Like everyone with email, I found myself in an endless sea of Black Friday promo emails this weekend. Since I also work directly in this world, helping clients put together their own email marketing campaigns, I find it impossible to stop myself from analyzing what others are doing. Join me as I talk through things I saw from companies big & small that left me disappointed this year. If you engage in any kind of email marketing, learn from this and don’t make these mistakes!

The long-awaited conclusion to our Productivity & Time Management series! After setting out to figure out where exactly my time goes every week (and understanding why I always felt like I was never getting enough done), I decided it was time to take action, STAT! Join me as I discuss how I've used the insights I gained from the past few episodes as a catalyst for change (and why I took an unannounced podcasting hiatus).

In the last episode, we found out what ”productivity shame” is. Now, we figure out how the heck we actually deal with it...because, c’mon. Wouldn’t it be nice to binge watch Netflix on the couch once in a while and NOT be riddled with intrusive thoughts about all the ”more productive” stuff you should be doing? Let’s define what our ”enough” is by setting attainable micro-goals. And, while we’re at it, let’s detach our sense of self worth from our work.

Have you subconsciously tied your sense of self worth together with how busy you are? In this episode, we dive DEEP into the topic of productivity and time management, talking about busyness as a status symbol, our compulsion to monetize our hobbies, and productivity shame. This week, I challenge you to pay attention to how much “busy work” you engage in, and also pay attention to the quality of your work when you notice yourself multitasking.

When I started my online business in 2013, I was a full-time grad student and had opening shifts at a coffee shop 3 days a week. Time to spend on my business was in very short supply. I’ve long since graduated and hung up the barista apron. But even being able to devote all day, every day to the biz feels like it’s not enough sometimes...there’s always MORE that needs to get done. And guess what? Time is STILL in short supply. Join me as I attempt to say goodbye to ”grind/hustle culture” and reclaim my time. It all starts with figuring out where the heck it actually goes every week.

Uber, the ride-hailing app, has seen numerous rebrandings throughout the years -- not all of which have been a success. Take a little tour through Uber’s branding journey with me! Gain valuable insight for handling your branding as a solopreneur or small business owner.

Are you selling online? Nowadays, so is everyone. You’ve gotta stand out. But keeping up with the trends and the tech as a small business owner is a chore! Join me as we discuss 5 trends we’ve been seeing in the ecommerce industry since the pandemic took over. If your online sales have been stagnant, try out one or more of these ideas.

Customer success managers and departments are becoming staples in tech companies that are medium-to-large in size. But what about smaller businesses? We may not have all the resources bigger companies do, but helping our customers find success with our product or service is still crucial! Even though your ”customer success” department may consist only of you -- don’t ignore it! Help retain your hard-earned customers by anticipating problems they may have before they ever encounter them.

We’re gettin’ a little petty for the sake of education and helping you do the whole customer support thing better in your small business. Did you know: acquiring new clients takes way more resources than retaining existing ones? This is just one reason why it’s so important to provide your people with a positive customer support experience! Join me as I discuss an experience I recently had that kinda rubbed me the wrong way (even though I’m a #niceguy), plus 8 friendly reminders for how to provide your customers/clients with a more positive support experience should they contact you with a problem or issue.

Think cyber attacks only happen to big companies? Think again! In a way, small businesses are actually more vulnerable because they usually don’t have a dedicated security team to keep a watchful eye. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure when it comes to keeping your stuff safe online. These 9 digital security essentials will help you protect you.

Links: they’re an integral part of your website. Without them, how would people get around? How would they know where to go next? Links seem simple, but so many get them wrong. Join me as we hit this topic from all angles—SEO, user experience, copywriting—and discuss 5 DOs and DON’Ts when it comes to properly using links on your website.

Decisions. How do you make ‘em? How do you feel after? If you take YEARS to make even a small potato decision, and you get caught up in the “what if?” game after it’s made, ruminating about what could have been…you may be a MAXIMIZER. Maximizers generally make good decisions, but feel bad about them. Satisficers make good decisions, but feel good. The good news? Maximizers can become more like satisficers, enhancing their overall happiness and wellbeing. Here’s the scoop!

Have you ever been on a website and you’re presented with a pop-up before the rest of the page even loads? Annoying, right? But we’ve all been there! Pop-ups can be a good way to grow your email list, but they can also be truly irritating for your website users if mistakes are made. Join me as we discuss 5 problems that could be preventing your lead generation pop-ups from performing well and how to fix them.

Also known as “business email” or “professional email,” custom domain name email is a MUST-HAVE if you are trying to look like the real deal online. What sounds more legit: hello@yourdomain.com or sweetpea122ab@gmail.com? Join me as I talk through the best business email options for solopreneurs and micro business owners (both paid and free!).

Finding and using your “authentic brand voice” is easier said than done. Doing some quick & easy foundational work to uncover and document your brand’s TONE will help you maintain a consistent brand voice throughout all areas of your online presence—your website, your social media captions, your email marketing—that your audience will appreciate.

Consistency: we all struggle with it. Why? There are so many reasons, and trying to figure out the “why” is arguably LESS important than preparing yourself for the struggle and finding the strength to push through. Join me as we talk about “the dip,” coined by Seth Godin, which refers to the point in time when you stop making easy progress, your growth slows down, and you just want to give up.

It’s a new year, and so many of us are focused on hitting our big money goals. But, this is also a great time to identify areas where you may be spending more than you need to. It’s easy to become complacent and let business expenses go unchecked, but there is potential here for real cost savings if you perform regular check-ins in these areas. Join me as we discuss six areas where you may be able to trim the fat and free up money that can be used in a better way (like reinvesting in your business, or treating yourself to a nice cup of coffee for a job well done).

People first started blogging in the mid 90s, so like…is blogging even still relevant anymore?! Join me for a little walk down memory lane as we discuss how content creation has evolved over the years, and what approach you should take in 2022.

A website vs. an AWESOME website. What is the difference? Turns out, a lot. Join me as I discuss 8 MUST-HAVE components your website needs to have in order to be competitive in 2022. Want to get your homepage in tip top shape to help your visitors stick around longer and convert them into paying clients or customers? Join me in January for a (free!) mini course: Rethink Your Homepage. Register now: https://builditandblossom.com/rethink-your-homepage/

Having choices is a good thing, BUT there is a point when giving people too many can overwhelm and confuse them. This is NOT what we want to happen when people are visiting our websites or sifting through what we have to offer. It’s all about streamlining, baby, and focusing our energy on making what we do have to offer the best it can be!