Crush Your Goals with Christi

Hi friends! Today's episode is all about one of the most powerful tools I use as a business owner. Canva! Seriously, I'm in Canva constantly. From creating douments, to pesentations, to visuals for my business, it's really a one stop shop for visuals for your business. Today I'm sharing 5 ways you can use Canva in your business plus how you can use Canva in tandem with a graphic designer. If you missed it, be sure to check out my other episode on Canva with Canva Expert Brenda Cadman. View this episode's show notes I can help you manage you Canva account! Check out my Online Business Management Services to learn more! Follow me on Instagram

Did you know that you have less than 10 seconds to capture someone's attention on your website before they will decide to click off or keep reading? That's why having a clear customer journey for your website should be a TOP priority. People could be clicking off of your website simply because it's too confusing. Every person who visits your website should be able to answer these 3 questions within 10 seconds of visitng your site: What do you do? Is it for me? How do I buy/book/contact? Today on the podcast, I'm sharing all about the most common website mistakes that could be losing you money. We'll talk about simple solutions to fix them. Plus, I'm sharing 5 things every website should have and 5 ways to elevate your website from DIY Disaster to Elevated Masterpiece. Tune in now!

If you're only using your CRM (HoneyBook, Dubsado, 17Hats, etc) to send invoices, you're doing it wrong. That's right, I'm calling you out! But I'm doing it with empathy, because you're not alone! And I want to help you get the most out of your CRM. Today's episode is all about the best workflows and automations you can set up to streamline things. We're talking about the top CRMs, how to know which CRM is right for you, and some processes you can put in place right now to save you time! Listen in! Need help setting up your CRM? I offer VIP days to set it up! Contact me to learn more. Follow me on Instagram.

Today's episode is all about understanding your client's needs! Have you ever gotten to a sales page and wondered how they were reading your mind? It's because they did their market research! I'm sharing with you why getting to know their deep pain points is important and how you can do that easily. We'll talk about how to poll your past clients and how to chat with your ideal client. Plus, we'll talk about how to frame your services in a way that speaks to them emotionally and appeals to their deep desires so they aren't just making a decision based on price. It's all in today's episode! Join me!  Get my Creative Business Roadmap to help out. Follow me on Instagram

Looking to take your client experience to the next level? Join me, Christi Johnson, on the latest episode of Crush Your Goals with Christi Podcast! As a business strategist, online business manager, and wedding photographer, I've learned a thing or two about client communication. In this episode, we'll dive into the essential touchpoints every service-based business owner should focus on to ensure their clients have a phenomenal experience. From making a great first impression to retaining clients with extra perks, I'll share my top tips to help you level up your client communication game. Don't miss out on this valuable insight – tune in now! Follow me on Instagram Subscrbe to my YouTube Channel Follow me on TikTok Follow me on Pinterest

You have the power to create an unforgettable experience for your clients that they will rave about to their friends and family. But where do you start? Look no further than the client onboarding process. This is the first impression your clients have of your business, and it can determine whether or not they stick around for the long haul. In this episode, we'll cover why the client onboarding process is so important and how to effectively onboard your clients. We'll talk about the key steps to creating a personalized onboarding plan that works for both you and your clients. We'll also share tips on how to automate the onboarding process to save time and energy, while still providing a boutique experience for your clients. Join us as we dive deep into the world of client onboarding and learn how to create a process that will help you communicate your professionalism, personality, and provide an exceptional experience for your clients. Listen now to learn how to take your business to the next level! Follow me on Instagram Subscrbe to my YouTube Channel Listen to my Podcast Follow me on TikTok Follow me on Pinterest

Coffee chats are a great way to connect with other business owners, learn from their experience, and build meaningful relationships. But it can be intimidating and controversial. On the Crush Your Goals with Christi podcast, we're demystifying coffee chats and giving you the confidence to connect with other entrepreneurs.   We start by discussing why it's important to understand that not everyone is open to meeting for coffee. That doesn't mean it's anything against you, it's simply their personal preference. If someone does say no, don't take it personally.   Then, we go into the tips and advice for asking someone for coffee. Make sure you respect their time and don't take advantage of it. Don't expect them to give you free advice or keep asking over and over. It's okay to be curious, but it's important to have a humble attitude and be open to rejection.   We also discuss how to connect with other business owners, whether it's through messaging them on social media, looking for local groups, networking events, or mentioning it to friends and colleagues. We talk about the importance of community over competition, and why it's important to be humble and courteous when asking for coffee.   Finally, we discuss why it's okay to take in advice from multiple people, but not to take everything they say as gospel truth. Everyone has different ways of doing business, so don't feel like you have to follow their lead.  Tune in to the Crush Your Goals with Christi podcast to learn more about demystifying coffee chats and connecting with other business owners.

This week, I’m talking about one of the most important things you need to know as an entrepreneur: sales funnels. Sales funnels are essential for creative entrepreneurs, and I’m breaking down everything you need to know about them. In this episode, I’ll be discussing what a sales funnel is, how to build one, and some strategies to make sure it’s effective. I’ll be walking you through each step of the process, from identifying your target audience to measuring your results. If you’re a creative entrepreneur looking to increase your sales and profits, this episode is a must-listen. Tune in and learn how to take your business to the next level with sales funnels. Get the show notes here.

Hey friend! Are you a creative entrepreneur who wants to make more money from their business? If so, have I got a podcast episode for you! On this episode of Crush Your Goals with Christi, we're talking about why email marketing is an essential tool for creative entrepreneurs and how to get started - step by step! Plus, I'll show you how to start making money from your email list right away. So, if you're ready to start building an email list and becoming a master of email marketing, this episode is for you! Tune in to Crush Your Goals with Christi now and let's get started! Follow me on Instagram: @christijohnsoncreative

Do you struggle to delegate tasks in your business? Does outsourcing seem complicated? Or do you just not want to give up control over things in your business? Or maybe you're drowning in work you know you need to give to someone else but you just aren't sure where to start! This episode is for you! I'm busting the most common delegation myths and telling you how to make delegating SUPER easy. Listen in to today's episode to find out how! 

In today's episode, I'm walking through my entire yearly goal setting process. We'll talk through how to celebrate your wins from last year, letting go of what's not serving you, brainstorming for the new year, and how to map things out in a way that is attianable. It's all in today's episode! Take the 5 Day Goal Setting Challenge Join the Monday Mindset Calls Join Biz Besties

Hi First name / friend! Have you ever put a ton of effort into launching a product or service only to have it fall flat? You put it out there ready for the world to see and then… crickets. It's discouraging!! As business owners, we face failure a lot. We have to pivot quickly & see the failure as a part of the process of learning rather than a setback. So how do you make sure a product or a service actually sells? First, you have to do market research, which we covered a couiple of weeks ago. But you also need to spend some time making your offer irresistible to your potential customers. You know when you read some sales copy and you think they are talking directly to you? And you want to buy that thing immediately? That's what you want! But how do you do that?! It's all in today's podcast episode! We'll talk about how to understand your client's deepest desires so that you can talk about your product in a way that is irresistible. They'll be knocking down your door to buy your product or service! Ready to dive in? Click the button below to give it a listen!

If you are confused by all the steps to register your business, register an LLC, and get your business started this episode is for you! I was overwhelmed by all of these steps when I first started my business, but once I finally did them I realized how easy it was. It doesn't have to be complicated! Listen in for some tips to make this process easy for you too.  Check out the Snow Notes for today's episode. Check out Braden Drake for legal, tax, & profit help Get the 8 Steps to Start Your Business Guide for free Sign up for my Build Your Business Cohort The opinions expressed in this episode should not be considered legal advice. I am not a licensed attorney nor a tax professional. This advice should be used for informational purposes only.  Follow me on Instagram

Have you ever wondered if you're doing exactly what you're supposed to be doing?  Do you second guess yourself a lot? You're not alone. Get help casting a vision at christijohnsoncreative.com/challenge To help me refresh my goals and understand what I want to focus on, I periodically cast a vision for my business.  Casting a vision will help you make sure your business is aligned with the life you want to create for yourself.  It's the guiding light that you can use to make sure you're on the right track.  It provides inspiration and motivation to get going.  What is a vision statement anyways? It's an ideal picture of the world that wouldn't exist without your business. What problem does your business exist to solve? That's your vision statement.  What about your mission statement? Your mission is how you will practically achieve your vision.  If you want to know how to create a vision statement and mission statement for yourself and your business, then you don't want to miss today's episode!  It's inspirational and is sure to help you get unstuck and make progress on building a life that you love!  Listen in now! 

Have you ever gotten an incredible idea for your business, but a bunch of time and energy into creating something, put it out into the world, and then no one bought it? It's super disappointing, right? Chances are, you may have forgotten one key step: Market Research. Market research sounds boring, but it's an important step for anyone selling absolutely anything. Whether you're selling products or services, you should be doing market research. Doing correct market research will help you know that you're creating something people actually want. You won't have to convince them to buy from you. They'll be practically begging you to sell to them! Market research is a really complicated subject with a lot of ins and outs. But today we're going to talk about one really easy way to do market research! This will help you - Know your customers pain points so you can create something that will serve them well - Know their exact words they use to describe their problem so you can write irresistible sales copy - Find people ready and eager to buy what you offer It's all in today's short but sweet episode! Get episode 69 of the Crush Your Goals with Christi Podcast today! Follow Christi christijohnsoncreative.com @christijohnsoncreative Join Christi's Biz Besties 

Have you ever felt like you want to quit? Like nothing is working and this whole business thing is not worth it and you just want to throw in the towel? Friend, I've been there. In fact I was just there last week (: You are not alone! As business owners, it's really easy to get in our heads and believe that what we're building won't work. That it will just come tumbling to the ground. But if you have a passion for what you do, you know that quitting is not an option. I've thought about quitting before and I quickly realize that is not what I want. I want to own a business. I want to help people. I want to keep doing this. But when I get those feelings of overwhelm and feeling like it's not worth it, what do you do? How do you get out of the self-doubt spiral and move forward with purpose? I'm talking all about it on today's podcast episode. We'll talk through 5 steps to take when you feel like you want to quit. Get it all on episode 67 of the Crush Your Goals with Christi Podcast! Follow Christi christijohnsoncreative.com @christijohnsoncreative Join Christi's Biz Besties

You know the feeling when you get a new inquiry in your inbox? It’s exciting, right?! Landing a new inquiry means your marketing efforts are working! Woohoo! But getting a new inquiry is also a little bit stressful. Now you have to close the sale! I used to drop everything when I got a new inquiry and take time to respond to it right away. Even if it was 11pm or I was on vacation, responding quickly was my first priority. I was so afraid of people ghosting me. In fact it happened a lot and I wasn't sure why. Now? I don’t worry about responding asap anymore! Because I have a booking workflow that responds automatically to inquiries, tells potential clients the next steps and makes me look good too! I also know that whoever lands in my inbox is really interested in working with me and is really likely to convert into a paying client because I qualify the leads so that I'm only spending time responding to clients that actually want to work with me. In today's podcast episode, I'm talking all about how to streamline your booking process to save you time, make you more money, and reduce your stress too! We'll talk about things like: What to put in your contact form so people are more likely to inquire What to include in your inquiry reply so people are more likely to respond What to put in follow up emails so people are more likely to book Ready? Let’s do this! Follow Christi christijohnsoncreative.com @christijohnsoncreative Links Mentioned Join Christi's Biz Besties (for FREE!)

Sometimes I look at my schedule and I freak out in panic at the sheer amount of things on there. And sometimes the tasks that I have to do seem insurmountable. Like there's no way it's all going to fit. When that happens, I have a choice. I can either continue to cram things into the schedule, or I can make a pivot. Our culture tells us we need to have packed schedules. They tell us we need to take care of ourselves and be the best at everything. And because we see everything on social media, we're constantly comparing ourselves to everyone else because that's the message we're fed. That you have to be the best, you have to be busy, and you have to be the boss. If you do that, then you'll find ultimate happiness and win at life and be happy forever! But we've been doing that and it's not working. Instead of leaving us feeling accomplished, it leaves us feeling stressed out, insecure, and lonely. If you're feeling this way, you're not alone, my friend. I've been right there where you are. In fact, I've probably been there this week. Is there hope to change? Yes, absolutely. And it comes back to pivoting. On today's episode, I'm talking all about the Top 3 Mistakes you're making that are leaving you feeling overwhelmed, insecure, and lonely. Listen in to figure out how to pivot and feel inspired, confident, and supported. You're not alone, my friend!  Follow Christi christijohnsoncreative.com @christijohnsoncreative Links Mentioned Join Christi's Biz Besties (for FREE!)

I know I've talked about busy season a lot these last few weeks. Maybe you're tired of hearing about it. But if you're anything like me, fighting overwhelm is a daily battle. In fact, sometimes it's an hourly battle. We have to give ourselves more reminders, more compassion, more grace to match the busyness of the season. Here's a comment I saw online recently: "I feel like my mental cup is overflowing and I'm spreading myself too thin." Can you relate, friend? I think we all know that the solution is slowing down. But how do you slow down during busy season? Is it even possible? It might feel like it's not possible right now. And it's okay that it feels like that. Slowing down is possible. But it won't happen unless you take the steps to actually slow down. I really am passionate about this and want you to hear it because I don't want you to spend one second more in the pit of frustration, overwhelm, stress, grief than you have to. On today's podcast episode, I'm sharing the exact steps you can take to slow down even during busy season. What can you do to bring more energy, joy, and ease into your life? It's all in today's episode! Listen to Episode 65 of the Crush Your Goals with Christi Podcast. Follow Christi christijohnsoncreative.com @christijohnsoncreative Links Mentioned Join Christi's Biz Besties (for FREE!)

A couple weeks ago I had a launch planned for my membership program. I created a masterclass to promote it and was off to the races. Well, it sort of flopped! (put in a gif that's kind of like oh no or meh or disappointment or something funny) And today I'm pulling back the curtain on my launch plan and why I think it went the way it did and what I can do to have a more successful launch next time. The truth is, this is not a failure (even though it certainly felt like it at first). This is just another step on my journey. The way my personality works is I don't fully process things until I've shared them someone. I knew that I wanted to move forward with the launch instead of push it back when I knew I wasn't going to have the time to work out all the kinks beforehand. Was that a mistake? Maybe. But I am glad I did it beacuse now I can take the lessons from this launch and use them to make the next launch even better! In today's podcast episode, I'm telling you all about my initial launch plan, how the launch actually went, and what I learned from it. Listen in to Episode 64 of the Crush Your Goals with Christi Podcast wherever you get your podcasts! Follow Christi christijohnsoncreative.com @christijohnsoncreative Links Mentioned How to Create a Website Episode Steph Wood's Website Braden Drake's Website Join Christi's Biz Besties (for FREE!)

Busy season is here whether we like it or not! I don't know about you, but I am BUSY. In fact, busy season came EARLY for me this year. I wasn't fully prepared for it. I told my husband the other day I feel a low grade sense of anxiety like... all the time. Can you relate?! I think it's especially important to guard ourselves against burnout in this season. Every year I tell myself I'm going to put things in place that will make me not hate my life when October rolls around. While I still feel that busyness and anxiety right now, I do have to say I am closer to my dream reality this year than I've ever been. Why? Because I've seriously been working on showing up how I want to show up and setting boundaries that make that possible. Today on the podcast, Katrina Widener is telling us how to do just that and more She's sharing exactly how to prevent burnout as an entrepreneur and what to do when you start to feel it coming. Listen in to this episode for some much needed relief! About Katrina Katrina Widener is a business coach, podcast host, and community leader. Simply put, she helps established entrepreneurs make more by doing less — reaching full alignment in their business through Human Design, business strategy, and mindset. Say ‘see you never’ to draining compromises, and elevate your empire in a way that feels joyful and builds wealth. PREVENTING BURNOUT IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP Burnout and overwhelm are some of the most common struggles amongst all entrepreneurs. By approaching our businesses from a proactive — not reactive — place, we can strategically build them to prevent burnout from the beginning.  Follow Katrina www.katrinawidener.com @katrina.widener Follow Christi christijohnsoncreative.com @christijohnsoncreative

Does marketing your business make you stressed and overwhelmed? Do you log onto social media and compare yourself to everyone else? You are not alone! But what if I told you there's a better way? We believe the lie that we have to be the best at everything. But what if you only had to be the best at being yourself? The reasons you're overwhelmed & stressed about marketing your business are simple: You haven't made a conscious choice about where you will market You haven't clearly defined your goals about marketing on those platforms You haven't laid out an actionable strategy to achieve your goals That all sounds confusing, but it's actually really simple. And it can be fun, too! Friends, the reason you're so overwhelmed is because you haven't decided what's important to YOU and how YOU want to market your business. Instead, you're listening to what everyone else says is important. You are the boss of your business. It's time to empower yourself to act like it! Listen in to episode 62 of the Crush Your Goals with Christi Podcast to learn exactly how to do just that! Join the free masterclass! christijohnsoncreative.com/masterclass Listen to the episode mentioned- Combatting Marketing Fatigue with Juli Smith Follow Christi christijohnsoncreative.com @christijohnsoncreative

Have you ever tried photographing your products and wondered why they never look consistent? Or maybe you’re not sure why you’re getting a weird orange hue to your images. Or maybe it’s a blue hue. Well, I’m here to help! Listen in for 3 steps to consistent photos! Lighting- clean light is the key to consistent photos. Composition- the way you arrange the objects in the frame of the photo.  Editing- altering elements of your image like warmth and exposure after the fact. We go into each of these steps in more depth today. I'm sharing all my best tips with you! So, make sure to listen all the way to the end of the episode.  Follow Christi christijohnsoncreative.com @christijohnsoncreative

As small business owners and especially creative entrepreneurs, it's easy to get lonely. In late 2018, my husband and I moved to California. We are both from South Carolina, so our new home was a big adjustment. The busyness set in and the burnout came quickly. I was unhappy and honestly homesick. So, I started connecting with more people. From that moment on, everything was different. I was happier at work. Joy came back into my life. Having just one close friend changed everything for me. That's the power of community. We are meant to be in community with each other. Our humanness is the biggest thing that connects us. No matter who we are or where we come from, we all share in the human experience. We all know what it's like to be human. I believe that's what connects us. Listen to today's episode all about building community as a business owner! Want to take this topic a step further? Join my Masterclass where I  show you exactly how to make community more of a reality in your life.  Follow Christi christijohnsoncreative.com @christijohnsoncreative

Today on the podcast, Ashley shares about overcoming adversity and creating a business you love. Listen this week for a great talk with an amazing business owner and mom. Read on for more about Ashley's story! About Ashley "I am a self proclaimed wedding guru based in Greenville, South Carolina (willing to travel anywhere in the United States). I grew up in the wedding and event industry. As an only child I went to work with my mom and got to experience the incredible rush of weddings, now it’s in my veins and it is my passion! As a wedding planner and floral designer I have an eye for design and attention to detail -- it's just in my Type A veins. I’m a wife, daughter, friend and I’m a mama to 3 incredible boys. I’m a firm believer in loving big, making memories and savoring moments." Follow Ashley caeventplanning.com @caeventplanning Follow Christi christijohnsoncreative.com @christijohnsoncreative

Today, Victoria Yates shares with us mindset shifts that will impact your life & business. Victoria is an intuitive eating & body image coach for women. Her passion is to support women in becoming their best selves through feeling better in their bodies both physically & mentally. Rising Tide is a community that exists to empower the creative economy & unite small business owners in the spirit of community over competition. We believe that you were built to belong, that you’re not alone, and that there’s power in community. Follow Victoria Victoria-yates.com @nondiet_rn Follow Christi christijohnsoncreative.com @christijohnsoncreative Join Rising Tide: greenville.therisingtidesociety.com

Today on the podcast, Brenda Cadman shares with creative entrepreneurs how to organize their canva accounts so it's not a hot mess anymore!    Brenda Cadman is one of only 25 verified global Canva Experts worldwide, and owner of Bon Accord Creative, a website development company based in Prince Edward Island, Canada.   Brenda has been an entrepreneur for more than 22 years, and as a Canva expert, she’s taught thousands of small business owners how to use Canva more effectively and efficiently.    In particular, she loves to help business owners tame their hot mess Canva accounts by creating an organizational system that ensures they can spend less time in Canva, and more time doing what they love.   Connect with Brenda: Facebook.com/groups/howtousecanva Instagram.com/brendacadman YouTube.com/c/brendacadman BrendaCadman.com/freebies   Connect with Christi: facebook.com/groups/christisbizbesties christijohnsoncreative.com/monday instagram.com/christijohnsoncreative

Today I'm sharing another episode of the Rising Tide Greenville podcast!   Jen Taylor talks to us about How to Balance the Core Areas of Your Business. Overwhelmed by all the tasks you have to manage and wonder how you will accomplish it all? Jen suggests a simple solution!! You won't want to miss this one!  Follow Jen at jentaylorconsulting.com or @jentaylorconsulting Join Jen's Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/designyourbusinessjentaylor Follow Christi at christijohnsoncreative.com or @christijohnsoncreative Join RTS at greenville.therisingtidesociety.com About Jen:  Owner and founder of Taylor’d Events, Jennifer Taylor carries over 15 years of wedding planning and has earned a wealth of knowledge throughout her career. While running her own business, she had the pleasure of working alongside highly innovative and talented creatives throughout the industry and beyond.  She noticed that many creatives are predominantly right-brained—wildly imaginative and expressive, but missing the necessary structure to create logical systems in their companies. In launching Jen Taylor Consulting, she made it her mission to help creatives build streamlined workflows, processes, and procedures so they can grow their business and spend their time on what they love most — their craft, their family, and their life. Jen’s systematic knowledge of the inner workings of creative businesses has brought her to national stages and major industry publications. She has spoken at conferences like The Special Event, NACE Experience, and ILEA, as well as chapter-based events for NACE, The Wedding Network, ABC, and Western Washington University. Her expertise has also graced the pages of WeddingWire EDU, Special Events, Catersource, Book More Brides, Honeybook, and Wedding Planner Magazine. Outside of work, you can typically find her traveling throughout the West Coast or in Maui — the two markets her company serves for destination events. She also has a penchant for cooking and can often be found sipping on a refreshing glass of wine. 

I've heard a lot of entrepreneurs talk about how they can't seem to put their work down. It permeates every aspect of their life and they feel like they're always working. But isn't one of the biggest reasons we become business owners is so that we have more freedom? So why do we allow ourselves to work constantly? I think it's because we are afraid we are going to fail. But also because maybe we don't believe our business is a "real" job. Like if we had a 9-5 it would be easier to set boundaries for your work. But what if you treated your job like a REAL JOB because IT IS.  What if you could actually ENJOY your weekend and not worry about work? Sounds crazy, right? Well, it's not! It's actually very achievable. Just like Mondays can be enjoyable if you reframe how you will show up on Mondays, I think you can apply the same wisdom to Fridays. It all comes down to reframing your task list, doing more of what you love, and setting boundaries for yourself that you actually stick to. Want to know exactly how to do that? Listen in to today's episode! Listen to more episodes HERE.  Read more HERE. 

I used to hate Mondays. I got sad when Sunday night rolled around because I knew that meant I was close to having to roll up my sleeves and get to work. Mondays were just not fun. I decided to do something about it. I shifted the way I planned my Mondays, and now I actually enjoy them! How do I do that? By first managing my expectations about Mondays and then by including time for things that are actually FUN! Things that make me happy. Want to learn all about it and put some joy back into your Mondays? Listen in!  Listen to more episodes HERE! Read more HERE!

I'm a multi-passionate entrepreneur. And I don't often view that as a positive thing. In my darkest moments, I characterize myself as a quitter. Someone who lacks follow through. Someone who can't make up their mind. What happens when I believe those things about myself? I stop being creative.  All the drive & fire in my spirit goes away. It's like a self-fulfilling prophecy. If I call myself a quitter, I become a quitter. But what if my greatest weakness was actually my greatest strength? No, this is not some cliche way to answer an interview question. I'm being honest here. What if the fact that I have tried a lot of things is actually a sign of my creativity and not a sign that I'm a quitter? As entrepreneurs we have to get comfortable with failure. True success is not not failing - it's failing and getting back up. Trying again. Tweaking your plans. Finding what works. It's deciding that you're going to show up today, and the next day, and the next day. Today's podcast episode is such a fun one. I talk with my friend Nichole, who is a wedding photographer, a small business attorney, and a podcast host. She shares her story, and it's a good one. We talk about self-doubt, failure, and the spirit of entrepreneurship. What does it take to make it in this industry? How can you reframe negative thoughts about yourself? And how can you maintain creativity as a multi-passionate entrepreneur? We talk about all of that and more. More about Nichole Lauren  Nichole is a full-time wedding photographer and small business attorney for creatives. She also hosts monthly styled shoots at The Styled Event and is the host for the Self-Starter Podcast. She has a heart for helping other creatives thrive in their business, but most of all she believes in building a life centered on the people (and dogs) she loves so much. Owning a business gives her the flexibility and power to make the life she's always dreamed of! Read more HERE!

Let's face it. Business ownership is hard. Some days you're feeling amazing and the next day you're ready to quit. So how do you keep going when the going gets tough? For me, the answer is community. I talk about this a lot because it really is that important. If having the right mindset is the key to getting stuff done in your business, then your community is where you practice shifting your mindset. The truth is, I have a lot of fear surrounding my business.  I wonder if it will fail and if I even deserve to be doing this. Do people even want to hear from me? It's a question I wrestle with a lot.But I know that if I am constantly doubting myself, then I'll never achieve my goals. So what do I do when I doubt myself? I tell someone. I reach out to my community and get support. My community cheers me on, lifts me up when I'm low, and inspires me to achieve my dreams. I can show up without makeup, without fancy video equipment, without having everything worked out and I know they're going to support me and help me. I truly feel like I belong, no matter what. Do you have a community like that? If you don't, I want you to know you are not alone. You can find a community like that. And if you can't find one, you can create one. Want to know how to do that? It's all in today's podcast episode.  Read more on this episode HERE! 

Have you ever started something like a new year's resolution only to give up two months in? I know I have. It can be a frustrating experience, and it can even lead to you feeling like a failure. But you know what? This is actually super common and has to do with the way we think about the word "change." We're bombarded with big promises from advertisers every day. Use this program to change your eating habits. Buy this product to change the way you feel about yourself. Take this course to change how you set your goals. What if the way we are marketing is setting our clients up for failure from the beginning? Is there another way? Jackie Bebenroth says there is!! Jackie is a Change Marketer, and she specializes in helping business owners & service providers that offer some sort of transformation to their clients get their message across in clearer ways. Today on the podcast, she's talking with us all about why we clam up when we hear the word change and how we can begin to think differently. Listen in to get the full story! You don't want to miss it! Listen to more episodes HERE.  Read more from this episode HERE. About Jackie Bebenroth: She is a Change Marketer and the Principal of Muse, where she draws from two decades of experience as a brand strategist to help visionary leaders achieve transformation inside their businesses and beyond. She's developed a communication methodology called the Change Stage Framework, proven to connect, convert and cultivate audiences for sustained impact and business growth. Jackie believes in the power of the pen, and her work has ranged from local restaurant branding to six-figure global initiatives. She uses her experience and expertise to help others create change through effective steps for solving societal problems and succeeding in areas of their lives where they want to see growth occur.

Recently on the podcast, I shared how to create a lead magnet to grow your email list. It's a great way to increase your audience & prime them to buy from you. Now, let's fast forward and imagine you've already finished your lead magnet (maybe you don't even have to imagine it - maybe you've already finished it!). They've got the lead magnet in their hands and now you're ready to start emailing your audience consistently. crickets What on earth are you supposed to send them?! How on earth do you come up with original content week after week? Well, the answer is not as hard as you might think. There are so many things to email your audience and easy ways to figure out exactly what they want to hear so that they open your emails too. How do you do it? I'm talking all about it on today's podcast episode!! Listen in to learn how to quickly come up with content to send your audience! Read more from this episode HERE! If you liked this episode, listen to more HERE!

Owning a business can be scary.  But with the right planning, you can accomplish anything!  Today on the podcast Debra Banks is sharing with us her 8 Pearls Biz Plan Framework. It's a step-by-step tool to help you launch your business. I love it because it's actionable!  From understanding your market to pricing yourself to continuing to learn & grow, she's leaving nothing off the table. You don't want to miss this one! Debra Banks is an author and speaker. She is the founder of AIM Biz Academy which offers online courses, workshops, and coaching for small businesses. Through the signature workshop, 8 Pearls Biz Plan Workshop, entrepreneurs create an actionable roadmap for their business vision. The workshop provides a step-by-step guide to aim for and reach business targets. Debra is certified as an NLP Life Coach, Health Coach, and Yoga Instructor. She is a two-time graduate of the University of Virginia with a Master’s in Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Finance. Visit her website HERE Facebook Page: AIM Biz Academy Program -  8 Pearls Biz Plan E-book and Workbook Click HERE for her freebie!

Today I’m chatting with Google Analytics Expert, Christie Osborne. Christie owns Mountainside Media, a marketing agency that specializes in ads, analytics and market research. She’s a proud data nerd who uses marketing data and research to develop scalable strategies for busy event pros. Simply put, Christie has a passion for turning data into dollars. This is what gets her clients off the marketing hamster wheel and on the path to sustainable marketing success. On this episode, we talk about how you can use the information from Google Analytics to bring more traffic to your website & get more qualified leads in your inbox. She shares with us her 3-question framework that will empower you to achieve your goals & make sense of the data from Google Analytics. Connect with Christie Osborne: mountainsidemedia.com - don’t forget to download her freebie 5 Key google Analytics Every Wedding Pro Should Know linked on her home page. @mtnsidemediaco Connect with Christi Johnson: christijohnsoncreative.com @christijohnsoncreative Find out more about The Rising Tide Society: greenville.therisingtidesociety.com @tuesdaystogethergvl Episode Summary: When it comes to any data, you just need to know what information you’re looking for and what action to take based on that information. If you know what action you need to take, you can begin to ask the right questions and use the data to your advantage. For Google Analytics, there are 3 basic questions you need to start with. First, how much traffic are you getting? For local, events-based small businesses, you need to see at least 1200 sessions a month. Next, you need to find out if the traffic you’re getting comes from the right people. Are they qualified leads? If you’re an event pro, it’s the traffic you’ll want will be in marrying age, about 25-35 years old. Your metrics will also skew to a specific gender depending on your industry. And then, you’ll want to make sure it’s local traffic. As a Greenville-based business, you want to make sure most of your traffic is coming from Greenville or nearby cities. Think about your target audience and who is typically hiring your services. That’s the kind of demographics you want to see on your page. The third basic question to ask about your data is are the people visiting my site interested in working with me? You can tell this through which pages they’re spending the most time on. If they want to work with you, it should be your services page, your investment page, your inquiry page, your about page. If a lot of traffic comes from Pinterest, it might be your blog page. But this is where it starts to get dicey. If they’re just visiting your blog page and not the other pages, it’s likely they’re just going to your site for inspiration and not because they actually want to work with you. What about website designs that are one page only? Christie says to think about the average time someone would spend on your page to thoughtfully engage with the content. That’s what you want to see on the site. If they’re clicking away fast, they probably aren’t interested in working with you. One thing you can do to increase engagement is to have a video on your site.

You've probably heard it from everyone at this point. "Having an email list is the best way to make money!!" That's all fine and dandy. But how do you actually grow an email list?! Maybe the whole thing seems daunting to you. It did for me just a couple of years ago! I've been there. So, I want to help you avoid the struggle that I had trying to figure out how on earth to grow that darn email list. The best way to grow your email list is to create a lead magnet that your potential customers can download in exchange for their email addresses. You want to provide them with a TON of value for FREE so that you can build that know, like, and trust factor with them. They should think "wow if this is what she's giving away for FREE, her services should be amazing!" But how exactly do you create a lead magnet and set up your funnel to send it to your list? I'm breaking it all down into actionable steps so you can crush your goals consistently! Listen in to today's episode to get the steps! Read more here. Listen to more podcasts here. 

Have you noticed that it seems like EVERYONE has a podcast these days? That's because they're so effective at growing a following & presenting yourself as an authority in your industry. But HOW do you start one? What software & tech do you need? How do you even edit a podcast? And how on earth do you keep content coming out consistently week after week? I put off starting a podcast for a while because I was overwhelmed with all the steps it took. So today, I'm breaking down step-by-step everything you need to know to start a podcast. If you're interested in how other people do it or you've been thinking of starting one yourself, you don't want to miss this episode! Listen in for all the actionable tips in one place!

Have you ever spent hours creating a piece of content that you thought was AMAZING, only to have no one seem to listen to it? It sucks, doesn't it? You've poured your heart & soul into it but no one else seems to notice. Honestly, having your message ignored can make you want to throw in the towel. Is there a way to avoid that?  Definitely! The key is to make sure your message is impactful for your audience. So how do you do that? I'm talking all about it in today's podcast episode. I'm sharing how to poll your audience to figure out what they want to hear. Plus, how to make your message impactful even when you don't have an audience yet. We'll also talk about how to keep your message actionable & succinct so your audience is empowered to take action right away. If you're a content creator of any sort, this episode is for you! It's a short & sweet one, so don't sleep on it & listen now! Read more about this episode here. Listen to additional podcasts here.  Sign up for the Crush Your Goals With Christi mini-course here.

Have you ever felt like your life doesn't make sense? That there seem to be twists and turns for no apparent reason? Well, you aren't alone. Today on the podcast Christine Wiethop from Baking Sweet Scents shares how her journey to business ownership really started by accident. As a child, Christine's mom asked her to bake for family events. But owning a business & becoming a full-time baker was never part of the plan. She actually spent 19 years as a teacher. One day, a friend asked her to sponsor his soccer team. 1 year later she booked 12 weddings & now she is working full-time as a baker in wholesale, retail, & the wedding industry. We also talked about how community has influenced her business. She shares some of her favorite memories from The Rising Tide Society in Greenville. Christine also shares about her faith & how she asks God daily if she is still on the right path. Her story will inspire & encourage you! It's another testament that business is not one size fits all. We each have our unique journeys & travel a unique path. We had such a warm & inviting conversation as if we had been meeting for coffee. Listen in to this encouraging conversation! 

Learn how a simple mindset shift changes EVERYTHING! When we're kids, we're taught to believe in ourselves. We're told that we can be anything we want to be. But somewhere along the way of growing up, we stop believing that. Reality sets in & we stop dreaming big, audacious goals. So we tend to have a little bit of self-doubt mixed in with our dreams. And quite honestly, I think that mindset is a huge detriment to business owners. We know that the chances of walking on the moon are slim, that we probably won't be the world's greatest basketball player, and we most likely won't be performing on Carnegie hall. But I have one question for you.... what if you could? What if you did get to walk on the moon? What if you were the world's greatest basketball player? What if you did perform in Carnegie Hall? Would you show up differently? I 100% believe that you would. A simple mindset shift can change EVERYTHING for you in your business. Instead of setting your goals & thinking "This is so overwhelming. I'm never going to be able to accomplish this." I want you to act as if you've already achieved them. Believe that you will succeed. The person that you want to be in 10 years needs you to show up today. Are you in? Listen to this episode for more on this simple mindset shift that can truly help you accomplish ANYTHING.

Does it ever seem like your to-do list never stops growing? That the more you try to accomplish things the more you just can't win?  I've been there. In today's episode, I'm telling you exactly how to make sense of your messy to-do list. First, it starts with shifting your mindset. When you believe that you can, you're going to show up differently. Next, you have to see what you can eliminate GUILT FREE. Plus what you can automate and delegate. Then we have the hard task of prioritizing what's left. How do we do that? It's all in this episode. Also, I have a super special message to those of you that are brand new business owners & feel like maybe giving up on this whole "work for yourself" thing. You don't want to miss this one. FREEBIE It's the top five goal-setting mistakes that I hear and see people making and how to avoid them.  I really think you are gonna find some real value from this resource. I break it down and tell you the solutions to each one and being too vague is the very first one on there.  But there are four more that I think will be helpful for you in terms of crushing your goals consistently. So head over to christijohnsoncreative.com/mistakes to download that free guide.

Overwhelm is truly one of the worst feelings ever. You feel scared and anxious, and sometimes you feel utterly alone. But I need you to know this: you are not alone. What's the first thing you should do when you're feeling overwhelmed? Reach out to a trusted friend or mentor and tell them. Sometimes all it takes is just one person telling you it's okay to help you get back into the game. Whatever you do, don't go through it alone! But how about some strategies to help you overcome those feelings altogether? I'm sharing all about it on the podcast today. I break down why you feel overwhelmed & how you can lean into that to use it to your advantage. We'll talk about microgoals: how to turn your overwhelming, daunting projects into small, actionable steps that can give you some easy wins. Easy wins lead to more energy and more inspiration and EMPOWERMENT to move forward. Read more at christijohnsoncreative.com/41 Link: christijohnsoncreative.com/8 (How to Plan a Really Big Project Without Getting Overwhelmed) FREEBIE  It's the top five goal-setting mistakes that I hear and see people making and how to avoid them. I really think you are gonna find some real value from this resource. I break it down and tell you the solutions to each one and being too vague is the very first one on there. But there are four more that I think will be helpful for you in terms of crushing your goals consistently. So head over to christijohnsoncreative.com/mistakes to download that free guide.

Have you ever been faced with the need to pivot? Did it scare you? I've been there, and I'm still dealing with the affects. Today on the podcast, Meghan & Crosby Brackins share how they pivoted before they were ready and it led to huge wins in their business. The pandemic was hard on businesses everywhere. They saw a need in their market and jumped on it. And they're sharing with us exactly how they did it! We also get an inside look into how they run a family business and keep the relationships thriving as well. We talk boundaries, communication, and dividing up tasks in the business. Not only that, but we talk about how community helped them grow their business. Community is important for any business owner, and we've got a first hand story of why with Meghan & Crosby. I promise this is an inspiring story, and you don't want to miss it! Listen in to get the full story! Read more at christijohnsoncreative.com/40) About Megan & Crosby: Meghan and Crosby Brackins own True Foundation Photography - they are Portrait and Wedding photographers and videographers. They also specialize in real estate and branding photography and videography for small businesses. They’ve been in business for 10 years - seasoned business owners. About Rising Tide Greenville: Rising Tide Greenville is a community that exists to empower the creative economy and unite small business owners in the spirit of community over competition. We believe that you were built to belong, that you’re not alone, & that there is power in community. Follow Meghan & Crosby: truefoundationphotography.com Follow Christi: www.christijohnsoncreative.com Join RTS: greenville.therisingtidesociety.com

Goal setting and implementation can be hard. It is easy to start at 100% and quickly lose motivation. Listen in to learn a few secrets for success to consistent goal crushing. Why is it so easy to give up on goals? Self-doubt and imposter syndrome often hold us back from reaching our full potential. It is easier to have the end goal in sight but harder to actually follow through. Without proper steps in place, you can feel guilty when your goals are not being accomplished. Steps to consistently crush your goals Make a specific plan for accomplishing your goals and determine what success will look like Have a regular system in place to monitor your progress Find a community that will support you Are you looking for more accountability and an amazing community? Christi Johnson Creative is now offering Biz besties which is a membership mastermind community that will include guided weekly deep work sessions and support from other entrepreneurs. In addition, this membership will include mastermind chats which will provide each individual the opportunity to share a business struggle and have other members workshop solutions. This membership will provide community, accountability, and new friends. Are you in? Learn more here. Listen to More Episodes

Shelly is the owner of The Fearless Solopreneur. She helps creative entrepreneurs overcome the overwhelm and fear of tech so they can grow their business. She is an expert in tech, processes and systems, and she is launching a membership with courses and support to help entrepreneurs better understand the tech side of their business. TuesdaysTogether Greenville is the local chapter of The Rising Tide Society - a community that exists to empower the creative economy and unite small business owners in the spirit of community over competition. We believe that you were built to belong, that you’re not alone, & that there is power in community. I’m your host, Christi Johnson, the leader of TuesdaysTogether Greenville. Every two weeks on the podcast we spotlight a local small business owner in the upstate to share their story. Follow Shelly at thefearlesssolopreneur.com Follow Christi at christijohnsoncreative.com Join RTS at greenville.therisingtidesociety.com

Listen in as Christi shares about the importance of strategy in goal setting.  If your business approach is "try everything," it can feel overwhelming and push you to buy into things that aren't specifically helpful in what you need in your business. With continual comparison and lack of goals, you will be disappointed. Here are some practical tips to help you add strategy to your goal setting. How to Create Strategy in Your Biz Before you start anything, write your goals out and your "why" behind them. 1. What is your objective? Objectives will help you be more honed in on your goal. For example, if your objective is for your images to show up more on the internet, the copy of your blog might not matter as much. Knowing your objective will save you time because you'll know what to prioritize. 2. What results do you hope to see? Be specific in the results you hope to see. For example, your desired result might be that you want to receive 5 inquiries from Google based on increased SEO on your blogs. The results will indicate if you have achieved your objective. If you're not achieving your desired results, you may need to go back and tweak your strategy. Why Strategy is so Important Having a strategy will help you determine if you've achieved your goal. In addition, it will save you time, stress, and feelings of imposter syndrome. Having a strategy will empower you to follow through on your goals without fear or doubt. Over time and with consistency, these strategies will help you see growth in your business. A resource that will help you find freedom in your business and accomplish your goals is the short mini-course Crush your Goals with Christi. In this mini-course, you'll learn how to consistently set goals and create a strategy to see them through. If you liked this episode, listen to more HERE.

On today's episode, Rachel and Christi discuss listening to and accepting yourself, the restorative nature of the outdoors, and how Rachel made her journey from garden coach to mindset coach. You don't want to miss this amazing episode! Rachel Strivelli is an intuitive mindset coach. She helps women step out of self-doubt and uncertainty and step into confidence and strong decision-making through intuition. She empowers people with self-trust, confidence, and intuition and I’m so excited to be talking with her today! Rising Tide Greenville is a local chapter of the Rising Tide Society: a community that exists to empower the creative economy and unite small business owners in the spirit of community over competition. We believe that you were built to belong, that you’re not alone, & that there is power in community. Read more about this episode at christijohnsoncreative.com/36 Follow Rachel: https://rachelstrivelli.com/ https://www.youtube.com/RachelStrivelli https://www.instagram.com/rachelstrivelli/ Nourish with Nature: https://soulpioneer.com/nourish/ Follow Christi: christijohnsoncreative.com Join RTS: greenville.therisingtidesociety.com

In today’s episode, listen in as Christi shares how business is not a one size fits all and ways to identify specific goals in your business that you can accomplish. It can be easy to fall into the comparison trap, but it is important to recognize that each person has unique goals for their business.  There are a Thousand Ways to Do Business Remember that you are seeing everyone's best version of themselves on social media. You don't have to be overwhelmed that you aren't doing all the things, remember that business is not a one size fits all. You have the freedom to pick which avenues you want to take and what to focus on in your business. This will bring you clarity as you become hone in on your specific goals and learn how to follow through.  Identify your Goals It can be overwhelming and daunting to look at all the things you want to accomplish in your business while also recognizing your capacity. First, start by making a list of goals in your business. Then, choose a small starting step for that goal that you can begin over the next 5 days. Be specific in your action steps as it will allow you to. Do what feels natural to you and follow through. Rather than be concerned about others' goals, remember that business is not one size fits all and that your goals will be unique to you. When choosing one goal to focus on, start with something that's already in your comfort zone. This will help provide the needed motivation to get started. Be specific in your action steps because the key is to follow through. Read more here.  Listen to additional podcasts here.  Sign up for the Crush Your Goals With Christi mini-course here. 

Danielle & I talk about how she builds community through her retail store, the freedom being a small-business owner provides, and how you can turn your hobby into a business and make it work for you. Read more at christijohnsoncreative.com/34 Danielle is a multi-passionate business owner. She owns Reinvintage Warehouse in Spartanburg which is a collective retail store of artists, makers, curators, collectors all housed under one roof.  She’s also an artist & a maker - she creates her own handmade products under her brand MADE by Danielle. She’s been creating & selling products for over 10 years. She is the host of the Makers Chat Podcast, AND she is an incredible educator. She helps handmade business owners build & grow their businesses through online courses and a membership group. We are the local chapter of The Rising Tide Society - a community that exists to empower the creative economy and unite small business owners in the spirit of community over competition. We believe that you were built to belong, that you’re not alone, & that there is power in community. Learn more about RTS: greenville.therisingtidesociety.com Follow Danielle: danielleskaminski.com Follow Christi: christijohnsoncreative.com

Renee Dalo joins me today to talk about visibility in your business and showing up the right way. Follow Renée at moxiebrightevents, reneedalo.com and @reneedalo Join Christi's Free Facebook Community What Does Visibility Mean? Visibility is always evolving. It used to be just posting on Instagram and having a cohesive brand and making sure your grid was cohesive. Now it encompases so many more things. It gets so much more of a holistic view of your business and what you're putting out there. It's lives, reels, stories, tiktok, facebook, and blog posts coming together to present a view of your brand. It's everything you put out in your brand along with your face as well. What if it's overwhelming? How to break it down A holistic approach to visibility can be freeing. Less but better is what we are going for. It's okay if you aren't posting every day on social media. What matters is that you use the right tool for the message. It's all about the message. Sometimes the message is best conveyed through a YouTube video better than a blog post. So instead of being overwhelmed by all the tools, think about which tool will work best for your message. It doesn't have to be everything at the same time. Content about best posing will be better for a video than a blog post. Establish Your Own Expertise in the Wide Market The point of visibility is to establish your expertise. A lot of people are talking about a lot of things all the time. Being visible is about showing your smarts, confidence, and showing your face, and creating mindful content that serves. You want them to trust you so that they want to pay you. Your following might be other people in your industry following you. That's okay. Remember you can still do business with a lot of followers or a few. The clients are out there looking to see who is relevant and who is engaged. Even if your followers are fellow business owners, you want to make sure your message is geared to your client. Keep your eye on the prize. Who is your account for? Keep that at the forefront of your messaging at all times. (Side note - you can use fohr.co to find analytics about your account) What about imposter syndrome?  How to step into the expertise role The biggest hurdle to stepping into a position of expertise is the mindset. To help your mindset, you need to exercise your content muscle. It's literally a muscle you need to work out. Don't look at someone who has been doing this for a while and compare yourself to them. Renée talks about how half of the photos on her Instagram she doens't like. But she has to remember that the way other people see her isn't how she sees herself. Her best advice is to just start. Keep Your Values At the Front Let your core values be your guiding light! What are your goals in your business and what is really important to you? Talk about those things on your page and in your content. Prioritize what is most important. That means you don't talk about everything! Don't be afraid to use your voice and be yourself, even if that means being silly if that's you too! Start Today. If you haven't been working on visibility in your business, that's okay. Give yourself grace. Just start today.  Read more at christijohnsoncreative.com/33

Katie Jaynes from Katie Jaynes Photography shares with Christi how community helped her grow her business. What started out as being the friend who photographed all the special occasions turned into a successful Wedding & Portrait Photography business serving Anderson and the Upstate that's 8+ years strong. Katie also shares what it's like working with her husband, Mitchel, and how they manage their work now as new parents. It's a great story that any business owner with kids could relate to. You are not alone! TuesdaysTogether in Greenville SC is the local chapter of The Rising Tide Society - a community that exists to empower the creative economy and unite small business owners in the spirit of community over competition. We meet every month to learn & grow in business but also to support each other and cheer each other on in our business journeys. We believe that you were built to belong & that there is power in community. Follow Katie: katiejaynes.com Follow Christi: christijohnsoncreative.com Learn more about The Rising Tide Society: greenville.therisingtidesociety.com

What Does Marketing Fatigue Look Like? First, we are better able to realize we are experiencing marketing fatigue by a feeling. It feels bad. If you're feeling overwhelmed, tired, or marketing your business is overwhelming, that is marketing fatigue. Sometimes just putting words to the feeling is helpful. Another piece is if you're scared to stop because you don't know what will happen could be marketing fatigue. With new apps and trends, it can be overwhelming. The thought of adding another platform to your plate may just make you snap. Tiktok, Reels, & Trends, OH MY! Instagram, Pinterest, and Tiktok are changing every second. Sometimes it feels like once we get a system down everything changes. Usually what happens is we buy a new course to teach us how to use it. There is a fear that if you're not the first on the new trends that you're done. But you actually don't need ot feel that way. But Juli suggests that there is a better way. How to Combat Marketing Fatigue First, Remember where you make money. If you are a maker like Juli, you can't compare yourself to someone who makes YouTube videos or Tiktoks for entertainment. Her business model isn't Instagram reels. Knowing where you make your money can help you prioritize your tasks. Second, understand that marketing fatigue is normal. Other people feel it, including those who are very successful. You are not alone. It's real. Knowing that can take the temperature down. Third, and most practically, remember your goals. What are your goals for being on a new platform or for using a feature?Julianne Smith is a nationally recognized wedding accessory designer, digital media strategist and small business educator. Julianne is the owner of The Garter Girl, a stylish wedding garter design company she started in 2004, after she couldn’t find a wedding heirloom worthy of her best friend. Read more at christijohnsoncreative.com/27 About Juli: Julianne Smith is a nationally recognized wedding accessory designer, digital media strategist and small business educator. Julianne is the owner of The Garter Girl, a stylish wedding garter design company she started in 2004, after she couldn’t find a wedding heirloom worthy of her best friend. The Garter Girl is known for stylish and meticulously handmade wedding heirloomsthat are too pretty to toss. The Garter Girl and Julianne have been featured on NBC’s Today Show, Lifetime, The Knot, Martha Stewart, Brides, and Glamour as well as many top wedding magazines and blogs. Julianne helps creative small businesses throughout the wedding industry who are struggling and confused with their online presence. Julianne offers done-for-you services, online courses,and speaking engagements on search engine optimization, blogging, and Pinterest. Connect with Juli: @thegartergirl or thegartergirl.com Listen to More Episodes Connect with Christi @christijohnsoncreative or christijohnsoncreative.com Join my Free Facebook Community

It's a great one for you today! Kristen Alanah is a life coach in Greenville for overwhelmed millenial women. She helps women ditch the feeling over overwhelm & live a more intentional life. She’s also the host of the Overwhelmed to Intentional Podcast. Today, Kristen tells us her journey to becoming a life coach & teaches us a framework to overcome those pesky thoughts that keep us from living with intention. Not only do we touch on how to overcome feelings of overwhelm, but we also talk about how multi-passionate entrepreneurs can find their place in the business world. TuesdaysTogether Greenville is the local chapter of The Rising Tide Society - a community that exists to empower the creative economy and unite small business owners in the spirit of community over competition. We believe that you were built to belong, that you’re not alone, & that there is power in community. Connect with Kristen at kristenalanah.com Connect with Christi at christijohnsoncreative.com Learn more about Rising Tide & TuesdaysTogether at greenville.therisingtidesociety.com

Jordan Kentris from A Good Day talks to us about embracing the hidden power of criticism. How do we step back from the emotion? How do we parse through criticism to get to the core of what we need to change? Listen in for the full conversation. Jordan is the founder and owner of a boutique design firm, A Good Day which was created to serve planners and their eclectic couples. It's a one-of-a-kind stationery that establishes a unique brand for each event. Jordan is a UX designer by trade and utilizes his experience to work with business owners on their branding. An innovator in the industry, he was recognized by BizBash as one of the Most Innovative People in 2020 as well as a finalist for the NACE One Awards Innovator of the Year. Jordan's Website | Jordan's Instagram Christi's Website | Christi's Instagram Today, Jordan is talking to us about Embracing the Hidden Power of Criticism. When someone criticizes you, it can be hurtful. It can be especially hurtful to creative entrepreneurs and solopreneurs since so much of our business is a reflection of us or our personalities. We might think that when someone gives negative criticism, it’s a personal attack or it means they don’t like us. When receiving criticism, it’s important to recognize that there are different types of criticism. The first are personal attacks. Often, personal attacks have more to do with the other person than with us. Someone may have been having a really bad day or there were alot of external factors going on. So it’s important to recognize that not all personal attacks will carry weight. When it comes to criticism that you need to take to heart and learn from, it’s important to let go of the mentality of “what’s wrong with me? I’m not successful!” and instead get down to the meat of the feedback. We can take the emotion out of the feedback and learn from it. Step away from the hurt and see what happened. Evaluate whats happening so that you can avoid it in the future. Think of a piece of criticism like an onion with layers. The first layer is the emotion. You can take that out. Once you get down to the core you can start to see okay, what happened? Then ask, what led into the criticism? Was it a problem with my client experience, was it a lack of communication? Was it an onboarding failure? Were you just in a bad mood when you spoke to the client? You can also look for consistent threads. If you get consistent pieces of feedback that are negative, it’s time to evaluate yourself and see where you might be contributing to the problem. Accountability groups or groups of peers can also be helpful to have a soundboarding, to ask for feedback, and to ask for help. When asking for help, ask from a diverse group of people as well so that you don’t just hear from people like you. Finally, there’s a way of asking for feedback that won’t set you up for a personal attack. Let your clients know you are open and want to hear feedback. That can take away some of the emotion and disarm them so that you can have a great conversation. When you get feedback, ask yourself “how many times is this happening?” And “how much weight do I need to put on this piece of feedback?” If someone says “I don’t like the color blue.” that’s different than “I have a hard time reading the text on your website” or “the header image is too big and takes too long to scroll.” Thanks again to Jordan Kentris from A Good Day for coming on the podcast!

Stephanie is the Chief Experience Designer of Design The Experience. Her business empowers small businesses to grow and be more successful without spending thousands of dollars to do it. The Marketing Mastered is a membership platform designed to help you learn how to market your business & it’s all broken down into 10-minute or less bite-sized trainings & tips. Listen all the way to the end because I know she is going to give us an actionable tip for marketing & you don’t want to miss it. Stephanie shares with us how a personal tragedy led her to leave her magazine life & build her life as an entrepreneur. We talk showing up as yourself, the importance of community, and what you can do right now to give your website better performance on search engines. She is an amazing person & this conversation was FIRE! I can't wait for you to hear it. This podcast is hosted by Christi Johnson, leader of TuesdaysTogether in Greenville, South Carolina - the local chapter of The Rising Tide Society. We are a community that exists to empower the creative economy and unite small business owners in the spirit of community over competition. We meet every month to learn & grow in business but also to support each other and cheer each other on in our business journeys. We believe that you were built to belong & that there is power in community. Learn more about TuesdaysTogether and The Rising Tide Society at greenville.therisingtidesociety.com Learn more about Stephanie at themarketingmastered.com and designtheexperience.com Learn more about Christi at christijohnsoncreative.com

In today's episode, I chat with Meghan Ely of OFD Consulting. We're talking about how to Give Your Brand a Voice in 2022 with PR.  What exactly is Public Relations? How does it differ from Marketing? And why is PR important for creative small business owners? These are all questions we'll tackle on this episode. We'll give you some easy wins so you can learn how to represent yourself & get featured. Meghan also shared with us how to prep your website for Press, plus how to pitch to media outlets. I can't wait for you to listen. Read more at christijohnsoncreative.com/25 Meghan is the owner of OFD Consulting. She combines in-the-trenches event experience with a love of wedding PR to empower her clients to take their businesses to new heights. She is a certified wedding industry professional. And, Meghan was the 2020-21 NACE Speaker of the Year. Meghan represents clients globally and has earned them coverage with the New York Times, Martha Stewart Weddings, The Knot, Refinery 29, Domino, Forbes and Real Simple, and the list goes on. As a long-time industry speaker and writer, she is a WeddingPro educator with The Knot and WeddingWire, as well as a regular contributor to Wedding Planner Magazine, Catersource, and SpecialEvents.com. Currently, Meghan serves as the 2022 International President for WIPA. Follow Meghan: ofdconsulting.com and @ofdconsulting

Ashley is the owner of C&A Event Planning. She specializes Wedding planning, floral design, content creation and virtual assisting. Ashley has been in business for over 12 years, so she knows her stuff!! She loves to help people chase their dreams - whether it’s wedding planning or building their business. Today we talk about the power of relationship building, community, & collaboration to grow your business. Ashley has moved a few times & successfully relaunched her business in each new place through community. Finding your people is so important to surviving as a small business owner & entrepreneur. I can't wait for you to hear our chat today! This podcast is hosted by Christi Johnson, leader of TuesdaysTogether Greenville, the local chapter of The Rising Tide Society. We are a community that exists to empower the creative economy and unite small business owners in the spirit of community over competition. We meet every month to learn & grow in business but also to support each other and cheer each other on in our business journeys. We believe that you were built to belong & that there is power in community. You can find more about TuesdaysTogether and The Rising Tide Society at greenville.therisingtidesociety.com Follow Ashley at caeventplanning.com Follow Christi at christijohnsoncreative.com

Don't want to make reels on IG? You don't have to.  Find what feels good. Join my free community at facebook.com/groups/freedomtoflourishcommunity

Sarah Moore is local food blogger & instagrammer here in Greenville and she spotlights local small businesses & restaurants. Her blog, called Pimento & Prose, also features non-dairy and gluten-free recipes. She loves trying new restaurants in Greenville & if you're a Greenville foodie, you've probably seen her around on Instagram! In this episode, Sarah & I discuss what it's like navigating a food allergy or sensitivity, the importance of community, & we also play a little speed round of Greenville restaurants & what her top picks are for certain categories. She also shares her most popular recipe on her site for dairy-free and gluten-free cornbread. You don't want to miss it! This podcast is hosted by Christi Johnson, leader of TuesdaysTogether Greenville, the local chapter of The Rising Tide Society. We are a community that exists to empower the creative economy and unite small business owners in the spirit of community over competition. We meet every month to learn & grow in business but also to support each other and cheer each other on in our business journeys. We believe that you were built to belong & that there is power in community. You can find more about TuesdaysTogether and The Rising Tide Society at greenville.therisingtidesociety.com Follow Sarah at pimentoandprose.com  Follow Christi at christijohnsoncreative.com

I've been gone for a long time.  Somewhere around April 2020 I decided to pursue content creation, course creation, and try my hand in the Education space. It hasn't really worked out yet. November 2020 brought us back to our home state of SC. My husband was still working from home. It didn't make sense to spend thousands of dollars on rent to just work from home. Starting in June 2021 I took an extended break from the podcast and from promoting my courses. My excuse was that I was focusing on the 8 editing clients I still had and that I wanted to spend time with family. Feeling Like a Failure The truth is, I've felt like a failure for the last 2 years, so I ended up throwing in the towel mentally. I know that I'm not alone in feeling this way, but I continue to compare myself to others. I feel like I don't deserve to be heard. Honesty In Social Media The question I want to explore is: what if we were honest with each other? What if when someone asked how we were we actually told them? Listen in for more or head to christijohnsoncreative.com/imposter-syndrome-honest

No more being overwhelmed when tax season rolls around! Today I'm talking about how to make your bookeeping process really easy. Join my FREE community for Creative Entrepreneurs HERE.

Join my free group at facebook.com/groups/freedomtoflourishcommunity

Do you feel stuck in your inbox stressed out about responding to leads? Do you feel like you have people ghosting you constantly? Today I'm sharing how to turn your leads into clients with my practical process to stop the ghosting & start booking more clients!  Get the show notes here: christijohnsoncreative.com/booking Where to Find Clients (Ep 3): christijohnsoncreative.com/find-clients How to Create a Website (Ep. 5): christijohnsoncreative.com/how-to-create-a-website/ Check out my course The Freedom to Flourish Course

Is your business scalable? Or are you still stuck trading 1 for 1 your time for money? I'm sharing with you ideas on how to generate passive income  as a service-based business owner. Get the show notes here: christijohnsoncreative.com/passive-income Boss-ladies I mentioned on the podcast: @deniserathbrinkman, @_nicholelauren Join my FREE Facebook Group for Creative Entrepreneurs

Education as a small business owner is so valuable! It can help you improve your craft, stay current with new trends, & find community. Today I'm sharing why education is valuable, how to find educators, & also what to look out for on those webinar pitches we all fall for! Let's dive in!  Join my FREE Facebook Group at HERE.

Habits are so important! Stephen Covey said, “you are what you repeatedly do.” And that’s true! Your habits show what you value. Often, our habits show where we spend most of our time. Today, I want to share with you my game-changing habits for 2021 and 3 ways to help make sure your habits stick. Let’s dive in! Get the show notes at christijohnsoncreative.com/habits Get my FREE Masterclass How to Get It All Done Without All the Stress @ christijohnsoncreative.com/masterclass

Learn exactly how to write the third email in your welcome sequence! This email is where you pitch your product to your audience. Here's how! Get the show notes here: https://christijohnsoncreative.com/nurture-sequence-3/ Join my FREE Community here: https://facebook.com/groups/freedomtoflourishcommunity

Listen to part 1 here: https://christijohnsoncreative.com/welcome-sequence-first-email/ Join my FREE Facebook Group: https://facebook.com/groups/freedomtoflourishcommunity

Community is VITAL as a business owner. Finding community can be difficult, especially when you move to a new place. I'm going to share with you how community is helpful for encouragement, for learning, for getting advice, and for referrals. I'll also share how to find community!  Check out the show notes here: christijohnsoncreative.com/community Join my FREE Facebook Group for Small Business Owners: facebook.com/groups/freedomtoflourishcommunity

Do you struggle to accomplish your goals? Don't know how to make progress when you only have small chunks of time? Today I'm sharing about how to accomplish your goals little by little! I'll give you practical tips to set up your schedule and make crushing your goals easier! Check out the show notes at https://christijohnsoncreative.com/accomplish-goals/ Get my Free Masterclass on How to Get it All Done Without All the Stress Join my Free Facebook Community

Download the goal setting action plan at christijohnsoncreative.com/goal-action-plan Join my FREE Facebook Group to watch the live recordings & ask questions HERE Read the show notes at https://christijohnsoncreative.com/setting-goals/

Ever feel like you're just stuck in your email inbox or in mundane tasks instead of out there doing your best work? Automation & outsourcing can SAVE you during busy season. Learn how to quickly and effectively automate your booking process, your FAQs, your social media posting, & MORE!  Check out the show notes at christijohnsoncreative.com/automation-outsourcing Join my FREE Facebook Group 

How to accomplish your tasks on your to-do list without getting overwhelmed!  Check out the show notes here: christijohnsoncreative.com/slay-your-to-do-list Join my Freedom to Flourish Community for FREE!

Check out the show notes at christijohnsoncreative.com/freedom-from-comparison/ Join my FREE Facebook group

Ever started a project and then never finished? Do you get overwhelmed by large projects? Unsure where to start? We'll be talking about all of those things on todays episodes. I'll break down the most common mistakes people make when it comes to project planning and how to successfully plan a really big project without feeling overwhelmed.  Find the show notes at christijohnsoncreative.com/plan-project Join my Free Community at facebook.com/groups/freedomtoflourishcommunity

View the show notes at christijohnsoncreative.com/stop-procrastinating Join my FREE Facebook Group HERE. Check out my course at christijohnsoncreative.com/freedomtoflourish

How to Quickly & Easily Create Consistent Content Online! The three biggest painpoints I hear from people about creating content are: 1) I don't know what to post 2) I am not a good writer and 3) I don't have time to post that much. I'll tackle all three of them and talk about how to brainstorm content to post, how to overcome writers block, and how to save time & not spend hours posting!  Check out the show notes here: christijohnsoncreative.com/consistent-content Join my FREE Facebook Group here: facebook.com/groups/freedomtoflourishcommunity

Making a professional website should be one of your very first priorities in business. Today I'm going to walk you through every part of how to create a website! We'll cover all the reasons why you need a website, how to create a website, what every website should have, how you might be losing clients immediately and how to avoid it, plus design and functionality tips. It's a jam-packed episode today, folks! Read more at christijohnsoncreative.com/how-to-create-a-website Join my Free Facebook Group to watch the live videos & submit your questions!

Resources I mentioned:  Vision Casting Worksheet Bundle (includes Defining Success Worksheet): https://christijohnsoncreative.ck.page/56b3c9e8e6 The Freedom to Flourish Course: https://christijohnsoncreative.com/freedomtoflourish Does any of this sound familiar?  You're just starting out in business, you see someone successful and think you could never be like them because there's too much work to do to get there You see someone trying a new business tactic and think, “oh, I need to try that!” but then you do and wonder why it doesn’t seem to satisfy you You work a full time job and only have a couple horus a week to work on your business but you don't know which tasks to prioritize You have a goal but you don’t know where to start so you end up spinning your wheels and accomplishing very little The answer: A Values-Based Productivity Plan Values-Based To know which goals to set To know which goals to prioritize To keep you from the comparison trap Productivity To know how to spend your time To avoid time-wasters Plan A failure to plan is a plan to fail So you know exactly which steps to follow so you don’t get overwhelmed Strategies for when you feel stuck How do you create a values-based productivity plan? Define Success Cast a Vision Get a bird’s eye view of your roles Eliminate what’s not serving you Set Goals Discover your roadblocks to productivity Set up workflows, automations, outsourcing Break down projects into small, actionable steps Create a list system that works for you Create a schedule that works for you Cultivate habits for success Repeat Learn more content like this & connect with small business owners just like you in my free facebook group: https://facebook.com/groups/freedomtoflourishcommunity

Join my free FB Group 1. Start with Your Circle Tell all of your friends and family about your business. Tell every new person that you meet what you do. Tell them with confidence! You ARE a professional. When someone asks what you do, tell them confidently about your business. Even if your business is just a side hustle right now, LEAD with your business! The goal is to have as many people as possible know about you, so do this with everyone you meet. 2. Attend Networking Events Groups of fellow business owners like The Rising Tide Society are a great place to get more clients. Often, these people are going to also be working with your ideal audeience. You want them to think of you when they think of whatever it is that you do! You can even attend many of these events virtually. Confidentely tell them about your business! 3. Facebook Groups Join groups where your ideal audience will be hanging out. Try local groups or any group you can think of that your ideal audience would spend time. Focus on bringing value. Answer questions, ask questions, and get involved. The more you are involved the more people will recognize you and think of you as an authority. Then, respond to posts when people ask for your services! You can search all your groups at once for certain keywords and then bookmark those search queries. Then, you can check those bookmarked searches once a day for new posts to make sure you aren't missing any leads. Also, always follow up with a DM along with a personal connection AS WELL AS posting a comment.  4. Google Google is often the first place people go to find a product or a service. You want to make sure that your website shows up in those results. Make sure that you optimize your pages with keywords that your ideal audience would be searching. Blogging is a GREAT way to appear in search results. Write posts about ANYTHING you think your ideal audience might be searching for. If you want help for how to optimize your posts for search engines, check out my FREE training on Blogging for SEO. 5. Pinterest If you sell something, you need to be on pinterest. You can share your blog posts, your work and your products. Make sure you use Tailwind to save TONS of time and get more traffic. Check Jen Vazquez's resources! 6. Social Media 1) post regularly 2) make sure your name has your title first because it's searchable 3) connect with your audience in stories 4) host giveaways to get more people hearing about you 5) post reels because they are hot right now and 6) use hashtags based on location and category. Check out displaypurposes.com for help with finding popular related hashtags. It's so easy! Also, use Later.com to automate your posts to save time! 7. LinkedIn People just out of college, businesspeople, people in education, and people looking for jobs use LinkedIn. If you know that your ideal audience isn't on LinkedIn, then don't waste your time on it. But consider it especially if your ideal audience would be spending time there! 8. Paid Advertising Join some Facebook groups like Facebook Ad Hacks to get help or listen to the Online Marketing Made Easy Podcast. Consider paid listings. Ask in FB groups or ask your colleagues where they've had success.

Great for value-based business owner Communicate directly to interested audience Build a relationship weekly More space to share your values with them Not distracted by noise of social media Email Marketing Doesn’t have to be complicated Planning, breaking it down step by step Blog series on tools Funnel Lead magnet Email to download Let them know you’ll be showing up in their inbox Ask to hit reply Plugged into welcome sequence Pitch Put on regular email list First Emails - Welcome Sequence 5-part, 8-part sequences 3 Parts: Introduce Yourself, recognize the problem (get in their shoes), offer the solution Part 1 - Introduce Yourself! Who you are Include personal tidbits - they want to get to know you! Who you serve If you have a transformation statement, put it here! What they can expect Invite them to reply Include a link to your product/services if they are already ready to buy Writing Tips Keep it short & simple Keep paragraphs short; use bold text for the important parts Write in your brand voice Don’t overthink it Done is better than perfect You can always tweak it later I’m Christi! I am a multi-passionate entrepreneur, which, let’s be honest, means I honestly just don’t like to be bored! I’ve been many things in my journey - a wedding photographer, a swim coach, a piano teacher, a photo editor, and now I work with people just like you! I help creative entrepreneurs quit the comparison, and put their why into their work so they can flourish beyond what they thought possible. I do that by providing resources on getting started in business, marketing, goal setting, and productivity.  But the thing is that it’s all value-based! Because I believe you should only focus on work that truly matters to you and eliminate the rest! Because little by little progress adds up. This business can be so isolating, but I want you to know that you are not alone! Where do you feel totally overwhelmed or out of your league? What is it that you really want to accomplish but need a little guidance? If you were chatting with your best friend, what would you ask them? Hit that reply button and let me know. You can think of me as your very own business bestie! I promise it’s really me writing and answering these emails :) I can’t wait to hear from you! Cheering you on, Christi P.S. I have a sweet deal on my goal setting & productivity course right now - be sure to check it out!

Step 1: Take Inventory | What Happened? Here you'll look at every part of your business from a bird's eye view. Write down the state of everything. At this point, don't make any value judgments. Just write what happened! I like to look in the following areas: Finances Sales Marketing Systems/Processes/Workflows Goals Projects Education Community/Relationships Step 2: Analyze | Are there any trends? At this stage, look at everything you did in your business, the state of everything, and look for trends. Did you spend a lot of money on marketing in one area but not see a ton of return? Did you invest in certain relationships that were really helpful? If you aren't looking at the data you won't be able to make an accurate analysis. That's why it's important to look at every part of your business! Step 3: Vision Casting | What is Your Purpose? Before diving in to planning for the next year, you should spend some time casting a vision for your business. It's foundational to make sure that your business is based on your values and that everything not tied to your purpose is eliminated. Here are some of the questions I like to ask myself: What are your core values? (personal & business) Why are you in business? What is your purpose? How do you define success? What is your vision? What is your mission? Where do you want to be this time next year? How do you want to feel this time next year? Need more help? Download my vision casting worksheet bundle here: https://christijohnsoncreative.ck.page/56b3c9e8e6 Step 4: Brainstorm | What Do You Want to Accomplish? Here we'll take a look at all 8 categories again and brainstorm everything that you want to do. No idea is too small or too big. Put it all out there! Finances especially need some careful planning. I like to ask these questions: Where do you need to be? What is “enough”? What is your cost of doing business? How much profit do you need to make to get that “enough” number? How can you price yourself to achieve that? How much time do you have? How many clients can you take on? How many items do you need to sell? How much do you need to charge per item? Before you move on: Go through everything you wrote and eliminate anything that’s not tied to your vision/purpose From what’s left, highlight what’s most important or write it below Put the rest on a backburner list Is there anything you can automate or outsource? Step 5: Goal Setting & Planning | How Are You Going to Do it? First, I like to break down everything that I want to do into habits and goals. Habits are things I want to tend to regularly; things that don't really have a completion date. Goals are the big projects I want to work on. For each habit, ask yourself: How often do you want to do it? How are you going to do it? When do you want it to be an ingrained habit? For each goal, answer the following questions to ensure you’re setting SMART goals: Specific - what do you want to do? Measurable - how will you know you’ve accomplished it? Attainable - can you actually achieve it? Relevant - does it fit within your purpose? Will it move your business forward? Time-bound - when will you complete it? Next, break down each goal into milestones & action steps