Making The Maven

Amanda Riley is the owner of Blissful Balance, a studio that incorporates creative ways to strengthen the mind, body, and spirit. Amanda never imagined she’d be the owner of her own practice, but after two years of being open for business, you can say she’s finally got this whole ‘entrepreneur thing’ down. She attributes her studio’s rapid success just to having an open mind towards opportunities that pass her way.   Key Insights & Aha Moments: *Everyone has a calling inside to do more, and Amanda definitely listened to that calling. *By the way I have a new freebie download! Don’t forget to download it! *What’s Amanda up to these days? *How did Amanda get into the wellness industry? *How did Amanda come about opening her wellness center? *Amanda’s clinic has now turned into a family affair, which was never the original plan. *What helped with Amanda’s success? Her open-mindedness! *What kind of roadblocks has Amanda faced? *After the first year, Amanda nearly quit because it was so difficult! *Start with

Today’s Maven Mini is inspired by one of my clients! Are you a business owner just tinkering around, or are you someone who is going to own up to your role as a successful and savvy business owner? I know what role I want to be, but I can tell you there’s a huge difference between those two roles. So, how can you dive in and really own your successful and savvy genius? First, I just want to say my client’s problem was a very common one. We’ve all been there. This woman hired a contractor that is not delivering. This has happened to every entrepreneur, and if it hasn’t happened to you yet, just wait, because it will! But, the important thing to focus on is not that it happens, but how you will handle it when it does happen. That’s what you need to focus on. So, my client is ready to do a beta test and do a first launch on her online course. She decided to outsource some of those moving parts. What happens when things go wrong is that you feel really powerless, because you don’t know what you don’t know, right?

Scott Colby continues to evolve as an entrepreneur. He went from a brick & mortar business to an online model, plus has created several passion projects along the way. Scott and I really dive into his journey on how he was able to see the growth and freedom that he wanted through his businesses. Scott talks about why he loves telesummits to build his list, how entrepreneurs like himself just have a thirst for freedom, and why practicing gratitude is so important.   Key Insights & Aha Moments: *Follow up with your potential clients, existing clients, and past clients! *Who is Scott? He loves the outdoors and started his business in 2007. *Running your business gives you so much flexibility. *Not only is Scott a fitness coach, but Scott also takes clients on adventure trips too! *Was Scott always an entrepreneur? *Scott took his business from one-on-one to one-to-many. *One-on-one coaching is great, but group coaching can be an effective way to teach multiple people within the same timeslot. *Scott like

Today, I’m musing, or focusing, on mindset. I was talking to a potential client, and the words that were coming out of her mouth were very negative and self-defeating. At the end, I had to give some tough love! A lot of the things that were holding her back had nothing to do with business strategy, and everything to do with mindset and inner worth! Before I continue, do you know about the app Mindset Engine? I’m just going to give a quick shoutout to my friend Kevin who is running this fun little app. You can get it for free here. I was on that app and was instantly inspired after reading the tip of the day from Kevin. So, if you’re two years or less into your online entrepreneurial journey, then take this advice to heart! Kevin believes it’s important to first understand where your boundaries/comfort zone are, before you try to break them down! What makes you feel uncomfortable? What are some of your limits? We can achieve so much when we overcome our mindset and the things that are sabotaging our success. S

Jason Goldberg   Key Insights & Aha Moments: *This interview is gorgeous! *Jason is going to blow your mind! *By the way! I have a new freebie about following up! *Who is Jason? He loves to make people laugh! *Jason has always been an entrepreneur, even though it wasn’t intentional at first. *Passion isn’t always enough. *Be smart on how you quit your job. *Jason did the unthinkable after running a year on his savings, he went back to corporate! *Do you have to be serious in order to be successful? Of course not! *“If you were a ‘serious’ entrepreneur, you should be doing this.” Again, not true! *Why is Jason qualified to talk about any of this? *What does it mean to be a ‘prisoner’? *Self-leadership is like a language. The more you use it, the better you are. *Jason was raised with a prisoner mentality. *How does Jason handle stress? *There’s nothing we can ever get from outside of us, that doesn’t already exist from within us. *How did Jason get to where he is today? Was he just born like this?! *Jason

I was talking to a potential client today, and she reminded me of the importance of having a good community around you. It’s so critical for your success. This person said something along the lines of, that she was making excuses and having a hard time focusing. She was having somewhat negative self-talk. But, she also said something about her husband. He’s not understanding why she’s taking so long in this journey. She also talked about her friends, how she’s afraid to talk to them because all they do is tell her what she wants to hear. Uh oh! The good news is that this woman knows she needs to go outside of her circle of friends and find someone who will give her that tough love, and actually help her, instead of hinder her! If you do not have someone, whether paid or free, I highly encourage you to seek out some sort of mentor or coach, to help you along and get your mind and business on the right track. Another thing, not everyone has a supportive spouse. I’m fortunate that I am able to talk to my husband

Regina Partain Bergman is a business marketing strategist. She works with small to medium-sized businesses that have little-to-no money to spend on marketing! Regina shares her tips on what you can do to market your business better, and why you should always focus on working yourself out of your job, if you wish to sell your company and enjoy retirement.   Key Insights & Aha Moments: *Don’t forget to grab my freebie! *Who is Regina? Regina has been a business owner for as long as she can remember. *We learn from our failures. This makes us better and stronger. *Regina talks about her book, Bulletproof Your Marriage. *As we get older, we start moving further and further away from our dreams. However, Regina helps bring people back to ‘reality,’ and helps them achieve those long-lost dreams. *People have dreams that they’ll retire from their business someday, but only 30% of small businesses end up selling. *Why is reaching a ‘million dollars,’ such a key number for people? *When someone’s ready to buy your

One of my fabulous listeners asked me a question, “Do you think it’s important to spend time in your office when you don’t have any clients?” I can read it in two ways. Is it important to be physically in your office when you don’t have any clients or is it just important to be making sure you’re working in your business vs. on your business? So, this is what we’ll be diving into on this week’s Maven Mini. Okay, let’s clear the air. I don’t believe you have to physically be within your office at all times, but I believe it’s extremely important to get your butt out of your seat and work on your business, aka getting more clients in your door! If you’ve got 20 hours dedicated to seeing clients in your business, but only have 3 active clients *right now*, what does this mean for you? It means you gotta move it! It means you gotta put yourself out there in other ways so that those 20 hours still get used up. How are you going to grow you business by only serving 3 people and not making any efforts to grow bigger

Byron Morrison is a corporate dropout, much like the rest of us. He was overweight, stressed, and unhappy with his marketing job. He kept fooling himself into thinking that it was the company he hated, but after a job interview, he quickly realized it was really the career that he hated. He decided to quit everything, and go back to school for nutrition. Today, he’s the Founder of Tailored Lifestyles, where he offers habit, nutrition, and fitness coaching.   Key Insights & Aha Moments: *How did Byron get started as a coach? *Byron was overweight and stressed when working at his corporate job. *What’s the wellness industry like in the UK? *Solid business skills are what’s missing in the wellness industry. *Byron wants to help people who are just starting on their fitness journey. *At the end of the day, it’s all about relationships. *It’s harder to build trust and a strong relationship online. *Make sure your niche and your passion are aligned. *What kind of goals has Byron set for himself? *Byron had a hu

There are four things I did when I first started my acupuncture practice, that I would like to share with you today. Okay, so, what were the four things I did to basically break even, and start making a profit? Well, let’s get into it.   When I first started out, I was fresh out of school. I knew I was starting a business, so I started seeing clients out of my house. This is an excellent way to reduce the cost, and save up for your clinic. I wanted to start practicing right away and to build a resource of testimonials from clients who fell in love with my work. I got a side hustle job. I knew that being an acupuncturist wasn’t going to pay the bills right away, so I found something extra to help supplement the income a bit. I had a lot of startup costs to cover, and I needed a boost! The side hustle job, there are pros and cons to it. I actually ended up leaving it much sooner than I thought. My clinic was growing fast, and it was spreading me thin. Before I even moved into my office, I spent a lot of time n

Skyler Dennis is the co-founder of I Stay Woke and the Co-author of the fictional book, How to Cheat Death. Skyler went from making $5,000-10,000 a month from the comfort of his own bed to being absolutely broke! If anyone has had an up and down entrepreneurial journey, it’s definitely been Skyler.   Key Insights & Aha Moments: *What is Skyler up to these days? *How did Skyler become an entrepreneur? *Skyler went from $5-10k a month with just laying in bed to being absolutely broke. *How do we start overcoming our fear? *What are you more afraid of? Being broke? Letting your family down? Pinpoint those feelings. *You have to be visible for your audience! If you don’t do that, then you won’t be able to help those who need it the most! *Skyler shares some of his blogging tips. *There is no secret to success. *Skyler honestly didn’t even have a clue that he’ll be where he is today, a couple of years ago. *Skyler wrote a business fiction book entitled, How to Cheat Death. *This book is perfect for entrepreneu

If you’re struggling to be visible for you and your business; if you’re not crystal clear on why people want to pay you money to come see you, or even if you don’t know what makes you, well, you! Then you have to grab the, ‘You Don’t Suck’ worksheet! Okay, so why am I so passionate about helping my clients build businesses? Because I’ve been there, and I remember wishing I had a supportive community along the way holding my hand. Instead, I had to do it (somewhat) alone and make all those ugly mistakes with it. Thankfully you don’t have to go through what I went through because of communities like Making the Maven. I can tell you, I would look at other people’s success and compare myself to them. This was so, so wrong, because everyone walks a different path to get to where they want to go, right? So, comparing yourself to those super successful entrepreneurs might just get you discouraged. We often see the end result, not the ‘messiness’ of it all. Don’t let others influence you into thinking what your ideal

Amy Selbach is a powerhouse full of energy. She is an adventure seeker, traveler, and the founder of Taut Body studio, located in Kenya. Amy started her business just as a side hobby, but it has steadily grown into something amazing. Amy talks about what it’s like running a business overseas, especially when she, personally, is located in California. She also discusses how she combines online strategies to keep her brick & mortar clients engaged, even if they’ve never stepped foot in her studio!   Key Insights & Aha Moments: *Be sure to grab the “You Don’t Suck” worksheet! *Amy has had 20 years’ background in marketing and brand strategy. *In Amy’s case, she said no, and the universe opened the right door for her. *Why did Amy decide to start a fitness studio in Kenya? *Amy tested this concept in her garage first. When she saw that it would work, she opened a studio. *Amy is an adventure seeker, but when it comes to her money, she’s very, very conservative. *Risk tolerance is just a muscle! Work those

I have four key elements for you today. You can use these four action tactics to implement into your calendar, week in and week out. These tips are not sexy, I know, but they are oh-so-necessary.  I know you’re struggling, but believe me these tactics work, as I recently helped a client with this! Ready? Okay! Let’s go.   Tip 1: Time for you. I don’t see this enough with my clients. You’re too busy working, and struggling, and not putting yourself first. Take care of yourself, because if you don’t, no one will!   Tip 2: Pick your office hours. One of my clients allowed for her clients to call her at anytime of the day. Exhausting! You have to set some boundaries, or else you’ll go crazy. Sit down and figure out what’s best for you, and let your clients know your schedule.   Tip 3: Schedule time to work on your business. Schedule time to handle the knick-knacks and miscellaneous things in your business. Everyone has their set of daily operations, but it’s those administrative tasks that you can’t ignore. Wheth

This week’s podcast is going to be a bit different. I don’t have a guest for you today, but I do have some classic Michelle wisdom to lay down on you! I’ve learned a lot from 2016, but most importantly, I’ve seen some patterns from my inner circle members, and if they’re struggling with this, there’s a good chance so are you! On this podcast, I discusses the top three things I've learned from working with you, and how you can fix the problems you're currently having.   Key Insights & Aha Moments: *I had a great year in 2016. I’ve also gotten the chance to work with a lot more of you! Over 200, in fact. *Having some sort of niche or target market is an important aspect of your business. *Hone in on a specific audience! You can’t serve everybody. *Are you self-sabotaging yourself? *You might have to really look deep, and ask yourself why you’re afraid. *I have a client who has struggled for years with who her target audience is! *Don’t let fear hold you back from doing something amazing. *Show up, don’t thr

My clients have told me that they love the fact I built a local business. I understand the great lengths you have to go to in order to make it successful. Everything from being a leader, an expert, in your community, how to leverage your network, and so much more! My clients also love the fact that I know how to navigate this sometimes very cluttered online space too. At the end of the day, you still need to get really clear on what you want, why you want it, and you need to get really clear on the type of business that’s going to meet your lifestyle. What does success look like for you? What makes you special, unique, and different? And who do you serve, who’s your target audience? Sometimes, these can be very hard questions to answer. However, once you’re able to redirect your focus and answer these critical questions, you WILL see your business move to fantastic places. Those are the foundations of a very successful business. When you’re able to successfully do all these things, you will see results. It do

Neal Niemiec is my lovely and amazing husband, who has stuck by me since day one of quitting my corporate job. I just wasn’t happy, and he could see that. This conversation was a bit eye-opening on many levels. Neal talks on what it’s like being a spouse to an entrepreneur, and how to manage expectations from the get-go. I wasn’t just leaving my job, I was taking on a bigger risk for the both of us. Neal also speaks to how he was able to be unbelievably supportive, when I was going through my own, and sometimes messy, entrepreneurial journey.   Key Insights & Aha Moments: *Today’s guest is my husband, Neal! *What went through Neal’s mind when I told him I was quitting my job? *What was Neal thinking about, on a deeper level, about the additional risk our household was about to take on? *Neal is currently working at a corporate job, but he gets excited by my success and business ideas. *How did Neal get to such a supportive place? Was it always like this? *Set your expectations from the get-go. *It can be

Are you thinking about taking your expertise and putting it into a course? Then this is the show for you! A course is the perfect thing to do, if you’re looking for an alternative business model from trading your one-on-one time. You can definitely position yourself to scale in a much bigger way via this model, than a private client session or a group session. But! I see so many people who are looking to branch into this model make soooo many mistakes! So, here’s the problem. You’re coming to me, you’re talking to me, and I hear you! You guys are filled with passion, knowledge, and expertise. You want to create a product or a course, a small group program. Great! The only problem? You’ve created these fabulous products yet no one has purchased them! I have no doubt that you are an expert. So, what are you missing? You don’t have an understanding of what your market wants from you. Let me repeat! You don’t know what your market wants from you. This means, you don’t have...CLARITY! You need to begin to understa

Jen Hemphill is a money coach, podcaster, mom, and wife! She shows people how to have a good mindset towards their money, and offers practical advice so that anyone can achieve financial success. Money is one of your top properties, which is why it should never get neglected! Jen shares some great tidbits on how she overcame her bad money mindset, and the best investment you can do with your money when it comes to your business.   Key Insights & Aha Moments: *Don't forget to download my free "You Don't Suck" PDF. *Being a military spouse has its challenges! *It’s Jen’s goal to give others the right, and practical, advice on money and money mindset. *Jen’s bad money mindset has held her and her family back, in the past. *Find the right medium to provide your audience with value. *You have to stay in the game! No matter what. *What has been Jen’s biggest challenge so far? Patience. *A lot of entrepreneurs end up suffering from shiny object syndrome, especially when they’re first starting out. *What’s the nu

After working with you guys, day in and day out, and hearing your struggles, I constantly see the same things, over and over again, happening to you guys. It actually doesn’t even matter at what stage of your business you are, currently, whether you’ve got your brick & mortar company, or fresh out of school, or even currently working for someone else, I see the same patterns happening! At the end of the day, so many of my clients and students are not nailing down the foundation to their business. And to me, that’s where it all starts! A strong foundation can’t happen if you are struggling to get focused, you don’t have clear goals or expectations, you don’t know what you’re doing, or even why you’re doing it! And let’s just talk about visibility, our theme for this month. Oh my goodness! Visability!!! You guys aren’t going to get burned at the stake by putting yourself out there. You might be struggling with consistently showing up for your audience. You might believe you think you actually are showing up