It’s time to talk about working smarter, not harder in order to increase your productivity.
Have you ever wondered how you can be more productive? The solution may be staring you in the face and easier than you think.
Here’s an example straight from my closet.
Every morning I woke up, walked into my closet, flipped on the light, and picked out clothes. And every morning I spent a ton of time just staring at my clothes—well, squinting at my clothes. After months and months, I realized I had a problem.
My problem? My energy-saving light bulb. It took time to warm up and actually illuminate my clothes. And every morning I had to either wait for the lightbulb to heat up or squint.
You know what I finally did? I put in a normal light bulb!
Angels shone down from heaven and I could actually see my clothes when I picked them out.
It’s funny to think about, but we do this in other areas of our lives, don’t we?
We live with problems instead of actually fixing them.
We’ve all been there.
The sink has been leaking for years. And instead of fixing it, you clean up the puddle every time you use it.
We just live with the problem and take extra time every day dealing with the consequences, not the source.
You have one sad phone charger with a wire sticking out, and it’s on its last leg. Instead of getting multiple phone chargers and leaving them several places around the house, you just carry the one with you everywhere. You lose it or risk electrocution multiple times a day.
We live with the broken phone charger instead of taking the time to find a solution.
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results.
Our problems are not going to change until we bring solutions.
I get it. We are tired, and solving the root of the problem requires thinking and energy and time. I want to challenge you to use some time and energy to get to the root of some of the problems holding you back. If you want a different result, you have to do something differently.
If we’re going to work smarter, not harder, we’ve got to get rid of some of these problems.
Press pause on your crazy life for a second. Your brain is CONSTANLY in overdrive. It’s going 100 miles an hour all day, every day.
If we’re going to think outside our problems, we have to stop. You can’t identify the root of your problems if there’s no margin in your brain. Stop and create some space to think.
Thinking . . . what’s that like? HA!
Once you’ve stopped long enough to create space to think, you might be surprised what you can identify.
Think through your day from start to finish, and ask yourself this question: What barriers or annoyances do you deal with?
Identify areas that drive you crazy and keep you from getting things done. Things that steal your time but don’t have to. Problems that you accept but don’t have to. Annoyances you live with but don’t have to.
It could be a small thing that is a drain on your mental or physical energy.
Make a list.
Take your list and write out to the side a solution for each of the problems you live with.
Most of the “problems” in our lives have a very easy and obvious solution. We just haven’t come up with the solution, because we’ve never taken time to come up with it.
You might need to get on Amazon and order several phone chargers, get a new light bulb, set out your clothes the night before, or buy yourself a jewelry case.
There are problems you can live with and problems you don’t have to live with.
You probably have some problems that you might have to live with, but I’d be willing to bet that you also have a lot that you don’t.
Stop. Think. Solution.
Stop going 100 miles per hour.
Think about what’s holding you back.
And solution your list.
I want you to get things done. In order to get more things done, you’ve got to solve the problems stopping you from getting things done. You’re not just buying a light bulb; you’re buying time and peace of mind!
You’re making your life easier. Life is hard enough. Don’t live with problems you can solve.
April Perry is an organizational and productivity expert and founder of Learn Do Become, where she and her husband help people architect a life of excellence. She is also the host of the LearnDoBecome Radio Podcast. She is no stranger to the Business Boutique Podcast, and has even spoken at Business Boutique events.
April has helped millions of moms get organized, be productive, simplify, and get rid of the piles. Y’all, she helps people get rid of the piles in their house! April’s incredible program walks you through how to create a “command central” in your home, build structure, and live a thriving life while being able to give generously. These teachings don’t just apply to your personal life; they’re also applicable to your business.
April didn’t set out to start a business. She loved being a mom but wanted a way to be more organized and productive, and that’s where she started. Her journey wasn’t always clear and easy, but she stuck with it, made smart decisions, and has been very successful.
In this episode, April Perry and I discuss how to be more productive and work smarter, not harder.
Related: Why Planners Are More Successful
Working smarter not harder is all about effectively utilizing of your resources and opportunities. I want to challenge you to make the most of your next learning opportunity.
Whether it be a networking event, a seminar, or the Business Boutique 3-Day event, these three tips are going to help you take full advantage of the experience.
When you have open hands you position yourself to learn. You’re open to new ideas, and you’re ready to receive and grow. You put yourself in a posture of learning, gratitude, and humility.
Opening your hands also sets you up to give. Even if you’re not an expert in the space you’re entering, you may still have something valuable to contribute. With open hands, you’re available to give, not just take. You’ll be more likely to share what’s working with you and connect with others, instead of keeping it to yourself.
The marketplace is not a place of scarcity, and walking in with open hands helps you freely receive and generously give out to others.
As someone who has spoken at many events and put on several myself, I can assure you that no event you attend will ever be perfect. You get to choose what you’re going to look for when you attend event. Because here’s the deal: you’ll find what you’re looking for.
If you go in looking for negative, you will find it. The speaker will run long, they won’t cover the topic you wanted, they won’t have good snacks at the vending machine, etc.
Fortunately, the same is true about good things. If you look for the positive, you’ll find it. You’ll meet amazing people, you’ll glean incredible information, you’ll feel like you belong, etc.
Regardless of the type of event or situation, go in looking for the good. It’s on you to look for the right things.
Even if the idea of meeting a stranger scares you to death. Even if you’re an introvert. Even if you attend with your best friends.
Meet new people.
Every opportunity you will ever have in your life will come through meeting people.
If you need a little help with this, check out my podcast, “Getting Outside Your Comfort Zone.”
No man or woman is an island. When you’re in these types of environments, it’s a great opportunity to meet people who are in your exact shoes or even a little farther along.
It’s on you to choose to build relationships.
If you employ these three strategies, I know you’ll get the most of out of whatever learning opportunity comes your way!
And of course, one of my favorite parts of this podcast is hearing directly from you. Give me a call on my new toll-free line at 844.944.1074. You might hear your question on a future episode!
1:25 Three Ways to Work Smarter, Not Harder
13:10 How to Become More Organized and Productive with April Perry
47:44 #AskChristyWright
56:24 Challenge: Make the Most of Your Next Learning Opportunity
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New podcast episodes are available every other week.
Let’s talk about perseverance. Perseverance is a quality that will have a huge effect not only on your business, but on your whole life.
Perseverance is persistence. It’s pursuing something with passion. It’s pushing through when things are hard.
I’ll be honest: Perseverance isn’t something I personally struggle with. In fact, I’m so persistent that it’s almost a flaw. Sometimes I just don’t know when to quit!
But that’s why I can tell you that being persistent and persevering in my life has been the number one quality that’s enabled me to achieve everything that I have. Even when it’s hard, even when it’s inconvenient, and even when I have tons of obstacles, I still push through.
Steve Jobs once said, “I’m convinced that about half of what separates the successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance.”1
Half! He believed half of what makes an entrepreneur successful is not money, not fame or a family name, not a business degree or even knowledge. It’s perseverance!
I couldn’t agree more.
And you know, there are so many success stories of women who got their million-dollar business idea right after pushing past the point of wanting to give up. People may have thought they were crazy, but they pushed through anyway.
Look at Kendra Scott, who started her first business at age 19.2 That business was called The Hat Box, but none of us know Kendra Scott as a hat designer, do we? That’s because Kendra didn’t find her successful business idea until almost a decade later. She designed her first jewelry collection with just $500 cash, and today, women all over the world (including me!) can’t get enough of her fun, girly jewelry and accessories.
Related: Ep. 40—Top Traits of Highly Successful Women
Then there’s J.K. Rowling, who wrote Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone as a broke, single mom, fresh off the heels of her mother’s death and a divorce. Her book was rejected by 12 publishers before it was finally picked up by one. She was given an advance of less than $2,000 for her work.3 Of course, we now know her as one of the wealthiest women in the world.
But maybe you don’t want to make a million dollars. Maybe you just want to pay for a trip to Disney World, or be able to quit your day job. On some days, I bet that seems like an impossible dream.
Or maybe your business is stalling and you’re thinking about scrapping the whole thing. Let me encourage you to keep going.
In this episode, I want to help you. I want to help you persevere, and together, we’ll tackle your doubts, like:
I am so excited to introduce you to one of the most talented guys I know, Dave Barnes!
Dave is a singer, a musician and a Grammy-nominated songwriter. Have you heard the song, “God Gave Me You” by Blake Shelton? It’s a huge country hit, and Dave wrote it. I’m a fan and friend of Dave’s—and by the way, he’s hilarious.
In this episode, Dave and I talk about:
And of course, one of my favorite parts of this podcast is hearing directly from you. So this week, I’m answering your business questions about scaling, passive income and quitting your full-time job.
Don’t forget to give me a call on my new toll-free line at 844.944.1074. You might hear your question on a future episode!
Plus, I want to have a heart-to-heart with you before I go. I have a special message that’s been on my heart that I want to share with you. It’s my hope for you that this reminder will make you come alive and bring you joy.
1:17 Perseverance in Your Business.
23:50 Slow and Steady Perseverance with Dave Barnes
50:28 #AskChristyWright
58:45 Encouragement: Do What Makes You Come Alive and Brings You Joy
Get Christy's Goal Setting Tool by filling out the form here!
Preorder the new 2019 Business Boutique Goal Planner at BusinessBoutique.com/Planner and use the code BBPLANNER to receive Christy's Setting Goals video that you can watch right now!
To save $10 on any Business Boutique Nashville ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT.
If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com.
New podcast episodes are available every other week.
One of my favorite things about business is marketing, and I’m so excited because this week we’re diving into a marketing concept known as the unique selling proposition.
It is one feature or benefit you want to highlight about your product or service.
This concept dates back to the 1940s and was used to get people to switch from one brand to another. For examples of this, just Google “1940s soap advertisements,” and you’ll see some brands touting “lovelier skin” and others promising to “stop BO!” Don’t most soaps do both? Yes, but each brand chose to highlight a different feature of its soap.
I’ve taught y’all about this before in many places, including my Business Boutique book, where I call it your unique position. It’s the angle you want to take in all of your marketing that lets your customers know why they need to buy from you.
In Reality in Advertising, author Rosser Reeves explains the purpose of your unique selling proposition so well. He says, “Each advertisement must say to each reader: ‘Buy this product, for this specific benefit.’” He also says, “The proposition must be strong enough to move the masses.”
Related: Ep. 52—Market Research: How to Know What Your Customers Want
So focus on just one feature or benefit of your product—something you want to be known for that is strong enough to move the masses—and highlight that in all your marketing, even if that thing seems obvious. In fact, in this episode, I’ll tell you how my college professor taught our class how to sell a toaster by highlighting a feature as basic as its electric cord.
But here’s another example.
FedEx has an advertising campaign right now that grabs my attention every time I see the commercial. In the ad, you see a woman standing in her art studio waiting on a delivery. In another scene, a package is hand-delivered to an elderly man sitting in a nursing home cafeteria. Then there’s a little boy peering with wonder at a FedEx box in his living room.
A voice-over asks, “What’s inside?”
Then you see the artist, the senior and the little boy light up as they open their boxes—and the answer comes: “Possibilities.”
Here FedEx reminds us that receiving a package in the mail is exciting! And if they’ve done their job right, maybe they’ve even convinced you that when you send or receive a parcel via FedEx, anything is possible.
Doesn’t UPS offer a very similar service? Yep. If you use UPS for your shipping and handling, can you send and receive the same things and have it done in the same amount of time? Probably. But FedEx hooked me with their commercial because they chose to highlight the excitement that comes with anticipating a package.
What result can you highlight about your business that will make your potential customers feel something?
In this episode, I’ll challenge you to answer these questions about your business:
If you don’t know the answers to these questions, you’re missing out on sales. You’re missing sales because if you don’t answer these questions in your marketing, your customers sure won’t know the answers, either!
Now, your unique selling proposition doesn’t have to be something unique to only you—in fact, it probably won’t be. My guest this week understands that and has marketed her business brilliantly.
Megan Tamte is the co-founder and co-CEO of Evereve, a retail fashion and styling company and one of my favorite stores. Evereve’s tagline is “Dress like a mom.”
Just think about that for a minute. How many stores and boutiques and online clothing companies sell clothes for women? How many sell for moms, specifically? There are probably thousands or even millions, right?
But Megan chose to claim it.
Her marketing lets people know that her store is the store that dresses moms. And as a result, Megan has grown Evereve into a multimillion-dollar business!
In this episode, Megan and I talk about:
Megan addresses the tension so many of us feel between being present for our kids but also pursuing a business dream. I love her perspective on this:
“One of the best gifts I could give my children was not being a mom who’s lying on the couch at night watching other peoples’ dreams come true but being a mom who was alive and passionate and happy.”
Amen, sister!
Y’all know one of my favorite parts of this podcast is hearing directly from you. So this week, I’m answering your business questions about money and social media.
Don’t forget to give me a call on my new toll-free line at 844.944.1074. You might hear your question on a future episode!
I also challenge you to start every day with gratitude and to focus on your blessings. Your thoughts will direct your actions, and your actions will direct your results. Whatever you focus on increases, so focus on the positive—and expect the best for your life and your business.
1:21 How to Stand Out from Your Competition
22:00 Pursuing Your Dream and Building Your Brand with Megan Tamte
46:21 #AskChristyWright
58:36 Challenge: Start Every Day with Gratitude
Get Christy's SWOT Analysis by filling out the form here!
Sign up for the new 2019 Business Boutique Goal Planner waitlist at BusinessBoutique.com/Planner-Waitlist.
To save $10 on any Business Boutique Nashville ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT.
If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com.
New podcast episodes are available every other week.