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Does the thought of increasing your prices make your stomach turn?

In my 11 years of business, I've increased my prices three times.  Each time was hard, but necessary as my knowledge and expenses increased.

This video shares four ways you can make more money without increasing your pricing.  I'm not saying you shouldn't increase your prices.  At some point, you must!  But if you're just not there yet or if you did increase your prices and want more ideas on making more profit (who doesn't;) then give this video a watch!

Shortly after my daughter turned 4, she began to hate everything.  Nothing made her happy.  She yelled at me from the moment she got up to the moment she fell asleep.

I tried everything to change the situation, including threats and punishment, yet nothing I did helped.  And I had no idea why she was so mad.

She'd always been sensitive and easily frustrated if she didn't do things perfectly. Meltdowns were common. Whether she had the skills to accomplish a task or not didn't seem to matter....only that she didn't master it on the first try.  So I constantly told her to ask for help.

After about a month of her negative behavior, I was at my wits end.  We couldn't function like this.  So I decided to take my own advice and ask for help!

I reached out to a parenting specialist who promptly told me about the five basic human needs.  She asked me which one or two I thought my daughter wasn't getting enough of:  CONTROL.  She didn't have enough control in her short 4-year old life.

What...

Organization and clarity go hand in hand.  When you've got all your priorities in order, work is more enjoyable.  Decisions are easier.  Distractions are lessened.  The path ahead is more clear.

There are several best practices that I use to keep making progress, create momentum, and have a consistent flow in my business.  In the video above, I'm sharing my complete organization system.  From how I look at the year to how I tackle my daily to do's.

Even if you implement just one of the strategies in your business, you'll feel ahead of the game and gain clarity on what action to take next.

Do you ever read an article in a magazine and think, "I could've written that!"  Or read an online publication and wonder how on earth your article could appear there?

Getting published comes with a sense of pride and respect....that someone thought you had something worthy to say.  Plus, you can add respected brand logos to your website and your bio. 

I get it:  you don't want to be a full-time writer, but you have a goal of getting published.  It's a bucket list item.  But you're not sure how to start.

You truly don't have to spend a dime to get published.  You simply need the formula and lots of persistence.  The good news is that there is a repeatable process you can follow to get published.  So let's dive in to those steps!

6 Steps to Get Published

1.  Brainstorm ideas that you want to write about
   Start a list of all the topics that are near and dear to your heart.  What are you an expert in?  What message are you compelled to share with the world?  What perspective can you off
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Confidence is desirable.  You might find yourself saying, "if I was more confident, I would do live videos" or "email my list 3 times about that new service I'm launching."

There is a tendency among introverts to lack confidence and prefer staying hidden.  Yet when you're a solopreneur and the face of your brand, confidence helps fuel your success.

 3 Ways an Introvert Can Increase Their Confidence

I've been running Facebook Ads with various success for a few years now.  And want to share what I've learned along the way because there is nothing more frustrating than dealing with a disapproved ad or an approved ad that doesn't yield the results you were hoping for.

First, let's discuss the approved ad that just didn't work.

Scenario #1 - Your ad was approved and you didn't like the results

Ok, so you made it past the Facebook gates and ran an ad.  But the results were less than satisfying.  Here are a few reasons why that ad may not have converted:

1. The Image
   Your image is the first thing people see and it needs to stop the user from scrolling.  Images of you, or at the very least, a person, perform better than an inanimate object.  And the more emotion the image conveys, the better.
   
   
2. The Headline
   This is the bold, title line.  If it's written in a positive tone, it may or may not perform better than if it's written in a negative tone.
   Example: 5 Mistakes When Taking Photos VS.
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This year, I have fully embraced my introverted self. And I see the strengths that introverts have and use to emerge from the shadows of their minds to rise as successful entrepreneurs.

One thing that has helped me continue forward and make progress is having clarity on who I am and where my business is going.  "Clarity preceeds mastery" as Robin Sharma says.

I just started reading, "High Performance Habits," by Brendon Burchard. The first habit he talks about is Clarity. “Clarity on who you are is associated with overall self-esteem. This means that how positive you feel about yourself is tied to how well you know yourself.”

If you are an introvert embrace it!  Fighting it and wishing you could just be more extroverted will hold you back.  In fact, introversion is a trait you are born with. 

The first step to embracing your superpower:  introversion, is gaining clarity.

Steps to take for more Clarity

• At the beginning of each quarter, I do a “blue sky day.”  I get a massage or exerc
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Feeling exhausted after being around people for extended periods of time is a real phenomenon for introverts.  And when you're exhausted, productivity goes down.  For an entrepreneur, it's a careful balance between getting the rest you need and moving the needle in your business.

I could absolutely feel my introvert hangover after attending a business retreat over the weekend.  There were 20 of us working on our methods and providing feedback for each other.  I really enjoyed my time the group.

We started around 9am Friday morning and went to 6ish.  Then I went out to dinner with 4 other wonderful female entrepreneurs.  Saturday started around 9:30am, but went until 9pm.  I could feel the urge to leave.  When the tables got moved for a salsa lesson, that's when I had to bow out.  My social battery was completely drained!  I called the Uber and said peace out.

Stage Set for an Introvert Hangover

During my flight back home, I planned to read the book I was gifted the at the retreat, ...

The first time I ever videoed myself was for an interview to be a group exercise certification specialist.  The certification specialist is the expert who reviews the test material with candidates (in a group setting) in preparation for the exam.

I was so nervous that I wasn't breathing right.  Too many inhales; not enough exhales.  And the feedback I got after submission was that I knew my stuff, but wasn't breathing.  Yes, my nervousness was literally palpable and communicated on camera.

And that's where I started with getting comfortable on camera 7 years ago.  The only reason I'm comfortable talking to a camera these days is because I've repeatedly done it.

I've practiced.  I've put in the reps.  I've desensitized.

Robin Sharma says when you run towards your fears, they get smaller.  It's so true.  Now I can just set up the camera and film without overthinking it.

If you want the confidence to do Facebook Lives and other videos, get in the habit of videoing yourself consistent...

Social media can be overwhelming.  There are so many platforms to choose from.  And there are so many gurus saying you must post daily.  Then there's the issue of not wanting to post selfies or videos. Ugh! 

So how is an introverted entrepreneur supposed to get more clients when you resist social media?

The good news is, there are ways to attract clients and market your services without social media.

3 Ways to Market Your Services Without Social Media

1. Offer a freebie from a landing page
   "Freebie,"  "Opt-in," "Lead Magnet," all mean the same thing.  And offering one is a great way to get people to sign up for your email list.  Your email list is still a very powerful marketing tool and should be used on the regular!  But people need a reason to sign up for your list.
   
   If your opt-in form says, "Join my list for updates," or something to that effect, it doesn't give the potential customer a reason to subscribe.  Simply change the copy to reflect WHY your customer should give you their
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