F O R
W O M E N
F O U N D E R S
SHEcorporated
Magazine
TAKE THE STRESS OUT OF SOCIAL PG.9
OWN YOUR PERSONAL BRAND IN 2022 PG.3
I S S U E
N O . 2
J A N U A R Y
2 0 2 2
Editor's note January is my favorite month, and not because of the fantastic weather. (I am writing this while looking at three feet of snow outside my window.) To me, January is a fresh start, a clean slate and the promise of new possibilities. I get to clear away the clutter, open the first page of a fresh new planner, and set all my audacious goals for the new year. I hope you are setting some pretty audacious goals for yourself this year too. In fact, I hope that the biggest dreams you can come up with, end up being dwarfed by the reality you create this year. This issue is full of tips to help you get your New Year started off right. We'll be here every month, bringing you more stories, more inspiration and more tips you can use to improve your life, and your business. Thanks for being here with us! Happy New Year!
Kristy Carruthers EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
1
SHEcorporatedMagazine.com
ISSUE 02
What's Inside Social Anxiety Let's make your social media stress free for 2022!
Own It! Take control of your personal brand this year.
Get Empowered The keys to personal and business growth are all inside you.
Communication Keys Make your message stick every time.
Take Control of your Finances The simple tool to get you to your BIG goals!
Sip Happens Wine, waves and Europe
Contact/Submissions hello@SHEcorporated.com SHEcorporatedMagazine.com @shecorporated
OWN IT!
Photo: Storycatcher Photography
PERSONAL BRANDING Gone are the days, when having a solid business brand is enough. As we head into 2022, there is no doubt that creating a strong personal brand can pay dividends over the long run. An effective personal brand positions you as an authority in your industry, and leverages elements of your personality, to connect with your audience. 3
As a personal brand photographer, I understand that creating a strong personal brand starts with showing up. And sometimes showing up means facing your fear of getting in front of a camera. I can tell you first-hand that facing my own fear has been one of the most rewarding business decisions I've ever made!
BUT if you’re not ready to jump in front of the camera just yet, then let’s start with taking control of your personal brand with these 5 tips:
IT'S TIME TO OWN YOUR PERSONAL BRAND IN 2022! SHEcorporatedMagazine.com
Photo: Storycatcher Photography
Assess your current brand
Utilize storytelling
Have you ever done a Google search on yourself? If not, this is your official excuse to do so! (Tip: Use a private browser) Repeat this process with your name and a keyword or phrase from your industry. Take note of what comes up.
We remember stories 22 times more than facts and figures! Which makes storytelling a powerful way to connect, influence, teach, and inspire. Good stories build familiarity, likability and trust, the building blocks of an effective personal brand.
ACTION: Delete old social media profiles that you’re no longer active on, and remove content that doesn’t support your personal brand.
ACTION: Brainstorm a list of ideas for stories such as: how you started your business, pain points that you share with your clients and how you’ve overcome them, as well as success stories from your customers.
Show your face Did you know that showing your face increases engagement by 40%? How little or how much you share about your personal life is totally up to you and your comfort level. Transparency, authenticity, and vulnerability are key.
Define your core values
ACTION: Share images of yourself every few posts. Yes, selfies are okay every so often. Share short, entertaining videos and longer form videos that help solve your client’s problems.
ACTION: Brainstorm a list of your core values. Don’t hold back. Refine this list down to 10, then 6 and then four. It’s helpful to group similar words together to find one that captures them all.
SHEcorporatedMagazine.com
Your core values define who you are and what matters to you as an individual. And ultimately where you invest your time, energy and resources.
4
Less is more As a busy entrepreneur, I find it virtually impossible to be everywhere at once. So, I’ve found it useful to dedicate my time on a few key platforms, where I know my clients are hanging out. ACTION: Focus on one or two platforms for long-form content such as blogs, podcasts or YouTube videos and one or two platforms with high engagement where you can share bite size pieces of that content.
GOOD STORIES BUILD FAMILIARITY, LIKABILITY AND TRUST, THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF AN EFFECTIVE PERSONAL BRAND. Photo: Storycatcher Photography
MEET KRISTEN CLANCY, PERSONAL BRAND PHOTOGRAPHER AND FOUNDER OF STORYCATCHER PHOTOGRAPHY Hi, I’m Kristen! I help kickass entrepreneurs, just like you, feel empowered on camera with a super FUN, photoshoot experience that leaves you feeling confident and gorgeous with images of yourself that you’ll LOVE. My background as a graphic design artist gives me a unique perspective into creating images that capture the essence of your personality while still leaving room for your message to shine. Find me at storycatcherphotography.ca. 5
SHEcorporatedMagazine.com
Does your charitable or non-profit organization serve women in need? We offer free training and support for new women entrepreneurs in need. Applications are accepted only through our partner organizations. Apply to partner with us, and help women from your group build a better future for themselves and their families.
Find out more at http://www.ellecellerate.com
EMPOWER YOURSELF AND CONQUER THE NEW YEAR As we gear up for a new year with so many goals, plans, and hopes, here are some practical steps that encourage reflection and culminate in awareness, empowerment, and transformation, so you can have your best year yet. Notice Yourself: I like to compare this step with a crush. When you first start liking someone, you notice everything about them, like their appearance and the way they talk. You become curious about the things they like, and personal details about them, like their birthday and their favorite color. I encourage you to take note of that for YOU. Have you taken time lately to take into account who you are, apart from your business, from your family, from your roles? Who are you deep within? Listen to Yourself: One of the reasons I encourage you to begin this process of self-discovery and, therefore, of empowerment, is because of one simple truth: you're the person you spend the most time with, so why not become your best friend? Quite possibly, the most important quality of a best friend is being a good listener. Are you listening to yourself? I encourage you to take a moment to pay attention to your self-talk. The conversations going on inside your head. Is it mostly positive or negative? And what does it consist of? Do you tend to criticize yourself a lot, or compare yourself to others who appear more successful than you? Learning more about the Enneagram, and your dominant type, can be useful to help you identify your negative self-talk tendencies, so you be more mindful and turn them into positive messages instead.
7
SHEcorporatedMagazine.com
Forgive Yourself: After you notice and listen, it'll be tempting to beat yourself up over what you find.
Transform Yourself: How many times have we wished we were someone else?
This is the time to find gratitude within, for yourself and others, understanding that all the hardships and challenges you've gone through, including decisions you may have regretted, have led you to where you are today.
In my journey, I've learned that the best and truest transformation is becoming more of who you were meant to be, a more self-accepting and self-loving version of who you are.
Hard times don't destroy us, they shape us, and strengthen us for the future. Take some time to list out the lessons and blessings you can find along your journey. Empower Yourself: A step up from forgiving yourself, is patting yourself on the back. Have you taken the time to cultivate pride in who you are? Many people are familiar with gratitude journals, but take note of how rarely YOU are in it. I encourage you to keep a Brag Book, a list of statements that remind you of your accomplishments, and how you are strong and empowered to conquer anything. You've already been through so much and you are still standing! SHEcorporatedMagazine.com
Take a moment to compare your past, present, and future, and see how the things from your childhood you loved are still alive today, and that you most likely will want to bring to your future. Relish in how amazing you are, and truly celebrate everything that you have become! I hope these steps encourage you to look within and realize that all you always wanted, and hoped for, has been there all along.
MEET MARTA SPIRK, EMPOWERMENT COACH AND MARKETING STRATEGIST
Marta is passionate about encouraging and empowering women and helps thousands of women entrepreneurs learn to boost confidence and visibility, and to grow their business by looking at their most valuable resource: THEMSELVES! She has consolidated and outlined her lessons and findings in the 5 steps of the Empowered Woman Path, featured in her book The Empowered Woman: The Ultimate Roadmap to Business Success. Find more information and a free trial of Marta's premier membership for women entrepreneurs at FreeGiftFromMarta.com
You are wonderful and empowered to accomplish and conquer even more this upcoming year, because you are uniquely talented. The world needs you. Be empowered! 8
SOCIAL
BUT MAKE IT STRESS FREE Back when I was in university for communications and public relations, over a decade ago, creating marketing plans was a major part of our course work. Often, we were working with local businesses, creating a strategy for a real event or service they were offering. Rarely, however, did we include anything at all about social media. Maybe a handful of tweets, but that would be the extent of it. 9
These strategies really focused on the best ways to reach the businesses’ audience and convey their message, and if we were writing those plans today, social media absolutely would have had its own section. But here’s the thing - each of those social media sections in each of those plans would have looked VERY different, and that’s because, like the rest of the marketing strategy, what works for one business, may not work for another.
WHAT WORKS FOR ONE BUSINESS MAY NOT WORK FOR ANOTHER SHEcorporatedMagazine.com
Unfortunately, today there are a lot of online experts sharing a lot of advice that sounds like this: “Use this hack to grow your social media followers” “Use my top trick to make money on Instagram” “The best way to reach more people” But the truth is - the secret to success on social media is that there is no secret. What works for one business may not work for you, for a number of reasons. And that’s okay. Your social media strategy should be unique, and you definitely shouldn’t be stressed out about making sure you post X amount of times a week. Instead, here are 3 steps to stress-free social media for business that will still help get you results: Tip 1: Decide how often YOU can post
Tip 2: Choose a Platform that YOU enjoy being on
Yes, posting regularly is important, but not as important as actually responding to customers, getting 8 hours of sleep, and spending time with your family. I recently saw someone share a graphic detailing how often you should be sharing each type of Instagram post… they were suggesting 20+ posts a week! Including some videos! Who has time for that? Not me, and probably not you either.
You’ve probably been told a thousand times to ‘go where your audience is’, and while yes, that’s absolutely true (you’re not going to sell make-up to 16 year-olds on LinkedIn), you also need to be aware that it takes some showing up on your part, too - not just posting.
Yes, the more you can post, the faster you will grow. But if you’re already swamped and exhausted, trying to do more isn’t the answer. If you think you can handle three feed posts and one Instagram Reel a week, make that your strategy.
It’s important that you’re on the platform, engaging and interacting with your audience regularly, and if you hate using the app, you’re just not going to do that (or you will, but will hate every minute of it). I love Instagram, and have built a lot of genuine connections, and made new friends through the app. It’s no surprise that almost all of my business comes from there, too.
Do you need to do less? That’s okay, too.
SHEcorporatedMagazine.com
10
TIP 3: Don’t be afraid to SELL If you’re a business owner, it’s your job to make money. It’s so common for folks to be afraid of ‘annoying’ their audience (or their friends!) with business posts or sales-y posts. It’s not only your job to make this type of content, but believe me - no one is paying as much attention to your posts as you are. On average, it takes someone 8 exposures to something before it even registers. Then once it registers, they need to learn more and go through the decision making process before buying (the higher the price point, the longer this is, generally speaking). So post often! Promote your services! And be proud of it! Social media is all about being SOCIAL and having fun! Don’t let boxed-in strategies and inflexible expert advice make you think you have to do things a certain way. Make it your own, mix it up, and test to see what works and what doesn’t for YOU. Cheers to stress-free social media in 2022!
MEET NIKKI GILLINGHAM OF BLUE WHALE COMMUNICATIONS: Nikki Gillingham is the founder of Blue Whale Communications, a content marketing and social media agency. She teaches stress-free social media to entrepreneurs and business owners and sends a weekly email with quick, actionable marketing advice. Sign up at https://www.nikkigillingham.ca/newsletter or connect with her on Instagram at @nikkigillingham
11
SHEcorporatedMagazine.com
FREE
5 Day Business Kickstart Challenge
Starts January 24th
Reserve your seat at: http://www.shekickstart.com
SHEcorporatedMagazine.com
12
SIP THROUGH EUROPE It's time for some real time off. You have been locked down, locked up and have had your luggage locked away, for far too long. So what's the best way to get back into the travel groove and recharge? We have some ideas.
13
SHEcorporatedMagazine.com
Imagine this: you are blissfully gliding gently along a river in Europe, admiring the scenery, with a fruity white or full-bodied red in hand. You’ve had a full day exploring a century-old vineyard in Bordeaux, tucked a couple of bottles in your bag to take home, and are relaxing on deck, while you wait for your gourmet, locally-sourced, dinner to be served. If that sounds like the perfect moment to you, then you were made for River Cruising in Europe. If you aren’t familiar with river cruising, a single cruise can run anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, but most itineraries are roughly a week long. Destinations include some of the most historic and beautiful areas of Europe, through Spain, France, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, and many more historic spots. Our favorite is the Bordeaux region of France, because of the winecentric itineraries, and the opportunity to visit some of the most famous wine regions in the world, as well as picturesque markets, castles, and catacombs. We’ll admit it, we have a weakness for fine wine, and Bordeaux has some of the finest. SHEcorporatedMagazine.com
“Wine to me is passion. It’s family and friends. It’s warmth of heart and generosity of spirit. Wine is art. It’s culture. It’s the essence of civilization and the art of living.” - Robert Mondavi
There are a lot of reasons to fall in love with river cruising, but here are our top 8: #1 It's an opportunity to visit a variety of scenic destinations: Trying to visit all the places you see on a river cruise, on your own, is the opposite of relaxing. Sleeping on board means you get to visit new places during the day, and magically arrive at the next town, to explore the next day. No driving, trains or buses. #2 There are a wide variety of excursions and ways to explore:
#3 Enjoy a relaxing and intimate experience: Forget the mega ships and mega crowds, a small river boat gives you a quieter, more personal experience, with no crowds or lines to navigate. #4 You get less-traveled itineraries with more time off-ship: The no crowds benefit goes for the towns you visit as well as the ship itself. You get to see more of the real destination and less of the tourist traps. #5 Complimentary shore excursions and exclusive events: When you book with a special group like the one we have traveling this spring, you get special perks too. #6 Exclusive wine and culinary experiences featuring regionally inspired cuisine: The local experience doesn't end when you get back on board each evening. You get to taste the local specialties on board with locallysourced meals and wines.
Do everything, or nothing at all. It’s up to you, but the ship will curate the best experiences for you to choose from, should you want to go with a guided tour. 14
“SEE THE WORLD. IT’S MORE FANTASTIC THAN ANY DREAM.” – RAY BRADBURY #7 Attentive service with great guest to crew ratios:
MEET SHANNAN AND RHONA: FOUNDERS OF LIQUID KUDOS
The service on River Cruises is second to none. Period. #8 Luxury accommodations: You are taking the time out of your schedule to make the trip, so you had better make sure it’s actually worth your time. On board, you will get pampered with all the amenities and luxuries you’ve earned, all year long.
One of my favorite perks of river cruising, is that it allows you to experience a variety of memorable destinations, in a short amount of time, all while traveling the world’s most famous, historic rivers. Let’s be honest, you work hard, and don't take nearly enough time off, so when you do take some precious time for yourself, it should be soul nourishing, restorative time, doing something YOU truly enjoy.
Rhona and Shannan founded their premier Canadian Wine and Spirits Club, Liquid Kudos, because they are passionate about supporting products made in Canada, and giving kudos to innovative and sustainable business practices. As part of their wine program, they have partnered with AmaWaterways and Dianne Frost, to bring an exclusive Taste of Bordeaux experience to life. See the full itinerary and exclusive trip details here https://www.journeysbyescapes.ca/exclusives/taste-ofbordeaux-river-cruise/ To find out more about river cruising and the ‘Taste of Bordeaux’ exclusive trip contact Liquid Kudos at cheers@liquidkudos.com
The argument can certainly be made, if you need more excuses, that real downtime makes you more productive, more creative and more effective in your business - and that means you need a genuine vacation doing something you enjoy, not chasing kids around Disney, or Christmas with the inlaws (no matter how great your inlaws are). So count it as a business expense, call it a “creative retreat” and take a good look at River Cruising in Europe for your next real getaway.
15
SHEcorporatedMagazine.com
GET ON TRACK TO YOUR BIG GOALS Most entrepreneurs, when we start out, have some sort of a long-term financial goal for our businesses. Whether it’s to make that first million, fuel a savings account, or permit us to quit a full-time job, we each have a unique vision of what qualifies as “success”. It’s our Big Goal.
SHEcorporatedMagazine.com
Our Big Goal is that point in the future, on which we focus most of our attention: our decisions, our investments, our energy, and our dreams. Inevitably, though, there are both landmines and opportunities on the path as we make our way towards this Big Goal.
ONE SIMPLE TOOL THAT WILL TAKE THE FEAR OUT OF YOUR FINANCES 16
DO YOU REMEMBER THE GAME CHUTES AND LADDERS? Well, as business owners, just like in that childhood game, we want to avoid the Chutes and hit as many Ladders as we can – but through it all, still stay on the path to our ultimate goal. In business, we want to do it without just accepting the roll of the dice. We want to have some control. Here is where finance and cash flow come into the picture. In business, the way that we can see those landmines and opportunities, far enough ahead of time, is by using a cash flow forecast.
SO LET'S DEBUNK A MYTH: A forecast is not a fancy financial tool, only used in complex big businesses by highly paid accounting majors! A cash flow forecast is actually just a very simple tool that gives you confident flexibility to stay steadily aimed at your Big Goal. And you only need three things to complete a good cash flow forecast for your business: 1. Your business checking account statement 2. 15 minutes a week 3. An awesomely simple Excel spreadsheet (I even have one with a 5-minute video tutorial that you can download from the link at the end of this article) These three tools will give you a clear line of sight down the next 12 weeks of your life as a business owner. Will the predictions be 100% correct? No. But a well-crafted forecast creates a playground where you can test important business decisions ahead of time. Decisions like hiring, pricing, and paying yourself.
17
SHEcorporatedMagazine.com
The gold you mine in understanding your business at this level, is that your confidence in those business decisions will sky-rocket. Now you will be making choices from information instead of your unsupported gut. (Although your gut is a very trusty business ally, every entrepreneur I know feels better when solid information supports that gut feeling.) You will know that when you put your foot out for your next step, you have a much higher level of confidence that a paving stone will be there to land it on. When a storm is brewing in the distance, you have the assurance that you have built up the foundation to survive it. When a new idea inspires you, there is a tool to demystify how and when to pursue it. Business decision clarity and confidence are within reach of every single entrepreneur, but most avoid finances altogether. You can conquer the fear surrounding your finances and gain control (with fewer sleepless nights) by simply doing this one exercise consistently. What separates you from 98% of the pack, is that you will be the one to put a simple cash flow forecast tool to work for you. Go to this link. Download it. It’s free. https://www.profitconcierge.com/tools It will change how you think about your business. Period.
MEET PAM PRIOR, FOUNDER OF PROFIT CONCIERGE
The dynamic opposite of every green-eyeshade accountant you’ve ever imagined, Pam is the author of “Your First CFO: The Accounting Cure for Small Business Owners”; a best-seller that makes finance fun and accessible for entrepreneurs; she is also the entertaining and informative host of the “Cash Flow” Podcast on iTunes; and founder of the novel new Profit Concierge™ experience for entrepreneurs. Her magic is removing, once and for all, the frustration, fear, overwhelm, and tired old money stories that handicap so many of us in our businesses, delivering finance in a new way; FOR entrepreneurs, but founded on 30 years of Fortune 50 and Private Equity corporate financial leadership experience. With Profit Concierge™, Pam weaves together all of the components – bookkeeping, accounting, forecasting, cash flow - into one seamless and totally new Finance Experience for entrepreneurs, clearing away the muck and allowing them to focus on their goals with full peace of mind.
SHEcorporatedMagazine.com
18
THE SECRET TO MAKING YOUR MESSAGE STICK
19
SHEcorporatedMagazine.com
“THE ONE EASY WAY TO BECOME WORTH 50% MORE THAN YOU ARE NOW, IS TO HONE YOUR COMMUNICATION SKILLS."
Over the years, I have helped thousands of people become more confident speakers. Today, my focus is helping women founders become more comfortable and confident communicators. This gives you the ability to present yourself, and your services, in the best light, to potential customers and investors.
- WARREN BUFFET
In today’s world, communicators are implementers, influencers, and innovators. Communicators shape their world and the world of others. As an international communication skills coach, it is my goal to help as many people as possible, become better at expressing themselves in a way that allows their audience to “get it”. How important is communication to your business? To quote Warren Buffet, “The one easy way to become worth 50 percent more than you are now, is to hone your communication skills."
SHEcorporatedMagazine.com
There are three simple keys to help transform your communication skills:
#2 Know Your Audience: You have likely heard this before, but it is no less valid, and it has to be repeated because it is important. Who are your people? Are you sending this message to current contacts, potential contacts, or former contacts? Are you trying to reach an audience that is completely different from your current audience?
#1 Know the Results You Want: Before you can begin crafting your message - whether it be written or spoken, you need to know what result you want from that message. Do you want more people contacting you via email? Do you want to increase sales of your product? Perhaps you want to find higher-paying clients. Whatever your desire, in order to communicate accurately, you will need to know this first. Take a few moments to identify the results you require.
Whoever your audience, the message must be created in a way that will reach them. You don’t generally talk to your friends the same way you would speak to potential investors. Pinpoint your audience so that your message is well-received.
WHO IS IT THAT YOU ARE TRYING TO REACH? 20
# 3 Know the Needs of Your Audience: It doesn’t matter if you are trying to increase your sales, obtain more speaking opportunities, or find investors. It is important for you to know how what you are offering will help your audience. If your offer does not help them fulfill a need or solve a problem, your identified audience will not hear what you are saying, which means you will not achieve the results you want. Regardless of whether you are communicating via zoom, email, or through your marketing messages, these three keys will help you communicate more clearly, and in a way that ensures your message resonates with the receiver. Better communication means that you spend less time (and money) trying to get your message across AND you get the results you desire. Take some time to quickly walk through these three steps with each communication you prepare. If Warren is right (and he usually is), you’ll be 50% better off for it.
MEET ADRIENNE DILLARD, COMMUNICATION COACH AND SPEAKER Adrienne Dillard is today’s version of a Renaissance woman. As a communication skills coach, speaker, podcaster, and trainer, it is her goal to help as many people as possible become better at expressing themselves, and become more confident speakers. To get more tips and practice improving your communication skills, you can join Adrienne in her upcoming interactive Women of AWE Better Speakers workshop. It’s virtual; so, no need to leave the comfort of your own home. It’s also free. The workshop will go into more detail on these three keys to better communication, and add several more keys and insights. You will also have a chance to obtain personalized answers for your particular situation. You can sign up at: https://adriennedillard.com 21
SHEcorporatedMagazine.com
Find your fellow female founders?
Fabulous.
Join our dedicated community at https://shecorporated-community.circle.so/c/start-here for resources, community, support and opportunity.
Hosted by: Kristy Carruthers http://www.onestepempire.com
