More than a Few Words

#910 - Smats, Guts, Luck and Friends

I've heard it said that entrepreneurs need three things  - smarts, guts and luck.
Your smarts can be street smarts, book smarts or creative smarts. You've got to be able to use your intelligence to navigate decisions rationally and analytically.
You must have the guts to go after your big ideas. You need courage to put yourself out there and not worry others would think. You need to be brave enough to try things even if other people think you are crazy.
And Luck? Even with smarts and guts sometimes you just need things to fall your way. These elements are all critical, but there is one more thing every entrepreneur needs and that is friends. Everyone loves the image of the solo entrepreneur working in the basement into the wee hours of the morning but great leaders in successful companies surround themselves with friends.  You should too.
Good friends serve as your sounding board. They'll let be there to bounce ideas and brainstorm without judgment.  They will help you think through the tough issues and recharge your batteries when they're low.
So you need all the other things but you got to have friends.

#909 Use AI for Your Home Page

This week I had a chance to chat with Jeanette Stein, a seasoned business coach who specializes in using AI and automation for business growth. She shared insights into how to harness AI while maintaining a personalized touch, overcome SEO concerns, and develop a distinct brand voice.
As a writer, I am just a bit nervous about using AI for website copy but Jeanette emphasizes the importance of maintaining a human element while interacting with AI, guiding it with prompts to create tailored content.
She suggests starting with prompts like asking AI to generate questions about your business for the homepage. By specifying tone, goals, and desired emotional impact, content can be customized effectively. Stein recommends consistency in prompts for branding purposes, and even uses a cheat sheet acronym called VIBRANT to enhance AI responses' specificity.
To address SEO concerns and differentiation, Stein recommends steering clear of copying and pasting AI-generated content. Instead, she advocates for refining AI responses with your personal touch. She highlights the significance of maintaining consistency between the AI-generated content and your authentic voice, as discrepancies can erode trust. She also offers a technique where you use voice-to-text on your phone to dictate responses, further refining AI's understanding of your style.
 
Learn more be sure to check out jeanettestein.com/mtfw
 

#908 - Do You Have a Peer Group? You Should

If you missed this conversation about collaboration with your peers with Jon Tsourakis, then you are in luck.  You can listen to it now. 
When you collaborate with people you would, on the surface level think of as your competitors, it is amazing what happens. You will discover your business is healthier, your mental status healthier and the tips and tricks and strategies that you uncover can completely change how you operate your business.
What about the fear of competitors stealing your secrets?  Jon  believes every business is like a fingerprint.  Each business has their own unique way about going about what it is they do. Different core values and different DNA means that not every suggestion will work for you, so you should treat input from peers like a buffet, with lots of choices.

#907 Evaluate and Embrace New Technology

How do you decide which software tools and digital trends deserve attention and resources and which don’t? So how did I answer the question? Simple, our strategy is explore, evaluate and embrace.
The first part of the strategy is staying ahead of the curve by reading, reading, reading. There’s no single expert in the field so I have several websites I check on a regular basis.
When I find new software tools which pique my curiosity, I switch over to evaluation mode.  I dive into by reading product reviews and searching for discussions on Twitter and LinkedIn. Then we kick the tires for ourselves to see if the product works the way they say it will.
Finally, we look at how this addition fits with the rest of the marketing program.  This is where many exciting ideas get sideline because even if a tool looks great, if it doesn’t fit with everything else you’re doing, it’s not a great fit for you.
And finally you need to embrace and this is where you have to make a decision to go big or go home and admit the resources or don’t play.

#906 Let AI Tell Your Story

In this episode  I have a chance to chat with Richard Rosser about the intersection of artificial intelligence and storytelling.
Richard shares tips on how to use AI for brainstorming story ideas. He explains ChatGPT can generate concepts and case scenarios for various situations. Instead of spending hours sifting through search engine results, ChatGPT provides focused and organized information.
He elaborates on the potential of AI to craft stories from prompts and how to use AI to refine your story, and transform complex technical descriptions into content your audience can relate to. 

#905 I Love Evergreen Content

One of the things I love about living in Indiana is the color the seasons. There are bright pastels in the spring and rich greens in the summer and bright oranges and yellows in the fall. The exception is winter. Those dreary days of winter seem colorless and bland compared to the vibrancy of the colors throughout the rest of the year. That's why I love evergreen trees. They bring spots of color all year long.
And just as those wonderful trees bring consistent color to my yard. evergreen content brings spots of color to your marketing content. What is evergreen content? It's information that is always relevant to readers. Unlike seasonal content or breaking news it answers questions your customers have every single day.
Breaking news gets stale but evergreen doesn't. So as you're looking at your total content calendar make sure you have several pieces of evergreen content to add consistent color. 

#904 Navigating Growth Amid Economic Uncertainty

In this episode, the spotlight is on the challenging decisions that small business owners face amidst economic uncertainties. Joining the conversation is Beate Chelette, the growth architect and founder of the Women's Code. Beate equips visionary leaders with strategies, blueprints, and growth maps to enhance business systems, strengthen leadership skills, and maximize profits. With her insights, she guides clients to amplify their impact and scale their businesses.
Thriving Amidst Turbulence
Beate and i, delve into strategies for small business owners to thrive regardless of economic fluctuations. The conversation starts by addressing the common dilemma of whether to expand or contract during uncertain times. Beate emphasizes a key principle: if competitors are retreating, it's an opportunity to advance. Amidst external challenges, she advises entrepreneurs to focus on their confidence, unapologetic value proposition, and maintaining a strong online presence.
Unlocking Customer Insights
Beate emphasizes the importance of understanding your target audience, citing the "airtight avatar" concept. Business owners must adapt their marketing strategies to cater to changing customer concerns and needs. In a world influenced by AI and technological shifts, maintaining relevance means continuously updating your understanding of your clients' perspectives. By reframing marketing approaches and emphasizing personalized connections, entrepreneurs can build trust and engagement even
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#903 Learn to Harness Chaos

Some people think that chaos is a dirty word. But as my guest Robert Raymond Riopel suggests, a little bit of chaos in your life is a good thing.  If you missed this conversation when it was first released in 2021, you definitely want to check it out now. 
He suggests that as as human beings, one of our primary functions is to evolve and chaos is actually what forces us to evolve.  When you courageously volunteer for chaos, instead of allowing it to overwhelm you can takes steps to proactively change and improve your situation.  

#902 A Different Perspective

If you're getting ready to hire someone new or add a person to your advisory board it is easy to look for someone with whom you'll get along.  That, however, might not be the best choice.
What you often need is someone who can compliment your weaknesses  and fill in the blanks in your skill set.  Very often the person who does that is the Yin to your Yang.
They're your opposite and so while they bring that fresh perspective and different skills they can also make you a little crazy because they're not going to see the world the way you do.
But, if you want to grow your business you need that other perspective. You need people who will challenge your ideas,  make you think and see the world in different ways.

#901 The Key to Success is in the Implementation

If you are like most business owners you have lots of great ideas.  As a matter of fact you have so many ideas it is hard to get any of them done. 
In this episode, Annelise Worn shares her insights on the importance of aligning business goals with one's desired lifestyle and values. Her approach involves reverse engineering an idea by starting with the vision of the business and life you aspire to lead.
She emphasizes the significance of breaking down goals into three distinct time frames: three years, one year, and three months. This incremental approach enables entrepreneurs to map out realistic steps and monitor their progress more effectively. She highlights the necessity of acknowledging potential obstacles and building them into the plan, ensuring better preparation for contingencies.