If you do want to be inspired to face the hard stuff and do it anyway, keep reading.

My friend, Kelly McCausey, wants you to get over the things that are holding you back. And, for just $2.99 purchase (Kindle) or paperback version of her new book, you can get into her $497 coaching program that will guide you to do just that.

It all starts with 19 stories of women — including me — who share the stuff that TRIES to hold us back. And how we get past our sh(poop).

You'll hear from me and my friends how we do the hard stuff, even when battling things like anxiety or addiction or horrible events from the past that try to define us. The stories are raw and honest and inspiring.

In mine, I shared how I've dealt with anxiety and depression for over 30 years — and still get on my computer to do the hard/scary things (most days… except when I don't).

Kel and I hopped on a Zoom call to talk about the book. It was supposed to be audio-only but we had so much fun we decided to publish the video. I apologize for looking like I just crawled out of bed, but I did. lol!

I couldn't talk about getting past the stuff holding you back and then say “but don't publish the video because I look goofy…”  So I said “Oh hell, go ahead.​”

As I mentioned, if you buy the book (either Kindle or paperback), you'll get a $497 coaching program for free. 

In the coaching program, you'll discover…

• Session One: Why Your Sh*t Isn't Special
• Session Two: What is Ego & Essence
• Session Three: How to Prioritize Your Stoppers
• Session Four: How to Create A Hit List & A Sh*t List
• Session Five: What are the First Steps to Get Past Your Sh*t Behind You Every Single Day

Here's what to do next if you're interested in the book and want the coaching program, too…

Step One:

Click here to grab your copy of either the print or the Kindle version of the book.

Step Two:

After you buy a copy of the book, go here to claim the bonus coaching program.

If you already have a story about getting over your stuff, I'd love to hear about it in the comments.

Much love,

Nicole Dean

FAQ: 

Is this book just for women? Hell no.

Is this just a bunch of sob stories? Ummm… no. It's stories of overcoming some big stuff.

Got Other Questions?

Let me know in the comments. I do read them all.

–> Remember, these posts are better with your involvement, so please share your thoughts in the comments.

Every year, I share my latest method for making sure that summer is productive for me and for my kids. The kids are home. I have to get some work done, although I typically only work an hour or two each day during the summer. Still I don't want to be constantly interrupted or feel like the house is falling apart while I'm on the computer, right? That's not exactly a great boost to your creativity or productivity.

My kiddos are now 13 (daughter) and 18 (son), so things have sure changed in the many years that I've been sharing our summer plans, but this is the general system that we’ve been using since they were each toddlers. Why? Because it’s the closest thing to sanity that I can come up with here.

We have a daily checklist that the kids must complete before the TV goes on, the computer goes on, phones come out, or any game systems get turned on. They also must complete their daily list before friends are allowed in the house. I found that, if I left the time limit open, that the lists wouldn’t get done. However, if they know they can work through their tasks faster and be free of my tyranny – they work through it better. Of course, it is flexible if we make fun plans or if they have some sort of camp or we're traveling. This is just the day to day schedule.

Here’s their list that I posted four years ago when the kiddos were 9 and 14. It’s changed quite a bit since then as you'll see in a bit as they've gotten older. You can click on it to view it in pdf format.

I printed it out weekly and they just checked off the days as they went through them. If everything got done during the week, they earned bonuses.

For instance, my son has a Gamefly account. He keeps it as long as the backyard is cleaned up daily. If there is an issue, he gets downgraded from 2 games/month to 1 and then to zero. It really never becomes an issue. He’s really very self-motivated when he knows the rules. My daughter on the other hand… is a bit more stubborn.

Why were these systems so important to me when the kids were younger?

1. The kids knew what the expectations were in advance. They were better equipped to succeed and we were less likely to fight.
2. My husband and I were on the same page, because the rules were in black and white. (Again, less of a chance for misunderstandings.)
3. I didn't spend the days chasing the kids around saying “Did you brush your teeth?” or “Have you cleaned up the backyard?” I looked at their chart and it was right there in front of me.
4. It taught the kids that habits are important. And, that a family works on routine. And that running a home is a group effort. All good stuff.

So how has this changed over the years?

1. Now that the kids are older they have better habits. They brush their teeth on their own now and don't need to be reminded.
2. I want them to be their most awesome selves and I know that the days are long but the summer is short so if we don't plan and set goals at the beginning of summer, then we'll blink and have wasted an amazing opportunity to get more awesome.
3. My daughter will be going into Algebra in 8th grade and will be in a lot of honors classes. My son is going into the honors program in college. I want to do as much as I can this summer to help them to grow in a variety of ways to learn new skills and to sharpen their existing ones so that when life gets crazy again in the fall, they'll hopefully be a bit ahead of the game and won't have to be as stressed.
4. I still need to work a little bit during summer — even with a houseful of kids and friends over.

Here's what I've come up with…

The daily lists for the kiddos are now more about their own personal growth and their responsibility to the family this summer. As I said, they're old enough to remember to take their vitamins and brush their teeth. But I do want to help encourage them to become their best selves.

On that note, here's what I've come up with.

• 13 Year Old Daughter's Summer List (pdf)
• 18 Year Old Son's Summer List (pdf)

As you can see, my daughter is going to be working on her Algebra a bit this summer on Khan Academy while my son will be refreshing his calculus (since he's majoring in Physics, and he is expected to have his skills polished going into the fall). He also will be going through codecademy.com as he wants to learn to code and do some work for me.

My daughter is also taking a few classes through Florida Virtual School. She's taking Guitar and hopefully PhyEd, too. She wants to take  their photography course, too, but that might have to wait until next summer.

One last tip for battling the crazy. 

I've also added a sheet of House and Pool Rules to the front door so that all neighbor kids and friends know the rules without me having to go over them or deal with messes after the fact. Less stress for me, less misunderstandings, and I get to relax and enjoy the kids more.

• Dean Summer Rules (pdf)

Is it perfect?

By no means. But it does help me to get on the computer, do my work and more importantly get OFF the computer. It also helps me to have less stress, the house to be quieter and happier overall, and for me to feel like a better mom than I would if I was running around after everyone all summer.

I hope this gives you some ideas to make your summer run smoother too.

Warmly,
Nicole Dean

PS. What books would you recommend all teens read for personal success and growth? Help me add to our list:

• 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens

PS again.  Another way to survive summer when you're not able to work as much as you'd like is to use PLR to help you to get your content written easier. Too subtle? lol. Click here for some that's running low and on sale.

This week I asked our panel of experts…

“Do you survey your customers? If so, do you have any tips for making the surveys work better or examples of what is working right now? Got lessons learned to help my readers avoid mistakes?”

I know that you'll find the responses helpful.

Terry Dean of My Marketing Coach says:

I LOVE surveys!

You can get your customers to tell you what to create…and they'll even give you the language you use when you sell it.

I've done multiple different kinds of surveys. The easiest is to simply come up with a list of product titles you're considering offering and asking subscribers which one they're most interested in buying. That's an easy way to get started on your first survey.

But the most common survey I've done includes at least 3 questions. I've asked many more questions at times, but you will get a lower response as the questions increase.

1. What is the single most important question you have about ________________?
2. Why do you say the above? Why, specifically, would that be important to you?
3. How difficult has it been for you to find what you've written about above elsewhere?

The first two questions are open ended where they give you the answer. The last question is a multiple choice with 3 possibilities: Very Difficult, Somewhat Difficult, Not at All Difficult.

• The first question finds out what people want (to help you find or create the product)
• The 2nd question finds out WHY they want it (also giving you ad copy for your website)
• The 3rd question lets you know if others are offering something similar (If people say it's not difficult to find it actually lowers the value of their answers in the overall survey).

Now let me give you the biggest mistake I've made with surveys and one I see others make all the time.

You must survey the traffic source you plan on using!

For example, I surveyed my list and created a product. The product sold like crazy to my list, but the moment I went outside my list to other traffic sources it did poorly.

I'm going to chalk it up to my subscribers being much smarter than the average online marketer. Once I went out to other audiences, they weren't ready for that product.

On a recent survey, I surveyed my list. I also got a regular JV partner to send my survey to their list. And I purchased Facebook ads to my survey targeting some of the same interests I plan to go after later.

Each survey was tracked separately giving me information for both developing the product and changes I can make to the promotion as I reach different audiences.

Survey the traffic where you plan on offering the product.

Shannon Cherry of Learn How I Get *Paid* to Attend Events says:

I am not much for surveying in the traditional sense of the word. Like many people, I find lackluster results using a traditional poll. That's because you are asking (or begging or bribing) others to do you a favor.

Instead, I poll my community in a different way: by giving something – my smarts. We all know that – like it or not – people really want to pick your brain when you have something to share. I capitalize on this by hosting an open Q & A session every so often. I let them ask me anything, and I answer honestly without selling on the call. And I make sure people don't have to be on the call to ask their question (which I will still answer live on the call).

This not only shows my value in a tangible way to people thinking about working with me, but I also get great fodder on what their pain currently is and where I should focus my efforts in terms of product development and promotion. It's a win-win.

Dr. Mani of How to Set Goals says:

Here are my tips:

a. Keep surveys really short (under 2 min. for user) – and tell them
b. Offer incentives to encourage participation
c. Offer to share results with the group – and follow through

Kelly McCausey of Solo Smarts Podcast says:

I have surveyed my community a few times in a traditional way, using a form on my website. If I can get enough people to respond, which takes a lot of effort, I do feel like I get valuable output to use. I'll keep doing this every few years I'm sure, but in the meantime, when I really want to know what my people are thinking about – I have another way.

I've been offering ‘Open Phones‘ for a few years now. In a nutshell, I announce a window of time and invite my community to call me for free advice and answers. Sometimes it's wide open to all questions and a few times I've focused on something specific.

The information I gather on these calls is pure gold. Fears, technical road blocks, specific sticking points, the real felt needs of my target market are spilled out in my lap. Call after call I'm jotting down ideas about blog posts, podcast topics, products ideas – you name it. For me, being able to ask clarifying questions and plainly ask the caller if they'd be interested in _____ product is a gift. Because we're chatting casually, they don't say ‘Yes' or ‘No'. They say ‘Well, if it ____ and ____ for me and ____, yeah – I'd buy that.'

I can't make decisions based on one person's thoughts, but it does inspire me and often leads to great projects.

Learn how to Offer Open Phone Lines. Click here for info.

Connie Ragen Green of Affiliate Marketing Case Studies says:

I survey my high-level mentoring students regularly to get their feedback and to make sure I am providing them with the tools they need to become
successful.

Many times I am surprised at their responses, and would not have had the opportunity to serve them with what they want and need from me unless
I had asked.

Felicia Slattery of Signature Speech Secrets says:

I have surveyed my folks from the very beginning and their answers have shaped my entire business.

I have always liked Survey Monkey, but I also actively use and monitor the answers I get on social media. But when you use social media to survey your people, you've got to be careful. For example, if you use Facebook, like many of us solo and home-based folks, you're likely connected with not only customers and potential customers, but also high school friends, college friends, past co-workers, neighbors, family, colleagues, and more.

In case you haven't noticed, EVERYONE on social media has an opinion and when you ask for it, they will give it to you. When asking about things related to your business, however, pay the closest attention to what your customers say – they are the ones who will be buying from you!

Nicole Dean of .. here! .. says:

Well everyone gave such great info, I'm off the hook.

So, as I'm about to get ready to have guests of to watch the Packers game, I'll keep it short and sweet.

I love surveying my audience (and also giving feedback) when a few things are taken into consideration.

1. Make it short.
2. Have most (if not all) questions be optional.
3. Give a space for typing in suggestions.

If it's fast and easy to do, many of your people will gladly participate. And, if you make certain questions optional, and don't force them to choose if nothing applies, then they'll answer the ones that they feel strongly about and leave the other alone.

Plus, you want to allow a few open ended questions for those who have ideas for you that you hadn't thought of.  It's a great method of finding out what your market needs from you to serve them better.

And, the final step of course, is to actually USE the info. Don't file it away. Use it to improve your business and give your peeps what they need.

There are lots of different methods of using surveys. If you want to get fancy and provide people with solutions that are customized to their needs, check this one out for ideas. http://nicoledean.com/likes/marketing-quiz/

Talk soon. Big hugs.

Warmly,
Nicole Dean

This week I asked our panel of experts…

“Oftentimes people criticize those of us in the Business niche as not knowing how to make money elsewhere.

I figured I'd ask this week… Do you have a presence in other niches outside the business world? Care to share?”

I think you'll find the responses interesting.

Lynn Terry of Niche Success Blueprints says:

I do, and I always have – through my entire 17+ years in business. I personally feel it's tough to teach leadership if you're not a leader, motivation if you're not motivated, and business strategies if you're not a successful business owner. It's through in-the-trenches hands-on experience that you can inspire, share and teach other people what's working and what's changing, etc.

Of course, the majority of niche marketers don't teach what they do – they simply make an awesome living at it, quietly. The “Internet Marketing” space makes up a *very* small percentage of the people who are making a good living online.

My primary website is TravelingLowCarb.com where I share my fun travel adventures and what I'm eating along the way. It helps inspire people with a busy lifestyle to stick to a healthy diet – even when they're on the go, or juggling family/work/home/etc like me.

I have a great time with TLC! I run a low carb challenge group several times a year that currently has over 23,000 members. I'm very active on social media, sharing my food choices and travel pics. I get to work with fun brands, go new places, try new foods. And I get to help people make healthy lifestyle choices and achieve life-changing health goals. It's amazing fun!!

I love the idea of choosing a niche that takes you in the direction of your ideal lifestyle – what you most want to spend your time doing. And I do love to travel and eat! I recently took a “low carb road trip” and enjoyed a weekend on the beach, for the sole purpose of sharing how easy it is to “eat low carb on vacation”. You can't beat that for “work”. That trip increased my Facebook Page engagement by over 300%. Fun stuff.

I teach my business model and marketing methods in a series of weekly training modules called Niche Success Blueprint. I include live examples, and share everything I'm doing in my own business, to help others create a business that's as fun as mine – and show them how to take it to maximum profit potential with a variety of revenue sources.

When people ask me what I do for a living, I often joke “I get paid to eat. What about you?”

Dr. Mani of How to Set Goals says:

Most of my work is now in niches outside business, but here's a very important lesson I'll share through my answer to your question, which is… “No, I do NOT care to share”.

The lesson? Don't reveal your niches… especially to those who might be/become your potential “competition”

Shannon Cherry of Learn How I Get *Paid* to Attend Events says:

Most people do not know I am a best selling author and ‘media personality' in the parenting niche. It's kind of funny because I am certainly not an expert in parenting. I barely keep my head above water with it some days. I also am considered a wine expert and give presentations on how to discover new wines based on your personal preferences. (Hmmm… perhaps there is a reason I am considered a parenting expert AND a wine expert. I believe the two aren't unrelated )

Nicole Dean of .. here! .. says:

When I first started out back in 2004, I went into a LOT of niches. A lot. Way too many to be honest.

I had (and still have in some cases) sites related to the following:

• Romance from a Woman's Perspective
• Food and Cooking
• Exercise Videos
• Home Decor
• House Cleaning & Organizing
• Preschool Themes
• Themed Kids Crafts
• Asperger's and Autism
• Dieting and diet trends
• Romance novels, specifically Paranormal and Time Travel ones.
• Kids books and getting your kiddos reading better
• Saving money
• Homemade Beauty Recipes
• Laser Hair Removal (don't judge me) lol!
• and more.

And, yes, I do still have some of those. Many of them still actually make a bit of money, so I've just sat on them for years and years and years – but I've been letting most of them go or selling them one by one.

I've already sold a few and there will be more announced soon, so stay tuned. If we're friends on FB or you're on my list, you'll see as I post these for sale.

I chose this question because I've always felt that I needed to have my finger on the pulse of what was working outside the Business to Business community in order to truly be a teacher to those who were in other niches, too. It's been a credibility thing for me.

As I've grown my business, though, I've gotten away from diluting my brand but I found other ways to still stay “real” to what's out there:

• I've worked for clients in other industries. I've actually worked as an Affiliate Manager for a few clients in niches outside of business – and it was very fun.
• I've had lots of one-on-one coaching clients who are in other niches. That way I can help them, we can see what works, and adjust. I've been so very fortunate to have worked with coaching clients in many industries – scrapbooking, family/parenting, Direct Sales training, and more.
• And, of course, at the Beachprenuer's Ladies Only Retreat, we attract amazing women in lots of industries. I love masterminding with them. I've been blessed to work with women in aromatherapy, personal organization, and raw food/smoothie niches, as examples.

I'd also like to give a shout out to my friend, Pat Flynn, who has ALWAYS kept it real and transparent with his peeps. For instance, he's currently working on a site about Food Trucks and using it as a case study for his peeps to learn from You can follow along here: http://www.smartpassiveincome.com/foodtruckr/

So what about you?  Have you dabbled? If so, do you have any crazy niche stories that you want to share?

Warmly,
Nicole Dean

PS. If you want to learn how to earn more passive income, no matter what your niche, check out the free audio on this page: incometweaks.com

This week I asked our panel of experts…

“What is your most productive time of day?

How do you optimize and plan for that?”

I think you'll find the responses interesting.

Lou Bortone of Video in a Day says:

I'm a night owl and usually get a second or third wind at 11pm. By then the kids and dogs have finally settled in, the house is quiet, and I can hunker down for a couple of hours of productive time. I set aside the late shift for creative work like copywriting or video editing – stuff that requires the focus I don't usually have during the day. (Did I mention that I have the attention span of a gnat?)

Terry Dean of My Marketing Coach says:

My most productive time of day is late morning before lunch – usually 9 to 12 AM.

Since I'm an early riser, I will usually handle client emails before this. Then I'll exercise, eat breakfast, and get ready.

Then depending on the day, usually I spend that entire 3 hour period writing on Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays. On Tuesday and Wednesdays I do phone clients.

Any ‘routine' activities are usually done in the afternoon.

Everyone always seems to tell you not to do email first in the morning, but that all depends on your energy levels. I find email works well for me first thing and then run my most creative periods a little bit later in the morning.

You need to find a system that works for you personally, and then flow with it instead of forcing yourself into someone else's model.

Kevin Riley of  Blogpreneur Training says:

I find myself most productive at either mid-morning or late night. When I want to take advantage of this productive time, I do one of the following:

Walk away from my computers and go somewhere quiet to write. This may be my kitchen floor, on the roof of our building, or on a train to one of my favourite hiking spots.

Hop on the computer at my studio (the only Windows computer I have – exiled from my Mac-only office, but loaded with my old MX Flash software) and draw the character drawings I need for my new videos.

Do whatever is on my ToDo list.

Rachel Rofe of How To Get Every Book You Write Onto The First Page Of Kindle says:

I am definitely best in the mornings. I love working from 7am to 12pm.

Some of the ways I optimize are:

– I aim to go to bed before 10pm so when I wake up, I feel rested and ready to go.

– I have my to-do list written out the night before so that I can hit the ground running when I get to my computer.

– I aim to have healthy and nourishing breakfast foods on hand so there's no wasted time thinking about what to eat.

– I don't schedule any phone calls or interviews during that time.

– I do my best not to check email in that period.

– I schedule all of my hardest tasks from 7-12, and do the hardest one first, while I have the most juice.

Kelly McCausey of Solo Smarts Podcast says:

My productive times are split. I'm highly functional between ten in the morning and two or three in the afternoon, then I'm back in action after eight at night. In between I may nap or run errands, read and poke around websites ‘for fun'.

I've found it important to embrace the flow of my focus. If I try to push through and work in the afternoon, the work product is not going to be great.

There are exceptions. Sometimes a project is so exciting I can't turn away from it no matter what the clock says. Follow your bliss I say!

Tiffany Lambert of Work Life Balance says:

For me, I have a split level of productivity.

I am most productive on menial tasks in the morning, having coffee, checking email, checking sales stats, etc.

I am more creative and productive with products in the evening.

So I go with the flow on that. I work early and then break for lunch and sanity and then get back to work in the evenings for fun stuff I enjoy doing, like working on my Kindle fiction.

Shannon Cherry of Learn How I Get *Paid* to Attend Events says:

I'm a morning person… I always have been. So I work on my most creative tasks in the morning (the ones that need a lot of thought). I plan my week very carefully to optimize my time. Things like social media posting are automated so I only pop on while waiting for the school bus or another time when I am doing something else.

People ask me all the time how I get so much done in my business working only 15 hours a week. It all comes down to this: I choose to make the hours I work as productive as possible. I've created a video with some tips on how to be more productive:

Nicole Dean of .. here! .. says:

I am so NOT a morning person that it's not even funny. But, I've always been that way and love being a night owl.

That said, my optimal working time is between 10am-6pm. Of course, I don't work that straight through though. I come and go from my computer depending on other obligations: kids, puppies, husband, appointments, eating, and overall energy level.

This means that I schedule all interviews between 10 am-3 pm. That works best for me hitting my peak brain time, without conflicting with family time. I've made the mistake of recording interviews in the morning and WOWZA. I had major word soup. Just not a great idea.

I also know that I work really well in bursts so I'm ok with that. However, the bursts are usually determined by me, and not the people around me. If I have interruptions while I'm actively trying to focus, I am not as productive.

What do I mean exactly?

Well, I got on the computer this morning around 10 am, and worked a bit on CoachGlue.com stuff. Now it's noonish and I just took at shower and came to sit down and finish this post. When it's done, I'll reward myself by getting out of my office and checking in on the kids or seeing if some laundry needs to be moved, or checking the mail. Then I'll head back to write my email and get it scheduled, too. I may take a few minutes to check in with Facebook or catch up with texts/calls on my phone, take a bathroom break, get a big glass of water, and  head back to my desk for my next big task – or I may call it a day and work on stuff around the house that's more important.

That works really well for me – and my family can usually handle not interrupting me during those spurts.

What does NOT work, as I mentioned, is constant interruptions.

Thankfully my kiddos are old enough to know that I'll pop out of my office in a bit, after my interview, or my writing spurt is done and they'll leave me to work.  Whatever they need, they can usually get on their own, and things like their friends asking to come over can wait 20 minutes. But, that also means that I choose to ignore my phone while in a work burst unless it's a “911” text from a family member or close friend. They know I'll ignore phone calls while I'm working, but if there's an emergency, to text me “911” and I”ll call them back immediately. That's for instances where it's time sensitive and they feel I need to know right away. Everything else can usually wait and can't come ahead of me making a living.

I used to try to sit here in front of the computer and work all day, but I found that I wasn't nearly as productive as when I work in those focused bursts. I've given myself permission to come and go from my office, as needed, rather than forcing myself to sit here so I felt “busy”. Busy and productive are not the same things – especially when running a business.

So, I sprint, recover, sprint, recover, and sprint again. It's what works best for me.

What if I'm working on a BIG project?

Well, when I wrote my book, or when I created larger courses, I break them down into “single sitting' pieces. If I know all I need to do is knock out one chapter or one module or one webinar and then I can go to lunch with my hubby, I can do that. To sit and say “finish this book” – yeah, that's not going to happen.

I hope this has been helpful. Now comment, share, and then do a money task so you can do something fun to reward yourself.

Warmly,
Nicole Dean

Recommended Resource:

The Unstoppable Productivity Software Can Help You to Quit Spinning Your Wheels and Double Your Productivity!

When you use Unstoppable Productivity, there’s no complicated time-management ‘system’ you need to learn or remember. The goal behind our software is simple: To give you a way to visually structure your day in a way that you feel absolutely compelled to focus, take action, and get things done, once and for all!

In addition to being built around a system designed to motivate you to take more action, the interface helps you get absolutely clear about your day, allowing you to easily visualize your time and accomplishments at-a-glance.

Here’s How This Software Can Help You:

• Plan Your Day In Less Than 30 Seconds – Unstoppable Productivity comes pre-loaded with dozens of common tasks, and you can add as many of your own as you want. With all your tasks readily available, you’ll have your day planned in no time!

• Discover Where Your Time Is Going – At the click of a button, Unstoppable Productivity will go to work generating a report about all the actions you’ve completed, helping you quickly see how and where you’re time is really being spent

• See Your Day With More Clarity Than Ever Before – Instead of your day being some blurry, abstract ‘thing’ of stuff you need to do, Unstoppable Productivity uses various graphical elements to help you actually visualize it, making it more real and more achievable to you

• Feel A Stronger Sense Of Accomplishment – As you finish tasks using Unstoppable Productivity, the interface will provide you with visual feedback of their completion, giving you even more momentum to continue moving forward

• It’s Your Full-Time Coach – Unstoppable Productivity is a very lightweight application, meaning it takes up very little of your computers’ resources so you can use it all day every day knowing it’s not standing in the way of getting other things done on your computer

• Plenty Of Room, Even For Your Busiest Days – With the ability to display up to 12 timers at once, from 5 minutes to 3 hours each, you’ll always have plenty of flexibility to manage and plan even your busiest days

• Spend More Time Using It, And Less Time Learning How To Use It – With an intuitive, simple interface, mastering its use usually takes less than 3 minutes!

Click here to
Get More Productive!

PS. Remember, if you want me to keep getting awesome smart peeps to answer questions here, go check out their stuff.

• Lou Bortone – Video in a Day
• Terry Dean – My Marketing Coach
• Kevin Riley –  Blogpreneur Training
• Rachel Rofe – How To Get Never Have a Bad Day Again
• Kelly McCausey – Solo Smarts Podcast
• Tiffany Dow – Work Life Balance
• Shannon Cherry – Learn How I Get *Paid* to Attend Events

This week I asked our panel of experts…

“We all at some point have to deal with a time sucker in our industry. It may be someone who we started a friendship with who wants more time or information than we can realistically give, a family member, or it may just be a friend who you've outgrown.

How do you value your time, set boundaries, and still be the best YOU possible?”

I think you'll find the responses interesting.

Lou Bortone of Video in a Day says:

This was always a really tough one for me, because – like most of us – I love helping people and I hate saying “no”.

However, I've learned that “access” to me is my most valuable asset – and now when someone asks “Can I pick your brain?” I say, “Sure, I charge $300 per hour, how much time do you need?” I can also refer them to my online scheduler, where they can purchase a quick consult.

Terry Dean of My Marketing Coach says:

I honestly don't have to deal with this problem much anymore. But I had it BAD years ago. I wasted hours every day in unpaid conversations by email and phone with people who never even became customers.

The disease I had was “Nice Guy Syndrome.”

One of the subtle symptoms is a feeling of responsibility to answer every email and every phone call that comes in personally. It meant I invested myself in thousands of people…many of which had never even purchased anything from me.

I thought all this free advice would really help people, but the reality was I simply didn't understand human nature.

Rarely do we value what's given for free. For example, have you ever tried to give business advice to a friend of family member?

Sure, you may have that rare gem who takes what you share with them and runs with it, but much more common is the nodding head where they then walk away and do what they wanted to anyway.

I had it so bad back then that's one of the reasons I had to take a break from the Internet completely for 18 months.

But I haven't had to deal with this issue much in years.

And it's because that experience was so miserable for me that I figured out what I had to do to escape the possibility of this ever happening again.

The first thing you have to do is value your own time. Just by setting up an hourly consulting rate or an organized coaching program, you've solved half the battle. Because now you can point to your consulting or coaching whenever anything veers into that territory. Once you value your own time, others will start valuing it as well.

On the rare occasion a business friend or client goes a little too far… you can and should set clear boundaries. This is important! Make sure to set the boundaries BEFORE you're aggravated by it. Don't respond in anger and frustration. Once that's likely to occur, you've waited too long.

Instead, it's good to remind people of how you operate. For example, with new clients I always tell them how and when I will respond. If I'm on vacation or something changes, I let them all know in advance how my schedule is changing.

I do the same with joint venture partners and business friends. They know when they can expect a response from me and when they can't.

A lot of this comes back to knowing what you want your Lifestyle to look like. If you're not clear on this yourself, how can you explain it to anyone else?

Kevin Riley of  Blogpreneur Training says:

Fortunately, I don't have any offline friends who are time suckers. My best friend, outside my wife Rieko, is my old buddy from my house-building days, Toriu. We get together about 3-4 times a year. The rest of the time, we are rarely in contact. That's normal here.

However, online, I could easily be time sucked by a few things: The rare customer who fires off question after question, Facebook, and YouTube.

By setting aside a short (10-15 minute) window of time in my mornings to answer e-mails, I don't allow any customer to suck my time, yet they receive an answer to their query (making for happy customers).

As for Facebook and YouTube, I don't always win the battle – allowing myself to lose time to fun. But then, that's why I do what I do – so I can have fun.

Rachel Rofe of How To Get Never Have a Bad Day Again says:

As a recovering people pleaser, I can see why this is such a great question to ask.

And that being said, I think a lot of people in the personal development world can be quick to say they've “outgrown” someone, or that they're “further ahead” than people they once loved.

I don't know if that's always the truth.

With that said, I'm going to answer this question from the perspective of someone who's considering leaving a friendship that was once fulfilling.

So… my answer:

From experience, I've found that unless someone is mentally unstable, having an honest conversation (coupled with diplomacy, grace, and humility) is the best policy.

I like to think that people are smarter/more emotionally available/willing to grow WAY more than most of us give them credit for – especially when we're in a space of being annoyed with them.

So I'd look at having a conversation with my friend. It starts with however I'm feeling, and might sound something like:

“There's been something I've been wanting to share with you. I've been holding it back out of fear that I'll upset you, when really, I just want us to be able to understand each other better. Would you be OK with you if I share some messy thoughts?”

After you get their buy-in, share that you know where they're coming from. I might say something like: “I know that you're in a place with your business where you're really wanting to grow. I admire your focus and excitement for getting things done, and you're making real strides forward. It's awesome to see.”

Then where I'm coming from: “And from my perspective, while I love your business enthusiasm, I'm feeling like you want more information than I feel good about giving. I find that we talk about business more than I desire and I leave feeling drained.”

Then ask to come to a solution together: “I would love to find a way where we can both feel really good about this friendship. Can we talk about what that might look like?”

In most cases, if you are completely honest, share both perspectives, and look to find a solution TOGETHER — you'd be absolutely amazed at what can happen. You may end up deciding that the friendship has worn its course, or you may find that you have a newfound container for a more fulfilling friendship where you both feel even closer.

The main thing is to give BOTH people the opportunity to have a voice instead of just writing them off.

Of course, if this is with someone you were never really that close with in the first place, a simple “I've scheduled time to work on some things that are really important to me and unfortunately don't have free time to chat” also works.

Kelly McCausey of Solo Smarts Podcast says:

I've a friend I've seen potential in for ages. Over the years I've invested a lot of energy into encouraging, equipping and pushing her into action. When I'm not actively motivating her, she drifts off into the demands of every day life.

Last year I finally admitted that I wanted it far more than she did. I had to let go.

I love her so much, I didn't want to lose our friendship. I went to her and apologized for pushing. I promised to leave it alone and just enjoy our personal friendship from now on. It was important to me that she know I don't need her to be entrepreneurial to be my friend.

This is an area of issue for me in a lot of relationships. I often want someone else's success more than they do. I'm working on it!

Tiffany Dow of Work Life Balance says:

I've had to do this a lot lately. This is the first time I've put strict boundaries on my time and space. I've gotten to where I'm just blunt or more apologetic about doing what's in my best interest.

I grew up a people pleaser. Never wanted to come across as “rude.” But it's not rude to get your work done before chit chatting with a friend. That was all in my head.

I have found it very freeing to tell people honestly, “I have to focus on work, so I won't be able to visit much until (whatever time).” Nothing at all rude about that.

And truth be told, if someone didn't respect my boundaries, I wouldn't feel very valued by them.

Shannon Cherry of Learn How I Get *Paid* to Attend Events says:

Of course, this happens to everyone. ​ And sometimes the lines blur so much that you have difficulties seeing the issue until you realize how bad it really is.

That recently happened to me and it got to the boiling point. A friend, was consistently asking business questions, which at first I didn't mind answering. But soon, I was realizing that any advice I gave her was disregarded. (She was a ‘bright-shiny-object' type who jumped from idea to idea.) I was getting annoyed to say the least. It was time for ‘the talk'. Essentially, I shared my concerns and more importantly how I felt. It cleared the air and we have remained friends who only focus our chat about your lived, not business.

Although that one has a happy ending, not all do. I find this especially true when it comes to social media ‘friends' (those who only know you online). Of course, it starts innocently – a quick question about something, but soon you might find yourself coaching or consulting (something you get paid for). Here's what I've done to help stop this:

1. I make rules for myself and keep them. For me, it's answering one question and that's it.

2. I've created canned responses so I don't have to fumble for words when feeling awkward. For example, on reply is this: “I appreciate your trust in my advice, and I value our relationship. I want you to know that what you are asking is something I get paid to do. It's how I make my living. And because you know how limited availability is, I need to focus on paying clients with my time. However, here are a couple of blog posts that may help…”

3. If all else fails, ‘Bless and Release', meaning wish them the best and ignore them, block them or whatever you have to do so they don't suck your time.”

Nicole Dean of .. here! .. says:

I'm so glad my smart friends sent in so much great insight for this post.  I know that I, along with my coaching clients, have struggled at times with this issue over the years.

Like most, I'm much better at telling others how to regain control over their time than I am sometimes in owning my own.

But truly the thing that I end up saying oftentimes when I'm talking with them is “YOU ARE NOT A VICTIM HERE! So QUIT IT!!!”

Don't pull the “Nobody respects my time” line, if you haven't set the rules first. Otherwise, it's not their fault. It's yours.

Draw the line in the sand and have options for people who want more of you. Options that you are comfortable with.

Granted, I failed majorly at this initially. I'd be resentful of people who were “using me” until I realize that it was my fault!

1. They didn't know any better because I hadn't told them, and

2. they didn't have a legitimate option for paying me for my time. DUH.

Once I realized that I was putting THEM into a pickle, I kicked my “woe is me” mentality to the curb and I took control of my time.

What did I do to fix it?

1. I created a coaching page.

2. I wrote and published my book.

Now, people who ask about making money online are referred to my book. And, people who want ME are referred to my coaching page. Easy peasy.

Granted, I still do find myself slipping at times, and I have to put up barriers in those instances.

I think the thing that I finally figured out is that EVERY moment of EVERY day that I give to someone else is a moment that I'm taking from taking care of me, spending time with my kids and my Joe, or being with my family and friends.

Your time (as with your energy) is like a bank. And, the minutes go where they are allocated. Make sure you're INVESTING them wisely.

My favorite quote for over a decade has been “The days are long, but the years are short.”

I encourage you to think of that when you're giving your time to others. Because we blink and a year passes.

It's a lesson that's been one that's taken me a while to learn, so I hope this perspective helps.

Warmly,

Nicole Dean

Recommended Resource:

If you need an energy boost – check out Energy Jet Pack by my friend, Lain Ehmann.

PS. Remember, if you want me to keep getting awesome smart peeps to answer questions here, go check out their stuff.

• Lou Bortone – Video in a Day
• Terry Dean – My Marketing Coach
• Kevin Riley –  Blogpreneur Training
• Rachel Rofe – How To Get Never Have a Bad Day Again
• Kelly McCausey – Solo Smarts Podcast
• Tiffany Dow – Work Life Balance
• Shannon Cherry – Learn How I Get *Paid* to Attend Events

This week I asked our panel of experts…

“What tools do you use to backup your business, including your docs, sites, etc.”

I think you'll find the responses interesting.

Rachel Rofe of Work Less to Live More says:

I'm pretty low maintenance.

Ever since my computer got stolen (and didn't get backed up properly!) a few years ago, I've just been putting EVERYTHING onto Dropbox. I can access everything super-easily that way, and I don't worry about what happens if another computer gets stolen. It's all right in there.

Lynette Chandler of Tech Based Marketing says:

For websites that run 100% on WordPress and have nothing else on them, I use the BackupBuddy plugin. I have it save to Amazon S3 so it is off site and can be retrieved even when the server is down.

For mission critical sites where the shopping cart is on, where there are non-WordPress systems like forums or static HTML pages, I use AutoSiteSaver. This is a solution we created that will grab everything there is to grab on a cPanel account.

Most WordPress plugins only get WordPress. While BackupBuddy can get non-WordPress stuff, I run into strange issues with it on occasion. That's when we run AutoSiteSaver. On top of that, AutoSiteSaver also gets your emails. So if you use an email address that runs on your domain and save them there, it grabs them too.

Another thing that is often a pain with plugins, you have to log into each WordPress site to set up and manage your backup. Even with systems like ManageWP you have to install the plugin on each site first. Depending what I'm doing, I often find backing up multiple sites on AutoSiteSaver much easier.

Here's why. If you have a reseller account and above, you will get access to something known as a WHM. In our system, all you need to do is enter the WHM credentials one time and it will grab every single site on that account. From there, I can choose to backup all, or not backup some.

It also saves all your backups to our system so you can access them when your own host is offline as well. That is important to us. Of course, you can also download those backups anytime to store where you want.

When it comes to my computers. I run BackBlaze for continuous offsite backup. As a safety net, I also use Time Machine. Then, there is AeroFS.

Aero is not a backup solution but it can be handy when one computer goes down unexpected. It is more like a personal Dropbox. It doesn't store your files but it will sync between computers. You can get started for free and because there is no data storage involved, you never have to worry about that.

Kelly McCausey of Solo Smarts Podcast says:

I've been a Carbonite subscriber for a couple of years now. It backs up all of the files on my computer every night. What a lovely peace of mind that gives me!

I'm using Backup Buddy on my WordPress sites. I have it configured to send backups to my Amazon hosting account so if my hosting server crashes, I'm not too far from being back up and running.

I still have to do manual back ups of things like my Amember and member forum database – which is surely the most important thing! This reminds me to contact my smart tech partner about how to automate that.

Lynn Terry of Niche Success Blueprints says:

I'm a big fan of off-site backups that are automated. While I use solutions that are not, such as manually backing up source files to Dropbox, or an external hard drive, my primary sources are both automated AND off-site. In a worst case scenario, such as a flood or fire, you'll lose any devices (and files) stored in your home or office. And when it comes to manually backing up files, well… we've all experienced that moment of shock and (oops!) regret, right? Not fun!

I've been using Mozy for years to do automated backups, and it works great. I always say the real test is in the “restore” – and I've had to restore files from Mozy a number of times over the years. It was a total breeze. In a worst case scenario you could grab a new laptop, log in to Mozy, restore all your files and be back in business in short time. Definitely recommended.

That said, I now work across a variety of computers and devices – Macbook, PC, Android phone, iPad tablet, etc. Almost everything I do now is based in Evernote, which is a free “app” that is cross compatible. I have it installed on every computer/device and it automatically syncs between them all and is also always backed up.

I use Evernote to create products, for example. So I can move between devices, editing or adding notes/ideas, or working on the project. I may be sitting at my desk on my PC in the morning, grab my laptop and work from the deck in the afternoon, think of an idea while I'm out & about and add it from my mobile, etc.

Last year when my Macbook hard drive crashed, I was right in the middle of several big projects. Fortunately all of the sources files and notes were in Evernote, so I didn't miss a beat while it was off getting repaired. I simply logged into Evernote and everything was right there where I left it.

It's free, it's cross compatible, it syncs automatically – it's perfect!

I use it for everything from my task list, grocery list, goals & ideas… to writing my info products and webinar outlines.

Tony Shepherd of ‘Inside My Five Figures A Month IM Business‘  says:

Hi Guys,

I'm slightly nutty about backups since losing some sites in a hack attack several years back.

I'd (stupidly) assumed that they would have a backup of my sites.

Nope turns out they didn't

It was MY responsibility to back them up and one of the most important lessons I learned – take responsibility for EVERY aspect of your business.

So my my backup runs like this:

1. Main sites backed up weekly by my PA. She sends one copy to me and keeps another in a secure HD that I bought for her at her house too (not good to back up everything to one place) and another copy to cloud storage too

So that's my main sites and blog, niche sites, membership areas and sites from other businesses.

2. I back up my main content (newsletters, courses etc) once a month in the same way.

3. My lists from all the autoresponders I use are backed up every Monday, again one to me, one to my PA and one to cloud.

4. I do a BIG backup of what I'd call ‘everything I need' twice a year. I do this myself, manually and it takes a full day to complete including the next night too, for everything to download and copy. This 24 hour period usually involves at least one bottle of wine and takeout food being delivered more than once as I lock myself in my work room.

Strangely enough I find this really productive because it gets me back in touch with products, sites and content that maybe I'd neglected of even forgotten about and can re-market AND while I'm waiting for uploads and downlaods I watch all the traiing vids and stuff that I never seem to get around to on a normal week.

The backup from this goes to my HD at home and I store another copy at my mum's house. I can't stress how important it is to store a copy AWAY from where you work. If (God forbid) there was a fire at your home or office you'd lose everything if you stored your backups there too. Think cloud and physical storage AWAY from where you work, at the home or workplace of someone you trust.

I also have a personal folder on these external drives for photographs and videos of family life etc that I need to keep safe too. In terms of Software I don't really use any. I put procedures in place so my PA knows what to download and how.

I don't have much faith in software that puts it's own extensions on my files and then restores them itself. I prefer to grab HTML files and folders that I know how to work with and can just FTP right back into place should I need to

It takes longer and it costs me more in terms of employee hours, but I feel safer and it;s an area of business you really can't afford to scrimp on.

Alice Seba of The 30 Day List Challenge says:

I use SugarSync to back up all my files and my site back ups are handled through a service.

For my file back ups, SugarSync automatically backs up all my files within minutes of my creating them, so I don't have to remember to do anything. If I create a new folder, SugarSync will also back that up…I don't have to tell the software which folders to back up. Files can also be uploaded and synced via email.

What I really love about SugarSync is how easy it makes collaboration. I can give my assistants access to the folders and files they need and when they update them, the changes are automatically saved to my computer. I can also set it to have people view the files only, so they can't make any changes or I can share certain files or folders publicly (with an option password) if I prefer and they don't need a SugarSync account to access it. I have complete control over who can do what.

Much like other services like Dropbox, I can access all my files from my iPhone, iPad and pretty much anywhere I go. That means I can leave the laptop at home and still get stuff done on the go.

I don't just consider SugarSync a back up tool, but a productivity tool as well.

Shannon Cherry of Learn How I Get *Paid* to Attend Events says:

If there is one thing that always surprises me, is when a client says they have no backup plan. After all, if you work online, your assets need be secured… and as current as possible.

Let me give you a recent example why it's so important to backup. Last week, a client's website got infected with BaDoink! a security issue that redirects Apple devices that are viewing your website to a porn site. (We like mobile friendly, but not THAT friendly, right?!?) She contacted me in a panic. Previously, my site was infected but because I have automated backups, it was easy to go back to where the code was not tampered with, then fix the ‘leak' so it would not happen again. When I explained this to her, she began to cry, because she had not ever backed up, and her host didn't do it either. Basically she had to hire a security expert to remove the porn code and then remove the leak. A very costly mistake. However, I've heard of much worse scenarios.

There's a lot you can do to protect yourself when it comes to backing up.

1) Consider a webhost that does automatic backups. Just remember that that is a stop-gap. The best backup plans are the ones you do yourself.

2) Dropbox is my BBF (best backup friend). Everything is on it in the cloud, including all my files from websites, my computers, tablets and iphone. Since it does it automatically, I don't worry have to worry about it!

3) Speaking of websites, if you are using wordpress, I recommend backup buddy. It backs up your site automatically and you have a choice where the backup will be housed (for me Dropbox an on my webhost server). I purposely create this backup 3-4 days after my webhost's weekly backup.

4) Don't forget your lists! Aweber is my email service and I have a backup (essentially a file created by aweber) weekly. Again, this is saved to Dropbox.

Nicole Dean of .. here! .. says:

Wow! As usual, I got tons of great information. Thanks everyone.

I definitely agree that you should backup your documents, your pictures (including your family photos), your websites, and every other part of your business in an offsite location.

Having been through floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, and lightning strikes in my 40 years, I'm kind of realistic about how stuff can happen when you least expect it.

However, if everything you just read went completely over your head, you may be interested in my 20+ page guide that walks you through the hows and whys and includes printable checklist to put together an Emergency manual for your business, too.

If you'd like more info, check it out here (BUT DON'T BUY IT):

For a better deal, grab a copy of my course BlogCPR
which will help you to make blogging easier
and you'll now get a copy of the “Avoid Disaster” ebook free.

Warmly,
Nicole Dean

PS. Please support my friends who contributed their vast knowledge in this post:

• Rachel Rofe can teach you to -> Work Less to Live More
• Lynette Chandler is a whizz at-> Tech Based Marketing
• Kelly McCausey talks to Solopreneurs on her -> Solo Smarts Podcast
• Lynn Terry is a Super Affiliate who knows how to create Niche sites in her sleep. She's revealing her -> Niche Success Blueprints
• Tony Shepherd is a hilarious, smart do-er who takes you -> ‘Inside My Five Figures A Month IM Business‘
• Alice Seba wants to help you with -> The 30 Day List Challenge
• Shannon Cherry loves to -> Get *Paid* to Attend Events

This week I asked our panel of experts…

“About” pages. What is your #1 tip for a great ‘About' page on your websites?”

I think you'll find the responses interesting.

Kristen Eckstein of Get Published on Kindle in 30 Days says:

A PR expert once told me to sprinkle testimonials throughout my lengthy bio on my About Page. I did that by taking screen shots of social proof and inserting those throughout. I've gotten many compliments from people who decided to hire my team because I was gently guiding them through why they should hire me.

In addition, I recently added a super fun graphic as my headshot on the page.

I got the idea partially from the word clouds that used to be so popular on websites and my VA, Natalie Collins, who was playing around with adding words to her photos. I created a really fun graphic that captures exactly what I'm all about in a way that draws visitors in and makes them stay longer, then of course, want to get to know me better.

What I've learned is an About Page should never be stuffy, unless that's the market you're trying to reach. Being myself on my About Page, even when it was sometimes against the better judgement of some critics, has helped me build my business in the way I want and attract the types of clients I want to establish a long working relationship with.

Lynn Terry of How to Get Social Marketing Results in Just Minutes a Day says:

I'll make this short & sweet. My top tip for your About page is to make sure you include a call-to-action on that page! Put yourself in the shoes of your visitor. Click on your own About page and read it. Now – what should you do next? What do you _want_ your visitor to do next, after reading this page?

Make sure that “next best click” is very clear and super obvious!

Tiffany Dow of Work Life Balance says:

My #1 tip for an About page is to weed out your non-audience by being highly transparent. I like an About page that uses first person, not something that reads like a sterile biography someone else created, such as, “Tiffany graduated from…” Boring!

I love to use a combination of video and text. Video is GREAT for an About page because it helps people get a feel for your personality better than plain words on a screen.

When I create my About pages, I don’t just talk about what I offer – I talk about what I don’t, or why the visitor may NOT like me. Why do I do that? Two reasons.

First, it helps those who will get offended by me leave early so we don’t have to end up arguing about anything. Second, it helps those who like my style instantly appreciate that I’m going to be myself – and not phony.

On one of my About pages, I specifically tell them upfront “I’m motivating for many people and offensive to a handful.” I tell them I’m blunt.

Tell people what you’re like in terms of teaching – what do you share, why do you do it, and how? Give them a reason to love or hate you – but most of all, avoid being boring and middle of the road. Nobody is attracted to that.

Lou Bortone of Video in a Day says:

I think “about” pages represent a huge opportunity for business owners, but I also think many people miss the boat on this opportunity. An about page is a chance to show off your personality, and give prospects and partners a better sense of what you're all about. An about page is also the perfect place for an “about me” video to show off your skills and connect with your web visitors. My tip for entrepreneurs is to make the most of your about page, and don't settle for the typical (boring) bio and head shot.

I have a ‘one page' website, so my opt-in video doubles as my about video, but I also use a pretty cool LeadPage template that serves as a “bio” page.

Alice Seba of The 30 Day List Challenge says:

Even though an about page is about “Me” or “Us”, it's like any other marketing piece you put together. It has to be about the reader. So while you may be singing your praises and giving some more insight into who you are, you have to show how this benefits your audience. The goal of your about page should be to show your visitor why they should pay attention to you and stick around to learn more.

I cover this in our Persuasive Writing Course and here is an excerpt from that course:

—- START EXCERPT —-

If people are thinking about doing business with you, they’ll often look at your About Me page. They want to know who they’re dealing with and if you’re qualified to help them with what they need. If you don’t have an about me page…make one. If you do have one…let’s see if we can make it better.

Start with a headline other than “About Me” – what can you do for your visitor? What’s in it for them?

Focus on your reader and not you. Obviously, you’re still going to talk about your qualifications and experience, but you’re going to relate that to your reader. So if you have a degree or background in an area, you’re going to show why that matters to them.

For example, “With 20 years experience as a personal chef focusing on healthy foods and promoting weight loss in my clients, I’ve brought together some of my favourite recipes and approaches to meal planning, so you can follow your own path to nutrition and optimal health.”

Include a call-to-action. Where should they go next? I’d recommend sending them to an opt-in offer. Something they can get for free to get to know you better before they buy anything…but they also get on your list, so you can email them some more.

A lot of About Me pages are in the third person and I think that can work, but personally, I think it’s a bit dull and puts a space between you and your visitor. Speak in the first person and use words like “we” and “I” and more importantly, use the word “you.”

In most cases, you can have fun with it…share your own opinions and personal philosophies. Show your personality and let them get a great sense of what you’re all about and why they should stick around for more.

—- END EXCERPT —-

Sorry, I think that was more than one tip, but they all fall under the main idea of showing your readers what they want to know.

Connie Ragen Green of Affiliate Marketing Case Studies says:

My best tip for an effective and memorable ‘About' page is to always think of it as a work in progress. I like to share a little about how I came to be an online entrepreneur, but I also include up to date information and details about where I will be speaking, my latest published book, and other activities I am involved in. We are so much more than what we do in our businesses, and readers want to know more about our activities away from the computer.

I recommend setting up your ‘About' page with a picture that really looks like you, along with a couple of paragraphs that explain something about your background. Keep it light and informative. Don't let your page get bogged down with details of a job you had during the 1980s! Use this as a starting point to share as much or as little as you are comfortable with to the people who are interested in getting to know you better. I have two main sites and strive to keep both of my ‘About' pages current and interesting.

Kelly McCausey of Solo Smarts Podcast says:

Whenever some great web content grabs my attention, I jump over to the site's About Page to learn more about the site and the author. Knowing I do that, I'm pretty sure lots of others do it too, so I've taken time to keep my own About Page updated. I want to make sure it's ready to represent me when someone comes to learn more about Solo Smarts and me.

I've decided to keep the opening focus of my About Page on how I got started in an online business. I'm trusting that many of my About Page readers are new and seeking hope and resources. By sharing how I started small and found success, I'm trying to make a connection.

After my opening, I share a testimonial from a customer. I change this out every so often.

Then, I move into sharing links that I'm proud of under these headings:

• Kelly is Hosting Events: (Beachpreneurs, Exposure & Profit)
• Kelly is Speaking: (Live in person events)
• Kelly is Guest Blogging
• Kelly is Featured

It might seem odd to link out to other sites from my About Page, but I see it as opportunity to show social proof that other smart marketers think I'm smart.

Finally, I invite my readers to curate me. I link to articles and videos they're welcome to take and republish on their own sites and encourage them to do so with an affiliate link back to my site. I'm planning to plump up this area of the page with fresh content that promotes my new courses. Curation is a popular practice these days and I want to make sure my community realizes how easy it is to curate me for profit.

P.S. You can learn more about curation from my course, Smart Curation Skills.

Shannon Cherry of Learn How I Get *Paid* to Attend Events says:

I hate most ‘About' pages. Why?

Too many people use it to brag, when an about page is clearly a selling tool.

You see, you should have different about pages that target different audiences. It is impossible that one size can fit all your audiences' needs. If you are a coach, for instance, you should have an about page for your potential clients. It should tell them why they should hire you. But if you also speak, your about page should be geared to those who are looking for a speaker. And if you want media coverage? It needs to show a journalist you have got the right stuff to be interviewed.

For example, here is my about page for my blog.

And here is my info directed at event hosts and those who hire speakers.

Do you see how they focus on the audience needs?

Also, did you see that the bios I shared have separate calls to action? After all, this is a selling tool, so you need to work it!

The bottom line is to remember: it's not about you, it's about the audience.

Yes, some of the information will overlap. But if you have focused on the AUDIENCE's needs, you are more likely to get the response you want.

Nicole Dean of .. here! .. says:

One of my goals for this week was to polish up my “About page” on this site. Mission accomplished – although I know it could use another bit of elbow grease to be even better. Hence the reason for asking this week's question.

Here's what I've come up with as of today..

The intro with my main goal for anyone coming to my sites, buying my products, or hiring me as their coach.

I then lead into my Official Bio to show off my mad skillz. 

Then I go directly into the “here's me in real life” pics, like this one:

And on to… 

Where I’ll Be Speaking Next:

• NAMS- Atlanta

Events I’m Hosting:

• Beachpreneurs Live – Daytona Beach
• Beachpreneurs Retreat– Pensacola Beach

Then some of my favorite testimonials that I've gathered over the years – 

A way to connect with me on Social Media – 

Connect with me here:

And I finished with the most important part…

All of the above is important to me, but this is my “Why”:

I'm thinking I'll switch things around a bit, but I'm already much happier with it than I was before.

What about you? Care to show off your “About” page or share someone's that you enjoyed reading? I'm all ears.

Talk soon.

Warmly,

Nicole Dean

PS. If you're interested in this topic, I wanted to tell you about a PLR package that we have at CoachGlue.com about “About Pages”.

It's called “From Lackluster to Blockbuster: Revamp Your ‘About' Page for Increased Credibility and Promotion” and it comes with the following:

* Report: From Lackluster to Blockbuster: Revamp Your “About” Page for Increased Credibility and Promotion (15-pages, 2983 words)
* 10 Checklists to help you revamp your “About” page

Note: This IS PLR. We just call it “Done for you Content” over there.

And, the price can not be beat. Whether you plan on reading this and applying it or creating a coaching workshop around it, it's a steal.

Check it out here:  http://coachglue.com/coaching-content/revamp-your-about-page/

The checklists that you'll get include:

* Your Blockbuster About Page Call to Action
* Your Blockbuster About Page Checklist
* Your Blockbuster About Page Inspiration
* Your Blockbuster About Page Killer Headline Brainstorm
* Your Blockbuster About Page Links and Resources
* Your Blockbuster About Page Opt-In Offer
* Your Blockbuster About Page Social Media List
* Anatomy of an About Page Testimonial
* About Page Video Script
* Your Blockbuster About Page Vision

Here's that link again: http://coachglue.com/coaching-content/revamp-your-about-page/

This week I asked our panel of experts…

“Working at home with kids (summer time). If you have kids at home – how do you manage your home during the summer to actually get work done?”

I think you'll find the responses interesting.

Lynn Terry of Get Social Marketing Results in Just Minutes a Day says:

My youngest child just graduated high school. I've been working from home for more than 17 years though, and started my first business when my two children were just 5 months and 5 years old.

My daughter (the youngest) was on my hip or in my lap through much of that first year. When it comes to babies, you'll do best to work with their schedule. Work or rest when they're sleeping (your rest is important too, Mom!) and learn how to type one-handed.

With older children, I found two things worked really well for me. The first is the “if/then statement” such as “If you clean your room(s), then we'll go to the pool.” It's very simple but very effective. This only works if you always stand by it, meaning you only do your “then” after they do their “if” – and you always move to the “then” after they've completed what you asked. It can't be something abstract like “if you're good” but rather something tangible and measurable. Works like a charm!

When my children were younger, I woke up earlier than them by a couple of hours to knock out my priority tasks for the day. That gave me a lot more free time with them to get out and do things during the day. I often made up for those hours with an afternoon nap, while they also had some downtime reading or watching a movie.

Of course there are times you need to work, and that's where the second tip comes in: I used an egg timer. While there are many programs and apps that do this now, nothing beats an old fashioned egg timer sitting right on your desk in plain sight. I believe my children were 5 and 10 years old when I first started using this method of “time management” and it worked beautifully!

When the kids would walk up to my desk to ask me a question (like “Where's the red ball?” or “Can we go to the park?” or – the questions are endless as you know, lol) I would simply say, “I have 23 minutes left on this work I'm doing, and then ___ (“we can discuss it” or “I'll help you find it” or whatever the case). After just a few days of this, they started waiting to ask questions until they heard the timer ding.

The key is to always be available after that “ding”. This accomplished two great things for me. It taught me to work in “time blocks” which forced me to focus on getting tasks done in a set amount of time, which I found much more efficient than “winging it.” And it also took all of the “heat” off of me – and put it on the egg timer. The children never asked “when this” and I never had to say “in a minute” (which is *never* just… a minute!) again. They simply looked at the timer, and waited for it to go off. It totally got me off the hook and made our lives SO much easier!

Working at home with young children is a challenge, but being a full time parent and having a successful career – under the same roof – is such a great thing! It's definitely worth it. Above all, clear communication is the best thing you can practice in your home. The if/then statement and the egg timer both worked well because they were clear and easy to understand. They also both really helped me to strike a good balance between being a good parent and running a business.

Tiffany Dow of  Work Life Balance says:

I have two kids at home this summer – a 9 and 14 year old. I also love to spend my summer working less, but oddly enough, I get more done. Might have something to do with not having 2 hour carpool treks anymore.

I try to relax about my schedule more during the summer. Some days, I work hard so we can play hard on other days. Some days are a mix. If I know we want to go swimming the next day, I will wake up early and get a bunch of work done by mid-morning (from 6-10 AM for example).

Then we’ll go swim, and come home around 3-4 o’clock. I might do a little more work that evening if necessary – or just relax. It’s important to have things for your kids to entertain themselves with.

My kids love arts and crafts and video gaming (my oldest runs a gaming blog). My youngest writes stories and uses stencils to create fashion stories.

If I invest in anything, it’s outings for the family (we recently went to an animal wildlife center and a wax museum) – or, toys for them to play with.

In the evenings, since we don’t have to wake up super early, I try to have family time every night – a movie, grilling out, and some chocolate fondue.

Summer is my favorite time – especially with my babies! We need to practice lots of self care and relaxation during these moments.

Alice Seba of The 30 Day List Challenge says:

I actually love summer because it's much more relaxed. I don't have to get up early to rush people off to school. There are no lunches to prepare ahead of time or homework to worry about. Still, keeping business running through summer does take some planning.

Here's what I do to get ready:

• Ramp up my outsourcing. I give more hours and responsibilities to my VAs, which not only helps free up my time, but usually increases my profitability at the same time.
• Work in batches. When I’m getting ready to go on vacation, I will write all my emails at once and schedule them. Then I’ll do blog posts. I find working through blog posts and checking off the items off a to-do list very motivating and I can get through everything quite quickly.
• Plan my distractions. I know I'm not going to work all week long, so I plan trips to the beach, for a hike or whatever I want to do ahead of time. Then I know how to plan the rest of my week accordingly.
• Bring my laptop. I know some people won’t do this and it requires some discipline, but it works if you can manage it, bring your laptop on vacation. I find bringing my laptop to catch up on about 15-30 minutes of well-defined tasks daily means that I can get away more often and I’m not running myself ragged trying to get everything done beforehand.

All in all, it's a balancing act of work, chaos and fun. Having a plan and help on hand means I can get through it with a smile on my face…at least most of the time.

Nicole Dean of .. here! .. says:

My kids are 12 and 17 but this is the system that we’ve been using since they were each toddlers. Why? Because it’s the closest thing to sanity that I can arrange here.

We have a daily checklist that the kids must complete before the TV goes on, the computer goes on, or any game systems get turned on. They also must complete their daily list before friends are allowed in the house.

I found that, if I left the time limit open, that the lists wouldn’t get done. However, if they know they can work through their tasks faster and be free of my tyranny – they work through it better.

Here’s their list that I posted three years ago. It’s pretty much the same today.You can click on it to view it in pdf format.

The other benefits are this…

1. The kids know what the expectations are in advance. They are better equipped to succeed.

2. My husband and I are on the same page, because the rules are in black and white.

3. I’m not chasing the kids around all day saying “Did you brush your teeth?” or “Have you cleaned up the backyard?” I look at their chart and it’s right there in front of me.

4. It teaches the kids that habits are important. And, that a family works on routine. All good stuff.

I print it out weekly and they just check off the days as they go through them. If everything gets done during the week, they earn bonuses.

For instance, my son has a Gamefly account. He keeps it as long as the backyard is cleaned up daily. If there is an issue, he gets downgraded from 2 games/month to 1 and then to zero. It really never becomes an issue. He’s really very self-motivated when he knows the rules. My daughter on the other hand… is a bit more of a battle.

My kids also take some classes through Florida Virtual School to which keeps them busy.  I challenged my son to work through Codecademy.com this summer (and he will receive a bonus if he does it on his own.)

Plus, they both have the opportunity to do some work for me in our business, but I’m not utilizing them enough yet.

Also during summer, I try to limit work to 1-2 hours per day – Monday-Friday. Some days, I work 10 minutes – just to quick check email for emergencies. Others are closer to 3 hours Am I letting some things drop? Yes. But, I’m finding that the important things, like getting a pedicure with my daughter – are getting done. And, it really helps me to sit down and FOCUS on projects and tasks that make me money.

Please share your tips. I’d love to hear them.

Warmly,
Nicole Dean

PS.  I’m working on a book about working from home. So stay tuned for that soon. 

Remember, if you want lots of posts like this, check out my friends:

Lynn Terry – Get Social Marketing Results in Just Minutes a Day
Tiffany Dow – Work Life Balance
Alice Seba – The 30 Day List Challenge

I was in the second hangout and there was a lot of great info discussed so I wanted to share it with you.

You can join us in Toronto next month through this link: Exposure and Profit

The smart people featured in the video are all attending Exposure and Profit and are Advisors and Speakers.

They include:

• Alice Seba
• David Perdew
• Justin Popovic
• Ronnie Nijmeh
• Dan Morris
• Derrall Eves

The only speaker who wasn't able to make it on this call was Connie Ragen Green. She was on the call the day before, though, so she wasn't slacking or anything.

I hope you enjoy the discussion. I did!

Warmly,
Nicole Dean

PS. If you enjoyed that and want to learn lots more about content marketing and also get a big hug from me, be at  Exposure & Profit, Toronto, Canada – Click here for Details.