Simplify and Focus

This year I am truly committed to simplifying and focusing when it comes to my business. Because of that, I have had to cut several revenue streams to better focus on the ones that make the most sense for me and my team. One of the revenue streams I recently let go of was my BeachBody partnership. While that was an incredibly challenging decision for me, it was absolutely the right one, and we are happy to be moving forward in 2017.

The History

About two and a half years ago, I partnered with BeachBody because I was looking for a residual income stream that made sense for my business. Because I was doing mostly in-person training, BeachBody was a perfect fit. Many of my clients were already using Shakeology and the workouts were a great supplement to what my clients and I were doing in the gym. I also saw this partnership as a natural fit for growing my business mentorship program. While most of the professionals I worked with were already certified in the health and wellness industry, I occasionally had someone come along with a passion for helping others get healthy, but who lacked formal training. Partnering with BeachBody gave me something to offer those clients as an opportunity and means to coach others towards healthier lifestyles, while earning an income and contributing to their family’s bottom line.

When my partnership with BeachBody began, I decided to focus my energy on building a significant residual income stream, and ended up scaling a pretty large team. Through that team, I met some absolutely amazing people, whose relationships I truly cherish.  That’s what kept me going for so long. I was also able to build my monthly revenue up to $8000 per month, which was certainly something to consider when ending that partnership.

While I was able to build a significant income, I felt like the needs of my team were changing. There were some members of my team who were incredibly passionate about becoming a rockstar BeachBody coach. While I think there is absolutely nothing wrong with that, my passion for coaching just did not lie there. BeachBody was never going to be my main thing, and I regularly struggled with the backend aspects of running a large MLM team. I felt like I could not meet the needs of my teammates who wanted to make BeachBody their main thing, and wanted to ensure they were getting the tools they needed to be successful.

Simply and Focus

In addition to the changing needs of my team, I felt a strong need to simplify and focus my business efforts. At one point during 2016, I had 13 streams of revenue listed on my financial spreadsheet. I knew that things needed to go, and I ended up cutting 10 of those 13 revenue streams over the last 6 months. While some were easier than others to let go of, it was clear to me and to the rest of my team that we needed to focus on what we are both passionate about and what we are exceptional at. BeachBody just didn’t fall into that category, so I knew it was time to let it go.

I still think BeachBody has a lot to offer through its products and still absolutely love the community. However, I think I am better suited to help BeachBody coaches build a beautiful website, write an effective sales funnel, or use social media marketing in an effective way, than I am to help someone reach the upper levels in the BeachBody organization.

Obviously, we were nervous about replacing that monthly income, but have been able to really pour our time and energy into our 3 biggest revenue streams, and have had record months since! I have been able to spend time perfecting my FASTer Way To Fat Loss program, which is what I am truly passionate about, and have been able to deliver incredible service to my Business Mentorship and Agency Side clients.

By saying no to things that weren’t really in my lane, I have been able to say yes to things that should be MY main things. Because of that, our business has only grown, and I have been considerably less stressed!

BeachBody coaches will always be special to me and I look forward to serving them in a new capacity moving forward. I am also incredibly excited about being able focus on growing my already successful FASTer Way to Fat Loss program, and continuing to understand and satisfy the needs of female entrepreneurs through the Agency Side and My Business Mentorship Program.

If you are someone working hard to build a profitable, scalable, online business and would like to be considered for either my business mentorship program or are interested in Agency Side services, I would love to set up a free consult call with you. I only work with women who are truly motivated to earn significant income to be able to give back to family, church and community. So, if you are serious about taking your business to the next level, let’s talk! My Business Mentorship Program is the first step and will bring you incredible value as you seek to move your business forward in 2017.

Sign up for a consult call here!

Client Spotlight: Ashley Wiseman

Happy New Year!

I am incredibly excited about all that is in store for 2017, and can’t wait to see the ways my clients help change the lives of their clients in the coming months. I am very selective about the women I work with, because time is a valuable commodity and I want to ensure I am spending mine with women who are going to hustle to earn significant income to recirculate back into family, church and community.

Today’s featured client is someone I have had the privilege of working with for the last year. She is incredibly knowledgeable about nutrition and exercise and has been able to get incredible results for her clients.

Ashley is a wife, mother of two, personal trainer and group fitness instructor. Her own struggle with an eating disorder, depression, and anxiety, helped her develop a passion to help other women find balance, love themselves, and live with joy. Her mission is to help women find and fulfill their purpose with the foundation of a healthy lifestyle.

Ashley has successfully grown her online business and runs several bootcamps throughout the year. In addition, she regularly puts out helpful content on her blog and through her live videos.

Here’s what Ashley had to say about working with my team:

"Amanda and her team have pushed me and motivated me to do more in my business than I ever thought possible. They have challenged me to dream big and then have guided me to take the steps to make the dreams happen. Their expertise in marketing, sales, web design, and more have exceeded my expectations. Over the course of a year, I was able to exponentially increase my income, and in return, give back more generously to my family, church, and community -- all of which was very much due to the help of Amanda and her team."

You can find Ashley on:

Instagram

Facebook

Her Website

Ashley is a fellow carb cycler and is running a phenomenal program that begins on the 9th of January called Get Your Sexy Back!

Ashley is building her business on the foundation of exceptional programming and real results for her clients. She has some big dreams for this year and the work ethic to pull them off! Keep an eye on her friends, this girl is the real deal!

Getting Seen on Social Media

The other day I was completely floored when a lifer of mine emailed me, letting me know that she hadn’t seen anything about my upcoming bootcamp and wanted to know when it started. This is someone who I have been friends with for years and has done several programs of mine. I was shocked, because I couldn’t believe she hadn’t seen anything I’ve posted on Instagram and Facebook. Here I was in my own little world, worried about annoying my Instagram followers, when real life friends of mine weren’t even seeing my posts.

It drove home this one very important point: you truly CANNOT promote too much! The algorithms across social media platforms are always changing and can’t be completely predicted. In addition, no one is going to toot your own horn for you. If you truly have a great program, product or service to offer, then you are going to have to be the one to get it out there to the masses. No one is checking your page every day to see what you are posting. It is no longer sufficient enough to post things once or twice and call it a day.

Instead, you need to prioritize the following:

Individual Outreach

Send out personal messages to friends and acquaintances about your upcoming programs. Do not assume they already know about those programs. Let them know you are thinking about them and that your upcoming program would be a perfect fit! Most people are so thankful that you thought of them and are more than willing to consider your program. At the very worst, they say no. You have very little to lose!

Live Video

Live video continues to do well in the algorithms, so it is important to spend some time there sharing valuable content and ending with a call to action!

Email Newsletters

The key to email newsletters is frequency and recency. You need to be sending your emails regularly and multiple times per week for them to be seen in people’s inboxes. As you send more regularly, you will see more click throughs and an improved open rate.

Valuable Free Resources

For fitness professionals this is particularly important as we are living in a freemium economy. There is so much out there for free these days that your free offers have to have significant value in order to entice people to sign up. This is truly a place where the more value you provide for free, the more likely you are to draw in the right type of leads. I recommend you create your freemiums in a way that shares the why and the what, and leave your paid products and programs to share the how. This will let readers know why and what they need, and then give you an open door to provide that for them.

Focusing on these strategies in 2017 will increase interest around your products and services in a way that just can’t be done with a Facebook post here and there. People are not seeing your stuff as often as you feel like they might be, so don’t worry about being annoying or obnoxious. Post often and invest your time in individual outreach, live video, email newsletters and creating valuable free resources.

Noisy Marketplace

If you are a fellow personal trainer, health coach, small business owner or entrepreneur, then you know that engagement across most social media platforms has gone down over the past few months. It’s hard to get seen, even by your friends. Our niche market is being hit by so many ads, and so much content, it can be hard to cut through the clutter.

If you’re like me, you’ve been a little discouraged, maybe even frustrated by the ROI and lack of engagement with Instagram, Facebook, and even strategic emails. However, even in the current landscape, I’ve been able to get 250 women signed up for my January bootcamp, so there are a few things that are working to cut through the clutter.

Referral marketing.

My business literally blew up because of a few affiliates who are willing to join me in ending the trend of obesity. I offer anyone who goes through my program the opportunity to earn a generous commission on every referral they make. This has literally brought me hundreds of new paying clients in a matter of months.  

Another way to leverage affiliates is to reach out to micro-influencers. Consider those in complementary industries who would not be offering a similar program to yours, and ask them to share your early stage offer. Let them know that you have free content that might be helpful to their audience and see if they might be willing to point their followers in your direction.

Use Testimonials Consistently Across Your Platforms.

I wrote a post the other day about using feedback forms. One of the most important pieces of a feedback form is the testimonial. These are important because people want concrete evidence that your program has enhanced other people’s lives. Post testimonials often on all of your platforms.

Post Lead Generators Often

Lately, I have been able to add qualified leads to my list by posting lead generators multiple times per day. On Instagram I have seen more success with the raw, unpolished pictures in terms of growing my list and actual sales.

Emails

I have seen success lately sending out three emails per week; two with a soft sell and one with a more direct call to action. Using email to offer valuable content and then plugging your highly effective program is a simple way to leverage your list and cut through the noise. Make sure that you are offering your subscribers regular, practical information they can use, and weave your offerings into that information in a natural, non-spammy kind of way.

Instagram Live

If you have Instagram live then you need to use it. This is a powerful tool for getting into people’s feeds. Recently, I have not only had great engagement here, but have actually been able to make sales during my live videos. Live video is particularly important among millennials who want to see the raw, behind the scenes footage of your real life.

The market is noisy, but there are ways to cut through the clutter. If you are consistent in posting lead generators and testimonials, send out strategic emails, utilize live video and set up a structured affiliate program, you will be able to reach your ideal clients and bring them into your paid programs.

Why You Need to Use Client Feedback Forms

Over the years, I have learned the value of a good client feedback form. If you’re a personal trainer or health coach that runs online programs, then utilizing this tool well will help you both improve and grow your online programs.

I know that client feedback forms can be a little scary, like you are putting yourself out there for a barrage of negativity, but they are truly crucial. If you’ve created a program you truly believe in, you will get positive responses back. If your responses aren’t positive, then you know you’ve got to go back to the drawing board and create a better program.

I send out client feedback forms mid-way through and at the end of each of my bootcamps. Ninety-nine point nine percent of the time, the feedback is positive. In fact, my latest feedback form has over 330 responses, only one of which was negative. But you better believe that the one negative response took way more of my focus than the 329 positive ones.

What to do with a negative response.

When I do get a negative response to my online bootcamp, I always do my very best to think through whether there was anything on my end that could have been done differently. If there was, then I do my best to make things right for my client.

If there isn’t anything wrong on my end, then I consider whether the person actually followed the program as it was designed. I also consider whether there are any outside factors that could be skewing results in terms of life circumstances. After I’ve done a full assessment, I always reach out to that client personally to let them know I saw their feedback form and have taken their responses seriously. I let them know any recommendations I have, ask questions to get more info, and do my best to ensure they feel heard. If a client asks for a refund, I always stand behind my money back guarantee and provide them with one, even if I know the problem wasn’t on my end….ouch is right, that’s a hard pill to swallow!

What to do with positive feedback.

Those that have seen a good bit of success from your online programs have a lot to offer in terms of feedback. I always ask my clients what their favorite part of the program was, and their suggestions to improve future programs. This is the information I use to continue to add value to my online bootcamps. For the FASTer Way to Fat Loss program beginning in January, I have created an incredibly valuable comprehensive guide that clients will be able to use as a reference throughout the program. This is a direct result of client feedback.

Affiliates and Referrals

One thing I have recently added to my client feedback form is a question that asks whether clients would like to join my affiliate program. I include the compensation rate for becoming an affiliate, and have been blown away by the number of women who are interested. In addition, I have another question that asks participants how likely they are to refer a friend to this program in the future. My goal is to have at least 80% of participants answer that they are highly likely to share this program with friends, because that means they are truly satisfied with their results. Not to mention that a ton of clients in the fitness industry come through referrals, so I know that this is a powerful business building metric.

My feedback forms are usually pretty short, so they are easy for clients to fill out. On each form, I am sure to ask clients to leave a testimonial for me to use across my social media platforms. Future clients want to know that your program has had a positive effect on a real person just like them; client testimonials allow you to provide them with that. Be sure to include this on all of your client feedback forms.

A few other things to keep in mind...

In the online space, it’s easy to live in your own world and lose touch with clients. If you have a successful program, then it’s easy to grow complacent and phone it in most of the time. Client feedback forms help you continue to improve, force you to address pain-points and make you an extreme value provider. That is truly the foundation to growing a successful business, long term.

Create an encouragement file…

Take some of your testimonials from each feedback form and add them to an encouragement file. Pull this out on days when you need a little positivity, or when you feel like calling it quits. Even though the negative voices are always the loudest, a file like this can make the positive voices more powerful as you move forward.

If you haven’t been using client feedback forms, it’s time to put those big girl panties on and be brave, friends. It is truly a powerful tool to improve and grow your online fitness, health and wellness programs.

Client Spotlight: Jenny Mire

As you know, Monday’s are all about my amazing clients and their incredible businesses. This week, I am thrilled to introduce you to Jenny Mire. Jenny’s got some serious hustle going on with her gym 7B in Idaho, and her thriving online fitness business. In addition to juggling all of that, Jenny is a wife and a mother to three beautiful daughters.

Jenny started her health journey after having her third daughter. She was tired of being overweight and wanted to make a positive change so that she could actively be present with her daughters. She started lifting weights and doing some research on nutrition. As she began to transform her own body, others took note and decided to join her. Jenny’s passion for encouraging other women to pursue their own health motivated her to become a personal trainer and buy a gym with her husband.

Jenny offers in person training to those who live in her area, and does individual VIP training online. In addition, Jenny runs online group programs using an If It Fits Your Macros (IIFYM) and Carb Cycling approach...she’s a girl after my own heart. She is a total fashionista who isn’t afraid to lift heavy while rocking the perfect lip color!

Here’s what Jenny had to say about working with the Agency Side for both Strategy and Design:

"I was very hesitant to begin working with a mentor but I was at the point in my business of not knowing what to do next. My goal was to grow my online personal training services but I was stuck. I met Amanda through Instagram and had my first consultation with her about a year and a half ago. Since working with her, my business has over tripled in revenue each month! Amanda and The Agency Side continue to push me and guide me in ways I didn't know were possible. I have been so pleased with the deliverables that they present me each month to help further my business which let me focus on what I am good at - being a personal trainer! This investment in my business was one of the best business decisions I have made. I would highly recommend working with Amanda Tress and her team at The Agency Side!"

Jenny is committed to helping women experience the same life change she has, and does so with an amazingly positive attitude. She knows her stuff, grinds every day and is always looking to improve the lives of her incredibly loyal and growing clientele. Jenny has some incredible things in store for 2017, so be sure to follow her to both learn and be encouraged in your own health and wellness journey.

Where can we find you Jenny?

Instagram: @jennymirefitness

Website: http://jennymirefitness.com

Facebook: @jennymirefitness

Snapchat: @jennymirefit

Jenny’s got a Carb Cycling Bootcamp starting in January and a FREE guide to understanding If It Fits Your Macros (IIFYM) that you can download here.

Why I Delete Some of My Videos

Recently, I was told that I use my hands too much while doing live Facebook videos. What can I say, I am totally a hand talker. But, I did take the constructive criticism seriously because I truly want to provide exceptional value to those who are accessing my content. In fact, I have deleted several live videos after watching the replay if they didn’t seem organized or helpful enough.

Because I am truly committed to providing those who watch my videos with tons of value, I am quick to take down anything down that I don’t feel does those things well. I believe that it is not only extremely important to do my best to understand my ideal client’s pain points, but that it is equally important that I provide solutions to those pain points in a clear and easy to understand way.

If you are a female entrepreneur utilizing live video for your business, here are a couple of tips to ensure your videos are of the highest value to your ideal clients.

Take your role as an influencer seriously.

Whether you have 3 people watching, or 3000 people watching, you have been given influence over the lives of others. When people tune in to your live videos, or go back to watch a replay, they are giving you one of their most valuable commodities: their attention. While you have it, it is so important you are providing them with solid information that is practical, valuable and extremely helpful in addressing their pain points. Be sure to consider your viewer’s needs instead of focusing on your own ROI. When you focus on helping others, they will see the value you provide and you will see ROI. Don’t make that your focus though, allow helping others to be your main priority when doing live video.

Pre-plan your videos.

I literally have a script that I write out for each of my live videos. The ones that get deleted are the ones where my notes aren’t very thorough or well planned. I usually keep my notes up on my computer screen and have my phone propped up beside them while I’m recording. I am sure to introduce myself in each video, address the general topic I will be discussing, and then provide my viewers with some practical tips they can begin implementing or some small steps they can take once the video is over. You can never plan too much, so do the work beforehand to ensure that your videos are professional and packed with value. I highly recommend that you not hit the “Go Live” button without a game plan. This leads to rambling, distractions and getting off track.

I truly believe that live video is an absolute game changer in today’s online world. You don’t need to be a professional speaker with formal training to do a good job utilizing this platform. With a little intentionality, planning, and a focus on what your ideal client needs, the sky is truly the limit for you in 2017. So, don’t be afraid to hop onto live video and begin getting some great value out into your warm market. However, it is important that you make every effort you possibly can to ensure you are providing value to those investing their time to watch your broadcasts in a clear and concise way.

Facebook Ads Are Not a Magic Pill

Recently, I’ve gotten a few requests from business owners who want help with Facebook ads. As I dig a bit more into what they are really looking for, I hear a lot of the same things:

• “I have a phenomenal program, but need to get it out to my cold market.”
• “I’ve been posting regularly on social media, which is wearing out my warm market.”
• “I need something that will widen my reach, and bring in leads.”
• “I basically just need help creating Facebook ads and all of my problems will be solved!”

Of course, the Agency Side is more than happy to help with Facebook ads, but I am very specific about how Facebook ads fit into a wider online marketing strategy. What I often find with clients who come to me only seeking help in this one area is that they don’t actually have effective sales funnels in place. They don’t have any real marketing strategy and they are looking for a magic bullet.

Here’s the thing, because of Black Friday and the flood of promotions on Facebook recently, ads aren’t seeing the same ROI as they had been a few months ago. While a well done ad can bring in plenty of leads, lately it has been harder and harder to get ads approved. The ones that are approved are not going quite as far as they used to. In fact, my last ad’s budget wasn’t completely utilized, because Facebook doesn’t have the real estate to run ads in a cold market that makes sense for me.

Facebook ads are not going to do all of the work for you. You’ve got to focus on some other strategies and systems first. Then you can use Facebook ads to bring people through your funnel.

Instead of pouring time and money into Facebook ads, I am strongly advising my clients to focus on getting leads through referrals and word of mouth.  This means, I am asking my clients to build exceptional programs that get results, then create structured affiliate programs to get out into their cold market.

Building an effective affiliate program requires:

A program that is extremely effective and gets clients results.

Before building an affiliate program, you have to spend time and energy making sure your services, products and offerings are more than exceptional. You need to create programs that get results. Without this as your foundation, people will come through your programs and leave without any desire to return. If your programs bring about true life transformation, people will be willing to sing your praises to all of their family and friends. Those family and friends will be far more likely to sign up for something that someone they know and love is raving about, than they will be to sign up for something they see on Facebook. If your programs change people’s lives, they will shout it from the rooftops and grow your business for you!

A structured affiliate program.

Once you’ve got an amazing program in place, with some die-hard clients, you need to create a structured way to incentivize them sharing with their friends and family. Make it worth their time by compensating them generously for their referrals. Not only will this bring more people into your programs, this will reward those who have been loyal to you. I have a very specific process I use for this through Leadpages. If you are interested in learning more about that, check out my Business Accelerator program. However there are plenty of ways to effectively set up an affiliate program. Do some of your own research. Set up something that is easy to use and clear cut for both you and your affiliates.

Reaching out to influencers.

This is not directly related to affiliates, but is another way to break into your cold market. Look for someone who has a following that is similar to your niche market. This doesn’t necessarily have to be someone who has 10,000 followers. It could be a micro-influencer: someone who has a smaller, but loyal following. Reach out to them, letting them know about your free content, and how it may be beneficial to their audience. If they are willing to share that on their social media platforms, that gets you in front of an entirely new audience, while providing value for their followers. If you bring those people through a well thought out, tight marketing funnel, you can turn these leads into your warm market, eventually converting some into clients and affiliates. I did this with an influencer recently and it brought in close to 700 leads to my email list. Do not be afraid to reach out and share your value with influencers. The worst they can do is say no, or not reply. At best, you get your brand in front of a completely new audience that is more likely to listen to an influencer they know and love, than they are to click on a Facebook ad.

Facebook ads can absolutely bring in results, but they are not a stand alone solution to all of your marketing needs. You’ve got to be willing to put in significant time building an effective program so that your current clients see amazing transformations. If you do that, you will easily be able to leverage an affiliate program to grow your business in 2017. I absolutely believe this is going to be a critical strategy for female entrepreneurs in the online space. Instead of spending your time and money on Facebook ads, make sure you have a firm foundation in place: a strong comprehensive marketing plan, a dialed in sales funnel and an amazing product. Then, we can chat about getting some Facebook ads out there for you!

Client Spotlight: Carissa Carlson

While most of the women I work with are in the health and wellness field, I have a few that come from other industries. One of my absolute favorites to work with is my sassy photographer friend Cyrissa. Outside of being an incredibly talented photographer, Cyrissa is committed to helping other photographers grow their businesses through her social media courses and mentoring programs.

Cyrissa is extremely knowledgeable about leveraging social media and live video to grow your business. Her live videos are packed with practical information that is easily implemented. They are also full of a little spunk and lots of fun!I am sure you are going to love getting to know this lady.

Here’s a little background on Cyrissa:

Cyrissa is a southern Ohio based photographer and business coach. She takes amazing photos, creates online workshops, mentors other photographers and speaks at various conferences and events throughout the year. She is a wife, mom, artist and teacher at heart; she spent years teaching art to elementary students. While she’s left the physical classroom, she continues to educate photographers all over the world to make informed, intentional decisions about their businesses.

Cyrissa is a dreamer who loves all things pink and sparkly. Her energy is truly contagious, and her joy is obvious. She also has a bit of a love affair with chips and salsa, and wine and cheese. That covers a few macros, right?

Cyrissa, how has working with Amanda and her team helped you grow your business?

Working with Amanda has been a very strategic decision and investment for my business.  When I originally met her, I was taking photos for her to use on the new website.  After chatting with her, I quickly realized that this relationship was one that I needed to grow and develop.  If your business, even a successful one, needs some fine-tuning and a swift kick-in-the-pants, Amanda is the one to help you make it happen!  I'm been nothing but pleased with my experience!

What is one recent win we can celebrate with you?

While I had several fabulous online workshops and a strong online photography community, I didn't have an effective strategy for growing and scaling my business.  Amanda has helped me realize the areas in which I was lacking. Through her mentoring, she has helped and inspired me to develop a robust sales funnel that better meets the needs of my clients AND provides for my family.

Where can we find you?

Website: Immerseworkshops.com

Instagram: @sparklesociety

Facebook: @Sparklesociety

Cyrissa has some amazing deals going on until the end of the year. If you are a photographer, check out her courses here. They will undoubtedly help you take your business to the next level. If you aren’t following Cyrissa yet, then I recommend you do so. This lady is going to do big things in 2017, and that means tons of value coming your way!

Things that Stand in the Way of Success

Coaching women to effectively build and scale their online businesses over the years, I have seen a trend in some of the things that hold them back from truly reaching success. Because I choose to work with clients who truly have significant value to offer their own clients, I want to see them be successful and help those they work with. However, these common issues can hold them back from truly seeing that success.

Technology problems.

Many female entrepreneurs have solid, effective programs and services, but don’t put them out there because they feel like they don’t have the technology know-how to make the program perfect. If you are worried about the technology side of things, you have options. You can lean on a team like The Agency Side for things like that, or you can bootstrap projects yourself. In this instance, done is truly better than perfect. So put something together, gather a test group and start helping people meet their goals. As you get further along into your business, you can learn more or hire out when it comes to technology. Find someone who knows how to help you or put something simple together, then get out there and make people’s lives better.

Insecurity with individual outreach.

Sometimes I see clients who are afraid to reach out to individuals because they don’t want to seem salesy and slimy. Because network marketing is so prevalent on the web, this has become a real minefield. However, there is a way to reach out to individuals that is genuine and has their best interest in mind. An influencer who is willing to share your lead magnet with their audience, can bring in loads of qualified leads, that will eventually turn into your warm market. Without some individual outreach, you won’t be able to grow your warm market. And remember, if you are providing value, people won’t have a problem with signing up for an email list, or hearing about your offerings. So, be confident and reach out!

On a side note, if you are partnered with a network marketing organization, be sure you are adding value to those you are reaching out to, and not just looking for a sale. This makes the web a friendlier place for everyone.

Fear of lack of credibility.

Credibility is extremely important in today’s market, but the women I work with already have more than enough credibility to be out there serving clients. What’s sad is that there are so many out there with no background or training, offering all kinds of info and charging thousands for products, courses and coaching that are not actually going to help anyone. While there will always be someone out there who is smarter than you, you are more than equipped to help people with good programming and quality products. The key is to surround yourself with people who are more knowledgeable than you so that when you don’t know the answers, you have some place to go. You don’t have to buy the next online class, or spend tons of money on getting more prepared. You just need to start, and then surround yourself with people who have more experience and who are a few steps ahead of you. This way, you can use your knowledge as a base to serve clients, and you can continue to learn and grow by doing your own professional development and learning from those around you. Don’t let the fear of lack of credibility stand in the way of forward motion in your business.

If you are a female entrepreneur, specifically in the wellness industry, don’t let the fear of technology, individual outreach or lack of credibility keep you from truly growing your business. Go out there confidently, believing in your ability to deliver and the effectiveness of your product. Focus on providing value, outsource where you can, and remember that done is better than perfect.

Stop Trading Time for Money

I have said this several times before, but it is truly something I am passionate about: my goal is to equip and empower female entrepreneurs to accumulate significant income that they can re-circulate back into family, church and community. I absolutely believe that this is the way change in the world is going to occur.

Because of my mission, I am committed to helping women stop trading their time for money and begin to focus on scalable revenue streams. For me, this looked like trading my in-person, one-on-one personal training sessions for my online bootcamps that meet the needs of hundreds of women at a time. Building scalable revenue will not only lead to greater financial success, but it allows you to help more people with your program and services.

Often, entrepreneurs like myself have so many ideas that they don’t know what to do with them all. While this can lead to several revenue streams, it can also lead to too many revenue streams. Too many revenue streams can easily keep you distracted from pouring into the most profitable revenue streams for your business. That’s why a large part of my business coaching focuses on helping clients cast a vision for their business, set specific financial goals, and put plans in place to meet those goals.

I truly believe that we are surrounded by data but starved for insight. We need to look at what the numbers are telling us and begin to make informed decisions.

Here are a few steps you can take to build a profitable business model in 2017:

Assess and iterate.

Look at your current streams of revenue and ask yourself what is scalable and what is truly profitable. The programs, services and products that are scalable and profitable are where you need to focus your time and energy in 2017.

Understand your money mindset.

First, do you have specific income goals for your business? If not, you have to believe in your product and services enough to start requiring them to perform. The only way to do that is to set a specific financial goal. However, the goal you set is likely going to be the goal you reach. If you think small, you are going to see small returns. If you think big, you will see big returns. And, I don’t mean this in a frufru, manifesting kind of way. I do, however, mean that setting a big financial goal and then reverse engineering exactly what it will take to reach that goal, is extremely important to growing a successful business. The bigger the goal, the more you will need to look for ways to create scalable products and services, because you will simply run out of time otherwise. Many of you need to work on your money mindset in the year to come, because, the sky is truly the limit in terms of what can be earned through an intentional, focused business model.

Kill the darlings.

Once you’ve set your goal, it is time to kill some darlings. This is hard friends. For me, this meant stopping something I loved: training clients one-on-one. However, once you get rid of streams of income that are sucking attention away from the scalable and the profitable, you will begin to see huge returns. In addition, you’ve got to begin to focus on just a few things and quit jumping around in terms of offerings. Choose some viable, scalable revenue streams and stick with them, building them and improving them as you grow. Too many extremely qualified professionals jump around from project to project, never fully honing in on one thing. This is a recipe for disaster friends!

Take control of your business finances and be in the know.

The data is in the numbers. If you don’t know the numbers then you won’t be able to make informed, intentional decisions for your business. So many female entrepreneurs I meet don’t have a grasp on their business finances. It is critical you are updating and checking on your financial spreadsheet daily. It is critical you are able to see progress toward your financial goals. It is critical you know exactly where your money is coming from and where your money is going.

In addition, many business owners don’t intentionally invest their earnings. Instead, they spend what they earn. It is absolutely critical that you begin to learn about how to effectively invest your money, even when your business is small and in its beginning stages.

If you want to truly see exponential growth in your business, you are going to have to look at the data, kill some darlings and begin to focus on scalable income streams. This isn’t always easy, and might mean giving up some of the things you love. But ultimately, it will help you focus on what is really working for your business; allowing you to serve more people than you ever could previously, when you were trading time for money. If you cast your vision, set your goals, and put your plan in place, you will be amazed to see the growth in both your finances and influence over the coming year!

Client Spotlight: Sarah Cann

One reason I decided to coach female entrepreneurs is because I am truly committed to giving back to family, church and community. Research has shown that women are considerably more likely to recirculate their wealth into things that truly matter, which is why I have placed my focus there. Over the years, I have gotten to know so many strong, focused women, all of whom are truly making a mark on the world. Sarah Cann is one of those women and it has been an incredible privilege to work with her.

Sarah’s business has seen incredible growth in just 16 months and is built upon a foundation of excellent programming. She is a hard working mom, who makes no excuses; she gets things done.

I am sure you are going to love getting to know Sarah as much as I have!

Sarah is a certified personal trainer and nutrition consultant. Her passion for fitness grew after having her daughter, Mia, in 2011. As a way to challenge herself and lose her post-partum weight, Sarah decided to enter an NPC bikini competition. As she saw her own body transform, Sarah was compelled to empower other women to do the same. She started her in-person and online training business after earning her certifications, and has been growing it ever since.

Sarah runs online group programs, does one-on-one nutritional counseling, and creates individualized training plans for VIP clients. In addition, she has several programs you can purchase to do on your own, including: Strictly Barbell, Back to Fit, 30 Day Kickstart and 21 Day Shred.

Let’s chat with Sarah for a bit!

Sarah, how has working with Amanda and her team helped you grow your business?

Working with Amanda and her team has been wonderful!  I have learned long term strategies to successfully build my business over the last year and a half.  She and her team help me tremendously by taking care of the technology, design, & logistical side of my business.  This frees me up to focus my time on building relationships and serving my client’s needs.

What are some recent big wins you’ve experienced?

Many small businesses fail within the first year.  I am proud to say that I've built a success story in the first 16 months of my business.  I've been blessed to serve over 170 clients in 2016.  When I take a moment to think on that, my heart is so grateful.

What are you working on? What’s next for you?

The 30 Day Shred program has been my most successful online plan this year.  While all of my clients saw amazing results using this plan, I am thrilled to retire this program forever in 2016.  I say “thrilled" because I have developed a brand new plan for 2017.  The clients in my test groups got fantastic results!  I can't wait to share more details in these next few weeks!

Where can we find you?

Website: Sarah Cann Training

Instagram: @sarahcanntraining

Facebook: Sarah Cann Training

Be sure to check Sarah out! She is truly a rising star in the fitness industry and has big things ahead!

How I Grew My Online Bootcamp from 11 to over 300 in One Year

Through my Business Accelerator program, I work with several women running online fitness bootcamps.  Many of them will say things like, “I’ve just started my online bootcamps, and was only able to get 10 women signed up. I see how many are in your programs and don’t feel like I will ever get there.” Here’s the deal though: at this time last year, I ran a bootcamp with 11 women in it. I haven’t always had huge online fitness programs. However, over the last year, I’ve stepped up my marketing and programming and have seen huge returns on my investment. I currently have over 370 women in my online bootcamps, which is clearly significant growth from one year ago. While there is no magic pill to growth like this, with focus, intentionality and effective marketing, you can grow your online programs in the same way I have.

The one thing I encourage all fitness professionals in my programs to begin with, is an effective program. All of the marketing in the world will do you no good if you don’t have a program that works. I highly recommend you run a test group prior to any big launches. I ran a small test group last year, around this time. Throughout the duration of that group, I got daily feedback from the women going through my program. They gave me input on workouts, recipes and their results. I did one-on-one consults to get testimonials, and to tweek my program based on their feedback. That was an invaluable step to building what I believe to be the most effective fat loss program on the market today.

Once you’ve got your effective program together, you are going to need to dial in your marketing efforts. The single most important thing you can do to bring clients into your programs is use live video on a consistent basis. I did this throughout the year, and have seen tremendous results. Be sure to post several live videos showcasing client testimonials, your own results and calls to action. In addition, you will want to provide your followers with live video that has valuable content for them, while establishing you as an expert. This means that you won’t always be  selling on live video, but when you do, you will have already built trust with your audience.

This year I implemented an affiliate program that has grown my bootcamps exponentially. For those that have gone through my program and seen significant success, I offer them the opportunity to earn 50% for every referral they make to my programs. I truly believe in paying my affiliates well. Because of that, affiliates are more than willing to promote my programs, which gets me in front of entirely new audiences. If you have an outstanding program, and your clients have great results through that program, then it is absolutely worth your time to develop a strong affiliate program. In my Year Long Accelerator Program, I will be walking my clients through the specifics of setting up an affiliate program, and how to leverage affiliates to grow your online bootcamps.

Please know that it is normal, and okay to start small. Create excellent programs, tweak them based on client feedback so your programs bring clients maximum results. Utilize live video to connect with followers, letting them know about your programs and their success. Create a worthwhile affiliate program that will get you in front of new audiences. Continue to focus on solving your client’s pain points. Over time, with a lot of hustle and hard-work, you will see your programs grow. But, do not despise your small beginnings. Be faithful with the few who sign up for each program and intentional with your growth strategies. Over time you will be rocking bootcamps with hundreds of women who are committed to you and every program you offer!

Cutting through the Clutter with Your Online Marketing

If you’ve scrolled through Facebook or Instagram recently, you’ve probably noticed your feed is flooded with promotional posts. The use of these platforms for business purposes has significantly increased over the past couple of years, and I don’t foresee that slowing down anytime soon.

• How can you cut through that clutter as an entrepreneur and business owner?
• What actually works, and what gets passed over without a second glance?
• How can you be sure that people will see your posts and valuable content?

While there isn’t a perfect fix to promoting your products and services online, there are a few strategies that have proven effective, and a couple that have proven ineffective. Let me save you some time and share with you the tactics that are working and the tactics that are a complete waste of time!

What’s NOT Working

Static images with text on Facebook business pages

In the past you could create a great static poster with text and get a good response. However, that is no longer the case. The new algorithms on Facebook and Instagram have made these types of posts completely irrelevant. In fact, it is likely that no one will see them.

Google Ads

There is little to no return on investment with Google ads these days, so save your money and use it elsewhere! The price point is extremely high for what you get in return.

What IS Working

Facebook Ads

As of right now, Facebook ads are showing a good return on investment when you target them well. You can typically get a lot of bang for your buck with these, particularly on lead generators.

Facebook Live Video

Live Video has been extremely successful for both my business and my client’s businesses. Currently, the Facebook algorithm loves live video and prioritizes it over static images and posts with links. Facebook Live Videos can be done on both your personal page and your business page, Doing Facebook live videos from your business page will speak directly to your warm market. In addition, you can boost those videos for a relatively low cost, and bring in more qualified leads. Apart from live video and some valuable content, I don’t post anything else from my Facebook business page, because it simply won’t get seen.

Affiliate Programs

Affiliates are people who earn a percentage for their referrals to your products, services or programs. I recently started an affiliate program and have seen huge returns from it. Affiliate programs give you reach into areas you would not otherwise have reach. They get you in front of  entirely new audiences and give you immediate credibility: because that audience already trusts your affiliate. The other thing I love about affiliate programs is they help support people who have been loyal clients. There is nothing I love more than being able to run my business in a way that empowers other women to contribute to their family, church and community.

Influencer Shares to Build Your Email List

Influencer shares can be an effective way to grow your email list in a cluttered market. An influencer share is when someone with a significant following in your target market; shares your lead generator and points their followers to your business. A good way to utilize this strategy is to contact influencers with a similar market to yours and let them know about a valuable piece of content you’ve created (ebook, free challenge, etc) that you think might serve their audience well. If that influencer shares your freebie with their followers, you acquire new email sign ups, and can later share your paid programs with those email subscribers.

Lead Generators on Instagram

For the time being, posting a lead generator on Instagram is still working, although I do believe this is will be short lived. However, as of right now, this is still an effective way to grow your email list. I still use a personal Instagram account, as opposed to a business account, because I’ve found the engagement to be considerably higher that way. From now until the end of the year, I will be posting at least one lead generator to my Instagram account, daily.

Send Emails

Sending out emails is one of the best ways to cut through the clutter over the next few weeks. You do need to be careful with your email subjects, as gmail does have its own algorithm. However, a well crafted email can truly go a long way. It is important to regularly be providing your email lists with a good ratio of helpful content. You do not want to only send sales content. Currently,  I  send two emails per week that are not sales related, and one that is a direct call to action for a paid program. This way, people don’t get tired of my emails, and know they will find valuable content inside them.

Instagram Stories

I’ve already shared a good amount of information on Instagram stories, so I won’t belabor the point. Instagram stories are a phenomenal way to engage followers and build your know-like-trust factor.

Podcasts

I am kind of kicking myself for not following through on the podcast I had planned to start. However, if you’ve already started your own podcast, this is a phenomenal way to engage with a wider audience, while cutting through the clutter online. My recommendation for those that have not started a podcast is to do your best to be a guest on other podcasts that your target market listen to.

With all the noise we encounter each day in the online world, it is truly important the we focus our marketing efforts strategically.  We need to regularly solve our ideal client’s pain points, and offer them a consistent diet of extremely valuable content. There is so much out there that reeks of insincerity and greed. One of the most effective ways to cut through the noise is to implement the above strategies in an authentic and helpful way. This will not only bring in the qualified leads,  but will turn those leads into lifelong supporters of you and your business.

Client Spotlight: Kylie Larson

Happy Monday friends! Monday’s are all about showcasing one of the beautiful, talented, hard-working women that I am fortunate enough to work with. As a business coach for female entrepreneurs, the greatest success I can achieve is to see all of my clients achieve their own version of success. Which is why I am so excited to introduce you to Kylie Larson. She has been such a joy to work with, and I couldn’t be more proud of the way she has grown her business!

Kylie is a personal trainer, nutrition coach, and a yoga and group fitness instructor. She is passionate about motivating and inspiring others. Kylie offers, both in-person and online training programs and classes. She also offers nutrition coaching, where she helps take the guess work out of building a healthy nutrition plan. Her goal is to provide busy people with fun, and effective workouts in a safe and inspiring way.

Kylie, tell us a little bit about yourself and your current season of life.

I currently reside in Denver, Colorado with my husband and 4 year old son.  I’m passionate about all things fitness, but mostly teaching women how to implement strength training into their workouts: creating change from the inside out.

Tell us about your business.

I am a personal trainer, Precision Nutrition Level 1 Coach, yoga teacher and teacher trainer, and group fitness instructor.  I offer in-person classes, training and retreats, as well as online bootcamps, nutrition coaching and weight training programs.

How has working with Amanda and her team helped you grow your business?

Amanda’s team helped me to take action.  I knew I wanted to offer something online, but I didn’t know how to do it.  Her team allows me to do what I do best: create workouts, programs and meal plans, while they focus on my website development, automating lead generation and everything else that goes on behind the scenes.

What’s a recent big win we can help you celebrate?

I’ve sold out my last two online programs, and there are no signs of slowing down!!!

It has been so exciting to see Kylie grow the online side of her current business. She is a fantastic example of the success that comes from following a strategic plan, working hard, and serving your followers with excellent programming.

The Agency Side loved branding and designing Kylie’s beautiful new website, Kylie Fit Yoga. In addition, we recently completed her latest Holiday Maintain Don’t Gain program,  and are currently working on a kick-butt new strength training program, coming out soon!

Want to Connect with Kylie?

Kylie’s Website

Instagram: @kyliefityoga

Facebook: facebook.com/kyliefit

How to Use Instagram Stories Effectively

Over the past 3 years, I have had a love hate relationship with Instagram. Three years ago, I was truly loving it. I had built my following and was seeing some real engagement. Two years ago, I began seeing some huge returns from that following. Fast forward to about six months ago, when I was completely ready to give up on Instagram. I wasn’t loving the new algorithms and wasn’t seeing much ROI from the time I was spending on it. I couldn’t see my friends’ pictures and was tired of the perfectly curated feeds. However, over the last couple of months, since Instagram has added and updated Instagram stories, I am finding my love for it again.

Here’s a little background on Instagram stories.

A while back, Instagram was acquired by Facebook. Shortly thereafter, Facebook tried to acquire Snapchat as well. When Snapchat turned them down, Facebook did what they do best, and created their own version of Snapchat: Instagram Stories.

At the time, I had been using Snapchat and was really loving it. That platform really connects with millennials who value authenticity and transparency above a perfectly crafted, “fake” Instagram feed. However, Snapchat lacked user friendliness and a simple way to find and add followers.

So, I decided to try Instagram stories, since I had built a significant following there. As I began adding to my story daily, I started seeing over a thousand impressions on each post throughout the day. This had been a significant increase from what I had seen prior, due to the new algorithm that was negatively affecting still images on my normal feed. Because I was seeing so much engagement, I decided to go all in with Instagram Stories and have been impressed and encouraged by their latest round of updates.

Instagram Story Updates

• Recently Instagram has enabled you to mention other profiles in your story, similar to the way you tag people in a still shot in your feed. This is going to be key for female entrepreneurs looking for brand partnerships, building a following and reaching out to influencers. It is also a way to encourage your followers to support and get to know your clients and collaborators.
• I have also learned that Instagram recently began allowing you to place links in your story. While I don’t have this capability yet, I am guessing it is something they will roll out slowly in the coming months. This is ideal for creating leads through free early stage offers, or linking to your paid programs and goods. You can check to see if this is available to you by looking for the link at the bottom of your story pics and videos. In the meantime, I have seen huge growth in my email list, as I have simply shared about my early stage offers in my Story and encouraged followers to grab those offers through the link in my profile.
• Instagram has recently added the Boomerang feature, which makes your story just a bit more fun. I will admit, it’s not nearly as fun as Snapchat filters, but Cole loves to play with it, and it can add a small element of silliness to your story.
• Suggested People to Follow is also a great way to begin interacting with influencers and building relationships with potential clients and collaborators.

I fully believe that all female entrepreneurs need to begin working this platform into their social media strategy. This is an even more necessary tool for you if millennials are a part of your target market. This feature gives millennials a sneak peak into your life, allowing you to connect with them in a transparent way. I have had countless people tell me they found me through my Instagram feed, but got to know me through my Instagram Stories. This helps followers see that you are real, and then decide whether they like you. It also means you may lose a few followers along the way. I did! That’s totally okay, I ended up gaining more followers in the long run. Once you start using Instagram Stories, some people may find that you just aren’t their cup of tea, but using stories effectively will help you find your tribe and build your following with those who are truly qualified leads.

A few things to keep in mind:

• I have kept my account  a personal account, not a business account. While the business account does give you some great insights, I began to see my engagement drop once I switched to business. My theory here is that once you change your account over to business, Instagram is going to make you pay to play. I have experimented with both and have found far better results using my personal account.
• You don’t have to lead an amazing lifestyle to use Instagram Stories. Remember, Instagram Stories is all about being real, raw and honest. You don’t need everything to be perfectly curated. You don’t need to be doing something interesting to begin sharing your day on Instagram Stories. People want to see the normalness of your life, so show them what you actually do every day. You can always add in some new project teasers, helpful tips and brands you love, to ensure you are adding value to your followers’ lives and giving them a glimpse into what you have to offer.  You do not need to be a celebrity to use Instagram Stories well!

As of right now, I truly believe that this is going to be one of the most powerful platforms for female entrepreneurs to begin building and engaging an audience of qualified leads. Plus, it's just kind of fun to use!  As with everything Facebook related, things are subject to rapid change. However, it is worth spending some time on.

If you aren’t yet following me, I’d love to have you. My stories aren’t glamorous. They are surprisingly normal, filled with helpful tips for wellness professionals and female entrepreneurs, and completely real and honest. If that’s your thing, you can find me at @AmandaTress. I truly look forward to interacting with you there!

My Biggest, Most Expensive Mistake to Date

My Biggest, Most Expensive Mistake to Date

Today’s post is a little more vulnerable (and a lot longer) than I usually get. But, I believe that it is important for me to share my mistakes with you so that you can learn from them.

This past year I made one huge mistake that cost me, my team, and my business quite a bit. After lots of assessment, discussion and some sadness, we’ve made some changes and are hopeful as we move forward. This entrepreneurial life is not for the faint of heart, but with every trial comes an opportunity to grow. The last ten months have been one big opportunity for that to happen for me and my team.

Last February, Lindsey and I were thinking through what our clients’ main pain points were. We quickly realized they were not only in need of the strategy we’d been providing, but were also in need of done-for-you marketing services, design and back-end business support. We looked at the market and realized no one was providing a program that combined strategy and this type of services. So we created our 3 Month Program and our Elite Program. I went to town marketing these programs using the the lack of anything like this as one of my main selling points.

However, I quickly realized why no one else was providing a service like this one.

I soon realized that what we had offered was way too much for what we were charging. The creation of those two programs, specifically my Elite program, seemed like a perfect way to serve the female entrepreneurs I am so committed to, but it totally backfired.

Here’s where we went wrong:

I didn’t consider my margins.

Running three online businesses means that my time is extremely limited. Because of that, I can not spend hours on things that are not in my wheelhouse. The Elite program I created required significant time from both me and my team. While we brought in significant income each month from all three businesses, that money was going to pay staffers working on projects for Elite clients. I simply did not charge enough for what we were offering. While I considered what would be most helpful to my clients, I did not consider what the profit margin for those services would be on my end.

I didn’t set the right expectations with my Elite Clients.

While most clients were truly amazing and a complete joy to work with, I did not do a good job of letting them know what to expect. I didn’t set clear boundaries for communication time. I didn’t set clear expectations for project completion times. I didn’t set clear guidelines for the services the Agency Side would provide. This left me and my staffers carrying the heavy burden of quicker than normal turn around times, clients who expected us to immediately meet their marketing needs, and too many projects to complete in too little time.

I didn’t hire the right team.

The high demand created by my upper level programs meant I had to hire several new team members; some of whom were hired out of sheer desperation. Hiring out of desperation is a dangerous place to be and I quickly learned why. My team and I spent time interviewing, on-boarding and training new staffers, only to find out they weren’t the experts they claimed to be. I ended up having to fire several people, which really took a toll on me and wasted precious time for my business.

I didn’t require my Elite Clients to go through my Business Accelerator Program.

My Business Accelerator Program is designed to teach female entrepreneurs how to begin building a profitable, scalable business. During this month-long program, clients learn the basics of marketing, live-video, back-end business, and they work on creating scalable streams of income. In addition to that, they have 5 strategy calls where we work on a plan that is specific to them. This program completely lays the foundation for everything I do in all of my other programs. Because I let some Elite clients into the Elite program without going through my Accelerator, I had some who had not laid the groundwork they needed and didn’t understand the grind it takes to grow a profitable business. They had misconceptions about the Agency Side’s ability to create leads and profits, and were missing the basics when it came to running their own business.

I didn’t have the right systems in place.

With the added demand our Elite and 3 Month programs put on the Agency Side, and our expedited hiring process, we simply did not have the right systems in place to be successful. We were spinning our wheels on several fronts. My whole team was burned out. Bringing Brandon on has been a huge help, but not having systems in place before offering such a big program really hit us hard.

So what did all of this cost me?

• Thousands of dollars
• Hours of sleep
• Time with my family
• Relationships with team members and clients I had to let go
• My peace of mind, and a tiny bit of my sanity

Moving Forward

I am really excited about the new direction we are taking even though it’s come out of a huge failure.

Here’s what we are moving forward with:

• New systems that have made us more efficient. This means we are better able to serve our clients without overextending ourselves.

• A team of true rockstars. I am so happy with the quality of our staff. I am confident in my team’s ability to meet our client’s needs.

• A brand new Elite Program that is built on solving client pain points while keeping reasonable margins for my business. We will be sticking to services that are truly within our wheelhouse of strategy and design. I believe that we are the best at offering female entrepreneurs winning strategies. I am regularly amazed by the products our design team produces. So, we are going to focus more on those things.

• Hand selecting Elite clients and setting clear expectations for them from the beginning.

• Prices that better reflect the value we provide. I am still committed to providing services at a reasonable, accessible price, but have also taken into account the value of my time and my team’s time.

While the last 10 months have been humbling, I am thankful for the lessons I’ve learned and hope that my mistakes are ones you can learn from as well. I truly believe that failure only has the power you give it. It can either define your business and stop you in your tracks, or it can guide you into something better. Instead of stopping, assess the situation honestly, kill your sacred cows, and make the necessary sharp right turns to get your business back on track.

Tips for Achieving Financial Peace

Part of running a successful business is being wise with your finances. While I love fitness and empowering female entrepreneurs, I am equally passionate about helping women reach a point of financial peace. While there is a ton to learn about finances, there are a few guiding principles that can contribute to experiencing financial peace. We’ve got some practical things that have really helped us, but first, there are a few heart issues we need to deal with.

You’ve got cultivate a life of contentment

At the heart of most financial issues you’ll find a heart of discontentment. This can absolutely carry over into your business, especially when social media makes it seem like everyone is living the high life, making millions. If you see that your heart has grown discontent, then it’s time to start dealing with that before you make any big financial decisions: personally or professionally. Start a gratitude journal and reassess what you really value, so that you are in clear head and heart space when making decisions about your finances.

What You Have Does Not Define You

To really grow a business and move into financial peace, you need to stop equating your identity with what you have. When you allow things like your home, car and material possessions to become indicators of your self worth and success, you lose focus and make rash decisions. Those types of decisions lead to overwhelm, anxiety and a total lack of financial peace.

Tips to Achieving Financial Peace

Invest, save, then spend.

There is a biblical principle of living lean  for the first few years of your business. Once you’ve invested back into your business, saved a significant amount of money and given generously over the course of a few years, you can then begin to use profits to increase your standard of living. This is something we’ve practiced since beginning our business, almost three years ago. We have lived lean and downsized, so we can invest in our business and save well. Recirculating wealth into family, church and community is a core value of mine, so we have used what we’ve made to expand our team and give generously. This has truly contributed in a great way to our financial peace.

You don’t need to scale your life to match what you are making.

Just because you are making more money, doesn’t mean you have to immediately up your standard of living. Learning to delay gratification, allows you to build savings, so that you can invest in the things that truly matter to you, long term. You don’t need to go out and buy a bigger home, just because you can. You don’t need to get a fancy car, just because you can afford a bigger payment. Bigger means more responsibility, which ultimately undermines financial peace.

Find a great financial planner and stay in close contact with them.

A big reason we have a significant amount of financial peace is that we have a fantastic financial planner: one we truly trust and respect. When choosing a planner, be sure to find someone whose lifestyle in line with your values. You also want to make sure that you are working with someone who actually follows their own advice, and lives in a way that is comparable to how you want to live. Once you’ve found someone, make sure you are in regular contact with them, and that you are updating your portfolio and plans to fit your long-term goals.    

Create a budget, and make a plan for your finances.

A budget might seem limiting, but it is actually quite freeing. A budget is like a fence for your money. You can go anywhere you want within the limits of the fence, you have total freedom there. But, the fence keeps you safe, and in the right place. There is peace within the boundaries. In addition to having a budget, you want to make sure that you have some plans for the money you are earning. Without plans, you will likely blow money on unnecessary things. Having a plan makes saving, investing and giving a whole lot easier.

Build significant savings, personally and for your business.

We have worked hard to save for several months of our living expenses, and for several months of our operational business expenses. This requires a great deal of self-discipline, and goes hand in hand with not upping your standard of living when you start making more money. However, it is truly necessary for living in financial peace.

Make sure your assets are higher than your liabilities.

If you are currently living in debt, then it is time to make a plan to get out of debt. Having a bottom line that is in the black is so important for maintaining your financial peace. If you aren’t there yet, I highly recommend Dave Ramsey’s materials to help  you down the road to a positive balance.

Live within your means.

This seems like a no brainer, but it is truly a challenge in today’s world. When you are trying to keep up with the Jones’ it is so easy to creep up above your means. This is where discontentment comes into play, and we begin to crave more things, better things, to give us our identity. Living beneath your means requires delayed gratification and hard work, but it will truly lead to lasting financial peace.

Financial peace is totally possible and worth pursuing, but it does require some hard work and intentionality. Operating out of financial peace allows you to make sound decisions as your business grows, and enables you to give more to family, church and community.

Client Feature: Rachel King

Happy Monday friends! I love Monday’s because that’s when I introduce you to one of my amazing clients. These women are true powerhouses in their industries. Each of them working towards earning significant income to recirculate back into family, church and community.

Today’s featured entrepreneur is Rachel King. Rachel is an accountant with a love for wellness. She decided to turn her passion into a career, and became a health, financial, and accountability coach. Rachel’s passion is to help other women become “Financially Fit”. She is committed to helping her clients reach their full potential so that they feel confident and comfortable in their own skin.

How have you and your business grown working with Amanda and Lindsey?

I am so thankful to have met Amanda Tress and Lindsey Murray! Since I began working with Amanda in March, my businesses (fitness and finance) have taken off like never before. I’ve learned so much about putting systems in place and utilizing effective marketing strategies. I’ve been able to automate several areas of my business so that I am able to better focus on my clients.  

I was also fortunate enough to be able to attend a VIP Weekend, which was a huge success. Throughout the weekend we were encouraged to dream BIG and to set high goals. We were also given hands-on, practical steps to begin working towards those goals.  Having such successful women truly believe in you, goes a long way to helping you believe in yourself.

What are some major wins you’ve experienced that we can celebrate with you?

I launched my latest course, Budgeting Bootcamp, which has been an incredible success. Having both Amanda and Lindsey to help with strategy and product design, I was able to market my program, put together incredibly useful content, and offer my clients a beautifully done workbook. This has been my most successful product launch, by far. In addition to that launch, I’ve recently landed my first one-on-one Finance Success and Accountability client shortly after returning home from my VIP weekend. I am so excited to see things continue to grow from here.

Share a few fun facts about you!

• My favorite splurge is Starbucks (or any coffee house for that matter). I also love workout clothes, and makeup!

• I love wearing dresses, and basically live in them.

• My favorite colors are purple and mint green. BUT I usually buy neutrals. I’m not sure why!

What encouragement do you have for other female entrepreneurs?

Life is too short to live full of self-consciousness. That’s why I’m so passionate about empowering women to find their confidence and unleash their true potential through becoming “financially fit!"

Where can we find you?

Instagram

Website

Rachel is truly committed to growing her business and daily puts in the work required to do that; she is such a joy to work with. The future holds bright things for this strong woman, and I know that she will continue to provide the very best service to all of her current and future clients.

Can Money Buy Happiness?

Can money buy happiness? 

Will hitting a certain salary level, receiving a promotion, or reaching “millionaire” status make you happy?

In the entrepreneurial world, there are lots of opposing viewpoints on whether money can truly bring people happiness. 

Since our first year of marriage, Brandon and I have set and achieved some pretty big financial goals. We’ve been blessed with opportunities, worked incredibly hard and made some wise decisions along the way. But has making more money made us happier?

Eight years ago, Brandon and I lived in a 500 square foot apartment, had significant student loan debt and made minimum wage working 70 hours per week. We had very little money in the bank.

And we were happy.

Our first year of marriage was full of adventure, new friendships, fun employment opportunities and contentment.

Since then, we’ve been able to pay off our school loans, are building our second dream home, have gone on several family vacations and have been able to make some big purchases on items we’ve really wanted.

And we are happy.

….just as happy as we were in the 500 sq ft. apartment.

When asked, “Can money buy you happiness,” successful entrepreneur Marc Cuban responded:

“It’s creating a goal for yourself and accomplishing a goal and setting a dream, and living that dream through your effort that can make you feel a whole lot better about yourself [and happy].” He says. “It worked for me…”

I love this quote from Marc Cuban and would add the following to where I’ve landed on the money and happiness issue: “Inspiring and empowering other women to set and accomplish goals and fulfill their dreams, in addition to setting and accomplishing my personal goals, while staying balanced with family and career, is what truly makes me happy.”

Happiness comes in the form of living out your God given purpose with passion, intention and balance.

Through the years, I’ve discovered what makes me ‘happy’ is empowering women to do what inspires them. As a business coach, nothing gives me more joy, satisfaction, and happiness than watching another woman build a successful business.

Want to know what else makes me happy? A sense of balance.

I am no stranger to hard work, and will never preach a 40 hour work week. Most entrepreneurs work more than 40 hours a week, hustling to make things happen. However, there is no monetary value I could ever put on having the flexibility I have to work from anywhere and schedule things around the needs of my family. I love being able to go to Emma’s class to read in the middle of the day. I love creating workouts by the pool. I love being able to work from home, on my own terms. Having some balance fuels the flames of happiness in my life, in a big way.

Working excessive hours is an expense I can no longer afford. My focus is now on building passive or scalable income streams that allow me to get more bang for my buck in terms of time investment. I’ve also learned that if I am working in alignment with my core values and toward a purpose greater than my own wealth, happiness always follows. 

I am a firm believer in the fact that money doesn’t buy happiness…because I had happiness long before I had money. Living a life of balance and purpose though…that’s where happiness is easily found.