3 Biz Secrets That Most Coaches Won’t Tell You
For years,
I told clients that they needed a custom website, fancy software, & tons of professional photography to grow their new businesses.
They came to me saying, “I want to feel more ‘credible’ and ‘professional’ online.”
So, I sold them branding - beautiful websites, incredible logos, and social media plans. I encouraged them to put out their best content, to be as polished and sexy as possible.
While I was on the journey, learning myself, that you don’t have to be perfect or invest thousands of dollars in your biz to feel confident and successful.
I have watched clients spend endless nights and mountains of energy trying to get their website “perfect” with a designer, putting their entire savings into graphics, professionally filmed content, and so much more…
When the truth is you can create a beautiful brand and a successful high-vibe biz without spending tons of money.
These are the secrets that I wish someone had told me.
Three things I wished that I didn’t invest in, so I could double down on the real money maker.
Use them to finally move forward and fall in love with your biz.
SECRET #1
✖️✖️DO NOT SPEND TONS OF $$$ ON YOUR FIRST WEBSITE ✖️✖️
I'm saying this as a brand/web designer... You DO NOT need a fancy, branded, custom, expensive AF website when you first start your biz. As a matter of fact, I'm not sure that most people ever really will. I have a successful business with a gorgeous website and it didn't cost me a DIME.
Unless you have a giant online platform, thousands of followers, and tons of products. If you are paying over $2500 for a website when you first start your business that you can’t edit on your own, you are basically setting yourself up for failure and to be owned by your web designer for the entire life of your site.
I have watched some of my clients struggle for months to just change a few words on their custom Wordpress sites. This lack of mobility in the online space hampers creativity and productivity.
I don't want that for you.
🖤🖤INSTEAD, DOUBLE DOWN ON A SIMPLE PLATFORM, CUSTOM GRAPHICS, & YOUR OWN WEB SKILLS 🖤🖤
++ A Simple, Agile Platform ++ Web designers who tell you that Wordpress has better SEO than Squarespace are just lying. I get organic traffic through search all day everyday with my simple, agile Squarespace site. If you’re investing more than $3k in your first website, you are wasting your own money. Unless you have extensive web understanding, this website will change a lot as your business evolves and a sludgey, complex Wordpress site makes this evolution difficult. An agile platform like Squarespace will let you grow with ease.
++ Design ++ A dope graphic designer who understands branding will help you develop incredible assets for your branding for around $1k. This is a great invest in your business. However, if you are not clear about your naming convention and if you don’t have a clear brand perspective, just wait until you make this investment. Your logo should last you at least 3 years.
++ Learn Some Web Skills ++ Yes, I am recommended that you learn your platform. I have a whole teaching module on Squarespace in The Embodiment Experience. Even if you end up passing this off to a VA or another designer at some point, it's so important to understand how to edit your website, so that you can become the CREATOR.
With these skills, I can quickly create sales pages, redo copy without a million emails AND it allows me to be super agile in my business creation/growth.
If you thought that was illuminating, we’re just getting started.
SECRET #2
✖️✖️DO NOT BUY A BUNCH OF FANCY CAMERA, EQUIPMENT, SOFTWARE, & PROGRAMS ✖️✖️
I mean, if you want to, if they’re in the budget, be my guest, but you do not need a $3k DSLR camera, professional lighting, backdrops, or graphic designer software to create INCREDIBLE Content online. These things are expensive, difficult to use for most general population and can take years to fully master.
🖤🖤INSTEAD, DOUBLE DOWN ON CONTENT CREATION 🖤🖤
I create all of my online content with my iPhone, a cheap ring light, and a tripod or stabilizer selfie-stick. My clients love the video content that I record for them. My IGTV videos have over 4k combined views. I don’t pay anyone to create them/edit them/etc.
There are some simple things to make you look more pro.
++ Backdrop & Film Design ++
For backdrops, just find a neutral wall. Please no crazy tapestries or full-on views of your living room, unless it’s really something to boast about. I love whites and colorful walls, just make sure it is a single color and consistent with your branding.
Place a few props, plants, or items behind you.
Make sure you’re facing a window. If you can’t figure out lighting, simple ring lights are GREAT.
++ Simple Creative Software ++ Once you have beautiful photos, you don’t need to buy inDesign, Illustrator, Lightroom, or other Adobe products(Adobes subscription service is basically a scam anyway.)
I teach all of my clients how to use Canva for things like IG Quotes, social media banners, etc. You can upload your own fonts, colors, and logos; it’s really user-friendly. ( Canva tutorial is also included in The Embodiment Experience.) There other apps that offer this same functionality.
Again, I want to stress the importance of ease as you learn to be a creator.
When you have ease and continuity, you also FLOW, which is the inspiration space.
++ Content Creation ++ Once you have this all set-up and you’ve stopped stressing about the cost/time commitment for all the above, you know what you can do? You will be able to quickly/easily set up a scene, push record on your iPhone and ACTUALLY MAKE CONTENT.
This is where the magic happens.
You can stop thinking about being perfect and truly embody the joy, the energy and the teachings of your brand. Most importantly, you’ll be able to provide more value to your clients, address/answer questions quickly that come through in emails/FB post/ETC.
When you’re providing incredible value to your potential dream clients, THAT is the proof they need to pay you the $$$ that you want.
It’s not about being perfect. It’s about continuing to show up.
THE SECRET #3
✖️✖️YOU DO NOT NEED TO CURATE YOUR FEED WITH 100%, PERFECT, SUPER-DUPER BRANDED PHOTOS OF YOU ✖️✖️
I know what you’re thinking, but, Maya, I want my Instagram Feed to look AMAZING.
And I totally get that.
However, once again, perfection gets in the way of being in service here.
If you want to have an entire feed of professional photography and still show up, you’re going to have a really hard time keeping $$$ in the bank, because quality photography is expensive. Fortunately, for those of us looking to save, people do actually get bored of seeing professional photography and repeat shoots all the time.
🖤🖤INSTEAD, DOUBLE DOWN ON A BRANDING SHOOT 1X/SEASON 🖤🖤
I cannot overstate the importance of good photography.
There are two types of photographers in my experience. Ones who want to capture your essence/personality/brand/vibe and others who want to make art, create pretty things, and tell stories. Occasionally, these two beings come together in one individual and that is who I recommend investing in.
Double down on the highest level branding shoot in which you get to have a prep session, multiple outfits/scenes, and the whole healing experience of being witnessed and seen.
Hire These Photographers
Corinna Lander @rememberyourvoice Denver, Southwest & West Coast
Kelly Eileen @kellyeileen.co Denver, SW & West Coast
Julia Corbett @corbettjulia West Coast
Em Roscoe @sharethesoul East Coast
Monica Justesen @monicajustesen East Coast
Alison Love @alisonlove Nashville & Southeast
Remember to show your photog your brand colors, any look books/vision boards before the shoot, and ask about editing styles, so that it can be on brand for you.
Ya’ll, pay your photographers their worth. I am convinced that photographers are one of the most underpaid trades out there. This will help you brand expand so much.
When you get these gorgeous photos back, you can blend them on social channels with quotes, candid selfies, and personal photos of your most recent trip, to create a social experience that is bespoke, beautiful, and speaks to your magick as a teacher and leader.
THE ROOT CAUSE
So now you have my tips.
Are you going to implement them? Or are you still going to keep messing around with “your website” saying that it’s “almost perfect”.
Let’s get even more honest. Now you can clearly see that all of these “investments that you have to make” before “becoming an entrepreneur” are actually your way of procrastinating.
You know that when you stop doing the 3 things above and double down on other elements instead….
You’ll feel more vulnerable and less “put together” online.
You’ll be all set-up and ready to move, which means you have to start showing up more consistently as just your normal, un-photoshopped self.
You won’t have any more excuses as to why you can’t sell your service… it’s easier to blame it on your website than to actually face the fact that you’re not fully committed/don’t believe in yourself.
But as you choose to make these tweaks and begin to put your teachings/heart offerings out into the world…
You will you’ll actually be able to move forward in your biz.
The reason your business isn’t working is not about the $$$, babe, it never has been. It’s because you haven’t truly invested in moving past your own blocks by going into the darkness, healing old trauma, rewiring your internal archetypes, and showing up as your most expansive, radiant, Butterfly Goddess self.
If this pings you and you want more honesty about your biz/life personalized to you, that’s what my 1:1 program is for.
If you’re not ready to jump, I’m giving it all away for free anyway.
SO EXCITED TO SHARE THIS
Oh my gosh, as much as I love talking about biz/branding tips, I don’t do it enough.
For some reason, I get stuck writing about 😍😍😍My First Threesome, What I Learned From My First Open Relationship, or something more dark like DUI’s & Depression 💀💀💀.
Anyways, I’ve been teaching this stuff for years and I am now just giving it all away for free. (Seriously feeling like Oprah right now and it’s fun. “You get a new brand perspective. You get a new business.”) But, seriously.
I want you to benefit from all the years of my suffering/figuring this entrepreneur thing out…
It’s called The Embodiment Experience.
I can’t wait to share with you all of the Soulful Strategy & Intuitive Work that you need to experience true clarity and freedom in your work and life.
Loving you and wishing you Soul much success!