Are Marketing Agencies Worth The Investment?

Are Marketing Agencies Worth the Investment?

In a world that’s relying on technology more and more every day, it’s no surprise that marketing has largely gone digital. As trends change and new platforms take off, it’s easy to start feeling left behind. There is a lot to take in and keep up with, even for the most savvy business owner.

Even if you really wanted to, keeping your brand totally offline isn’t really an option these days. Since your marketing is being done online, anyway… would you rather thrive in the digital landscape, or simply survive?

There are digital marketing solutions for all of your needs, to be sure, but many of us are lacking the time and skills to make those solutions a reality. Digital marketing agencies exist to turn your marketing problems into the results you crave. The great debate is whether it’s worthwhile to hand over the reins, or if you should roll up your sleeves and learn how to do it all on your own.

There are countless factors that play into this decision, with pros and cons on both sides. Which begs the question: how do you know if a digital marketing agency is right for you?

Should You Work with a Digital Marketing Agency or Learn It Yourself?

This is a hugely important topic that I have both invested in and been hired for.

First of all, what is digital marketing?

Basically, it’s marketing done online that helps you connect with customers and ideally drive the message (the strategy to a sale).

It’s also a fairly new and growing field that can be quite confusing to most people because there are so many moving parts: automations, tracking, variety, integrations, A/B testing, ads, creative, social media, and then some!

A digital marketing agency should be able to provide solutions to your basic problems of traffic, lead generation, and growth. Not only that, they should be able to show the results as data. For example, a digital marketing agency can create a social media content plan to grow your email list. They may help you execute it by creating the graphics, editing the videos, posting for you, and helping funnel the viewers into a place where they can give you their email (and thus grow your list).

That is just one example of how an agency can help. But you’re probably wondering: is it worth the investment?

To answer this question, let’s work backwards for a moment, because we need to address a few things:

  1. Why do you need a digital marketing agency?
  2. What are some of the goals you are looking for?
  3. How much money can you invest in digital marketing services?
  4. How well-versed are you in digital marketing and the types of results that would help your company move forward?
  5. How long are you willing to work with a digital marketing agency to see results?
  6. Where are you on your growth plan – starting? Wanting quantum leaps? Fairly advanced?
  7. What’s your ideal budget and what specific services can someone else do for you that you perhaps REALLY dislike doing?

Can You Just Get a Virtual Assistant (VA)?

This is the age-old question! Ok, it’s not age-old, since digital marketing is a new industry… but it’s definitely one that comes up a lot in my groups and forums.

A VA is going to be an integral part of your business, but he/she is an assistant… not your executive marketing director.

This is where many people go wrong. They hire a VA and expect them to create a high-level strategy for them, and perhaps don’t get the results they want.

For example, a VA might help you with various tasks, ranging from creative projects, to executive administrative work, to client management. You, the business owner, should tell the VA what to do for the most part– of course, having open communication and being receptive to their suggestions, too.

Depending on their experience level, a VA will be able to take tasks off your hands so you can focus on the top revenue-generating activities for your business: creating content, networking, having sales conversations, and enrolling clients for your services or programs.

If you’ve considered hiring a virtual assistant, there’s a few things I would invite you to think about beforehand!

  1. Write down all the tasks you’d like to get taken off your plate (including those that you probably hate doing).
  2. Categorize all these tasks within themes; for example, social media content creation or managing members of a Facebook Group can fall under social media management/engagement, whereas calendar management and client organization can be under administrative work.
  3. Interview people and don’t settle for the least expensive hire. I know that’s always appealing, but consider their skill level and their speed. Hiring a highly effective and efficient person for a bit extra may be preferable to having a slower assistant that needs micro-management. Time is money, friends!

I’ve Heard of an Online Business Manager (OBM)… What’s That, and Do I Need One?

Enter the online business manager! I would say this role falls somewhere between a digital marketing agency and a virtual assistant.

The exact definition of an online business manager, according to Indeed.com:

“An online business manager is a virtual support professional that helps organizations manage daily projects, processes and team members. They’re in charge of maintaining the operations of the company by tracking key performance indicators (KPIs), establishing goals and measuring their progress.”

Once again, this individual is NOT a digital marketer, but understands digital based business growth and the roles team members play to maximize your ROI.

I think it’s a smart investment to hire an OBM once you’re getting to 6 figures to exponentially grow your business. This way, you can have a clear view of what actions and efforts are needed to double, triple, or tenfold your expansion.

Digital marketing agencies might have an internal OBM that works for them, but this is not always the case.

So Now That I Know About These Roles… What Should I Do?

Digital marketing is a skillset that can take a new business owner from excited and pumped, to feeling confused and not sure what to do next.

  • Grow an email list?
  • Update my website?
  • Start blogging?
  • Run ads? (They didn’t work when I boosted my post!)
  • Should I go live at 2pm or at 8pm?
  • How do I make a reel?
  • These are all questions related to problems that a digital marketing agency can solve, or that a marketing consultant can advise on.

Depending on the agency and the services they provide, since not all agencies do everything, you’ll want to have a list (or at least an idea) of what you’re looking for when hiring someone to help you.

Make sure you’re well-versed in the tasks in your business you need outsourced. That way, you can focus on growth and service.

Focusing On Main Areas

There are several things an agency can handle for their clients on a regular basis, which I will list below.

First, always create an overall marketing strategy for brand positioning, visitor growth and optimization of sales. This can be both for services or product-based brands.

Goals:

  • Start a new brand and brand image
  • Increasing audience and visitors
  • Growing your email list
  • Launch a program or product

Platforms and Technologies:

  • Social Media
  • Instagram: Creating the posts, scheduling, growing the account
  • Facebook: Adding posts to your page or group
  • Paid Advertising
  • Creating FB and IG ads
  • Google Ads
  • Reposting metrics and return on ad spend
  • Installing tracking for metrics
  • Website or Funnel Creation
  • Creative copywriting
  • Graphic design
  • Integrations and automations
  • SEO (Search engine optimization)
  • Email Marketing

 

 

What if I Don’t Have an Agency Budget? And How Much Can That Be?

This is such an important question, because sometimes people hire agencies out of desperation. This happens when they can no longer keep up with all the marketing tasks at hand, plus the sales that need to move the needle forward in their business.

Agencies can charge $3,500 – $20,000 a month, depending on what it is they are doing and the level of management it entails. An 8- or 9-figure business typically has a much bigger budget, which also comes with a higher level of responsibility for the agency to manage.

A personal brand won’t need all of the services listed above when they’re first starting, since most of the business won’t come from paid advertising. Because of this factor, the cost might be on the lower end of the range.

Depending on where you are in business, you can also hire a marketing consultant to do a big picture overview with you, creating the plan and strategy. This will then be given to your virtual assistant and online business manager to implement alongside yourself.

At the end of the day, you want to focus on doing what you’re really good at. If marketing isn’t on your list, then consider working with a professional to get you started on the right path versus throwing spaghetti at a wall and seeing what sticks.

Time lost is much worse than money lost, and most of the time, you need to hire a really terrible agency or consultant to get no value from your investment.

Your business growth depends on wise investment of marketing to grow your sales, so be smart with who you work with. Make sure they’re aligned with your values, your vision and your goals.

I’m here to help you, so please feel free to reach out on a discovery call and see how we can support your growth goals.

How to overcome burnout and stay motivated

beat the burnout

The top tell signs of burnout and how to overcome them to stay motivated

Let’s talk entrepreneur life for a bit? Especially the solo-preneur? Have you figured out how to overcome burnout when it hits? Yup I’m talking to you hard working, highly motivated, stubborn, freedom loving you out there. I know you so well because I am you and I’ve worked with hundreds of others like you. I remember the first time I hit burnout. It was a sunny Miami day and I realized I’d been indoors for hours working on my monthly content planning that looked more like scratches on a dry erase than a cohesive content map. Hour 2 of getting absolutely nothing done I texted my husband and said: “I don’t think I’m cut out for this as I feel like such a fraud! I either need to go back to school or figure something out cause this isn’t working!!!!” Insert some teary eyed emojis. That turned into my first I hit a wall, exhausted, uninspired moment in my 15 years of entrepreneurship. I’d been pulling late nights working on my new program, the funnels, the content, the launch systems and all the things that come with the online business world. I wasn’t really eating right, my sleep was interrupted by ideas and to do lists… and my yoga practice had fallen to the wayside. Do you relate at all to this?? If so, keep reading.

Definition of burnout and depletion

According to the APA Dictionary of Psychology, the definition of burnout is “physical, emotional or mental exhaustion, accompanied by decreased motivation, lowered performance and negative attitudes towards oneself and others.” Can you relate at all? I am sure you’ve maybe experienced burnout at some point when things didn’t go as planned perhaps. Your program launch didn’t make you the 5 figure sales. The size of your email list shrinks with every email marketing newsletter you send and you’ve grown it by a few in comparison. Your social media following is not doing what all your hard work and effort says it should be doing. Burnout is real and I’m going to share with you how to deal with it!

Identifying feelings of total drain and lack of motivation

First how can you tell if you’re experiencing burnout let alone overcome burnout? I have struggled with this because of my action centered personality that usually pushes through bouts of “not feeling it”. But let’s identify some real burnout style feelings:
  • Putting it ALL on the back burner: This is the sign that you’ve checked out. You skipped social media all together because every idea felt like “blah”. You skipped the newsletter because “why does anyone want to read what I have to say”. Stopped promoting your program because last time no one bought it.
  • This one is an alert! You’re not excited about what you do! You became an entrepreneur because you love what you freaking do! And now… OMG you’re questioning if you’re even good at what you do and if you should find something else.
  • The question of how good you really are kicks in. Imposter syndrome coming in strong with this one. I understand you get this feeling every now and then, but when it’s burnout it’s constant.
  • You literally stop everything and wonder if you should get a job or a therapist. I don’t think we need to delve on this one much do we?
  • The mood for anything other than binging on tv shows, scrolling through social media feeling guilty for scrolling on social media and the thought of working ON your business is like nails on a chalkboard.

How you can overcome burnout

There’s no real trick here I can simply write out because we’re all different and different approaches are necessary but I will go into some ideas that might help you!
  1. STOP, DROP and WRITE! When I feel burnout happening I stop all work related activities, I drop my clients if I can and I start writing. I don’t call it journaling because I write on a notepad… but you’re probably more organized than I so open your journal. I write 3 things: something I’m grateful for, something I’m excited about and something I look forward to doing. Since entrepreneur life eats so much of our time, I like to always have my eye on the prize… maybe it’s shopping, a trip or a nice dinner out.
  2. GO CRY. Yes, go have a freaking tantrum. Cry, kick, punch a pillow, stomp. My toddler is so good at tantrums I’ve now added some new strategies to my repertoire. The lay face down on the ground sobbing is a good one… I do make sure the floor is clean first. I realized when I have a tantrum, drama filled, wail fest I feel good immediately. They last a few minutes usually and it takes pressure off for weeks!
  3. PHONE A FRIEND. This is not the easiest one for me because the last thing I want to do is bother people… so I usually call or text a “work friend”. Someone who I know is an entrepreneur, whom I’ve shared a mastermind with or whom I know has been there, done that. It’s important to have this work friend because they have more empathy that a corporate friend.
  4. EAT SOMETHING DELICIOUS. Food can instantly make you smile. Eat something that’s comforting, that is nourishing and makes your heart smile. I go for something carb laden or that I used to eat as a child. Indulge for once without the guilty feeling. You can walk it off later or take a HIIT class if that’s your thing.
  5. VISION BOARD! Usually when burnout happens we lose motivation right? Grab Canva or a poster board and go to town dreaming and reconnecting to your WHY! I love this video about trying and not being stuck. It always makes me tear up and go do something awesome!

Next steps for motivation

Now that you’ve either cried, eaten and written let’s address how to prevent burnout and step into motivation that’s consistent! Motivation is a living breathing entity that’s within the heart of most entrepreneurs who are passionate about what they do. It’s not something that you can create, but instead something that’s attainable! To recap get the energy moving in your body, mind and soul.      
25 Online Lead Magnet Ideas

Make Money With Your Website Through Design – Passive Income

 

Today, we’re talking about websites that sell.

First of all, I want to make you money. But overall, when you’re creating a website or a landing page or any sort of marketing material, the steps that we’ll learn today are going to be very useful for anything else that you create in the future, because we’re going to have certain concepts in mind and we can just rinse and repeat. I’m all about being efficient and effective.

#1 Must-Have: Clarity in your customer journey.

If the customer is confused, they’re not going to buy. They’re going to leave. They’re out. Peace. 

People have the attention span of an ant, and the reason is your phone, your child, your distractions, all add up in life so we need things to be given to us quickly. I mean, we can order something from Amazon today and it will arrive in our house tomorrow or sometimes the same day. So we’re used to instant gratification. If that doesn’t happen on your website or on your landing page, a sales page for your product or program, then guess what? You’re toast.

It’s all about them. The client doesn’t want to really sit there and learn all about you, like read things that don’t pertain to them. There’s an emotional connection that needs to be made and I’m going to ask you, “What is the first thing that they see and feel?” Feel here is the magic word. 

So if you’re speaking to them on that emotional level versus a logical level, then great. But if you’re not, ask yourself, “What can I change? How can I connect with them?” and this applies to you if you already have a website or a landing page or if you need to build one.

So what makes a customer stay? Let’s map their journey. We’re going to look at this from the bottom-up. If you were making it all about them, then we really need to understand who they are.

#2 Must-Have: Appeal to emotion in your copywriting.

Emotion sells, right? Psychology Today, which is a very renowned magazine and who’ve actually knocked on just one study, but several studies about purchasing behavior, “Studies show that positive emotions toward a brand have a far greater influence on consumer loyalty than trust and other judgments, which are based on a brand’s attributes.”

A brand’s attributes are the “why” behind its existence. We’re creating a culture that indoctrinates your customer into feeling seen, heard, and loved.

For example, I worked with my client Poppy and Libby, and we were creating a website for their retreat business. When I opened this website, guess what happened? It was like fact, fact, fact, fact, fact, fact, fact, fact. So we had to recreate the entire site, recreate the entire marketing approach so that it was more why centered and made it easy for people to engage with, and ultimately, purchase from.

#3 Must-Have: Highlight your strengths in your Call To Action.

So if we know our potential customer’s problem, which means we know our client inside and out, we know their pain points, we know where they’re hanging out and not just like on social media or Instagram… then ask yourself “what are they willing to share?”, and then use those exact words to try to back out a unique value proposition to you and your skillset.

It’s not enough to just ask for the sale – Is your call to action clear? How are you moving your customer from where they don’t want to be, to where they want to be? Is it easy to take the next step, or are they confused? 

So this can relate to lots of different things, but mainly you want to know, “Am I helping my client take the desired action in easily identifiable ways?” 

One thing I learned from one of my teachers when I was in college is when you’re designing your page or any sort of marketing material, you need the eye to jump.

Meaning, if I’m not reading, I need whatever my eye is jumping to, to make a complete sentence related to the problem that I have that I need solving. 

So if you have these tiny headlines or if you have little words and you don’t have graphic elements or images that can also portray a message, then, again, you’ve potentially lost your client. So are they confused, are they lost, and is your map clear enough? Ask yourself that question.

Don’t be afraid to drive to the sale. Like sometimes we make it hard for people to buy from us, just make it easy. Sign up today. Get your product. Claim your offer. Have clear, concise call to actions. Drive the person to the sale.

Because once you make these shifts, you speak to them and help them overcome problems and objections. You create the flow of customer journey before you start, and you’re clear on the outcome of the action you want them to take, then you’re setting yourself up for success.

 

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Download my FREE Training: https://www.biz-yogi.com/free-training

 

 

 

How To Build A High Converting Sales Page

Today we’re going to discuss why a sales page is so important, and what the key pieces are to making sure you have the elements that can turn a viewer from interested into a client.

So people ask me all the time, “Ari, why do I need a sales page? Why can’t I just send people to my website?”

Well, let’s talk about the one main reason why you don’t want to just send people to your website – your website has a lot of exit strategies. Meaning menus, buttons, social media, all the things that could take a person from interested, engaged into “see you later”.

A sales page helps you to guide a potential through one goal, one offer, and one solution.

Now once you have a sales page, here are the main elements you need to get it to convert into sales!

  1. Consistent branding, colors, mood and imagery.
  2. Soft queues instead of really harsh and direct “buy this thing now” messaging
  3. Sales copy that speaks to the heart instead of to the logical brain
  4. Testimonials – share client love! 
  5. Add a video. Help people connect with you as a person, not a transaction.

And if this is your first time designing a sales page and you’re stuck, this is what I love to do with my clients. Drop a comment below and I’d be happy to answer your questions!

 

Join my FREE Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/alignedandabundantentrepreneurmovement

Download my FREE Training: https://www.biz-yogi.com/free-training

 

 

 

How to Create A Holistic Marketing Strategy

Do you consider yourself a marketer? And if not, why? 

 

Marketing stems from confidence and HeartSpace. And I want to highlight how important marketing is in order to have a successful business. 

 

Traditional marketing is tied to sales. The both co-exist, and still do in holistic marketing. But what holistic marketers different from traditional marketers is the magic that happens when they decide to be one with their audience. Holistic marketing is about focusing on where you can give your audience value and providing an essence of support that speaks their language. 

 

One thing that I’ve been focusing on more is seeing how can I provide my audience, not just value, but not making them feel like they’re not complete already. How do we elevate the audience in a way that your service or your product will be an add on to their already existing, and thriving abundance? 

 

I always get a hot seat moments when I sit down with my coach. And he gave me the best way to create a really engaged community: to inspire them to join a movement, to be part of a mission, to be part of a greater vision. And this is the most effective form of marketing – it just so happens to also be holistic!

 

So in your own marketing, hunker down on your mission, and solidify with the movement that you want to create with your services or products. 

 

For example, if you sell yoga clothes. Do you think that you can create a movement where people are more aligned and more in line with the why behind your products? 

 

  • A percentage of profits are donated to a specific cause.
  • Sourcing your materials from a local community you support.
  • Practicing eco-friendly and sustainable business operations.

 

So every piece of your marketing has to have a bigger purpose to it – it really has to nothing to do with the right words.

 

If you think of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, Purpose is ranked as the #1 priority. Second to purpose is wants, and finally we have needs. The main idea is that once we work downwards from purpose into desires, then what do you think happens? We now have a purpose-driven business. 

 

So if your business has a movement that people can connect with, your marketing will be so much more effective. It emanates authenticity, and comes from a place of heart. It comes from a place of, of abundance versus from a place of needs and scarcity.

 

And then you’ll be able to serve a bigger purpose, and have a greater impact on the world. And people want to align to that.

 

Look at so many companies out there, like, let’s say Nike with Colin Kaepernick. “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything,” Kaepernick says in the ad campaign. People really rallied to that – especially young people. Gillette also had a whole campaign around the “me too” movement. People really rally for a good cause, or they rally against them. Now this really brings in light. You know, what team are you on? 

 

I recently heard a successful fitness coach say at a conference, “Give your tribe their cause.” Once you give your tribe their cause, they will be so much more in alignment to how you do things, and will support you through your programs and events and practices.

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Increased Income – Yes Please!

Yay For Increased Income!

It wasn’t too long ago when I believed payroll was only for “successful people”. For those who were making “real money”.

Side note: Can you see where none of the above statements even make sense?

These were all illusions I had set up because of comparisons to others who I assumed made so much more money than I, who were living more grandiose and who obviously could afford to pay themselves a salary.

I thought, keep all the money in my business account and pay myself as little as possible JUST IN CASE.

Just in case what? What was I setting myself up for? Failure?

So here let’s all say “Yes Please!” to increased income.

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The Reality

Here’s the deal. Now that you and I are professional adults as I like to call it, this is why and how I tripled my salary in just a few short months.

  1. I wanted to settle down and buy a house
  2. I wanted to start investing my money into other things
  3. I asked the “successful people” what they did

Big realization was that I was limiting myself massively on item 1 because no one would lend me money since I earned “so little”. I was also telling the universe that I didn’t need to earn a lot of money because I lived simply. I also wasn’t building up my credit or giving myself cushion to start an IRA, invest or do anything else with my money. It is all about increased income and opening the doors for it to flow in from clients into your business and from your business into your life.

I created an abundance mantra for you:

abundance mantra

The Result

I decided to triple my payroll salary and see what happened. Let me tell you – magic. I realized I was scared in the beginning but once I started the 3x everything fell into place. The fear left because I welcomed more clients into my life and saw more abundance via income to support the pay increase. Also I was able to get a better loan for my home which SAVED me money in the long run and started a chunkier savings account that made money FOR me as well as an IRA for my retirement.

I also felt PROUD of myself for not thinking small and limiting myself. Once I committed to saying – money generates more money I was able to feel really abundant and help my clients from a place of growth vs limits.

The Challenge

Here’s my ask of you- notice how much you pay yourself monthly – is it worth your value? Is is just enough or is it party time in your bank? Do you leave all your money in your business account just in case you need to cover expenses or can you trust yourself and the universe to be bigger and more affluent? Can you commit to 2x your salary or even more? And with this extra income, can you commit to sharing it via a donation (whether big or small) or even crazier, treat yourself to something nice?

Let’s all increase our worth and increase our salaries to show 2020 who’s in charge – the ever expansive universe who wants us to be ever expansive and abundant!

Also this is an invite to jump on a strategy session with me if you want to invite growth in life and biz – SCHEDULE YOUR CALL HERE (usually $297) for $97.

 

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What Does It Mean To Be Independent

To be independent. This word INDEPENDENT I feel gets used often and thrown around a bit. What does it really mean?

I write from this from England on the day the United States celebrates it’s independence from England which made me think quite a bit.

As humans we love independence. We love freedom. We long for making our own decisions and not be dependent on others for our livelihood.

Not only that, but as creative and holistic entrepreneurs we are drawn to be completely on our own, leading our businesses, creating our schedule and having the life we want because being independent is a top value we hold dearly.

What happens when you loose freedom and independence? How do you feel?

This word and feeling is something hundreds and thousands of people have lost their lives for. Who have given everything to be free.

What does this mean in your life and business? As you know to me as an entrepreneur they go hand in hand.

Freedom To Create

Having freedom to create is a gift that makes us human and those of us with ideas that want to be seen and heard are constantly on the search of how to get those ideas out and express.

This is why many of us turn to be instructors, coaches, creative entrepreneurs. Because of this calling to be independent to express and share.

What happens sometimes is that we are stuck not knowing what to do or how to do it so that our essence of freedom, liberty and independence is stifled under how to make this lifestyle and underlying value work. By the way, this is when most people call me asking for help and advice.

Dependently Independent

So knowing we are on this lifelong search for freedom and being independent, do you feel like you’re dependent on others to achieve your independence.

Let’s name some ways we are independent:

  • Financially independent – This is a dream come true for many of us yet we are dependent on clients (unless you’re a trust fund baby) to pay us to achieve this.
  • Relationship independent – If we’re married or single we’re dependent on others affection to fill this area of our lives.
  • Religious independent – This is a trickier one because many people do not have this freedom. But many are dependent on religion to serve as a backbone for their lives.

As the Huff Post states there are 2 types of independence and one is being free with rules. They used this quote “Any yachtsman knows,” he replied, “that in order to enjoy the freedom of the high seas, one must become a slave to the compass.”

So in order to have freedom and independence we are subject to being connected and tied to other circumstances to achieve the ultimate freedom.

Why This Matters

At the end of it all, your independence should make you feel happy, satisfied, proud and fulfilled. Whether it’s attached to others (like clients, income, spouses, and then some).

If you are not vibing where you are right now, if you feel stifled, over dependent or not connected to your highest self ideals, I invite you to do something.

First take time to make a call with me then check out my last post about the 9 Environments and do the wheel and the exercise.

Lastly, create a vision board of what it means to be independent to you, regardless of your external situations.

I leave you with a quote from Cicero: “What then is freedom? The power to live as one wishes.”

Always big hugs and thank you!!!

Arianne xoxo

5 Tips To Keep You Motivated

Stay motivated. keep moving. inspire
Stay motivated. keep moving. inspire

Want to keep motivated?

This is exactly what we will cover today because it sometimes feels daunting to always be moving in a direction… motivation sometimes just isn’t there right? And when shit hits the fan, how do you stay motivated?

I am excited and motivated about getting back to my blogging.

So many shifts in my life that kept me from stepping back into my zone of magic and one of those was actually not finding motivation.

This is all about motivation today. The 5 tips to keep yourself going.

How to keep moving forward when you just feel like you can’t

Well what if I told you one of the easiest ways is to actually stop sometimes.

I have an awesome chat group with some fellow master minders and today’s chat was all about being lazy.

Why is being lazy so important to keep you motivated?

  1. You become an efficient and effective producer. These are 2 very different concepts by the way. Being efficient isn’t always being effective, so put the 2 together and you are an accomplishment machine!

  2. Procrastinate! In my online course I teach all about using tools to be an effective procrastinator. Now this doesn’t mean waiting until the last minute and getting all stressed out about it. It means using the essence of it and setting a deadline!

  3. Community. Being motivated when you are alone sometimes is so hard. This morning I even woke up with sadness and frustration and 1st thing I did (after letting myself wallow for a few minutes) was call a friend. And the result is we are setting some time apart to work together and get some shit done.

  4. Set boundaries on what you invest in. I should also say who. By creating a NO answer you curate time for yourself to focus on what makes you happy. You stop moving your energy horizontally and move in deeper into your self and your goals.

  5. Be the clever self you are. Give yourself a pat on the back and say thank you for being clever and discerning. In Sanskrit buddhi, which means intellect, holds discernment as a quality that refers to the higher mind This is the observer that watches how our inner world works and makes decisions of what’s important (or not important.

Let me tell you a story of how my client chose to motivate vs give up.

I’m sitting helping my client create her training manual and sales page for her training she’s putting out. I suddenly see the smile disappear from her face.

She looks up and says I can’t do this.

I see the frustration in her eyes.

I know this feeling because I have been there many times.

What happens I say if you don’t do this training? What happens if you actually launch it and it’s successful?

Sometimes being an entrepreneur and a self starter gets really really hard. It’s not always easy.

But you know what her answer was… “If I don’t do this then the people who would take my training wouldn’t get this new modality to teach”

And then what if they don’t?

“Then students won’t get to take my awesome classes all over the city… AND I’ve disappointed myself with ALL the hard work I’ve already put in”.

Close your eyes and picture 1 thing that motivates you!

Let that be your one thing. Your one reason for not stopping. It can be completely self-less or maybe a bit self-fish. And that’s OK!

Paying off your credit card debt is what motivates you… perfect.

Going on a vacation for the 1st time in 3 years is your motivation… perfect.

Donating to save the elephants is your driver… perfect.

And always don’t forget to meditate as whether it’s anger, frustration, fear or all the other things, meditation will keep you grounded. 🙂

Just put your best foot forward and go.

The world is waiting for you.

Growing your business. Let’s play a disappearing act said no one but me.

Growing your business. What does it mean?

This is where we all what to be… in the growing your business mode. I feel like I am there constantly and this is a great thing but sometimes it doesn’t go the way we envision it. Remember one of my last posts Analysis Paralysis?  You would think I am a freaking activating, mind moving, business savvy business mentor and I don’t fall prey to that kind of stuff. Well, HELLO to my disappearing act because that exact thing I wrote about happened to me. I’m in growing my business mode, so why did I disappear?

For the last few weeks, all that I have been doing is discerning what I want to tackle and not. Looking at the bigger picture, listening to what I want and do not want. I’ve been meditating, connecting with my desires, listening to webinars… and… and… wait where are my clients? Where are my webinars I had scheduled? Where are the Facebook ads I had started?

What really happened…

Ok so here is the truth. I took on more than I could handle. My business actually grew by a MASSIVE leap when I said YES to becoming the new owner of The Yoga Expo. The Bizzy Yogi just got bizzier. First of all, let me be super grateful about this new venture and to the opportunity, I am now presented with. I am so incredibly freaking proud of myself for taking on such a huge venture that totally has changed my life. So this is me reconnecting to my initial intention to create a tribe of amazing yogi hearted, business savvy entrepreneurs who want to change the world one OM at a time. The disconnection actually allowed my business to not just grow, but to bloom.

Because of the time I took to stop, breathe, manifest, I allowed this massive opportunity to enter my life, and yours also. What’s so cool is that now I will share what it’s like to put on a 3000 person event. This is also an opportunity for you to grow your business also by stepping up into areas unknown and having the support to just do it.

Growing your business painsSometimes in order to grow your business, you have to disappear

What are the bigger lessons here? There are several:

  1. Taking on a new responsibility doesn’t mean letting go of everything else
  2. Having a mentor to grow your business helps (will talk about this more)
  3. It’s OK to disappear as long as you do it for a bigger reason and not because of fear
  4. Seeing opportunities in life as your teachers and making you step out of your comfort zone only come once in a while
  5. Be proud of yourself no matter what!!!

The result

Now that I am fully in the flow and see my business in momentum, I am here for you once again! I know everything happens for a reason and I want to tell you how growing a business can be some strange happenings that sometimes we think are not good for us, then low and behold, they are!

How does this impact you? Let’s find out!! Schedule a call with me and see how you can see your business grow. I love hearing about why you do what you do, where you are in the process, where you are in your vision and what the plan is to get there. It’s about being in flow and listening and processing. All part of this beautiful journey.

Get Your FREE Discovery Session Here >>> http://bit.ly/BizzyYogi

Namaste!

Arianne

The Real Reason I Quit Being A Yoga Teacher

What a decade being a yoga teacher taught me:


“I am a yoga teacher. I am just a yoga teacher.”

 

My identity was all around being a yoga teacher, and you know what was happening? I wasn’t enjoying teaching yoga!

Imagine the identity crisis when all I did was teach classes and teach people how to be yoga teachers. It didn’t feel good.

There was a total misalignment to who I was because if you asked me my answer was understated: “I’m a yoga teacher”. What happened is that because of my misalignment my yoga teaching started to become almost boring and robotic.

WHAT CHANGED?

First of all, let’s get something clear. Teaching yoga was not the problem. Realizing my purpose was the inside issue which caused the external symptoms. Sounds like science huh?

Well, it totally IS a science, just like yoga. I realized I was not in alignment to my inner strengths which are creative, action oriented, and all about motivation, so teaching asana-based classes 5 times a week, was not fulfilling my purpose cup anymore.

By harnessing my strengths I allowed my inner motivation and excitement to return! It was such an exhilarating moment because I was eager to be and create and eventually inspire.

The power of feeling aligned with what you’re doing is so crucial to staying motivated and a bored or sad yoga teacher is no fun for anyone.

So, now I bring this to you. Not that you are going through the same identity crisis of should I teach or not, it’s more about using your strengths to fulfill your passions. Being in alignment with your values and desires.

Being a yoga teacher is the greatest gift I ever had and knowing things change is the beauty of the practice.

SHIT HIT THE FAN

Yup, and boy did it! I went into a slight depression and it sucked because I had never gone through that. I am one bubbly, energetic, and happy person, yet it was hard for me to do anything. Did you read above my main strengths are activator and motivator??

So, this yoga teacher, muddled in “I don’t know what to do with myself” (I did have Bizzy Yogi already, but still!), having the cojones to let go of something so ingrained in me was so hard!!! What’s even crazier is that all this abundant energy was going to sulking and feeling bad about myself. Pity party for Ari in my own house, with no one else but me… at it

WOW. That was even hard for me to write. So in my depression, everything else started to get affected. My new business which I Love, my relationships with my friends, and my relationship with myself.

SNAP OUT OF IT!

This is the happy dance. I had 2 conversations that made so much sense in my logically efficient brain. 1. With my friend Jen. 2. With my coach Michelle.

What happened is that they mirrored me and my soul. They asked me the questions that I wanted to ask myself but didn’t have the strength for. They showed me how life is a transition and sometimes we let go of things to activate and accentuate others.

All I needed was also some validation that making this decision was probably the smartest thing for me. Once I saw that and allowed myself to release, that resistance to let go vanished.

So there it is, from one decision… A roller coaster of emotions. I felt like I broke up with my boyfriend and became the cat lady. What’s super cool is that now when I do teach, it’s with an air of freshness stemming from desire vs. having to. I LOVE TEACHING YOGA, just… once in a while.

I’m really looking forward to being more present and awake to my new adventures with the Yoga Expo, with Bizzy Yogi and YOU!

Talk To Us!

I would love to hear from you… Where you are in your journey, where do you feel stuck?! If you need help with anything at ALL, just reach out for help. You can book a FREE discovery session with me at http://bit.ly/BizzyYogi. I would be glad to give you the best advice possible.

 

Namaste!!!

Love,
Arianne

 

P.S. Like this post? Share it with other like-minded Yogis! Whether you’re a Yoga Teacher, Studio Owner, or interested in getting your certifcation, read this first >>>  This ONE THING Holds More Yogis Back From Greatness Than Any Other

 

Have specific questions and want to get them answered, but remain anonymous? Let Ari, the Bizzy Yogi answer them! Ask your question below and I will answer it in my weekly email OR in a FB Live webshow. Make sure you type *anonymous* at the end of your question so we don’t give you a shoutout!

 

 

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