Write a Stand-Out Business Bio
Tara McMullin
Lesson Info
17. Write a Stand-Out Business Bio
Lessons
Your Business, Your Way is the Only Way
45:03 2Make Your Business Fascinating
39:50 3Create Your Guiding Principles
35:37 4Analyze the Market
36:52 5Find Your Unfair Advantage
29:28 6Enter the Conversation
46:51 7Fill Your Customers Need: Case Study with Sue Bryce
39:18Know Your Conditions for Connection: Case Study with Alex Blumberg
34:13 9Insert Your Unique Point of View
26:40 10Create Unique Content
31:20 11Identify Your Vision
37:58 12Elicit the Right Responses
36:19 13Define Your Key Performance Indicators
47:57 14Track Your Key Performance Indicators
14:50 15Declare Your Chief Initiative
54:01 16Make Your Website Stand Out
1:02:57 17Write a Stand-Out Business Bio
51:42 18Sell Products That Stand-Out: Case Study with Chase Jarvis
46:39 19Build a Compelling Communiity
42:50 20Create Your Digital Sales and Marketing Plan
38:09 21Check In with Students
40:26 22Creating Email that Stands out & Sells with Julie Gora from MailChimp
55:09 23Stand Out on Social Media
1:02:17 24Build a Distinctive Blog
37:51 25Sell Yourself
40:24 26Go Forth & Conquer
20:58 27Final Check In with Students
32:13Lesson Info
Write a Stand-Out Business Bio
Hey, welcome back, everyone welcome back let's take a look at what our goal is for today. The goal is to hook new readers or prospects immediately with a stand out bio so bio, you know, elevator pitch into personal introduction, whatever it might be, we're going to figure out how to write stand out business bio today. So let's review where we've been, your standout strategy needs careful execution session four and five is all about taking that strategic visioning that we've been doing in the first half of the boot camp on dh, weaving it through very specific concrete parts of your business so that every detail, every aspect of your business is really built to stand out and the best place to start with that careful execution is on your business is home on the web, your website, your home page so let's, take a look at where we are in the bill to stand out business process we are on lesson seven, seventeen less than seventeen don't get nervous right? A standout business bio so your home p...
age is only one place to incorporate what makes your business stand out the next place their visitors go is generally you're about paige for most of us, the about page on our website, whether it's about me or about the business, is the second most visited page on your site and it is just this powerhouse place it's this place where you can direct the action you can give people the most important information about you and your business but yeah normally when I ask a business owner to introduce themselves or when I take a look at their about paige they crash and burn yeah yes yeah you guys know what this sounds like right? When I when I get business of groups of business owners together I generally give them very specific questions they need to answer when they're introducing themselves. I don't want to hear about anyone's long drawn out stories of first I thought I wanted to do this then I wanted to do this then I kind of did this other thing and then now sort of I'm kind of trying to do this oh my gosh, I dont care tell me what you d'oh tell me how it benefits me how many of you feel like you're about paige kind of reads like that some of you? Yeah, maybe. Okay, I appreciate you not wanting to admit that. Yeah let's look at what some of those common bio blunders are. So the first one of the funny one it's one of those blenders is starting at the beginning in other words, I can't tell you how many about pages that I've read that that basically start off well, I grew up in no name town minnesota and then I studied this, and then I got a job here, and then I started doing this thing and snore when you start those stories like way back at the beginning and that you don't tell me why it matters right off the bat or you don't start with that, you know, really interesting piece of action, you lose your reader completely here's another problem using copious amounts of jargon jargon doesn't sell your customers don't speak in jargon, so unless your customers air speaking in jargon, don't use jargon and you're about paige, don't use the vocabulary of your industry used the vocabulary of your customers uh, forgetting the what's in it for me. This page this about paige. Your bio might be about you, but it still needs to be about your customers too. So every piece of your story should relate in some way back to a benefit to your customers. Remember, we want to think a lot about how you do what you do differently, but how you do what you do differently is only important if it benefits your customers. So think about what that benefit is toh how you do what you do differently and make sure that's part of your business bio. Hiding behind credentials is another one all of the you know, acronyms and all of the certifications that you've been through the copious amounts of education, and I love a good credential and some good education too, but again, unless it benefits your customer in a concrete and direct way it's not that important for the people that it's important to you, you can bury it down lower on the page if it's really got to be there, and if it's really important to you not asking you to take it off, I'm just saying it's not an important part of what's going to hawk those new readers or prospects, and then flat finally using flour phrases instead of clear descriptions of value using flowery phrases instead of clear descriptions of value. You know, I've I've mentioned a lot throughout this boot camp that there are so many people saying the same things in the same fonts, well, there are so many people saying the same things in the sea, same flowery phrases as well, you know, you can kind of tell what what brand of copywriter they used or what brand of copywriter they're trying to emulate with these with these phrases, I don't want it to sound like somebody else I wanted to sound like you, and on top of that, I want you to actually speak to what's valuable about what you do and remember value equals transformation if you're not talking about results if you're not talking about you know that end transformation of what you are helping your customers create in your bio it's not going to stand out so I do want to point out that we're going to talk about about pages but this is equally applicable toe live introductions as well so if your if you are going to a networking event if that's one of the things that does work for you on your introducing yourself use these same ideas to create that instant connection or if you're introducing yourself in an interview where the interviewer says hey, can you just tell us a little bit more about who you are and what you d'oh use these same ideas to introduce yourself? You know the elevator pitch take it or leave it I don't think it's you know, having that one sentence description of what you d'oh not that important to me it's being able to answer the questions were about to go over and being able to do that in a succinct way that's important and and so you'll be able to craft something like that from what we're doing today but first let's review the key components of a stand out business first using your strengths second leveraging your passion third finding your unfair advantage having a clear focus building on your guiding principles, sharing your vision speaking with a unique voice now you don't have to incorporate all of these things into your about paige but this is a great place to start so if you need to go back through the worksheets that you have when you are a svp for this boot camp and look at what some of your answers to these questions are we've gone through all of them now really so pull out those answers refresh your memory what were some of the aa hossam the insights that you had and which ones might you be able to incorporate your into your bio in a really fun or interesting way so I always come back to those key components of a standout business when you're feeling a little stuck now before we do that surprise you have reached easter egg number four so this is your chance to get a free p pdf copy of my new book quiet power strategy eh so all you have to do is go to terra gentilly dot com slash egg for answer the question enter your email address and there will be a copy of the book whizzing towards you very very quickly so it's terry gentilly dot com slash egg four answer the question enter your email address get that free pdf copy of my new book now let's look at a couple of examples before we actually go and do this so this is my about paige and my about paige is definitely about me. It talks about how I do what I do differently, but it starts off by talking about you about why you're there, because this is about paige actually isn't about me, it's, about why you should care about me or why you should care about my business, right? So it says every day you have more marketing tactics, product ideas and goals to your notebook, you're distracted from your purpose and drained by all of the options. All the while your big idea, that thing you really want to be working on is waiting, and the more you lose yourself in your idea and the weeds, the more likely you are to fail. The good news is that there's a better way to run your business your way you're quiet power strategy taps into your strength and gives you the ability to lead yourself where you want to go, it's a plan for what you want to create and how you want to connect and how that's going to lead to the business growth that brings you the wealth, peace and ease you crave. I'm terra gentilly, and I work with entrepreneurs to design their personal, quiet power strategy, I combine intense focus with uncompromising vision and strategy and teach others to do the same. Are you interested? So I've started off with the problem. I've also started off with what you're aspiring to getting your big idea out there and in the right in the hands of the right people, I talk to you about how I do that, why it's different? And then I introduced myself, then I introduced myself, and I'm not saying you can't start your bio out with, you know, I'm so and so and here's what I d'oh that's totally fine, but I'd rather hook people by letting them know that I understand where they're at right now, what they're dealing with and how I can help them and how I go about doing that before I even tell them who I am, who I am is actually not important, the process quite power strategy is more important to them, and the fact that I understand where they're at and where they want, where they want to go is more important to them. So that's, why I start off with that? If you don't want to start by introducing yourself, don't, it may not be the best place for you to start now I do something else on this about paige, which is I've got a testimonial from my friend and client, whitney hess whitney has was actually in my last creative live audience and her testimonial right under my right under that beginning of my about paige really hits that value home and so testimonials or another great thing that you can incorporate in you're about paige especially if you feel a little uncomfortable about tooting your own horn so you can kind of put out the concrete you know this that the other thing that you do and how you do it differently and that lets someone else reflect it back to your audience. So whitney whitney says now I have a business strategy, not just a business running on a hope and a prayer. Honestly, I feel like everything has changed. Terra has had a profound impact on not only how I run my business but on what I believe it can become thank you terra so that absolutely ties into exactly what is in the beginning of that about paige and creates that whole story and so known now not on ly do you know what I dio how I do it and how it benefits you? But you also know that it works at least according to whitney. All right, let's, look at another one. This is gimlet media's about paige and we had alex bloomberg on earlier in the boot camp so I pulled up there about paige and I'm kind of really liked it because it was just so shortened and sous inked their whole website is just short and punchy and I think that really says something about kind of media that they create the kind of stories that they tell and so and so I loved this and I wanted to use this is an example of something much more unusual, so it says gimlet media is a network of high quality narrative podcasts now that's really straightforward, but it actually gives you a lot of information in that very first sentence first of all, it's a network which is unusual second of all it's, high quality and narrative and that high quality and narrative piece is really unusual it's part of how they do what they do differently, because lots of other podcasts or interview base some are more kind of like talk shows or just like humor, podcasts gimlet media's thing is that they put as much effort into telling ah whole story with each podcast as humanly possible, and it says in twenty fourteen, we launch startup and reply all with more shows on the way it's irresistible audio in your pocket. Oh that's, good copy it's, irresistible audio in your pocket, it tells you exactly what you're going to get out of this. You are going to get irresistible stories driveway moment in npr parlance, so for the full story of gimlets creation, listen to start up, so this is really great because they've given you a call the action that actually ask you do use their product because startup basically is this episodic about paige for this company, and it does start at the very beginning and weaves its way through, really it this is so really, and it hurts any questions about what's going on here? No, okay, let's, look at one more. Next. I wanted to bring up meghan almonds. We also heard from meghan omine, who makes my jewelry. We heard from her earlier in the boot camp as well, talking about analyzing the market and how she finds her opportunity. I picked this one out because it also started out really straightforward, but really customer focused at the same time, she says. I'm meghan almond and I designed for women who want to be effortlessly bold. I designed for women who want to be effortlessly bold now that may not be for everyone not everyone reading that about paige is going to say, oh, yeah, I want to be effortlessly bold, but even if that's not a thought that's crossed your mind before, it is such a vivid image of what you could get out of purchasing her work that if it is it all what you have in mind for yourself or your look, you are hooked I designed for women who want to be effortlessly bold that's me in a nutshell, by the way, you need accessories that make a statement but our easy enoughto wear and use every day you need pieces that make you feel fantastic every time you put them on something that reflects her confidence and strength a kind of armour that helps you tackle your day every day. That's where I come in brilliance, I want all of that, and then she tells you a little bit more about her story and what her credentials are. I'm trained as a metal smith, but always but always inspired by fashion and textiles, I'm constantly thinking about how the right accessories khun change not on ly are look but our mood and our attitude, whether it's a statement necklace, a statement scarf or something for your home, I know you'll find something I hear that helps you stand out every day. Oh my gosh, it's so good. So do you see she's kind of imbuing this bio with all of the things that are important to her, her unique personality, her unique vision, her passions, her strengths but it's all directed to the benefit of the customer? You see that questions about that no let's, figure out how to do this your business bio needs to answer these questions first, who are you or your business and what do you d'oh and just because I say first it doesn't mean it needs to come in this order what we're what we're building here with the answers to these questions are building blocks that then you can rearrange in whichever way you like to build up that bio all right so who are you or your business and what do you d'oh who are your customers and what makes them unique what results to your customers get from what you do and how do you do what you do differently than everyone else how do you do what you do differently than everyone else now it's very hard to just like teach you how to do this so what I thought I would do is demonstrate this a couple different times actually three different times so you can see three different bios being built up by answering these questions so let's start off with tiffany come on up tiffany yeah you do get teo I'm gonna stand you set all right so who are you and what do you d'oh I am tiffany whips I actually wrote a little beginning so I will tell you what my bio says now ok and I am uninspired by okay and it's my tagline too and I'm uninspired by my tagline so um I think it says something like I'm tiffany whips and I design and my passion is designing jewelry that helps you feel perfectly polished without weighing you down okay, I do make that yeah that line is absolutely my line but I'm not like oh yea perfectly polished without weighing you down like so super jump up and down so let me cause you there just to say I think that phrase is awesome and what's important is that it doesn't let you up okay? Anyone else could use that don't don't copy tiffany's line but someone else could use that and be really excited about it but if you're not excited about it then let me come up with something that customer is excited about it I like it bridget wears a lot of my jewellery and shoes she's excite like that gets her excited because it tells her how she's gonna feel wearing my jewelry sure I'm excited by that connection piece right right exactly what I need to find the place where your customers excitement can overlap with your excitement yes so what do you do? You design jewelry? I make jewelry yes exactly let's keep this simple design jewelry okay uh who are your customers? Women and what I'm really finding is there they're creative women are they're professionals in sort of creative fields but not necessarily maker's good what uh what makes them unique? Creative professionals creative is good but is there do you think there's is there a some trait or some something or other that makes them even more different by my women tend to be um tend to like kind of light like sort of like smaller framed dainty kind of you know I make jewelry that's that fits like a smaller but I don't know if that's really good no, I don't think that that's okay sometimes there's information we have that that we can't use yeah let's stick with creative for right now I feel like everybody all my customers are really so difference okay that yeah, we could maybe say like diverse and creative there we go all right uh what results to your customers get from what you do hillary that helps them feel perfectly polished it that way no, no let's bring in the connect piece. Okay, here's what I wrote while I was sitting there came through my mind you got you gotta download from the you know, down low and that's kind of how I roll like these things just waves um I read him tiffany whips and I believe jewelry is about correction a way to connect to your creativity nature a loved one okay haven't developed that yet that was just and what are the things that it connects us to said loved ones loved ones your creativity because I believe hilary's truly all about expressing yourself yeah, absolutely what else and then nature it's sort of, you know, I use a lot of stones and raw materials and minerals and things like that yeah wasn't there another one? Wasn't there like you totally had a fund's something like your beauty or yourself. Beauty is definitely I way back here. Yeah, I like this nature peace too, because I actually think that one of the unique things about the women that you are creating for us, that they're connected to nature to start off with what we can leave that in down here. So I guess that that is kind of that is maybe the one thread of all of the creative women sometimes they need to think these things, your firm and of course, that's why you're in the hot seat? Yes, uh, the one connection is that these women are all very connected individuals, and so they get what I'm doing and what I'm making and kind of why I'm making it, um describe connected for me in a different way, women that air in tuned like a certain stone will speak to them are certain material, will speak to them are kind of like an organic way we'll speak to them and they they kind of connect with the piece for themselves, okay? And and something about my line spoke to them and they love it and that's why they're there and everybody kind of just don't get it, okay? Does that make sense? Yeah, I'm not exactly sure how to use it because I don't I think it's more a I think it's actually less of a reflection on these into in these women, a more of a reflection on you product on dh that by pulling out the connection piece about your product, you're going to be able to replicate that feeling with a wider set of women, which is one of the things that we want to do with this bio is identify this product as being the solution for a much wider set of women? Absolutely. Yeah, yeah. All right, last question. How do you do what you do differently than everyone else? Um, see, again, I always want to go back to process. I don't think that's about process. Well, it could be is your process related, teo like this kind of, um and again, this kind of goes back to my studio space and being in my stories, but that's not going to translate very well online. Um, but but I do things in my studio space that you wouldn't have been able to get anywhere else let's talk about how would you say that your design is responsive? Aguila like that you were spawned? Teo, yes yes, I know more about you are you think like I respond to the direction my women are going in in listening tio and listening to how they're connecting with my line and designing in that way yeah, absolutely my my whole entire line is driven off that really my customers almost direct my inspiration. Give me one second, okay, so make that term nature inspired because I feel like it's so overdone but really I mean, that is a huge yeah well and I think we're doing something a little bit different here. So tiffany whips designs jewelry that it's responsive it inspired by the women who connect with their own beauty creativity in nature oh gosh that's beautiful wei don't even thought here yeah, yeah activity whips designed story that's responsive and inspired by women who connect with their own beauty creativity and oh, how about in the world around them? Yes that's completely true. All right, so I'm formulating now this I might start off with, like, a statement about, um, our disconnection. So, um we or were implied that disconnection so something like uh in the twenty first century we seek out things to buy products, jewelry, clothing that connects us to who we are and who we want to be. I'm tiffany whips and I design jewelry for divers and creative women there was this jewelry is responsive and inspired by women who connect with their own beauty, creativity and the world around them I love that it's not it's not perfect but I love the template of yeah yeah that's that's pretty darn good good you feel good about that? I feel really yeah, I feel like but I feel like I would feel is good as making almond description good. I e it's a completely different yet and I think it reflects the differences in your two products to, um yeah, and then this gives this would give, like, wholesale account a story to really talk about and you can you could weave your so the story you told about the feathers you could believe that story back into this you might start off with that short, punchy kind of open uh, you know, a couple of sentences that I'd just spewed out and then maybe you've got a video or you've got more of a story about how you got started on dh, how you were connected to nature and how cool on and how you connected you know what? You were perceiving women wanting with the skill that you had and this material that was in front of you and, you know, that's ah that's story well, it may not be like the end all be all of your business it's so concrete it's so relatable in a way that I can't relate to it, but I understand, like I understand he's just it's just so easy to grasp on teo on dh so memorable, but I wouldn't start with that, right? You know, one of the common bio blenders was starting at the beginning. I wouldn't start with that idea embedded underneath this stuff. Yeah, and I love it in the concept of a video and you could throw in some nature shots in their loot, lying, you know, talking about other who and then that just kind of ties everything in together without being a bunch of wordiness. I think you have to be a better way as a video below that's that's beautiful, that is the bus that I feel good about that I've never really I need to be in my passion in, you know, innovation, I need that, and so I've never really, like truly felt that anything I'm saying in the caution just not conveying inwards. Dr lee's thiss sets you up for your how you connect him campaign, I'd love it. If you think that might be the call to action that you make two is, you know, it could be signed up for your list. Austin and find out how women are connecting on that how you connect tash tag or it could be take a picture of yourself in your favorite and environment in taggart how you connect on instagram, you know, you could really incorporate a call the action that follows very directly from this but supports your outward marketing us well, yes, gold pumps. Thank you, let's. Go next to lisa. All right, lisa, tell us who you are and what you d'oh. I'm lisa marie and I worked with people play with people to nurture their ideas into reality. They nurture ideas into reality, and I'm going to ask you one more question that's related. Well, actually, let me ask you who your customers are first will be in there. Who are your customers? They are like inventors, entrepreneurs, people who would love to be creative but don't see themselves as creative. Okay, what? And often, people who've got, like, a hidden brilliance that they know there's something, but they can't find it. Lance. Okay, what's the number one problem that they come to you with that they can't create there's like something stopping them in some way. Okay, creative blockage, uh, what results do you do your customers get when they work with you? While so many different things okay, so for some people it actually becomes a thing of that they can trust their knowing that they actually can trust where they're going what they're doing ah what else have I got here so for some people it's actually the courage to make the change they know they need to make their just need someone to support him I tend to create very collaborative spaces when I work with people on dh so they receive a lot of benefit from just coming together with other people okay who have that similar sort of thing going on they start their projects they launched their ideas they actually bring amazing things into the world and for a lot of them they create the thing that they didn't even ever think they could like it was just something that so far out there that didn't ever come to their awareness until we started to talk about it because I have a capacity to see what people can create basically um and then how do you do that differently than everyone else? Well that's one of the things is literally being aware of what is in the universe that yes so that's awareness is a big part of it I'm I'm very playful with them actually and in the playfulness they tend to let their barriers down and that allows a whole lot of different information to come through and I also have a sense that creativity in creation is something that you do every moment every day it's not like this thing that people define is oh I'm only created when it's literally from a part of how you live integration yeah yeah okay s o I might suggest something that's more along the lines of my bio where I would start with the problem so the problem is you're an adventure and entrepreneur someone who wants to get in touch with their creativity their deeply hidden brilliance you're trying to get through the creative blockage that's maybe been with you for the last year the last five years the last decade I'm lisa murray and I nurture ideas into reality I help creative people trust themselves find the courage to make big changes and connect with others around them in working together we help we launched their ideas and realize they're big dreams because I have a distinct ability toehold possibility for them create awareness of what's out there what's available to them and do so in a playful integrated process well your wayward integration is not a word I would use but I can easily yeah yeah I guess so yeah, yeah, yeah yeah I mean, yes, you could yes, you could totally play with that you can play with any of that. I do think that three of the most important words are trust, courage and connection yeah um because these air these air big results and I might encourage you to get more tangible or concrete with those things if it was a sales page but on about paige you could be a little bit more aspirational and a little bit more just a little more open ended but this is still really specific so I helped them trust themselves find the courage to make big changes and connect with others other created spirits maybe yeah cool yeah okay theo was the last one and then we've got shelly you guys see any questions about how I've done any of that? Does it? Does it feel obvious or you feel like you could do it for yourself selves yes okay no, I'm sorry. So that's why you're sitting there? All right, shelly tell us who you are and what you d'oh I'm shelley waldman I'm a business ninja according to kathy business ninja orbit to the strategist I s so I will say I'm not huge on the kind of silly job title thing that was really popular like a couple of years ago I think that that trend is currently dying I think much more effective to say actually what you d'oh than to come up with a fun word for it sorry, cathy curious seems I mean I think you could definitely used the word ninja or you could reference that image but I like I wouldn't put business and in john a business card oh no no no okay, some people what I just like I like being straightforward and I do like flame with imagery just in a little different context okay, so what who are your customers their solar entrepreneurs mainly creatives and planners creator creates is uh me only because I know you can we name some of the specific types of people that you're working with the photographers being one photographers are a big part of it photo dogs or aspiring photographers um brand people people who do burning brand designers one more well and I worked with a lot of people in the wedding industry so like the florist, the djs, the event climbers this I don't want I'm not trying to pigeonhole you hear what I would do when we pull this all together I'll say something like, you know, I work with solar entrepreneurs, creators and planners often the people I work with are photographers, brand designers or wedding professionals something like that s so it's not your not being pigeonholed and at the same time you're being really specific so that especially if one of these kind of people is reading they're like, oh, this is the person for me yeah, exactly uh, what results to your customers get in working with you um well, there they have big ideas and then we break them down into actionable items okay so that's a big one cause a lot of them can't see the forest from the trees action steps okay you know what I did forget one question what makes these people unique? What about the big thinkers like they have a big they want to create like this amazing business but they have no idea how to get to the end result yeah there was a picture people basic figures big picture people and they don't know how to narrow down those goals tow the one chief initiative perfect what other results they understand the numbers the a you knew I was getting to that yet what else they feel really excited moving forward so they get over the fear and they can they can move past that okay, those were probably the three biggest okay, now you're a business strategist you help people make more money yes, I guess I was thinking about us numbers well understanding your numbers is not the same thing is making more money, right? Yes. On sometimes we are really reticent to point out what the very obvious results is that people get from us that will kill your bottom line if you don't say I hope you make more money or if you're a make up artist and you say I help people be more beautiful or feel more beautiful if you miss that chief result that people are actually I mean why do people work with you they work with you because they want to make more money yeah and so if you don't say that you're missing a big opportunity okay okay you laugh I s o I know this from personal experience because I was very reticent to say that I help people make more money everyone was saying they held people make more money I wanted to be different I wanted teo I wanted to offer something else but what I found over and over again was people bought other people stuff because what did they want to make more money um and so I wanted that to stop happening and so I still kept saying all the other stuff I kept still kept saying how I was different how I did that differently but I made sure everyone knew my goal for them was to get them to make more money so sorry yeah do you think that's the same thing with strategists because that's what I see a lot is everybody's a business strategist so you could still use it like you're saying but then tell how you're oh yeah this is strike just doesn't actually say anything like it doesn't mean anything I say I'm terry gentilly and I'm a business strategist who helps people make more money and, you know achieve what they want to achieve with less heartache and hassle that's where I was getting hooked up on that word it's like everybody's using it and yeah everything well I could go into why everyone's way won't do that how do you do what you do differently than everyone else so I blend my creative side and my financial side o o o blends creative side okay let me let me point out why that was so good because this is really unexpected right and so immediate you're like wow really that's really good what else um why don't I do it differently right how do you do it that's what we're talking about um so a lot of it is one on one attention and so it's not cookie cutter it's not one size fit all so I really spent a lot of time chatting with them going deep history would like to say um and figuring out the results are going to work for them so what is their style of working and then supporting them along the way to get through the roadblocks so I don't leave them high and dry after one session unless they book one session right? Okay so why do these things benefit your customers if they were to work with someone who didn't blend the creative in the financial who used a cookie cutter approach or who left them high and dry what would what would happen they wouldn't get the result after okay or wouldn't get there as fast and a lot of it would be die wide wrong there. Um, they d I y and they and they have access to my network, so I tend to connect a lot of people, a lot of connecting to help them move faster down towards their goal. Yeah, so what I see here is that this actually a levy it's a lot of stress for an entrepreneur because I think their stress in the disconnect between creative and financial, I think there's stress when you follow a cookie cutter approach because it's not necessarily aligned with who you are and what you dio on you are stressed when there isn't someone supporting does that feel okay for you? It's like putting the round peg in a square hole? Yes, exactly, exactly so, um, so you might just start off really straightforward. I'm shelley waldman. I'm a business strategist who works with solar entrepreneurs, creatives and planners often I work with photographers, brand designers and wedding professionals. I blend my unique creative background as a photographer with my unorthodox financial background as a what were you before, financial analyst, financial analyst to create solutions for big thinkers who don't know how to narrow down to specific action steps. When we worked together, my clients understand their numbers get excited about where they're going and start making more money um, we never use a cookie cutter approach. We I never leave my client's high and dry, and the overall result is a whole lot less stress and a whole up up more a thriving business that doesn't sound a whole lot less stress and a whole lot more. Um, he's sure he's uh, in their businesses on a day to day basis. Cool, not perfect, but that's how the that's, how the meat that's one way you could put all the pieces together. Yeah, any any better ideas? Like, uh, calling back the creative side? Because when I see, you know, photographers, brand designers, wedding professionals, that kind of stuff, my my instinct tells me that they probably feel like they've got the creative side down and that that's what's getting in the way of their ability to do the financial stuff. And so what? Which goes to the stress piece, right? Like I can't do numbers like it's that idea, I don't do math you art, which is kind of stereotype, right? But we buy into that culturally. And so what I see is just harkening back to say, like, I get the creative, I am a creative and I have a creative spirit, and so because I get you and I get this other kind of more crunchy stuff I can get you to these results faster and in a way that you couldn't on your own yeah so um piggybacking off of that you might actually start off ah lot of craved a lot of creative people think they can't understand how to run their own business they think finance and numbers are antithetical to creative expression in my previous life as a financial analyst, I learned the ins and outs of what makes a business really work in my, uh life as a photographer, I've learned to apply those skills to my creative business. Now I work with solo entrepreneurs, creatives and planners sometimes photographers, brand designers and wedding professionals to help them do the same thing. They're big picture thinkers who don't know how to narrow down to the nitty gritty details that's going to relieve their stress and put them on the path to making more money I help them blend their creative side with their financial side in and a uh no cookie cutter highly high touch coaching environment uh contact me for your free consultation so that, uh to get your first action step today something like that? Yeah, I like that good like I'm your customer and that would hook me good done what should we have our frequency? Oh no, that was really good, okay, I like that I get to use blend since it's business juice yeah there you go there you go. You could even do like a whole cool graphic for that or something I know I'll call my graphic design yeah get get a cool thank you there's my collector any questions about pulling a bio together like that? Yes. Patrice shelly's example was incredibly helpful because I feel like we're twins on just different industries the one piece that I'm struggling with is results because I clicked clea cannot guarantee outcomes how do I deal yes so one way that you could do that so I don't guarantee any kind of outcomes either because I don't I don't want that on my conscience right? Like I know that I can get results for people but it's not actually it's not my responsibility it's their responsibility so I feel you and there's plenty of ways to work around that one way that you can work around it is these air results I've gotten for clients in the past where these air outcomes that my client and I have worked on together and give specifics like give give those specific outcomes or results without saying when you work with me, you get this. So you're saying this is what I've done in the past these air outcomes that I have achieved and I don't think you need to breach any kind of, you know it's it's not about breaching confidentiality there it's just example really quick my struggle with that is because then I have to have a disclaimer this is past outcomes do not guarantee future outcomes or successes, and in my mind, I think that if I were my client, seeing that as bullet points and then seeing the disclaimer, which I have tohave underneath what water it down? No, I don't think so. There's an earnings disclaimer on the bottom isil's yeah, I think that's people understand that you don't want anyone as a client who doesn't understand that, right? Right? I'm sure very too. Yeah, so I would I don't would not worry about that in the least ok, sound good? Yeah, cool, thank you. Any other questions? Yes, actually, I'm struggling with the question of how do you do what you do differently? The other solutions? Because is astrology? So this light? I don't exactly know howto because already different, and so I'm not sure how to say how I do this trial you different than someone else, so you don't need to say how you do astrology different than someone else. You say how astrology, how an astrological solution is different than, say, how shelly is going to create a solution, or how I would create a solution, because you're working with the same kind of people, people who want the same kind of results. So maybe you might look at it as in why astrology what does astrology allow you to dio that I can't d'oh or that shelley can't d'oh that makes sense yeah okay okay don't don't feel like don't be feel weird about saying that either you want to be able to say like it wasn't on uh couldn't get it in the screen shot on my about paige but under that testimonial from whitney it says something about like how other uh other business professionals or other business coaches can give you the latest tactic or the hot new formula I'm going to show you how to build a strategy that stands the test of time something like that right and so that's that's my difference and as I've been saying this whole time like I'm not against the hot new tactics or the hot new formulas like I go out learning that stuff myself it's that I wanna have a relief a firm foundation I want to know what my business stands for why I'm here who I'm working with how I do things differently before for one I choose with that tactic is and to learn how to do that tactic because I think unless you do that those tactics are going to keep falling flat for you or it's always going to be a crapshoot whether they work or not and that's what we're trying to do is that so that we're gonna learn this stuff so that everything you try everything that you think that sounds like it could really work for me you're absolutely right about okay, okay, cool so an impactful customer oriented business bio that communicates your difference and personality really stands out the personality of peace was actually something we didn't talk ah whole lot about, although we kind of touched on it in each of the bios but, you know, we spent a whole lesson on investing in your unique point of view figuring out with that unique voice is go back to the pinterest board that you created in that lesson and think how can I incorporate maybe one or two of these little pieces you want toe jam, jam it full of esoteric references to star tracker doctor who but you can incorporate little pieces of that of that you know, the voice that unique perspective and that's going to help hook people too that's really going to stand out and the customer oriented piece is the other really important piece here remember that your story in terms of your business bio is on ly as important as it benefits your customers. Okay, so make sure every every detail that you're putting into that bio you're thinking how does this benefit my customers? Why does this make me or my products a better solution for my customers than somebody else? And don't be afraid to own that okay, so today's homework is to answer all of the must have business bio questions, answer all the must have business bio questions, then write a new business bio incorporating what you've learned so far about you're busy nous and this is an opportunity to really pull on every other lesson that we've already done, so answer those questions and in doing so go back through review this whole boot camp so that you can really create that business bio that's built on what makes your business stand out your standout style now here's an interesting piece of the homework I want you to write your new bio on google drive google drive is completely free go to google drive, start a new document and then just set it so that is in the sharing settings said it so that anyone who has the link convene uis it all right, this is very simple go to google drive, start anew doc share it so that anyone who has the link can view it and then tweet out that link using the hash tag standout biz so the community khun give you feedback. This is a great opportunity to hear from other people what they think about your bio before you put it up on your site, so share your new bio via google dr tweet out the length using the hashtag standout biz so the community can help you
Class Materials
Ratings and Reviews
Amy Lamp
I can't say enough good things about this course. Tara provided so many new ways for me to think about my approach to the business I'm building -- from branding and personality, to vision and goals. The sessions are very methodical and focused, with actionable steps that help us move in the direction we WANT to move, not the direction that others say we should. And that's my favorite part of this bootcamp: that the key to a stand-out business lives within each of our unique styles. The sections on Fascination Language were pivotal for me. They got my brain energized about all of the ways I can use my natural approach as an advantage, as opposed to feeling held back by things that drain me. I was also impressed with the questions from the audience, how smart and relevant they were, and how astute Tara's responses were. If you missed the live broadcast of this bootcamp, the cost to purchase is well worth it.
a Creativelive Student
This course has totally transformed my way of thinking 'business' & relating it to & using my unique qualities as a person to help my business stand out...never saw this link before, thanks Tara! What Tara has done with this course is help me become my own business coach by helping me to recognize my vision; my uniqueness & how I'm going to bring these together to make a successful & profitable business. I would recommend it a 100 times over :-) Thanks Tara & Thanks Creativelive...you ar e helping to create star businesses! :-)
user-fb18d9
At first I was tuning in to watch live from my computer at work but I kept missing nuggets (because I was at work obviously) so I just bought the entire course. I have been doing the exercises at my pace and I love it. I had done my Fascination Advantage test before but didn't know how to incorporate them into my business. I am Mystique and Prestige. I thought I had to be loud and showy as a photographer which does not suite my style. After finding out that Sue Bryce has a Prestige and Mystique advantage (which truly made my day) I now see how I can make those advantages work for me. Tara has taught me so much already. I finally feel confident in my choice to not do wedding, family or boudoir photography. For a long time I felt like those were the only options. But I know now that I can do whatever I want as long as I fill a need and I have a good business model. But most of all I feel focused and confident about the choices I am making as a photographer. This is a feeling I've never felt after taking any other workshops or reading any other self-help books. I am a Tara Gentile fan for life.
Student Work
Related Classes
Business Basics