✨ the SPARK 159 ~ Get Out of Your Own Way
Welcome to the 159th issue of the SPARK. A weekly newsletter where inspiration meets real online strategies, behind-the-scenes stories, and a boatload of valuable resources.
I came across a Mark Twain quote that made me chuckle at myself and one I think everyone can relate to:
How often do we waste time and energy on things that *might* happen?
On the flip side, which is specific to business, have you ever had a promotion, launch, or an offer coming up that you’re counting on or expecting a particular financial result from?
In other words, this is also a *might* happen, but it’s from a hopeful place instead of worry.
The crazy thing is that both scenarios create unnecessary angst and undue stress (even if the hopes of a financial outcome feel fun at the time).
As we enter the last month of the year, most entrepreneurs start thinking about winding down and planning for the New Year.
And depending on how you plan, it either feels exciting or stress-inducing (see the theme here of what our thoughts do to us?). 🤔
I want to encourage ONE thing you can apply to winding down and planning for the New Year.
Be easy about it.
There are a lot of added expectations that come with this time of year, and if you’re stressed about the things you’re not doing, how effective do you think you are at what you ARE doing?
Choose to be present.
My friend, Karen Michaels, recently shared a great “cheat sheet” for social media (see the SPARK Spotlight), but what I loved most about this cheat sheet is what she said at the top of her Twitter post (yes, I’m still calling it Twitter):
What if you did the same thing with the rest of your business?
If you’re feeling really inspired, apply that rule to your life, too.
Only say yes to 1-3 events MAX beyond what you usually do at this time of year.
I’ve set a new rule for myself with business: when an opportunity presents itself, I won’t say yes until I’ve had 48 hours to think about it.
I’m less inclined to do this when it comes to doing things with friends or family because even if I’m not in the mood, I’m always glad I went.
This is because my theme for the second half of this year has been focus.
In fact, it’s safe to say that this is the most focused I’ve been in my business for an extended period of time since I don’t know when.
And it feels great.
Instead of adding a bunch of things to your already full and busy life, start thinking about what you can eliminate.
Simplify.
With every online business, we all know that there are three main buckets most work falls under:
- Traffic
- Leads
- Sales
Content, distribution (social), paid channels, referrals, etc., all fit under the traffic bucket. Like Karen suggested, what if you picked 1-3 traffic channels and went deep?
From there, you can see where your leads are coming from.
This ultimately leads to sales because you have automations, funnels, and offers built into your follow-up sequences and broadcast emails/newsletters.
If you want guidance on setting up any of this, subscribe to Jason Resnick’s NurtureKit newsletter & get his blueprint here.
None of this is as complicated as we think it is.
It only gets complicated when we try to do too much.
If everything is a priority, then nothing is a priority (multiple people have said this, so I won’t quote one specific person).
You need to get out of your own way.
Allow what you’re working on some time to gain traction, get better, and start bringing results.
And if any of this feels like a struggle, here’s an incredible image from my friend Maritza Parra as a great reminder:
SPARK Spotlight 🔥
Here’s the social media cheat sheet from my brilliant friend, Karen Michaels. You can go directly to her Twitter post to download a larger version (and share & comment if this is helpful 😉):
A Little Brainpower 🧠
This is meaty but worth the read. “How We Stopped Losing Email Subscribers and Reignited List Growth.”
This is a great, in-depth post with examples. “19 Great Newsletter Landing Pages You Can Learn From.”
Now through December 1st, get 40% OFF for four months on ALL hosting plans PLUS up to 40 FREE Migrations!
Use Promo code BFCM4040
Content Corner 📝
You do NOT want to miss this! Amanda Bond, The Ad Strategist, is hosting a 4-part free training on how she created her phenomenal article, “The Real Reason Facebook Ads Have Stopped Working.”
She published this in 2018, generating over 500k in revenue since then. This article is also called a “multi-page sales site.”
This series of live trainings are with the people who helped her create this (one of whom is André Chaperone. Anyone remember Auto Responder Madness?).
The first live session, “Bond’s 360° Bro-Marketing Article Overview + Revenue Breakdown” is next week. The link to register for the free training is in this Facebook post (You don’t even need to opt in!).
She’s undoubtedly one of my favorite people to learn from. 😉
| Register for session 1 here |
Tool Time 🛠
- Social: This looks like it has some pretty unique repurposing features with AI. Try FeedHive free here.
- Screen Recording: I think I may be switching from Loom to this. Try Tella.tv free here.
- Video: This almost makes video editing look appealing. Automatically cut & edit videos with AI. Try Wisecut free here.
- Organize: If you’re not a Notion user, this might be a great alternative. Organize & manage ideas. Use Walling free here.
*This is in addition to the weekly Newsletter, on a separate
day of the week.*
HAHA…Gotta love the ego. 🤣
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Just a little over four weeks left of the year…
Looking back on everything I’ve experienced this year, it feels like a long year. 🤪
Yet every year at this time, it feels like, “How is it the end of the year already?”
As we begin the last month of the year, I hope you can take some time to relax, get cozy, and enjoy the little moments.
I’m still obsessed with the game Rummikub that I shared a few weeks ago (now playing on my iPad) and intend to have some game-time with family over the holidays.
That’s a little moment that brings me a lot of joy.
Have a wonderful day,
Kim
