Advertise on podcast: Talking Small Business

We've talked about end of year reviews and quarterly planning but now that June is here, it's time to talk about completing a mid-year business review! Kat is literally the queen of planning, especially quarterly planning, but she's also a huge advocate of these mid-year business reviews. Today, we're going to discuss why it's important to make time for your mid-year review, what it might look like, and how to set goals for the remainder of your year. This is the perfect time to start evaluating what's working - and what isn't - so you can set yourself up for success the rest of the year! What we’re discussing today: The difference between mid-year reviews and end of year reviews What is Kat's process for a mid-year review How feelings and emotions play a role in your review When to listen to your hunches vs. your data What to do after your review is done The difference between a mid-year review and quarterly planning A plan of action for your review Why it's important to celebrate your wins --- Connect with Kat and Megan: https://talkingsmallbusinesspodcast.com/ (https://talkingsmallbusinesspodcast.com/)

If you're a part of the creative industry, you've probably heard the term "zone of genius" - and that's exactly what we're going to be talking about today! In our industry, it's common to hear your zone of genius come up when you discuss outsourcing or offers in your business... but what does that actually mean? So today, we're having candid conversation about what your zone of genius actually means as well as how to find it - and stay within it. We'll be sharing our stories on how we found our own zones of genius and how you can do the same! Let's get started!! What we’re discussing today: How Megan found her zone of genius, 11 years in the making What it means to be multi passionate while you find your zone of genius How Imposter syndrome impacts finding your zone of genius Kat's struggle with comparison What looking for validation can teach you about your zone of genius How Kat found her zone of genius through results What pivoting looked like and how that allowed Kat to step into her zone Signs you're not in your zone of genius --- Connect with Kat and Megan: https://talkingsmallbusinesspodcast.com/ (https://talkingsmallbusinesspodcast.com/)

Did you know value ladders are on of the most beneficial things you can build on the back end of your business? Today, we're talking about how to actually create a value ladder for your business (and a quick refresher about what one is!). In today's episode, we're diving into the how's, what's and where's of building a value ladder. Whether you're a product based business or a service based business, a value ladder will absolutely serve you well so let's get started on how to build one for your biz! What we’re discussing today: What is a value ladder How to build a value ladder in a service based business Tips to promote your value ladder How to create your value ladder in a product based business Consumption sequences and how they help build your ladder Why consumption sequences are the most underutilized methods in value ladder promotion What a nurture sequence is - and if it's helpful Where to start building your value ladder --- Connect with Kat and Megan: https://talkingsmallbusinesspodcast.com/ (https://talkingsmallbusinesspodcast.com/)

Since Kat is expecting her third baby, we thought today was a good chance to discuss maternity leave as a business owner! Kat is in the hot seat, sharing about how exactly she prepares her business, her team, and herself to take a leave of absence for baby #3's arrival! Whether you're planning for your own maternity leave or just an extended sabbatical from your business, today's episode will provide some tips about how to prepare for your time off. Taking time off from your business is absolutely possible with some planning ahead and forward thinking, so let's dive in! What we’re discussing today: When Kat began to think about what maternity leave looks like What went into planning her maternity leave How Kat will handle wanting to work while on leave Why having no deadlines on maternity leave can be a great way to plan ahead How Kat has prepared for leave Ways to make your prep even simpler + permission to scale back while you're on leave How to make the financial piece of a long leave a little less scary How Kat decided on the length of her maternity leave --- Connect with Kat and Megan: https://talkingsmallbusinesspodcast.com/ (https://talkingsmallbusinesspodcast.com/)

Today we’re getting a bit personal on the podcast and we're talking about a topic that one of our listeners actually suggested: burnout in your business. When we received this message, it was definitely a gut punch to us both because that feeling is SO real. Whether you're three years into business or 10, burnout in business is no joke. Burnout as a business owner shows up in so many different ways. So, we wanted to sit down and have a really candid conversation about what burnout can look like and how to find joy in your business again. As always, we hope that sharing our experiences helps you to know that you're not alone and you can find the passion for your business again! What we’re discussing today: Kat's experience with burnout from being overworked When Megan feels burnt out in business Insight as to why your personality may impact how you feel burnt out How to pull yourself back from a season of burnout What can you add into your business to bring you joy A reminder that burnout is a season How seasons of hustle can impact burnout Ways Kat finds joy or rekindles the passion in her business How Megan finds joy in her business --- Connect with Kat and Megan: https://talkingsmallbusinesspodcast.com/ (https://talkingsmallbusinesspodcast.com/)

Today, we're going to break down what a value ladder is and why it can be so magical for your business! To us, there's nothing more exciting than thinking through the strategy of value ladders and offers in our businesses. We love helping each other, our students, and our listeners to determine how to build a ladder well! A value ladder requires looking at your products and services then structuring them in a way that leads perfectly from one to the next. With that in mind, let's dive in! What we’re discussing today: What "value ladder" means and where it came from How the value ladder is important for you as the business owner Why value ladders and sales funnels go hand in hand How this strategy matters in digital and service based businesses A reminder that building a strategic ladder takes time How Megan started in the middle of her value ladder Should products overlap in your value ladder What to consider about yourself, your products, and your biz when building your ladder How value ladders encourage business owners to create "parking lot lists" The process to determine where on the ladder your offerings go --- Connect with Kat and Megan: https://talkingsmallbusinesspodcast.com/ (https://talkingsmallbusinesspodcast.com/)

Today we're going to share about our experiences with launching different products, services, and offerings in our own business. There's always so many hopes and dreams wrapped up in a launch, so we hope that this conversation will help you create realistic expectations for your next business launch! We hope that your launch will be even more successful because of this - and that you'll come out on the other side in one piece! Tune into this week's episode to learn the truth about launching your next product! What we’re discussing today: How stressful launches can be A chat with the launch queen, Kat, about not-so-successful launches Reasons a launch might not go well + how to prepare for that possibility Why you should consider a live launch Possible launch ideas What a life launch can feel like Understanding why a launch flopped How to prepare for launch week An overview of a week long launch Why prescheduling content for your launch is key --- Connect with Kat and Megan: https://talkingsmallbusinesspodcast.com/ (https://talkingsmallbusinesspodcast.com/)

Today, we’re talking all about what you should create as a small business owner: a course vs. a membership. As two digital product educators, this is a question that we get a lot. Our students want to know what kind of setup is best for their business, along with the types of products to create. While it's easy to look at a membership and the recurring revenue it provides, we want to break down some of the things to consider when deciding between these two digital products for your business. We'll be discussing the commitment level that both take, your experience, and our own trials (and errors!) as digital educators, too. This is going to be a cool conversation, so let's dive into course vs. membership: which would should you choose? What we’re discussing today: The makeup of a course What makes a membership different from a course When memberships and courses overlap Who might be perfect for creating a course When is a membership most appropriate to create Why you should consider your brand awareness when creating a membership How starting with a course can be beneficial --- Connect with Kat and Megan: https://talkingsmallbusinesspodcast.com/ (https://talkingsmallbusinesspodcast.com/)

This is a really fun episode and we're so excited to be sharing it with you! Today, we're talking about Enneagrams and business owners. So if you love the Enneagram like we do, you're going to love this week's episode! We've found that a lot of business owners are Type 3's. Now, not every business owner is, but it definitely seems like a lot of them are. However, Megan is a Type 7 (Kat's a Type 3!) and we thought it might be fun to dive into that a little bit more. So, today we're talking about how our personality types impact how we run our business (as they should!) and how you can use your Enneagram type to direct how you build your own business. What the Enneagram test is like What it's like to be an Enneagram 7 How being an Enneagram 7 impacts goal setting Why structure can feel overwhelming for 7s How not having deadlines freed Megan as a business owner Why it's important to create a business that works for you and your strengths How to structure your business in a way that plays to your strengths/personality type Why you should let go of the guilt over how you run your business How we balance each other out with our different personality types --- Connect with Kat and Megan: https://talkingsmallbusinesspodcast.com/ (https://talkingsmallbusinesspodcast.com/)

Today, we’re chatting about investing in education as a small business owner. We both consider ourselves educators in the industry and we love and value education. But, we're also business owners who have spent our own hard earned money on education, too. In today's episode, we're going to be sharing our experiences, what kind of education we invested in and when. Together, we want to help you make smart decisions this year on where you’re going to spend your dollars to learn and grow and try something new in your business. Today we're talking about: How it's easy to be overwhelmed looking at biz education Why Megan is looking for niched education for 2022 How to decide who you're learning from - look for results! Why finding personalized experiences How bundles can be a low cost way to find new educators What we're looking for in education as seasoned business owners How lower ticket items can help you connect with the educator or coach A reminder about when to invest in education --- Connect with Kat and Megan: https://talkingsmallbusinesspodcast.com/ (https://talkingsmallbusinesspodcast.com/)

Last week, Kat walked us through how to do an End of Year review for your business so you can end 2021 on the right foot. This week, she's back in the hot seat to share about how to plan 2022 in style! It's an exciting time for goal setting and prepping and we hope this episode gives you some great insight on yearly planning for small business owners. This process can be so fun (and not as overwhelming if you think!) if you go into it with a plan. What we’re discussing today: What annual planning looks like for someone who prefers quarterly planning How a bird's eye view of the year can be helpful Why many business owners think it's a good idea to plan annually like they would quarterly How setting specific boundaries for your planning can be a good thing and lead to less overwhelm A look at how Kat plans this bird's eye view of the year How detailed should you get on these calendars for annual planning Why there might be a benefit of writing down your plans on a physical calendar How seeing your goals can be motivating as a small business owner Words of advice as you sit down to plan 2022 --- Connect with Kat and Megan: https://talkingsmallbusinesspodcast.com/ (https://talkingsmallbusinesspodcast.com/)

This time of year means that a lot of people start to think about goals for the next year, which is amazing. But before you can really begin to plan your next year's goals, you need to close out the year that you're in. We're putting our planning queen, Kat, in the hot seat today as we discuss how to end your year well and do an end of year review. To plan goals that match your long-term plan, you have to sit down and determine what worked (and what didn't) in the current year! What we’re discussing today: What the end of year review process is like Inspiration for what an end of year review might actually look like How to approach your review in regards to both finances and emotional health A discussion about setting a solid foundation instead of a changing goal How to get feedback from your clients and prepare them for changes in the next year When to do your end of year review How to set aside time for your review A little encouragement to end the year well Why they felt launching this physical product was a good idea for their family --- Connect with Kat and Megan: https://talkingsmallbusinesspodcast.com/ (https://talkingsmallbusinesspodcast.com/)