Latest / WOC and Allies: Business and Career Realtalk with Elaine Lou Cartas / 3. How to Scale Your Business Without Copying Everyone Else

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3. How to Scale Your Business Without Copying Everyone Else · WOC and Allies: Business and Career Realtalk with Elaine Lou Cartas

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Hey legacy maker, I am so excited for this episode because so often I meet clients, members of this community who are overwhelmed of what to do.
• 0:11
  SPEAKER_00: And this episode simplifies on how you can create an aligned legacy by not having to copy everyone else.
• 0:21
  SPEAKER_00: So grab a pen and paper, and more importantly, grab your coffee, tea, andor boba.
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_00: And let's call your dreams too.
• 0:31
  SPEAKER_00: Create your legacy.
• 0:47
  SPEAKER_00: As a first-generation immigrant, I know how much pressure there is from our family and society to have a safe and secure life.
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_00: But in the Call Your Dreams podcast, I'm here to challenge you to be your best self by creating a business and career that is sustainable, abundant, and enriching without playing by other people's roles.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_00: We'll have real talk on the deep inner work to create lasting transformation and the tactical strategies to create a profitable business and career.
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_00: We both know you have a vision, roots you're proud of, and a legacy to create.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_00: Now it's time to do things your way on your own terms.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_00: So let's get started.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_00: Now grab your coffee, tea, and or boba, and let's call your dreams too.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_00: So, disclaimer: I'm not here to attack you.
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_00: I'm just here to share with you my own personal experience when I transitioned from working full-time to starting my business and even growing up in my business.
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_00: And also what I've noticed working with 300 plus clients in the past almost five years in business.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_00: I've had a business since July 2017.
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_00: So, my intention, what I want you to get from this episode is for you to learn to trust your intuition more.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_00: So that's one.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_00: So that's a feminine.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_00: And then two, the masculine part of it is using data from listening to your clients, asking for feedback, and tracking your numbers.
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_00: And if that doesn't sound fun and exciting, just know numbers are magical.
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_00: What you measure manifests.
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_00: So it is a combination of all of it.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_00: And I like giving this analogy when you own a business.
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_00: We bite for that as opposed to, oh, I'm so excited to put gas or it's time to change oil.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_00: But the maintenance for it is as important as it is the feeling.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_00: You have to do both, right?
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_00: So often business owners love the servicing, but it's also the maintenance.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_00: And here I want to make sure you have the intention of how can we make sure you're not copying everyone else?
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_00: How can we make sure that you are true to yourself?
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_00: Because we hear everything, right?
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_00: Go have a Facebook group, grow your Instagram to 10,000 followers.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_00: Did you hear about Clubhouse?
• 3:59
  SPEAKER_00: You need to get on it or whatever new social media platform there is, right?
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_00: There's always a trend.
• 4:06
  SPEAKER_00: But what's important, legacy maker, is to remember who is your dream soulmate client?
• 4:14
  SPEAKER_00: Who do you support?
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_00: And how do you want to support them?
• 4:19
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm stoked for today's episode on how to scale your business without copying everyone else.
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_00: Because to be honest, there is a reason why I am doing podcast episodes as opposed to posting all the time on social media.
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_00: I was just getting tired of it.
• 4:35
  SPEAKER_00: Let's just be real.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_00: I was.
• 4:37
  SPEAKER_00: I felt like whenever I opened my Instagram, everyone apparently has the same messaging.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_00: And I just want my own messaging.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_00: I got so over how everyone's messaging became the same.
• 4:51
  SPEAKER_00: For example, in the past what, two years now, since the pandemic, we've heard pivot to be authentic, stop hustling.
• 5:00
  SPEAKER_00: And look, yes, I believe in the three I mentioned earlier, it is important to pivot to be more aligned to yourself.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_00: Second, to be authentic to you and stop hustling like I do bikram yoga five times a week.
• 5:14
  SPEAKER_00: But what's interesting is I realize when I see one name saying something, it's like everyone starts copying them within five seconds.
• 5:23
  SPEAKER_00: And before I teach you the strategies of how to make sure you are not copying everyone else, is I want to go back and bring you back to your why.
• 5:36
  SPEAKER_00: Why are you creating your business in the first place?
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_00: And so for me, it is for myself.
• 5:43
  SPEAKER_00: I will be selfish.
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, it is for me and my ancestors.
• 5:48
  SPEAKER_00: I'm a first generation immigrant.
• 5:50
  SPEAKER_00: I acknowledge all of the sacrifices that were made before me because I am living this life of privilege, this life of choice that I get to choose the life I want, whether it's being a business and career coach for women of color and allies or being the best cheeseburger flipper.
• 6:09
  SPEAKER_00: It doesn't matter.
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_00: I have a privilege to have a life of choice.
• 6:13
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm doing it for myself and ancestors.
• 6:15
  SPEAKER_00: And second, to serving women of color and allies to remind them of their worth.
• 6:22
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm so excited because later on I am meeting with my friends, DI consultants, Eric and India of Pause on the Play to delve into why we should charge our worth.
• 6:33
  SPEAKER_00: But that's for another episode.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_00: So let's go back.
• 6:36
  SPEAKER_00: So, what's your reason for having a business?
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_00: I'll share my personal story, why I started my business and career coaching, because I went through what a lot of my clients have gone through.
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_00: So I was working at this job, didn't love it.
• 6:53
  SPEAKER_00: I was making 60K.
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_00: And I remember asking my parents who are first gen, well, I'm first generation immigrant, who are immigrants, where I went up to them and hey, how do I ask for raise?
• 7:05
  SPEAKER_00: And very immigrant answer, well, if you work hard, they're just going to give you what you want.
• 7:09
  SPEAKER_00: I'm like, okay.
• 7:11
  SPEAKER_00: But I just knew that that's not how it works in this culture and society.
• 7:16
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm not saying that they're wrong.
• 7:18
  SPEAKER_00: It's just they were grown up in a different country, in a different culture.
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_00: And as first generation immigrants, we are grown up in this country and this culture.
• 7:28
  SPEAKER_00: So I hired my first coach.
• 7:30
  SPEAKER_00: I remember going to my therapist that I was saying, I was like, I think I want to hire a coach to help me get a raise.
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_00: And I did within a couple of sessions, I went from making 60K to 72K.
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_00: And I realized even though I got the raise, money's not the answer.
• 7:45
  SPEAKER_00: Money's not the answer.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_00: And I cared more about being happy and fulfilled.
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_00: And so I started doing informational interviews and then I found my dream job.
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_00: And yes, I know I have my own business as business and career coach for women of color and allies, but I still to this day say my dream job was being a fundraiser at Pasanya City College.
• 8:08
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I got, guys, I got to raise a million dollars in student scholarships for 200 students.
• 8:14
  SPEAKER_00: I got to be around very, not just wealthy, but well-lived folks who wanted to give back to the community.
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_00: I got paid to have coffee and go to dinner and lunch with those who wanted to give back.
• 8:29
  SPEAKER_00: I felt like I was Oprah sitting on those chairs and listening to the life story on how they want to give back.
• 8:35
  SPEAKER_00: It was an absolute dream.
• 8:37
  SPEAKER_00: And now I'm getting to do that, right?
• 8:40
  SPEAKER_00: In this podcast, full circle moment right now.
• 8:43
  SPEAKER_00: So with that, I remember getting my master's.
• 8:46
  SPEAKER_00: And then when I went to go get my master's, I realized, oh, I'm following everyone else's, you know, dreams for me, but not myself.
• 8:54
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm not blaming other people for that.
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_00: That's my bad, that's my fault for not listening.
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_00: And I decided I wanted to be a coach and support others.
• 9:05
  SPEAKER_00: And just my personal story has made me realize, wow, I've learned to own my worth.
• 9:11
  SPEAKER_00: I've learned to be assertive.
• 9:13
  SPEAKER_00: I want to help other women of color and allies do the same, where they get to learn and understand one another.
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_00: Because I just got over the whole woman of color can't afford this.
• 9:24
  SPEAKER_00: Because what I learned when I was working in politics, because I did, I was a grassroots organizer, it was a lot of blaming the other side, blaming the party.
• 9:32
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not being political here.
• 9:34
  SPEAKER_00: It's just what it is.
• 9:35
  SPEAKER_00: It doesn't matter what side you're in.
• 9:37
  SPEAKER_00: And yes, I believe in the stats that obviously it is factual stats that women of color aren't getting paid the same amount as others.
• 9:48
  SPEAKER_00: But what it, what I was realizing is that yes, the stats are showing that, but it's like I wanted to take ownership that I can change this.
• 9:58
  SPEAKER_00: And I took ownership, what if, well, actually, two ways.
• 10:01
  SPEAKER_00: One was voting.
• 10:03
  SPEAKER_00: I'm a former grassroots organizer, like I said in episode one.
• 10:06
  SPEAKER_00: And then two was learning to invest in myself on how I was going to ask for a raise and more importantly, stand up for myself.
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_00: Because it wasn't really the asking for a raise that I was going after.
• 10:19
  SPEAKER_00: It was learning to be assertive and speaking my voice and speaking my truth.
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm here because I want to guide clients on how to ask for their worth, whether it's a pay raise or their own service and scaling by letting go of doing all the things and learning how to hire to scale.
• 10:41
  SPEAKER_00: So, with that being said, rather than do what quote unquote insert popular name says, it goes back to how and who you are serving, which is your clients.
• 10:55
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm gonna give you behind the scenes on how I actually created one of my newest programs and my signature offer, which is my legacy lifestyle inner circle.
• 11:06
  SPEAKER_00: It's a one-to-one and group coaching program that supports scaling entrepreneurs.
• 11:14
  SPEAKER_00: And here's the thing: I didn't even market it.
• 11:18
  SPEAKER_00: Like I didn't promote it online when I sold to my first three clients.
• 11:23
  SPEAKER_00: And I'll share with you the steps on how I got my first three clients.
• 11:27
  SPEAKER_00: And it literally was asking for feedback from my audience.
• 11:31
  SPEAKER_00: So, first step, who are your clients?
• 11:34
  SPEAKER_00: Like I said, my ideal clients are scaling entrepreneurs who want to make a purposeful pivot, who are being intentional of the change they want to create and want to realign their business to match their legacy and lifestyle.
• 11:51
  SPEAKER_00: For you, I want you to think of details like that for you.
• 11:55
  SPEAKER_00: Like who are your clients?
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_00: Describe where they're at in their life or what it whatever it is that you sell.
• 12:02
  SPEAKER_00: Second is doing target market research.
• 12:05
  SPEAKER_00: And you probably have heard this from a lot of people, but I want to tell you the importance of this.
• 12:10
  SPEAKER_00: I do target market research once a quarter.
• 12:13
  SPEAKER_00: If you think that's crazy, let's go to a ginormous business like Apple.
• 12:19
  SPEAKER_00: So you might be listening to this podcast on your iPhone.
• 12:23
  SPEAKER_00: Or if you're not, that's fine.
• 12:24
  SPEAKER_00: It's Android, it doesn't matter what kind of phone, but let's use iPhone as an example.
• 12:29
  SPEAKER_00: Do you realize every year they come out with a new iPhone?
• 12:33
  SPEAKER_00: It's always around the holidays because they want to sell to you to get the best iPhone.
• 12:39
  SPEAKER_00: And how do they improve the iPhone?
• 12:43
  SPEAKER_00: They ask for feedback from us, the customers, every year.
• 12:48
  SPEAKER_00: Like I remember when I had the iPhone 8, and there's nothing wrong with my iPhone.
• 12:53
  SPEAKER_00: I didn't need a new one.
• 12:55
  SPEAKER_00: But then the iPhone Pro Max 11, I believe that's the one I have, with the three cameras came out.
• 13:04
  SPEAKER_00: And it was the best camera phone that I had to get.
• 13:07
  SPEAKER_00: And I was about to go on a retreat with my business coach at the time in South Africa.
• 13:13
  SPEAKER_00: I was like, I need to get that iPhone.
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_00: I need to get it.
• 13:15
  SPEAKER_00: I need to take the best pictures.
• 13:17
  SPEAKER_00: So why am I using iPhone as an example of doing target market research?
• 13:23
  SPEAKER_00: Because Apple is generating so much money.
• 13:27
  SPEAKER_00: They're a huge influence in today's society where I have an iPhone and you probably get the new version every year.
• 13:33
  SPEAKER_00: No judgment.
• 13:34
  SPEAKER_00: But it works because they ask from our from us, the customer, the consumer, on how to improve.
• 13:41
  SPEAKER_00: And right now in my business, as of what is it, January 31st, 2022.
• 13:47
  SPEAKER_00: For 2022, I currently have 75% renewal rate and then 25% referral rate.
• 13:54
  SPEAKER_00: And that comes because of my team.
• 13:57
  SPEAKER_00: I can't take all the credit, my team's incredible client service from consistently asking.
• 14:03
  SPEAKER_00: So let's go back on how you can do target record research.
• 14:07
  SPEAKER_00: The best thing you can do is think of one or two clients, one or two of your best clients, whether they're current or present, ask them if they could give you 20 minutes of their time to you.
• 14:16
  SPEAKER_00: And you could just be transparent.
• 14:18
  SPEAKER_00: I just want to connect with you.
• 14:19
  SPEAKER_00: You've been such an incredible client.
• 14:21
  SPEAKER_00: I want to ask for your feedback on how I can improve my services.
• 14:26
  SPEAKER_00: And if you're starting, think of one or two people that might be interested in your services.
• 14:32
  SPEAKER_00: So these are the questions you're going to ask.
• 14:35
  SPEAKER_00: Ask them what makes it unique.
• 14:37
  SPEAKER_00: You know, the feedback I've gotten from my idea clients is how I listen to what they truly desire and I simplify things in business.
• 14:44
  SPEAKER_00: The second thing you could ask is how do they want to learn?
• 14:47
  SPEAKER_00: How do they want to receive the services from you?
• 14:51
  SPEAKER_00: So in my case, as a coach, I'd be asking people, do you want one-to-one group, retreat, and person?
• 14:58
  SPEAKER_00: Well, the feedback I've received from my clients, it is a combination of one-to-one group, retreat, and person.
• 15:05
  SPEAKER_00: That is why I have created that for my inner circle.
• 15:09
  SPEAKER_00: I do one-to-one as well as group calls and a retreat.
• 15:12
  SPEAKER_00: Ask them how they get their information.
• 15:16
  SPEAKER_00: How do they educate themselves?
• 15:18
  SPEAKER_00: I hear so often, I don't know what to do.
• 15:20
  SPEAKER_00: Should I be on YouTube?
• 15:22
  SPEAKER_00: Should I be on Instagram?
• 15:23
  SPEAKER_00: Should I do email marketing?
• 15:25
  SPEAKER_00: And I always ask my clients, did you ask your community?
• 15:30
  SPEAKER_00: Where do they get their information?
• 15:32
  SPEAKER_00: You have to ask them before you create it.
• 15:35
  SPEAKER_00: So, for example, I have shifted in my business.
• 15:38
  SPEAKER_00: Like I am not so much on social media.
• 15:41
  SPEAKER_00: I'm doing podcasting, I'm writing emails, I'm doing blogs, I'm doing long-form content.
• 15:46
  SPEAKER_00: And here's the reason why.
• 15:48
  SPEAKER_00: I want to work with clients who are intentional and thoroughly doing their research before they come and decide to work with me.
• 15:56
  SPEAKER_00: It is a long-term relationship.
• 15:58
  SPEAKER_00: And it was interesting because, in addition to having a high referral and renewal rate in my own business, I noticed that new cold leads were reading everything I was putting out, listening to everything.
• 16:13
  SPEAKER_00: I've just noticed that even just currently in business, people are becoming more intentional and smarter of who they are hiring.
• 16:22
  SPEAKER_00: It's not just how pretty a website is.
• 16:24
  SPEAKER_00: It's not just how many followers.
• 16:35
  SPEAKER_00: And you're probably thinking, Elaine, does this really work?
• 16:38
  SPEAKER_00: So I did this all the time when I was in also the nonprofit sector.
• 16:44
  SPEAKER_00: We had a million-dollar campaign to raise 200 plus student scholarships.
• 16:49
  SPEAKER_00: But before we went out to pitch and get donations, we spoke to our top donors and top community leaders asking for feedback on what were initiatives that were important to them to donate to.
• 17:01
  SPEAKER_00: Once we understood what were the initiatives and what were the messaging, then we started asking.
• 17:07
  SPEAKER_00: So that was in my nonprofit sector.
• 17:09
  SPEAKER_00: But like I said earlier, it's also in corporations with Apple, the iPhone, MacBooks, everything that we use, everything that we create.
• 17:19
  SPEAKER_00: So I know I said that I do this quarterly, figure out a cadence of how often you're going to do target market research.
• 17:27
  SPEAKER_00: You're probably thinking, but Elaine, how do I stay focused?
• 17:31
  SPEAKER_00: How do I make sure I don't get caught up in the goldy, shiny object syndrome?
• 17:36
  SPEAKER_00: That is why every week I track my numbers.
• 17:40
  SPEAKER_00: I have something called generational wealth dates.
• 17:43
  SPEAKER_00: I do it every Monday, actually, while I'm recording this, it's a Monday.
• 17:48
  SPEAKER_00: And it's where I put myself in the mood because, you know, people put themselves in the mood when they're about to go take a bath or, you know, when it's that time with your partner.
• 17:58
  SPEAKER_00: But if we put ourselves in the mood, and what I mean by that is making a fun ritual, playing music, putting a candle, Palo Santo, money's intimate.
• 18:09
  SPEAKER_00: Do it the same way.
• 18:11
  SPEAKER_00: And so, yes, I want you to look at your numbers, look at your money, but it doesn't have to be so scary.
• 18:17
  SPEAKER_00: So, what I do to put myself in a mood is I play a Spotify playlist that my boyfriend put together for me.
• 18:25
  SPEAKER_00: It's called Mr.
• 18:27
  SPEAKER_00: Bear's Budget Bangers.
• 18:28
  SPEAKER_00: It's basically all the 90s and 2000s hip-hop.
• 18:31
  SPEAKER_00: The reason why it's called Mr.
• 18:32
  SPEAKER_00: Bear is because I've had this stuffed polar bear since I was born called Mr.
• 18:38
  SPEAKER_00: Bear.
• 18:39
  SPEAKER_00: And when the pandemic hit, we called Mr.
• 18:42
  SPEAKER_00: Bear CBO or Chief Budget Officer.
• 18:44
  SPEAKER_00: So, yes, my Spotify playlist is named after my stuffed polar bear.
• 18:50
  SPEAKER_00: Don't judge.
• 18:51
  SPEAKER_00: Or judge, that's fine.
• 18:52
  SPEAKER_00: Don't care.
• 18:53
  SPEAKER_00: So, anyways, I will make sure to put that in the show notes, or you could just find the Spotify playlist just searching for it.
• 19:00
  SPEAKER_00: So I play that playlist.
• 19:04
  SPEAKER_00: And also to put myself in the mood, I put a candle, like a prosperity candle out.
• 19:09
  SPEAKER_00: I also look, I'm actually, if you're watching me in video, I'm actually looking, but there's also a family altar.
• 19:15
  SPEAKER_00: There's a picture of me with my two grandmothers.
• 19:18
  SPEAKER_00: So it's honoring them.
• 19:20
  SPEAKER_00: So I want you to think of what you can do to put yourself in the mood.
• 19:23
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe it's not listening to my playlist.
• 19:25
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you want to listen to something more soothing for yourself, right?
• 19:29
  SPEAKER_00: And so you're probably asking, what numbers, Elaine, do you look at?
• 19:33
  SPEAKER_00: I look at everything.
• 19:35
  SPEAKER_00: Where are my clients coming from?
• 19:36
  SPEAKER_00: Like I said, it's January 31st, 2022.
• 19:39
  SPEAKER_00: Right now it's 25% referral, 75% renewal.
• 19:43
  SPEAKER_00: So what do I do with those two numbers?
• 19:46
  SPEAKER_00: That tells me I need to continue focusing on that with my referrals and renewals, which means give the best client service to my clients, which means do target market research and ask for feedback.
• 19:58
  SPEAKER_00: Also, I track everything in marketing.
• 20:01
  SPEAKER_00: Shout out to my amazing marketing strategist as well as client, Monica Schrock.
• 20:06
  SPEAKER_00: We look at email open rates because I just started this podcast, podcast reviews, call conversions.
• 20:12
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not really looking so much on social media because I'm not reliant on it.
• 20:16
  SPEAKER_00: But if you do use social media, you could track likes, comments.
• 20:21
  SPEAKER_00: But here's the thing that people forget: track the conversion.
• 20:25
  SPEAKER_00: And also, whatever platform you use, whether it's social media, email marketing, podcasting, what are the topics people love reading about from you?
• 20:35
  SPEAKER_00: And if you're thinking, Elaine, I don't have time to track all of that stuff.
• 20:39
  SPEAKER_00: But the reality is, is you probably don't think it's fun.
• 20:42
  SPEAKER_00: I want to tell you why tracking numbers, looking at everything is so important.
• 20:46
  SPEAKER_00: When I first started my business, I quickly got into 55k in debt.
• 20:51
  SPEAKER_00: I put everything in a credit card.
• 20:53
  SPEAKER_00: And it wasn't like I was out there doing shopping spree.
• 20:56
  SPEAKER_00: I was just investing in my business.
• 20:58
  SPEAKER_00: And this is my thinking.
• 21:00
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, I love my business so much.
• 21:02
  SPEAKER_00: It's coming from my heart.
• 21:03
  SPEAKER_00: So if I work so hard, the money is just gonna come back to me.
• 21:07
  SPEAKER_00: And I just realized, you know, yes, money is spiritual, but in order for money to come to you abundantly, you need to look at it.
• 21:16
  SPEAKER_00: And what you measure manifest.
• 21:19
  SPEAKER_00: The word money comes from the word current, like water, currency.
• 21:24
  SPEAKER_00: Money is supposed to move.
• 21:26
  SPEAKER_00: And how I got out of 55k in debt, I mean, my boyfriend and I got into serious talk, he was like, you should look at your debt.
• 21:35
  SPEAKER_00: And I looked at it and I realized I'm not even paying off the balance.
• 21:39
  SPEAKER_00: So then I got a loan to pay my whole debt off, and then I paid that off monthly.
• 21:44
  SPEAKER_00: But it wasn't until I looked at it.
• 21:46
  SPEAKER_00: And I think I waited like a year to finally look at my debt.
• 21:51
  SPEAKER_00: And now I look at it weekly.
• 21:52
  SPEAKER_00: And remember, the number that you may look, it doesn't define you.
• 21:57
  SPEAKER_00: And if it's a number that is scary, it just Remember, it's just a reflection of the past.
• 22:01
  SPEAKER_00: That means if you didn't do anything in the future, it's just what it is now, and you can change it with actions that you're going to create.
• 22:11
  SPEAKER_00: The number that you see that you are tracking, it doesn't define you.
• 22:15
  SPEAKER_00: This is showcasing where you're at and how you can improve.
• 22:19
  SPEAKER_00: But I just figured it's really important to talk about this.
• 22:22
  SPEAKER_00: So let's go back in a nutshell.
• 22:25
  SPEAKER_00: How do you make sure you don't copy everyone else?
• 22:28
  SPEAKER_00: One, remind yourself of why you're doing this and who are your ideal clients.
• 22:35
  SPEAKER_00: Two, focus on your client service.
• 22:38
  SPEAKER_00: Ask your clients' feedback on how you can make your services and her products better.
• 22:43
  SPEAKER_00: Also ask how they retain information.
• 22:46
  SPEAKER_00: I will share with all of you how I used social media or marketing before.
• 22:51
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, it was always high referrals, but I was using Facebook and then I got over creating a Facebook group.
• 22:57
  SPEAKER_00: Then I used Instagram and then I got over Instagram.
• 23:01
  SPEAKER_00: And now I'm doing podcasting, writing emails, which I am loving doing.
• 23:06
  SPEAKER_00: It's more doing this is so much more intimate and fun for me.
• 23:13
  SPEAKER_00: I feel like my audience is getting to know me and my community more.
• 23:17
  SPEAKER_00: And I get to know you more.
• 23:20
  SPEAKER_00: So be sure to email me at ilianlu at alianlu.com.
• 23:23
  SPEAKER_00: Let me know what else you want to hear from this podcast or any feedback you have for me.
• 23:27
  SPEAKER_00: See what I did there?
• 23:28
  SPEAKER_00: See what I did there?
• 23:30
  SPEAKER_00: I asked you to give me feedback.
• 23:33
  SPEAKER_00: And going back to the third thing is track your numbers because what you measure manifests.
• 23:41
  SPEAKER_00: It's so easy to get caught up in the trends to see some real that has so many likes and comments, and thinking, okay, I need to follow the strategy that was shared there.
• 23:54
  SPEAKER_00: But it goes back to who are you serving and what's the best way to serve them?
• 24:01
  SPEAKER_00: So you can't end an episode without two things.
• 24:05
  SPEAKER_00: One, a reflective question.
• 24:08
  SPEAKER_00: And two, your action.
• 24:10
  SPEAKER_00: So your reflective question: who are your ideal clients?
• 24:13
  SPEAKER_00: Take a pen and paper out.
• 24:14
  SPEAKER_00: Who are they?
• 24:15
  SPEAKER_00: Describe them.
• 24:16
  SPEAKER_00: And then think of two or three people that you want to reach out to.
• 24:19
  SPEAKER_00: Your action, go do a target market call with them, ask for feedback.
• 24:24
  SPEAKER_00: They're going to give you so many answers that you should listen to, versus what some post said you should do that went viral because of an algorithm.
• 24:39
  SPEAKER_00: I am always focused on doing what's best for my clients.
• 24:43
  SPEAKER_00: I am client-centered.
• 24:45
  SPEAKER_00: And I hope you do the same too.
• 24:47
  SPEAKER_00: That's what will help you get out of the goldy, shiny object syndrome.
• 24:51
  SPEAKER_00: And if you're wondering if this process works, I do this process, like I said earlier, once a quarter.
• 24:58
  SPEAKER_00: And it's what I make my clients do when they're considering creating a new service or improving a service.
• 25:04
  SPEAKER_00: There's a reason why, as of like I said, the end of this month, January 31st, 75% of our revenue has come from renewals and 25% referrals.
• 25:18
  SPEAKER_00: Because I focus on client service and consistently ask for feedback.
• 25:23
  SPEAKER_00: So I hope you got plenty from this episode.
• 25:27
  SPEAKER_00: And don't forget to call your dreams too.
• 25:30
  SPEAKER_00: Create your legacy.
• 25:49
  SPEAKER_00: Want more?
• 25:50
  SPEAKER_00: You can find all of the links and information mentioned in this episode in the show notes on my website, ElaineLew.com slash podcast.
• 25:59
  SPEAKER_00: All right, legacy maker.
• 26:01
  SPEAKER_00: I'll see you next Thursday for our newest episode.
• 26:04
  SPEAKER_00: Remember to call your dreams to create your legacy.