Episode #52: How You Can Be a Selling Rockstar with Erika Tebbens

Does the thought of “selling” make you feel sleazy and leave you feeling like you need a shower? You’re not alone! It’s actually quite common for creative entrepreneurs, and even more so for female entrepreneurs to struggle with the thought of sales. If you struggle with the idea of selling, you’re going to love the message that guest Erika Tebbens has to share—selling can be simple, authentic, and leave you feeling good with money in your pocket. And, you can be a selling rockstar!

Erika Tebbens is a Lord of the Rings lovin’, coffee drinking, teenager mama and all-around spunky entrepreneur. She’s not about the labels, but if she was you could call her a business coach, consultant, strategist or selling superstar. She’s paired her passion for helping women succeed at growing their businesses with the knowledge she’s gained from working corporate retail,...

Instagram’s New Terms of Service- And What You Actually Need To Know

Many of you know, Instagram recently updated their terms of service. Either it made you nervous, or it did not interest you one bit because let's be honest, long paragraphs of boring legal information isn’t sexy. But seeing as how this is my bread and butter as an IP paralegal, I thought I’d break it down for you in the sexiest way possible. 

First, the fun disclaimer: this is not legal advice, just general legal information for creators and consumers in layman’s terms. Consult an attorney for further questions and guidance on how this pertains to your social media platform. I say this because it is important to go to the source, in this case the Terms of Service, and not links that give their rendition of it, as many without legal knowledge may interpret incorrectly. 

Now for the fun part. The good stuff. What does it all mean?!

1. There will always be a polarization between...

Learn from serial entrepreneur Sharon McMahon, who started out her adult life as a government teacher, before leaving to pursue her side hustle full time. After she built a seven-figure business and sold it, she became one of her region's most successful photographers and has gone on to coach entrepreneurs via her coaching program, Masters Level Collective. When she's not answering all of Instagram's questions about government, she's likely trapped under a snoring labrador reading a book.

In this episode you will learn: 

• why you don't need another business course (probably)
• the ONE thing entrepreneurs actually need to grow their businesses
• how to talk/think about politics without wanting to hide under your desk
• resources for finding and consuming news and media with a more critical eye
• how to handle online criticism
• how to overcome fear of failure as a business owner
• lessons from running a successful service and product-based business
• how to cute a "good" community online
• ++...

Learn some super practical accounting tips for creatives with CPA Amy Northard. Amy shares hands-on tips to help you avoid tax stress and to help you set up successful money systems. We dig into hiring independent contractors, using Paypal, how to reconcile accounts and the top tips for avoiding tax issues as a creative entrepreneur. 

In this episode you will learn:

• 4 bookkeeping tips to reduce stress at tax time
• how to work better with your husband 
• improving entrepreneurship + motherhood boundaries
• Tips for bringing the right team members into your service business
• what's the difference between an accountant and a CFO
• what software tools can help you with accounting

Links: 

Amy Northard

Be Your Bown CFO

S-Corp Reasonable Compensation Report

PPP Loan Forgiveness Update

FREE RESOURCES

Want a free LEGAL checklist to get your creative business legit? Download HERE and get access to my newsletter with tips and tricks for YOUR growing creative business.

Listen and...

So how exactly do you run your business in the time of Covid and quarantines, masks and mandates, policy and personal protection equipment? This podcast episode will dive into the best tips about navigating the dynamic landscape of trying to run a small business during a pandemic. 

You will learn: 

• What websites should I be checking

• What to say and what NOT to say

• What are the reasonable measures for protecting my team? My customers?

• How can I open in-person

• What plans do I need to have in place

• How can I make remote work safer

• What kind of liability do I have if someone gets sick

• Where can I get help with cashflow

• How can I pivot

• ++ Top resources for small business owners

Links: 

OSHA

CDC - employers

CDC - small business

US Chamber of Commerce

Covid HR templates/legal forms

Resources:

Event release (with updated COVID language) 

FREE RESOURCES

Want a free LEGAL checklist to get your creative business legit? Download ...

Have you ever felt that panicky feeling when someone asks you what you "do"? Or spewed such a giant word vomit on them that you yourself got lost on what you ACTUALLY do to make money, let alone help people? Enter Macy Robison, StoryBrand Guide certified expert and marketing professional who helps creatives, influencers, and all-around multi-passionate people and helps them tell EXACTLY what they do so they can clearly articulate in ONE sentence who they are and who they serve. 

In this episode of Creative Counsel, you will learn: 

• who is the guide and why it's important
• what you need in the upper right-hand corner of your website
• what kind of customer call to action you need (regardless of what you sell or how you make your money)
• how to be a magnetic brand and why it's important
• how to craft an impressive elevator pitch
• why creatives struggle with describing what they "do" and how to fix it
• +++MORE!!!

Links mentioned: 

Free worksheet mentioned in the episode!

...

Do you sell a digital product and want to make sure you are using best practices in setting up your e-commerce site? This episode will give you my top 5 tips for setting up and protecting your online products so that you can continue to serve your audience. 

You will learn: 

What you need to do before, during and after the product creation stage

How to work with freelancers in creating your digital products

What to put in your checkout terms

How to use a copyright notice and copyright registration

What you might need to trademark

What legal statements you need on your website and what they should cover

Links: 

Online Course Terms of Use (TOU)

Digital Product Terms of Use (TOU)

Copyright Transfer Form

Independent Contractor/Freelancer Agreement

Full Website Legal Bundle (Privacy + website terms)

Privacy policy stand alone

Other episode links mentioned:

Copyright and Copywrongs: What you can and can't protect

Everything is a remix and that's OK - 

Business...

Listen to Creative Producer and Director Rebecca M Creative as she shared the tricks of the trade for pulling off a successful styled shoot! Rebecca shares the top things that people do wrong, whether they are DIY their productions or hiring out and what you can do to make things go smoothly and get the deliverables you need fo a successful campaign!

In the episode, you will learn: 

• how to know who to work with and who to avoid
• the difference between a styled shoot, collaborative shoot, editorial, or workshop
• how to do shoots or events with friends and STILL be friends afterward
• how to handle when friends don't want to sign a contract
• whether trading or doing things for "exposure" is worth it and when it's not
• PLUS -- the ten items you MUST-HAVE in a stylist/event kit!

EPISODE LINKS

ribbon ((https://www.honeysilks.com/, https://tonoandco.com/)

Acrylic blocks (https://www.sourcedco.com/)

Rebecca's Pinterest Boards (portfolio)

Rebecca's Pinterest Board (personal)

FREE RESOURCES...

o...let's address the elephant in the room (or rather the bat...)

It's fair to say if you aren't experiencing some sort of business disruptions today due to the Covid-19 pandemic, that you might experience other force majeure events that will throw a wrench into even the best of plans. 

So -- what you are supposed to do or refund? And what is smart? Or legal? Or your obligation under the contract? 

Let's dig into this episode and find out! 

In the episode you will learn: 

• what does force majeure really mean and how does it affect your business contracts
• what are the big MYTHS that need to be busted about what force majeure REALLY means
• how you reschedule/add an addendum to a contract
• how you cancel a contract
• what other considerations or strategies you might want to use when doing right by your clients AND while keeping healthy business boundaries
• some bonus info on the SBA/CARES loans and grants, including the PPP and the EIDL!

Get my Client Services...

Today we’re talking all about the money, honey. It’s a crucial part of business success and yet it’s an area that a lot of creative entrepreneurs feel all the emotions over. Learning to separate your income and expenses from emotions is an important first step and one that Amy Laliberte teaches to her clients. 

Amy is a virtual CFO for hire. Numbers are her jam and she provides bookkeeping services and CFO services for six and seven-figure business owners. But she also shares strategies that any business owner can put in place. So, if you’re not a six figurer earner, don’t worry—this message is still for you!

Today we’re discussing the strategy from the Mike Michaelowicz book, Profit First, and the positive impact it will make on your business finances. 

In this episode, you will learn:

• What the Profit First strategy is and how to implement it in your business
• The five bank accounts that your business needs to have set up right...