S5E2: Creative Freedom: How Systems Create Space & Flexibility

It was great to bring Mel Wiggins back onto the show to discuss the evolution of Mel's business, starting from gathering creative women in 2016 to establishing a partnership called Embodied Leadership. We chat about our arework together and the significance of using systems like Asana and Acuity to streamline operations, allowing Mel to focus on higher-level tasks and grow her business effectively.

Let's discuss how I streamlined my processes, automated client hand-holding, improved consistent communication, provided a clear dashboard for tracking my business, enabled lead tracking, and saved me time and headspace. Watch the video to learn more about how a CRM can transform your business.

These 5 side effects include having a brain that always feels full, accidentally dropping the ball, miscommunication, making less money, and having no CEO time. I provide examples and explain how these side effects can impact your business.

Let's discuss the importance of small businesses focusing on what they are good at and not getting caught up in administrative tasks and marketing. I explain how automating certain processes, such as client care emails and appointment scheduling, can free up time for entrepreneurs to work in their zone of genius. By delegating or automating other aspects of their business, entrepreneurs can focus on what makes them unique and valuable to their customers.

Let's address the common misconception that small business owners are too disorganized to simplify and automate their businesses. I share my personal experience and offer solutions to tackle messy file systems, overflowing inboxes, client onboarding/offboarding, creating templates, and making marketing more consistent. I also highlight the importance of embracing the chaos and being proud of the growth you've achieved. No matter how messy your business may seem, I'm here to help you simplify and streamline.

So will sorting your systems make you more money?  Imagine once you've simplified client care, marketing processes, scheduling, file management, project management and more.  How much more time you have to make money? How much better boundaried you are with your clients? How much more consistently you're showing up? So they're referring to you because working with this person was super smooth sailing.  👉 Take my free quiz to figure out where to start in creating a simple business: https://quiz.tryinteract.com/#/62f390a9bb3d6200188d871e

What would you do with an extra five hours a week?  What would you do with all that extra time? With that extra energy? With that extra space, that flexibility? What would you do if when you stepped away from your computer and you got a potential new client or a lead, or you got a new sale, or a new email subscriber or new community member? And you knew that person would be taken care of just as well as if you were sitting at your computer. You knew that they would receive the right welcome, the right hand holding, the right  reminders for onboarding processes or the reminders to leave that review on the product they've just purchased and it would feel warm and on brand and as if you were there for the business. 👉 Take my free quiz to figure out where to start in creating a simple business: https://quiz.tryinteract.com/#/62f390a9bb3d6200188d871e

It's a really common thing I hear from small business owners where they think, “Okay, if I put up systems, put in systems, I won't be able to create the way that I want to.”  People will often conflate being creative with being disorganized. The clients that I've had over the years, they’ve found that the opposite is true. 👉 Take my free quiz to figure out where to start in creating a simple business: https://quiz.tryinteract.com/#/62f390a9bb3d6200188d871e

Is imposter syndrome creeping up because you feel like you don’t have your shit together behind the scenes? This is a sentiment that comes up a lot.  I guess it's that people often feel like they're not really a business owner because their back end, their operations, the way that they do business feels messy or feels maybe not professional enough or not together enough, right?  That's really, really, really normal.  👉 Take my free quiz to figure out where to start in creating a simple business: https://quiz.tryinteract.com/#/62f390a9bb3d6200188d871e

Join host Ellie McBride in a lively YouTube live interview as she sits down with Minal Patel, the founder of Marketing by Minal, to delve into the exciting world of email marketing. Minal will share her expertise on successfully driving traffic to your email list and, more importantly, guiding that traffic back to your website to convert into sales. With her firm belief that marketing is akin to cooking, Minal brings a fresh perspective to the table. Drawing from her 20+ years of marketing experience, she understands the recipe for success lies in having the right ingredients, tools, and practice. Minal's practical and actionable tips have empowered countless small business owners to find their inner marketer and avoid the dreaded cycle of marketing mishaps. If you're looking to take your email marketing game to the next level, this interview is a must-watch. Minal will reveal strategies, tactics, and insights that will help you not only grow your email list but also maximize its potential by driving valuable traffic back to your website.