by Christina | Sep 25, 2020 | Business
After recording almost 350 episodes of my own podcast, I like to think I know a thing or two about podcasting. With the help of my podcast, I’ve been able to scale my business to seven figures without paying a single dollar for advertising, and connect with my audience on a much deeper level – which has been SO important for bringing in new clients.
But, trust me – it took me a long time to figure out how to run my podcast in a smart, savvy way. (Trust me — it was a mess…) Looking back, some of the mistakes I made sound silly, but I know that I’m not the only one who made them! Starting a podcast can feel hard, especially without a how-to guide that helps you avoid simple mistakes. But I’m telling you right now, it doesn’t have to be hard, and it shouldn’t be! You can build a successful podcast in no time when you are given the right tools and guidance.
That’s why I decided to share the top three mistakes I made when starting a podcast – so you can start smarter, see results faster, and avoid wasting time on things that just don’t work.
1. I didn’t focus on reviews.
When I was first starting a podcast, getting reviews seemed more like an after-the-fact thing that would come along with success. However, what I didn’t realize was just how instrumental getting reviews is to finding success in the first place. Think back to the last time you chose something, whether it was a book, a movie, or even a restaurant. Did you pick the one people were raving about, or the one no one talked about at all? It’s the same for podcasts – if yours has no reviews, what is going to entice people to listen? It’s all about the engagement!
Not only do reviews help you get more listeners, but sponsors, as well! Reviews put you on the radar when people are browsing through the thousands of podcasts out there, giving you a better chance of coming up in their recommendations. Sponsors and other companies often care more about reviews than downloads, especially when you’re a new podcast! (When we’re evaluating podcasts for The Podcast Connector, we always look at reviews.)
You don’t have to feel needy looking for reviews – simply asking your audience to leave a quick review if they are loving your podcast can go a lot further than you think. Think about it – if they’re invested enough to listen every week, they’re probably invested enough to leave a review. There are so many ways to get reviews that go beyond asking – but at least start there!
2. I didn’t promote my own services.
Yes, you read that right. I would always let guests promote their services, but I didn’t think to do it with my own. A lot of people fall into this trap because they don’t want to come off as “self-promotional / involved” but here’s the thing, it’s your show, you put out content and offer services others would be interested in, so why are you holding that back? The people listening to your podcast are interested enough in you and your business, they’re going to want to know what else you offer! Talk about a HUGE newbie mistake! I will tell you – if you are recording your own podcast, PROMOTE YOUR OWN SERVICES. By listening to your podcast, your audience confirms a few things right off the bat:
- They have an interest in your niche.
- They have an interest in YOU.
- They are interested in other things you have to offer!
I’m not saying your entire podcast episodes should be filled with self-promotion, but when you naturally reach a point where you can advertise a service that could help your listeners and relates to what you’re talking about, don’t be afraid to tell them about it! Not only can doing so get you more business, but it can help out your listeners who may be in need of a service from someone they know and trust.
3. I never checked my analytics.
I know, another rookie mistake I made when starting a podcast. To be honest, I didn’t really think my analytics actually mattered aside from seeing whether or not anyone was listening. What I didn’t realize, though, is that analytics could tell me so much more, and influence the way I actually ran my podcast to make it more effective.
Actively looking at your analytics is a great way to determine which types of shows your listeners like (and don’t like!) so you can consistently produce content that does well and truly interests your audience. While it’s always good to have a variety of content scheduled, knowing that your audience really doesn’t care for X topic can help you reduce that kind of content and replace it with something more useful to them. Not only does listening to your audience’s wants and needs help you retain them, but it also helps each episode get more engagement (reviews, downloads), ultimately helping your audience grow.
After all, why waste time preparing for and recording an episode no one is going to find helpful (or even listen to) when you could be investing your time and energy in a different topic that would do SO much better?! Checking your analytics weekly, monthly, and yearly to get an overview of your engagement is a great way to ensure you’re in the loop when it comes to your podcast listeners.
Have you made any of these mistakes when starting your own podcast? If so, don’t feel bad – any new project is a learning process. Your best bet, though, is learning smarter strategies that are guaranteed to work so your show can hit the ground running. That is why I have teamed up with Kelli and Conner of SoulFire Productions to create The Pod Course! We teach you exactly how to launch a successful, kickass podcast, and it doesn’t have to be hard! We have created this course to teach you everything you need to know to build a successful show – how to niche & brand, editing & production, pitching and getting sponsors, monetizing, and SO much more. Enrollment is now OPEN and the course starts November 2nd – spots are limited so head here to secure your spot now!
by Christina | Sep 25, 2020 | Business
You finished your training / certification — but what about everything you weren’t taught? Unfortunately, most coaching programs out there do not focus on how to actually coach, or run a business. They might give you tips, free contract or form templates, and a general overview of what you “should do” in your business, but the advice is usually REALLY missing the mark. I see it so often, and I’ve been there myself – you finish your coaching program but feel completely lost on what to do next and how to actually be successful.
There are a few key skills you’ll definitely want to develop in order to have a successful coaching business. Do NOT overlook these seven critical skills! These will make a huge difference in your business, no matter your niche or approach!
1. How to Actually Coach
Getting coached yourself and getting out there and PRACTICING are the best ways to learn. You’ll get better and better at coaching over time. Being a great coach requires asking better questions, understanding how to motivate your client, and adjusting your coaching style to the client’s needs. By getting coached yourself, and doing the deep work, you’ll get a sense of what types of questions to ask, how to guide the conversation, and how to motivate people. In addition, you also need to be practicing. Some programs / trainings require you to practice coaching friends, family, other students, and for a good reason. You can’t just learn the materials and automatically assume you can get people results.
2. Effective Marketing
Let’s be honest — the “business lessons” you had in your program were probably not that helpful (*cough cough* “Build a website & make a freebie!”) You want to learn how to directly reach your ideal client & use language that will actually CONVERT. You can reach your audience through a number of social media platforms (right now Instagram is the most popular), and you don’t need to waste your time or money on building the “perfect” website. People need to know exactly what services they can expect from you, and they need to get to know you, connect, and be interested in the information you’re putting out there. You can market yourself in a number of ways, but it really doesn’t have to be complicated or time consuming.
3. How to Nail Sales Calls
Before I learned this skill, I was so afraid of sales calls. Now I LOVE them! This is your opportunity to showcase your coaching skills, build a deeper connection with the client, and make sure it’s the perfect fit. Most of the time, you’ll know by talking with someone whether or not they’ll fit well with your coaching style. Not every potential client that comes to you is going to be a good fit, and that’s okay! These sales calls allow you to really start to build a connection with your client and get a feel for how it would be to work with them. You want to make sure that the person is READY for a transformation!
4. Premium Pricing Setup
Most coaches are taught to charge X amount per hour / per session…you can’t scale your business if you’re trading time for dollars! Premium pricing allows you to work less hours, see less clients, make more money, & get clients better results. You want to create a powerful energetic container – that is what provides the best results. Plus, it ensures the client is serious about making the transformation.
5. Energy Protection
This is crucial so you can hold space for your clients & not get burnt out. Have you learned how to protect your energy, clear your energy, and manage your energy? This affects your coaching ability & how much time you have in a day. Setting boundaries is one of the first steps you can take to protect your energy, but you also need to be mindful of how things affect you and how you feel. Does seeing a certain client make you feel more exhausted than excited? Do you get done with work and feel so tired you can’t show up for the other people in your life? These are all common issues I see when someone is working out of alignment and not protecting their energy.
6. Mindset Work & Shadow Work
Are you doing this yourself, and learning how to do deeper emotional and energetic work with your clients? This is why I love teaching my clients brain rewiring. When helping others, it’s so important to have gone through your own personal inner work. Doing deep emotional and energetic work lets you process limiting beliefs, shift, and break through to create a more positive / abundance mindset. You are also better able to rewrite the stories you may have been holding on to from the past, setting both yourself and your clients up for success. When you have a positive mind and experience, your client feeds on that energy and it gets them better results. Additionally, most coaches don’t feel like they know how to do deep mindset work. This is a KEY part of coaching! If you want to get your clients lasting results, it’s so important to be able to guide them through shadow work and other types of deeper personal development work.
7. How to Scale
If you want to spread your wings and soar, you want to have a plan for how to scale. So many coaches have not been taught how to scale their services & the many ways they can do so. Set yourself up to grow! It’s a good idea to have an idea of where you’re headed, even if that plan changes over time. Scaling can look different for everyone – maybe you want to teach a group program, create a course, start a podcast, have a membership… think about what YOU want, and make sure you’re aligned with getting there!
I teach ALL of these skills and so much more in No Bullshit Business School. Enrollment closes this Friday, September 25th! This is your chance to learn all the tools you’ll need to build a 6-figure online coaching business without a big following. Head here to enroll in this round!
by Christina | Sep 20, 2020 | Business
Ohhhh, pricing! Almost every client I work with needs to raise their prices. When you understand that money is an energetic exchange, and that your pricing reflects a container of EXPANSION for your clients, you realize how much changing your pricing can accelerate client results, raise your energy, and build confidence for everyone. Here are the top 5 signs you need to raise your prices in your business.
1. You’re burnt out.
You’re working all the time and have no free time in your schedule. That’s draining your energy, preventing you from showing up fully for your clients, and stopping you from having the space to bring in more money! It’s time to raise those prices so you can see less clients and facilitate better results. By clearing up space in your day, you are also clearing up space in your mind. This allows you to show up more for yourself, your clients, and others in your life. Work is important but it shouldn’t be your entire life! And your clients are paying for you to show up at 100%, not halfway-charged.
2. Clients don’t “show up.”
If your clients literally ghost you / don’t show up for sessions, then you definitely need to raise your prices, but what I really mean is that they don’t show up for themselves. Clients who show up for sessions, pay on time, and take action on what you recommend are the clients that are worth your time and energy. The clients that show up fully want results, help, and are dedicated to your services. When they have more skin in the game, they’ll be motivated to show up mentally and physically.
3. Your clients aren’t getting the results they should be.
Clients who invest more in the transformation typically get much better results than those who invest less money, even if they’re paying for the same thing. Investing in yourself is an energetic statement that you are worth it and that you are ready to get results. Every time I’ve raised my prices, I notice my clients get much better results, and my clients & colleagues have all experienced the same. There is a mindset shift that not only are they worth the exchange, but they are dedicated to getting their money’s worth.
4. You resent your clients.
Do you find yourself a little annoyed when clients ask you certain questions or when you have to do outside work for them? This is often a result of you not feeling like you’re being properly compensated for your work. Many people in this position feel like their time is not being valued or spent properly – they might put in X number of hours in and out of session but either don’t feel like it’s appreciated or it’s not taken seriously. When you raise your prices and are paid what the transformation is worth, no more resentment! You’re EXCITED to answer your clients!
5. No one says “no” to your pricing.
If everyone says yes, then it’s time to up those prices! When you don’t have people saying no or pushing back on your prices, you risk falling away from your “ideal client” and settling for anyone that is interested in your services. This can eventually lead to step 4 above – resentment. You know the ideal client you want to work with and how much you think you should be getting paid. If you don’t, take the time to sit down and think about who your ideal client really is and how much you actually want to be making.
If you’ve experienced any of these before and you’re ready to create massive change, my program No Bullshit Business School is for you! If you want the roadmap to building a 6-figure online coaching business, head here to enroll for the next round in 2020 starting October 5th! Enrollment closes September 25th, 2020!
by Christina | Sep 13, 2020 | Business, Spirituality
Abundance Energy Healing sessions are one of my favorite parts of No BS Biz School because we truly get to the root of any energetic blocks to abundance. I see some of the most profound shifts for my clients after this point in the program, specifically. While everyone has a unique energy body with different imbalances / blocks, there are common themes that pop up around abundance blocks with the women I coach. Here are some of the most common:
1. Root Chakra Imbalances:
The root chakra (1st chakra, at the base of the spine) is all about stability, balance, & grounding. Feeling unstable in any area of your life (job, finances, etc.) is a sign that your root chakra is blocked. Some tips for rebalancing your root chakra to support abundance, specifically, are to bring more of the color red into your life, practice daily grounding, practice abundance affirmations, eat grounding foods, stop traveling or changing locations so much, and create a step-by-step plan to reach your business goals! On my Instagram, I go more in depth on how to make these changes – which you can find here.
2. Sacral Chakra Imbalances:
The sacral chakra (2nd chakra, below the navel) is how we relate to our emotions, the emotions of others (romantic relationships, family, etc.), sexuality, and creativity. Some tips to rebalance this chakra are to learn to dance more with your feminine energy, embrace your sexuality, and feel safe in a creative space. All of these are key for rebalancing and embracing your feminine and sacral chakra energy.
3. Solar Plexus Reactivation of Confidence:
The solar plexus (3rd chakra, in the stomach area) is all about your ability to be confident and in control of your life. If this chakra is blocked, you may feel overwhelming self-doubt and shame that keep you from pursuing your dreams. When our solar plexus is balanced, we are able to freely express our true selves without fear, doubt, or insecurity. Practicing self-love, reframing limiting beliefs, and stepping into your feminine energy all help reactivate this chakra.
4. Embracing Your Truth:
I see so many women not focusing on their truth in THIS current experience and spending too much time stuck in other timelines. Focusing on times that may not have worked out, where you felt unsafe, or where things felt unstable is not going to help you attract abundance! We have to focus on the current moment and look towards the future – how and who we WANT to be. Embracing our current truth, not the faults of the past make us more likely to call in the reality we really want and accomplish our goals. The other side of this is embracing the truth of who you really are. Stop trying to be anyone else. It’s when you fully step into the truth of who you are, and unapologetically live that truth in the most loving way, that you attract abundance effortlessly.
5. Being Stuck in the Freeze State:
The body can either be in flow, or it can be in the freeze state. Think of your fight-or-flight response. You can be in the parasympathetic, rest-and-digest state, or the sympathetic, fight-or-flight state, or a level up – stuck in FREEZE because you’ve been stressed for so long! A lot of the time people find themselves in the freeze state after periods of feeling inadequate, stuck, or out of control. If you had a business before that didn’t work out the way you wanted, this can cause a lot of limiting beliefs, doubt, and negative self-talk. If you previously struggled with chronic health issues or trauma, your body could be used to being in the sympathetic state, so much so that it got caught in freeze. Being in this state blocks your flow to abundance.
6. Releasing Cords:
Energetic cords are energetic connections to people, situations, or emotions that we’ve held onto from this or other lifetimes. Sometimes these cords can be energizing and other times they can be draining and / or hold us down. I see a lot of clients with cords tied to their parents’ or ancestors’ fears and money stories. To release these cords, we need to break out of the framework we were taught is the “right” way, create a new story for ourselves, and release what is no longer ours to bear.
It’s because we get to the energetic root of what’s blocking abundance that this deep work opens up far more than your business growth – you’ll also notice changes in your relationships, understanding of yourself, health, and intuition.
I love marketing strategy, but this part of Biz School is more fulfilling and powerful. Enrollment is now open for the next round of my program, No Bullshit Business School! This will be the last round until 2021, so if you’re an entrepreneur that wants to dive into business strategies AND get to the energetic root of your blocks, make sure you apply here!
by Christina | Sep 13, 2020 | Business
In my opinion, every entrepreneur needs a coach. You can learn so much from someone who has done it all before. You don’t have to worry about trial + error or guesswork, because your coach tells you exactly what you need to know! Plus, your coach will push you so you continue to expand. There have been so many times that I initially set my goals lower than I should have, and my coaches have pushed me to reach to the stars — and it happened! Energetically, it’s crucial to invest in coaching for your business. This is your message to your universe that you know your business is going to continue growing.
But, before you go looking for a business coach, there are some important things to keep in mind. I’m sharing the top things you should look for when finding the perfect business coach for YOU:
1. They’ve actually built the type of business you want to build.
Just because someone calls themselves a business coach doesn’t mean they are good at business. Before hiring a business coach, make sure you look into their background! What businesses have they actually built? What type of businesses were they? Were they actually successful? You need to make sure that your coach has worked with others and understands your industry. You wouldn’t hire a corporate business coach if you’re a health coach. If they don’t know how to coach your industry, you’re wasting your time AND money! Unfortunately, there are a lot of coaches who weren’t truly successful with their businesses who then shifted to business coaching… probably not who you want to “learn” from.
2. They’ve built their business the WAY you want to build yours.
If a potential business coach doesn’t have experience building businesses the way you want to build yours (whether that’s through referrals, group programs, etc.) how much can they really help you? A coach should be able to advise you through basically every area of building a successful business. If they have no experience building a business the way you want, they probably won’t be much help. For example, I’ve built my business through organic, free marketing, mainly through Instagram and my podcast, + referrals. If that’s the way you want to build your biz, then you’ll probably learn a lot from me. However, if you’re looking to build your business through Facebook ads or Google ads, then I’m not your girl. See what I mean?
3. They have a good network.
A network is SO important for any coach to have because it’s a way for you to gain connections! A business coach with no solid connections in the industry will not be able to introduce you to anyone who can help you build your business. If someone doesn’t have a good network, it’s a HUGE red flag. IF they really have built a similar business, and connect with others, they should have a list of people to refer you to.
4. They genuinely care about your success.
Making sure you truly connect with your coach and feel supported is VITAL for your business to grow. You could hire a coach that gives you some steps to follow and isn’t involved, or you can hire a coach that walks through the journey with you. That doesn’t mean hand-holding – you should feel empowered AND supported. Your business coach should be able to show that they care about your success and be willing to invest their time and energy into your business because they believe in you. If your energy doesn’t match, you’re going to have a hard time feeling inspired, driven, and encouraged to do more for your business.
If you’re ready to vibe higher, scale your business, and have a coach that really cares about YOU, join my program, No Bullshit Business School. Enrollment is now open for the last round of the year for a limited time, so make sure to claim your spot here!
