Denise Duffield-Thomas's Blog, page 14

Running live events

EPISODE 168
Running live events
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Today’s podcast episode is for you if you run, or are interested in running, live events.

We’re talking retreats, masterminds, and conferences - all the things involved in hosting your own in-person events.

There are so many things I want to share on this - both mistakes I’ve made and that I’ve seen others making, so let’s dive straight in.  

I hope this episode inspires you to try (or not!) running your own events and I’d love to hear more about your event experience.

What makes an epic live event for you? Do you have a hosting horror-story? 

xx Denise

Secrets from a champion procrastinator

EPISODE 167
Secrets from a champion procrastinator
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I am a CHAMPION procrastinator. Honestly, if there was a Procrastination Olympics I’d win gold. 

So today’s podcast topic is close to my heart - we’re talking about my secrets and hacks to overcome procrastination. 

I grew up thinking that I was such a lazy procrastinator and always struggled to get things done. I used to think I was really unmotivated until I realized it was actually undiagnosed ADHD. 

I now know I can have a real challenge with executive function - starting and finishing things and even making simple decisions. 

But even without an ADHD diagnosis, there are tactics you can use if you suffer from procrastination or just want to make your work days a little smoother.

Listen along to today’s episode to learn: 

How to identify and overcoming the fears that could be behind your procrastination 
Breaking the link between perfectionism and procrastination 
The concept of “negative consequences” that I teach in Money Bootcamp
What to do when lack of clarity is the real reason for your in-action 
More juicy batching tips to overcome resistance   

One of the very first courses I recorded was a procrastination course, and guess what… I never launched it! So funny. 

So what are you going to do? I’d love you to make a public declaration - tag me in your post @denisedt - and announce that your book, course, event or whatever is happening by this date. 

Just do it - you’ll figure out the details and this micro-commitment will get you moving in the right direction. 

xx Denise

P.S. We’re fast approaching the mid point of the year and it’s the perfect time to pause and RESET your goals and money mindset.

This time of the year is such an amazing opportunity to take stock and reflect on your progress over the last few months. 

So I’ve put together a free Mid-Year Reset Workbook, just for you. Click here to download: 

“How To Reset Your Mindset And Goals And Supercharge Your Next 6 Months”

Up-leveling your business is often also marked with some big business rites of passage such as hitting new income levels, paying more tax and making decisions about your plans for the rest of the year.

This workbook will help you: 

Feel more empowered and positive about still hitting your goals 
Celebrate and reflect on your business performance from the last 6 months
Forgive and release any missed opportunities or mistakes
Set new inspiring targets for the rest of the year 

I know time is flying by and reviewing the numbers in your business can feel scary – so I’m here to help you get clear.

Download your Mid-Year Reset Workbook today

Practical steps for better manifesting

EPISODE 166
Practical steps for better manifesting
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If you're fairly new to following me, you may not know that my first book was called "Lucky B*tch," and in fact, a lot of people knew me as the "Lucky B**." 😆

When I started my coaching business, I taught manifesting and the Law of Attraction. 

But what made me different was my Virgo personality and my focus on the practical action steps that make a difference when manifesting money or a big goal. 

Early in my career, I was known for manifesting free travel, competition wins, bank errors in my favor, and, of course, money. 

So I've learned from personal experience and helping thousands of people that there are honest, practical steps you can take to make your dreams real. It's not all woo-woo chanting at the moon. 

You really can manifest what you want, but it takes work, so let's revisit the basics that make the Law of Attraction virtually foolproof!

It all starts with a dream, but you have to put yourself in the slipstream of opportunity to have a chance of achieving it. 

Listen to this week's Chill and Prosper episode to learn:

How to combine the mindset of manifesting with the action you need to take towards your goal.
My 5-step formula makes manifesting predictable. 
My proven tips to shift your energy and boost your manifesting progress.
How to build momentum and accountability by taking inspired action
The secrets to manifesting more money and abundance 

There will be times in your life when you think, "I want this so badly," but you'll be frustrated waiting for the Universe. 

In today's episode, I share simple, practical steps you can take to flex your manifesting muscle. 

What do you desire this year? What do you want more of deep in your heart and your soul?

Hit reply and let me know the goal you're chasing. If you want some accountability, let me know the practical steps you're taking this week to make it happen. 

xx Denise 

Also, if you'd like to fast-track your manifesting with my advanced techniques, check out my Practical Manifesting Course. 

This course will give you bite-sized practical actions to make your money business, and life goals happen. 

Click here to find out more and save $100

Stop feeling unworthy of money and success

EPISODE 165
Stop feeling unworthy of money and success
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Today, we’re talking about worthiness - feeling worthy of earning more or deserving of success.

I honestly believe this is the crux of what most people need to learn to enjoy more breakthroughs in life and business.

You can learn all the business and marketing strategies you want, but unless you’ve done the mindset work to love and accept yourself, you’ll always feel unworthy and sabotage yourself. 

In many ways, this is one thing you need to master to have the life and business of your dreams.

That you are worthy of success, you’re ready and it’s possible for you.

This is such an important lesson and episode.

Feeling the fear and unworthiness of imposter syndrome is normal.

I feel this deeply - especially when I’m speaking at events. 

Worthiness and imposter syndrome go hand in hand because we’re often consumed with thoughts of “Who am I to do this?”

But the flip side of this, which could be such a game-changing realization for you, is that we’re all human. No one really knows what they’re doing; we’re all making it up, so why not you? 

You’re worthy of the success and money of your wildest dreams. 

Our community wants that for you and will cheer you on every step of the way. 

xx Denise 

Is it possible to build a six figure business AND work fewer hours?

 

 

Hi there

I recently sat down with Jeff Walker to chat about if it's possible to build a six- or seven-figure business AND work fewer hours.

For a lot of entrepreneurs, that’s the Holy Grail… 

I recently passed $25m in sales – while being a wife and a mom to three young kids. And I didn’t have to hustle, put in 16-hour days, or set my alarm clock to 4:30am to accomplish it.

It's possible to live life on your own terms, and in this interview, we unpack how I made it happen, including the simple two-step process behind my successful business.

Learn from my Launch Mentor: 

Jeff Walker has just announced his annual Live Launch Masterclass is coming in August 2024. This is the best free training available on how to launch and what is working now in the world of online launching. Plus, he'll open enrollment for the 2024 Product Launch Formula coaching program, for which I'll be offering extra coaching and an exclusive affiliate bonus. Click here to register your interest and join the 2024 waitlist.

 Join the waitlist here

How slow and steady can win in business

EPISODE 164
How slow and steady can win in business
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So you know the story of the tortoise and hare? 

They challenge each other to a race, and the tortoise plods along, slow and steady, and the hare rushes, runs, and gets distracted. Ultimately the tortoise wins. 

Well, today, we’re discussing how this “slow and steady wins the race” idea applies to your business. 

This is important because if you’re one of those methodical people who like to take it a little slower when initiating action or making decisions, you might feel left out in fast-talking entrepreneurial situations.

The entrepreneurial world often values speed, ideas, and newness over the tried and tested, so business can feel isolating if you’re always surrounded by hare personalities.

If this sounds familiar, listen to today’s podcast to learn about how the “slow and steady” approach can win in today’s online space, including:

The benefits of being thoughtful and considered in business 
The helpful and harmful behaviors of taking things a little slower
The services you can offer if you have a tortoise personality 
Who you need on your money team to avoid big money mistakes 
My lessons from visiting Lapland about embracing spaciousness and chill

Spaciousness is the gift of the nurturer personality. Where could you benefit from some slowness in your life and business?

It’s your time, but you have time.

xx Denise

3 Ways You’re Limiting Your Business Growth

Do you feel like you’re making efforts to move forward in your business but just not getting anywhere? 

Or maybe you invest in mentors and coaching, but you’re feeling super frustrated that you’re not getting the results they’ve promised you. 

Perhaps you feel like business success is something for other people, but not for you and you just wish that there was one magic thing you could do that would make it all work?

What if I told you it was YOU who was limiting your business growth? 

Money blocks can come in all sorts of weird shapes and sizes, and limiting your own business growth is a huge part of it. 

Clearing these blocks is the only way you’ll get past them, and I’ll help you with that too! 

There are three major ways that you could be limiting your business growth right now, so let’s get to it.

 

1. Paying for personal development but not practical stuff

 

When you’re an entrepreneur there can be a lot of pressure to spend big bucks on self-development, including courses and mentors.

Sure, you have to work on yourself to be a successful woman in business, but you need to balance investing in coaching, with practical stuff in your business that will help you make more money.  

“Invest in yourself” has become the “it” thing to do… 

My Aha moment happened when I was thinking about spending five figures on a sexy mastermind program – seriously, I was about to hit buy – when I suddenly realized that even though I was happy to spend that much on coaching, I was still doing everything else myself in my business. 

I wasn’t working in my zone of genius at all. 

I was running around, being everything the business needed me to be and stressing myself out, rather than doing what I was good at and outsourcing the rest. 

And let’s face it: outsourcing things outside my zone of genius was going to cost me FAR less than that coaching program! 

I got real and decided that instead of joining another coaching program, I would spend money on practical things like:

Hiring an assistant for a couple of hours a week to manage my inbox (my biggest stress)
A bookkeeper to manage my monthly reports, and make it easier at tax time (this made me feel SO grown up)
A proper designer to refresh my website branding (I was still doing this myself)
Paying someone to clean my house (so I could focus on my business)
Hiring a part-time nanny so I could spend some child-free time on my biz. 

So before you sign up for a course or coach out of FOMO and sexy marketing, check that you’re spending money on things that are right for you at your stage of business, and that will move you forward. 

I’m a huge fan of self-development, obviously, but I see too many entrepreneurs have an unbalanced approach to investing in themselves, and being cheap with things that will make their lives easier. 

 2. Stop waiting for the silver bullet

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: building a successful and abundant business needs consistency, not a magical solution. 

The truth behind a successful six or seven-figure business is kinda boring, to be honest. 

I’ve discovered this myself. I paid to go to a really high-end business coaching day, where the speaker told us all about his ten million dollar business, and his strategies were SUPER basic 

I thought that he was just doing the preliminaries with us, and that he would go deeper in the next session about his “real secrets” … but nope. That was it! 

The lesson here is that there is no silver bullet for success in business. 

People always ask me what the “one thing” is that I did to uplevel my business. The truth is that I did a whole lot of unsexy stuff for years, and I did it consistently. 

There are no new strategies. If you want to be successful, you’ll turn up and be consistent with the basics. For me in business, that’s blogging regularly, giving free and consistent content to the Lucky Bee community, and regularly making offers to join my courses, like my Money Bootcamp.

I haven’t deviated off that plan for years. I haven’t changed my business strategy every month. 

Going deep into your zone of genius will get you FAR further than trying one thing this month, then getting distracted and trying the next new thing the month after. 

 3. Prioritize mindset work

Many people say to me is that working on their money mindset is something they “want to do” … but they just don’t have time. Maybe they would if they had more money. 

Or, it’s something that’s “nice to have” – I’m always being told that it’s nice that I have the time to work on my money mindset so much. 

Um, no. It’s a decision like any other.

The truth is that mindset work is way more important than business strategy, and if you don’t work on your beliefs and money blocks, then you’ll absolutely sabotage your success and limit your business growth.  

You have to make time to work on your money mindset, and treat that time as just as important as working in your business. 

Without it, everything will feel hard. 

Money mindset work is an ongoing process, not a one-off solution. If you want to keep on growing, you have to keep on doing the work and clearing the blocks. 

I still do my money mindset work and clear blocks regularly so that I can get to the next level of business success. It truly doesn’t stop, but it does get easier and more addictive when you see results. 

Need some help on your money blocks?

I know money blocks can feel overwhelming, so if you need help clearing them (or finding out what yours are), I’ve got an awesome resource to help you. 

Find out the truth about your money blocks and get help clearing them by listening to my free audio here.

We all limit our growth when we’re blocked, it’s a totally normal thing to do. Deal with the blocks and see what happens! 

It’s your time and you’re ready for the next step. 

xx Denise

My Best Business Investments

Hello, hello!

Today I’m talking about some of the best investments I’ve made in my business. This is a question I get asked all the time, so I’m happy to share.

I’ve broken it down into three stages of business - when I was starting out, when I started gaining momentum, and when my business had a lot of growth. 

Firstly, a disclaimer: what I spend money on in my business is not necessarily what you should spend money on in your business. So I’m not saying you have to invest in exactly the same things as I do. 

But I do want to share, because a lot of people ask me the question because they’re curious or they want similar business growth. It took me about five years to get to a million dollars in revenue, but I don’t have all the answers for your particular business or goals. 

Often people ask me what's the ONE thing you invested in to grow the business? 

Well - I don’t think there’s one answer that covers every stage of business. I think the best investments you can make in your business change over time.

My other philosophy is that there are “appropriate” investments that change over time in your business. 

“Expensive” is relative

I remember seeing this question recently in one of our business forums: “Should I invest $15,000 to spend the day with a high-level entrepreneur?”

The answer totally depends on where you’re at in your business.

This person was quite new in business, and she didn’t have a really good sense of who she was serving or what her products and services were yet.

Now, I’m actually going to invest money to go and spend a day or two with a high-level entrepreneur mentor soon. It will be totally worth it because I have my products and services in place, so the return on investment is going to be much easier for me.

I don’t think there are any investments that are wrong or too “expensive” by themselves, but sometimes there are more appropriate things you can spend your money on at different times in your entrepreneurial journey.

So here’s the scoop on which investments were great for me at different stages of my business:

The early stages… 

One of these might surprise you!

In the very early stages of my business, I was like anyone else and a bit clueless – serving everyone and not having a really good understanding of what I was doing, but that was cool - we all go through that.

Here are three things that were great investments for me at that stage.

A business coach

Working with a business coach is an obvious one, but it was invaluable for me at the start of my business, mostly for accountability and support reasons. 

I procrastinated doing income producing activities in my business because I was scared all the time. Everything felt super scary, from doing my first workshop, to having discovery calls with potential clients, to having boundary conversations with clients.

All of that stuff was so scary for me that I needed a lot of support to take action in my business. I also needed to hear from someone who was more experienced and could tell me what to do because I simply didn’t know.

What you spend on a business coach is completely up to you. There’s no right or wrong. 

At the start, go for someone who is a little bit ahead of you in business, but you don’t necessarily need to work with a big guru coach who is really expensive. Stretching yourself to work with a mega expensive coach puts a lot of pressure on a new business. 

A guru coach might not be the best coach for you right now. They might have a long-term view of where you can go in your business, but they might not remember what it was like at the beginning.

It’s totally okay to work with someone who is affordable for where you’re at right now. You don’t have to always stretch to huge heights just because you think it would be good for you from a manifesting point of view.

Not at all

You simply need someone who can help you take action, who can help you figure out what to do and troubleshoot as you go.

For me, the right business coach was a genius investment because I needed to take action to make some money.

Now, my next investment might surprise you because you might think it’s got nothing to do with business, but that’s not true.

Invest in a house cleaner

 Hiring a cleaner at the start of my business was such a good investment because my house was always really messy and I would spend every weekend fighting with my hubby about who was going to clean the bathroom.

I didn’t want to do it. I was crap at it and he was bad at it, too!

The thing is, even at the start of your business when you’re not earning a lot of money, I think something like hiring a cleaner is an inexpensive way to declutter some of that crap in your life and create a nice environment for you to be creative and take action. 

But it’s also highly symbolic because it means that you go into your business with that mindset of, “It’s too expensive for me to clean my own house. I need to focus on income-producing activities.”

If you’re doing things like cleaning your own toilet, no one is paying you for that. You need to be out there getting your first client.

You need to be out there making money

You might think, “I’m not making any money right now, so I should do the cleaning and the money-making stuff.” I don’t agree with that.

Getting a cleaner is a very simple (and honestly cost effective) way to take some clutter off your plate and help you focus your time to make MONEY. 

 

This is especially important if you work from home, which I do. Your home is your workspace. You shouldn’t be procrastinating during the day by cleaning your own toilet (even if you think it’s cathartic or meditative - seriously, there is better therapy than cleaning your toilet) 

If your partner is saying, “Well, you’re at home all day. You can do the laundry,”

No

That’s not how it works. Working from home doesn’t automatically mean that you’re the housekeeper. You are WORKING. Even if you’re just starting out, you need to have dedicated time and space to grow your business. It’s an investment in the future for your family. 

Mark, my hubby, tried to do that. He’d say, “Oh, can you pick up my dry cleaning? Can you go to the post office for me? Can you throw on some laundry?” 

I’d be like, “I’m at work, sorry. I’m at work, just like you are. Why can’t you clean the toilet? Oh, that’s right. You’re in an office. Guess what? So am I.”

Trust me - saying no, even at the start of my business when I wasn’t earning much money, meant that now our family is HUGELY abundant. 

BTW - if that’s a recurring problem for you where family (or even friends) don’t respect that you work from home, just keep repeating “I’m at work”. “Sorry, I can’t, I have a client meeting”. 

In the short term, leaving or outsourcing some of these household tasks will pay dividends in the future. Plus you’re creating a job for another family too. 

Hiring a cleaner is hugely important and symbolic, so if you haven’t done it yet, maybe you need to get to it. It was such a symbolic investment in the success of my business. 

Invest in good photos

The third investment, which was brilliant for my business and actually didn’t cost me a lot at the start, was getting someone to take great photos for my website. 

Now, you might not have a swish website - that’s okay. You might not have great branding - don’t worry, neither did I. I didn’t even have a proper logo for the first four years of my business (even when I was making multiple six figures). But I always had pretty good photos.

Great photos can definitely make a difference to how people perceive you and your brand. I mean, I don’t wake up looking as polished as my website photos, right? I don’t work on the beach on my laptop with my surfboard next to me, with perfectly styled beach hair. I don’t drive around town in a beautiful blue Kombi.

But they add to the overall vibe of my business - chilled, easy going, down to earth, friendly. If I only posted pictures of my “real life”, it would be nonstop pictures of me looking tired, with baby spew on my shirt, or eating fast food in my mom-car! Not very inspiring. 

Great photos can definitely elevate your brand

And it’s a great investment to make at the start of your business. I actually think great photos are a much better investment than fancy graphic design or a complicated website. Plus, when you have good, professional photos, a graphic designer actually has something to work with. 

You’ll be able to use them on your blog, in your articles, in your marketing materials, for speaking proposals and interviews.  

In my first year of business, I worked with a local photographer who was very affordable. I got my hair and makeup done pretty cheap, and we went down to the local beach. 

It wasn’t as pro and organized as my latest shoot (where I had a set designer, stylist, props etc) but instantly having nice photos made my brand feel more professional and I felt like I was “in business”.

Plus remember, you can upgrade those photos as you become more successful in business but don’t procrastinate or think you need to be perfect before you start. Oh, and if you’re waiting to “lose a bit of weight” before you book a photographer, GET OVER THAT. You can get some done now and then another photoshoot later if you want, but stop procrastinating. 

 

To recap, the best investments I made in the early stages of my business:

An appropriate business coach for my stage of business
A house cleaner, 
Professional photos

And here’s a bonus one that is going to be vital at every stage of your growth. 

You need to invest in your money mindset

Upgrading your relationship with money, clearing your blocks and being surrounded by other entrepreneurs working on their mindset will give you the belief and inspiration to keep going. 

Having a supportive mentor and community will give you somewhere to share your wins, fears and importantly to talk honestly about money. 

My Money Bootcamp is one of the longest-running, well-respected and proven courses and communities out there for helping entrepreneurs up-level their money mindset and grow their businesses. 

We’ve been helping people like you for over 12 years and have over 10,000 members. Click here to find out more (the payment plan option makes this a totally affordable investment you can do even at the start of your business). 

Take action on at least one of these this week!

Now, let’s talk about when I started to make a little bit more money in my business.

The next stage – when money starts flowing in

When I started to have some regular clients, and started to actually make a bit of money, here’s what I invested in that made a huge difference in my business:

Invest in a bookkeeper

Honestly I was so scared about investing in a bookkeeper. I looked at the money it was going to cost me every single month and I thought, “How am I ever going to make that money back?”

What a negative self-belief right? 

But I realized that:

doing my own books (or procrastinating it) was stressing me out
no one was paying me for it 
it was mental clutter that was a distraction

Let’s look at the symbolic mindset stuff around NOT hiring a bookkeeper.

If you think you’re never going to make the money back from any hire, you’re just telling the Universe that you don’t have a lot of faith that you’re going to make any more money.

When I first upgraded and invested in a bookkeeper, I suddenly felt like I had a Real Business. Having someone see my financials every month was actually really motivating because suddenly someone else could “see” my success. I couldn’t hide from the fact that I wasn’t making the money I wanted to. 

Funnily enough, near the end of the month I was motivated to get more sales because I wanted to impress her. Weird right, but it was an extra layer of accountability. 

My first bookkeeper was with me from when I wasn’t earning much money to my first six-figure year and she was my cheerleader throughout that process. She helped me put together simple systems for managing my money. 

Getting monthly reports was motivating too! Money loves clarity and keeping an eye on the bottom line inspires you to make more.

YES YOU COULD DO IT YOURSELF but I don’t think you should. (Even if you love it and again, find it therapeutic). It’s not an income producing activity and it’s not a hobby. 

Plus it will make it easier at tax time too. 

Even some bookkeepers I know hire it out. Because yeah, it could save them some money to do it themselves but it’s not income producing! That time is better spent finding new clients. 

And because I suddenly had those extra overhead expenses, it motivated me to have a new income comfort level each month. I had a bigger goal, and it inspired me to increase my income.

So, if you’re starting to make some money - NOW IS THE TIME to invest in a bookkeeper. 

Do it

Invest in an assistant

The next thing I invested in when I started making money was an assistant. GAME CHANGER.

Hiring someone to help me, felt like I was really in business. I had a “team”. 

I started to outsource some of those tasks that I wasn’t good at, or things that stressed me out (like my email). And yeah, I had to learn how to be a good manager, which takes time but you don’t need to hire a full timer straight away. I started with 5 hours a week. 

It actually helped me take more action in my business, because I had someone to be accountable to, plus (like the bookkeeper), it added to my overheads which made me even more focused on income producing activities. 

I remember my friend, James Wedmore, said to me at the start of my business, 

“You can’t get to six figures doing everything yourself.” 

I was like, “Maybe I can be the first person to have a successful business doing everything myself.” Like WATCH ME BURN MYSELF OUT JUST TO PROVE YOU WRONG!!

He said, “No. That’s not how it works. Just start outsourcing”

You’ll know when it’s time for you to hire an assistant to get some things off your plate. Just do it. 

Invest in a mastermind group

The third thing that I invested in at that stage was joining a mastermind of people at a similar level in business to me. 

This, I think, was key, because suddenly I had peers. I had people who understood where I was in business, who could give me specific advice for my situation – and it was that next level up from being in free groups.

It was “curated”

Free masterminds are okay, but sometimes you need a curated group that has a really strong intention. You need a safe space for growth, and to push you to go to the next level. You need support and a good dose of healthy competition. And sometimes you really just have to pay for that. 

Not only can you see other people creating success, but you can ask them how they did it! You can find valuable JV partners to work with, and potential business partners for the future. 

You can start your own mastermind, for sure, or you could buy into somebody else’s, for example, my Money Bootcamp comes with an amazing community.

Find something for where you’re at, and where you’re going. For example, you might join a small business group for people who want to go to six figures together, or who want to go from six to seven figures. 

I think it’s important to find a specific group that suits your personality (ie, fast or slow growth) and mindset. For me, joining a mastermind with people who were at my level in business was hugely valuable, and I can honestly say it was a huge contributor to my fast growth. 

Ok, so to sum it up, when I started making more money, my best investments were:

A bookkeeper
An assistant 
Joining a paid mastermind of like-minded people


What to invest in post-six figures?

What did I invest in when my income started to soar past six figures? 

Invest in brand experts

One thing that absolutely helped me to upscale past six figures was hiring brand experts to take my content to the next level. That, for me, meant investing in a proper logo, investing in a more premium look and feel for my website, and hiring a set designer to come and design our sets so everything looked really pro.

You might think, “Maybe I need to do that now in my business.”

Nope, not if you’re not making money or you’re way under six figures in your business. No need to invest a ton of money juuuuuuust yet on the fanciest brand or website. 

At the start of my business – and at the start of your business – you need to focus on getting experience and getting clients. You don’t need the slickest, most professional brand out there.

For a lot of entrepreneurs, focusing on brand before you have enough customers is pure procrastination.

A great brand can attract new clients for sure, but it shouldn’t be your primary marketing strategy, especially when you’re new.

You’re like, “Wow. Once I have the perfect hex color for my website, the clients will come flocking in.” 

Nope, it doesn’t work like that. You can upgrade that stuff as you go. Go for “good enough” right now and focus on clients instead. 

But, if you’re at the level now where your income is starting to grow a lot more, maybe it is time to invest in your brand image and take it to the next level.

I know when I upgraded my website and Money Bootcamp branding, suddenly it felt like I was at the next level in business. But that was actually after I had hit a million dollars in yearly revenue! 

But I wanted to grow even further, and I definitely had the funds to do it. This can attract the next level of clients that you’ll need to go to the next level of income.

So ask yourself if it’s time to upgrade, or you’re procrastinating unnecessarily right now. There are more upgrades I want to make now to my brand and website, but I know I need to focus on sales right now, it would be procrastination otherwise.  

Invest in experts to solve problems 

At this stage of business, you need to outsource everything you can to take you to the next level.  

I found people to help me with more advanced website development, experts in Infusionsoft (my email newsletter software), Google Analytics experts – all the stuff I was bad at. Nothing that was “business crucial” exactly but this is the stage of business where you have time and resources for the “extra” stuff that can help you grow. 

The key thing is to hire people in their zone of genius to come and help with a specific problem. Don’t mess around hiring generalists. I used to hire people who were like “oh, I don’t do that exactly, but I can give it a bash for you”. 

Nope - go to the experts. It will be quicker and cost less in the long term as you get better results. 

These are people who can work on a project basis, they don’t need to be long term employees. 

For example, I wanted to put together some speaking proposals, so I hired an expert just to help me on that project. I didn’t have to go and research it myself, or go through trial and error.

Create a mentality of being the CEO. Richard Branson and Oprah aren’t doing everything in their business. They hire experts. 

So be prepared to pay to get their knowledge and expertise quickly, with either VIP or done-for-you service.

You might not want to do DIY anymore, or go through a six-week course to learn something, you want to find the expert so they can tell you the top-line info – or better yet, they can do it for you and you can move on.

Obviously, at this stage, your time is worth more than it used to be.

To recap:

At the start of biz:

an appropriate business coach for my stage of business
a house cleaner, 
professional photos

When you start making money:

A bookkeeper
An assistant 
Joining a paid mastermind of like-minded people

To go beyond 6-figures:

Brand experts
Contractors to solve specific problems

 At every level:

Work on your money mindset 
Be part of a supportive community with a mentor you vibe with (like my Money Bootcamp )


What should YOU upgrade next?

It’s really important to invest where it’s appropriate for you right now. Don’t jump ahead and stress about things you don’t need yet. Focus on the right things. 

It’s your time and you’re ready for the next step.

Denise xx

Want more? 

You can also check out this series of blog articles from my first few years in business where I detail my income and investments that helped me grow.

Balancing people over profits

EPISODE 163
Balancing people over profits
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Have you ever said this…

🥰 “I don’t care about the money; I just want to help people” or

🤗 “People over profits,” or even

👩‍❤️‍👩  “It’s not possible to both make a lot of money and help people.”

I’ve heard this from a lot of people.

I get it - of course, people are more important than profits, and we should all care about our clients, but business isn’t a zero-sum game, and we can’t use this as an excuse.

So, on today’s podcast, I share how you can help a lot of people and make a lot of money - they’re not mutually exclusive. 

Listen to this new episode to learn:

Which Money Archetypes struggle with this block the most, and how to overcome it
How this “people over profits” belief can affect your boundaries and pricing
The downside and consequences of choosing either people or profits
The money blocks and sabotages to keep an eye out if your business is out of balance 
And much more…

I’m really passionate about this - all my life, all I’ve wanted to do is help people. 

I’ve consciously built my business to balance helping people and making money; that’s why my tagline is “Make money, change the world.”

This truly is the key—setting up your business in a way that works for you so that you can make money in a way that feels natural and stress-free. This is the only way to have a sustainable, successful business.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on today’s episodes and how you balance helping people and making money in your business. 

Message me on socials @denisedt.

xx Denise

Understanding your customer’s Money Archetypes

EPISODE 162
Understanding your customer's Money Archetypes
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Let’s shift focus. Today we’re not talking about your money personality, but your customers. 

It’s time to look at the type of customers you are and should be attracting and how this might affect your business. 

Once you understand more about your customer’s Money Archetypes you can create more impactful marketing and more valuable support and products. 

Why do you need to know this?

Well, marketing is all about motivation and sales is understanding who your customers are and what drives them. When you try to market to everyone, you won’t get great results and it’s hard to stand out when there’s a lot of noise. 

So the more you understand your customers and talk their language, the more effective your marketing message will be.  

These insights are so valuable to help you achieve more sales, and get better at serving and helping your audience. 

Listen to today’s podcast episode for more on: 

Identifying the 8 Money Archetypes amongst your customers  
Why you might struggle or resist identifying your customer niche
Understanding why certain customers buy or don’t buy during a launch
My tips for improving sales pages and order forms conversion depending on your customers’ personality 
Marketing tactics to make your offer stand out for your ideal customers 

Do you know what personalities make up your customer group? 

When you share the quiz, you might discover a certain flavor or characteristic in your audience that you didn’t expect or unearth a new niche to immediately grow your business. 

You don’t need to be everything to everyone, but you can sell to everyone if you tweak your marketing so it speak to different customer’s wants and needs.

There is SO many layers to applying SMA to your business and I’m sharing more on the LIVE training later today. It’s free and is a once-a-year opportunity to connect with me and geek out over business and marketing. 

Add the call to your calendar and get the Zoom link HERE and I’ll see you at 6pm New York time, Thursday 16 May.

xx Denise