Category: Mindset

Let 2020 be the year where you know exactly what content to create to promote your business. Where you connect with your Dream Customers, grab their attention, and stand out in a busy busy market.

 

To get you there, you need a brand story!

 

what is a brand story

A brand story builds and shares the vision and purpose of your business. It brings to life the passion, the spark, the imaginative idea that’s at the heart of your business and gives it shape.

 

A story tells the beginning, middle, and happily ever after of your business – it tells clearly and beautifully:

  • why you started
  • where you’re going, and
  • how you’re going to get there.

 

Everything you do in your business goes back to your brand story. The products and services you choose to offer, the customers you focus on, how you market to your customers, the colours you use to bring your brand to life, the staff you hire, the writing on your website…all of this is rooted in and guided by your brand story.

 

Ready to write your brand story?
Enter the 5-Step Model to Build a Powerful Brand Story Challenge.

Over the course of 6 days, you’ll get video trainings, a workbook, daily challenge prompts, and mindset block busters all designed to walk you through creating your own compelling brand story.

The best part? It’s free! Like, totally completely free. And it starts on January 27!


free brand story challenge for businesses


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You’ve got big goals, big plans, big dreams – and you just can’t kick that feel that you’re falling behind. It feels like no matter how much you’re working, you’re just not there yet.

 

If you’re feeling down on yourself for not having enough clients, not selling enough, not being further ahead, then this post is for you!

 

 

First things first...

If you’ve just started out or you’re in your first year of your business, take a deep breath. It’s so exciting to start a business and we want everything NOW. But building a business and a brand and an audience – like anything worth having – takes time. We don’t suddenly have a six pack the first time we do crunches and we don’t suddenly have six figures when we just start our businesses either. Great things take time! Focus on the momentum you’re building and the progress you’re seeing. Celebrate going from zero to one without setting the bar at going from zero to 100.

 

Stop comparing yourself!

I know, I know – easier said than done. We all fall in the trap of looking around us in our circle, our community, the whole of Instagram and think – how is that person so far ahead when I’m doing the same things and I’m NOT that far ahead! You are your own person, your own business, and you’re probably at a very different place in your business journey that they are. Make goals for yourself and track them for yourself.

 

Keep your eye on your Why.

Profit and the number of clients you have are important to your business. But so is your Why – the meaning you want to get, the impact you want to have. When it’s feeling tough and like you’re not getting traction, go back to your Why – are you aligned with it? Are you actually living it and fulfilling it? Because if so, then you ARE getting traction and moving forward even if it feels slow.


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For many female entrepreneurs, visibility is a struggle. It is a challenge to put ourselves and our business out there. Whether on social media or at networking events, standing up and showing up can be something that we instinctually run from.

 

As women, we have been conditioned to be humble and to not take risks. When we take charge, we're told we are controlling or bossy.

 

All of this can result in a struggle to believe in ourselves, our abilities as CEO, and our vision. You might also struggle to self-promote, share your wins and successes and proudly tell the world about your special talents.

 

So, what can you do?

 

 

Hack limiting beliefs

Be your own devil’s advocate. What story are you telling yourself? What is at the root of that anxiety that arises when you think about being visible. Describe it in detail.

 

Now that you have uncovered the story...is there truth in it? What do you assume to be true? What part of the story makes you feel stuck every time? What do you really believe? Can you disprove the story you are telling yourself and give it less power?

 

Let yourself shine

Look back at the past year and think of three times you felt really good and proud about how a project went or how you helped a client with your business. Write out a statement describing each time and write out in detail the difference you made for that client or customer and how it made you feel.

 

Overcome self doubt with strategy

Ask your fans, your past clients, and your audience what they want to learn about from you. Use those questions and ideas to guide your content. When you focus on what your clients need, you can create content with more confidence.

 

If you are ready to tackle the mindset demons that are holding you and your business back, we're here to help you build an action plan and a strategy to put those unhelpful blocks on, well, the chopping block! Get in touch today for a discovery call!

 

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It’s goal setting season. Spring is here, the sun is out, and it’s time to get out of hibernation mode and chart the summer for your biz. We invited one of our favourite local entrepreneurs, Astrid Grawehr, partner and Director of Operations at Kryotek Arctic Innovation Inc. , into the studio to talk about business success and how the goal post for achievement may not always be what you think.

 

Astrid joined Kryotek seven years ago when mining was booming in the Yukon and “success” was easy to come by. But a shift in the market and a restructure later and her and her business partner were asking themselves “is that all there is?”. We talk to Astrid about having the courage to slow down, reset, and rechart the course to success that feeds all of ourselves.

Have a listen to our convo below and let us know how you set courageous goals.

 

Check it all out below.

Ep 5 – Courageous Goal Setting

Our Goal Setting Takeaways

Rolling with it is cool until it’s not.

Rolling with the punches is how many of us get our business off the ground. We have an idea or see an opportunity, we set things in motion and things get rolling. We run our business by responding to what’s happening instead of leady by creating what we want to create. This can totally work for some folks  - and for many others you will eventually hit a wall where you find some piece of what you have created is not fitting - it's hurting instead of helping. That wall can hit you pretty hard if you are rolling fast. Hitting the breaks every so often is not a bad thing. Ask yourself if you are rolling in the direction you want to go or if you need to change course and you just might get where you want to go.

 

How do you know when it’s not working? Pay attention to the friction.
Where are you finding friction instead of flow? Are you feeling a tightness in your body, are you feeling sick all the time, are you constantly bumping into frustration and annoyance. Friction is a clue to let you know that something is not fitting or working. Follow the friction to find what’s not working and lean into your truest desires to get real about what will.

 

Setting Good Goals Means Being Really Honest with Yourself - and it might hurt.
When you are looking back and what is working and what is not it can be easy to fall into the trap of false motivation. By that I mean it can be easy to feel or see reward that is driven by what you THINK success should be. Other people’s idea of what success should look like. It can feel comfortable to be making a certain amount of money, or to be seen a certain way by you community. But if those things are not leaving you happy and feeling rewarded. If your health is suffering then are they good metrics for success for you? Questioning these things goes deep - into our values and motivations and our mindset. Your ego may get a little bruised in the process - but true reward and fulfillment are on the other side of hard questions.

 

Your fit and needs will evolve over time.
Goals and metrics that fit one day may not fit the next. Be open to your values and vision shifting. Allow those goals and ideas of success that no longer fit to float away and welcome in those that now feel like they do.

 

It takes courage to slow down and make space for reflection. It takes courage to ask yourself the hard questions and be honest. It takes courage to change your day to day activities towards a new goal. It all takes vulnerability and courage. The deeper we lean into that the more success - whatever that means to us - we can find.


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Whether you are pitching your idea to an investor, creating a sales video, sharing on a conference panel, or launching a keynote your ability to speak with comfort and confidence about your business or organization is an important skill to have.

 

In episode 4 of the SMRT Women podcast we sit down with Colette Acheson, local management consultant to talk all things public speaking. Colette is a business owner and non-profit manager several times over. She has honed her public speaking skills in the trenches and in Toastmasters meetings.

 

Check it all out below.

Ep 5 – Courageous Goal Setting

Just do it

The only way to get better is to just do it. Practice in front of a mirror, video tape yourself, practice for your friends - but know that no amount of practice except the actual act of speaking in public will be practice to get you more comfortable and more experienced. Welcome and invite any opportunity no matter how small to flex your public speaking muscles. Pick one thing you want to work on - removing your ums and ahs, working with your voice, figuring out how to hold your hands - and focus on it. Take every failure as a learning opportunity.

 

It’s a whole body project

When you speak your whole body is communicating. Take the time to explore how you stand and gesture with your body to communicate emphasis, but also pay attention to your voice and your jaw. Give them a proper warm up before you ask them to run a marathon.

 

Embrace the Pause

Take a deep breath before you begin. Slow your body down. Take a deep breath between parts of your speech - give your audience a moment to catch up - to let your words sink in. It feels like a million years up there when all eyes are on you, but it’s a short second for the audience and a welcome one.

 

It’s always about the audience

What does your audience need to feel and connect with to believe your credibility? Do they want to be entertained? How can you work with voice, presence and posture, language and storytelling to convey that and get the message across. Are you connecting? It’s important to learn to listen and observe as you speak so you can shift and pivot to keep the audience’s attention as you work through your presentation.


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Networking serves such an important role in our business because it’s all about relationship building. Whether you are connecting with potential clients, mentors and business besties, or partners networking is a great way to meet new people and expand your business. But it can be daunting. Especially if you are introverted, don’t love big social events, or just feel awkward saying hi to new folks.

 

This week on the SMRT Women podcast we sit down with Patti Balsillie, a tourism, strategy, and engagement specialist. Patti has lived in the Yukon for over 30 years. She is the past Chair of the Arctic Inspiration Prize and currently sits on the boards of Destination Canada, Yukonstruct Society and Chief Isaac Companies. She is also a rock star networker so we brought her on to talk about how to networking well and how you can make it your friend - or at least your frenemy.

 

Check it all out below.

Ep 5 – Courageous Goal Setting

There are so many ways to network - pick one that fits your style

Networking can happen in so many different ways. You can go to a traditional mixer event, you can volunteer or serve on a board, you can connect with brands and people you love on social media, you can grab a coffee with someone you haven’t seen a while or want to get to know better- the bottom line is networking is about putting yourself in situations where you will meet new people. So pick a style that suits you best and run with it.

 

Go with a Goal

There’s nothing worse than heading to a networking event only to skulk in the corner all night, not talk to a single person, and then go home and mope about it. Ok - there’s a lot of things worse than that, but it still doesn’t make you feel good. Go with a goal in mind, a mission that you want to accomplish and you are much more likely to reach out of your bubble. Your mission may be to talk to three new people, learn something new, ask a question to some key people who you think will be at the event or even - dare i say it - have fun.

 

Bring a Buddy

Buddy system rules. Just make sure you don’t end up talking to each other all night instead of reaching out to new people. Use the fact that there is two of you to get brave and approach people. Try introducing each other so you don’t have to feel like you are self-promoting. Know each other’s goals and go for it.

 

Have an intro and an exit strategy

It’s totally ok to go with a few canned questions you want to try out on people - whether it’s talking about the latest community news, asking people their story, or discussing something that happened at the conference or event you are attending - go with a few questions in mind.

 

That being said, its very easy to get stuck in a convo that’s no clicking or going anywhere. Don’t be afraid to cut your losses and move on. Have a canned exit strategy (I’m hungry, need to go to the washroom, see someone I know…) and get outta there.

 

Know how you can serve and what you are looking for

Relationships are built on exchange. Go ready to share your story and tell people how you are excited to serve, share advice or info that you have online in groups if it’s helpful, and don’t be afraid to ask questions and let people know what you need - people are happy to tell you how they can help.

 


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SMRT Women Podcast Ep. 02 Mindfulness in Business with Ruth Lera

 

This week we are excited to welcome Ruth Lera to the podcast to talk about mindfulness and meditation in business. Ruth is an energy healer, mindfulness facilitator, meditation teacher, instructor of energetic self-healing, writer and boreal forest loiterer. She is the author of Walking the Soul Path: An Energetic Guide to Being Human.

 

In this episode, we talk about the busy business brain. Untamed, our brain can stay focused on the fear,  spin us out, derail us, or stop us in our tracks. So many of us start our businesses with the goal of happiness, freedom, and living life on our own terms – the busy business brain can keep us feeling incompetent, not enough, and like we are always behind the eight ball.

 

So what can we do about it? How can we conquer those mind spirals so we can feel confidence and ease and pleasure in our business?

 

Take a listen to find out and see our hot tips below.

Ep 5 – Courageous Goal Setting

Accept the Journey  – Failure is a given
Our brain likes to get so focused on the what ifs. What if people don’t like what I am doing and send me hate-mail, what if I don’t make any sales, what if I fall flat on my face in front of everyone. Mindfulness forces us to accept that these things will happen, or are already happening – failure is a given, life’s ups and downs are a given. The goal of mindfulness is not to make life perfect, it’s to strengthen our brain’s ability to roll with the punches with ease and flow.

 

Practice makes perfect.

Did you know that only 11 hours of meditation will change your brain? That’s like less than an hour a month. Mindfulness can be used in two ways to train our brains. Informally we can ask ourselves the two core questions at any point in the day: while we are driving, cooking dinner, playing with the kids, writing our next blog post. We ask ourselves the question and redirect to create an immediate shift. But this practice gets amplified when we do a formal practice – sit and focus on your breath in silence for 5+ minutes. We fire what we wire, and formal practice rewires our brains.

 

Think of it as a workout. Formal practice is going to the gym to build strength, and informal practice is focusing on your glutes and squat when you go to pick up something heavy at home. You need both to build strength over time.

 

Self -Compassion is key

Finally, none of this works if we are beating ourselves up for not being a “good” meditator. The goal of meditation is not a quiet mind – it’s a mind that notices our thoughts and actively chooses if we want to focus on them or something else. When the little voice says “ I suck at this” we are wiring negative thoughts. Our goal is to practice neutral observation -” I had a thought” and leave the judgments at the door.

 

Mindfulness is simple, but not easy. Five minutes a day of sitting with your thoughts can change you and your business – so why not give it a shot.

 

Do you have a mindfulness practice you use in your business? How does it help you? Any tips you would recommend for folks starting out? Leave a comment on the Facebook page. We’d love to see you there.

 


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SMRT Women is launching a podcast - eep! We will dish mindset, marketing and money tips and inspiration for your badass biz. Whether you are toying with an idea, just getting started, or a biz boss veteran you’ll find practical tools to demystify marketing, strategy and mindset to create the business of your dreams. Want to join us on a podcast? Get in touch and tell us your idea!

 

In our kick-off podcast we talk about idea overwhelm. If you are struggling with which business idea to pursue, drowning in marketing ideas you think you should try, or not sure which new program or product to launch, idea overwhelm can get us stuck - this one’s for you!

 

When we are stuck we don’t act. When we don’t act we don’t learn, we don’t grow, we don’t move our business forward. So how do we get unstuck?

 

Join Selene and Sofia as we talk about how to narrow your ideas, get clear on what matters to you, and clear the clutter so you can see success.

 

Ep 5 – Courageous Goal Setting

Let your strategy be your guide. Do the research, trust it, and always refer back to it

One of the best ways to sort out your ideas is to create a strategy that is your benchmark for yes and no.  Strategy research gives you a solid sense of…

 

  • Your customers and what they want and need
  • Your business vision and values,  what you want to achieve, and what feels good - what feels like success
  • Your business numbers, how much you want to make and your plan for doing it
  • The kind of social impact you want your business to have

Using these as your benchmark you can evaluate your ideas based on whether they will actually serve your audience, whether they will make you feel great and align with your values, and whether they will make you money or take your business in the direction you want to go.

 

This can help you clear the clutter, guide your creative mind, and stay focused.

 

Allow yourself to play, experiment, and fail.

No idea needs to be life or death. When we treat it that way we get locked into overwhelm and we don’t do anything. Take an experimental mindset. Try out the smallest version of the idea, observe what works and what doesn’t. If it fails, change it, scrap it, or  learn and make it better. You might just be surprised at what comes. We learn by doing, not by sitting in our office coming up with ideas.

 

Let go of everyone else’s expectations

It’s so easy to get distracted by the bombardment of well meaning ideas from friends, loved ones, and all the business experts trying to convince you what to do. Well meaning ideas that start with “you should do…” or “your competition is doing xyz you should try it”.

 

All of these ideas can be wonderful and they MAY be useful to your business. They also may not. We can get stuck in marketing strategy FOMO or overwhelmed with the million ideas we SHOULD be doing. So much so that we get stuck and do nothing. When this happens a great place to start is to come back to ourselves. When we get clear on what is most important to us, the ideas We have for our business and what matters to us, we can use this as a rudder to guide our choices.

 

It’s not always easy but giving ourselves permission to shed the shoulds and do what feels right for us is a critical business muscle to flex.

 

Start with one Idea at a time

You have a million ideas for your business, from better marketing tools, to money-making ventures, to how you want to make change in the world. Where to start? With one idea at a time. Develop an idea parking lot  - a place you can write down all your brilliant ideas.

 

Pick one - maybe the one that you are most excited about, the one that is easiest to implement, the one that will make you the most money or the one that is best related to your strategy.

 

Do it. You may get started and decide it doesn’t work. Then you get to move on to your other ideas, maybe it’s brilliant it goes amazingly and those other ideas that were bugging you fade into the background, or anything in between.

 

Have faith that each idea has its time, no idea will ever go stale or disappear if it’s important and you will learn and build on your ideas as you implement them.


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Self-promotion is not a four-letter word

 

Do you struggle to describe to people exactly what you do? Does the thought of telling others about your accomplishments make you cringe? Do you worry that someone is going to pull back the curtain and reveal you as a fraud at any time?

 

You are not alone! Many many women struggle to self-promote effectively. It’s like we are allergic to it. So much so that it tops the list of career blocks for women across all industries.

 

And yet, self-promotion is a critical skill - in landing that great contract, in selling your product, in building a community of champions who are connected to what you do and the impact you are trying to make in the world. We have to be visible for our businesses to succeed. Customers can’t buy what they can’t see.

 

We've pulled together our four top tips for singing your own praises to promote yourself AND your business:

  1. Notice moments of pride and success. Did a client praise your work? Did you rock that contract? Collect these and save them...Make your own "I've SO got this!" scrapbook for a rainy self-doubt-y day!
  2. Focus on the facts - what are some of the awesome things you accomplished? Did you handle a difficult situation with tact and ease? Did you sell a bunch of your product? Did you help someone achieve their goals?
  3. Share your passion - speak to the why of your business. Do you love helping people feel healthier so they can have their best lives? Do you love feeding people delicious foods that light up their tastebuds? Do you love helping people tell their story through photos?
  4. Frame it in terms of what you did for your client. Were they super lost when it came to healthy eating and why they were so tired all the time, and with just some small manageable tweaks to their diet they are now waking up bright eyed every morning ready to take on life?!

 

Remember: People want to hear your story. They want to know what you're up to and what it is that energizes you. So tell them! There's no "ick" in owning the facts of what you did, what it achieved, and why you loved doing it!

 


 

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