One of my tasks in preparing the Telesummit was getting my various email campaigns ready. With the increased focus on social networking some wonder if email is really that important anymore. I believe it’s a very important part of marketing your business but the real key is in the automation process. Find out how autoresponders can help you build relationships AND ultimately save valuable time.

 

 Use Automated Email to Build Relationships and Save Time [Metromom Podcast] [5:26m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

It has become incredibly clear to me as I approach Metromom’s one-year anniversary that I don’t want to be a one-woman show. As more and more entrepreneurial moms are joining the  community I want to provide them with various resources that support them, and I can’t (nor do I want to do it all alone.)

My good friend, and fellow Metromom, Susie Shina has become Metromom’s fitness expert. My reason for choosing her is that she really gets the busy mom’s desire to be fit and also efficiently plan her workouts and lifestyle around her family and her business.

Check out our new video. We had the opportunity to spend some time together this week at Steve Harrison’s Quantum Leap program and wanted to clarify what she’ll be offering.

"Web 2.0" – the second generation of the web – has a definite advantage to the way we as women do business, since the focus is on communication, information sharing, and collaboration. So how can you make your web presence interactive? AND, how can you do so easily and authentically?

 

 Easy, Fun and Inexpensive Ways to Interact with Your Audience [Metromom Podcast] [6:02m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

I did a lot of traveling earlier this year, which was taking a toll on me and my family. They were well-prepared to handle things without me for a few days, but it felt like each time I returned home and we reconnected, I was turning around again to leave. I promised myself that I’d stay put for awhile and I’ve really enjoyed this last month at home.

Then I was listening to the CD’s of Baeth Davis speaking at Ali Brown’s last workshop. I eagerly awaited carpooling time so I could listen to her stories. What I heard made me reevaluate my decision to stay home. I realized that I needed to attend Baeth’s Life Purpose Spiritual Summit on June 4th-6th.

Let me share some of my history with Baeth…

Baeth Davis came into my life in October 2006. During a hand analysis she shared my life purpose with me in and I knew at that moment, she would be my next coach. One of the key things she shared with me about my purpose is that when I have fun I can manifest all that I desire, and it is incredibly important that my life be oriented around being of service. The two points became a huge shift for me. “Fun” and “being of service” became the filters through which I made all my decisions.

At the time we met, I was working with Melaleuca (a direct sales wellness company) and I wasn’t having a lot of fun. I wanted to grow a business, but was dragging around all the wrong people. From my earlier experience with my first entrepreneurial company, Metromom Maternity, I knew that I was meant to do something bigger and serve a special kind of entrepreneurial mom (aka Metromom). Baeth suggested that I build my Melaleuca business around being of service to “Metromoms” and it worked – my business tripled!

I was enjoying myself but I felt there was a bigger way for me to have fun and be of service to Metromoms. Baeth and I agreed that for the time being I’d focus on growing my Melaleuca business and every time I had a “Metromom” idea, I’d put it in a “beautiful box”.

Then, in August of 2007, at the urging of my husband, I attended Baeth’s first Life Purpose Summit. I showed up there in two worlds – a bit of Melaleuca and a bit of Metromom. Through the summit I recognized my life purpose calling me more towards the Metromom world. To pursue that purpose, I chose to do an intensive 3-day coaching program with Baeth and two other coaches, Kendall Summerhawk and Kailash Sozzani.

I was so excited to be on track with my purpose. On the flight to my coaching program, I wrote in my journal:

I love to connect with other women. This is a joyful experience for me, and I do it effortlessly. IMAGINE… if I could create a business where I get to connect great women to each other, provide them with lots of value, make a great income for my family AND give back in a really big way.

Adrenaline poured through me as I wrote this—an inner knowing that I was on the right track. After three days with three unique and highly-gifted women in a collaborative coaching circle I was able to focus in on what I love to do, what I’m really good at and what can benefit others the most. With Baeth’s support, I went onto to create my Metromom community and website as it currently is.

When I learned of Baeth’s second summit, my first thought was not to consider it because I’d already attended once. After listening to her talk on the CD I had a sudden realization. I realized that I’m not in the same place as I was 18 months ago. I’m now fully in a Metromom place and my vision has evolved and changed drastically from my days as the Melaleuca representative.

While I’ve certainly stepped into my purpose in creating Metromom, I determined that I am ready for some fine-tuning. Now in this place in my business and my personal growth, what new insights may I receive? What new people will I meet and special connections may I form?

It’s very easy to have the “bright shiny object syndrome” and want to attend every event. I have learned to say “no” to many, not because they’re not wonderful but because they’re not right for me at the time. Now, it feels amazing to feel a complete “yes” about attending Baeth’s. I’ll certainly share more about my experience when I return next week. (If you’re going to be there, please make sure to find me and say hello, or send me a tweet.)

People do business with those they know, like and trust – this is true online and offline. I believe you should communicate with your website visitors because that’s where the money is. Effective communication doesn’t require thousands of dollars, the latest technology or high-end graphics. In this podcast I’ll share three simple – yet highly effective – steps to make your website work (and sell) for you.

 

 How to Make your Website Work (and Sell) for You [Metromom Podcast] [5:04m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The best thing about online marketing is that it allows you to create relationships with more people than you would normally come into contact with. Kim DeYoung, a mom entrepreneur with loads of internet savvy, explains the need to communicate effectively online so people get a sense of who you are. She shares exactly what you need to accomplish with your website and the tools you must use to maximize the benefits of marketing your business online.

 

 5 Tools Every Mom Entrepreneur Must Have to Market Her Business Online [Metromom Podcast] [7:44m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Do you have ideas that you’d like to implement but something is holding you back? If so, you’re going to enjoy this week’s podcast. We all have doubts about our lack of experience running a business or expanding in some way. Find out how I discovered that knowing WHAT needs to be done is more important than knowing HOW to get it done.

 

 Empower Yourself as a Resourceful Entrepreneur [6:39m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Email remains one of the most powerful (and inexpensive) marketing tools at your disposal. It’s a critical  component in building relationships with your target audience. The problem is that email can be a HUGE drain on your time, and busy mom entrepreneurs don’t have a lot of time to spare.

That’s why understanding and utilizing autoresponders is really important if you want to maximize the time and energy you spend on email. An autoresponder is basically a computer program that automatically answers e-mail sent to it. This process saves you countless hours because the email autoresponder message is always working for you.

I decided to invest my time and energy into understanding the ins-and-outs of autoresponders. I also interviewed Jennifer Haubein of Best Biz Website Solutions at the Metromom Online Success Telesummit to get even more ideas since she’s an expert at automation.

I want to share with you the three main benefits we have personally discovered when it comes to using autoresponders….

1. Help you utilize pull (instead of push) marketing – When you give your website visitors something of value such as a free irresistible offer, like a report or e-course, you’re using pull marketing. Once they sign-up for your offer and provide you with their email address, your goal is to not just give them your report but to use autoresponders to provide ongoing value.

2. Enhance your customer service – It’s hard to respond to each and every customer in a timely way. This is especially true on the internet because your website is working 24/7 when you can’t or don’t want to. Utilizing autoresponders allows you to communicate with your customers effortlessly, and on their schedule.

3. Allow for effortless and consistent follow-up – Studies repeatedly show that it takes 7-9 contacts on average before a person is willing to buy your product or service. That’s a considerable amount of follow-up and an autoresponder can do all of this for you.

Autoresponders can help you build relationships through targeted marketing and first-class customer service. Once you set it up, it runs on autopilot so you can focus on other aspects of growing your business (or spend more time on yourself and your family).

If you want more information on the best software options or how to set-up email campaigns, you can listen to my interview with Jennifer Haubein from the Telesummit – How to Build Relationships and Save Time Through Automated Email Campaigns (you’ll also get the transcript and my personal notes).

It was three hours before my Telesummit went live, I had a million details to wrap up, when I received an email from my 10-year old daughter that made me drop everything. A few hours earlier she’d come into my office asking me for help on a project (that was ironically about Who She Admires Most – and she wanted it to be about me), and I’d told her I’d be right there. Well, in my busy-ness, that time came and went, and she wasn’t happy.

Her email was entitled “Suggestion” and said “Just as a suggestion if you can’t help me then you shouldn’t say that you can and that you will be done in a few minutes when really you can’t help… So just say no if you are busy so that I don’t have to wait when I can go to someone else to just get it over with.” OUCH!

The fact is that this month in preparation for the summit, I’ve been less than present as a mom, and my kids were definitely noticing the difference. Even though I’ve loved every minute of Telesummit preparation from interviewing all 18 speakers, to writing a huge amount of emails, to managing all the details to make it run smoothly, I’ve not been particularly balanced this month. I’ve not exercised once, was forgetting to drink as much water as I should, and was definitely not spending the quality time with my children and husband that I usually do.

Since my husband Allan lost his job in December, he was fortunately in position to fully jump in and help manage our household. The kids enjoyed their time with him but there are times when they just need (and want) time with their mom. With my husband’s recent job loss I’ve also felt a lot more financial pressure, that I’ve not voiced to many, and that’s created an underlying energy in our home that I’m sure my kids are picking up on.

It was time for a heart-to-heart.

As I went into Tasha’s room, after receiving her email, I was torn with how much to share with her. I certainly knew I needed to apologize to her sincerely for my lack of attention, but I felt I wanted to give her more of an explanation.

Looking at her serious big brown eyes, I recalled a memory of me as a 10-year old where my mother shared something serious with me. Even though I don’t recall the details, I do remember that it caused me to be very protective of her and become more adult than a little girl should have to be. As a parent, I want to protect my children from being in that position. Is it right or is it wrong? I don’t know, but it’s how I feel. My children already got enough external stimuli pulling at them to grow up quickly, and I want to slow it down and let them enjoy their childhood.

Despite these doubts, I felt like Tasha deserved an explanation as to why I’d been pre-occupied more than normal. I wanted to give her a sense of the multi-layer complexity of the situation without scaring her. I told her that her daddy was not working. She was surprised, “What do you mean? Was he fired?” I explained that he was laid-off, not fired, but she was struggling to grasp the difference.

We spoke for quite a while and I trust that she felt heard and reassured after our conversation, but I was left feeling like I was walking a tightrope.

How could I balance it all?

I started my business because it’s my passion to connect and support fellow women and mom entrepreneurs, AND also to be available to my family. In the last few weeks, down a salary, and feeling the pressure of mounting bills and an increased pressure to succeed financially, I’ve not been as available to my children with my time or my energy. As I’ve shared this incident with Tasha, I’m still not perfectly clear on how to explain the realities of life to my children without unduly burdening them. I welcome your words of wisdom, as I know many others are experiencing these similar challenges and I’d love to share in that support.

One key thing I’ve learned over the years is how important it is (no matter what your own personal situation may be) to stay in a place of service. In challenging times, it’s very easy to focus on our own individual needs. The gift is to start focusing instead on who you can serve. You’ll be amazed at the shift in your energy AND the positive results.

 

  Entrepreneurs - Create a Positive Shift in Your Energy by Being of Service [Metromom Podcast] [7:43m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download