Social media captions are like the cover of a book; it’s the first thing people see and what draws them in. With just one or two sentences, you can get your audience to lean in closer to hear what you have to say next. So why not put some time into crafting the best captions possible? This guide will show you how to write great social media captions, so your content stands out on social media feeds. Here are nine steps on how to write great social media captions that can help you reach more people on social media than ever before.

1) CREATE CAPTIONS WITH INTENTION

Before you even start writing, make sure you have an intention behind every caption. If you’re sharing content from other platforms, it’s important that your caption is focused on two things: prompting users to engage with your original piece of content and driving them back to your website or social media channel. Think about how people interact with captions—then share that level of engagement with your followers.

2) ALWAYS WRITE LIKE YOU’RE TALKING TO ONE PERSON

It may sound silly, but it’s true: When you write on social media, think of your audience as one person. Instead of writing for thousands of people, you’re writing for one individual—and everything you say will speak directly to them. Put yourself in their shoes when you write—will they find it engaging? Does it resonate with them? When in doubt, just pretend like you’re writing a letter to a good friend. 

3) PUT THE MOST THOUGHT INTO THE FIRST SENTENCE

The first sentence of your post is arguably more important than any other, so take some time to really think about it. Brainstorming ideas for different types of captions can help you come up with something really good. You want readers to be drawn in by what they read and not just click away because they aren’t interested. That first sentence should grab their attention and compel them to read further. This will help boost engagement throughout social media as well as within search engines that often favor content that has higher engagement levels.

4) KEEP PARAGRAPHS SHORT AND SWEET

If you want them to keep reading what you have to say, try breaking up your posts into shorter paragraphs. The result will be a post that is easy to read and helps you get your point across clearly. As someone who likes to write, keeping it short has always been a struggle, but I’ve also found a lot of success in just writing from the heart. So if you’re like me, don’t worry if not every post you put up isn’t a quick read. Just be sure to break it up a bit to make it easier to read.

5) ESTABLISH A CONSISTENT BRAND VOICE

There’s no such thing as one-size-fits-all when it comes to social media. The tone and language people and companies choose to use online will vary greatly; I’ve always found it’s important to stay true to what comes naturally to you. As much as I can appreciate people online who have a fun, witty way of writing, keeping things more professional and direct has worked best for me. Stay true to who you are and what comes easiest to you regarding tone and voice.

6) END IT IN A QUESTION, PROMPT OR CALL TO ACTION

Your Instagram caption should focus on storytelling. Remember, people come to your feed because they’re looking for something interesting and fun. The last thing you want is for them to hit next and go somewhere else because you couldn’t keep their attention long enough for them to read your entire caption. Try to include a question at the end of the post. Give them something to do once they get done reading your caption. It’s also a really great way to boost engagement and create a two-way conversation online.

7) TELL A STORY (AND MAKE IT A GOOD ONE!)

The best way to catch your audience’s attention is by telling them a story. Try using personal anecdotes or stories related to your business. The more you practice telling your story, the easier it will become. Your audience will relate better with you and trust what you have to say, and enjoy reading and relating to the stories you share.

8) CHECK SPELLING AND GRAMMAR

This might seem like common sense, but you’d be surprised how many people overlook spelling and grammar. (*so guilty* ??‍♀️) The easiest way to avoid these mistakes is to ask someone else for feedback on your post before you publish it. Or take a quick minute to run your caption through Grammarly (it’s free) and my go-to tool when it comes to double-checking my written work. 

9) CONSIDER HAVING A CALL TO ACTION

A call-to-action is an extremely powerful tool for connecting with readers on Instagram. A call-to-action is simply an instruction for your audience on what they should do next, like clicking on a link or subscribing to your newsletter. Call-to-actions are a great way to make a post actionable and give your content more valuable. 

When it comes to social media captions you often just have a few seconds to grab someone’s attention, so use these 9 tips. Focusing on a few important elements of writing great captions can make all the difference in the engagement you see on your social media accounts. Know someone who might benefit from learning how to write great social media captions? Forward this article to them!

Download our free social media captions written for business owners HERE. We do all the writing for you each month so you can show up consistently and share your story and creation content your audience actually looks forward to reading!

The key to being more productive on any given day is to focus on what you need to do and make sure you get it done before moving on to the next task or activity. If you keep this daily routine, you’ll be more productive by focusing on one task at a time instead of juggling different tasks from one moment to the next. Here’s how I stay focused throughout my workday.

Define Your Overall Mission and goals

Before you tackle anything else, be sure that you’ve set your end goal clearly in mind. It can take a little time to grasp what you want for yourself in terms of accomplishments and future opportunities. However, once you know what you’re aiming for—and why—the next steps will become more clear. Remember: Write down your mission statement and keep it somewhere easily accessible like your journal or on your phone so that it is always on your mind. Remember that working on the right thing is more important than working hard. 

Do what’s most important every day

Build a daily routine that centers on your top priorities. I call it my critical-path method, and I use it to make sure I get the most important things done every day. It’s simple: Every morning, I sit down and write down my top 5 most important tasks for the day. Then tackle those things in order of importance. I try to complete all five tasks each day, but if I don’t, the uncompleted tasks get transferred to the next day. 

Focusing on just five tasks helps me stay focused and on track. I have another sheet where I jot down random things that still need to happen but aren’t as important. This way I always have a master list of all the things I need to do while still staying focused on the important tasks.

Do What’s Important Before You Do What’s Urgent

The importance of making priorities 

It’s not always easy to make your daily schedule fit your goals, but it’s important to try. Organizing your time and tasks using a prioritized list will make you more productive and help you avoid feeling overwhelmed. Getting organized is an essential first step to take when setting goals or tackling new projects; otherwise, it can feel like you’re busy working all day, without much to show for it. There’s a big difference between being busy and being productive. 

Timeboxing my business tasks

One of my methods to getting things done is what I call timeboxing. Timeboxing is a time management technique that requires you to designate a specific time frame for a specific task. During this time, you only focus on the tasks and remove all other distractions. Again, instead of bouncing from task to task, you focus on something specific. The best part about timeboxing is that it’s very flexible. Just about any work activity can be timeboxed–whether you’re writing an email, preparing for a meeting, or building a spreadsheet.

As a small business owners, it’s easy to try and do all the things all the time and lose focus and momentum in actually getting anything completed. I would rather focus on one project and get it done in a few hours than work on many little things and get nothing done. A good example of this is how I write new content for the Social Media Membership. Instead of writing content for my clients randomly, I sit down and put all my focus on writing great captions. By having a set time to really focus on this one task, I create better content and get it all complete much more efficiently.

Working at the right time

Another really great way to be more productive is knowing what time during the day you do your best work. I used to wake up and the first thing I would do is jump in my inbox and try and answer all my emails. Some days it would take me a few hours in the morning. (Also the time of day I usually feel the most energy and most creative). I realized that after answering my emails and taking a lunch break, I felt more tired and less inspired to work on other projects. 

I now use my morning hours where I feel most inspired to work on important projects. And leave the afternoon and evening hours to answer emails. Something that doesn’t take much inspiration, but certainly a lot of time. Take some time to figure out when you feel most productive vs when you don’t seem to get much done and get your important work done during the right time. 

Do What’s Important Before You Do What’s Urgent

Although there’s a ton of advice that encourages people to focus on urgent tasks first, which might be a good idea for some, but it can be incredibly damaging as an entrepreneur. When things feel urgent but aren’t actually important, it’s easy to become distracted from what really matters. The best way I’ve found to avoid that trap is by creating a daily list in a separate area in my notebook for all the things I still need to do. Then hand-select which ones make it to my priority list each morning. 

Balance Work And Life

It can be hard to find time for everything you want and need during a workday. The less time you have outside of work, though, the less effective you’ll be at work. To stay motivated and productive at your job—and happy in your personal life—it’s important to make sure that you’re making time for yourself and your priorities. Although I’m often guilty of putting time for myself last. I’ve realized that when I find a good balance between work and life, I end up getting more enjoyment out of the work I do.

With a never-ending list of things to do, business owners have to become good at time management. We must know how to maximize our results with the time we have. Identifying your top priorities, time-blocking, and knowing what time you do your best work is the perfect way to get more done in less time! Just don’t forget to find the right balance between life and balance so it’s something you can continue long-term.

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I’ve always been one of those people who wanted to do as much as possible, as fast as possible. Which sounds great in theory but doesn’t actually work so well in practice. Over the years, I’ve learned the value of batch working. Which has helped me become significantly more efficient in my workflow. Now I have far more time available to dedicate to the things that really matter.

In the world of startups and entrepreneurs, working longer hours means you’re working harder. But it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re getting more done or spending your time in the most effective way possible. In fact, working too much can become counterproductive. As your brain will start to lose focus, and you’ll waste time on unnecessary activities. (Like checking your Facebook notifications or refreshing Instagram). If you want to be productive, learn how to batch work. This way you’ll get more done each day with less stress and fatigue.

WHY ENTREPRENEURS SHOULD LEARN TO BATCH WORK

Entrepreneurs are well-known for working long hours—and that’s a good thing. But, entrepreneurs often struggle with not enough time in the day. They often find themselves not getting enough time for other important things. (Like sleep or exercise, and not spending enough time with family and friends). However, entrepreneurs can learn to manage their time better.

Here’s how: By learning how to batch work. 

WHAT IS BATCH WORK?

In a time where everyone is expected to be available all of the time, batch working can give you valuable control over how much work you take on in a given period. If you’re strapped for time and need more things done in less time, batch working is an excellent way to get stuff done. This also frees up your mental capacity so that when you are not on duty for one specific task, you can focus on other aspects of your business. Here’s what we mean:

Let’s say you find yourself spending a lot of time doing many tasks throughout your workday; you bounce from checking emails to a client call, then work on a new blog article, jump on IG or Facebook for a few minutes, all while searching the internet for something you need. You’re doing A LOT all at once every day.

WHY DOES BATCHING WORK SO WELL?

Batch work, on the other hand, divides specific time-consuming tasks (like checking your emails, responding to clients or writing IG captions) into a set time frame. During this time, you focus only on that one task. 

By dedicating time to doing only one thing, you become more focus and more efficient in the work you do. 

For my business, I’ve learned to batch work for many different things. One of the main ones is writing social media captions. Something that used to take me so much time! As someone who writes social media content for others (in the Curated Captions Membership). I’ve learned that I write better when I have a set amount of time to just sit and write and really focus only on that one thing. I turn off my phone and remove all other distractions. Instead of writing one caption per day, I spend a few hours and write ALL captions for the months. Now that task is not something I need to do daily, and the work I produce is far better because it was created with 100% of my attention.  

BATCH WORKING FOR EFFICIENCY

The idea of batch working involves breaking down work into manageable chunks. Business owners who successfully incorporate batch working into their schedule say they now spend less time worrying about their to-do list and more time actually getting things done. It’s a matter of learning how to manage your energy rather than an endless stream of tasks. It may be tough in the beginning—and definitely requires some discipline—but after a few weeks or months, you’ll likely begin to notice that you have days where you just get loads done with very little procrastination.

WHAT IS TIME BLOCKING

This is when you schedule chunks of time for specific tasks. The idea behind it is that if you block off time for each task, you can accomplish more during your workday since you’re not trying to multi-task or manage distractions. Block off uninterrupted times in your calendar specifically for certain activities. Schedule appointments with yourself, basically. If there are times during your day where you tend to get distracted or find yourself unproductive, blocking them out could help keep you on track. For me, time blocking & batch editing go hand in hand. 

THE POWER OF BATCH WORKING + TIME BLOCKING

Entrepreneurs are often so busy jumping from one thing to another that they don’t even realize when they might be falling behind. Using time-blocking in your schedule allows you to see exactly how much time you’re spending on each task, and when you can allocate more time to something that needs it. When used alongside batch working, entrepreneurs can be more efficient at work than ever before!

How you can batch work and get more done in less time

There’s a lot of flexibility when it comes to how you want to manage your time and still get a lot done. Find a method that works for you and stick with it. For example, say you check email only one time per day—during the morning. Keep that routine daily (or weekly, or monthly depending on what the task is).

START BATCH WORKING TODAY!

You’ve heard of The 4-Hour Workweek—but what about a 4-hour workday? What if instead of working for eight hours, you worked just four hours in the morning, leaving the rest of your day free for personal activities or even working on another project? It might sound crazy at first, but batching can save you an incredible amount of time—and could be one of your best tools for moving forward in reaching your biggest goals!

Speaking of getting more done in less time, I have plenty of resources to help you with your business. If you’re interested in becoming my newest client (and letting me write ALL your IG captions every month), then head on over to the Wordsmith to learn more! 

Raise your hand if you’ve ever felt like walking away from something because you didn’t feel it was worthy enough or waited to launch your new idea because you just didn’t feel like it was quite ready yet. I know I’ve been there many times. I realized that for those of us who work in creative fields and have our own business, it’s so easy to let perfection hold us back. The good news is that if we change the way we see progress and embrace the imperfect moments, we can finally let go of the idea that everything we produce and create needs to be perfect before we put it into the world. Always remember; progress over perfection.

As an entrepreneur, you know that building and growing your business, and your brand isn’t easy. You’re also aware that success doesn’t happen overnight. It requires hard work, dedication, and commitment to excellence. While you want to do everything right, the fact of the matter is you don’t have time to get it all done perfectly—or even near-perfectly—right away, so why not focus on moving forward? After all, progress is more important than perfection when it comes to growing your business and reaching your goals.

PROGRESS IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN PERFECTION

Raise your hand if you would consider yourself a workaholic. And I don’t mean that in a bad way. Those of us who have our own business often LOVE the work they do and will spend far more hours working on what we are passionate about than the average person. My kids and husband will tell you that on the days I get to put in some solid work hours, I’m an overall happier person. Why? Because I love what I do. On the days I don’t get to work, I miss it. That sounds a little pitiful, but the truth is that when you love what you do, you might also turn into a workaholic. Or, as I like to call it, someone who’s just really passionate about their work.

But what we forget is that our dreams are not actually about success; they’re about pursuing something meaningful. Once you decide you’re committed to doing something with your life, don’t sacrifice today’s work because you’re worried it won’t be perfect someday. Instead, just do something worthwhile and focus on doing great work rather than perfect work. I promise, in the long run, you’ll realize that’s what really going to get you to your biggest goals.

YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE PERFECT

The most important thing is that you realize that you don’t have to be perfect; not only is it impossible, but it’s unnecessary. Don’t wait for everything to line up perfectly before taking action; take smart action today until you reach your goal (or change course). Perfection will come later when you’re at cruising altitude.

Share your imperfect moments, and always know that focusing on progress over perfection is key in moving in the right direction, and often what others are most interested in seeing from us.

Out of curiosity, I did a fun little poll on my IG stories asking if people were more interested in seeing the finished product OR the process that goes into making said product. And a whopping 96% of people said they rather see the process. So next time you find yourself hiding the messy part of running a business, realize that people would actually prefer to see that over the polished finished piece we typically want to share.

START NOW. LIKE RIGHT NOW.

Now, if you’re a type-A business owner with a ton on your plate, there’s a good chance you may think that being productive is about getting as much done as possible. This may work for short-term gains, but it won’t allow you to reach long-term goals.

Building good habits (and the right habits) is critical for helping us move forward toward our goals. Once you’ve identified your goal, it’s time to identify habits that will help you achieve it. To do so, simply ask yourself: what habits am I already doing today that will help me achieve my long-term goals? What changes do I need to make to start moving towards my goal? It really comes down to breaking down your big goals, into tiny little habits you can focus on every day. Eventually, all that progress adds up and will get you where you want to be.

STOP COMPARING YOURSELF TO OTHERS

Stop comparing yourself and your progress to others in your industry. As a new business owner, you might be comparing yourself to someone who has been doing it professionally for 10+ years. You might also compare your messy behind-the-scenes action, to that perfect polished piece you see them share online. Regardless, it won’t serve you any good comparing yourself to others. So kick that habit to the curb and learn how to appreciate other people’s work and progress without feeling like it takes anything away from yours.

The desire to attain perfection often prevents us from starting projects at all. This is why entrepreneurs should push themselves to create something—anything—even if it isn’t perfect. Entrepreneurs who fail to complete tasks or produce products eventually lose momentum and motivation. They assume that if they can’t do it right, they shouldn’t do it at all. If you strive for perfection, you may procrastinate and even sabotage your own long-term success. Achieving great things takes persistence and resilience: To become a successful entrepreneur, you must learn how to be imperfect while staying focused on your goals and never giving up on yourself or your dreams.

Imperfect progress is still growth.

Sometimes we’re hard on ourselves. We know that being perfect is not a reality, but that doesn’t stop us from striving for it—to a fault. It may be tempting to scrap what you have and start over if you feel like you haven’t hit your mark just yet, but don’t throw good work away just because it isn’t perfect. While perfection can be idealistic, it won’t often reflect your business growth or your personal growth. Imperfectly growing is still growing—and though growth doesn’t always look exactly how we imagined it would at first, progress will happen organically as long as you keep working toward something better.

SLOW PROGRESS IS STILL PROGRESS

When you’re busy launching your new business or working on an important project, it can be tempting to forget that small wins are still wins. Even if they aren’t milestones, they’re still part of moving forward with your goal. Don’t be afraid to pat yourself on the back for every little bit you do; if you don’t make time for yourself, no one else will. You deserve it! Work hard and remember why you started in the first place—in other words, remember what progress feels like. A lot has probably changed since then (you might even look back at some of those early days and shudder), but it is still good to remind yourself that feeling proud is not only normal but necessary for business success.

You are allowed to be both a masterpiece and a work in progress simultaneously.

― Sophia Bush

The act of getting started produces momentum. Momentum fuels motivation. Motivation increases your chances for success. All you need to do is press play and start moving forward—and try your best to focus on progress over perfection. Progress over perfection and you’ll reach your goals in no time!

It’s no surprise that social media is one of the best tools to grow your business by connecting with more clients or customers. Although social media has changed a lot over the years, one thing stands true; People will seek to connect with people and brands that they love. In this post, I’ll share with you 5 secrets to growing your social media following quickly.

But as business owners, it’s easy to feel like we’re just not finding the right people online. Scaling a following is a lot of work, and often enough, it’s tied to not having a solid social media strategy. So in this article, I figured it would be fun to list five tips that have helped me the most when it comes to growing a social media following.

Social media continues to grow as the primary method of connecting with ideal clients and customers, so knowing how to use it effectively can be your key to success in business. Although it can be tricky to master, it’s also an essential marketing channel that you should absolutely be using if you haven’t already. While your friends and family members will always be your first fans, you can go beyond this by creating a social media following of people who are truly interested in your brand and what you have to offer them. Here are five steps to grow your social media following and connect with more ideal clients and customers through social media channels like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest.

#1 Be Authentic 

To connect with your ideal client and build a loyal following, you must be yourself. Social media is all about sharing information and connections; it’s not about contrived sales pitches. The more authentic you are on social media and across all your marketing efforts, the better clients will respond to you and your business. And if they don’t respond well? Then they probably aren’t your ideal client anyway—and you needn’t waste time trying to win them over.

#2 Create Content Pillars 

A content pillar is a structure or framework for your brand. Most successful brands have more than one: HubSpot has six, and Zappos has five. Content pillars are there to help you develop specific types of content. So start brainstorming what kind of pillars and strategies might work best for your own business. Remember: It’s not an exact science! If it were, we’d all be doing exactly what everyone else was doing (which would make us interchangeable with our competitors). Just make sure your pillars and strategies give you room to be creative and differentiate yourself from others in your industry over time. This tip alone should help you so much when it comes to growing your social media account.

After testing many different types of content pillars, I’ve found that the following five have done the best for small business owners. 

CONTENT PILLAR EXAMPLE

• Personal – Sharing things about who you are
• Engaging – Questions, polls, posts that people can easily engage with.
• Promotional – Sales, promotions, and other kinds of pitches.
• Passion – Why you do what you do. 
• Educational – Sharing helpful tips is a great way to help others and position yourself as an expert in your industry.

By covering these five content pillars, you’ll have enough range in the content you share. Instead of having a page that only posts sales pitches and promotional material, or one that only shares personal posts, you’ll have a perfect balance in the type of content you share and content your audience will be excited to see.

These are the same content pillars I use when I create captions for our Curated Captions members. This way, my clients have a whole month of content ready to go and have the perfect mix of captions.  

If you’d like to see what that looks like, sign up for free and get instant access to a whole month of social media captions that are ready for you to customize and post! 

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD FREE CAPTIONS

#3 Engage With Ideal Clients and Customers

If you have a business, chances are you spend a lot of time using social media in hopes of connecting with your ideal customer or client. The key with social media is realizing that not everyone will be part of your online community—focusing on ideal clients and customers will help your business grow more effectively. When building your following, find ways to connect with people who need what you offer. For example, if you own a personal training business, share tips for putting healthy habits in place or useful tips for eating clean and cutting out processed foods. You’ll not only engage new potential customers but also show off your expertise.

#4 Develop Stronger Relationships

This is a key component of any social media marketing strategy. You can create many connections without necessarily developing relationships (or scaling your business), but these connections will be few and far between. In order to grow your social media following, you need to build a strong connection with the right kind of people. Don’t just post content, and disappear but make sure to take time to engage with others, especially those who are taking the time to engage with your content. 

#5 Post Consistently 

Consistency is key in everything you do. It’s easy to get stuck in a routine, but if you want your social media following to grow, it’s essential that you post consistently. You never know where new clients might come from and showing up consistently will pay off quickly when it comes to anything you do in life and business. 

Although social media continues to grow and provide a wide range of ways for you to promote your brand, there are a few things you should always remember: make it personal, use images that represent your brand, build an audience over time, and don’t just push out content. Post with a purpose and make real connections with the right people. All of these will help ensure that your efforts pay off in a big way. I hope these 5 secrets to growing your social media following tips help you connect to more customers and clients online!

It’s up to you as an entrepreneur to decide what works best for your business—but following these five tips should be part of every strategy.

Don’t forget; Behind every brand, there’s a passion and a story.

Start sharing yours today. Grab that free month of captions to get started!

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All too often, I see new business owners leaping into the world of entrepreneurship without first taking time to align their business with their purpose and passion. Most of the time, they are chasing their passion, but without much thought about what the business side needs to look like. Or they focus 100% on the business side without putting any thought into their purpose and overall long-term mission. In this article, I’ll go over the importance of aligning your business with your purpose and passion.

A common problem, and certainly something I had to learn myself in the early years of building my business, was devoting an equal amount of time to all three of these pieces that ultimately create a business that will last. Because if one thing is for certain, it’s the importance of aligning your business with your purpose and passion.

As an entrepreneur, it’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of running your business. But if you lose sight of why you started your business in the first place, you can easily become frustrated and find yourself on the path to burnout. Aligning your business with your purpose and passion will keep you motivated and moving forward towards your goals, rather than just working towards the next sale or crossing another task off your to-do list. Learn how to align your business with your purpose and passion. There are some basic steps you can take to help find the sweet spot between your purpose and your passion so that they complement each other instead of conflicting with one another. In fact, if you follow these steps, you’ll likely find yourself more fulfilled in the process of running your business than ever before!

Defining your purpose

Why are you in business? What motivates you to take risks? Do you have a purpose? What kind of change do you want to create in the world? If your business isn’t in line with your core values, it won’t be sustainable. When starting out, it might feel like success is defined by that big salary or being able to choose the hours you work—but when these things don’t happen right away, many entrepreneurs struggle when they lose sight of their motivation.

Defining your passion

The first step to aligning your business with your purpose is to define what you’re passionate about. If you feel stumped, ask yourself questions like: What activities give me energy? What kind of people do I enjoy spending time with? Are there any hobbies I love doing in my spare time? Do I dream about pursuing something I’ve wanted to do for a long time? You don’t have to know every answer right away—and perhaps you won’t be able to decide on just one passion—but asking yourself these questions will help get you started.

Defining your business

Once you’ve determined what your passion is, it’s time to turn that passion into a viable business. Begin by defining what your business will be—you can go broad or narrow, but once you’ve established some parameters, you can begin to explore your options. This part of starting a business can often take some time—it’s not uncommon for entrepreneurs to define their businesses several times before finding one that fits their skillset and market needs.

Creating the perfect balance

Successful businesses are led by people who have a true passion for what they do. If you have no passion, you’ll fail at some point. At some point, your energy will dry up. If it’s not something you enjoy doing, you won’t be able to stay on that path very long before dropping out. When you create the perfect balance within your business, you’ll be able to do it for years to come. Even when things get hard, you’ll be able to hold on to why you started and get through tough times. You’ll have a deeper connection to your work because it’s all connected to more than just a business idea.

Connecting to your ideal customer and client

The goal of any business is to provide value to customers. And you need to understand who your ideal customer is before you can truly provide them value. It’s critical that you connect with your customers on a deeper level than just what you sell—you want to identify your shared values, lifestyle, passions, etc. Once you do, it’ll be much easier for you to take risks because they’ll resonate deeply within yourself as well as others.

Passion can be a powerful source of motivation for running a business. But more importantly, it can also lead to more thoughtful decisions as you start and grow your business—decisions that could change your business’s trajectory. Whatever your business is, wherever it is going, passion will help you get there. Now go out there and build a purpose-driven company that makes a difference in its community. And remember: Keep following your passion!

As an introvert, I often felt like I didn’t have the right personality to succeed as an entrepreneur. I’m happy to report that my skill sets as an introvert have only helped me reach new levels of success in the 10+ years of working for myself. I’ve built a successful online business for fellow entrepreneurs, Modern Market. One of our top resources is Social Media Captions written for fellow entrepreneurs. I’ve even built a Saas The Essential Studio Manager with my husband to help business owners manage their photography business. I hope that this article helps other introvert entrepreneurs pursuing their passions realize just how powerful they are. Here are 10 reasons introverts make great entrpnuers.

While many people believe that entrepreneurship and extroversion go hand in hand. There are plenty of successful business owners who are not only introverts but thriving as entrepreneurs. In fact, studies show that certain personality traits, such as those that make up an introvert’s personality type, can actually be advantageous when running a small business.

They Solve Problems On Their Own

Although extroverts prefer to work with others and solve problems in groups, introverts can succeed when working solo. While it may be less enjoyable for them, an introverts’ ability to work alone (and often at their own pace) allows them to focus on tasks without distractions and tackle problems creatively. As a result, they find solutions that would have otherwise been missed by others.

They’re Independent Thinkers

As an introvert, you’re far more likely to go out on a limb and give your own opinion than someone who’s more socially comfortable. You’re not afraid to speak up when you don’t agree with something. And that trait can work in your favor when starting a business. Asking for advice is great, but it doesn’t give you any real-world experience in making your own decisions or asserting yourself.

They’re Passionate About What They Do

The idea of building a business around your passions is hugely appealing to introverts. It means they won’t have to spend their time doing something they don’t enjoy. After all, few people are motivated by money alone.

They’re More Likely To Listen

One of your main jobs as an entrepreneur is to listen. Be it your customers, clients, or other people within your industry—it’s important that you can effectively communicate and empathize with others. The ability to do so doesn’t always come naturally to extroverts. Particularly in certain situations. But introverts tend to be natural listeners and communicators. Which makes them great for listening closely and bringing their perspective into a conversation. While speaking is often viewed as a sign of leadership, listening can be just as important when it comes to making good decisions.

They Put Action Before Action Words

Okay, so some extroverts have a tendency to chase shiny objects. They’re constantly meeting new people and trying new things. Meanwhile, introverts love a good routine, and they don’t seek out constant stimulation. In fact, their need for stability can actually be a huge asset when starting a business. It allows them to focus without being derailed by every new fad or shiny object that passes their way.

They Don’t Chase Shiny Objects

Because introverts have a lower need for external stimulation, they tend to be less prone to unrealistic quick fixes. They’re also less likely to be distracted by shiny objects that will often distract an extrovert from their goals. In short, when it comes to losing weight, they stick with it.

They Don’t Care What Others Think Of Them

An introvert is not necessarily a loner, but they can get things done on their own if need be. They are likely to plan and work strategically. When it comes to working, they are more focused on the project at hand rather than being social with others. 

They Can Get Things Done Alone

While extroverts crave interaction, introverts can thrive as independant workers. They’re able to focus more easily and avoid distractions from those around them. This gives them an edge in getting projects done quickly and with less stress. They keep a low profile. While some extroverted entrepreneurs enjoy being in front of a crowd, others don’t care for all of that attention and actually prefer to be behind the scenes working.

They Won’t Leave Something Unfinished Because It’s Easier To Start Over

It takes a lot of self-discipline to get an idea off paper and into reality. This is true for any entrepreneur, but introverts tend to be highly motivated once they get an idea in their head. It’s less likely they’ll get distracted and let their ideas fall by the wayside. Also, since they’re good at working independently and alone, they aren’t tempted to rely on colleagues or friends to help them complete a project. 

No One Tells Them How To Do Things

As an introvert, you often have to go off the book when it comes to extroverted coworkers. No one told you how to talk to new people, answer phones, or pitch investors, build a business or launch a new course or product, so you just made it up as you went along—and that makes you valuable. You’re comfortable with ambiguity and are excellent at making on-the-fly adjustments. And since no one told you how things are done, no one knows how they can be done better.

Are you an introvert too?

So if you’re a fellow introvert, realize just how powerful you are with your set of skills and personality traits. Stop thinking that it’s in any way limiting you as an entrepreneur. If you ever need a reminder, just come back to this article as to why introverts make great entrepreneurs.

Yes, introverts are often misunderstood by extroverted peers, but that doesn’t make them weak or less capable. Your careful consideration of everything around you. Your tendency to think deeply about things. And your thoroughness in making sure you do it right. These are powerful assets—and they’re all important qualities of being an entrepreneur. Not only that, but being an introvert is great for business owners because it forces you to be independent—another trait that leads to success. 

The last time I set up my in-home studio space, I had to figure it out as I went. Having gone through the process already, I knew exactly what I needed. I figured it would be a perfect way to give photographers some insight on how they, too can set up a fully functional in-home studio without spending a fortune. I recorded the whole process so you can watch the setup and create your very own dream studio space!  I’m sharing all the details on how to create this dreamy space in a complete DIY White Studio Setup Guide as the newest freebie in our resource section.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD DIGITAL GUIDE

Over the years, I’ve always gotten a ton of questions on what materials I use. Especially for the floor and so excited to finally have an actual mini guide on the entire setup. You’ll know exactly what I use, how to set it up and learn some bonus tips on shooting in natural light. 

I spent a total of $138. But for a smaller set up you can spend as little as $86 for the same look. This has been my go-to setup for years. 

The digital guide includes the following: 

• Video tutorial on the studio setup
• Step-by-step instructions
• Item list (with direct links) 
• My favorite natural light setups

There are a few diagrams to show you some of my favorite ways to use natural light and the final results. This way you can learn a little bit about how to shoot in this space as well. 

Below are a few questions I’ve also gotten a lot in the past. Although I no longer shoot full time, these will be helpful for any photographer looking to grow their business. In the past, I’ve always had in-home studios and loved every minute of it!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE GUIDE

WHY DO I PREFER HAVING AN INDOOR STUDIO?

The majority of my sessions consist of baby sessions and maternity sessions. Since babies are little, I need something simple, cozy and comfortable. My other sessions are done outside, so I don’t need a space for my traditional sessions that gives me a ton of space. With itty bitty babies, it’s actually nicer to have something that they too can feel comfortable in. And as a photographer, it’s awesome to have a space where everything is set up how it needs to be without needing to constantly set up and tear down. Choosing a space like this helps me as a photographer create more consistent work, and I love that about using a studio space.

This studio space will be used for baby, newborn and commercial sessions.

Since those are what I’m booked for most, it’s very convenient to have it at home because it means I don’t have to drive anywhere for the session, saving me time throughout the day because I can go from working in my office to shooting a session, then jump straight into editing which I love. I have a limited amount of time available so the less I have to drive back and forth the better!

LARGER STUDIO

Since I might require a larger space now and then, I found an amazing 2000+ sq ft all-white studio space that is available on an hourly rate. IF I need something bigger than the space I use at home I can easily use this space on a need-to-use basis without having the incredibly high overhead cost of retail space. Many larger cities offer this sort of thing, just search for photography studio space rental. It’s an awesome option for those of us who don’t have the space at home or prefer to have something outside their home without having to sign a long lease and have a monthly studio rental bill.

BUT WHAT WILL MY CLIENTS THINK?!

I get this question from fellow photographers who have thought about setting up their own in-home studio but are scared that it doesn’t look professional to clients who will be booking them. My advice on that is this; I have never not booked a client due to my in-home studio. When clients book me, they are looking at the finished product, my work and fall in love with that, not my studio space. They trust me as their photographer to create the same quality of work for their session. When potential clients go over my work, they care much more about what my work looks like, than how large my studio space is. Many of my clients become wonderful friends and since many of them book me for their maternity, newborn, then baby milestones they feel incredibly comfortable here. I love welcoming clients into my home and studio.

So if you’re on the fence about it, give it some thought. An in-home studio might be a wonderful fit for you and your clients.

Ok now to my favorite part, let’s go over how to set up your very own in home studio!

NATURAL LIGHT

If you’re a natural light photographer like me, then having a space that has plenty of that gorgeous light is top priority! I picked a room that basically consists of large windows on one side giving me plenty of light to work with. The room is filled with beautiful light, and that’s exactly what you need when you count on natural light. If you love using studio light, then having natural light is not a priority.

ENOUGH SPACE

Think about how you want to use the space. What type of sessions you want to offer and find a space that gives you enough space to work in. Since I love working with babies and newborns, I don’t need a ton of space to move around. I’m usually up close and personal when I’m shooting so a wall that is 9+ feet wide is great for space. Since the room I’m working in, also allows me to shoot long ways I have 30+ feet that I can shoot from the other way and get farther away portraits. I love creating dreamy backlit images so shooting directly against the windows will be perfect for those sorts of portraits!

WHITE FLOOR

This is one of the things I get the most questions on. What type of floor do I use? As you can tell by the images, there’s a slight glossy look to it. Prior to switching to these types of floors, I used seamless papers and just got frustrated with the number of times the paper would tear or all the staining that would happen when it was in use. Working with babies = lots of drooling so having something that isn’t going to show drool spots is awesome. It’s the perfect white, shiny and since it has that smooth finish, it makes it easy to clean.

So you’re probably wondering, what the heck is it and where can you get some!? You’ll get all that info in the digital guide. I have a whole sheet that lists all the items I used for my studio so you can use the exact same pieces. The floor is by far, the best part about the whole thing and it took me a long time to figure out exactly what worked the best.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD DIGITAL GUIDE

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD FREE LIGHTROOM MOBILE PRESETS

If you’ve been following my journey for a while, you know it all started in the photography industry for me. My passion for documenting motherhood. Developing tools to help me with my post-processing has always been something I love to do. Being able to share these tools with all of you just makes it that much more fun.

Over the years, I’ve released over 20 Lightroom Preset Collections that are used by thousands of photographers around the world. I’ve shared a few sample presets in the past, and am so excited to make a special post for these presets. I get so many emails asking about this freebie and hope that this makes it a lot easier to find!

If you’ve been looking for some beautiful presets to try, you’re going to want to download these presets. They come with both Lightroom Classic, Lightroom CC, and Mobile presets. These presets will give you a little taste of what you can expect from our professional Lightroom presets. You can view all those preset collections HERE.

Regardless of where you are in your photography journey, using presets can help bring your dream vision to life. For years I struggled with my work. Not because the original image was bad. I just didn’t know what kind of adjustments I needed to make to get my desired style. Once you start using presets that work, you’ll save yourself so much time. You’ll create beautiful consistent work that’s a reflection of your style.

All our larger collections come with 40 presets total, giving you a ton of options. My goal with presets has always been to create presets that are easy to use and work with a simple click of a button. Each collection has been created with a specific purpose. From real photography sessions. Making them incredibly easy to use for photographers.

Enjoy your new free Lightroom Mobile presets!

DOWNLOAD FREE PRESETS

P.S. Know some photographers or creatives that would love to get some free presets? Share this article with them!

Ready to view all our preset collections? CLICK HERE.

Don’t forget to join my newsletter to be the first to get any new freebies released!

I know firsthand what it’s like to work with clients and customers who value what I have to offer (and those who don’t). I think it’s easy to believe that when you start a business, you’ll magically attract the right people (the ones who value your time and work) when in reality, most of the time, we spend a lot of time working with customers and clients who teach us what we don’t want. (we’ll call those hard lessons to learn). But the truth is, it’s those lessons that teach us to listen to our gut when it comes to the types of people we attract, and over time, we become great at attracting the right audience and saying no to the rest. 

But let me go back in time for a minute. To a time where I didn’t feel valued. Where I felt like I poured my heart into everything I did just to have it go unnoticed. I often sat there and wondered if pursuing a career in something that I am attached to emotionally, something I cared so much about, was the right decision. I think part of me is more vulnerable by choosing this as my job. Because to me, it’s more than a job. It’s something I created from nothing in hopes that the person I’m creating it for, is someone who values it. Pouring your heart into something you love for a long time just to feel like it’s not valued will run you into the ground eventually. 

The truth is that a lot of us spend a long time getting hung up on what we are not to justify the fact that we don’t value ourselves enough. We focus on all the things we aren’t excellent at instead of the pieces that make us great. The idea of truly valuing our time, work, vision, and dreams is always tied to something in the future. We become accustomed to it always being just out of reach because we’re not willing to seize it and hold on to it.

That leads us to the million-dollar question is; how do you get others to value what you do? 

It starts with you.

The first step in getting others to value you is to value yourself.

There are countless hours of work I put into this business. Countless nights that I would stay up all night to get my work done because it was the only time I could because it was when my little ones were sleeping. Countless hours on the road. Nights away from my family. Countless hours of trying over and over to get it right and countless of hours of failing and trying it again. Long days of work while holding my son while he’s sleeping. I have taken every day and pushed towards my goal, and I am the only one who knows how much I have had to sacrifice.

Do you know who values what I do most?

I do.

I know how much I have had to sacrifice and how hard I have worked. I know the hours, the days, the years I have put into this. There have been a million things that I have had to sacrifice to get to where I am now. I value every minute of my day, and at the end of the day, I have become very picky in choosing where I spend my time and who I spend my time on. I am ok with walking away from someone who does not value what I do. Because I know there are people out there that value everything I do. 

So the first step to getting others to value your time, your effort, your work – is to value yourself and your time.

The second thing is learning how to recognize those that will value what you do and those that don’t. With this, you will also need to learn to let go of those that don’t. It’s learning how to filter through people to find your dream client or customer. The people that see how hard you work and they appreciate everything you do for them. It’s not always easy to figure this out but take the time to figure out who your dream client is. 

Have you ever had a ‘dream client or customer?

If yes, sit down and write down what about them you loved so much. Then figure out how to find more of those types of people. Learn to see signs of a dream client and signs of a client that you’ve had in the past that didn’t appreciate everything you did. You’ll soon know exactly how to figure out who falls into what category, and more importantly, how to find more of the right people!

Here are a few things I look for:

They know how hard I work

Someone who understands how much work goes into creating quality products, resources and services. Since most of my clients and customers also have their own business, I always try and connect with those who really understand how much work goes into running a business and creating quality products and resources. Often this is someone who’s been in business for themselves for quite some time and is willing knows the importance in investing in quality items. Someone who has this understanding will always value what we do more than those who do not. 

Their style lines up with mine

You’ll never find an industry that doesn’t have competition in one way or another. Most of the time, there is no shortage of people who have the same thing of service or product available. So what separates these options really comes down to style and vision. For example; Our social media captions are written in a specific voice and style. I know they won’t be a perfect fit for everyone who’d like to get professionally written social media captions delivered each month, but by staying true to this style of writing, we create a resource that ends up being the perfect fit for a lot of business owners. My goal with these captions is not to be a generic option for anyone with a business. Instead, I want these captions to be a perfect fit for the right business owners. 

They value my prices

Like so many others, I started my business charging very little for my time. As time went by and my business grew, my pricing increased as well. One of the most interesting things I found was that charging higher prices helped me attract more of my ideal clients and customers. The ones who didn’t question my pricing tried to get a discount or attempted to compare my pricing to someone else offering something similar in hopes that I would doubt my pricing and lower it. Those types of people often don’t make the best clients and customers, and I learned very quickly that to FEEL valued, I need to charge accordingly. 

They’re excited to support my business

I’ve had thousands of customers from all over the world over the years. 80,000+ people who have in some way ordered something from our shop, became a member, or hired me for something more specific. Regardless of how they found out about Modern Market, it’s the ones who are genuinely excited and connected to this company that I’ve built that always bring me the most joy.

I think because this business is more than just products, resources, and services to me. I feel connected to the people who support it because we’re all in the same business of chasing our biggest dreams. It’s a community of creatives that just understand what it means to put this much work into what we do so when they come along and show their support and are excited to be part of something bigger; it just feels like all the little pieces have fallen into place.

Anyways…those are just a few things that I look at. There are so many signs that you can learn to see in your dream client and customer. You just have to learn what to look for and learn to walk away from those that show signs of not valuing what you do.

With how much energy, time, and work you put into your business, you deserve to be supported by people who value what you do. More importantly, you have to value it first. You have to raise that bar and never bother with losing out on anything that’s below your highest standard.

You deserve only the best. 

If you’re ready to start moving in the right direction and become amazing at getting things accomplished then let me explain this concept to you. It might sound simple but take the time to actually think about it. Let it sink in. I believe this concept needs to be understood by every business person out there. 

I often get asked how I managed to grow my business and Wordsmith Membership so quickly and I can say that it had to do with a lot of things. One of them is reading a lot. I’ve never been able to get lost in storybooks, but hand me a book on business and I can’t put it down. I soak it up like a sponge and then piece it together to make it fit my life, my business, and the way I run my business. Something about business fascinates me, and I love reading how things work, how ideas succeed, how they fail. I love reading stories about others that built a business empire out of a simple dream.

The 80/20 Principle

I remember reading about something called the 80/20 principle. It’s actually a really simple concept, but to me, it was absolutely mind-blowing. For the past few years, I have applied this 80/20 principle to running my own business and it has helped me in so many ways. It helps me make decisions quickly and always reminds me of the big picture.

Most people believe that when you put hard work in, you get the same return. If you put 50% of hard work, you’ll get 50% in results. The problem with that concept is that it usually doesn’t actually work out like that. People that have this mindset all too often spend time on the wrong things and move forward a lot slower than those who understand the concept of the 80/20 principle.

The 80-20 rule will teach you to focus on what’s really important in your life and your business. You can apply it to almost every aspect of your life and business and below I’ll list a few ways photographers can think about the concept.

The 80-20 rule states that 20% of inputs create 80% of the outputs and that 20% of the effort leads to 80% of the results.

Here are some examples in business when it comes to the 80/20 principle.

CLIENTS & BUSINESS

80% OF BUSINESS COMES FROM 20% OF YOUR CLIENTS/CUSTOMERS

Figure out who your top 20% clients/customers are!

80%  OF YOUR NEW CLIENTS/CUSTOMERS ARE REFERRED OVER BY 20% OF YOUR CURRENT CLIENTS/CUSTOMERS

Who are your top 20%? They bring in over 80% of your NEW clientele/customers!

80% OF CLIENTS/CUSTOMERS COME FROM 20% OF THE BUSINESS REACH 

What is your top 20% business outreach strategy? It is bringing you 80% of your clients/customers!

80% OF COMPLAINTS COMES FROM 20% OF YOUR CLIENTS/CUSTOMERS

Unhappy clients are hard situations to deal with but realize that it’s only 20%. (Although in the moment it might feel like 80%)

SALES & SESSIONS

80% OF SALES ARE GENERATED BY 20% OF YOUR CLIENTS/CUSTOMERS

This is KEY – Who are your most loyal clients/customers? They generate 80% of your sales!

80% OF PRODUCT SALES COME FROM 20% OF YOUR PRODUCTS

What are your BEST sellers? Those items account for 80% of product sales!

80% OF REVENUE COMES FROM 20% OF YOUR CLIENTS/CUSTOMERS

Again – Who are your BEST clients/customers? They account for 80% of your entire business revenue!

TIME MANAGEMENT & OFFICE WORK

80% OF BUSINESS IS DONE IN 20% OF THE TIME (YEAR, MONTH, WEEK OR DAY)

Know when your busy season is and make sure work extra hard during that time – it brings you 80% of your business!

80% OF RESULTS ARE ACHIEVED BECAUSE OF 20% OF THE TASKS

KNOW what your important tasks are – 80% of results come from those tasks alone! Don’t waste so much time on the little things.

80% OF EMAILS ASK 20% OF THE QUESTIONS

Do you get a lot of repeat emails from a lot of people? Save yourself time by creating email templates. 80% of ALL your emails are looking for the same information!

80% OF YOUR TABS OPEN IS 20% OF WHAT YOU SHOULD BE DOING

How many search browser tabs do you have open right now? 80% of them are unnecessary!

SOCIAL MEDIA & BLOGGING

80% OF YOUR INTERACTION COMES FROM 20% OF YOUR FOLLOWERS

Who are your most AWESOME fans? They make up 80% of all your interactions!

80% OF YOUR TRAFFIC COMES FROM 20% OF YOUR KEYWORDS

Know what your TOP keywords are – they bring in 80% of all your traffic!

80% OF SOCIAL SHARES COME FROM 20% OF THE SOCIAL UPDATES

What posts get the most shares and attention? They get you 80% of all shares!

MARKETING & ADVERTISING

80% OF SALES COME FROM 20% OF YOUR ADVERTISING 

What advertising method works best for your business? It brings in 80% in sales!

80% OF BOOKINGS COME FROM 20% OF YOUR MARKETING

What marketing method works best? It brings in 80% of your bookings!

Hope you enjoyed this post! And always remember the most important rule of all:

80% OF SUCCESS IS SHOWING UP

If you’re ready to start focusing on the right things, it starts by figuring out what your 20% is first. Once you know what that is, you’ll be able to focus on the pieces that move your business (or life) in the right direction. The best thing about the 80/20 principle is that you can apply it to literally anything in life and business. Looking to learn a little more about this? There’s a ton of books on it, but I highly recommend reading The 80/20 Principle: The Secret to Achieving More with Less by Richard Koch.

Let’s talk about time management! Do you ever feel like your day is passing you by, and you haven’t really gotten anything that you had hoped to get done for the day accomplished? You’re sitting there working on…stuff…but nothing specific? Well, you’re not alone! In this article, I’ll go over some of my favorite things to do in order to stop wasting time.

Many of us deal with time management issues, especially those who work from home and have their own business.

Instead of working at a job that is 9-5, we have one that is 24/7. And it’s those 24 hours every day we have to look at, organize, and strategically set up to maximize our outcome for getting tasks accomplished for work and life.

IT ALL COMES BACK TO TIME-MANAGEMENT

Below I wrote out my favorite time management tips, and I’m hoping they help you plan and organize your workday, all while getting closer to your personal goals and helping you stop wasting time.

The biggest lesson I’ve had to learn as an entrepreneur is time management. And let me tell you – it was a hard one to learn. I look at it this way. You can run your business without time management skills and work against yourself for the rest of your career, OR you can learn how to be a time management genius.

Let’s be honest, running a successful business is one big net of getting things done to get you closer to your goal. The only way to do this is to know how to manage every little thing that relates to you running your business.

MAKING A PLAN

You need to have a structure, a plan, a schedule, deadlines, and you need to actually get it done. You need to be strict with work hours and not let your business run your life. I think this goes especially for those of you like me that work out of your home. Your office is right there, in your home, and it is easy for your job to start ‘ruling’ your life.

Sometimes it can feel like work is around you 24/7. You’re always checking your phone for notifications. You’re trying to squeeze in work in between making dinner and bath time. You go to bed only to be woken up by your phone binging and feeling like you need to get up to answer that one email which we know will lead to answering just another ten more. You’re stressed because you feel like you can’t be there for your kids 100% and be running your business 100% no matter what; you never have enough time in the day.

I hear you! That was my life before I learned how to manage my time. My new normal? I know what I need to do when I’m in my office. My phone does not run my sleep cycle and for the first time, I feel like I can be a happy, unstressed mom with my kids again. I hope that these little tips will help you too.

And please note, this is coming from a working mama (I have four kids between the ages of 9 months-13). I homeschool and have to balance both life, motherhood, homeschooling, and business. So this is coming directly from someone who has a full plate and a very wild house most days.

1. DESIGNATE A WORKPLACE

Hint: it should not be your kitchen counter, your bed, your sofa, your patio. Pick a room or a corner in your home that when you sit down at, you know it’s time to buckle down and get your work done. It’s not the time to catch up on Facebook or play on Pinterest. It’s time to knock off items from your to-do list.

Know what time you need to start working and should be done working. It might not be a solid amount of hours; it might be three large chunks of time throughout your day. You run your business; you get to pick your hours. When you’re at work, work. When you’re not, then enjoy your time away from work.

2. MY TO-DO LIST

I have ONE relevant folder sitting on my desk. It’s a to-do list. I have a million checklists, and it is never-ending. Anytime I have something I need to do (it could be answering a particular email, calling someone back, scheduling an appt) it gets added next in line. As I work, I check them off as I go. My bigger projects are added to the list, and they usually have separate to-do lists. You know how it goes. My checklists…have checklists… it’s a never-ending list, but it is the one big thing that keeps me moving forward. And quickly. When I get done with something, I don’t waste a minute thinking about what else needs to get done; I look at my list and choose my next item.

3. QUIT MULTITASKING (AKA, WASTING TIME)

If you’re working on something, work on that ONE thing. Not that one thing, plus three more. The only two things you should be doing is working on something AND drinking your favorite coffee drink. That’s as far as your multitasking should ever go. Know what’s important and put the focus there.

Manage your lists by working on the most important thing first and then move on to the next important thing on the list.

This goes hand in hand with knowing what’s on your list that holds the most value. You should be able to look at them and, within a few seconds, know what you need to be working on next. It’s a good idea to know which three items would qualify as your ‘three most important tasks’ when you get your workday started.

4. USE THE RIGHT PLANNER

After years of buying planners (and not using them), I finally decided to make my own. One designed for goal-driven business owners in mind. It comes with so many incredible printable pages to help you plan and stay on track to reaching your goals, including a pretty to-do list for each month. I’m telling ya…it’s a game-changer! 

I made the planner FREE so you can download it, get it printed and get to work. 

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE BUSINESS PLANNER.

5. AVOID DISTRACTIONS

This is a hard one to do for some. But I know I am more productive when my phone isn’t in the same room. So I make it a point to keep it out of sight where I won’t be tempted to check notifications. If you find yourself constantly picking up your phone to see what’s going on, try putting it elsewhere, at least for the time being that you’re at your desk working.

6. BATCH WORK

This is probably one of my favorite ones to do. Instead of bouncing between my inbox, blog posts, customer support, and that new online class I’m working on. I bundle my tasks together, which saves me a ton of time.

Take social media posts, for example. I could take 10 minutes every day to find a picture, write a status, schedule that post before moving on to something new. OR I could work on a whole month worth of social posts in 30-40 minutes.

This is exactly what we do with our Social Media Captions Membership. Every month, our members get new captions for the entire month, and all they need to do is customize and schedule them for the month ahead. This batch work alone saves me hours every single week!

Time management is a hard one to master, but with the right system in place, it’s possible to have days where you’re getting tons of work done and getting closer to your goals. There are so many things we can learn to do that will help us not waste time. It just comes down to realizing when we’re doing something that’s not actually being productive and making a change in our daily routine.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING WORKBOOK

Since launching our Social Media Membership, we’ve had numerous requests for a workbook, and I’m thrilled to finally release this pretty little thing. It’s a 29-page workbook covering our marketing strategy. We even made sure to include 10 ready-to-go captions so you can jump right in and put this strategy to use!

Social media marketing has proven to be an effective means of boosting traffic and brand awareness for businesses of all sizes, which means that more and more companies are looking to get in on the action. The only problem? Creating a social media marketing strategy can seem like a daunting task, especially if you’re not sure where to start. But by following these three steps and using the Social Media Marketing Workbook, you’ll be able to create a great social media marketing strategy that works for your business.

The best social media marketing strategy is all about connecting with people—specifically, it’s about identifying who you want to reach and then how you want to reach them. Defining your target audience will help inform what content you should share (and when), how you interact with your followers, and which networks are right for your business. So start by defining who exactly you’re trying to reach before getting started with this social media marketing workbook.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING WORKBOOK

DOWNLOAD INCLUDES:

29 Social Media Guide
Social Media Strategy
10 Curated Captions
Social Stats Page
Goal Plan Page

Here’s a quick look at some of the pages;

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD WORKBOOK

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A question I often get is about Facebook Advertising. Does it work? Is it worth it? It’s something people email me about, ask me on Facebook, discuss in my private Facebook group. After publishing my income reports and showing that I spent money on advertising, it has brought even more questions my way, and I’m so excited to answer them today. 

Most of you who are reading this probably have tried to use Facebook advertising and either lost money or quickly booked some new clients. This article is here to tell you exactly what will make your Facebook ads work, what won’t.

I have spent plenty of money on Facebook advertising. Plenty of losses and gains. I’ve spent money on ads that brought me nothing but negativity and money on ads that have connected me with some passionate creatives and made it possible for me to scale my business. There are so many possibilities with advertising, and what I think is most important is understanding how they can work for you.

I have made over a million with my business promoting different products and services, including Lightroom Presets, Social Media Captions, and even CRMs. Much of that money was made before ever spending a penny on Facebook. Before spending money on advertising, I had many months making anywhere from $10,000 to $14,000 a month without spending a single dollar in any digital advertising. Facebook advertising wasn’t even an option for me when I started my business, and I surely didn’t have a large enough budget to ever consider investing in any type of advertising when I first got started. So with that being said, let’s dive into what works and how to avoid possible BIG financial mistakes. 

WHAT MAKES FACEBOOK ADVERTISING WORK? 

THE ONLY THING FACEBOOK ADVERTISING WILL DO IS AMPLIFY YOUR CURRENT BUSINESS STRUCTURE AND RESULTS

And that’s not always a good thing!

THIS MEANS THAT IF:

• your business is set up correctly
• you have a business plan and strategy to reach your goals
• your work is something you are absolutely proud of 
• you stand 100% behind your passion and work
• your pricing is set up to bring in profits and create value-based 100% on your personal goals
• understand exactly who your dream client is
• have excellent customer communication skills
• know how to make clients value your service 
• have a strategy in collecting potential leads 
• know exactly how to close the booking deal 
• have a loyal client base that trusts you
• have a brand that people recognize
• put a ton of time into your business
• you have a strong business workflow that keeps you on track
• have a style that is unique 
• you have clients who rave about your service
• know that the clients you have will recommend your business to others and return to you over and over again

FACEBOOK ADVERTISING WILL WORK AMAZINGLY FOR YOU

It will literally take every aspect of your current business and quickly help you amplify the results. Facebook ads will ONLY work for you if your business is set up correctly. I can not stress this enough for those of you who are thinking of not just Facebook advertising but any business advertising that will require you to invest a large amount of money. 

Now Facebook (or any advertising) will blow your money quicker than you can imagine if your business is currently not set up correctly. If you currently have a business where you feel frustrated with how it’s working, you are either not bringing in enough clients/customers, people don’t value what you do, and you don’t have an overall business strategy; advertising is not for you (YET).

This certainly does not mean that it won’t ever be for you, it just means that we have to get it set up correctly first, get everything lined up how it should, go over your goals, make sure that your pricing is where it should, make sure that your brand and website is the best version of your business, and put in a booking strategy that will quickly turn potential clients into loyal clients that are quickly referring more and more loyal customers your way. 

THIS MEANS THAT IF:

• your business is not set up correctly
• you have no idea how to reach your business goals and don’t know how to make it happen. 
• your work is something you are still perfecting
• stand 100% behind your passion but are still struggling to get it where your vision is
• your pricing is set up based on what you read online, or worse, 100% based on someone else’s pricing
• know you want clients to value you, but have no idea what that person looks like
• have a hard time staying on top of communicating with clients
• don’t know how to make clients value your service 
• don’t have a strategy in collecting potential leads 
• you don’t know exactly how to close the booking deal; right now it’s like a hit or miss. Sometimes they book you, and other times you never even hear back from them.
• don’t have a loyal client base
• have branding in your head but haven’t been able to really nail it down in real life
• feel like you don’t have a good workflow and your are constantly stressed about the amount of work you need to get done. 
• you haven’t yet found your style, and are still jumping around a lot. You’re not yet creating consistent work. 
• put a ton of time into your business but aren’t seeing the return
• you have clients who don’t seem to value the amount of effort you put into your work
• Your current clients aren’t really helping you grow your client base

Facebook (or any type of advertising) is not for you YET. 

I’m not saying that if you read that list and said “yep” to every single one, I’m saying that even if 5 of those things lined up with how you feel about your business, it’s not yet time to spend any money in advertising. I also made sure to underline the yet part, because just because your business isn’t ready for it now, certainly doesn’t mean it won’t ever be ready for it!

THE TRUTH IS THAT ADVERTISING IS NOT GOING TO BUILD YOUR BUSINESS FOR YOU

Advertising is awesome; I love using it to grow my business. But take it from someone who had used it before being ready, and lost money, any type of advertising will not put in the hard work you have to do to create a successful business. 

Put in the hard work, figure out what works and what doesn’t. If you’re someone who is currently not fully satisfied with their business and wants to learn the correct way to set up their business, how to find the right clients, pricing yourself correctly, and understand that running a successful business has a lot more to do with following the right strategies and plans that blindly trying different things then I would love to help. 

My business class teaches you everything from start to finish and comes with access to a private online group where I can help you on a more personal level. I don’t want to talk too much about it in this blog post, but seriously, even if you have a tiny piece of you wonder if THIS class could help you, I’m telling you right now, it will! 

Back to Facebook ads: Let’s say that you fall under the category of Facebook ads working great for you, then here are a few important things you need to do when setting up ads! 

START SMALL AND BE CAREFUL

People I talk to about ads often come back with “omg, there’s no way I could spend that much in ads a day! That’s absolutely insane!” I can not stress this enough, and that’s why it’s on the top of the list, but start small! VERY small. $1 a day will end up being $30 a month. If you spend $5 a day, it will end up being $150 a month. The nice thing with social ads, you can start small. 

CREATE A LANDING PAGE

Make sure that you link it to your website! Better yet, create a special page on your website that will give them a nice welcome, talk to them more about what you have to offer and most importantly, have a way for them to fill something out to reach you or get on your email list!

CUSTOMIZE THE TEXT

This one is simple but so important. A lot of people don’t even realize this is possible. When you add a link to Facebook, it will automatically put an image and text from that link. You’ll see the larger ‘header’ text and the smaller text. CLICK on them to edit them!

WHAT ARE YOU PROMOTING, AND HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

Always make sure to look at how much the service is you are selling and how much it took you to gain that new client/customer. Spending $100 is a lot, but when you keep adding those numbers up, the return is actually pretty good. 

Let’s pretend like for every $100 you get a new $500 client. 

• $100 in ad spend, you’ll make $500
• $200 in ad spend, you’ll make $1000
• $300 in ad spend, you’ll make $1500
• $400 in ad spend, you’ll make $2000
• $500 in ad spend, you’ll make $2500. 

That’s a great return. If you could continue this structure long-term, it would be super easy for you to keep finding more clients using Facebook advertising. 

EXPLORE WHAT WORKS

Facebook advertising has worked great with me, but it certainly is not the only way to utilize advertising. Business owners might also see great results using something like Instagram, and those who offer a physical product might benefit most from using Pinterest, a local flower shop might see best results in using Google ad words! As you can see, there’s a lot out there and what works for one person, might not for another. It’s important to try different things to see which one will be best for you and your business. 

But remember, any form of advertising will only work if you have a business that is set up correctly. If you need help in building a successful business, then I would love to help you! 

The official Business Planner every business owner needs to have!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD BUSINESS PLANNER

Our goal was to have a printable planner that is beautiful, functional, and inspirational for business owners. Every aspect of this planner has been created to help you organize your business and help you accomplish your biggest goals in 2021!

We’re sure many of you can relate to searching for the perfect planner to. Help you stay organized with all your business tasks. Only to be left finding planners that are beautiful…but lacked the functionality.

This planner is here to help you stay on task, organized, and, most importantly, set goals that you’ll be able to check off one at a time each month. Thousands of photographers and creatives ordered their Business Planner in the last years, and we’re so excited to launch a brand new updated version. 

PLANNER INCLUDES Download with 148 Printable Pages for 2021

• Printable planner download
• Yearly Overview Page
• Yearly Events Page
• Monthly Cover Page
• Monthly Overview Page
• Monthly Income Page
• Social Media Growth Page
• SMART Goals Page
• Monthly Goals Page
• Business Tasks Page
• Monthly Do-Do List Page
• Week One Schedule Page
• Week Two Schedule Page
• Week Three Schedule Page
• Week Four Schedule Page

Ready to get your dream business planner?

It’s as easy as downloading your planner, and getting it printed! 

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD BUSINESS PLANNER

When it comes to the world of marketing and advertising, we’re lucky to live in a time where we don’t just have to depend on word of mouth. We can use modern tools like social media to reach thousands of people from around the world. All with just a click of a button.

If you run a business, you probably spend a great deal of time coming up with content to share and know the struggle of content creation. Sometimes it can be hard to know what to say to place yourself as an expert in your industry, so potential clients and customers are eager to hire and buy from you.

So let me let you in on a little secret…

When it comes to social media, it’s not about constantly selling and promoting what you have to offer.

Instead, it’s a place to build a connection.

A place where people get to know you more, learn from you, see what you do and what you have to offer. It’s so much more than a platform to sell. When you start using it as a tool to connect, you’ll see the sales and booking begin to come naturally.

You might wonder why that is…

When you can build a personal connection and create trust, you no longer have to “sell” yourself to potential clients and customers in order to grow your business. Instead, you can use tools like social media to connect with the right people. By having an open conversation, they will naturally learn more about what you do.

The best thing you can do for your business is offer value to those who need it the most. The truth is, I’ve never liked the idea of ‘selling’ to clients and customers. Instead, I love to see it as me educating them about a problem I can help solve and showing them how to do that. 

Here’s a quick example.

Wordsmith is a membership of professionally written social media captions for entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs can sign up for free and get the first month’s worth of captions for free to see if it’s the right fit. If they choose to stay, they automatically get new captions, delivered every single month.

THE PROBLEMS IT SOLVES:

• It helps entrepreneurs save time because they get professionally written captions every month and no longer need to write them.
• They instantly get a social media strategy built into the captions. Which will help them connect to more customers and clients.
• By using the captions, they can finally show up on social media the way they have always wanted to. 
• They can quickly customize these captions to who they are and what their business is about.

Our software helps photographers and entrepreneurs with clients manage all aspects of their business. And our beautiful presets help others edit their photos. These presets help create their dream style with just a click of a button. 

For me, it’s never about selling, it’s about offering a solution.  

If you haven’t already, take time to think about the problems your business solves for others. How you can change the conversation from selling to having the perfect solution to someone’s problem. When it comes to getting more sales, more clients, or more customers, it comes down to building more connections with people. People who need exactly what you have to offer.

That leads to more traffic to your business.

Which is what we all want, right?

The #1 traffic referrer for my business is direct traffic. And there’s not a great deal someone can do to alter those numbers. The second leading referrer has always been social media. With over six figures made directly from clients and customers finding me via social media alone, it plays a vital role in my business marketing strategy. Lucky for us, the amount of traffic we get from social media IS something we can alter significantly with the right strategy.

Using social media to book more clients, get more customers, or sell more products is 100% possible. But you have to build your foundation on connection instead of selling. A great way to do exactly that is by using the 5-point strategy, which covers not just promoting your business but other important topics you can use to connect with ideal customers and clients. I’ve used this exact strategy for years, and it’s worked incredibly well. 

Download some free captions to try

If you’re ready for more, I recently created a guide going over my entire Social Media Marketing Strategy. I even included some of the social media captions from our Curated Captions membership. You can jump right in and see for yourself how easy it is to use the power of social media to scale your business!

You can download the complete guide for free HERE. 

It’s loaded with helpful tips and tricks, and absolutely perfect for anyone who’s ready to start using a social media strategy that will actually help them grow their business.

Many business owners out there struggle with feeling guilty about charging what they’re worth. More than likely, you know the feeling of having to put a price on your service, art, and time, or skill. Wanting to charge what you’re worth but fear that others won’t see the value behind what you do.

The struggle between wanting to build a strong business with an income you can live on and deserve, doing what you love while at the same time wanting to give your clients everything they want for next to nothing because you love what you do.

Here’s what makes it hard: Most likely, you got started pursuing your passions not because of the money but because you love what you do. The truth is that many business owners out there are valuing their client’s feelings over their own business goals.

If you calculate how much you need to charge to reach your income goals, that number you might end up coming up with might very likely be out of someone’s budget. It might even be out of many people’s budget. That number might be higher than you feel comfortable with at the moment, and the idea of someone paying those higher prices for your services might be terrifying for you. 

The goal of this post isn’t here to tell you that you need to raise your prices; raising prices is easy. It’s something I had to learn with my own business, and something I hope to pass on to others who might be struggling with charging what they are worth.

I WANT YOU TO REALIZE ONE THING;

YOU ARE WORTH

EVERY PENNY. 

Stop being scared of charging what you are worth and calculate your numbers like a business. You put so much heart into your business so when you sit there calculating how much you need to charge, use your head and a calculator. Put your heart aside just for a little while, so the numbers behind getting your business to become sustainable long term are in your future.

Stop overthinking pricing and putting other people’s feelings above what you are worth.

I can promise you this; by Charging what you are worth you will;

COME ACROSS PEOPLE WHO CAN NOT AFFORD THOSE PRICES.

And that is ok! What someone else can afford doesn’t have anything to do with your worth. You might even find people who think you are worth every single penny, but you still won’t fall into their budget. Accept that not everyone will be able to book with you.

YOU WILL COME ACROSS PEOPLE WHO SAVE UP TO FINALLY INVEST IN YOUR BUSINESS

Because the investment is worth it to them. Working with people who believe you are worth it is one of the best feelings you’ll have as a small business owner.

YOU WILL FIND PEOPLE WHO THINK YOU ARE CRAZY FOR CHARGING THOSE PRICES.

You might even make a few jaws hit the ground. Be proud of your pricing!

YOU WILL FIND PEOPLE COMPARE YOU TO OTHERS BASED ON PRICES ALONE.

And you’ll have no problem wishing them good luck if they would rather work with someone else simply because they have lower prices because you know deep inside that there’s a reason they reached out to you. That they contacted you because they see the quality in what you offer. 

YOU WILL START TO MANAGE YOUR TIME BETTER.

You’ll quickly see what things waste your time and the things that are worth pursuing. Knowing how to manage your time correctly will also help others not take advantage of that good heart you have. I get that when you pursue the thing you are most passionate about, it’s hard to make that a business. To separate wanting to do it all the time for free, for everyone. And finally, turn it into a business where you are spending valuable time doing something you love while also bringing an in income that you can depend on and deserve. 

The beautiful thing about charging what you’re worth and shifting your mindset to realize that you are worth it is that you’ll instantly see your business transform and find those dream clients and customers more often.

When you work with people who don’t question your worth and genuinely understand the amount of work you put into your craft, it validates what you knew all along;

YOU ARE WORTH IT.

It’s time to stop feeling guilty about charging what you’re worth.

Since the new website launch, I’ve had a few people ask why I decided to go with a Showit Website. Over any of the other options out there. Before I dive into why, I’ll start with what I was using prior, and the reason it was no longer the right fit for my business.

Since the very beginning, I’ve have used Shopify as my website platform. As an e-commerce shop, Shopify was always the best option. But over the years of growing my business, it became more difficult to build a space that really showcased everything I had to offer.

For years now, I’ve been making Shopify work, and for years I’ve felt held back as a creative. I’ve had to piece together apps in hopes of creating a space online I loved. Only to become frustrated with it a site that wasn’t a true reflection of my style and vision.

I KNEW IT WAS TIME FOR A CHANGE

Fast forward to this year. I knew it was time to make a big change. I knew I would still keep Shopify for the shop side of Modern Market, but wanted to find the right kind of platform that would make it easier for me to style and customize my site. After months of research and comparing different platforms I decided that Showit would be the best fit.

At the time, I was incredibly nervous about moving everything over. Especially since I had just invested over ten years into building my business on one platform. I knew that in order to grow with my business, I needed more. Now that the switch has been made to Showit Website. I couldn’t be happier.

The number one reason I was so drawn to Showit was the company TONIC, which creates the most incredible pre-made Showit Website Themes you’ll find online. After they launched their Paper Plane theme, I instantly knew it would be the perfect theme for me. It’s exactly what I had in mind for Modern Market. It’s literally like they knew what I wanted and needed and designed a site that was made just for me.

They have so many beautiful themes to choose from, which you can see HERE. If you see something you love, you can even use the code MODERNMARKET to get yourself 15% off!

Below I’ll share the top reasons I decided to go with Showit Website.

BEAUTIFUL DESIGN + FUNCTIONALITY

As I said above, the top reason I ended up going with Showit was because of the design company Tonic. Their website designs are so much more than just a pretty-looking site design. Now don’t get me wrong, of course, I wanted my site to look beautiful. BUT as a business, I needed something that helped me put my best foot forward. As a creative entrepreneur, I needed something to make it easy to showcase everything I have to offer. If you’re looking for incredibly beautiful + functional themes, look no further. I bet you’ll find your dream theme over at TONIC.

SHOPIFY INTEGRATION

Next on my list was that I needed something that would easily allow me to integrate within my Shopify store. This is where I host ALL my digital products, and it was an absolute MUST on my list. To my surprise, Showit makes this super easy. I love that I can have my main site. Which is finally 100% designed the way I want, while still selling through Shopify. I’ve been creating specially designed pages for each of my preset collections. This way I can really showcase the collections available. I’m so happy with how it all looks.

EXAMPLE:

• THIS is what my old product listing looked like.
• And THIS is the same collection designed on Showit.

My favorite part? I can finally show off those pretty before and afters!

EASY TO CUSTOMIZE

One of the main things I was concerned about was being able to actually customize the site and make it look the way I want. Have you ever bought something and then just get so frustrated with trying to use it? Yeah, you won’t feel this way using a TONIC Theme + Showit platform. Within two days of getting started with my theme, I was getting the hang of it. I have to say, the whole process was incredibly fun.

If you’re worried about making the switch over to Showit, and worried about not being techy enough to actually figure out how to do it, I highly recommend using a TONIC theme . Pretty much everything is ready to go and all you have to do is customize it to your liking. Showit support is also top-notch. The few times I couldn’t figure something out, they were super quick to jump in and help.

THE OPTION TO CREATE MORE PAGES

For those who have been following my business over the years, know Modern Market has A LOT to offer. Like a lot, a lot.

• We have beautiful presets.
• Launched over 700 digital products.
• Membership for social media captions.
• Software to help entrepreneurs manage their clients and business.

With offering so many different kinds of products and services, I needed something that would make it easy for me to design and create custom pages. This way, I could create an unlimited amount of special pages while still keeping everything on ONE site.

Before switching over to Showit, the second someone wanted to view our Social Media Captions Membership, they would get bounced off our main site onto another. That style-wise didn’t really match. And then if they wanted to learn more about our software. Again they would get bumped off our main site and to a new one.

Since moving to Showit, I can finally create pages specifically for different products and services. No matter where someone goes on our site, they will get the same style.

The biggest takeaway from making the switch over to Showit and using a Tonic theme is that I finally feel like the website I have, is a reflection of my style, dreams, and vision.

I couldn’t be more in love with this beautiful site we created with TONIC & Showit!

---

QUICK LINKS

Tonic Site Shop offers beautiful, customizable website designs for entrepreneurs & creatives.

Paper Plane is the theme designed by Tonic that I used for our website. (Mixed with a few Greyhound Elements)

Showit is a drag-and-drop website platform that provides total creative freedom over the layout and design of your website, all without a single line of code.

An open community that’s built around your brand is the hub for ALL, and I hope that more business owners realize just how powerful communities can be. Maybe by the time you’re done reading this, you’ll be inspired to start your own community too. Here’s how to grow your community online.

If you have a business, you might be wondering how to start, and I’m excited to share some of my favorite tips on doing exactly that. This way, just like me, you’ll have amazing people who are delighted to be part of what you’re doing.

I’m talking about loyal people who value what you do, are excited about the things you are working on, and are the first in line to sign up or purchase your service or product. You are there for them, and they are there for you. I believe all business owners deserve to have that because let me tell you; it makes the world of working for yourself a whole lot more fun!

Ready? Let’s dive in!

DEFINING COMMUNITY 

Let’s define community first; a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals.

I have this sense of community woven into my business. On my website, social media, the newsletter, you can find it everywhere. Truth be told, I actually love the fact that I have a business that’s not all about ‘me’. It’s about the resources I share to help others. Creating a community feel around my business has always come very natural, because I personally want to include others in what I do. Over the years, I’ve used social media to connect to people, but quickly realized that the conversation can sometimes feel a little one sided.

The whole concept of speaking at people, rather than with people. If you have a business, with social media you probably know exactly what I’m talking about.

• Newsletter, YOUR sending an email to others.
• Instagram, YOU post your photo and captions.
• Facebook page, YOU post your status. 

SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS VS COMMUNITY PAGES

Now, don’t get me wrong. ALL these are forms of communities and a chance to connect with people, and that’s what makes them great. They are platforms built for you to share what you are most passionate about.

BUT…if we’re all being honest, it often feels like we’re standing on a stage speaking AT people rather than WITH people.

When I think of the word community, I think of like-minded people being together. Chatting about the things we care about and sharing things we love. It’s a busy, welcoming place to be and feels like our favorite place to hang out with people who simply get it because we have things in common.

For the sake of keeping things focused, I want to teach you how to build a community. A place for your ideal customers/clients to hang out and spend time. Where you can share the things you’re passionate about with people who care and connect with them on a personal level. Where you can have open conversations with people rather than being the sole speaker.

The perfect place for this is in a Facebook Group.

Maybe you’ve thought about starting one. Perhaps you already have one but are struggling to get it to grow with the right people. If that’s the case, I’m excited you’re here because I’m about to tell you everything you need to know to build your very own Facebook group community.

You’re probably wondering; How the heck do you build an online community around what you do, and have it grow into a space for you, your business, and those who will become some of your loyalist supporters?

I’m here to tell you, and it’s actually a lot easier than you might think!

FIND YOUR FOCUS

The first thing you need to do is figure out the focus of your group. If you have a business or a passion, you probably already know what you’d like the focus on. Ideally, you want to create a space where you can connect with people who care about what you do, the service you offer, or the products you sell.

What kind of community do you envision?
If you had to choose three topics as the focus, what would they be?
How will the focus benefit those in the group? How will it benefit you and your business?

CREATE GUIDELINES

For a moment, I want you to imagine that you had 10,000 members in your group. What kind of guidelines would you want in place? This will be your group, and you’ll be in charge of making sure that this space is the kind of space people want to spend time. Think about the groups you’re currently in. What kind of posts do you enjoy, and which ones make you want to leave?

Some of my guidelines are (and you’re totally welcome to copy paste these for your own group guidelines!)

GUIDELINE EXAMPLES

• This group will be a positive space to learn, grow, and share. Please refrain from venting, bashing, complaining. All negative posts or comments will be removed immediately.
• Always be respectful and helpful. I will personally help educate, others are welcome to give tips and advice. Please be sure to remain encouraging to others so they, too, can learn and grow.

WHY GUIDELINES MATTER

You probably noticed, but it’s VERY important for me to build a community that is a welcoming space for everyone. I want people to be able to learn, grow, and share what they love. I’m proud to say I get raves about it being exactly that all the time, and I couldn’t be prouder.

When someone joins the group and is quick to judge, bash, or be negative towards other members, they quickly end up leaving because they learn that my group isn’t the space for that. Even with a group with over 16,000 members, this happens maybe once a year…if that. I’m telling ya…it’s a whole lot of sweet people in my group.

Think about guidelines/rules as a way to ensure that the people in your group will remain happy there in the long run. Focus on what guidelines you feel are most important, and you’ll see how over time, those core values of a group just become stronger and stronger.

CONTENT STRATEGY

You’re going to want to come up with a game plan for content because let me tell you, being a group, where no one is active is not very much fun. The more active your group is, the faster it will grow. People enjoy spending time with other like-minded creatives, and a community group is a perfect place for that.

The best advice I have for your group is to come up with your content posts ahead of time. Post them in the group, even when there aren’t a lot of people. It might feel funny at first with a smaller group, but I promise, if you continue posting, others will as well.

Make a list of 7 types of posts, then use this as your weekly guide.
This could look something like

EXAMPLE

• MONDAY – Weekly Goals: Share what you’re working on.
• TUESDAY – Introductions: Tell us about what you do.
• WEDNESDAY – Share: Post some of your work.
• THURSDAY – Help post: Post about something you need help with.
• FRIDAY – Follow Friday: Post your social media account. Fun way to connect with everyone in the group.
• SATURDAY – Helpful Tip: Give your group a helpful tip.
• SUNDAY – Promotion Sunday: Promote one of your products or services.

Of course, you can alter these to match your services and products and create an environment for your community to engage and connect with topics that align with what you and your business are all about.

INVITE MEMBERS

Once you’ve started a group, you’ll need to start telling people about it. You can post about your group and invite people using your current social accounts or newsletters. Since groups have a much higher organic reach, they work better than Facebook pages and Instagram pages so it’s not a bad idea to try and get your followers/customers/clients into your group.

ENGAGEMENT

Now, this is often the tricky part of groups. Getting the engagement up. The truth is this; you’re group MIGHT be slow to start, and that’s ok. Consider it more like a very private hang out for your favorite people. I promise if you stick with it, it will grow, and engagement will go up as well. In no time, you’ll have a group filled with people who love what you have to offer.

ADJUST YOUR FOCUS

Now, as time goes by, don’t be afraid to revisit your focus. It’s normal and perfectly ok for you, your business, your vision, and your group to adjust as time passes by. Take notice of what people are posting in the group. What are the hot topics, and how have you been able to help those in your community the most? Try to incorporate these into your focus moving forward.

GROW YOUR COMMUNITY

Continue to grow your group and make sure to invite those that find you elsewhere to join you there. When it comes to social media, I put the most effort into growing my Facebook group. Even though it has fewer people than my Instagram and Facebook, it outperforms organic reach by a long shot. 

MAKE SURE TO GROW YOUR LIST

The backbone of my business marketing all comes down to my email list. Of course, I love my Facebook group, and social media pages, but since it’s not something I can control (Dear Mark could literally change the rules on all of us tomorrow), I always make sure to maximize the way I grow my email list. An easy way to do this is to include a freebie in the questions they have to answer so you can welcome your new members with a nice freebie, while at the same time growing your email list as your community grows!

BUILD YOUR COMMUNITY TODAY

So if you’re ready to start building your community with people who genuinely care about what you do, then start your community group today! You’ll be so happy that you did. Interested in learning more about Facebook group?

We’re celebrating because the new Showit website site is officially LIVE!

The process of bringing this new vision to life has been so rewarding. It’s been amazing to see everything come together so beautifully.

It’s been years of piecing together different things to get it at least a little bit how I wanted, and it feels incredible to finally have a website that is the 100% what I’ve always dreamt of having. A place for all my ideas, dreams, and resources. 

I spent months researching different platforms and decided to go with Showit Website. With Showit, I am using a theme from TONIC. I was completely blown away by how easy and enjoyable the whole process was. I’m working on a few articles and can’t wait to write more about the actual process of switching over and using a TONIC Theme for my new website for Modern Market. I’ll be sure to link those articles below when they are ready!

WHY YOUR WEBSITE MATTERS

Too often, we underestimate how important websites truly are. How they can completely change our outlook on what’s possible within the dreams, we pursue in life. It’s so much more than a website. It’s the place I get to share all the things I’m passionate in one place. While making an impact around the world.

So happy to finally share this new site with all of you. I’ll be writing a few articles on the process of switching over to a Showit.

This new launch has also allowed me to shift with my business. For those of you who have been with me from the very start know I got started as a portrait photographer who specialized in documenting motherhood. Later on, Modern Market was the place I shared the resources I used to grow my creative business. Over time it’s turned more and more into a community.

A community that I’m so honored to serve.

A NEW DIRECTION

Over the last year, I’ve done a lot of soul searching on the direction I wanted to go and knew I wanted to open the doors to more ways to serve. For years now I’ve found myself emerging in helping entrepreneurs with growing their business. I knew in my heart I wanted to continue building on to this community by including not just photographers, but all creative entrepreneurs.

My hope with this Modern Market is to continue to serve as best as I can, with the strategies and tools I’ve used to build my business from the ground up. A place I get to share my dreams, and goals while helping you with yours.

For a long time, I felt like the website platform I had was holding me back from growing my business. Now, with my new site, I truly feel like I’m no longer being held back. Instead, I feel more inspired to create than ever before.

SOMETIMES ALL WE NEED IS A FRESH START

This whole process served as a reminder that sometimes the things holding us back from building our dream business could be something as simple as our website. We put so much effort into so many aspects of our business. The marketing, the sales, social media, and all too often, our website is set up and left behind as we continue to grow throughout the years.

If your website isn’t currently living up to what you would consider your dream site, then maybe it’s time to make it happen and create a space that truly inspires you.

Today, I’m celebrating not just a new website design but celebrating all there is to come for all of us.

If you have questions about building a Showit website, just leave a comment below! I’d be happy to answer them.

Ready for more? Join my newsletter and be the first to know about new articles published on the blog, business tips, and of course, all the best strategies and free resources. There’s a reason this list is 70,000 strong!

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In the last week, more people than ever have reached out to me—friends, strangers, people I’ve known for years—all telling me the same thing: I think I’m done. I’m ready to quit.

I don’t know why so many people are feeling this way right now, but if you’re one of them, this message is for you.

You didn’t come this far just to come this far.

You have poured your time, energy, heart, and hard work into creating something for yourself. And right now, when it feels like nothing is working, when frustration is at an all-time high, I need you to remember one thing: You could be one day away from succeeding.

That’s the thing about chasing your dreams—you never know how close you are until you make it. And the only way to guarantee failure is by quitting too soon.

We live in a world where people spend more time planning for what happens if they fail than focusing on making their dreams a reality. What if, instead of wondering how you’ll recover if things don’t work out, you focused all that energy on not giving up? On finding another way?

Hard work doesn’t mean instant results. Some days, it will feel impossible. Some seasons will test you over and over again. But this is where grit comes in. You have to keep going, even when there’s no sign of progress. Because at the end of the day, the ones who make it aren’t always the most talented, the most connected, or the luckiest. They’re the ones who simply refuse to quit.

So many people are terrified of pouring everything into something and not having it work out. But here’s the truth: The only way to truly fail is to quit. If you refuse to quit, you refuse to fail.

No one is going to hand you your dream. No one is going to put in the hours for you. No one is going to wake up early or stay up late to build the thing that only you can build. If you really want it, you have to be relentless in pursuing it.

Do you know how wild it sounds when someone tells me they’ve been working on their business for three years and they’re ready to quit? You are building something meant to last a lifetime. And you’re willing to walk away because it hasn’t happened yet?

I wish I had documented those early days—when no one knew who I was, when I worked for years without anyone noticing. Those were the days that shaped me. The days that taught me to show up even when no one was watching. The days that built me into someone who does not quit.

And you can do the same—as long as you keep going.

If you’re chasing something bigger than yourself, I’m willing to bet you’ve got people in your life who don’t believe in you. Maybe it’s a stranger on the internet, or maybe it’s someone you love. Either way, it hurts.

But let me tell you something: nothing has ever motivated me more than someone telling me I couldn’t do something.

Tell me I can’t, and I will.

Use their doubt as fuel. Prove them wrong. Show up, work hard, and let your success be the loudest response.

Surround yourself with people who inspire you.

Find the ones who get what it’s like to pour everything into a dream. The ones who think bigger, push harder, and refuse to settle. Stop feeling guilty for wanting more than the average person, and go after it with everything you have.

Success isn’t luck. It isn’t magic. It’s how you spend your hours, your days, your years.

So when you’re thinking about quitting, remember why you started. Picture the day when you’ll look back at this moment and realize pushing through was the best decision you ever made.

You are closer than you think. Don’t quit now.

The reason it’s so difficult to talk about because I take it so personal and have poured 10 years of hard work into my business.
To have something like this happen…has been so incredibly hard.

SOMEONE STOLE MY DIGITAL PRODUCTS

I had someone steal my products, upload them for the world to download for free, and had to deal with the fall-out behind the scenes because of it for months. To say it was hard would be an understatement. For a long time, I had no idea this had even happened. It wasn’t until I suddenly saw a drop in sales that made me wonder what had happened.

I had a solid business, great products, and a killer marketing strategy in place. I built my dream business. Months went by until I decided to take a closer look at what happened and discovered the problem.

My best selling products, stolen by a stranger, uploaded for free, for the world to download.
This wasn’t the first time someone had stolen my products. Sadly, I see it happen all the time. It was just the first time this had happened and really affected how my business was doing financially.

HOW IT FELT  

First, I was angry, so angry. Angry at this person for taking what I had worked so hard to build. Then the sadness kicked in. Then doubt. Then some more anger. I questioned what the point was of building a business when someone could come in and just take what they wanted without any consequences.

THE TRUTH: THERE’S VERY LITTLE YOU CAN DO

There’s very little you can do when digital products are stolen, and the damage that occurs because of it happens so incredibly fast.
In the 10 years of being in business, it has been the HARDEST thing I’ve had to deal with, and I’ve never had something made me question what I was doing creatively as much as this.

After a lot of hard work and trying many different things, I managed to get my stolen products taken down. The sad part is that they were up for months without me being aware. Regardless, the damage from having this happened can’t be undone. The only thing I can do now is move forward.

The really sad part about it is that this site is still up, and this person if earning money by stealing other people’s products and letting the world download them for free.

As a creative business, it sickens me to know that there are people that think it’s OK to do this.

It also makes me sad knowing that there are photographers and other creative people that go to these sites to download products for free, knowing they are stolen instead of purchasing them from the actual creator who put so much time into making them.

THIS IS THEFT AND IT’S NOT OK

People might think it’s an innocent thing to do, that it’s just them doing it, but here’s the truth; I am a small business, and pour my heart into what I do because it’s what I love. My family of 5 depending on my business financially. This is not a side hobby, this is what we count on and I know so many other small businesses that are in the same boat. So when someone downloads something for free online…I hope they realize it will affect that creator in a negative way.

It’s not innocent.

It’s not OK.

And as someone who works in the photography industry as a photographer AND creator, I know how common it is for photographers to share digital products. To split costs and do a group buy. To trade preset packs and digital products. I’ve seen threads on Reddit from photographers, specifically asking for my preset collections and listing what all they would be willing to trade for.

I see it happen all the time and know that it’s not just happening to me and my business, but is a massive problem in the digital product world.

What bothers me most about it is because I know the people that are doing it, are photographers. Photographers who are also trying to make a living doing what they love. Photographers who want to be booked by clients who value them, their time, and hard work. I know how much it would hurt them to have clients who just took screenshots of the gallery instead of purchasing prints or digitals from them. They are no different than me. They want to be valued.

Sometimes I wonder how a photographer, in the same creative industry as me, would be OK with stealing from someone online.

THIS WASN’T THE FIRST TIME MY PRODUCTS STOLEN

The first time I found one of my digital items stolen and posted for free I remember reaching out to the other creators whose products were next to mine. I explained what had happened, how upsetting it was, I knew they would be just as upset as me and that if we all stood up together, we could make a change. maybe even put an end to it.

Sadly this is what she said;

“Don’t bother…There’s nothing you can do and talking about it will only make it worse so don’t bring it up anywhere”.

I left that conversation with my head hanging low because I knew they were right. There was so little I could do, and bringing it up could potentially make the problem even worse by drawing more attention to it.

But after having this happen, at such a large scale, I knew I was done being quiet about it because it’s a problem that affects so many small businesses, and I want people to realize it’s not ok.

I WANTED TO QUIT

I had days of wanting to quit because when you spend 10 years building something from the ground up and then have something like this happen, you feel so knocked down from it.

Then, after all the sadness and plenty of support from my husband, who I don’t know how many times had to lift me up over the last few months and remind me that I had it in me to do bigger and better things, I decided that he was right.

Just because something like this happened doesn’t mean that I couldn’t take what I had learned over the 10 years and apply it in a new way.

TIME FOR CHANGE

I took some time to take a look at my business and how I want to move forward and know in my heart that I want to make some changes. To focus not just on one aspect of what I am good at, but the many things I enjoy doing.

The truth is; there’s still plenty of sad days and a little anger towards this stranger, but more so, there’s a drive-in me to do something even more amazing. To use this to push me past my self made limits of what is possible and try something new.

Sometimes bad things in life happen, and they are out of our control. But deciding how to move forward will always be up to us.

CHOOSING TO SEE OPPORTUNITIES

We can choose to see the opportunities rather than feel defeated. We can see hard times as things that strengthen us in the long run.
I’ll continue working hard, just in a new way. I’m putting the days of sadness, anger, doubt behind.

CHANGE IS UNCOMFORTABLE BUT NECESSARY

Here’s what I know for sure; Change is uncomfortable but necessary.
My biggest wish is for you to be here for it all. I’m turning a new page, with a new dream and, most importantly, hope.

The last few months were incredibly hard, but I’m more than ever excited about what’s to come. To each of you who have shown support to me and my business; thank you for always being there. You have no idea how much that means.

This wasn’t easy to share, it wouldn’t have been easier to just keep it all to myself, but I felt it was important to share what happened so I can truly put it behind me and move forward.

I spent the last week re-vamping my homepage and re-organizing the blog and want to put more effort into adding new content here to help all of you.

HERE’S WHAT I’LL BE DOING NEXT

After 10 years of being in business, I’ve built a striving photography business, a million-dollar e-commerce site, and The Essential Studio Manager, which is a software used by thousands of photographers around the world to manage their photography business.

Simply put; I bring a lot of knowledge to the table when it comes to building businesses, managing, and scaling. I love taking ideas, making a plan, and making it happen. It’s what I love to do, and it ties perfectly into what I love to do. Helping other business owners build and scale their own business.

There are big things ahead, I can feel it.

I can’t wait to share everything I know with you, so you can use these same methods with making your dreams a reality too.

Here’s to bigger and better things.

And to the person who stole from me; You’ll never personally know me. You’ll never know the pain you put me through or the struggle I had to face because of your action. Stealing my digital products seemed so innocent to you. You probably had no idea that my family was financially dependent on my business and that your actions would push us to have to move from a home we loved and start over again.

As hard as this was for me, I also know that I have I am strong enough to push past this and continue doing great things with my life and business.

As I was completing my monthly income report, I’m calculating everything, and that’s when I see it. $1,007,325. There are a ton of milestones to hit as a small business owner, and reaching 1 million in overall income was incredibly special to me!

Not just because of the money, but because of my own belief that it was possible. I am the only person who knows the hard work, dedication, failures, triumphs, doubts, and setbacks that came with making this happen — believing in myself enough to lose all sense of limitations and realize that the possibilities are endless for me as long as I never quit.

A girl with a dream who decided to go for it. These last few years have been absolutely incredible, and it seems like every day I wake up, something exciting is happening. 

I know we’re only two days into May, but I just hit my one MILLION mark, I am moving my entire business and life to Maui on the 29th. My family and I get to call Hawaii home, which means I get to explore a slice of heaven every day and finally live right by the beach. AND my 29th birthday is on the 26th. Whoever said you couldn’t have your cake and eat it too was dead wrong. 

To celebrate this little moment of my life, I wanted to write out some lessons I’ve learned in the last few years. I know at the end of the day I am no different than anyone out there reading this. Everyone has it in them to chase their dreams; at the end of the day it’s a choice you have to make. You might wonder, is it all worth it? Is it hard? Does this bring happiness? I couldn’t imagine doing anything else with my life than living it to its full potential. I love chasing my dreams.

Here are 10 lessons I’ve learned. I’ll start at the beginning.

1. SUCCESS HAS HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

I will always consider this part of my life as a huge turning point in my life. I had to bike my daughter to school every single day because we only had one car, and my husband worked an hour away. Rain or shine, I had to bike to her school to drop her off and to pick her up. I’m sure most people thought it was because I loved biking. No. It was because that was my only means of transportation at the time. 

I remember biking that trip countless amounts of times with the hot Florida sun beating down on me, thinking to myself; this is it. THIS is your start. This isn’t going to always be this way. If you put your mind to it, you can make big things happen. I thought about how amazing it would be if one day I could look back at that time of my life and think ‘remember when.’ Today is that day. I told myself never to forget that time in my life. 

Those bike rides turned into a source of motivation for me. A way for me to think hard about my next move and focus on making the right changes to change my life. I learned to love the feeling of feeling defeated, that’s what gave me the drive to push harder in the right direction. I had to learn how to go into this as the underdog and build my way to the top.

The people who struggle, the ones starting at rock bottom have something others don’t. They have a fight deep inside to make things happen for themselves. Don’t ever underestimate that. 

2. HELP AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE

I had someone tell me to throw in the towel shortly after starting my photography business. It was a group of other photographers, and I understand why they said it. I wasn’t good at the time. I didn’t understand the business, or pricing, or any of that. I just had a little dream to do something I loved. They weren’t able to see the person I would become.

I remember thinking to myself; No. I will not throw in the towel. I WILL make this happen, and when I do, I will help others do the same. I will use my strength to encourage those around me, not tear them down. Helping others pursue their dreams is at the core of who I am.

I love seeing people succeed in something they are passionate about. I have coached hundreds of entrepreneurs in turning their business into a profitable business and love pushing them in the right direction with the same strategies I used to build my own business.

I am incredibly proud of those people, for making the decision to put in the hard work and chase their dreams. One of the people I’m overly proud of is my sister. She is incredibly talented in what she does as a graphic designer. And my husband who for years has stood by my side and helped me build my business is now going after what he loves with is web development. I love seeing that spark in people’s eyes when they talk about something they are passionate about. 

The amazing thing about it is this; everyone can pay it forward. The more people I can help succeed, the more they can inspire those around them to do the same. It’s a chain reaction, and I hope that my doing can help people all over this world go after their dreams.

3. IT’S NOT ABOUT THE MONEY; IT’S ABOUT FREEDOM

What’s more amazing than hitting one million? Being 100% in control of my life. Making decisions based on what I want to do, not on what society tells me to do. 

I created my own business. I work for myself. I can work from anywhere in the world. I spend every day with my husband and children. I love what I do. My husband was able to quit his job and is now going after his own dreams. We are moving our family to Maui, Hawaii because we think it will be fun to live on an island in the middle of the Pacific. 

I’m in control of my life, and that is priceless. 

Having built a business that gives me full financial freedom is why I work so hard. It’s not about hitting one million; it’s about being in control of what I do with the life I have. The possibilities are endless when you can create a life you love and be in the driver’s seat. I could care less about fancy watches, or clothes. The expensive things most people dream about getting if they made the money. I care more about spending the life I have doing something I love, with the people who mean the most to me. At the end of my life, that’s what I want to look back on. I’m not in this for the money; I’m in it for the freedom. 

4. I HAD TO DO IT ON MY OWN

Want to get there fast? Put in the hard work yourself. I know there’s all this talk about networking and mingling, and making the right connections with the right people that can connect you to other people who can help you get to where you want. Not for me. I know where I want to go and have done it by myself. I might be hardheaded with this, but I’ve learned that the fastest way to get somewhere is counting on yourself to get yourself there. Putting in the hard work and focusing on yourself. I can promise you that there is not another person in this world willing to work as hard as me on my business. Same goes for you and your business. Networking with others might be a great way to up our social life, but the truth is that you are the only person in this world who cares about the success of your own business. Learn to enjoy working by yourself, for yourself. Don’t expect others to be passionate about making your dreams a reality. 

Become a lone wolf entrepreneur and do the work yourself.

5. YOU CAN’T FAIL IF YOU’RE NOT WILLING TO QUIT

We live in a world where people prepare a plan for failure rather than focusing more on making their dreams a reality. Stop spending time thinking about failing and how you can continue after not making it and start focusing on not quitting. Focus on making something work and push forward. Re-train your mind to focus on continuing to work even when it’s hard. When you get tired, learn to take a break instead of quitting. 

Realize that making your dreams happen is supposed to be hard. It’s supposed to test you over, and over again. When you pour your heart into something and don’t see it happen the way you want, it’s hard. That’s how it’s supposed to be. This is where grit comes in. You have to keep going even when you don’t see any change at all. You have to have a special kind of vision in your head to continue something that doesn’t work over and over again until one day, it works. Believe in your dream, your vision, and keep going. 

Many people are scared of failure; the idea of not making it happen is often enough to get them to quit. The idea of putting so much time, energy, and effort into something they love and have it not be guaranteed can be paralyzing. But here’s the thing, if you learn to change your focus you’ll realize that the only possible way to fail is by quitting, then the solution is pretty simple; Don’t Quit. 

6. THIS IS JUST THE START OF IT ALL

I’m excited to see what my feature holds. Proud to have found this sense of freedom so early on in life. I’ll continue putting the people who mean the most to me first. Without them, nothing would matter. I’ll keep working hard on the things I’m passionate about, wherever that ends up taking me. I’ll try to help as many people around me so they too can go after their dreams. Focusing on what matters most & living life to the fullest. I’m just getting started. Think about it this way. If you get to 85 years old, how much more time do you have left? What do you want to do with that time?

7. BET ON YOURSELF. EVERY TIME.

Bet on yourself. Every time. Most people think it’s a safer bet to bet on someone else. It’s safer to get that job at that big company. It’s safer to go to college and get a degree. It’s safer to follow a path that many have traveled. The safest bet you can make in life is on yourself. You are in full control of what you put in, and what you get out. People might consider working in another company as the safe bet, but you’re leaving your job and future in the hands of someone else. Someone who might not even really know you. When you work for yourself, you’re betting on yourself. You can hold yourself accountable. You deal with failures and celebrate the victories. At the end of the day, I’m willing to bet on myself every time because I know I have it in me. 

8. TURN “I DON’T KNOW HOW” TO “I CAN LEARN HOW TO”

I can’t tell you how many times I hear the words. “I don’t know how to do this”. Everything you know how to do, you had to LEARN how to do. Just because you’re no longer sitting in a classroom with a textbook in front of you, doesn’t mean it’s time to stop learning. This is called life, and anything in life you don’t yet know how to do, you can learn. There’s nothing you can’t learn how to do. Think about ALL the things you know how to do…those skills didn’t just happen magically, you had to learn them, one by one. I didn’t know how to use a camera, I had to learn. I didn’t know how to do run a business, I had to learn. I didn’t know how to build a website, I had to learn. There are so many things I’ve had to teach myself how to do. The phrase “I don’t know how to do this” is going to get you nowhere. You have to change it to “I can learn how to do this” and you’ll quickly realize that you’re unstoppable. 

9. YOU COULD BE ONE DAY AWAY FROM FIGURING EVERYTHING OUT

If someone would have predicted my future, I probably wouldn’t have believed them. Life is funny in the sense that you never really know what lies ahead. Business is the same way. I spent years putting in the hard work and didn’t see any of my hard work pay off. Nothing seemed to be working, but I kept going. I told myself that struggle was part of the process and knew I wanted it bad enough to keep going. Then one week, I tried something new, I changed up my strategies, and all of a sudden it was like the puzzle pieces finally fit together and things were happening how I wanted them to. I felt like I unlocked the right door and I finally understood how business works. I continued with the strategies that worked and changed the ones that didn’t until eventually, everything seemed to run exactly like I had wanted it to. Here’s the thing though, the few months before figuring out the right strategies, I wanted to quit. I was so close in tossing in the towel because I felt like things were never going to change. I was working so hard, but somehow I wasn’t attracting the right clients, which meant I wasn’t making enough money and felt ultimately defeated. I had no idea that I was so incredibly close to figuring it all out. I now know that you never have any idea how close you are to figuring things out and that you could be one day away from that happening. So if you feel like things are just not working out for you, and you’re thinking about quitting, remember this; you could be one day away from figuring it all out! 

10. YOU ONLY HAVE ONE LIFE; IT’S TIME TO LIVE IT TO THE FULLEST

Everyone has the same 24 hours a day. And everyone only has one life to live. What matters is how you spend those hours, because that’s how you’ll end up spending your life. The thing is, you have no idea when your last day is, you wake up every day with time on your side until one day you wake up and you realize that you don’t have any more time left. You need to realize that every day you wake up, you wake up with a choice. A choice to live life on your terms, to go after things you want to do or continue letting your potential go to waste. 

Think about getting to your last day, and standing around you are your life dreams, the ideas you had, your talents, and ambitions. And for whatever reason, you never went after those dreams, decided to not act on your ideas, and let it all go to waste. What was the point? You only have so much time left, and you never know when that last day arrives. The way I see it is that life is made up of dreams. The thing you see around you every day, are there because someone had the courage to go after their dreams and create them. Learn to live life and stop worrying so much about the little things, because those things won’t matter when you’re no longer here. What matters is how you lived your life.

DON’T LET YOUR DREAMS GO TO WASTE.

YOU HAVE IT IN YOU TO MAKE THEM HAPPEN.

People might wonder why I this is so important to me to help other creatives in building a striving business and I wanted to try and put it in words so others can understand why I as a photographer, entrepreneur also find it so important to push people towards pursuing the things they are passionate about. 

There are certain events that happened in my life that gave me more drive to create something for myself. For me, it wasn’t just that I was incredibly in love with photography, or running a business, but it’s what I needed and valued personally to have the life I dreamt of having. My goal was living my life on my own terms.

When I first met my husband Jon, I was getting ready to start my first year in college, and he was in the Army with orders to deploy to Iraq for 12 months. He left four months after I met him, and I married him exactly two days after he returned home. Kind of crazy to marry someone after such a short time, but after being married to him for almost 10 years I know that out of all my life decisions, choosing to grow old with him was by far the best one yet. 

They say things become easier as time goes on, but the truth is, the next 12-month deployment in 2010 was even harder. Not only did I have to say goodbye for 12 months again, but I had to see him say goodbye to our daughter, who was a little over one at the time.

He missed an entire year, and I know how hard that was for all of us. We both knew that being together, truly together as a family was important. We just didn’t know how to go about making that happen. The idea of being together after going 12 months apart for each deployment seemed like a dream that was never going to happen. 

I got my first camera when he was on that deployment because pictures were the only way I was able to let him see into my world, and see his daughter grow up. I took pictures of everything and at the time had no idea the path it would take me on and the passion it had sparked deep inside my heart. 

Fast forward a few years, his contract was up, and he got out of the Army. We were together, but things were hard. Living paycheck to paycheck was our current reality, and as a stay at home mom, I didn’t have much that I felt could contribute to our family financially. 

Being a stay at home mom was important to me, and it’s something I’m so happy I have been able to do because my husband knew how important it was for me to be home with our kids. He worked nights at the time which was hard. Although he was home, he was often catching up on much-needed sleep, and due to our schedules being the complete opposite, it felt again as if we didn’t get to be together very much. 

I kept taking pictures and eventually started my photography business, used what I had and put everything I had into making my business work. There were so many sleepless nights where I stayed up till 4 am because it was the only time I could really focus on getting things done while my daughter was asleep. At this point, there were no guarantees that this would be the way I could have my family be together but I also knew that not trying wasn’t going to be an option. Years passed and although my business wasn’t the most stable, we decided to go for it full force. My husband quit his job to be home with me and our kids and for the first time, we were truly together. 

To us, that was our big dream, and I know there are others who want that as well. All too often we put the value on our job, and moving up some ladder and forget what’s most important in life, and that’s being together. Truly being there with the people you love the most. 

The reason I offer business coaching is that I know it’s possible to have a career you love, while being with your husband every day, and be a stay at home mom.  

People are told that they have to choose. 

Choose to go back to work, or become a stay and home mom and I’m here to tell everyone that you don’t have to choose anymore. You can have both. You can be incredibly successful in a career and be the stay at home mom you want to be. 

You can have a life where you have breakfast dates every morning with your husband because neither one of you has a job they have to run off to. 

You can have dinner as a family without feeling like you just got home and had to tuck your kids into bed to get ready for the next day to start the entire process over again. 

You can have a life where you’re not always running arms wide open to the things that you care most about in life because you’re forced to choose other things instead. 

It won’t happen overnight, but I know that there’s more to life than working at something that doesn’t make you happy. Figure out what you love to do, and most importantly what you value in life. The only way to get there is to decide that you want that change. Be in control of choosing the path you want to be on and then go after it. 

If it’s being home with your kids full-time, while also financially contributing to your family. It’s possible I promise. If I can do it, and my sister can do it, and hundreds of creates that I’ve seen turn their passions into a profitable business giving them personal freedom to prioritize what’s most important to them, you can do the same.