Hi there... it's been a while!
I wanted to let you know I've made the decision that I won't be adding any more episodes to the Just Start Now podcast. I hope you enjoy what you find here but there won't be anything new coming.
I'll keep these episodes available for the time being as I love to hear how helpful they are to so many of you as you embark on your wellness business journey. As long as they're a useful resource, I'll keep them live.
For the foreseeable future, instead of broadcasting here I'll be podcasting and writing over on Substack: sharing honesty, exploration and reframes on what it takes to truly believe in yourself and your solopreneur business in a world that fills you with doubt. This is my new focus as I step away from business mentoring and into Self-Belief Business Coaching.
As well as free articles on my Business of Self-Belief Substack, I am sharing a more personal self-belief business journey on a subscriber only private podcast and publication I'm calling The Self-Belief Business Experiment 🧪
This introductory episode explains more.
Sign up for my free Substack here.
Subscribe to The Self-Belief Business Experiment 🧪 (7 day free trial available) here.
Instagram is a tool that many of us have a love/hate relationship with and feel confused (and often filled with comparison) by how to use effectively. We know it can help us reach loads of ideal customers, yet somehow our accounts are the ones stagnant on numbers, only being followed by other practitioners and feeling like a total time suck.
To finish off the year I wanted to bring in an Instagram expert in the field of using the social media platform as a form of marketing for wellness professionals - someone I know has boundless enthusiasm (and evidence!) for what the Instagram can do for you and your business, if you use it right.
So I hope today you love listening to Marketing & Instagram Expert Molly Cahill, with insider knowledge of what's working right now on Instagram to get your health practice booked.
Molly talked about her podcast episode 5 Simple Tips To Help Increase Your Instagram Engagement Today which includes tips on writing attention grabbing hooks.
We talked about Simone Seoul's Garbage Post Challenge.
Molly mentioned Tad Hargrave Marketing For Hippies
Molly has this podcast episode on scrappy ways to improve Instagram engagement.
I was interviewed on Molly's podcast Holistic Marketing Simplified talking about the four business model archetypes which you can listen to here, or take the quiz here.
Connect with Molly:
Molly's free stuff: Download Molly's Reels training and 101 marketing prompts for health and wellness pros
Working with Molly
Molly runs the Holistic Marketing Hub teaching you everything she knows about using Instagram to promote your health and wellness business. Find out more.
This year I've invested in my own skills as a coach so that I can better serve my clients and the Just Start Now community. And after years of waiting for the right course to come along I chose Sas Petherick's Self-Belief Academy.
Having trained April to November 2023, I wanted to share with you my biggest take-aways now I understand self-doubt and self-belief so much more and what I'll be bringing to my work and programmes going forward with this learning.
In this episode I talk about:
If you're interested in learning more about Sas Petherick's work on self-belief:
Take the free self-doubt archetype quiz
Learn more about Self-Belief School (available to all)
Learn more about the Self-Belief Coaching Academy (SBCA) course I took (applicable for already trained coaches)
Right now as I release this podcast episode in November 2023 we are being flooded with videos and images of the horrific atrocities happening in the Israel/Palestine conflict. And sadly the case is that at any given moment in the world we live in, violence, displacement, persecution and war is taking place somewhere in the world.
When we bear witness to this – how does it affect how we show up for our business? Should we talk about it? Should we carry on as normal? Or should we shut up shop and stop selling? It feels there are loud opinions arguing all sides, leaving us feeling we’re never doing the ‘right’ thing.
With that backdrop I’m talking to Dalia on the podcast today – a Pilates instructor based in London, who herself has experienced war and conflict for many years in her home country of Lebanon.
This episode was inspired by another question that was asked recently in the Just Start Now community - which is a safe space for my members to ask any and all questions no matter how small or seemingly silly, at any stage of business.
The question went something like this: you've got a great idea to run an event - maybe a talk or webinar, a challenge, a special class, something in-person or online - but you can't decide: should you charge? Or let people attend for free?
We've covered Pinterest and how to use it to market your business before on the podcast and the basics you need to know, go back and check out episode 34 with Sahar Twesigye.
But that episode was recorded back in 2020 and we know what the internet is like and these tools - they change all the time! So I wanted to get a new expert back on the podcast to explore again, is Pinterest worth our time?
That's where Jano O comes in: a marketing expert, content strategist, and Pinterest educator for coaches, service providers, and other online expert.
If you want to know more about creating a signature offer have a listen to episode 82: The impact of a signature offer on your wellness business.
Connect with Jana:
Jana's free stuff: Access Jana's 5 Secrets For Getting Clients on Pinterest masterclass
Working with Jana
Jana's Pinterest With Purpose course gives you a self-paced way to set up your profile on Pinterest and start pinning to attract clients.
Something I come up against with clients and Just Start Now members every week is how to be more structured and disciplined with time when working for yourself.
Somehow even though you were (or are) the 'productive' one in a corporate environment, organising yourself in your own business seems impossible. Days or weeks drift by and the important stuff just isn't getting done... why is that?!
Cue Louisa Daubney, the Time Design Coach. Having experienced this exact shift herself after working in the charity sectory for years, Louisa now dedicates herself to helping other business owners and solopreners feel fulfilled in their day and ensure self-care is at the heart of what gets done.
We mentioned a few books you might like to check out:
Emma Gannon's The Multihyphen Method
Connect with Louisa:
Louisa's free stuff: Download: Mastering your schedule: 10 steps to create a daily routine that sticks by clicking here
Sign up for Louisa's weekly newsletter: Monday Momentum Moment - where she shares ONE top tip towards building a healthier, happier and more fulfilling relationship with how you spend your time. You can sign up here
Working with Louisa
Join her group membership: Monday Momentum Meetups
Book a 1-2-1 Power Hour: where you'll do a deep dive into a current time related challenge that's stopping you from finding more time and energy to focus on what matters most to you; and work together to create an action plan to move forward.
I last had resident copywriting expert from the Just Start Now community Lea Tierney on the podcast two years ago (have a listen here). But I had to have her back as our first repeat guest! And that's because we both believe passionately in the power of great writing for your business and the fact it's still a main staple of how we support people connect and convert customers in their wellness businesses.
Two years on from the last time we sat down to speak... has copywriting changed? Can't ChatGPT just do it all for us now?
Connect with Lea:
This episode is based on a blog I wrote called “Why prospective clients are ghosting you and how to handle it.”
I mentioned a few resources during the episode:
Freya Powell is a career coach with a difference. She works with women who are feeling out of alignment with their career or business to dig deeper and harness the power of their subconscious to gain clarity on their 'YOU-shaped career or business'. She also goes beyond this to help women release their mindset blocks and quieten their inner critic, using EFT and other subconscious transformation techniques. so they can achieve their ambitions with more ease.
If you enjoyed this episode you might also like episode 76 with Sinead Doohan How your past might be preventing your business success.
Connect with Freya:
Connect:
Find out more about working with Freya
Access Freya's free release meditation
Learn the basics of EFT and how you can use it on your own + 30 minute practice session with Freya - get 30% discount with code VICKY30
I mentioned a few resources during the episode:
This episode is based on a blog I wrote called "Is it possible to earn €3k+ a month as a solo health practitioner?"
Doors are open Friday 22nd - Wednesday 27th September 2023 to the Just Start Now community.
If you've been wondering about whether it's a good fit for you I wanted to introduce you to five Just Start Now members to share their experience of being on the inside and what they've found the most valuable part of being in the community.
Doors to Just Start Now are open - Sign up now
Find out more about the members:
Alex is a yoga instructor, nutritionist and Ayurvedic Health Counsellor specialising in fertility, pregnancy and the journey into motherhood. She has a virtual yoga studio, offers group programs (next one launching Jan '24) and 1:1 support for women preparing for pregnancy or experiencing fertility challenges.
www.alexcareyyoga.com
@alex_carey_yoga on Instagram
Ana helps women to see how truly amazing their bodies - and full selves - are, through mindful and aligned movement. She combines her wisdom in Pilates, Yoga, Meditation, Myofascial Movement and breathwork to take a mindful approach to movement that supports women in attaining their Aligned Body.
www.anastefan.ie
@thealignedbodycoach on Instagram
Melisa is a medical herbalist, naturopath and meditation and mindfulness teacher, helping people who feel tired all the time and don’t have the energy to live their life to the full. Having recovered from debilitating fatigue using a natural approach herself, she supports her clients to regain their natural energy levels and build their resilience by taking a holistic approach, using a combination of nutritional and lifestyle recommendations, herbal medicine and meditation and breathing practices.
www.melisajermin.com
Melisa Jermin CFS Recovery on LinkedIn
Tina is a Nutritional Therapist in her final year of studies. She focuses on autoimmune conditions and supporting clients through nutrition and lifestyle changes, to transform their health and regain their zest for life.
www.tinahancocks.com
@nutritionwithtina on Instagram
Louisa is a qualified personal performance coach and self-confessed time management geek. She works with women solopreneurs to build a healthier, happier and more fulfilling relationship with how they spend their time on their business, well-being and that passion project they have been wanting to start since leaving the corporate 9-5.
www.louisadaubney.co.uk
@louisadaubney on Instagram
Doors will re-open on Friday to the Just Start Now community and I thought this would be a perfect time to invite a guest onto the podcast who has some great advice to share on how to choose what to invest in what it comes to your wellness business.
Kendall Platt is The Mindful Gardening Coach and as well as a Just Start Now member has invested along the way in her business journey in support, accountability and training to create a flexible and enjoyable work-life around her two young children.
What support and training to invest in when you're a solopreneur can feel really overwhelming. There is so much choice and so many urgent marketing messages about what's right and wrong for you. Kendall and I have both been down those rabbit holes and so we have an honest chat about what's worked and what hasn't for us.
Doors open for Just Start Now on Friday 22nd September - join the waitlist now (or sign up when doors open 22-27th September 2023).
Find out more about Kendall:
Connect:
I mentioned a few resources during the episode:
I also wrote this blog on why you need a signature offer if you want to read back over the content discussed.
I mentioned a few resources during the episode:
I also wrote this blog on the 5 pillars if you want to read back over the content discussed.
If you’ve listened to my content for any length of time you’ll know I’m a big fan of growing a mailing list and in order to do this I really believe having some sort of freebie or lead magnet massively improves your chances of getting people to hand over their email address.
When you’re getting started this can look like a simple downloadable guide, checklist or e-book. But as your business grows a quiz might be something you want to explore to bring people into your world and onto your list.
I get questions pretty much every week from people inside and outside the Just Start Now community about quiz software and how to design a good one. So it felt only right to invite co-founder of Interact, Josh Haynam, onto the podcast to share insight from what he sees working well in the world of quizzes for generating leads and customers for your wellness business.
In this episode we talk about:
The way quizzes mimic the way the brain works and what makes them so addictive and intriguing to us as users
How quizzes are a great way to create connection and intimacy (or as Josh points out in-to-me-see!) with your ideal customers, greeting them and starting a conversation without you needing to chat in person
How Interact is using AI to help build great quizzes fast, yet how Josh still sees real human interaction as the bedrock of all successful businesses
When it’s a good time to use a quiz in your business and when it’s not and the point where automation really fits in.
In this episode I talk about:
The uncomfortable truth that we might not always think the best of the people who we want to invest in our services.
How Amy Porterfield helped me notice the difference between ‘it’s tough but possible’ and ‘look you probably won’t make it.’
A pretty nasty incident at a networking event with an estate agent (have I got your interest yet?!).
How thinking the very best of the people we want to attract is related to the clarity we have on who our ideal customers really are.
In this episode, we talk about:
How adding products to your wellness business helps you create awareness, adds an income stream and establishes you as an expert
The different ways to add products to your offering depending on your goals and investment
What stops you adding products to your business - primarily not knowing where to start and feeling it’s overwhelming (and how to overcome that feeling)! Nicole breaks down the steps into:
Checking your product idea matches with your business
Identifying what products you want
Researching the market
Market research your audience
Finding suppliers and knowing what questions to ask
For episode show notes, resources and links, head to Just Start Now Podcast - Vicky Shilling
In this episode I talk about:
Four reasons why you shouldn’t outsource your social media
How to run your business without social media at all if you don't want to
What to spend your money on instead of a social media manager
When is a good time to outsource your social media marketing