George Kao's Blog, page 23

Want consistent income? Have consistent valuable output.

If you’re seeking consistent income, aim for consistent valuable output:
Are youconsistently creating authentic, relevant content?Are youconsistently connecting with new referral sources?Are youconsistently testing new low-price offers?Are youconsistently reaching out for clients?
You don’t have to do all four, but aim to doat least two of the above.Becoming skillful in these valuable actions requires consistent practice and willingness to make mistakes and learn from “failure.” Translate “...

Our Selfie Culture vs. Your Soulful Message

A concern came up in my client group, and you may be able to relate…

So much of what is shared these days comes from a competition to “shine” by getting more “likes”, in this “designed to be addictive” process, a survival competition that plays upon our worst fears of being unliked and of not making ends meet if we don’t “grow our audience”. This push to shine and reach the numbers has become so excessive that there is too much empty content out there…

On the other hand, many of us have a...

Recover from Entrepreneurial Failure: BREATHE.

(Originally written in 2018. Updated for 2020.)

Recently, I launched a product that had far fewer sales than expected… barely any buyers.

My first reaction was to get discouraged and slightly depressed. In earlier years, I would’ve been tempted to quit.

Some might be surprised to read that a business/marketing “expert” like me would experience failures anymore.In truth, the most experienced professionals usually have more “failures” than anyone else. They’ve learned more than others in their...

Avoid These Marketing Tactics

Which marketing methods have been usedonyou, that turn you off? Take notice. Don’t use such methods.

Authentic marketing is simply following the Golden Rule: (not) doing unto others what you (don’t) want done unto you.

I surveyed the students of my marketing course,Authentic Client Attraction/Enrollment, about the marketing methods that turn them off. This blog post will list the commonly mentioned ones, and I’ll share a better alternative for each…Lead Magnets

A “lead magnet” is a free thing...

Should we give free/discounted services to friends and family?

As a heart-centered business owner, you’re very supportive of others. This can mean you’re not mindful about your boundaries sometimes, and you give away more than you sustainably can.

When friends or family are interested in your services, do you instinctually offer them free sessions or access to your programs?

Here’s my recommended guidelines regarding what to offer for free to family, friends and colleagues:One-to-One Services

You have a very limited amount of time and energy each week to...

How To Build An Audience From Scratch

Photo by @dayoldblues on Unsplash(This article was originally written in 2018, updated for 2020.)

Articles on how to build a fanbase tend to cover tactics like Facebook Ads, collaborations & cross-promotions, and SEO (search engine optimization.)

I’ll share my thoughts on those, but let's start with the most important thing:

A true audience gives you their consistent attention.

The best audience to build is a loyal following that has grown to count on you, and therefore, an audience that you can...

What is “Authentic” Marketing?

A colleague asked why I qualify “marketing” with “authentic”…

What do I mean by authentic marketing?

Simply put, it’s about honesty.

Authentic marketing is about not pretending:

To be truthful about where we are in our journey (instead of suggesting we are farther along, or to try to impress), or that we are a bigger company, or more polished than we usually are in everyday interactions with our clients.

Let’s apply this at 2 levels:In selling a product or service, authenticity is matching the...

From Hustle & Grind… to Joyful Diligence ❦

The mainstream perspective about being consistent and disciplined can be summarized as “hustle and grind”… a state of busy activity that suggests an underlying layer of struggle and suffering.

Many of us have grown up with such teachings:Be “hard” working—to work with diligence, hardship and strifeDelayed gratification—to reward yourself *later* after you struggle with the “important” stuff“Eat the frog”—get the hard thing out of the way by swallowing (doing) the highly unpleasant thing first...

Announcing: The Authentic Video Course and Mastermind

It’s a one-time fee of $120 USD. You get a complete online course about how to make simple, authentic videos (without needing to use video editing),3 months of feedbackon your videos,supportive accountabilityto get into aconsistent rhythmof making and posting your videos, and asimple marketing planfor getting your videos seen by your ideal audience.

Enroll via paypal or credit card by clicking here.

Or read on for more info…Would you love to get into a consistent video-making rhythm this year —...

Should we create “irresistible” offers?

Check out the following lines. It’s from a sales page by people I like and respect, but I do want to call out some outdated, manipulative ideas:

You’ll learnsecretsfor sharing what you do that produceinstant trust and desirein your ideal clientsHow to share your story about why you love your work so people lean in and get an“intuitive hit”thatthey needto work with youHow to create your unique, aligned, andirresistible“What Do You Do?” Statement
(I’ve bolded some words and phrases that I’ll...