Boundaries Equals Productivity

Over the last few weeks being more productive has been on my mind. Running a business and personal life can take a toll and creating healthy boundaries can become extremely difficult. After working with an amazing life coach I had am epiphany....spending time scheduling and creating healthy boundaries relieves stress and actually creates more time and makes you more productive. Let me explain...let me know if any of this sounds familiar....working a high stress job, like creating a startup or running a business, means the lines between work and personal life can blur. Being the heart of any business means that the job always comes home with you and it can be difficult to turn off your brain and simple engage in your home-life without the constant stress and worry of your business looming over you. If any of this sounds familiar read on...

Effective Performance-Brian Tracy

My life coach gave me a challenge of scheduling out every hour of my workday for at least one day. At first I was hesitant but decided to go along with the experiment. Do you know what I found? I discovered that my scheduling out my entire day hour by hour with my tasks to complete that I was more productive and was able to disengage at the end of the day. Instead of working into all hours of the night I purposely stopped my workday at my designated time and was able to actually enjoy my home life and accomplish more not only in my business but in my personal life.

Setting healthy boundaries in your work life will surprisingly create more productivity and will allow you to embrace and enjoy your personal life. So take this experiment. Schedule out every hour of your workday for one day and you will see all the time you are wasting and how much free time this will create to finish your work. Disengaging at the end of the day will allow you to schedule out the next day and remove the looming cloud of work to complete until the next work day.

After your day of scheduling, leave me a comment on this post and let me know how setting healthy boundaries made you more productive.

If this post struck a chord with you and you would like business coaching assistance, then look no further. Click the “Contact Us Now” button to get started. If you would like a sample of the ideas we could generate to help your business, click here for a free digital marketing report, custom-made for your company. Even if you are not in Tulsa, I also do have consulting available for you to purchase to get one-on-one help from me to kick-start your next project, company, idea…the skies the limit. Click here for more info on those services.

Inspire Happy Hour Cocktail - Sidecar

Inspire Happy Hour is Back!

It has been a while since I have been able to showcase a prohibition drink and here is the one you have been waiting for. I recently made the Sidecar for my friends and it was a hit. Originally this drink was said to be invented after WWI in London or Paris.  The Ritz Hotel in Paris claims origin of the drink.

Sidecar Cocktail

Make the Sidecar yourself:

• 1 1/2 oz Cognac or Armagnac, or bourbon
• 1 oz Cointreau or triple sec orange liqueur
• 1/2 oz lemon juice
• Lemon twist for garnish
• Sugar for rimming (optional)

Preparation:

1. If desired, rim a chilled cocktail glass with sugar.
2. Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice cubes.
3. Shake well.
4. Strain into the prepared cocktail glass.
5. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Give the Sidecar a try and let us know what you think in the comment section below. Remember to take time to enjoy happy hour, but drink responsibly*.

I would love to make the Sidecar with you and enjoy Happy Hour with you, but alas I cannot. But what I can do is help you brainstorm and grow your business through sound marketing strategy. If you would like one-on-one time with me, simply click on this link and set up a time that works for you or you can click the “Contact Us Now” button. Let me help to get the word out about your company today! Let’s get started, why wait?

*Speakeasy Market Strategies does not condone underage or irresponsible drinking. Make wise choices ladies and gents!

Can Your Customers Find You?

As usual my blogging inspiration for the day comes from my daily life and today I was shocked by a local Tulsa company...thus the need for today's post. Business has changed over the years and with addition of technology there are many ways that customers can find your company, ranging from traditional and digital avenues. In the information overload it is essential that prospects are able to find you easily. According to Jay Baer, the author of Youtility: Why Smart Marketing Is about Help Not Hype:

In 2010, shoppers needed 5.3 sources of information before making a purchase decision. In 2011, just one year later, shoppers needed 10.4 sources before making a purchase decision.

First of all...you can see that the age of technology has drastically changed the way customers show. The next issue to discuss is....where are these sources coming from? The answer is anywhere from traditional media such as print advertising, TV, radio, brick & mortar storefront, online, social media, etc to word of mouth. Now this is not a pitch to tell you to be on ALL forms of advertising and ALL forms of social media because for me not all advertising is created equal for every company. But with that, it is essential that people are able to find you.

Now for my story....today on Facebook a friend of mine asked for a recommendation for a certain product that she was looking for in town. She had tons of comments and suggestions and I knew of a vendor from an event I had attended that would be a perfect solution for her. Unfortunately I did not have their contact information....so what did I do? You guessed it? GOOGLE! But much to my surprise this company was nowhere to be found....not even in the Yellow Pages (yes I know...shocking)! Thus my next step was to contact a client of mine that had worked with them in the past...but much to my surprise even my client has trouble finding the information. We managed to find their email, but it was no longer working. Finally they were able to get their phone number and I was able to help my friend.

Now for the lessons to be learned from this experience:

Where Customers Access Info

1. You are in business...prospects should not have to work to find you.

There are so many businesses in today's modern world and for the most part if you make finding your information difficult for the customer, they will use your competitor instead.

2. Being able to be found on Google is ESSENTIAL in today's world.

If the company had a website or was listed in an online directory ANYWHERE on the internet, Google would have been able to direct me to their information. Obviously as a digital marketer I always recommend having a customized website for your business as this will typically be what people see first when searching for you.

3. If your competition is online, you need to be too.

For this particular story, this vendor is in an industry that is very involved on social media which is why searching for them was that much more frustrating. If you are in an industry that has a heavy presence online, if you are not there you will likely lose out on new customers.

4. Make sure your information is up to date.

This should be a no brainer, but regardless it is something that can get overlooked. Make sure that your contact information across the web and traditional media is directing people to your most current information.

Now for your challenge....take a minute to see your business through the eyes of new customers. How would you search for your business? See where the holes might be in your current strategy and make an action plan to improve this year.

You Must Fail to Succeed

We all are familiar with the famous Thomas Edison quote, " I have not failed, I just found 10,000 ways it won't work." This has been inspirational for so many throughout the years, yet I do not think many of us really sit and ponder the true struggle Edison went through. This brings me to today's discussion...in order to succeed you must see failure.

When I say failure I do not mean bankruptcy (but perhaps in some cases), but more failures throughout your life, career, and business that you have encountered. Unless you are Jesus I am sure that we have all seen failure in our lives and seeing failures in our business can be costly and disheartening. Just as coal comes under extreme pressure to become a valuable diamond, we can see overwhelming pressure and issues that force us to see our businesses in a new light.

To me personally, failure means you are at the point of change. Without failure it is difficult to grow your business into something that can last the test of time. I believe that entrepreneurs are more familiar with failure since running a business does not come with a manual and mistakes will be made. Those that are able to pick themselves up and move past failure are those that see success. Difficult times force change and it is up to you to embrace a learning experience or to reject it and stay stuck.

My own mini personally story of failure that is most relevant to where I am today dates back to my days of job hunting in Tulsa. I interviewed with almost every Tulsa Digital Agency and continued to hit my head against a wall in frustration. No one would hire me and that process led me to a dark place of feeling like a complete failure. Now years later I can look back at that experience and see how those hard times helped mold me into the business woman I am today. I could have chosen to be upset and stay in a state of depression, but instead I took the jobs I was not extremely passionate about because I knew I needed to grow and learn before I would see success down the road. The lessons I learned in those jobs I had before starting my company are now so precious to me because they taught me how to overcome adversity in the business world and how I wanted to run my company.

This year I want to be a place of encouragement and growth to embrace the journey of running a business and being open to the speed bumps along the way. Ultimately we are all on a path and it is up to you to pick yourself up when we stumble. We have the ability to choose to have a positive mindset and move forward.

Feel free to leave a comment below, tweet, Facebook, or message me with your story of failure and success in your business.

Implementing New Years Resolutions

We are in our third week of the New Year, which means everyone is in full throttle when it comes to their resolutions. Having New Years resolutions for yourself are a great way to start the year by focusing your energy on change for the upcoming year. The same concept should apply to your business as well. Here are some tips for setting resolutions in your business: 1. Write Them Down

So many times we say we have resolutions, but writing them down will solidify them and keep you more committed. If you have a business with employees, print them out and place them in a communal area to remind people of the positive changes you are wanting to make in the business this year.

2. Measure Your Progress

Just like any business plan you make, you must have a measure of success. Plan small goals to reach your resolution and set the dates for checking your progress to keep you and your company accountable. Creating an action plan will ensure your business makes the necessary steps towards success.

3. Make Adjustments

After your first evaluation of your progress towards your resolution you may need to see the reality of reaching your resolution. This will take you truly taking a look at the progress you have made and make necessary changes to carry out the business goal.

4. Set New Resolutions

At the end of the year, access your progress you made towards your goals for the previous year. Then create new resolutions for your business for the new year, taking into account the growth you saw in the previous year.

As an example, here are the resolutions I have made for myself and business for 2014:

1. Blog at least once a week.

To do this I am actually doing a kick-start program by committing to blog once a day for the next 100 days. This goal was inspired by the video below and the GiveIt100.com movement. The blogging resolution will help me grow as a writing to reach my goal of writing an eBook and will help with my SEO for my company website (gotta love hitting two birds with one stone).

[youtube id="I5FkshLcNLQ" width="550" height="300" align="center"]

2. Grow my knowledge through continued learning.

This goal has been on my mind for months and as I was driving back home from Texas I began implementing this goal by subscribing for Audible. If any of you are like me, I have piles of business books that I never seem to be able to read, which is why I want to make refining my skills through learning a priority. Each month I get 1 free audiobook for $14.99 that comes directly to my iPhone and I can listen to it in my car, gym, wherever and this will help me reach my goal. P.S. If you do sign up the code FREEBOOK may help get you 2 free audio books when you sign up.

3. Make accounting a priority.

As a consultant and small agency, accounting is an essential part of running a business. In all honesty it is my LEAST favorite part about running a business, but it is a necessary evil. Therefore this year I am going to set aside more time to take care of my books and to start I am purchasing a Neat Receipt to help me manage my receipts and stay more organized. My action plan for this is to work on my books at least twice a month.

Now that you have seen my goals and ways to help you stick to yours, comment below with a few of your own for your business and how you plan to stick to them.

Inspire Happy Hour Cocktail - Mary Pickford

Mary_Pickford_Americas_sweetheart

You've worked hard all week, now it is time to celebrate your accomplishments with this week’s Inspire Happy Hour Cocktail, the Mary Pickford.

It was a total of 95 degrees today, which in my book means time to mix that summer cocktail once the work is done. This week's Prohibition cocktail recipe is called the Mary Pickford, aka "America's Sweetheart." No not of the modern day, but back in the 1920's she was a silent movie icon. She even went on to be one of the original founders of The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.

The cocktail itself was developed in Cuba by El Presidente creator, Eddie Woelke. Like many in the bartending industry during Prohibition, he fled to Cuba to mix his drinks in peace.

Make the Mary Pickford for Yourself:

• 1.5 oz light rum
• 1 oz pineapple juice
• 1/2 tsp maraschino liqueur
• 1/2 tsp grenadine syrup
• 1 maraschino cherry

Mary Pickford Cocktail

Mixing Instructions:

1. Combine ingredients (minus cherry garnish)  in a shaker half-filled with ice cubes.
2. Shake vigorously.
3. Strain into a cocktail glass.
4. Garnish with maraschino cherry.

Give the Mary Pickford a try and let us know what you think in the comment section below. Remember to take time to enjoy happy hour, but drink responsibly*.

I would love to make the Mary Pickford with you and enjoy Happy Hour with you, but alas I cannot. But what I can do is help you brainstorm and grow your business through sound marketing strategy. If you would like one-on-one time with me, simply click on this link and set up a time that works for you or you can click the “Contact Us Now” button. Let me help to get the word out about your company today! Let’s get started, why wait?

*Speakeasy Market Strategies does not condone underage or irresponsible drinking. Make wise choices ladies and gents!

Why Social Media Will Take You to the Next Level

I'm sure you have heard that social media is the hot topic in marketing and that you need to be there, but here are some stats to back up the hype.

The following infographic presents some great evidence from this year's Social Media Examiner's Marketing Industry Report to support the trends of social media this year (download the report here).

From this 43 page report, here are the keys that you need to know to take your company to the next level:

YouTube is the new golden child.

According to the report, 69% of marketers plan to increase their use of the platform, which is no surprise. YouTube is the little known tool to significantly help with SEO.  Marketers are constantly fighting for keywords on Google, pushing up the cost per pick and Google ad pricing, whereas YouTube presents a cost-effective alternative that is relatively untapped. Although your website may not appear at the top for certain terms, your properly uploaded YouTube video might.

Podcasting is exploding.

This is the hottest marketing trend of 2013. This platform is wide open and savvy brands are jumping on the podcast bandwagon. Stats have increased from 5% of marketers podcasting to 24% of marketers increasing their podcasting efforts.

Facebook and LinkedIn is where marketers are investing their time.

In the survey of marketers, when asked which social media platform they would choose it they could only choose one was Facebook (49%), followed by LinkedIn(16%).

#1 benefit of Social Media is increased exposure.

Although we all would like the track every sale with social media to show ROI, the real reason we use social media is for market awareness. These platforms allow brands to interact with their customers cost effectively in a way that was previously not possible.

See the stats for yourself...

Image source: www.topwebdesignschools.org

It is clear from the infographic above that brands are investing in social media and it is becoming more and more important every year to an overall marketing strategy. Will your company be left in the dust or will you make a splash in your market and utilize social media to its greatest potential?

Still not convinced social media can help your business? Let me know why in the comments below.

If this post struck a chord with you and you are ready to increase your exposure online, then look no further. I am here to help you be able to get back to what you do best and I can handle the rest.

Click the “Contact Us Now” button to get started. If you would like a sample of the ideas we could generate to help your business, click here for a free digital marketing report, custom-made for your company. Even if you are not in Tulsa, I also do have consulting available for you to purchase to get one-on-one help from me to kick-start your next project, company, idea…the skies the limit. Click here for more info on those services.

Inspire Happy Hour Cocktail – Gin Rickey

Celebrate your hard work with this week's Inspire Happy Hour Cocktail, the Gin Rickey

Well I don't know about where you live, but here in Tulsa, Oklahoma summer is officially here. What better way to kick off the hot weather but with a refreshing vintage cocktail. Although the Gin Rickey was created in the late 1890's, it became popular in the 1920's due to its main ingredient, gin.

the-great-gatsby-cocktails

According to legend, this was F. Scott Fitzgerald's favorite drink and he event mentions the concoction in his novel "The Great Gatsby." He wrote in the novel that Gatsby, Daisy, and Tom drank theirs “in long, greedy swallows.”

Make the Gin Rickey for Yourself:

• cracked ice
• 1.5 oz dry gin
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• seltzer water
• 1 slice lime

Gin Rickey Cocktail.jpg

Mixing Instructions:

1. Fill a highball glass 3/4 full with cracked ice.
2. Pour in gin, lime juice, and sugar into glass.
3. Stir ingredients.
4. Fill the rest of the glass with seltzer water.
5. Garnish with a lime slice.

Let us know how this refreshing cocktail works out for you. Remember to take time to enjoy happy hour, but drink responsibly*. Leave a comment below and let us know what you think.

Even though I would love to sit down and have this cocktail with you, that is just not reality. But what I can do is help you brainstorm and grow your business through sound marketing strategy. If you would like one-on-one time with me, simply click on this link and set up a time that works for you or you can click the “Contact Us Now” button. Let me help to get the word out about your company today! Let’s get started, what are you waiting for?

*Speakeasy Market Strategies does not condone underage or irresponsible drinking. Make wise choices ladies and gents!

Having Trouble Staying Productive? Here's How You are Destroying Your Productivity

Having Trouble Staying Productive?

Here's How You are Destroying Your Productivity

We are going to take a quick break from talking about Twitter and distract you with ways to distract yourself. These great tips below from Marketo are sure to show you how to stay productive and get your best work done. Personally I struggle with most of these. The cluttered desk is definitely true for me, since I cannot get as much done when I am in a messy environment.

Take a look and see what actions are keeping you from being productive.

Can you think of any other tasks that keep you for doing you best on the job at hand? Here are some positive actions you can take to assist in your productivity:

• List your top priorities to complete the night before. 
• Block out time in your calendar to complete top priority tasks.
• Complete the task you are least looking forward to completing first thing in the morning.
• Allow yourself scheduled breaks.

Avoiding the actions in the productivity infographic and the tips above will help you stay on point and help you accomplish more within your workday. Try out a few and see if you see your work improve. Leave a comment below letting us know your progress or send me an e-mail at kersten at Speakeasy Market Strategies dot com.

If you are business owner that feels like they are struggling in today’s digital marketing, then look no further. We are here to help you be able to get back to what you do best and we can handle the rest.

Click the “Contact Us Now” button to get started. If you would like a sample of the ideas we could generate for you, click here for a free digital marketing report, custom-made for your company. Even if you are not in Tulsa, I also do have consulting available for you to purchase to get one-on-one help from me to kick-start your next project, company, idea…the skies the limit. Click here for more info on those services.

Inspire Happy Hour: Tuxedo #2

Inspire Happy Hour Featured Cocktail - Tuxedo #2

You have worked hard all week....now it is time for Happy Hour!

This cocktail was first created back in the 1800s, but because of its main ingredients of gin and vermouth, it resurfaced during Prohibition. Known as the cousin of the Martini, it does give a kick. Gatsby would recommend it, so go ahead and give it a try, especially of you are a fan of martinis.

Try Making the Tuxedo #2 Yourself:

• 3 ounces gin
• 3 ounces dry vermouth
• 2 Dashes Orange Bitters
• 1 Dash Maraschino
• 1 Dash Absinthe
• Cherry to garnish

Tuxedo 2 Cocktail Recipe

Mixing Instructions:

1. Mix ingredients together in a shaker (except cherry garnish).
2. Shake vigorously for 35 seconds.
3. Strain and pour into martini glass.
4. Add cherry garnish and serve.

Personally I am excited to give this recipe a try. Let us know what you think once you try it. Now it you really love it, feel free to share, tweet, and spread this post using the icons at the bottom of this post.

Even though I would love to sit down and have this cocktail with you, that is just not reality. But what I can do is help you brainstorm and grow your business through sound marketing strategy and digital marketing. If you would like one-on-one time with me, simply click on this link and set up a time that works for you or you can click the “Contact Us Now” button. Let me help to get the word out about your company today! Let's get started, what are you waiting for?

*Speakeasy Market Strategies does not condone underage or irresponsible drinking. Make wise choices ladies and gents!