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If you’re anything like me, your brain swirls with new ideas all the time. Currently there are 300+ notes on my phone right now. YIKES. But guess what, I actually don’t mind, because they’re organized strategically. Imagine having a place to store new ideas, grocery lists, business to dos, all the things swirling in your mind in one click, today I’m going to show you how I do this. I heard a quote a few years ago that said, “ New ideas are a hit or miss without a process for implementation. ” This hit me down to my core. I knew I had a lot of ideas, but they were getting lost in the shuffle. I knew I couldn’t get to the implementation part, without having a place to store them in an organized way. I’ve been using this process for over 4 years now and it’s honestly the only way I keep track of everything. Yes, I know there are project management tools and tons of apps you can pay for that will take this to the next level, but this process has worked wonders. I really believe its worked because it’s so simple. It also doesn’t cost a dime. (If you already have a smartphone!) How to Set Up Your Notes, Strategically Let’s dive into some simple functionality tips about how the notes app actually works. Chances are, you have a lot of notes already on your phone. If so, we're not going to start by cleaning these out, that's just going to be a distraction. We're going to do something much more strategic. Step 1: Create a Note Folder (new folder icon below for reference) Step 2: Create a New Note in Your New Folder Think of 1 aspect of your life you constantly need to make a list for. I'm going to use my grocery list as an example here. The first line of your note is for the title, that's why the text is so large. Choose an emoji to put in front of the title. This will help you recognize the note more quickly. Once you have your emoji and title, arrow down and add either this ***** or _______. Here's a preview: Step 3: Prioritize 3 Old Notes Now go back to your default folder of notes. (*If you don't have any notes on your phone skip to step 4) Find one that you know you'll need later. Hold your finger down on the note until this pops up: Click 'Move' and push that note over to your new folder! Now repeat what we did in step 2. Give the note you moved over, an emoji, new title, and those dots to keep it looking clean. (The purpose of the dots is just my way of keeping it looking clean. Notes automatically displays the first line of text, but this can be distracting when you go back later to find a specific note.) Once you have a lot of notes in your folder it will look something like this: Step 4: Get Seriously Organized Think of a few other aspects of your life you want to keep organized and add a couple notes to that new folder. If a certain aspect of your life will need multiple notes, create a new folder for that. A few folders that have been helpful for me are: Client Folder - I have a note for each client (current clients are pinned to the top of that folder) Counseling - this started as just a note... but I quickly realized it would be helpful to create a new note for each session. I have one note for Finances (goals and tracking progress) and another for Shopping. Instead of buying something when I want it, I put it in the note and wait a while. Sometimes, God provides before I can even buy something! Or I keep something on the list of a while and realize I don't need it or don't actually want it anymore. As you start adding new notes, you'll realize what parts of your life will need folders and what may just be helpful to have a note for. For example, I have a folder titled "My Business". This folder is helpful to have a note for leads, my shopping list for the business, tax notes, expansion ideas, goals etc. Just test it out. Sometimes I make a note for something and end up deleting it later. Just try it, see if it's helpful. If you're not a list person and you're better keeping things in your head, that's okay too. The purpose of this to try a new strategy and see if it helps! Remember, progress over perfection. Features to Take Your Lists to the Next Level Pinned Notes Once you have a lot of notes in a folder, there will be certain ones that will be helpful to have at the top. Pin these to the top of the folder by sliding the note to the right with your finger. When you do this, you'll see an orange box with a little push pin come up. When you tap the push pin, it will pin the note to the top of your folder. Locked Notes I've realize Apple doesn't allow you to lock a folder, but you can lock specific notes. I like to have a note just for gift ideas for people. I keep this locked, that way no one ruin the surprise ;)! I also have specific counseling notes locked too. When things happen during the week that set me off... I quietly go into my notes, write down a few sentences to jog my memory later and set it down "mentally" until I can ask my counselor about it. Once you create a note, you'll see a circle with three dots in it, tap that and you'll see an option that says "Lock". Tap that, set up your pin, and you're good to go! Satisfying Checklists I love the checklist feature in notes, because it allows you to actually check something off your list! When you click the icon I circled above, it will automatically give you a check box. Just start typing, then hit 'return' to add the next item to your checklist. If you click return a couple times it will take you back to the normal typing mode. Adding Pictures Sometimes I find pictures that would be helpful to keep in a specific note. I found this bullet journal idea on Pinterest for tracking savings goals. I took a screenshot of it and uploaded it to my finance note to work on later! As you can see, you can get extremely organized just using the notes app! I've been doing this for over 4 years and it's truly helped me stay sane. Whether I'm out with a friend and remember something I need at the store or I'm about to fall asleep and remember something I need to do in the morning, I always have a place to put it. Here's a little peek at my ever growing amount of folders: I've gone a bit overboard with this strategy, but it works! I've had so many people ask me how I stay so organized and this is a big part of it. Work life balance is so important to me, but as a business owner – work is always top of mind. It's helpful to have a space to drop ideas for later and allow my brain to just melt into a restful space. This won't solve everything, I still forget things all the time... but this helps 90% of my tasks not to slip through the cracks. If getting organized is on your list of things to do – this just might be the next right step!

Meet Lucy. Lucy is fourteen years old and in 8th grade. While Lucy lives in America now, she was adopted from The Raining Season in Sierra Leone, West Africa. When she arrived at the center she was two years old. In 2011, she was adopted by a family in Iowa. Lucy has cerebral palsy, however, that has never slowed her down. She loves to play basketball with her friends, FaceTime with her friend Kylie, and most recently, run her own business. Lucy's best friend Kylie is also her business partner. They met in first grade and have been friends ever since! How did Lucy start her own business? When Lucy turned fourteen, she saw her brother applying for jobs and wanted to get a job to earn money like him. Lucy has a heart of an entrepreneur, so with the help of her Mom and friend, Kylie, the idea of Lucy Love Boxes was born in June of this year. They sat on her front porch brainstorming and choosing all of the special items they could include in each box. Lucy loves hot cocoa, and after learning how to make it by herself using the family's Keurig, including cocoa in each box seemed like the perfect way to spread smiles. Beyond gourmet cocoa, each box includes a coffee mug, stackable marshmallows, a stirring spoon, a sweet and easy snack-size treat, and two Jesus-loving inspirational wisdom stickers. Lucy also includes a card that describes Lucy Love Boxes and the reason every box is sent anonymously. Lucy's Mom saw this as the perfect business opportunity for Lucy. Lucy has brought so many smiles to so many people over the years. Now, Lucy Love Boxes will bring joy and help Lucy, too. It not only helps with her organization, but she is also working on her fine motor skills as she hand packs each box. She has learned how to weigh each box and understands that the heavier the box, the more it costs to ship. Lucy has learned how to deposit money at the bank through the business, and she can take the boxes to the post office to ship them. She even works hard on the presentation of each box, making sure that it looks so good! Finally, as she prepares each box, she gets to shop at her favorite store, Walmart! Quite possibly the most special part? Lucy prays over every single box before it is shipped and seals it with an air kiss. Lucy's mom Jen shared, "It touches my heart to see her praying over every box. I can't always understand, but God knows what she is praying for each person." To date, Lucy has already shipped more than fifty boxes, including boxes to Maryland and Arizona. They recently ordered a pinboard to keep track of how many states they have shipped to. While her business is off to a great start, Lucy is already looking ahead to the future of her business and brainstorming new ideas. She just sold out of her Fall box, and she is working on developing a Christmas box! Learn more about Lucy's story by clicking here. Blog Post Written by Megan Laune, Blog Writer for The Raining Season.

Yeah, me too. What’s your version of success? I’ve learned in the last few months, that success looks different for different people. Sometimes, I scroll through Instagram and wonder, “Why isn’t that happening to me yet?” or “Wow, they’re doing such a better job than I am. How can I be more like THAT?” or “She’s so thin… why can’t I look more like that?” There I said it. Yes, I’m self conscious, but guess what, we all are! I wish it was something we could all talk about more openly, but I understand not everyone will put it all out there, so allow me ;) When I start hearing these thoughts run through my head, I STOP ✋ and close whatever social media app I’m on. You know one thing that all of these apps have in common? They’re a highlight reel of someone else’s life. SOMEONE ELSE’S life. Not mine, theirs. I’m comparing my life to another person’s filtered version of themselves. This is NOT healthy. I’ve realized I can’t rush the process because I feel like I’m falling behind everyone else. God’s timing is perfect and if I’m comparing myself to someone else’s journey, I’m not trusting God’s plan for my life. They say, if you want to make God laugh, make plans. I laughed when I first read that because all I do is make plans. I reached out to my Uncle for advice a few weeks ago. I asked him, “In your opinion, what does it look like to seek God first?” I explained my obsession with planning and how confused I felt about knowing what God’s wants me to do first. This was his response, “In Proverbs it says to submit all your plans to the Lord and He will cause them to succeed. I believe that if we surrender all to Him daily that He will give us the desires of our hearts. What this means to me is He will place His desires in our hearts causing us to want what He wants for us at any given time. Then when we submit our plans to Him we will be giving Him what His will is for us and the opportunity to watch Him bring those things into being.” After reading this I thought, “How will I know my desires are from God?” Then I realized if I don’t feel like I know what I’m suppose to be doing, I’m not spending enough time with Him. My best friend Brittany and I met in a Starbucks coffee shop. I asked her to watch my stuff while I went to use the restroom. When I got back we got to talking and decided to sit together. She was working on college homework and I was working on my computer. She was in from out of town visiting her parents. We became friends on Facebook and whenever she was in town, she would reach out and we would hang out for a few hours. We’ve been friends now for almost 4 years! I know the things she likes, the things she hates, her favorite restaurants, her pet peeves, her favorite shows... the list could go on and on. This didn’t happen overnight though. This friendship simply started by getting coffee and chit chatting or going for walks together. Whenever I feel unsure of what God wants me to be doing, I end up realizing I haven’t been spending enough time with Him. If I’m not spending time with Him, how am I ever suppose to know what He wants me to be doing? God doesn’t determine our success by the number of Instagram followers we have. He also doesn’t look at our friends and see things happening for them and decide those things should also happen for us too. The blessings and plans God has for our life have been the same since the day we were born. I tend to rant to Brittany about A LOT of things. No matter what, she patiently listens. When I start to spin out of control she reminds me, “We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.” I love this because she doesn’t make me feel bad for overthinking. She simply reminds me that God’s timing is everything. No amount of worry or overthinking will make things happen any faster. If you feel like you're getting stuck in the comparison trap call a friend, put the phone down, take a walk, or open your bible. I promise it will encourage you in ways nothing else can!

My brother Jeffrey came over around 8 o’clock to say goodbye. He was heading back to Colorado in the morning. When he came in, we sat on the couch and talked for over an hour. I told him I’d been working non stop since morning. A client had asked me if I could finish a website sooner than the deadline we originally set. Without thinking I said ‘yes’. That simple ‘yes’ meant I’d be working long hours throughout the day and into the evenings. I asked him, “When someone asks you to finish a job sooner than you originally told them, what do you say?” Without skipping a beat he said, “I tell them I can’t do it, I’m a one man show. Sometimes people would offer me a lot of extra money to finish the job sooner. When this happened, I started saying ‘yes’ a lot more. I couldn’t say ‘no’ to the money. Friendships and relationships were slowly falling apart because all my time was spent working. I realized if I wanted to have a life outside of my work, I had to find a way to say ‘no’. Once I realized this, it didn’t matter how much money they offered me.” I said, “Wow, I need to start saying ‘no’ more often.” He said, “It’s so hard though, especially when you have something you want and that extra money could make it possible.” I told him, “I’ve been wanting to buy a house for the last year or so. Having a larger down payment will help lower the monthly payment, so I’ve been working very hard to save as much as possible. I don’t want to keep saying ‘yes’ to everything. If I do, I’ll have to maintain the same level of workaholism once I get a house, just to keep it. That’s a recipe for a very miserable life.” We both realized that we want to live a simple and fulfilling life more than we want material things or large paychecks. Recently, he purchased a truck he’s been dreaming of owning for years. When he came to town a few weeks ago, I got to ride in it with him. I’m so proud of him for having a dream and finding a way to make it happen. When we went for a ride in the truck he didn’t seem super excited like I thought he’d be. I said, “Are you over it?” He said, “Yeah pretty much. I worked so hard to get it and now that I have it, the excitement is wearing off.” I hardly knew what to say, because at that moment I completely understood where he was coming from. We are so similar. We see something we want, we figure out a plan, we work the plan, and we make it happen, that’s just who we are. Somehow though, just before we accomplish what we’ve been working so hard for, we pick something else to chase after. Once we get what we’ve been working so hard for, all we can think about is the next goal. I still can’t believe after so many years working so hard, we’ve never actually sat down and talked about this topic together. He’s owned his own business for a little over three years now. Looking back on the times he spent working at his shop he said, “Man, I was so happy back then, but as soon as there was a new opportunity in Colorado, I couldn’t wait to get the heck out of there. I was booked out for 3 months at a time, but I felt so stuck.” I relate to that so much. I generally don’t book myself out for 3 months for this very reason. It’s not that we don’t love our work, we love the challenge the work brings. Starting a business is a challenge, getting clients is a challenge, and that challenge is so fun to overcome. Once the business takes off and clients are coming in all the time, the challenge starts to fade away and so does some of the satisfaction. There’s nothing wrong with having big dreams. Honestly, I don’t know how to relate to people who don’t have big dreams. I’m slowly learning that no amount of money or material items will bring a deep sense of meaning or fulfillment. There’s a quote by Victor Frankl that says, “When a person can’t find a deep sense of meaning they distract themselves with pleasure.” Finding meaning through our accomplishments is like running on a treadmill thinking we’re going somewhere. When in actuality, we never stop running. Don’t get me wrong, I have big dreams and goals I’d love to accomplish in 2022. After our talk though, I realized I needed to shift my focus a bit. I’d love to buy the car and the house of my dreams, but setting boundaries and creating a lifestyle that brings peace and contentment is so much more important to me now. My mom has always told us, “You are never stuck. There’s always a way out.” No matter where I’m at in life, this simple lesson has reminded me that things won’t always be this way and I have the power to change them. Setting boundaries isn’t easy once they’ve already been broken, but it’s not impossible. Don’t get me wrong, I’m deeply grateful for my business. I’m grateful for all the clients I get to work with, because without them I wouldn’t have learned the lessons I have. I spent years dreaming about being where I’m at now, but now that I’m here, I have new dreams. Going about achieving those new dreams is where things will be different. It’s not going to be easy, but it will be worth it. “Ten years from now, make sure you can say that you chose your life, you didn’t settle for it.”

On June 1st, Create & Collab. will turn 3 years old. When I first started this business, all I knew was that I wanted to help people. In the beginning, I didn't truly understand how much value I was bringing to the table, but I knew why I was doing it. The why hasn't changed, but the mission has grown much deeper roots. My business coach helped me develop my slogan, "Bringing your vision to life." This helped me realize, that I'm not just creating for the sake of creating. I've been taking other people's visions and bringing those visions to life with each and every client I work with. Not to mention, when I create a logo or a website for a new business, I'm helping give their business the wings it needs to take flight. One of my new favorite books called, Contagious has taught me an incredible amount about marketing and triggers. "Music researchers Adrian North, David Hargreaves, and Jennifer McKendrick examined how triggers might affect supermarket buying behavior more broadly. You know the music you're used to hearing while you shop for groceries? Well, North Hargreaves, and McKendrick subtly replaced it with music from different countries. Some days they played French music while other days they played German music - what you'd expect to hear outside a French cafe on the banks of the Seine and what you might expect to hear at Oktoberfest. Then they measured the type of wine people purchased. When French music was playing, most customers bought French wine. When German music was playing most customers bought German wine. By triggering consumers to think of different countries, the music affected sales. The music made ideas related to those countries more accessible, and those accessible ideas spilled over to affect behavior." They go on to say, "Products and ideas also have habitats, or sets of triggers that cause people to think about them. Take hot dogs. Barbecues, summertime, baseball games, and even wiener dogs. (dachshunds) are just a few of the triggers that make up the habitat for hot dogs. Most products or ideas have a number of natural tiggers. Mars bars and Mars the planet are already naturally connected. The mars company didn't need to do anything to create the link. Likewise, French music is a natural tigger for French wine, and the last day of the workweek is a natural trigger for Rebecca Black's song "Friday." Linking a product or idea with a stimulus that is already associated with many things isn't as effective as forging a fresher more original link. Triggers and cues lead people to talk, choose, and use. Social currency gets people talking, but triggers keep them talking. Top of mind means tip of tongue." After reading this in Contagious, I realized that I now have a trigger I could associate with the brand. I've always loved inspirational content that encourages and uplifts people. I've wanted to create content like this for the business, but I felt like I needed to do more digging first. I'm glad I did. I found scriptures that are now the inspiration behind the new branding shift. "But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles." Isaiah 40:31 and "He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills. He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call." Psalm 147:8 I knew when I started this business I was taking a leap of faith. I felt called to do this, but some months I didn't know where the work would come from. In times like this I would always remember this scripture: "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" Matthew 6:26 If God took care of the birds, why wouldn't he take care of me? This isn't to say I could sit idle and expect God to do all the work. There's another quote I love that goes like this, "Work as if everything depends on you, pray as if everything depends on God." There are times I'll be putting in the work, but I'm not sure if it's going to pay off. For me, owning a business has been a huge test of faith, self discipline, and consistency, but it's been worth every single lesson. A few other quotes that have inspired the new branding addition: "Ideas become a reality when you give them wings to soar." "Dare to turn your dreams into wings." "The bird who dares to fall, is the bird who learns to fly." "When everything seems to be going against you, remember that aircrafts take off against the wind, not with it." "Let your dreams be your wings." "Dare to fly." "We fly at dawn." "There is freedom waiting for you, on the breeze of the sky. And you ask, "What if I fail?" Oh but my darling, what if you fly?"

I get asked frequently for advice about DIY product photography. Having high quality images of your product or service will attract your ideal buyer or client. It’s very important to be intentional when taking your photos. If you have the budget for a professional photographer, I highly recommend going that route. If not, and you'd like to do it yourself, this blog post is for you! I’m going to break down some easy tips and tricks, to make your product photography simple, quick, and easy! What you will need: - A Camera or Phone (no more than 5 years old) - White Poster Board - Maybe a Small prop - Turn on the grid in your camera settings (see picture below) - If Desired: Lightroom presets Step 1: Set your poster board on a flat surface. The floor works great for flat lays! (Flat Lay: Simply an image shot directly from above - a bird's eye view of any array of carefully arranged objects - and it's never been more popular, particularly in food and fashion photography.) Step 2: Carefully arrange your product(s) on the poster board. For paintings, include a paint brush or paint set. For books include a blanket or bookmark. For skincare include a wash cloth or towel. You get the point. Step 3: With your grid turned on, position your phone to take a flat lay of the objects. Make sure that none of the area outside the poster board is showing, as this would defeat the purpose of the background. ;) Utilize the grid to make sure your objects are centered or use the rule of thirds. (Rule of Thirds: Placing key elements in the top right or left, or bottom right or left, where the lines intersect). Below is an example of a plant placed in the upper right hand corner. I used the grid to make sure it was placed correctly. The grid is your friend! Step 4: I like to use lightroom presets to edit my pictures. The picture below is exact same photo as above, just with a preset added to it. Other Angle Examples: Photo Sources: Unsplash There you have it! There are many angles to take pictures, so feel free to try lots of different things. Don't get discouraged if your photos don't look perfect. Photographers take thousands of photos at photoshoots and generally only choose 20-30 to use when they're finished! Another place to find great inspiration is Unsplash, Pexels, and even searching "Flat Lay Photography" or "iPhone Photography" over on Instagram will bring lots of inspiration! As always, please reach out if you have any questions! Sources: Flat Lay Definition

Keeping up with all the to do's in life can be a huge challenge. When I have a lot on my plate I tend to get really overwhelmed. Thankfully, though I've finally learned a strategy that helps me keep up with everything. It's called the Kanban Method. The Kanban method was developed by Taiichi Ohno an Industrial Engineer and Businessman for Toyota Automotive, in Japan. It was created to be a simple planning system to manage work and inventory at every stage of production. Using this system at a smaller scale has helped me immensely! Here's how it works: I focus on 4 columns total, but the first one is called the 'master to do list'. This is where I get all the to do's out of my head and onto paper, my phone, or sometimes a whiteboard. The second column is called, 'in process'. The kicker for this section is that, it can only have 3 tasks in it at a time. I'll look at the 'master to do list' and choose 3 things to put on my 'in process list'. The third column is called, 'waiting'. This section is especially helpful if I'm working on a task and get to a stopping point because I need more information from someone else to complete the task. As soon as I get to that point, I'll move that item from 'in process' over to the 'waiting' column. Now I have 2 items in the 'in process' column, this means I can choose another task from the 'master to do list' so that I'm currently still only working on 3 things at a time. Let's say I get the information I needed for that last task, should I work on it right away? Nope. This is what makes the strategy so great. Once I finish one task on the 'in process' list and have 2 left, I can now add the item I put in 'waiting' back over to the 'in process' list. This ensures I'm not switching from task to task all day, without actually getting anything done. The last column is called 'finished'. This is where I move tasks once they're completely finished. It's so satisfying at the end of the day seeing all the tasks that actually got done! I usually use this system with a blank sheet of paper and a clipboard. If you prefer tracking tasks on your phone or computer with a project management tracker, Tailwind has a Kanban Template! As an artist at heart, I'm a pen and paper gal, here's how I use this process daily. This strategy is helpful no matter where you are. If I'm traveling, I open up a new note on my phone and put all 4 sections in one note. That way if I don't have a whiteboard, WiFi connection, or pen and paper handy I can still prioritize everything without getting overwhelmed. I can't wait to hear how this new list strategy helps you in your life and your business! P.S. My business coach, Sue Mohr taught me this strategy. She's been such an integral part in my business. If you're looking for one on one coaching for business, life, or even the enneagram, she is your girl!

Beth came to me wanting a website she could share her writing, her artwork, and a place to create a community for people who want to come to the table and co-create with God. We sat down together in her studio and brainstormed together about her logo, (that she created by the way!) and talked through her future website, the flow, and what all was important to include and how I would arrange all of it! She shared that she really wanted to bring people together and help guide them in their co-creating process with God. As a visual artist at heart, it's been an honor learning from her and working on this project for her! She had her first get together a couple weeks ago and it was an honor to get to be there and capture some photos for her! "Have you ever woken up and thought, wow, How did I get here? “Here” is relative of course… it could be physically, mentally, or both - or as in my case a long journey intertwined with it all! I was destined to become an artist and at just 4 years old I was drawing a neighborhood mural scene above my bed during one supposed nap time. My parents supported me, but as an artist, I was a sensitive soul - a people pleaser and fixer. I wanted everyone to be happy and OK.. and usually what that really meant (now that I can look back) was that I wasn’t. As I was pulled into the world’s answers for “fixing and coping”, I took control and barged through each new door feeling like I needed to prove myself - over and over again - can we say classic overachiever? My entire self worth was connected to my performance… as an artist, wife, mom and even a Child of God. Wow, just writing this down it seems like I should have known better - but that’s just it - How do you evaluate where you are, when you’re in the middle of years of your own hot mess? Clarity and objective thinking - sure, sounds good! Well, Thank heavens for God, and how He is so gracious to prompt us without bulldozing us over. It takes time…but His timing is ALWAYS perfect. The best part of our relationship is I am His Child and He has all the answers, That’s it!!! My job is just to come to the table. So here I am Lord, at the table, ready to step out in Faith for this new season of life co-creating with you!" -Beth Affolter Here's a sneak peek of her brand new website we launched recently! Click here to visit her new website and get on her list to be notified about upcoming classes in 2022! Use the buttons below to share this blog post on your favorite social media platform!

They say you're not paid by the hour, you're paid by the value you bring to the hour. This means that learning is always beneficial. Whether you're learning for your business or growing your skills so you're more valuable in the marketplace, these resources will help! Skillshare Skillshare is my personal favorite! It's an American online learning community for people who want to learn from educational videos. The courses are available through a subscription. Click here to get your first month for free. The majority of courses focus on interaction rather than lecturing, with the primary goal of learning by completing a project. I've learned so much through this platform and highly recommend it to my clients and friends. From business courses to creative course from photography all the way to painting. You'll absolutely love this platform if you want to learn how to be more creative! Lynda Lynda is actually owned by Linkedin. Their platform is an American massive open online course provider. It provides video courses taught by industry experts in software, creative, and business skills. It is a subsidiary of LinkedIn. All courses on LinkedIn fall into 3 categories: business, creative, and technology. They have paid subscription options, but there is a way to get it for free. If you have a library card and your library is partnered with them, your library will supply you with a username and password to use it for free! *This is only with libraries partnered with Lynda. You'll need to call your library to see if this is something they currently offer. Alison Alison is an e-learning platform that focuses on helping users develop skills that can be applied in the workplace. Founded by Mike Feerick in 2007, this Irish-based platform offers courses in English, French, Spanish, Russian, Portuguese, Chinese, Urdu, Hindi, and Arabic.

We've all gotten emails that look like spam. Sometimes it's hard to figure out if they're from a reliable source. Have you ever wondered if the emails you're sending are causing people to think the same thing? With all the scams that are going around these days, it's so important for our potential clients and customers to trust us and our brand. So how can we build trust and increase brand awareness just through the emails we send? For the last year, I've been using a program that helps me do just that! In this blog post, I'll be sharing 5 key benefits to having a professional email signature and how to set it up. Here's what I'll cover: How to build trust and increase brand awareness with your email signature How to boost your following and website views with your email signature How to grow your email list with your email signature How to set up a professional email signature that works on your phone and computer If you've seen an email signature that looks fancy and you've wondered how in the world someone even sets all that up, you're about to learn all that and more! Building Trust & Increasing Brand Awareness Anytime I'm emailing someone I don't know, I always wish I could at least see what they look like. It feels weird to be chatting with someone and not be able to see them face to face. This is why I include a photo of myself, as well as my logo in my email signature. As a small, fairly new business, your logo may not be a household name... yet ;). While you're growing, it's helpful to include a photo in your email signature, that way the person you're emailing has a better chance of trusting you. Adding your logo connects your face with the brand, increasing trust, as well as brand awareness. Boosting Your Following and Website Views So you've got your name, photo, and logo in your email signature, how can we take this a step further? Did you know, according to Verisign Blog, 84% of U.S. consumers believe a business with a website is more credible than one that only has a social media page? Increase your website views and establish credibility by linking your website to your email signature. We all love to see what others are up to on social media, as well as browse what businesses post if we're thinking about buying from them or utilizing their service. Make it easier for them to find you on social media by linking the accounts you actively post on, in your email signature. There's no need to link every single social media account you have, just link the ones you post on consistently. Bonus Tip: Should I set up profiles on every social media platform for my business? YES, but you don't need to be active on every single one. People should be able to find you no matter what platform they're on. For example, I don’t consistently post on TikTok, but I created an account for my business. This allows people on TikTok to find me there, and get access to the other platforms I am posting actively on. Start by posting consistently on one platform, then add another or hire a social media manager to create content and post for you on the platforms you don’t necessarily enjoy posting on. Growing Your Email List Offering free information in exchange for an email address is an incredible way to grow your email list. This is called a 'lead magnet'. Linking your lead magnet, in your email signature is a great way to provide immense value, as well as snag a few new email subscribers. If you need some more ideas, of what type of information you'll provide them, click here for a full overview on creating your own lead magnet. How to Set Up Your Professional Email Signature First you'll want to create an account on Wise Stamp. Next, choose your new email signature's template style. They have so many to choose from! Here's a photo of the one I'm using currently: Once you choose your template, fill out your information, then simply add it to all your devices! Remember: While you're setting this up make sure to use the Google Chrome browser. If you're ready to start building trust, increasing brand awareness, gaining more website views, and growing your email list, this is the next best step. After I implemented this new email signature, my website views started going up, my following started increasing, and my email list started to grow. Of course there's so many more things you can being doing for your business, but this is one small piece of the puzzle that can make a big impact. Click here to get started.

Let’s talk about planning posts for social media. My goal in this blog post is to simplify the process for you so it’s not so intimidating. Wherever you are at in life, you have learned lessons up to this moment in time that other people haven’t learned yet. You’ve gone through things that no one else has. What sets you apart IS YOU. People DO care about what you have to say and more people are listening than you think. Before creating anything for social media, I want you to truly believe deep down that your voice matters. Your brand’s voice matters and people ARE watching. Simon Sinek has a great quote, “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.” Ask yourself, why are you on Facebook? Why are you on Instagram? What’s the goal you’re trying to achieve here? When you know why you're doing something, putting in the work doesn't seem as bad because you're doing it for a bigger reason! Let's get started! Photo Source: Unsplash Step 1: Choose 5 Categories With that in mind, let’s talk about your brand’s voice. What you talk about on social media is important, but what you CONSISTENTLY talk about is more important. The first step to planning out your posts is figuring out the main 5 things you’re going to talk about and try to stick to those five things. Open the notes app on your phone and type up 5 different topics you want to talk about. Here’s a template if you need some ideas: -Promotional/Sales/Sevices -How To’s/Blog Posts -Quotes that line up with your mission/Reviews -Behind the Scenes/Lifestyle -Friday Introduction/Flashback Friday Step 2: Attach a category to each day this week In the same notes section you typed up the categories, below that type up each day of the week and the category you’re going to talk about that day. I've added some post ideas for each category as well! Mon., - Tip -Answer a frequently asked question you get -Is there a common objection you receive - address it creatively -Is there an app or something you use every day that you could highlight? -Promoting Clothing? Give styling ideas - 5 ways to wear black skinny jeans -Breeder? Share the “why” behind how you got started and why you’re passionate -Realtor? Share 5 steps to prepping your house to put it on the market -Designer? Share recent projects you’ve finished that you’re proud of for inspiration -Blogger? Find out what your audience values and talk about that Tues., - Behind the Scenes -Share a picture of your work space -Share a picture of your store front -Hop on Instagram Stories and do a tour of your shop -Shout out an employee of the month -Share a family story -Share a picture of your pet and ask who else has pets Wed., - Review -Share a pretty pic and put the review in the description -Create a graphic with a review on it and talk about how thankful you are for your customers/clients in the description -Ask a happy client to create a video talking about how much they enjoy working with you - post it! Thurs., - Quote -Find some quotes that align with your mission and create a graphic with your logo on it and the quote -Share a beautiful photo and put the quote in the caption Fri., - Friday Introduction / Flashback Friday -Shout out a business owner your audience could benefit from Ex. if you’re in real estate is there a handy man you would recommend -Flashback Friday - showcase a before and after or a picture of a past project you’re proud of Photo Source: Unsplash Step 3: Choose Pictures Now that you know what category you’re going to focus on for each day, choose a photo to go along with it. A great resource for finding uncopywritten beautiful photos is @unsplash. Another resource for creating quotes or graphics for a review or tip is @wordswag and @canva . If you want to get fancy and plan out how your photos a presented on your grid, use UNUM or Preview to upload your pictures to a practice grid. You may decide to rearrange posts after uploading, but this is a great way to get your Instagram feed looking BEAUTIFUL! Photo Source: Unsplash Step 4: Write the Captions So you’ve got the categories, the pictures, now it’s time to write! In the same notes section you listed your categories, now type in your descriptions. This way when you’re ready to post you can go over to your notes, copy and paste the description, upload the picture and then hit post! I use to set a 9am timer every day to remember to post! It’s so satisfying having everything planned out and posting when the alarm goes off! I can’t wait to hear how this goes for you! I do offer social media strategy calls as well as social media management so if you need help, please don't hesitate to reach out! If you're interested in working together request a quote here! BONUS TIP: Why does Instagram put everything I type up into a solid paragraph form? When typing up your caption, Instagram doesn't pick up on line breaks or spacing between sentences and paragraphs. Here's a hack to fixing that! Just copy and paste your caption into this website then click "convert and copy to clipboard" and when you head back to Instagram and paste your caption in, the line breaks will actually show up! I see other people using different fonts in their caption, how can I do this? This is a fun way to make certain sections of your text stand out! Here's the website I've used for this technique. It's simple, type in what you're wanting to say and it will give you a list of fonts you can copy and paste into your caption. *Note: If you want to use the line break website and the font website type up your caption in your notes on your phone, swap out the sections you want in a different font, and then use the line breaker website right before you post!

Whether you're just starting your Instagram or you've had it set up for a while, a quick audit of your bio is a great way to ensure your Instagram converts. Your bio should make it easy for new potential followers to understand what you have to offer, what you'll be sharing more of, and what your business or blog is all about. Don't forget to take a screenshot before and after you audit your Instagram, so you can see the transformation that these simple steps create. Photo Source: Unsplash Step 1: Setting your bio up for success: Profile Picture Your profile picture should be your logo or a picture of you. This will help to "brand" your company into the mind's of your audience. When you comment or interact on someones account, that little picture and what you say in a comment matters. When they see it, they should be thinking "aww, I want more of her in my life!" Step 2: Description under your Profile picture: This should always be written in one font. So it's easy to read. It also should be easy to understand what your mission is and what it is you have to offer. *Slogan *Services/what you do *Something about you as the owner *Include a call to action as the bottom line because your website will be listed just underneath that 4th line. Keep in mind anything that is past 4 lines of text will require them to click "more" to see the rest. Most people won't click "more", so make sure everything you want them to read is listed in those first 4 lines of text. Step 3: Highlights Your highlights are the "circle buttons" under your bio. These should showcase what you want them to see first! This is your time to shine, so showoff your story, services or products you offer, resources and behind the scenes. I like to add a lifestyle highlight to help my followers get to know me on a more personal level. The more connections you can make with your audience the more they'll remember you. Step 4: Highlight covers or "icons" Adding a cover to each of your highlights makes a big difference in the overall look of your bio. You can create icons in Canva or simply use a solid color. To edit the cover of your highlight, simply tap on the one you'd like to change, tap "more" in the bottom right, tap edit highlight, then tap edit cover and select the photo icon on the left and choose a photo from your camera roll.