I'm here helping service-based professionals (I see you creatives, service providers, agency owners...) build stable, sustainable businesses that profit in all the right ways, including energy and time. I talk a lot about sequence over strategy - that doing things in the right order is more important than nailing any particular strategy. I also talk about the difference between relationship and traffic marketing - and how to exit the relying on referral rollercoaster.
smart moves in tough times
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I always tell people to name the elephant in the room so I’m going to cut to the chase this week and name the elephant in the room: Over the last two months the US government has thrown the world we've known for the last several years into chaos, and the rate at which that chaos is being thrown around just keeps increasing. That’s particularly true if you’re in the United States like I am, and increasingly true if you’re anywhere in the world where US influence reaches (which is pretty much everywhere). My purpose is not political here because everyone knows where I stand, but I am increasingly hearing from several of you asking and pondering what **shakes hands at the sky** this might mean for your business. Which, as a business owner, is something you should be considering. And - more importantly - what you can be doing now to be proactive and start preparing for and thinking through how you will respond if the economic chaos continues. If you were around 5 years ago this month when the COVID shutdowns happened you may remember us having a similar conversation: What should you do when you have no idea what’s about to happen with the economy? We talked it out in some live calls then and this time I recorded a podcast episode for you: Smart Moves in Tough Times. You can click here to listen. I talk through some of the frameworks we have from history, and help frame the conversation for you so you’re able to think productively instead of feeling like you’re in a daily whiplash. I’ll keep this conversation going as long as I need to, because my goal - as always - is to help smooth this entrepreneurial roller coaster ride as much as I can for you. Whether that means navigating your own desires as a small business owner, the whims of a chaotic government strategy, or a global pandemic, we always have options, and I want you to feel comfortable navigating yours. PS Given the topic of this week’s podcast I’d be remiss if I didn’t remind you that I have a round of my Map Your Model bootcamp coming up in mid-April. This bootcamp is meant to help you learn how to navigate decisions in your business, whether those be around how to grow, how to reinvent, or how to respond to changing markets. I’ll be talking about that more in the next few weeks, and you can click here to jump on the waitlist to be in the know when early bird sales open. |
Hi! I'm Michelle Warner
I'm here helping service-based professionals (I see you creatives, service providers, agency owners...) build stable, sustainable businesses that profit in all the right ways, including energy and time. I talk a lot about sequence over strategy - that doing things in the right order is more important than nailing any particular strategy. I also talk about the difference between relationship and traffic marketing - and how to exit the relying on referral rollercoaster.
I’m a proactive person. When I moved into my house the water heater had outlived its expected life by 5 years. The plumber was surprised when I called to replace it - they’re used to people waiting for them to fail. I prefer to not wait until I have a flood in my basement. When a bat colony moved into my attic it was suggested we could ‘wait and see how it turned out’. No thank you - evict them (humanely) right now please. You get the picture. I get ahead of things. So you best believe that...
A few weeks ago I wrote asking you to tell me what was going on out there - I wanted to know what was working, what wasn’t, what you were celebrating and what was keeping you up at night. I wish I could say I was surprised by what I heard but I really wasn’t. Two big trends stood out: Conversion. Conversion is hard right now, especially for new leads. Previous leads and customers are continuing to show up, but it’s harder than ever to find - and close - new business. A lot of you were...
Question: Ever walked into a deli and offered the sandwich person a sandwich in exchange for the sandwich they make you? Offered to plow the driveway of the person you pay to clear yours after a blizzard? Collected some dirt from your garden to trade for new top soil at the garden center? Yea I didn’t think so. So then WHY IN THE WORLD are you constantly - and I mean constantly - telling me that you have no business and no hope to get booked to speak to your ideal clients via podcast...