Mike Michalowicz's Blog, page 29

The Weekly Wake Up – Reframing



Ever since I can remember, my wife and I have wanted fruit trees in our yard. This last year, we started what we proudly and lovingly called our orchard.

It’s now a bird feeder.

As the fruit on the apple and pear trees grew, and the blueberries started to bud, these (expletive) birds have been enjoying our harvest. OUR harvest! After all of our dreams, planning, digging, more digging, planting, and patience. The. Nerve.

Here’s the thing. We could sit and wallow in our disappointment over the license our local wildlife has taken with our dreams coming to fruition, or, we can accept that there’s nothing we can do about the outcome and reframe our purpose and expectations.

Now I’m not saying, accept every defeat, no sir. But in this case, we’ve accepted that these trees are still going to be of service, but in a different way than we expected.

The amount of reframing I’ve had to do in the last year has been mind bending at times. Speaking events? More like Zoom events there for a while. When I set out to write my last two books, they had different titles. The course I’m creating right now looks different than when I started working on it. And it’s ok, because reframing your expectations just means you’re willing to accept what can’t be changed, and also build that resilience you need in your business so it evolves into perpetuity.

So that’s the quick lesson for today. Be open to change. I’m sure you’ve done more mental gymnastics than ever over the last year and a half, so this isn’t exactly groundbreaking. However, it’s a good reminder that the unexpected can sometimes flourish beyond your expectations. And maybe leave you a couple blueberries.

Dang birds…
– Mike

Disclaimer: No birds were harmed in the making of this video. Or after.​

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Mental Health Hacks for Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners



October 10th is World Mental Health Day. What better time to talk about its importance, and spark conversations around mental health?

A popular default of most small business owners and entrepreneurs is to work, work, and overwork, but that’s not a good habit for your mind or body. I’ve fallen into that trap. If you have too, here’s a friendly reminder to stop. My favorite equation today:

Mind over business + body over business = better quality of life (and business!).

Over the last year and a half there has been an upward trend in the need for more mental healthcare worldwide. My hope is for an increased awareness and acceptance of mental health issues, that we’re more open about how we’re feeling, and more receptive and empathetic toward others. I cannot emphasize it enough: You must take care of your mental health to be able to adequately take care of your business, and others.

So let’s get personal. Here’s what I do to nurture my mental health:

Go to a therapist – Yep. I go, and even when I feel “fine” or as though I may not really require it. Speaking with a therapist is such a good way to check myself and refine the tools I already have to navigate through my thoughts and feelings. Over the years, I’ve found that going to therapy is a cornerstone of being of service to myself, and subsequently others and my business.

Exercise – I know, based on most of my Weekly Wake Ups, it’s pretty obvious that my work out routine is what keeps me in check. Physical activity and mental health go hand in hand, each boosts the other, but you already know that. I try to keep it interesting, alternating weight training, biking and running. You don’t have to be an olympian. Just taking a walk or a hike is a great way to step away from your business (see what I did there?) and clear your mind.

Spend time with loved ones – Carving out time to spend quality time with family and friends is something I used to put on the back burner. What a mistake. Not only were those relationships not being nurtured, but time away from them was only to my detriment. The relationships in my life truly keep me going. Between the laughs and support, I am constantly uplifted by them.

Create a ritual – My early morning rituals set my day up so that I’ve already accomplished something before I even leave the house. I work out, have a meditation of gratitude, sometimes I journal and practice guitar. Before I leave the house for the office I’ve already accomplished a few things that feed my soul, and that positions me to feel more ease throughout the day. 

What is your mental health routine? I hope this question becomes as popular as asking each other what their other routines are. 

We need you – the world is starving for your success. If you take care of yourself; of your mind, and it will help you take care of the rest of us. 

Be good to you!

Mike

P.S. Check out these mental health resources including hotlines here.

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Mental Health for Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners

October 10th is World Mental Health Day. What better time to talk about its importance, and spark conversations around mental health?

A popular default of most small business owners and entrepreneurs is to work, work, and overwork, but that’s not the greatest habit for your mind or body. I’ve fallen into that trap. If you have too, here’s a friendly reminder to stop! Here’s my favorite equation today:

Mind over business + body over business = better quality of life (and business!).

Over the last year and a half there has been an upward trend in the need for more mental healthcare worldwide. My hope is for an increased awareness and acceptance of mental health issues, that we’re more open about how we’re feeling, and more receptive and empathetic toward others.

So let’s get personal. Here’s what I do to nurture my mental health:

Check in with a therapist – Yep. I go, and even when I feel “fine” or as though I may not really require it. Speaking with a therapist is such a good way to check myself and refine the tools I already have to navigate through my thoughts and feelings. Over the years, I’ve found that going to therapy is a cornerstone of being of service to myself, and subsequently others and my business.

Exercise – I know, based on most of my Weekly Wake Ups, it’s pretty obvious that my work out routine is what keeps me in check. Physical activity and mental health go hand in hand, each boosts the other, but you know that. I try to keep it interesting, alternating weight training, biking and running. You don’t have to be a pro athlete. Just taking a walk or a hike is a great way to step away from your business (see what I did there?) and clear your mind. 

Create a ritual – My early morning rituals set my day up so that I’ve already accomplished something before I even leave the house. I work out, have a meditation of gratitude, sometimes I journal and practice guitar. Before I leave the house for the office I’ve already accomplished a few things that feed my soul, and that sets my day up for success. 

Spend time with loved ones – Carving out time to spend quality time with family and friends is something I used to put on the back burner. What a mistake. Not only were those relationships not being nurtured, but time away from them was only to my detriment. The relationships in my life truly keep me going. Between the laughs and support, I am constantly uplifted by them.

What is your mental health routine? I hope this question becomes as popular as asking each other what their other routines are. 

We need you – the world is starving for your success. If you take care of yourself; of your mind, and it will help you take care of the rest of us. 

Be good to you!

Mike

P.S. Check out these mental health resources including hotlines here.

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Get Different – And Avoid Defeat

On the day I launched my first book, The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur, no one bought it. Not even my own mother. Feeling defeated, I had two choices: learn how to market effectively, or abandon my dream.

I knew it was a good book. I knew in my heart it would help other entrepreneurs succeed. This led me to an epiphany that that has resonated with me every day for my entire career: I have a responsibility to market.

The lack of good, effective marketing is the reason for small business mediocrity and stunted growth. It cannot be overstated enough: You have a responsibility to market effectively. It’s that simple. You became a business owner because you saw the impact you could have on the world with your offering, and you thought it could serve better than the rest. With the numerous responsibilities that come with business ownership, your main focus should land on marketing your offering in a way that makes you shine among your competition and serve your community of customers.

It’s natural for fear and adversity to arise when running a business. It’s a strange time, to say the least. The idea of getting back to “normal” is obscure for some. Others may realize that “normal” wasn’t that great. Add to that, many of us are wondering what’s going to happen next in the current economy, which leads to trepidation when developing your business strategies. The one strategy that is paramount to the survival of your business is in marketing.

There will always be a reason (I like to call these excuses) not to market. You may think now isn’t the time. Perhaps you’re revamping your product. Maybe you’re an introvert. Maybe a health crisis, politics or social justice issues are creating it’s a sensitive time in the world (in which case, yes, time your messaging accordingly). Whatever the reason, you must find a way to get over the fear of failure and market your offering so it cuts through the static and gets noticed. Your business, your livelihood, and that of your family and employees, depends on it.

So what are you going to do? I assume you didn’t get this far because you give up easily. Here are the three main steps from Get Different to ensure your marketing is engaging – and effective. For good.

Differentiate – Let’s Get Uncomfortable – because very little is created via comfort zones. Let’s cut to the chase. Do not rely on word of mouth for marketing. That’s just lazy. By doing that, you are forgoing your marketing methods and leaving it in the hands of people who have no skin in your game. Don’t cross your fingers and hope people hear about you. Marketing is one of the things in your business that you can control.

If you want to get noticed and get results in a crowded market, follow the DAD methodology in Get Different. Based on years of marketing research and experiments, Get Different contains a blueprint for engaging and converting your prospects into leads. DAD stands for Differentiate, Attract, and Direct. The first step, differentiate, in the framework is quite literal. To get attention, to stand out in the constant hum of marketing, you must, must get different. You must identify a marketing approach intrinsic to you that stands out in a sea of sameness.

What will make your prospect’s minds stop and pay attention? How can you engage them during the marketing milliseconds? What is your “est”? Are you the smartest or the funniest? How is your business the best? Use that quality in your marketing to stand out among the others. Now, I’m not saying dress up in tight, shiny clothes and create a book release video (like we did), but you can use your unique qualities, the ones authentic to who you are and what your service offers to market the heck out of your product. And get creative, or no one is going to see you.

Don’t be afraid to stand out. It’s not natural for everyone, and you may have to leave your ego at the door and take a risk. One that will be worth it.

“Different isn’t doing more of what everyone else does, it’s doing more of what you do.”

Attract for Engagement – You have their attention. Now what? Next, ensure that your approach will appeal to the people you want to serve, not turn them off. How will you establish your marketing as an opportunity they will consider, instead of a threat they will avoid? Make how you are attracting works for who your community is.

Attraction is what holds that attention you garnered from being different. You can show a shiny object and get attention, but that’s not the same as attracting. At least not successfully. Successful attraction engages your prospects for the long term.

After years of research, I can say that gimmicks and talking without doing the walk only work for the short term. How will you keep customers engaged in your marketing? The biggest component of attracting your customers is to establish attraction influencers (no, not social media influencers though there’s a similar idea here). Attraction influencers are the key attributes your business needs to attract and influence your audience for the long term.

Authority – First, you want to be sure that your customers see you as the authority in your niche. This increases their trust in you, because they see you as the expert that can serve them best. And, it’s human nature that people want to be associated with the top dog.
Trust – Speaking of trust, if you are already a trusted source in your field, people will already have established confidence in you.

Repetition – Here is an interesting fact: The more something is repeated, the more likely it will ring true for people. So if you know your offering is life changing, yell it from the rooftops. Over and over.

Social significance – Even the most humble of people want to feel they’re doing something important to serve their community (business or otherwise). Some prospects will be attracted to the idea of being elevated through association with you and/or your service.

Alignment – Alignment validates us. When we relate to something, we are more likely to want to stay connected in that space. Letting your customers know your priorities are aligned with theirs creates familiarity and comfort.

Direct – What is your call to arms? Your strategy must compel your ideal prospects to take a specific action you desire.

Now that you have the prospect’s attention and they are engaged, you need to tell them what the heck to do. Marketing guru Jeff Walker says that marketing is every step you take to get the customer to the buying decision, and the sale is the final action on their decision to buy. So your clear, singular directive should get them to the next step. With every marketing offer, provide very clear, concise, and short directions. If the directions are too wordy or involved, you’re going to lose that prospective client. The easier the better – it ensures you will get more responses.

Be someone your prospects aspire to. If they see you as an authority in your field, the more likely they are to take your directive. Similarly, if you’re seen as an equal, or a peer, they will trust you. But, if they see you or your product as inferior, well, go back to step 1.

Wishing you different and even better in your business.

-Mike

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Inspiration is everywhere – The Weekly Wake Up



The annual ProfitCon conference was located in Jersey City across the river from Manhattan, and the view was incredibly inspiring. Phew. Every time I see it I am reminded of what humankind is capable of.

While the landscape of the New York City skyline has changed, I believe our hope and endurance is steadfast. I also believe that one of the greatest gifts you can give is to rise each other up. Together, we really can accomplish anything.

This week (and always) I invite you to:
Be inspired – be open to letting new things motivate you
Take a moment to appreciate the challenges you have overcome
Be a cheerleader – support someone who could use it

Remember how far you’ve come. Then keep going.

You’ve got this.
– Mike

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Leading by Example – The Weekly Wake Up



Did you know there was a study conducted by Keep America Beautiful that determined there were over 50 billion pieces of litter found in 2020? Remember, part of 2020 there was a shutdown, and there was still that much litter produced.

I don’t get it. I bet you don’t either. But when you hear statistics like that you want to get involved. So, in response to this litter issue I began collecting litter during some of my runs. My hope is that others will be inspired to do the same. On the morning that I recorded this video, I saw a dad and his seven year old daughter waiting for the bus. They watched me, unsure who this weirdo (or beardo, you decide) was doing. But as I made my way around the bend, the dad yelled out, “Thank you!”.

My motivation for my actions aren’t ego based, but that thank you meant a lot. I loved that he recognized the good deed, and I bet the explained it to his daughter. With any luck, it was a teachable moment for her. And, I am betting that her generation moves mountains for a better earth. Until then, I will do my part.

What do you do to lead by example? If you’re here reading this, I bet your the kind of person who leads by example in your business and in the world. Keep it up, the world needs all the goodness it can get.

Be well this week and always.
– Mike

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Get Different is being released!

This week, my new book Get Different will be released.

Gulp.

After years of marketing research, beta classes and experiments on my own company, it’s time to share what I know is the best recipe for your marketing success.

I remember when I began my first business. Just the phrase, “marketing”, made me cringe. I thought my work would speak for itself, and soon everyone who needed me would find me via word of mouth. I have a word for you – lazy! If my journey as a business owner has taught me anything, it’s that we must market. You began your businesses because you had a product or offering that was superior to anyone else. Wonderful! Question is, who is that helping if no one knows about it? You have to create effective marketing. And you must do it differently than anyone else to cut through all the other white noise of the masses and get noticed.

The world is constantly evolving, as will the needs from your business and your marketing. At some point, you will have to up your game to stand out so that the people who need you can find you.

If you want your business to serve others (and let’s face it, make sales), you need to Get Different. Then you’ll obtain the proven, no-nonsense method to position your business, service, or brand to get noticed, attract the best prospects, and convert those opportunities into sales. The key? Mastering the millisecond moments where prospects decide to engage or ignore your marketing. Yes please.

This marketing system is a game-changer for everyone.

I’m so excited to see Get Different work for you and your business.

– Mike

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GET DIFFERENT KEYNOTE BY MIKE MICHALOWICZ

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Reimagining your business

We know the pandemic changed the way many small businesses survive. We never heard the word “pivot” so much since Ross tried to get a couch up the stairs with Chandler and Rachel on Friends.

Your business should always be evolving, because the rest of the world always will too. But is pivoting your offering right for you?

When Covid-19 resulted in global shutdowns, small business owners, especially those with storefronts, were left with two options:

Wait it out and hope for better days, or, create better days.

Switching up your marketing isn’t enough when you’re faced with such a widespread issue.

Look at what you’re marketing. Is it what your clients and customers need now? Does it help them today?

Chapter 10 of Get Different provides you with a blueprint to reimagine your business – for emergencies, and for plain old revamps. Don’t worry, you won’t have to start from scratch. 

Jacob Limmer, of Cottonwood Coffee, is a friend of mine who found a way to pivot his offering as a result of the pandemic. When the shutdown occurred, people weren’t exactly running out to their local coffee shops. Most storefront owners had to close, which left them wondering, “Oh no, what do we do now? And for how long? Is this the end of my business?” 

In addition to 2 storefronts, Jacob already had an online store (which is something I highly recommend), but what would people want in the moment of a global health scare? He decided to send a survey out to his mailing list. The survey said Cottonwood knew it needed to serve their customers in a new way, and asked what would be the most beneficial thing Cottonwood could do for them. The resounding answer was, “immunity”. Eur. Eeee. Kaaaa! And so The Immune Booster Cold Brew was created. Infused with high quality D3, customers could still enjoy their coffee ritual while getting the added benefit of a healthy supplement.

During the pandemic, Jacob had to close one of his storefronts. Today, business is in full swing thanks to his willingness to take a chance on something people needed. Reimagining your offering, truly serving your clients and customers is what you need to be marketing.

Reimagining your business will feel daunting, maybe risky even. But you didn’t come this far to only go this far. Once you utilize the Get Different strategies, you will be more equipped to manage detours the world chucks at your business – because you will have practiced getting different. 

As for Jacob at Cottonwood, he says, “I feel more in control of my business than I ever have before. I know now that I don’t have to sacrifice my life for my business ever again. I can adapt to whatever happens and whatever I will need by reimagining it.” And isn’t that what we all want?

Wishing you tremendous success in your business.

-Mike

 

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Unexpected Discoveries – The Weekly Wake Up



Small business owners, do you ever get stuck in your to do list and forget to come up for air?

If so, I encourage you to get commune with nature.

If you keep your eyes and ears open, discoveries are all around! See what I mean here. I am constantly motivated by lessons I learn when I am outdoors. Things that have nothing to do with business, seemly creep in at every turn.

These discoveries you make can almost always be applied to your business. It’s a reminder to take a step back from the routine and stay unstuck. I’ve been there, done that. Take my learned lesson and make a little discovery of your own today. You won’t regret it.

Be well!
-Mike

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