resumes, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers Job Outlook 2022 survey. Given this vital skill is hampered by communication breakdowns, active listening can help leaders identify these shortfalls, and bridge those gaps by providing the necessary understanding, explanation, support, and guidance to ensure everyone is on the same page.
According to Segal, “Even the most significant issues individuals, families, and organizations face can be resolved with active listening, which needs to be more deeply embedded into our society—especially as most facets of our professional and personal lives move at lightning speed. Relative to corporate culture, better listening training is a quick and tactical way to demonstratively and quantifiably improve company culture, increase staff retention and boost the bottom line.”
“Active listening can be a profound form of activism”
Immediately Accessible Solutions
Addressing employee burnout and related productivity pitfalls need not be rocket science, according to Segal, there are numerous tactical strategies to start addressing the issue right now.
These include:
● Practice Makes Perfect: As with any skill, listening ability is correlated with frequency of use. Like working a muscle, it will get stronger over time. Similarly, leaders should regularly schedule and conduct sessions with their employees to actually practice “the art of listening” rather than just “hearing what someone said.” This is in order to fully comprehend the content, meaning, and implications of that discourse. People must embrace the notion that listening is not just a concept, but rather something that requires intention and action.
● Train Your Team: There are numerous emotional intelligence and active listening courses leaders can provide individuals or their entire team. Just as the state mandates harassment training, business executives should make listening certification an important part of their own, and their team’s, professional development. Go a step further and make it a prerequisite or requirement for the job. If and when needed, expert trainers can be engaged to run active listening exercises, either in-person or virtually. Such professional resources can help expedite the key learning needed to put this skill into meaningful practice and start positively impacting people and the business's bottom line.
● Recommend Resources: Analysis by NSC and NORC at the University of Chicago reveals organizations that support mental health see a return of $4 for every dollar invested. They’ve built a Mental Health Cost Calculator that can demonstrate and quantify the financial impact on your own company. Also notable is that research makes it abundantly clear: talking to strangers can supercharge happiness. With the advent of Certified Listening as a Service (CLaaS), managers can promote mental health apps and resources that increase access to care and human connectivity with 24/7/365 availability, lower the bar to entry, and simply provide a safe space for team members (from the C-suite to the front line) to vent, relieve stress, get advice, bounce ideas or just have company when feeling lonely or isolated. Such access anywhere, any time mental health platforms can be a boon for employee retention, recruitment, and organizational transitions.
“Many psychologists even admit that, often, people dealing with work and life issues don't need therapy, but rather they just need someone to talk to,” Segal says. “Someone who will truly listen and provide the space for support, validation, and exploration.”
“Organizationally, leaders need to establish and build upon a culture of engagement, collaboration, and trust. The kind that can only be compelled through true active listening.”
Organizationally, leaders need to establish and build upon a culture of engagement, collaboration, and trust. The kind that can only be compelled through true active listening so that employees feel heard, valued, and supported in a way that impedes burnout.
In turn, business and industry will realize an array of benefits, from increased productivity and higher staff retention rates to lower absenteeism and presenteeism exemplified by the ‘quiet quitting’ trend.
Employee angst, stress, and burnout are significant business problems. One highly viable—and relatively immediate—solution lies in the simple yet impactful act of active listening.
By committing to this learned and nuanced skill, leaders can readily address the root causes of these issues and ultimately facilitate a potent culture of caring. Executives will quickly see the ripple effects as these improvements drive employee satisfaction and revenue growth.
Merilee Kern, MBA is a brand strategist and analyst who reports on industry change makers, movers, shakers, and innovators: field experts and thought leaders, brands, products, services, destinations, and events. Merilee is also the Founder, Executive Editor, and Producer of “The Luxe List” as well and is the Host of both the “Savvy Ventures” business TV show that airs nationally on FOX Business TV and Bloomberg TV and the “Savvy Living” lifestyle TV show airing in top U.S. markets.
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How Writing Habits Help Business Owners
Habits aren’t easy to create, but they’re important. Writing habits can be trickier than others, too, because we all come from different places with experience and skills... Here's how writing habits can help business owners.
Habits aren’t easy to create, but they’re important. Writing habits can be trickier than others, too, because we all come from different places with experience and skills.
Developing your voice and feeling confident about it takes time and effort. You have to show up and work on it, and it doesn’t always feel like a fun creative whirlwind. Similar to running your business, sometimes writing feels exhilarating and sometimes it kicks your butt. I totally get that because it happens to me, too, even as a seasoned writer.
What I’ve experienced, and what I’ve seen when I work with students and coaching clients, is that you need a writing habit. When you create a habit of showing up for yourself to regularly practice your writing, it not only feels better, but you tend to have fewer “this is all terrible” days, too. You learn what’s comfortable and what feels good, and it becomes easier to live with days that aren’t great because you don’t feel like every single time will be bad.
I feel it coming, it always does: “But…”
Some of the most common obstacles and challenges - what I often call the “buts” - I hear from storytellers from all walks of life are:
I’m too busy
Taking time for writing feels like a luxury
Writing isn’t as urgent as other pressing matters in my life
There’s always tomorrow, so why do I need to start today?
These are all completely legitimate concerns. We are busy, and sometimes emergencies do pop up that we have to take care of immediately, such as taking your beloved pet to the emergency room because they got into something and won’t stop throwing up. Obviously, you wouldn’t just not take care of them because you’ve scheduled writing time (even if they’ve done it more than once and you don’t feel as bad for them as you used to). But, in general, writing on a regular basis and practicing telling your story doesn’t usually present those types of high-stakes scenarios.
People have these preconceived notions about what writing “has to” look like, and most of them aren’t very good.
Things like writing for hours at a time and having to have the exact right words at every turn put so much pressure on you as a storyteller. They work totally in concert with the challenges above because the challenges present an out.
You can’t do an hour-long writing session three times this week because your brother needs you to watch your nephew. You can’t journal every day because you have to be at work all day and you’ll be too tired - you’ll get at it on the weekend.
These unfortunate notions, some that have been programmed into our minds since we were kids learning what a “real writer” is, can create barriers to even starting. Who wants to do something thinking it will be a completely uphill battle they won’t be very good at?
This is why creating a writing habit is important. I believe, and I’ve seen it with my own two eyes, that when you make a little time for writing each week, it can change your life.
It’s worth sticking with the first couple of months to build a strong, healthy habit. Here’s why.
Get Comfortable
Writing isn’t natural for a lot of people. In fact, it has a tendency to feel extremely vulnerable, especially if you’ve been in situations where you felt you didn’t have privacy to express yourself.
As you create a writing habit and write regularly, it’ll get more relaxed. You’ll get more comfortable, and it’s highly likely you’ll begin to feel more creative and excited to continue on.
Get Creative
If I had a dollar for every time someone told me they’re “just not that creative”...but seriously, it’s super common. People don’t think they can think beyond reality. Really, it just takes a desire and a little bit of practice. When you get more comfortable telling your story and it becomes a habit, the outcome can evolve into something bigger than you started with.
If the first thing you want to do is tell your story from beginning to end, and you practice doing that, it makes sense you’ll add to that goal moving forward. Maybe the next outcome is that you want to feel comfortable telling your story, or learn how to tell it in a way that makes sense for you to share it.
No matter what you do, when you have a writing habit you show up for, you’ll see progress. You’ll come up with new ways to say things and perhaps figure out how to explain the context of your story without feeling like you have to give your whole life story as background information.
Get Confident
My favorite part about writing habits is the confidence they create. There’s nothing quite like seeing someone write a story know they did that. It’s the same look of wonderment from community college and university classrooms to community centers and library group sessions to addiction treatment facilities. It’s the “I can” look, at least that’s what I call it.
Getting comfortable with your words and ideas and being able to be creative, sometimes for the first time, is an incredible feeling. It builds your confidence, which is essentially the entire goal of this book. It builds to the moment where you think to yourself: I did this and it’s good enough. I did this and it matters. I did this and I matter to the world.
What Does This Have to Do with Business Owners?
Everyone can benefit from a solid writing habit, but business owners can get a few extra kickbacks from them.
As you grow more comfortable, creative, and confident in your writing, you’ll grow in similar ways in your personal life a business.
Because most people have a complicated relationship with writing and writing habits, forming one means that you’ve already proven to yourself that you can do hard things (like Glennon Doyle says). When you face obstacles in business, you’ll be more confident that you can work through it - maybe even in writing!
Business owners are people first. Sure, we do badass things and create and manage. But at the heart of it all, we’re people who have emotions, feelings, stress, love, relationships, and everything in between. Writing gives you a safe place to be human first before anything else. Everyone needs a space like this.
This is your time to shine, business owner. I believe in you, and I hope that you believe in you, too.
Call for Resources
Have a resource about writing, confidence, mental health, or learning? Need a resource about those topics? This page is for you.
I love a good list. In fact, if you could see my office, you’d find about 20 colored Post-It notes with different lists. Some are reminders and some are to-do lists. Some are notes from calls I didn’t know were going to happen and had to write something down before I forgot.
But my favorite lists are resources. Helpful websites, books, videos, etc. that you can learn from. It could be because learning is one of my strengths and that I enjoy it. There’s something comforting about having a list of places to go when you have a question or need help, though. There’s something satisfying in knowing that you’re not the only person who thinks about things in categories and wonders if other people might find them helpful.
This is why the Resources page on my new website is so meaningful to me.
It started with the resources from writing my book, Storytelling for Everyday People. But many things I know come from experience - they’re not listable, tangible articles you can read or a video you can watch. I can’t list teaching experience as a resource because you can’t really access my brain like it’s Google, right?
From the outset, that’s been a question on my mind: how can I make this page the most useful list possible? How do I get more resources without seeming disingenuous or like I’m going on the internet to find random sources to beef up a web page? Because one thing is for sure: NOTHING on the website is random. Every step and design choice - even colors and images - are intentional.
That’s how I landed on submissions. Who best to share resources than experts using and creating them?
What’s on the Resources Page
When you land on the Resources page, you’ll notice 3 main sections after the welcome message. The current categories are Websites & Articles, Books, and Talks. I landed on these sections because they tend to cover a pretty wide selection of information you can read and watch. In the future, I could see this being extended to podcasts and interviews as well, but for now, you’ll find most videos under Talks.
The Websites & Articles section is the most defined with 6 sections:
Mental health
Therapy
Learning & Confidence
Writing
Writing & Book Coaching
Blogging
The books and talks are listed as a group. As people submit more resources, you’ll start seeing more sections in those areas as well. It’s a living list, so my goal is for it to continue growing and become a go-to place for those looking for resources about writing, confidence, mental health, and eventually addiction recovery.
Where & How to Submit + Standards
If you or your business have a resource that could be helpful for those in the mental health and addiction recovery communities, feel free to submit it! All you have to do is go to the Resources page, scroll down to the bottom, and click the button that says “Submit Resource(s).”
When you submit, it sends me an email so I can see and review the resources.
Once I get the notification, I’ll go read or watch/listen to the piece. If it’s a website, I check the organization and domain authority to make sure the source is legitimate. If I can’t find a website that clearly explains who the organization is or what it does, the resource doesn’t make the cut. I need to know the information is reliable so I’m not sharing incorrect information or propaganda. No spam here!
I also don’t accept sales pages or pitches for products and services. Same with polarizing or unrelated opinions. None of those are really resources, so they don’t belong on a page that’s free and meant to provide help.
After the source is vetted, I’ll put it up on the website where it can start helping more people.
Within the first couple of weeks of the new submission system, I’ve already gotten a couple of submissions. Very exciting! I can’t wait to see all of the helpful resources out there in the world that I don’t know about yet.
In the meantime, I’ll keep making my fun colored lists on Post-Its and sticking them everywhere. It makes my office more home-y, and to be honest, I can’t imagine working in a space that didn’t have notes everywhere. It just feels like a learner’s place to be.
If you have a resource or know about a business or organization that would be a good fit, feel free to share the website and resources page! The more the merrier. Let’s work together to make the world a more informed and helpful place.
How to Use Focus Words for Goal Setting
Here are some simple suggestions about how to pick strong focus words for your business in the new year. And some insights that I’ve learned from the word of the year trend.
The last six months have been a whirlwind…to say the least. Personally, I’ve battled extremely low iron, which I had to get infusions for. And I got diagnosed with Psoriasis & Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA). It wasn’t surprising, but since both low iron and PsA come with chronic fatigue, I’d pretty much get up every day feeling like I never went to bed.
Now that I’ve started treatment, I’m feeling better slowly but surely. Throughout the struggle, I clung to my business dream like it was going out of style. I knew I didn’t want to do quite the same thing - content writing for clients - but it didn’t become clear to me what to do for a while. After all, writing pays the bills and security is important!
I remember the day everything changed. I was driving home from the library (one of my favorite local workplaces) after a particularly tough content-writing session.
This can’t be it. There has to be something better.
I thought about how I missed teaching and being around real-life people. Wondering how I could impact more people than a few clients at a time, even though I enjoyed the people I worked with.
WORKSHOPS
It was one word that appeared in my mind - around June I think. Nothing has ever been more clear in my life. One of my colleagues hopped on a strategy call with me and the ideas just kept coming and coming. We were both so excited (and still are). I finally got it about business owners saying it was “easy.” And just plain fun to think about.
So I went about my business (literally), changing pretty much everything. Don’t worry - I’ll be sharing more soon. ;)
When the new year rolled around, I didn’t have trouble choosing how I want to spend the year.
Goal Setting with Focus Words
I’m going to guess you’ve heard of the word of the year trend. It’s pretty popular, and it’s always interesting to see what others are focusing on for the year. Last year, I couldn’t narrow it down so I chose 3: Steady, Ease, and Accept.
It was difficult to narrow down because I didn’t have a clear focus. I was on the fence about my services and pricing. I knew I had to pick one or the other direction and stick with it before I could expand, but I just didn’t want to. I also knew I was burned the heck out and needed something to give. I needed to be able to let it evolve on its own and see where it went without worrying about it every single moment of the day (you’ve had those thoughts, right? I know I’m not the only one).
So, because I love lists with a passion, I made a huge list of choices.
Like, a whole page of options.
How the hell does someone pick ONE word out of a whole page to focus on for the year??
Obviously, I missed the “word” of the year mark since I picked 3. But I felt good about it. It felt like something I could look at when everything seemed overwhelming and be comforted: all I had to do was stick to those three things and it would be okay.
2023 came easier for me, and I’m okay with having two focuses that go hand-in-hand. But if you’re in the space where you’re trying to figure out if the word of the year thing is even worth your time, it might help to think about it in a different way.
Here’s what I’ve learned about having a word of the year:
The term word of the year freaks me out because it feels too significant for one word
Goals are always top of mind and it’s okay to have a way to reign them in when they seem to be taking over your life (making it so you don’t actually achieve any of them)
My words of the year help me focus and drown out some of the distractions that come with running a business
The term focus is critical because it means something different than goals - it’s a bit less constricting but still productive
I can use other people’s examples and ideas and adapt them to what I need
So here’s what I’m going to suggest, if you, like me, find yourself in a place where you want direction, but can’t pick a single word.
Think about what you love about your business right now. If you’re looking for a change, what does that look like?
Think about what you’d love to do next. (Even if it doesn’t necessarily “match” what you do right now).
Think about how you want your business to feel for other people.
Think about how you want to feel as you run your business.
If you had one opportunity this year that would put a huge smile on your face and some dance in your pants, what would it be? How do you get closer to that?
Write down said thoughts on paper with a pen. Or type it out, your choice. ;) Don’t lose the thoughts, though! You never know when they might come in handy.
Breathe in, breathe out, and listen to what your heart and instincts are saying about how to move forward. Trust said instinct and run with it.
Is this scientific? Nope. Is it woo-woo? Yep.
The question you’re wondering now, especially if you’re a skeptic of the woo-woo world: Does it work? Absolutely.
My Focus Words for 2023
Sometimes an example is just the thing to make an idea easier to understand. So I thought I’d share my focus words for 2023. They’re “fun” and “easy.”
More specifically, the phrases I’m focusing on are:
Let it be fun.
Let it be easy.
Let it be fun is about how I want to feel in my business. I love writing more than most things and I want to share that passion more widely rather than simply doing it. I also love teaching, but I don’t miss grading. How do I put those two things together in my business? Writing workshops. It’s fun, it’s meaningful, and it gets me into the community where I wanted to be the whole time.
Let it be easy is about how I approach my business. I have a tendency to overthink, overanalyze, and pick things to death. It’s stressful, and I’m sure it’s part of an anxiety reaction; however, it doesn’t have to be a thing at all. Not really. So letting it be easy, for me, is about trusting my instincts, taking opportunities that come along, and letting myself just do it already. Ironically, letting it be easy is often the challenge, not the business part.
Some of the other focus words I’ve heard about from my network this year are: growth, confidence, balance, purpose, intent, and present.
What about you? Did you set focus words? Or do you like having a word of the year? Comment below or find me on socials - let’s talk about it!
TL;DR
Try choosing a couple of focus words rather than restricting yourself to a single word of the year. Let it be fun, let it be easy, and don’t forget that you get to do what you love in your business. No matter what words/phrases you choose, always keep your passion and joy top of mind.
Onboarding A New Contractor
Now it’s time to onboard your new team member. You want it to be super easy on both of you, and there are some simple ways you can make that happen.
So you’ve hired your first contractor - congratulations! You’ve made it through getting organized before hiring and interviewing. Did you sigh in relief? It can be a ton of work to make it through those steps, so great work. Now it’s time to onboard your new team member. You want it to be super easy on both of you, and there are some simple ways you can make that happen.
Access to Tools and Platforms
Take the first week to set your team member up on the platforms you use. You can either set up a new profile for them or share your personal password. If you’re sharing passwords, there are two good options you can use.
You can use a secure password-sharing site such as LastPass where you’re in control of how much access your team member has to your passwords. You can also store secure information such as credit card information, if needed, if your contractor will be spending on your behalf. You can also change your passwords to something secure but nonpersonal to feel less wary of sharing. Remember, you can change passwords at any time, so if there comes a time when you need to limit or remove a contractor’s access, it’s simple to do.
Here are a few things you may need to share with your contractor:
Templates (Canva, Google Docs, Word Docs, etc.)
Storage folders (Google Drive, Dropbox)
Website (Squarespace, WordPress, Wix)
Email marketing platform (HubSpot, Mailchimp, Constant Contact, Flodesk, ActiveCampaign, etc.)
Project management platform (Asana, Trello)
Communication (Email, Slack, phone number)
Social platforms (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, TikTok, Pinterest)
Training Videos
Training videos are a great way to help new contractors. By recording demo videos, the individual can go back and rewatch the training as much as they need rather than showing them on a call and then coming back to you because they forgot how to do something. Loom and Zoom are great options to record the videos, then you can store them in a shared Google Drive folder!
In the videos, you can show them how to use a platform, your method for completing a task, how you expect things to be recorded, etc. Plan to cover any tasks you want them to do in a specific way.
Set Boundaries
Just as you set boundaries with your clients (if you don’t, you should!), you also need to set boundaries with your contractors. Set expectations around working hours, communication, deadlines, and payment terms. A lot of these should have been communicated during the interview process, but take time to clearly explain what you expect and why. While the “why” isn’t necessarily a requirement, it can help set the relationship on a good path and establish trust on a person-to-person basis.
The onboarding process is also a great time to set up recurring meetings, if needed. You’ll probably need more meeting time at the beginning of the contract to get your team member(s) comfortable with your business and their tasks. If you need to meet weekly then move to monthly, make that clear with your contractor, and get something on the calendar that works for both of you.
Legal Obligations
If you hire a part-time contractor, you’ll need them to fill out a W-9 and 1099 form. A W-9 asks for personal information from your contractor such as name, business name, address, and Taxpayer Identification Number or Social Security Number.
A 1099 reports how much you’ve paid your contractor in a given year. It’s required if you pay your contractor more than $600 in a calendar year. I recommend chatting with a bookkeeper or accountant if you’re unsure which forms to have your new contractor fill out for you.
Be Patient
Be patient with yourself and your new team member. You’re both going through a change, and that requires time. Some things may not get done perfectly the first time, and there may be some miscommunication. It’s all part of working out the kinks of working together. In a new working relationship, everyone is trying their best, even if they sometimes fall short. As time goes on, you’ll learn each other's communication styles and work habits. It will get easier the longer you work together.
Be flexible with the working style of the contractor and be willing to adapt to the processes and tools they’re comfortable using. And be grateful for the services they’re providing you! Heartfelt notes of thanks go a long way and will make your team member feel appreciated.
Hiring a new team member is an exciting time! I want to help you make it the best working relationship possible for both you and the contractor. When onboarding, make sure you share all applicable logins, create training videos, set boundaries, and be patient. These things take time to get right. Just remember that this person is here to help you grow your business. Make it as easy as possible for them to do so, and I know your business will flourish.
How to Hire Your First Contractor
If your business is to the point where you can’t grow anymore without hiring help, this is for you!
If your business is to the point where you can’t grow anymore without hiring help, this is for you! Before you hire, you'll need to get organized. When you have a solid organizational foundation in place, these are exact steps to take when hiring your first contractor. They include everything you need to know when hiring a 3rd party, including where to find contractors, how to interview them and decide who is best for you, and getting a contract in place.
Where to Find Contractors
The first step is to figure out where contractors market themselves. For most business services, I’ve had luck finding freelancers in at least one of these three ways.
Facebook Groups
There are hundreds (maybe even thousands!) of Facebook groups out there. They can be broad like “marketing,” or more niche like “female social media managers for small businesses." I suggest joining a few in multiple categories. Make sure to take a look at the group rules to make sure you’re following them before posting your job opportunity. You don’t want to be kicked out before you even start!
You can go about getting applicants for your job opportunities in several ways. Try asking for applications in:
Direct message pitches
An online form
Posted as a comment
Sent in an email
On of my favorite ways to collect interest is through an online application form. Doing it this way means all submissions will be organized and formatted, so you can sort through them without needing to respond to everyone (if there's a high enough volume). You’ll also get all the information you need at once. Post the link to the form with a short description of what you’re looking for help with.
You’re bound to get plenty of people to choose from! As a general rule, I recommend reaching out to applicants to let them know one way or another. Getting ghosted by a potential client or employer is almost always worse than a polite email wishing them the best.
Fiverr
Fiverr is a freelance site where you can either search for contractors offering a specific service or post your job and wait for freelancers to apply for it. You can find just about any business service you could imagine. You can also indicate if it’s a one-time job or an ongoing opportunity. If you choose to post a job, you can have freelancers answer interview questions and submit their portfolios.
You can either have them pitch you on pricing or post your budget for the job. You will also get a lot of applicants on Fiverr! Upwork works in the same way. Understand that these platforms charge the freelancer money off the top of their earnings, so make sure to pay a fair wage for the work they'll be doing.
Referrals
A referral is my favorite way to find contractors. I ask my network if they know anyone offering the services I’m looking for. If they do, I ask for a virtual introduction and wait to see what the contractor says.
I love this method of searching for freelancers because they were referred to me by people I trust. They aren’t random people like I might find in Facebook groups. I can ask my business friend about their work and pricing privately before indicating interest in connecting. Hands down, referrals are the best way to find both clients and freelancers for your business.
Interviewing
Now that you have a few applicants you’re interested in learning more about, you need to interview them. This is the next step to narrowing it down to ultimately finding your new employee. I suggest interviewing via video so you can see their face and body language. That can tell you a lot about a person.
Interview Questions
Make a list of questions that are important to you. Hopefully, by this point, you know they’re qualified for the job. The goal of the interview is to find out more about them and if you would work well together. Here are a few common interview questions to consider:
How do you prefer to communicate?
What are your typical working hours?
Tell me about your current workload and what you feel comfortable taking on.
Explain a time when you had a disagreement with a client and how you worked through it.
What makes you excited about this role?
What do you feel are some of your biggest strengths? What would you love learning more about?
These questions focus more on who the person is rather than their qualifications. Your online application should cover their qualifications and portfolio so you could make sure right off the bat that they can provide the level of deliverables you're asking for. Of course, you can always ask follow-up questions if there was something you were confused about or felt you needed to know more about.
Personality
You can tell a good amount about a person when you talk to them. Are they easy to talk to? Do they smile and engage with you? How do they present themselves and talk about themselves and their work? These are all things to look out for when interviewing a potential worker.
Some people are nervous interviewers, but it's usually not too difficult to tell nerves from someone who is disingenuous. You need someone who will fit well with your working style and be comfortable talking to you on a person-to-person basis. After all, we're all people first.
Contract
Once you find a great match, send them a contract to sign. You should always have a contract in place with contractors. Contracts protect both you and the contractor in the case of disagreements. It lays out specific expectations so everyone is on the same page. Make sure to include these components in your contract:
Payments
Term of the contract
Confidentiality expectations
Deliverables from the contractor
I suggest hiring a lawyer or purchasing a template from a lawyer to ensure legality. Destination Legal is a great place to find contract templates for small businesses.
Hiring your first contractor is exciting, but it does take thought and effort to make it happen. You probably don't want to hire the first person you find. Take time to find several applicants in Facebook groups, on Fiverr or Upwork, or through referrals. Interview your favorite candidates and learn more about who they are and what they can bring to the table to support your business.
Take time to consider how you could help them grow, too. After all, every relationship is a two way street! They're helping you, but as a leader, you should also be able to figure out ways to help them develop professionally.
When you find your perfect match, send them a contract to sign that outlines the working relationship. You’ll both be covered in case of disagreements. Be patient, and your perfect match will come along soon enough!
Getting Organized Before Hiring Your First Contractor
Are you thinking about hiring your first contractor? Before you make your first hire, there are some things you should organize before you bring them onto your team.
Are you thinking about hiring your first contractor? First, congratulations - that’s an amazing step in your business and something to celebrate! Before you make your first hire, there are some things you should organize before you bring them onto your team. You want to make the transition to your company as seamless and easy as possible for you and the contractor. That will start your working relationship out on the right foot.
Deciding the Right Time to Hire
How do you know it’s the right time to hire? These are some of the thoughts and feelings I had before I hired my first contractor - that’s how I knew it was time.
You Can’t Scale Your Business
There comes a point when you simply can’t do everything yourself. There’s too much on your plate, and you constantly feel overwhelmed and stressed when you look at the never ending to-do list. Your business can’t grow more without someone helping you. That’s a great time to look into hiring help.
You’re Working Overtime
Hey, if you’re into working overtime, then go you. But most people don’t want to be working overtime (or all the time) for the sake of their business. If you…
Are working too many hours for your liking
Feel like there aren’t enough minutes in the day to get things done
Are neglecting people or hobbies that are important to you because of work
Aren’t taking time off
…it’s time to hire. There’s no shame in admitting you need some help. In fact, it’s a sign of growth! To build a stable business, you’ll need to hire. It’s not sustainable to do everything yourself.
You’re Doing Tasks You Don’t Want to be Doing
As business owners, it feels like we need to be doing everything. But everyone has weak areas or things they dread doing. Those should be the first things you outsource. The work you do in your business should be something you enjoy. If you’re constantly doing things you hate, it can become draining, and you’ll get burned out very quickly. Prevent that from happening by hiring someone else to do those tasks for you.
Questions to Consider as You’re Getting Ready to Hire
Before you hire someone, consider these questions.
What are you willing and able to pay a contractor?
Consider the going rate for the tasks you’re looking for help with. If you want to hire a social media manager, for example, do some research on what quality social media managers are charging. That way, you can offer a fair rate and find someone who’s great at what they do. I also recommend meeting with your bookkeeper (if you have one) and deciding an appropriate hourly rate.
What are the Tasks You Need Help With?
You probably have a list of a mile long of things you want to take off your plate (isn’t it fun to make a plan to actually get it off your plate?!). Start by grouping tasks that go together. For instance, if you have posting to social media, keeping up with algorithms, and creating graphics on your list, you could hire a social media manager.
I recommend hiring someone who specializes in a specific area, such as a social media manager. You wouldn’t want someone who advertises their services simply as “marketing.” That’s extremely broad, maybe too broad. They probably are able to do many things within marketing, but since they don’t specialize in anything, they may not be amazing in the task you need help with.
When you hire a contractor, you want to find the best person with those skills within your budget. Hiring people who specialize or are actively working to specialize in something is the best way to go.
What Are You Willing and Able to Pass Off?
I think this is the scariest part for business owners. You’ve built this business from the ground up, and now you’re giving part of it away to someone else. If you’ve never done it before, it’s terrifying! You want things to go perfectly. Well, it’s a good thing you’re reading this blog.
Look back at the list of tasks you don’t want to be doing. Are you willing to pass any of those tasks off to someone else? Even more so, are you able to? There are some tasks I wouldn’t hand off to a contractor because it’s either confidential information between myself and my client, or I simply don’t feel comfortable giving something over to a contractor. Think about some things that you’re willing and able to pass off.
Should you hire someone as a 1099 or W2?
A 1099 contractor is what most entrepreneurs hire. 1099 contractors work part-time and are responsible for their own insurance, taxes, etc. They typically work on a project basis and can have quite a few clients depending on their specialty. Many people who work as 1099 contractors consider themselves or are called freelancers in job postings.
W-2 employees can be part- or full-time, and the business owner is responsible for paying extra employee benefits. They typically work for a designated hourly rate on an ongoing basis. They may or may not sign contracts designating how much work will be provided each month. Part-time W-2 employees are technically employees, but typically don’t report to a “boss” in the same way as full-time workers do.
As a small company, I’ve always hired contractors/freelancers and have had great experiences by going that route. Either way, it’s a good ideas to talk to a lawyer to get proper contracts in place.
It’s an exciting time when you feel ready to hire.
It means you’ve reached a point in your business where you can’t do everything yourself any longer. Hopefully, you’ve realized this before you're burned out, but it’s never too late to bring on a contractor.
Before you do so, you need to get organized. Decide what tasks you need help with, set a budget to pay the person or persons, and analyze whether you want to hire a 1099 contractor or W-2 employee. Good luck!
If you just realized you need help with blog and/or social media content creation (um, we totally get that), book a free call with me to chat! My "Make My Life Easy" package is perfect for business owners who are too busy or hate creating content for their business. Let it be easy, you deserve it.
Free and Low-Cost Business Tools for Entrepreneurs
These tools are great for solopreneurs, small businesses, and online businesses.
As business owners, we’re all looking for free or low-cost business tools to help us run our businesses more efficiently. I want to share some of the best free marketing tools I’ve found since starting my business. These tools are great for solopreneurs, small businesses, and online businesses.
Keep in mind that all of these tools are free, but for some, I recommend upgrading to a paid plan. It’s totally worth it to upgrade, but don’t feel like you have to. The free versions of all of these tools will give you the basics of what you need. Let’s get into the best free and low-cost business tools for entrepreneurs!
10 Free Business Tools to Try
Canva
Canva is the best free graphic design tool out there. You can create unlimited designs, customize pre-made templates, and use free stock photos. Canva even allows you to create videos, presentations, and PDFs.
While the free version is amazing, I recommend you upgrade to the Pro plan. For only $13/month, you can add up to five people to your team, remove backgrounds on images, and have access to thousands of extra stock photos, videos, and audio clips.
My favorite thing about Canva Pro is brand kits. You can save hex codes and fonts to easily access when you’re designing graphics. This is the best when you have multiple clients because they can each have a brand kit, and you don’t have to go searching for hex codes every time you create graphics for them. What a lifesaver!
Unsplash & Pexels
Unsplash and Pexels are both stock photo sites that are free to use for commercial use. You don’t want to be hit with a copyright claim by stealing a photo off Google. (It’s the same thing as plagiarizing someone else’s words, and you know how we writers feel about that…) You can use photos from these two websites with confidence knowing that they’re approved for commercial use.
Tailwind
I use Tailwind to schedule my Pinterest pins. The free version allows you to connect one Pinterest account, Instagram profile, and Facebook page. You get 20 posts per month across all three platforms, and you get one login. It’s great for someone just starting out with Pinterest. You can get a taste of the tool and how Pinterest can benefit your business. (Psst, if you aren’t using Pinterest, you may want to consider it! It’s a super effective way to drive traffic to your content.) I started on the free plan and eventually upgraded.
Now I have the Pro plan, which bumps up the posts per month to 100, and you get more advanced analytics reports. I have the Pro Exclusive plan, which means I get 400 posts per month. I have a ton of content, so I want the ability to pin several times a day.
MailerLite
MailerLite is an email marketing software that allows you to build and grow your audience. With the free version, you can send emails, create signup forms, and build landing pages..
MailerLite requires you to upgrade when you hit 1,000 contacts. MailerLite is best for small businesses that are just starting to create an email marketing strategy and don’t have a large audience yet. It starts to get expensive the more subscribers you get.
Trello or Asana
Trello and Asana are both project management tools. They’re pretty similar, so I recommend trying them out and choosing one. The best news is that both of their free versions are perfect for solopreneurs or small teams.
With the free Asana plan, you get three project views: list, board, and calendar. You also get 15 users, basic workflows, and unlimited projects, tasks, storage, and comments. It’s a highly capable tool, and I use it to manage client tasks.
Trello is very similar. With the free Trello plan, you get unlimited cards and storage space, ten boards per workspace, and the ability to assign tasks to team members and set due dates. I don’t see a need for a paid Trello plan unless you have a larger team, need more boards, or require custom fields.
Slack
I love using Slack for client communication. It keeps everything organized and in one place, rather than searching through email for a conversation. We all know how messy that can get!
Several clients have added me to their existing Slack channels, which is normal when you join a team. You would need to create your own Slack account if you have a team of your own or if a client doesn’t currently have Slack. The free version of Slack allows up to ten integrations with other apps, 1:1 voice memos, and access to the most recent 10,000 messages.
Google Drive
Google Drive is my saving grace for file storage and organization. I love that you can easily share files and collaborate on documents. It’s a great, free replacement for Microsoft Office Suite. As long as you have a Gmail account, you can create documents, presentations, spreadsheets, and forms for free.
I often organize my Google Drive by client, then share the folder with them. That way, they can see everything I’m working on and easily collaborate or leave comments with feedback.
Google Meet
Another part of the Gmail family is Google Meet. Google Meet is a free meeting software that allows you to meet with up to 100 people for one hour per meeting. There isn’t a limit to the number of meetings you can schedule. It’s a great alternative to Zoom if you want a more integrated set of tools. Anyone can join regardless of if they have a Gmail account. Only the host needs to have a Gmail account to create the meeting.
Google Meet does have a paid plan with advanced features, but this would really only be applicable to large businesses or schools that regularly have over 100 participants in a meeting or need to live stream.
Linktr.ee
Linktr.ee gives you a landing page with as many links as you want. It’s commonly used as a link in Instagram bios, so people only need to navigate there and find various links related to your business. You can also add QR codes, music links, music embeds, and social icons. The free version is perfect for small businesses and offers several kinds of customizations!
Toggl
Toggl is a great time tracking tool. If you’re working with hourly clients, you need to use Toggl! With the free version, you can add up to five people to your team, track time unlimitedly, create unlimited projects, clients, and tags, and export reports of your tracked time. The free version is highly capable for almost anything you might need.
Even if you don’t have hourly clients, it’s helpful to track your time and see where it goes throughout the week. If you feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day, track your time and evaluate to see if you need to readjust your time allocations. You might be surprised how many tasks you’re doing and how long they’re taking.
These ten free business tools are perfect for solopreneurs and small business owners. They’ll help you run your business more efficiently and give you excellent resources for you and your clients. I hope you take advantage of these. Leave a comment below with other free or low-cost business tools you utilize in your business!
How to Stick With Your Business Goals
Why are business goals important to set? We'll chat about this topic, as well as how to stick with your goals and a few examples.
It’s the month to make goals. And in another few weeks, to fall off of them. We know ‘em, we love ‘em: New Year's Resolutions.
I’m all for people trying to improve themselves personally and professionally. I just think we need to be better about how we set goals and make sure we stick with them.
It’s easy to say you’re going to do something…but life gets in the way and you forget about it or continue to push it off.
Let’s make sure that doesn’t happen to you in 2022!
Why Business Goals are Important
According to Positive Psychology, “Setting goals helps trigger new behaviors, helps guide your focus and helps you sustain that momentum in life. Goals also help align your focus and promote a sense of self-mastery. In the end, you can’t manage what you don’t measure, and you can’t improve upon something that you don’t properly manage. Setting goals can help you do all of that and more.”
You might have an idea of where you want to be in five or ten years, but how are you going to get there? Goals are meant to help you achieve your dream life. They’re small wins that add up to big wins. Goals motivate us and remind us what we’re working towards. Goal setting is important because it gives you the confidence you need to achieve success, whatever that looks like for you.
How to Stick with Your Business Goals/Accountability
So how do you stick with your goals once you set them? Here are a few of our favorite ways to help keep you moving forward.
SMART Goals
We’ve all heard of SMART goals, right? If not, it means your goals are:
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Realistic
Time-bound
SMART goals are the perfect way to stick to your business goals. The purpose is to get really specific about what you want to achieve. For example, you wouldn’t say, “I want to increase my revenue.” A SMART goal would be, “I’m going to increase my revenue by 10% by the end of Q1 by bringing on three new clients at $1,000/month.”
You know your timeline (end of Q1), how to measure it, it’s super specific, and it’s attainable and realistic. Start making SMART goals, and you’ll reach your goals faster.
SMART goals also work particularly well for writers, in case you’re a creative professional looking to get your writing on track this year, too.
Accountability Partner
Another way to stick to your business goals is to find an accountability partner. Someone to give you a kick in the ass when you need it (kindly, of course). This could be a business partner, friend, family member, significant other, or anyone else who you trust to keep you accountable.
If you’d rather work with someone you don’t know as well, you can find accountability partners in Facebook groups. Find and join a few that relate to your business, and look for someone (or a few people!) who you can build a relationship with. Then you can be an accountability partner for them, too. We love a good, supportive community!
Write it Down
Writing down your goals makes them feel more real. They aren’t just a thought; you have them right in front of you. Better yet, put your goals in several areas of your office or workspace so you have a constant reminder of what you’re working towards. On mirrors, behind your computer, on your desk, and anywhere else where you’ll see them every day.
Have a Mix of Goals
It’s really helped me to have short-term goals and long-term goals. If you only have long-term goals, they don’t feel as attainable. Like, they’re so far away that you have time to procrastinate. On the other hand, if you only have short-term goals, you don’t have a clear vision for what you want to achieve in the long term. Have a mix of both. I like to scaffold my goals, which means that my short-term goals work toward the long-term goals.
Celebrate wins
Goal setting doesn’t have to be boring. Celebrate when you reach a goal! If you plan to reward yourself for hitting certain goals, you can post that next to the goals to keep you motivated, especially on days where it seems really hard to keep moving forward. Celebrate all wins - big and small. Everything you did to achieve your goal is worthy of celebrating.
Business Goal Ideas
Sometimes it’s hard to think of goals - I struggle with it sometimes myself. Maybe you have a goal in mind (or too many), but you’re not sure how to get there.
Here are a few templates you can customize to your goals:
I’m going to increase my revenue by % in [timeframe]
I’m going to grow my [social media platform] following by # in [timeframe]
I’m going to book # new clients at $X/month in [timeframe]
I’m going to create # lead magnets per [week/month/quarter] in [timeframe]
I’m going to post on [social media platform] X times per [week/month/quarter] in [timeframe]
I’m going to send # emails per [week/month/quarter] in [timeframe]
Which goal are you going to set and achieve first?
I’ll share a few of my goals for 2022.
I’m going to post on Instagram at least once a week by the end of Q1.
I’m going to increase my revenue by at least $30K by the end of the year.
I’m going to hire a VA to help with admin tasks by the end of the year.
I hope this blog has inspired you to create a few smart, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound goals (see what I did there?) I want to support you along your journey! Make a post sharing your 2022 business goals on LinkedIn and tag me!