Creative Warriors

Common advice is to work ON your business more than IN your business. Great advice for keeping us from getting caught up in trivial tasks at the sacrifice of moving our businesses forward. Better yet though is to work OUTSIDE your business more than ON it. Found out what I mean by that and how this idea can completely revolutionize your business. The Talking Stick is in your hands now. Let us hear from you. Be part of the conversation - Join our community Facebook group, Creative Warriors Unite, at www.joinwarriors.com and share your feelings and continue the conversation. 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 and are all your marketing materials speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Often it's not which is why you're not converting traffic and leads to

Social media is a necessity for every business. What started out as a tool for personal expression is now an important way to gain brand recognition. As Facebook usership declines, Instagram is leading the charge- it’s recently hit one billion active monthly users. If you’re dragging your feet on taking your brand to Instagram, you’re missing out on some massive opportunities. Hashtags, stories, business vs. personal profiles...there are so many ins and outs to Instagram that it can feel overwhelming. Plus, the platform is constantly evolving. For example, Instagram has always been driven by quality over quantity in the feed, but the new stories promote the idea of quantity over quality. You have to keep up with the changes to know how to reach the right audience. To fully understand how to strategize for Instagram, I’ve brought on Viv and Tash of Ace The Gram. Tasha (Tash) and Vivien (Viv) are Instagram Experts who met at Otago University a few years ago while studying Food Science. With numerous positive te

Many of us grew up thinking that if you work hard and you don’t give your boss any trouble, you’ll you have a nice future. There was a clear hierarchy, and you had to stay in your lane. But as the world is changing, the definition of leadership is changing, too. When we talk about leadership, no longer are we talking just about the heads of companies- anyone can be a leader. You have the responsibility to take the world in the direction you think it should go. Furthermore, you don’t have to just be a leader, you can be a “lifter,” someone who works towards the greater good of everyone. We are in the middle of a revolution of consciousness. To dive deeper into what it means to be a “lifter,” I’ve brought on the inventor of the moniker: Paresh Shah. Paresh has advised global executives from 20 countries on business strategy and is a former executive at strategy firm Monitor Company. He is a graduate of the MBA program at Harvard University, his insights have been featured in publications like Forbes, Entreprene

For many entrepreneurs and small businesses, the upcoming holiday season can be the busiest time of year. While hopefully, that's a good thing, it can also take its toll on your health and mental state. Having been a portrait photographer for so many years and doing 60-70% of my business in the last 3 months, I know this feeling very well. I offer some practical advice on how to avoid and recover from seasonal burnout. The Talking Stick is in your hands now. Let us hear from you. Be part of the conversation - Join our community Facebook group, Creative Warriors Unite, at www.joinwarriors.com and share your feelings and continue the conversation. 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 and are all your marketing materials speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customer

One of the biggest challenges creatives face is the onslaught of advice. So many of us are running around chasing our tails because there is so much information available. Best practices can feel like spokes on a wheel that are endlessly turning, and it can be difficult to break the cycle. You can’t shut off advice in today’s world, but you need a filter of discernment. Figure out what works for you in your unique context. You can do this by listening, being open, and looking outside of your industry. Instead of acting like an expert, you need to act like an investigator and figure out how to ask the right questions. To get a better handle on the concept of “breaking the wheel,” I’ve brought on author, speaker and entrepreneur Jay Acunzo. Jay is waging war against conventional thinking. He is a globally touring keynote speaker, author of the book, Break the Wheel, and the founder of Unthinkable Media, which creates documentary series with B2B brands. Previously, Jay was a digital media strategist at Google, H

Why is it we are often encouraged to get out of our comfort zones but rarely encouraged to get IN our comfort zones? Well, that's what I'm encouraging you to do during this holiday season. Get IN your comfort zone. Shouldn't it be about balance? If you're going to stretch outside your comfort zone, which you will as a Warrior, then it needs to be balanced with being in your comfort zone. What better time of year than this season of tradition, celebration and comfort food.  The Talking Stick is in your hands now. Let us hear from you. Be part of the conversation - Join our community Facebook group, Creative Warriors Unite, at www.joinwarriors.com and share your feelings and continue the conversation. 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 and are all your marketing ma

So many creative professionals get frustrated with the idea that they need to have a “niche.” We don’t like to feel like we’re being painted in a corner. It can feel paralyzing. We think to ourselves, “Why do I need to choose just one thing!” Most of us are driven by feeling fulfilled by the creative work that we do. We don’t want to sacrifice it for the sake of the business. So how can we find the direction that will make us successful in our work and then focus on it? The good thing is, you won’t know what your niche is immediately. It takes time to even begin thinking about it.  You can then refine it as you go. The key to a niche is that it does not come from inside (what do I want), it comes from outside (what does the market need). If you’re sensitive and empathetic, you will be able to see where your skills can be most used. It doesn’t have to be just one thing. To dive deeper into the idea of “niche,” I’ve brought on author, speaker and coach Ilise Benun. Ilise is the author of 7 books for the “creati

Not doubt, creating an About page is one of the hardest parts of a website. I share what the objective of your About page should be, what a visitor to your site should be saying in their head as they read it, and some really good tips from a colleague of mine who is helping me with my About page. Be creative, be vulnerable, create a connection, build a relationship and create a killer About page! The Talking Stick is in your hands now. Let us hear from you. Be part of the conversation - Join our community Facebook group, Creative Warriors Unite, at www.joinwarriors.com and share your feelings and continue the conversation. 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 and are all your marketing materials speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Often it's not which

So often, we rush into giving advice to others. We don’t see the people around us as creative and whole so we don’t believe they have the tools or knowledge to achieve their goals. In an effort to help, we can actually stunt others’ growth. However, if we stay curious and ask the right questions, we can help the people around us realize they already have all the answers. We can learn how to bring out the best in others. This will only help us as we build our teams and strategize towards our own goals. Coaching isn’t just being hired as a coach. It’s a way of being with each other. It’s how we can achieve higher-level conversations with our co-workers, clients, and family. We have to lead with curiosity rather than advice and solutions in order to give space for things to bloom. To understand this concept further, I’ve brought in the writer of The Coaching Habit,  Michael Bungay Stanier. Michael is the founder of Box of Crayons, a company that champions coaching as a force for leadership development and cultur

As has become an annual tradition here on Creative Warriors, it's time to think about your theme for 2019. Your theme is different than a goal, intention, or vision. Your theme is the intersection of what you want and what feels like the right time. Your theme is your guiding star for the year ahead. With just a couple of months left in the year, the time is now to think about it so there's time for your theme to arise without forcing it. The Talking Stick is in your hands now. Let us hear from you. Be part of the conversation - Join our community Facebook group, Creative Warriors Unite, at www.joinwarriors.com and share your feelings and continue the conversation. If you want to apply to be a guest on Creative Warriors Talking Stick, CLICK 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 Reviewe

I’m as guilty as anyone for saying “good isn’t good enough.” Our society encourages people to be the best they can be; even capitalism is based on the idea that everything has to be exceptional. But perfectionism can stop us from even beginning. The acceptance that we are good enough now is critical to success in our work. We’re all made up of incongruences, but that doesn’t mean that we’re not good enough or worthy enough to begin. Those of us from diverse backgrounds are especially susceptible to feelings of inadequacy. We have no idea what amazing idea is about to come. To be open to creativity, we have to release the need to know how something will end. The important part is starting. You have to realize that failure is part of the process- it leads to relationships, ideas, and loyalty. If you can’t try, then you at least need to “try to try.” To understand this concept more clearly, I had a conversation with an expert on diversity and self-acceptance: Jessica Pettitt. Jessica, M.Ed., CSP, pulls together

As a prelude to the next episode on Creative Warriors with Jessica Pettitt, I share my thoughts on acceptance and being good enough now. We can often get so critical of ourselves and down about where we're at in our lives, I find the idea of "good enough now" really refreshing. It makes me think about how freeing acceptance is. It is through acceptance and the peace it offers that you are free to change your circumstances.  The Talking Stick is in your hands now. Let us hear from you. Be part of the conversation - Join our community Facebook group, Creative Warriors Unite, at www.joinwarriors.com and share your feelings and continue the conversation. If you want to apply to be a guest on Creative Warriors Talking Stick, CLICK 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 webs

So often we can feel sorry for ourselves because we’re not given the opportunities we think we deserve. We feel overlooked and unappreciated. When we take this attitude, we are avoiding taking responsibility for our relationships. You can’t complain about the results you’re getting if you’re hiding in the corner. I’ve never been comfortable networking, and it took a mindset shift for me to realize I needed to “get over myself.” The reason I avoided networking is that I had a mindset of scarcity and believed I wouldn’t be able to handle the relationships. Because of this, I’ve missed out on a lot of opportunities throughout the years. It really is true: networking equals impact. You need to go into networking opportunities with intention. Set yourself up for success by setting aside follow-up time and drafting your emails before you go. Be aware of body language and engage with people who are naturally open. Don’t overthink things like opening lines and instead focus on being interested in learning about other

For a lot of entrepreneurs, our businesses are much more technologically driven, forcing us to spend more time sitting in front of a computer. The negative effects of sitting are serious, including restricted blood flow and pressure on the spine. As I've said many times, Warriors have to take care of themselves because, without us, it's likely our businesses would not go on. That's why I have this chat with fitness expert, Jeremy Abramson. To get you moving. To make sure you stay healthy. This guy is a beast. He's the real deal. Be sure to check out his website and Instagram. The Talking Stick is in your hands now. Let us hear from you. Be part of the conversation - Join our community Facebook group, Creative Warriors Unite, at www.joinwarriors.com and share your feelings and continue the conversation. If you want to apply to be a guest on Creative Warriors Talking Stick, CLICK HERE. Guest Contact - Jeremy's website Jeremy on Instagram @coachjeremy305 Contact Jeffrey - Website Coaching support My book, LIN

Businesses need to pay close attention to how society is changing. Due to technology, things are moving at a faster rate than ever. Customers previously had to choose between convenience and lesser quality or less convenience and higher quality. Now, they expect both. If your business is not able to adapt to current demands, it won’t survive. Today’s customers expect great customer service, speed, and a good price all at the same time. Your business isn’t just being compared to other small business, it’s being held to the standards of bigger businesses like Amazon. You need to ask yourself, “How easy am I to do business with?” The convenience you create could be the greatest gift you give to your customers. You’re giving them time back in their life to put where it matters most: relationships. Adding elements like delivery, technology, and self-service creates a win/win situation: more convenience for the customer and less overhead for you. To dive deeper into this concept, I’ve brought on an expert who knows

What if I said doing business in the selfie age is a good thing? Well, I think it is. But not in the way you might be thinking. Listen and learn how your customer's "selfishness" is an opportunity for your business. How customers are empowered today like they never have been before. Why you want to understand this concept to build a business that speaks to your ideal customers, allows them to create the experiences they want, and to know what is most convenient for THEM. The Talking Stick is in your hands now. Let us hear from you. Be part of the conversation - Join our community Facebook group, Creative Warriors Unite, at www.joinwarriors.com and share your feelings and continue the conversation. If you want to apply to be a guest on Creative Warriors Talking Stick, CLICK 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 Y

Pricing for creative services has always been a difficult topic. As creative entrepreneurs, we often feel embarrassed about charging a high amount for our work. We’ll set rate based on time spent or put a fixed package rate up on our website. As a result, we often undervalue our services. The prices you set shouldn’t be based on the cost of the input or the market value of the deliverables. They should be based on the value that you’re adding to the client and also the risk that you’re taking on. At the end of the day, value comes down to a feeling and what people are willing to pay for that feeling. Services are either a productized business (pursuing scale) or a customized services business (pursuing quality). If you’re not a productized business, you need to stop pricing yourself as such. You can reserve the right to charge different clients based on how they value your business. Bring the same creativity you use in your work to your business model. To dive deeper into this concept, I’ve brought on an expe

In the worlds of personal development, motivation, and positive thinking, were are usually encouraged to move forward. While that is likely the goal, maybe we have to first get frustrated enough about what we want to move away from in order to fully commit to where we want to go. A compelling topic and I look forward to hearing your perspective! The Talking Stick is in your hands now. Let us hear from you. Be part of the conversation - Join our community Facebook group, Creative Warriors Unite, at www.joinwarriors.com and share your feelings and continue the conversation. If you want to apply to be a guest on Creative Warriors Talking Stick, CLICK 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 and are all your marketing materials speaking the right LINGO of your ideal

Entrepreneurs know the power of word of mouth, but not many of us put strategies in place to utilize it. We use the same, tired strategies of discount codes for referring friends or a BOGO sale to bring in new customers. Research shows that one out of two products are purchased because of word of mouth, but still we leave it up to hope or the chance that something will go viral. Instead, you can learn what your customers want and create something remarkable that they’ll need to tell their friends about- Talk Triggers. Talk Triggers are strategic operational differentiators done on purpose that create conversation and bring you new customers. They are not a coupon or a contest, and they differ from “Surprise and Delight” tactics. They are something that you do for every customer, every day. You can look at companies with successful Talk Triggers (Cheesecake Factory and their large menu, Double Tree and their cookies) and work backwards to see how the arrived at their end result and how that could be repeatable

Are there things you’ve always wanted to do, but you keep making excuses not to? Well, there’s only one thing holding you back. It’s a four letter word that starts with an “f”: fear. A lot of times, this fear keeps us from ever truly knowing what we will enjoy. It stops us from even attempting certain things. For example, I used to be terrified of heights. If I would look down from a high place, my stomach would drop, I would start to tremble and I kept myself from experience anything that had to do with heights. One day I went rock climbing with a group, with the goal of overcoming a fear. When it came time to repel down the cliff, it was the most amazing experience. I had so much fun, and such a great time falling. I never would have known this was something I truly enjoyed if I had let my fear stay in the way. Today, I have a view from the 31st floor - and I love it. To go deeper into why we can’t let fears stand in our way, and how we can let our “whys” be the reason we conquer them, I brought in an amazi