Creative Warriors

Building a successful brand is about so much more than your product itself. It’s about selling the mood your product creates; the experience, from start to finish. From the moment you enter a website and read the description of a product, to the messaging, the packaging, the vessel - it all needs to have a unified presence. This is how you captivate and inspire your client, through storytelling and connecting them to your product.   When designing all aspects of your brand - product, packaging, social media, etc - it’s important to pull from what inspires you. Your family history, travel, or current surroundings will help influence the vision of your brand. Storytelling through colors, design, fragrance, or sound can connect all of your inspirations and tie everything in your brand together.   To help us better understand how to create a successful and unified brand - I’ve brought on travel and lifestyle expert, and founder of Harlem Candle Company, Teri Johnson.   Teri, a native Texan, decided

We live in world of limitations in business. There are only so many days in a year and hours in a day. Our calendars have limitations and our to-do lists max out. We bounce off the walls of these boundaries like a pinball machine. What if there was another way? A way to think unlimited instead of by the limits that seem to be imposed on us. There is. Have a listen.   Join 18,000 subscribers looking to do "business with a soul" and sign up to receive my Self-Employed Nutshell Newsletter! Sign up here!   Contact Jeffrey - Website Coaching Support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDx LincolnSquare video and please share!  Resources - Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Having reviewed hundreds of websites, I can tell you 98% of websites are not. Fill out the simple LINGO Review application and I'll take a look at your websi

Many professionals will tell you things they think you want to hear, but the people you trust are the ones who tell you what you need to hear. This is important to apply in your business because you are the expert and just because your client has a vision, they are hiring you for your expertise. When you are confident in your ability and present your client with the best result based on your expertise, they will come to trust you and your business will grow exponentially.  

To be compelling is better than being different. Being compelling is the best way to draw people in. When you're compelling, you not only get attention but people can't take their eyes off you. Compelling is everything. What makes you compelling is your unique perspective. In this episode, I share what unique perspective is and how you can find your unique perspective.   There are three coaching questions in this episode for you to ask yourself- 1) What expertise do you already have that can be layered on top of what you do now to give you a unique perspective? 2) What life story gives you a unique perspective about your area of expertise? 3) What past work experience can be added to what you do now that gives you a unique perspective?   Join 17,000 subscribers looking to do "business with a soul" and sign up to receive my Self-Employed Nutshell Newsletter! Sign up here!   Contact Jeffrey - Website Coaching Support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Ma

One of the most human characteristics we have is empathy. Oftentimes you feel the need to change your persona when entering the workplace, being more guarded or less emotional. Large companies rarely give a demonstration of empathy in the workplace, but this can truly be the most important key to success. When you are empathetic to your clients and lead with compassion, you’re reflecting your personal values and therefore the values of your brand. Your market isn’t just for anyone who needs what you have, it’s for the specific clients that share your values and appreciates the benefits you have to offer.   Find your people by talking to them, understanding them and asking them how they would describe your work. Then use the words they are using in your branding and marketing messages, because odds are, the person reading these messages will feel heard and seen. This is the best way to get connective and empathetic messaging because you’re seeking to understand things from the customers point of view. The

Join 17,000 subscribers looking to do "business with a soul" and sign up to receive my Self-Employed Nutshell Newsletter! Sign up here!   Contact Jeffrey - Website Coaching Support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDx LincolnSquare video and please share!  Resources - Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Having reviewed hundreds of websites, I can tell you 98% of websites are not. Fill out the simple LINGO Review application and I'll take a look at your website. I'll email you a few suggestions to improve your brand message to attract more of your ideal customers. Fill out the application today and let's get your business speaking the right LINGO! Make sure YOUR voice is heard as a self-employed business owner and add your name to the Voices of the Self-Employed advocacy group! A grassroots movement to protect your rights an

Networking is arguably one of the most important skills in business but it can be extremely intimidating to build connections. No matter how hard you try, you cannot force anyone to like you. Instead, you have to first like yourself, and then be willing to share yourself with others so that they can see what is uniquely likable about you. Likability is the foundation of connection and from there you can become a successful connector by adopting these seven mindsets - being open and accepting, having a clear vision, believing in abundance, establishing trust, being social and curious, being conscientious and having a generous spirit.  

You know the expression, "You only have one chance to make a good first impression." Nowhere is that more true than in branding. And not just in the way that you think. Listen to this episode to find how why first impression is not only important to compel your ideal client but also to make your business easier.   Join 17,000 subscribers looking to do "business with a soul" and sign up to receive my Self-Employed Nutshell Newsletter! Sign up here!   Contact Jeffrey - Website Coaching Support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDx LincolnSquare video and please share!  Resources - Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Having reviewed hundreds of websites, I can tell you 98% of websites are not. Fill out the simple LINGO Review application and I'll take a look at your website. I'll email you a few suggestions to improve your brand

More often than not, we are our own worst critics. Change the way you treat yourself - take time to set clear and exciting goals that you believe in. Try not to get caught up in how big the goals you set for yourself are - it doesn’t matter how big if you have no belief in yourself to accomplish that goal. Keep your ideas big, but take small steps on your path to success. When you feel better, you do better. Give yourself permission to do self-care, you can’t find clarity without taking some time for yourself. Even if it’s just a short walk or brief meditation, be present in the moment and check in on what’s important for you. Find one small thing you can do to combat stress. Ask yourself what you need and what you want and say no to things that aren’t driving your agenda.   To breakdown the 4 factors of her Success-Energy equation - I’ve brought on speaker, author, coach and consultant Michelle Cederberg.   For 15 years Certified Speaking Professional Michelle Cederberg has captivated audiences acr

Join 17,000 subscribers looking to do "business with a soul" and sign up to receive my Self-Employed Nutshell Newsletter! Sign up here!   Contact Jeffrey - Website Coaching Support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDx LincolnSquare video and please share!  Resources - Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Having reviewed hundreds of websites, I can tell you 98% of websites are not. Fill out the simple LINGO Review application and I'll take a look at your website. I'll email you a few suggestions to improve your brand message to attract more of your ideal customers. Fill out the application today and let's get your business speaking the right LINGO! Host Jeffrey Shaw is a Small Business Consultant, Brand Management Consultant, Business Coach for Entrepreneurs, Keynote Speaker, TEDx Speaker and author of LINGO and The Self Empl

You must work on finding the icon within yourself in order to become an iconic brand in the world and ensure that your message isn’t instantly discarded. How do we find the icon within ourselves? Try asking yourself, what is the best of my offering that corresponds to the emotional concern of my audience in relation to my product.   To breakdown how to stand out in a world full of overloaded content - I’ve brought on Iconist Jamie Mustard.   Jamie Mustard is a strategic multimedia consultant, art, design and product futurist, creative artist and Iconist. His passion is to teach the science and “art of obviousness,” helping professionals, change agents, artists, and businesses confidently and at will make their messages, brands and ideas stand out to their desired audiences. Jamie’s Iconist work has spanned some of the world’s leading companies, technologies, artists, designers, creatives, and nonprofits.   Learn how to transform your business into an iconic brand - by downloading this episode n

I posed the question in our community Facebook group about what you wanted coaching on. By far, the most common request had something to do with how challenging it is to separate our business from our personal lives. So, here you go! I share what I do myself as well as what I have suggested to coaching clients.   Contact Jeffrey - Website Coaching Support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDx LincolnSquare video and please share!  Resources - Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Having reviewed hundreds of websites, I can tell you 98% of websites are not. Fill out the simple LINGO Review application and I'll take a look at your website. I'll email you a few suggestions to improve your brand message to attract more of your ideal customers. Fill out the application today and let's get your business speaking the right LINGO! Host Je

Wisdom is not having all the answers, but knowing where to find them. Learning technology in business is similar in that you can not be afraid to fail because that fear will keep you from being your best self in business. You have to ask questions, play around with it, and remember that most of the time your peers have the same fears you do.   As a small business owner, don’t compare yourself to larger brands that have entire social media and ad teams. The social media platforms you chose to join should depend on your target audience. Get on one or two social media platforms that are most beneficial to your brand, and absolutely master them.   To help make complex social media and web concepts more accessible and easy to understand - I’ve invited technology strategist, certified futurist, and friend, Crystal Washington.   Crystal Washington is a social media marketing strategist, speaker, co-founder of Socialtunities- a social media instruction brand that trains Gen Ys-Boomers on the strateg

If you're looking for some coaching on how to get some business rolling, here are three ideas that won't cost you anything and have been very effective for many of my clients. These are some first step ideas to get things going which I understand is very much needed for a lot of businesses right now.   Contact Jeffrey - Website Coaching Support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDx LincolnSquare video and please share!  Resources - Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Having reviewed hundreds of websites, I can tell you 98% of websites are not. Fill out the simple LINGO Review application and I'll take a look at your website. I'll email you a few suggestions to improve your brand message to attract more of your ideal customers. Fill out the application today and let's get your business speaking the right LINGO! Host Jeffrey Shaw

You can never know when the perfect time to act on your self-employed dreams will tap you on the shoulder. Some would even argue that there is no such thing as the “perfect time.” And if there ever was, it’s always in hindsight. But there is such a thing as preparation. And the way to be fully prepared to seize those perfect opportunities is to find yourself a mentor.  

As the end of the year approaches many of us are starting to scramble to try to get all the things done that we had planned for this year. But this year has been...a lot. So many of us are also feeling tired, overwhelmed, anxious by all of the other things going on around us in addition to our goals.   Here are my tips on how to prioritize when all the things are equally important.   Contact Jeffrey - Website Coaching Support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDx LincolnSquare video and please share!  Resources - Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Having reviewed hundreds of websites, I can tell you 98% of websites are not. Fill out the simple LINGO Review application and I'll take a look at your website. I'll email you a few suggestions to improve your brand message to attract more of your ideal customers. Fill out the

Most of us struggle with forgiveness, however it can be a very powerful tool that can unlock future roadblocks. To take control of your life you need to forgive and make a plan. Stop winging it in life and decide on the non-negotiable values in your life.  When you deeply understand who you are, when you can identify your black sheep values and what makes you you, you will start living your life on purpose. It’s time to turn negatives into positives, and try looking at things with a different perspective. Whether you’re self-employed or not, it’s imperative to do things with deliberate intentions. This is key to crafting the life you want.   To break down the idea of discovering your black sheep values, I brought on a special guest and longtime friend and colleague, Brant Menswar.   Brant Menswar was recently selected as one of the Country’s “Top 10 Motivational Speakers.” He is a critically acclaimed author, award winning musician, podcast host, and the CEO and founder of Rock Star Impact, a boutiq

With almost all of us making significant changes to ourselves and our businesses in the past several months, it introduces one of the most frustrating things I know of. Waiting. Let's face it. Patience tends to not be one of our strong suits as self-employed business owners. Especially after we've made changes, are more clear than we've ever been, are committed and ready to go, and now we're waiting for the payoff from these changes. And we're left waiting.   Find out what this is all about and what to do about it.   Contact Jeffrey - Website Coaching Support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDx LincolnSquare video and please share!  Resources - Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Having reviewed hundreds of websites, I can tell you 98% of websites are not. Fill out the simple LINGO Review application and I'll take a look at

So much has changed so quickly. A lot of us are reevaluating a lot of things right now. Whether it’s seeking your next dream or transitioning from corporate to entrepreneurship, one thing is for sure. Many people are feeling stuck.   Sometimes what we need is a life audit. When we get clear on where we are and what our core values are, we can then take a look at our lives and decide where we need to go. But first we have to believe we can get there.We self-employed have to believe we can be unstoppable.   To dive into how we can find career clarity, I’ve brought on author and founder of The Nth Degree® Career Academy, Tracy Timm.   The Nth Degree® Career Academy, the proven career clarity system that helps high-potential professionals discover, define, and drive careers they love. Tracy has a degree in behavioral psychology from Yale University and studied design thinking with the founder of the d.school at Stanford University. She left a successful but unsatisfying career in finance, traveled o

As we start each day as busy self-employed business owners with lots of demands on us, we often think about everything we have to give. And we give it our all every day, don't we?   But what about what you'll gain? What would it look like if as you started each day you considered the energy you were going to gain from other people and from doing the tasks you love? Would it change how you felt about the day ahead?   That's what we're discussing on this premiere episode of Coaching Break!   Contact Jeffrey - Website Coaching Support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDx LincolnSquare video and please share!  Resources - Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Having reviewed hundreds of websites, I can tell you 98% of websites are not. Fill out the simple LINGO Review application and I'll take a look at your website. I'll email