Category Archives: Business success

Does Fear Stop You from Starting—or Finishing—Your Creative Pursuits?

How many creative projects are on your “to-do” list?

Maybe they’re not on your immediate to-do list … because, well, you’re busy. But you’d really like to get to them … “someday.”

If you had time. If you had talent. If you weren’t failing.

Does this frame of mind sound familiar?

If you’re attracting money in fear, then you end up attracting fear along with any money you bring in.

And do you know what fear does? It stops us from doing what we’re meant to do: our creative work.

It’s no surprise to you, then, that procrastination and perfectionism are rooted in fear-based emotions.

And these can grip even the best of us.

Which is why I invited Samantha Bennett, author of “Get It Done: From Procrastination to Creative Genius in Just 15 Minutes a Day,” to join me on the Love-Based Money Podcast. She’s sharing how to get past procrastination and perfectionism in just 15 minutes per day. And it works! I’ve experienced it, myself.

Listen here:

Samantha Bennett on Love-Based Money with Michele PW: How to Stop Fear from Standing in the Way of Your Creative Pursuits, in Just 15 Minutes per Day.

Do you know who your ideal client is?

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Do you know who your ideal client is?

If you’re marketing based on a target market, or a niche market, then there’s something you have to know: it’s time to go deeper.

It’s time to get to know (and I mean REALLY get to know) your ideal client.

Whereas a target market is a broad demographic, and a niche market is a slice of that target market, an ideal client is a specific person.

And getting to know him or her can revolutionize the way you do business … as well as your results!

On a new post on my Love-Based Business Blog, I explain why it’s essential to dial in on who your ideal client is.

Don’t miss this if you want to make your marketing so effective that you attract clients who love you as much as you love them.

3 Reasons Your Ideal Client—Not Your Target Market or Niche—Is a Cornerstone of Building Your Love-Based Business

Is the LOA working for you?

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Have you ever felt like the Law of Attraction just isn’t working for you, and maybe it’s all a bunch of baloney?

I have good news: The Law of Attraction does work—IF you use it correctly. Chances are, if you’re not getting what you want, then you’re not using it correctly. And you’re not alone: when I first encountered it, I didn’t use it right.

Hint: it’s about more than just thinking – or NOT thinking – about something!

On my new Love-Based Business blog, I’m sharing a powerful 2-step process for shifting your mindset—and getting the Law of Attraction to work for you.

Check it out here:

2 Steps to Use the Law of Attraction Correctly to Get Past Your Money Blocks

“Go Big or Go Home”: Is It True?

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You’ve undoubtedly heard the expression: “Go Big or Go Home.”

But is it true?

Should you always follow that advice?

In the latest episode of my new Web TV show, “Flip It!” I examine whether you should always go big or go home … or whether you may consider running your life a little differently.

I think you may be surprised!

“Flip It!” is all about shifting your perspective so you can get what you want out of life and business—check it out here:

Flip It! Go Big or Go Home

A New, Love-Based Approach to the Product Launch

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The product launch:

How do those 3-words make you feel?

Does it strike fear into your heart? Increase your stress?

When you think of a product launch, which metrics do you consider? Probably sales, right? Conversions? Dollar signs?

And … there’s that stress again, right?

Let’s view the almighty product launch from a different angle, for a moment.

Aside from money, there are many benefits to doing a product launch when you’re a spiritual, conscious entrepreneur.

And when you view the product launch through a love-based lens, you’re far less likely to feel stressed and far more likely to take the pressure off and actually enjoy your launch.

And, as an awesome side benefit, you’ll still grow your business in a love-based way!

Check it out on my new Love-Based Business Blog:

A New, Love-Based Approach to the Product Launch: Why Launching a Product Can Be a BIG Win, Even If You Don’t Make Many Sales

Is Email Marketing Dead?

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Most entrepreneurs know that building an email list is a great way to build your business.

Why?

Well, for many reasons!

First of all, when you have your own email list, you retain control, unlike when you build a community on a social media platform that could go defunct at any moment (MySpace, anyone?).

Also, email lists give you the ability to send targeted marketing materials to your ideal clients based on their past behavior.

And you’ve tried it! But lately, when you send out emails, you don’t make any sales. In fact, you don’t get much of a response at all.

You’re starting to believe that email marketing is dead.

But is it? And could you change the results you’re getting?

Find out when you watch Episode 2 of my new Web TV show, Flip It.

Flip It! Is Email Marketing Dead?

The One Element of Copywriting That Gets People to Buy—and How to Make It Work for You

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Effective copywriting contains so many elements: headlines, subject lines, features, benefits, bullet points, P.S.s, pain points … oh my!

And they’re all important.

But ONE of those elements in particular is like the holy grail of marketing. It’s the one item that can get a prospective buyer to click “buy now” rather than going on to the next email in their inbox.

What is it? And how do you write it so it’s effective?

Not to worry, I’m sharing it all, on the Love-Based Business blog:

The Bullet Point: The Holy Grail of Copywriting

What My Novel “Mirror Image” Can Teach You About Biz

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I’m launching my second novel “Mirror Image” tomorrow — it’s a psychological thriller/mystery/suspense (you can grab your copy here). And, to celebrate, I thought it would be interesting to share “the story behind the story” about how that novel got birthed.

It was a long, difficult, painful, messy birth — I share it all on my fiction blog.

It’s a story about almost getting the gold to losing it all to having everything finally come together.

20 years later.

It’s a story about redemption. Which, not coincidentally, is what “Mirror Image” is really about (underneath all the psychological thriller/mystery/suspense stuff). Continue reading →

Too Fast or Too Slow: Why the Speed You’re Moving in Your Business May Be Hurting You

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Years ago, I was at an event where the speaker was talking about keys to growing a successful business. And one of those keys was speed.

He said if you want a successful business, you need to move fast to capitalize on the money-making opportunities coming at you. According to him, the vast majority of entrepreneurs are moving far too slowly. Only a few err on the side of moving too fast, which turns into recklessness.

This really stuck with me over the years, and it made me feel like I never moved fast enough for business success. (Can you say “another way to beat myself up?”)

But, recently, I’ve changed my view around this whole notion of speed in your business. I feel like not only is recklessness a far more common problem than what that speaker thought, I also think in many cases people are doing both — moving too quickly in some areas in their business and too slowly in others. And when either of those happens, your business suffers. Continue reading →

Why Some Criticism Hurts More Than Others

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Last week, due to me misreading one of my Amazon reports, I took a quick peek on the German page of my “Love-Based Copywriting Method” book. And I discovered I actually had a review there. (In English, so yes I could read it.)

It was a one-star review and suffice to say the person REALLY didn’t like it. To the point of being a bit mean-spirited.

Which got me thinking — what is it about my Love-Based Copy Method book that triggers all these mean reviews?

It’s not like I don’t have other bad reviews on my books. But for some reason, this first book in the series seems to be the most triggering.

Then, I got more curious — because there was another similar thread with the bad reviews for the first Love-Based Copy book. Continue reading →

Do You Need to Pause in Your Business?

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March was an interesting month for me.

Along with taking a week off to celebrate my dad’s birthday (his first birthday since Mom passed), I also played a key role in the copy and marketing strategy of a major 7-figure launch, had a big sale of my novel “The Stolen Twin” and had to finish up the edits on not one but TWO books (my next novel “Mirror Image” coming out in May and my “Love-Based Online Marketing” book which is available at a special 99 cents pre-order price right now).

And, I’m even more proud of the fact I got it all done. March was a very busy but very productive month.

But, there were things that didn’t get done. Things that I normally would have pushed myself to do, and if I didn’t do them I would have beaten myself up over them. Continue reading →

Is Your Business Model Keeping You Financially Stuck?

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There’s a little-talked about secret around your business model, which is this:

The business model best suited to making your money NOW may NOT be the best business model for you.

You see, when you’re first starting out, the very best way for you to make money is to sell your one-on-one services to clients. (This also includes VIP days, which are basically full days you spend with a client working with them.) Continue reading →

Have a wild love affair with your business

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I recently read Elizabeth Gilbert’s “Big Magic” book, and in it she talks about how she decided to have a wild love affair with her writing. (I’ve since seen other quotes around this idea of having a wild love affair with your art or creative project — most recently Lady Gaga. I’m not sure who came up with this first or if it was someone other than Gilbert and Lady Gaga but there it is.)

Continue reading →

Are You Putting Your Dreams On Hold? (The story behind the story)

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If you’d rather watch my video version of this story, just go here:

Back in 1998, I quit my job to become a fulltime freelance writer/copywriter.

At the time, there were no coaching, masterminding or mentoring programs that taught you how to set up and run a successful business (or, if there were, I didn’t know about them as the Internet was still in its infancy) so I went to the Small Business Association (SBA) and got myself a counselor.

When the counselor learned what my business plans were, he invited a retired freelance writer to come in and give me some tips.

Well, her “tips” turned out to be her trying to talk me out of becoming a freelance writer. For about 45 minutes, the conversation went something like this:

“Being a freelance writer is a really difficult way to earn a living.”

“Okay, what should I do?

“Can you get your job back?”

“No, I can’t get my job back.” Continue reading →

Why You Don’t Have a Gratitude Practice (Even Though You Know You Should)

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Today in the U.S., we celebrate Thanksgiving — one of my fave holidays. I mean, how can you go wrong when you combine great food, football and gratitude?

This time of year I always like to talk about gratitude — in fact I have a little article I wrote years ago that I typically send out (you can read it here: 3 Ways Gratitude Can Grow Your Business). Today, I wanted to do something a little different — I wanted to talk about what’s stopping us from having a gratitude practice.

It’s not like it’s any big secret that taking time each day to celebrate what we have to be grateful for pays off in massive returns. Super successful people like Tony Robbins have a daily gratitude practice (which they credit for growing their business and their success). And I just saw the results of another study where people who practice gratitude have stronger immune systems, feel happier and more optimistic, and are more generous and compassionate.

Seems like a no-brainer to have a gratitude practice, right? Yet, for many of us, we don’t.

So, let’s talk about what may be stopping us from cultivating a daily gratitude practice: Continue reading →