Ringless Voicemail Guide

Help potential clients see the light with these 5 steps: Respond, apologize, promote, get offline, keep it simple.

"As soon as you think about what you are needed for - instead of what you need - things begin to flow."

Lately, there are so many people talking about going stir-crazy out of boredom, lack of a schedule or just generally being stuck at home during this current shutdown/stay-at-home order during the Coronavirus. Ironically, this is the polar opposite for the way life has been for most of us......busy busy busy and feeling like there weren't enough hours in the day to get ANYTHING done! Life's a trip. Times like we are experiencing now can be scary. Especially when it gets us stressed about our fin ancial future and stability..... And while at times it's difficult to not get slightly stressed -out thinking about the future, I have been anything but bored. There is so much to do, plan and create, that I've been running non -stop! "So many people have used economic situations like this to drastically change their lives by making moves they would have never made, had they not been forced by things outside of their control." I know this first hand. Remember the downturn back back in 2009? We lost everything. Jobs, money, savings and even our home, but that is also what forced me into launching my most successful company to date - and I have been helping others launch and grow their businesses ever since. So, instead of complaining about boredom, or binge -watching something off the internet (which is running slow as shit anyway!) we can accept what is, and make the best of it. Below are some personal things you can do to be massively productive with this extra time that could very well be a blessing in disguise, if you allow it. If you are a business owner, Click here too. Work on that passion project you have been putting on the back-burner. Get cracking on that side -hustle or business idea you've been thinking about. Actually watching that video course you purchased. I personally have 3, that I haven't even logged into! Make your own video or audio program teaching that "thing" you always help people with. Finally do - or finish - that home project. Connect with people. Tell people how you feel about th e m. Write letters to friends. Call or video chat with them. Update your Will. Not because you think you'll die soon, but we all will pass someday and we don't know when. Rethink or revise your goals in life. Times like this can help us focus on what really matters to us. Make a list of the things you need to keep a closet full of once everything is back in stock. Do a massive level spring cleaning. You don't need all that shit. Give it to Goodwill. Someone needs it more than you. Think about ways to add another income stream. This will help insulate you a bit more for times like these in the future. Help someone else. Many may need even more help. This can be quite cathartic, even if you are barely hanging on yourself. This is just a short list to get you started. Another VERY important thing to remember is to breathe and stay calm. T hat means staying away from negativity, like the news! I'm not saying to be ignorant of what's going on, just don't be glued to it. Here's why: It has been proven that as a persons stress or “threat level” goes up, “creativity" goes down. We need our brains to be as creative as possible. It's what allows you to see opportunity and problem-solve at peak levels. Here are a couple things that may help with financial stress: Take a look at your finances and trim the fat. Once again, this is not from a standpoint of fear, but many of us are paying monthly for things we don't need or use. There are even smartphone apps that give you a quick rundown of your monthly subscriptions. Here is a link to one for iPhone called "Emma." Even if you are ok and have the money, ask for a skip payment on car loans & mortgages. Since we are unsure of how long this will last, it's a safer bet to keep more cash on hand. Many banks will freely offer skip payments during a time like this, without any penalty. Some banks may have stricter guidelines, so be sure to mention the "Coronavirus situation", they may have a rule that you need to say that to differentiate you from others that call. Maybe DON'T do this, if you are planning on doing a refi soon. Go online and check out which parts of the new Stimulus package you or your business qualify for. There are even business loans from the SBA that have portions that do not need to be repaid as long as you use it to pay employees and/or to keep your business afloat. Click here to check that out. If there is anything else at all I can help you with, use the form below to reach out - and please share.

Uncertainty can be scary, especially as it pertains to your business's financial future. I know you don't want to hear the word "Corona Virus" EVER again - so here are a few things you can do for your business now, while simultaneously shifting your perspective and focus away from the negative and onto building and creating: 1. Think about ways you can help your customers. Maybe you aren't able to be open in the same way you were before - or at all. But that doesn't mean you still aren't amazing at the things you do. Try to think of ways to shift the business model and still deliver the value of what you do, but in a different way. An example would be restaurants switching to delivery and pick-up options instead of dine-in. They could even do a video conference or class that shows people how to cook a certain dish. There is most likely a way to create a video program or live class around any subject. Remember, even if you sold a physical product, there is still expertise involved on your end, about that product. Need help figuring it out or how to create and launch it? I can help you. See more here. 2. Learn - or continue to practice - a new skill. As entrepreneurs, we need to always be learning new skills and technology in this ever-changing world. I personally have 2 books and 3 video programs I purchased months ago, that I haven't even taken the first look at yet. I'll be getting to those ASAP. If you haven't already check out The Hero-Preneur Resource eBook. It is full of great resources that I've used to help build my businesses over the years. Another updated one is in the works..... 3. Connect with customers individually to check on them, say hi, or to thank them. This one seems so simple, but there was a dentist mentioned on a podcast recently who called all his customers and said basically, "Thanks for being a customer, thank you for your loyalty. I just want you to know if you need anything, we’re open to serve you." And his books were slammed the next day with people saying he was the only dentist open. You don't have to have a specific offer or reason to call. Just a "thank you" or a "how are you?" carries a lot of weight, especially these days. Have too many customers to call them all? I can help you accomplish this all at once with Ringless Voicemail Drops OR, as a Text Campaign directly to your customers. Click here to connect with me on this. 4. Offer something for free. Try to think of a way to deliver the same expertise and value in an email, blog post or video. Many companies are already offering free trainings on different subjects. How can you deliver a free portion of what you do that will be of benefit to someone else? 5. Keep up-to-date on what financial help you qualify for. Go online and check out which parts of the new Stimulus package you or your business qualify for. There are even business loans from the SBA that have portions that do not need to be repaid as long as you use the funds to pay employees and/or to keep your business afloat. Click here to check that out. Some of your vendors might even offer a skip payment or a pause on some of your monthly services. Get out a pen and paper and write down all of them and focus on the biggest ones that would be of the most benefit to pause for a month or two. Then ask them. It couldn't hurt. Many banks are giving two to three months of skip payments on auto loans, credit cards and mortgages with no penalties. Believe it or not, Bank of America has made this SUPER easy. Maybe they learned their lesson after all, back in 2009... 6. Use downtime wisely. Be as productive as possible. Business owners usually have a back-log of ideas and projects they just can't seem to find time to complete. I'm sure you are thinking of one or two of them right now. Use this time to work on product development, marketing ideas, or get your marketing and outgoing emails set up in advance. This is also a great time to work on your brand, refresh an outdated website or get super-clear on future goals. 6. Create another stream of income. As an entrepreneur you have already started at least one business - but if you are anything like me - you have more ideas floating around in that cranium of yours. Blueprint a few of them to see which ones are the most viable options to put energy towards. Here is one I have been working on, that I plan to wrap soon! 7. Breathe and stay calm. That means staying away from negativity, like the news! I'm not saying to be ignorant of what's going on, just don't be glued to it. Watching negative updates every five minutes won't put you in the right frame of mind to be creative. It has been proven that as a persons stress or “threat level” goes up, “creativity" goes down. We need our brains to be as creative as possible. It's what allows you to see opportunity, plan for the future and problem-solve at peak levels. If there is anything else at all I can help you with, use the form below to reach out - and please share.

Tips, Tricks & Hacks for a Legendary Life & Business

I was recently reminded of the impact of this quote on a flight home from New Orleans. I was one of the first to board the plane and was sitting in the VERY front seat of the plane – big comfy seat, lots of leg room. The flight attendant was directly in front of me energetically and comically greeting all of the boarding guests. Behind him I could see about 4 full water bottles….and I wanted one – badly…. It was around 8pm and I had spent most of the very hot afternoon walking around the French Quarter with friends, site seeing & exploring. We had food and drinks and kept on walking. ( two dirty martinis to be exact) We had coffee and kept on walking and sweating. Probably the one thing I didn’t have, was enough water. I was SO thirsty and I don’t think I’ve ever had dry-mouth that bad – and that’s saying a lot. The water bottles behind the flight attendant were definitely calling my name. I was trying to decide if I should ask him for a water bottle. I really wanted it, but I kept second guessing whether I should ask or not. My manners said I should wait until we take off and they actually come around with the drink cart. I had already been sitting on the plane for 20 minutes and it would probably be another 30 before they served and I was SO thirsty….. There were reasons that justified not asking for the water. I didn’t want to disturb the flow of guests boarding the plane. The fact that this was Spirit Airlines and the water wasn’t free – so he would have to charge my card while trying to greet passengers. Generally just feeling like it may be rude to ask, or that it would start a trend of others asking too. It had now been about 30 minutes of me sitting there thinking about water. Water water water. WATER. I was at the apex of arguing with myself about asking for it when a funny thing happened… A couple boarding the plane asked the flight attendant if I could move so that they could sit next to each other. I was in the very front seat of the plane ( happily) with only one seat next to me. They wanted it. I paid extra for this seat and didn’t really wan to move, plus they looked like they were kind of asking him, not me. I was sort of “overhearing” it. A moment later the flight attendant looks at me and asked: “Would that be ok with you?” I said “Where would I be moving to?” He answered with “Just one seat behind you”. I looked behind me and it was also a large comfy seat with plenty of leg room. I nodded, got up and moved back one seat and the couple took their seats. As I was buckling my seat belt, the flight attendant takes a step toward me, leans over and whispers “Thank you” …..and hands me a bottle of water. Taking action, especially if it’s with a kind gesture can be the catalyst for results. My action of giving, was the catalyst for receiving the very thing that I wanted for myself. Boom. Get Iconic.

I recently attended a workshop where the discussion was about taking time in the morning for meditation /exercise/self-care. These are things I desperately wanted to consistently do, but just never took the time.  Then I heard a Tony Robbins quote that changed my world. “If you don’t have 10 minutes for your life, then you […]

I recently saw a video where mothers were interviewed  on how they felt they were doing as parents. Most of them focused on their shortcomings, things they thought they were failing at, or areas that needed improvement. The interviewers also asked their kids (in private) how they felt about their mothers.  The children only spoke of the things they […]