Resilient Business Podcast

Our first week is all about finding your footing in a tricky environment! This week’s episodes talk about respecting your cash flow, protecting your confidence, and staying mindful without getting stuck.Carl Honoré is the parent of the “Slow” movements. His online course, The School of Good Slow, provides a wealth of valuable material for getting grounded and moving forward.If you need a little inspiration this week, here’s a video of residents of Siena singing together from their apartments in lockdown.Notes and DisclosuresThis page contains no affiliate links or promotions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cash flow is always critical to businesses of every size -- but there are particular challenges when the world is in lockdown and the global economy is struggling under the broadest pandemic in a generation.In this episode, Torill Wilhelmsen and Sonia Simone talk about concrete steps you can take to protect your business's cash flow. We also talk about certain predatory types to avoid, and keeping perspective around any mistakes you may have made. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we're going to talk about Mindful Speed.Because two things happen when things get weird. We either race in a crazy direction, or we freeze in place. Those are both very natural, but neither is helpful. Today we'll share a few thoughts on how you can keep from getting stuck for too long -- without going into panic mode. We’ll touch upon both speed during the course of the workday and the speed at which you run your business.We highly recommend Carl Honoré's books In Praise of Slow and The Slow Fix as supplements to this episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we’re going to talk about protecting your confidence. Business coach Dan Sullivan has often said that protecting our confidence is our first job as business owners — and we’ve found that when we're not sure which direction to go in, making a decision on that basis can give some useful clarity.Today we’ll talk about some techniques for doing that, and of course some specific recommendations for things you can actually do, and words of encouragement as well.Strategies covered include:Regulating your inputsAvoiding fixed mindsetsAvoiding toxic positivity...and revisiting your businesses value proposition Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We wrap up our first week of the Resilient Business podcast with a five-item list of things you can do right now to start getting out of overwhelm.Sonia Simone touches on cash flow, mindset, and managing that inevitable information overload. You can also get more resources and a free worksheet for this episode by going to resilientbusiness.fm. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the pandemic continues to affect businesses around the world, we need to keep getting the word out about what we do. But it's easy to alienate our audiences ... or just get tuned out in all the noise.In this episode, Torill Wilhelmsen from Slow Business Adventure and Sonia Simone from Remarkable Communication talk about:Avoiding making yourself the victim in your messaging (even when you're having a tough time)How to connect with clients and customers when they're wildly distractedThe messages to avoid right now ... and the ones to embraceWhy this is a great time to focus on content marketing ... and how to do it so you get resultsToday's sponsor is HeatherThorkelson.com. Thanks, Heather!Extra resourcesSonia's Copyblogger post on using content marketing to advance customer conversionYou can sign up for additional materials and access to our private Facebook group by going to ResilientBusiness.FM. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Every business gets into stuck spots ... and in times like these, being completely confused is The New Normal.In this episode, hosts Sonia Simone from Remarkable Communication and Heather Thorkelson from HeatherThorkelson.com share an exercise each has done many times with clients and for their own businesses. In just a few minutes, you'll have much more clarity about what you can use to move forward, as well as what you'll need to work around.Heather and Sonia talk about:Uncovering new ways you may be able to help your clients or customersWhy time is a two-edged sword right now, and how to use it more effectivelyCollecting resources you might not have thought ofWhy everyone has an audience (even if you don't know it yet)Heather's tip for getting through just about any stuck pointToday's episode is sponsored by Slow Business Adventure. Get more business advice and recommendations -- all free -- in the first issue of their digital magazine, the Slow Business Fix.ResourcesYou can sign up for additional materials, as well as access to our private Facebook community, at ResilientBusiness.FMSonia's series on strategies that create stronger relationships with your audience Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There's no such thing as a business that has a purely easy trajectory, but some journeys are tougher than others.In this episode, hosts Torill Wilhelmsen from Slow Business Adventure and Heather Thorkelson from HeatherThorkelson.com share some personal stories about how overcoming adversity earlier in their entrepreneurial journey has helped them...even fortified them to face the current challenges we are all experiencing.We also share an important prompt with you to help you access your own confidence around dealing with adversity, because we're firm believers that you're more capable than you realize.Today's episode is sponsored by Sonia Simone's Remarkable Communication - a creative writing educational hub for marketers who hate marketing.ResourcesYou can sign up for additional materials, as well as access to our private Facebook community, at ResilientBusiness.FM Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Business is a risky proposition no matter what you're doing right now, but in this episode, Sonia Simone from Remarkable Communication and Torill Wilhelmsen from Slow Business Adventure talk about how to build more robustness, simplicity, and efficiency into your days ... to manage your risk and keep moving.Torill and Sonia talk about:Leaning rather than pivoting (and making sure your business has enough legs to lean on)Simplifying business decisionsFinding your daily "focus flower"How to structure focused work timeSonia's focus mantra when things feel overwhelmingAnd remember Torill's power question:"What will lead to problems if I don't get this one thing done?"This episode sponsored by our co-host, HeatherThorkelson.com. Thanks Heather!ResourcesYou can get extra resources and business advice, as well as access to our private Facebook community, by signing up at ResilientBusiness.FM. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There are a lot of things marketing can do, but there's just one thing it must do:Your marketing has to present an offer that your audience wants (and is able) to buyIt sounds simple, but poorly crafted offers are one of the most common reasons for a lack of sales. Many businesses are finding that offers that worked wonderfully before COVID are dying right now. Other businesses are seeing surprising surges in demand for offers that are suddenly ultra relevant.In this 21-minute solo episode, Copyblogger Media's co-founder Sonia Simone talks about:Figuring out what people want to spend money on nowWhat "sell the sizzle, not the steak" really means (it's never about providing less value)Timing your offer so it's relevant and desirableAvoiding the Broccoli Ice Cream problemBalancing short-term pandemic messaging with your long-term missionThis episode is part one of a two-part session. Join us next time when Sonia talks with Heather Thorkelson about specific examples of businesses making adjustments to get the right offers to the right buyers.This episode sponsored by the Slow Business Adventure. You can check out their free digital magazine here: Slow Business FixResourcesSonia's Copyblogger post on the elements of an appealing offerSonia's Copyblogger post on emotional benefits in your marketingSonia also recommends The Sleep School as a particularly good mindfulness course. It's intended for insomnia, but it's also excellent for managing many different kinds of stress, or simply becoming more balanced and mindful.Note: This episode contains no affiliate promotions Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our last episode, Sonia talked about the one thing your marketing absolutely must do: present an offer that your audience wants to buy.You need to relentlessly ask yourself this question: "Why do my people want this right now?" Today, Sonia Simone and Heather Thorkelson give examples of companies that have figured out how to course-correct on short notice. And they talk about companies striving to stay relevant in the face of rapidly changing demand.In this 21-minute episode, Heather and Sonia talk about:A service providing high-quality organic produce to restaurantsSuccessful authors finding ways to replace speaking engagementsHow Heather's ultra niche travel company is facing global lockdownA social media influencer struggling with identity and perfectionismThis episode of Resilient Business FM is brought to you by the Slow Business Adventure. You can grab their free digital magazine at SlowBizFix.com.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this bonus episode, you can listen in to a live "Ask us anything"-session we had where we answered our listeners questions about how to navigate business matters and development projects in this time.If you listen to this lively conversation, you´ll hopefully come away with new inspiration and ideas for how you can adapt and build a more resilient business - while keeping sane (and connected to wi-fi).Have a question yourself? Head over to the facebook-group "Resilient Business Podcast Community" and ask it there, and we´ll help you get things sorted so you can move forward one confident step at a time. Stay safe and continue to do great things,your hosts Sonia, Heather and Torill Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, Heather Thorkelson and Torill Wilhelmsen discuss why it may be necessary to make a shift away from the identity of a SOLOpreneur, to fully experience the support you can get from the entrepreneurial community. Having a business bestie, a trusted group of peers or an online community where you feel safe and supported, is absolutely key to survive difficult times and thrive in good times.Everything will become easier when you realize that it´s a wonderful virtual support network out there to help you through almost any business challenge. In this 17-min episode, Heather and Torill talk about:How we are defining ourselves shapes the support we can receiveThe value of cross-pollination of ideas in digital communitiesStep by step how to go about setting up a virtual coffee call with someone you want to connect withThe importance of physical gatherings (when we can)... and more!This episode of Resilient Business FM is brought to you by Remarkable Communication and their creative writing workshops. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During the pandemic, so many entrepreneurs and other home workers have struggled to take care of themselves while working from a home office. Working in front of a computer can leave us feeling drained and sluggish, and with good reason. From medical research we know that sitting is counterproductive.On the flip side, getting outside to take a walk is proven to bolster creative thinking. Entrepreneurs need to know how to utilize that, and in this episode we show how you can incorporate walking into your workdays in ways that benefits your business.Create a healthier work environment for yourself just by going for short walks between 2-20 minutes throughout the workday.In this episode, you´ll learn:What types of meetings make great walking meetings (that you can start using today)How to prepare for a walking meetingInteresting finds from ground-breaking research on the link between walking and creativityWhat are Walkshops(TM) and why we should start having outdoor business conferencesMake walking your creative place that you can access from anywhereUseful links and resources:Marily Oppezzo TEDx talk: Want to be more creative? Go for a walk. Nilofer Merchant TEDx talk: Got a meeting? Take a walk. Nilofer Merchant: What´s the one workplace hack that can improve your healthResearch from Mia Keinänen: Out of ideas? Take a walk.Shane O´Maras book In Praise of Walking explains why walking is good for us and tells the story from when humans learned to walk to walking in urban areas today.Dr. John Medina's Brain Rules books explore the powerful cognitive benefits of walking (and other kinds of movement)Recommended action:1) Ask yourself a question and go for a walk!2) Take one of your calls this week while walking.3) Tell us how it goes in our fb-group Resilient Business Podcast Community Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.