There are four cornerstones of long-term, sustainable, business success: Messaging/Copy Branding/Image Planning/Strategy Publicity/PR Each of these elements must be in place to ensure your marketing success and long-term business sustainability. While these cornerstones are invaluable, it’s imperative that you deliver on your promises. We’ll talk more about that later. In order to get your big mission and message out into the world your message must be in alignment with your core values and the value you deliver.  I often say values equal value. It’s vital that your CORE message is clear and compelling. For example, I teach, train, and transform with my simple, values-based, 3-step “Challenge.Solution.Invitation.” framework to create marketing messages with integrity and improve all communications by highlighting PASSION points instead of poking at pain points.  THIS is the CORE message of my brand and everything that I offer […]

“A thought become a bright idea and when put into writing words turn ideas into action.”   I don’t know about YOU but I’ve been thinking about creativity, ideas, and action.  I mean, there really is no shortage of ideas. As a creator I have to stop myself from creating new programs and offerings so I can focus on being of service and getting my most important projects done. Can you relate? Is your list of to-do’s piling up while your ability to take action seems scattered? Or, do you have everything dialed in and on track? Is your creativity in overdrive leaving you with a need for some structure and strategy? Everyone I’ve talked to lately has a really BIG vision. Sometimes your vision and mission is so big that you just don’t know what to do […]

Beyond your message, brand, plan, and publicity — Let’s talk about SALES. When you’ve been in business for any length of time, you’ve likely started to build a solid foundation.  You’ve invested in… Branding/Image Planning/Strategy Content/Copy Publicity/PR AND, the sales are still not rolling in… Here’s the deal. This isn’t uncommon. By the time you have your foundational pieces in place, your individual sales goals can slip through the cracks.  So, yes — in order to be positioned as a leader in your industry, you must build a solid brand with consistent image to uphold your big vision and mission (image really is important) in order to grow your business it’s vital to give energy to creating a clear plan and strategy (for every component of your business)  in order to attract your ideal clients instead of chasing not-so-ideal […]

How are YOU showing up and what are you known for? What branding, positioning and niches have represented your business over the years? Does your current brand position you as THE expert?  Have you narrowed your niche too much? Not enough? Is business cruising along as usual or is it time to do something unusual?  Are your business offerings and services designed for an industry niche? Or, is your magic more of a specialty niche?  Stick with me, there is a reason I’m asking YOU all of these questions. You see recently I had a fabulous conversation with friend, colleague and former client. WAY back in the day we’d done some work together to dial in web messaging and strategy (often small shifts make a big impact).  So, she knew about my web copy and strategy expertise […]

Are you getting in YOUR own way  and leaving gaps when it comes to designing your business to fully support YOU? Or, are you letting the advice and philosophies of others skew your view of what REALLY works for you? The #1 way I see people getting in their own way (even me at times) is blocking the flow of income by NOT offering what your prime prospects want and need. This is often caused by buying into the mindset that trading hours for dollars is a bad thing.  We’ve all heard it. And we’ve likely bought into the notion that charging hourly or offering packages with entry level investment options isn’t the best use of our time. We know that retained agreements, consulting contracts, coaching packages, group programs, virtual trainings and other leveraged income streams can be VERY lucrative and sometimes, it makes […]

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, by definition, legacy can mean one of two things.  1)  a gift by will especially of money or other personal property (bequest) 2)  something transmitted by or received from an ancestor or predecessor or from the past (the legacy of the ancient philosophers) Beyond definitions, perception and profession often dictate how we view and approach legacy. For example: Some will hear the word “Legacy” and immediately think of wealth, money and material assets. This is true for people who have accumulated impressive amounts of wealth and need to manage their legacy via investments, living trusts, bequests, creating foundations and/or donating to nonprofit organizations. Others will hear the word “Legacy” and think about lasting impact in the form of instilling values, writing books, sharing philosophies, or creating bodies of work that support people, planet and place […]

Why did you start your business? Or, why start a business if you’re not already an entrepreneur? This is an important questions and one that should not be taken lightly. When I decided to start my business in 2003 it was not a decision that I took lightly. It meant letting go of a career I loved (for multiple reasons and mostly for the sake of my health and happiness).  I worked for a premier ad agency at that time and submitting my resignation meant I had to say goodbye to clients I admired, respected and whom I had spent years helping build their brands and businesses (and I had to admit that the way I’d been working was burning me out which was a hard thing to share — I liked to think that nothing could phase […]

May was OREGON WINE MONTH. That has absolutely nothing to do with what I’m about to share — other than — I love Southern Oregon and the vintners here are producing some really great wine (aka Entrepreneurial Fuel). But I digress… Let’s consider business for a moment. Business is much like fine wine. It takes a team, from start to finish, to develop a full bodied, quality wine. AND When you want to produce the best wine possible, you create the best team possible based on strengths and skill set. Often you’re not going to put the vineyard manager in charge of marketing or vice versa (unless they are well versed in both roles). You’ll likely consider calling in experts or outsourcing. You see, all too often, regardless of size of business, industry, revenue stream structure, or […]

What is YOUR value proposition? Your value proposition is the value you deliver to your clients. Simply put, it’s the results you’ve generated and the story you tell to illustrate why doing business with you is a good choice and what people can expect. This goes beyond the promised deliverable product or service and focuses on results. Results are important. I’m amazed at how many people are not able to articulate their value proposition. Sharing how doing business with you is going to make a difference, save time or money or increase profits is important (it’s crucial information for people to make business decisions). While it’s true that people do business with people they know, like and trust, part of that trust is built on a proven track record. Can you quickly and succinctly share your value […]

It’s surprising how many business owners think marketing/advertising is a magic bullet. It is magic but it’s not instant. The fact is, you must make your magic and market it and that’s when the results roll in… (HINT: it takes a clear plan you must be part of it at least in the initial phases). It’s also important to know the difference between marketing and advertising. To simplify the magic of a marketing mix, there are three essential ingredients you must have in place to get results. Your content: This is your marketing message, your copy, your brand essence in words. You must be clear about your messaging and it must be in alignment with your mission, vision and speak to your prime prospects (you should be ultra clear on who they are) in a way that empowers […]