Category Archives: Business Growth Strategies

Is AI freaking you out?

0 comments Business Growth Strategies, Creativity

Can we all agree that the last few years have been a little extra? From pandemics, recessions, and social unrest, to the explosion of AI, we’re operating in a time of extreme and fast-moving change. Change, especially the unexpected and fast-moving kind, can tap into our feelings of vulnerability and insecurity (of which there are already plenty in entrepreneurship, thank you very much!).  Even if you’ve gotten pretty good at rolling with the punches over the past few years, it’s…

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How to ask for what you want and need

0 comments Business development, Business Growth Strategies

How many GREAT things do you think would flow into your life if you simply asked for them? I mean, explicitly asked.  Maybe you would get: The support you need A raise or promotion A game-changing opportunity  Better projects The time you need to create and deliver an outstanding result More respect Now, consider what happens when you don’t ask for what you want and need:  Doing everything yourself  Feeling undervalued  Being busy, busy, busy Burnout Resentment As a recovering…

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Thinking big is the easy part

0 comments Business development, Business Growth Strategies

As an entrepreneur you’ve most likely been advised to think big, go big or go home, or set BHAG’s, aka Big Audacious Hairy Goals (that one always sounds a bit gross to me!). I’m as guilty as the next person of falling for the allure of a big audacious goal. After all, outrageous goals, big ideas, and splashy action just sounds sexy and entrepreneurial, don’t they?  Consistent action and incremental progress don’t have quite the same ring to them. And…

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What ALL creative visionaries need to succeed (hint: it’s NOT great ideas!)

0 comments Business development, Business Growth Strategies

Have you ever felt like building a profitable and purposeful creative business is a lonely, uphill struggle? I know I have. I’ve also known the joy of feeling fully seen, heard, and supported by peers, professionals, and community members as I navigate uncharted (and often scary) professional and personal territory. We ALL need people who – unencumbered by the personal baggage and demons we carry – are able to see our vision and are willing to hold space for it…

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Business and life lessons from the roller rink

4 comments Business Growth Strategies

If you’ve been hanging out with me for a while, you’ll know I can pretty much tie any life experience to entrepreneurship. And this post is no different. 😂 This one was fun to write because it has ALL the elements of a messy human experience: ego, growth mindset, grit, and resilience. The (literal) vehicle for this experience?  Roller skates! It all started a couple of months ago when I COVID-purchased (aka impulse bought in an attempt to reduce stress…

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How to raise your rates without losing all your clients!

0 comments Business Growth Strategies, Money

Perhaps you have some great clients who agree to your fees, respect your time, and love the results you deliver (we love those ones!). Or, maybe you have clients you love, but can’t really afford you and consistently push back against your rates (that one’s a bit tougher). And you probably have had the awful clients that nickel and dime you, torture you every step of the way, and are never happy (I give you full permission to let those…

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5 ways to communicate the value of what you do (and why you’re worth the big bucks)

0 comments Business Growth Strategies, Money, Values

As a business coach for creative business owners, I can honestly say most clients entering my practice aren’t charging enough. Not nearly enough. And I understand why. I remember a pricing conversation in my days as an agent for independent creatives with a prospective client that I’m sure will sound familiar. The prospect was a large national brand looking for an estimate for tagline development. When I quoted the fee, the woman on the end of the phone practically fell…

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Are you REALLY willing to stand out from the crowd?

0 comments Business development, Business Growth Strategies

Have you ever thought to yourself Now, these are my people?  Do you remember the warm and fuzzy feeling that came from being seen, understood, and connected? Now think about what made you similar to those people and what made you different.  I’m willing to bet that even if your life experiences were very different, what connected you was remarkably similar. Am I right? For example, in the 10 years I’ve been a business coach for creative entrepreneurs, I’ve learned…

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What do your clients need from you RIGHT NOW?

0 comments Business development, Business Growth Strategies

It’s nearly July, and boy, what a different summer this one’s shaping up to be. As we peek our heads out of our bunkers and businesses tentatively open their physical doors, we find ourselves, once again, in new and uncharted territory.  Not quite open but not fully closed either. As consumers, we might be questioning the wisdom of a choice to eat in a restaurant, get a haircut, visit the dentist, or (gasp) get on a plane.  And as entrepreneurs…

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Your business won’t grow unless you do this

2 comments Business development, Business Growth Strategies

When I moved to NYC from London in 1996, I considered myself to be pretty worldly. After all, I had just spent the last 8 years living in a still-very-dodgy East London area.  How much tougher could New York be? I quickly realized that the culture in NYC was very different and I was out of my depth.  This became painfully clear in my first real job working at a small creative representation agency.  It was a completely new industry…

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