The Strategy Hour Podcast: Systems and Marketing for Service Based Businesses with Boss Project

Today, I want to tell you about the process that helped me create an Instagram Reel that got me 364 free leads in under 24 hours. A Reel that has since gone on to generate more than 771 leads, and counting. Even I’m still struggling to grasp how this happened! Join The Co-op - The Membership for Online Businesses Connect with Abagail Instagram All the Links! I'm not here to claim that I've cracked some universal marketing code or boast about one simple trick that will get you unbelievable results. Yes, what I did was incredibly simple and yielded exceptional results, but it wasn’t where I started and it’s not what made this work. It took several months of strategic planning, brainstorming, and taking action before things took off the way that they did. That’s why I’m using today’s episode to tell the full story of how I got here, and how you can take the next step in building your list of dream clients. Let’s get into it! Episode Highlights Helping Small Business Owners Become Financially Free [0:05:21] How I Discovered What My Clients Needed [0:08:21] Where The Majority of My Leads and Growth Came From [0:10:59] The Biggest Sticking Point For My Clients [0:13:23] How I Helped My Clients Get Over Their Biggest Hurdle [0:14:40] Staying Focused [0:18:23] Why My Post Generated So Much Engagement [0:19:51] One Day Launch: Digital Product Fast Track [0:27:01] Thank you for listening! Please subscribe, rate, and review The Strategy Hour Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated. For show notes, go to thestrategyhour.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if, instead of worrying that you are running out of time in your business or that your plans are delayed, you accepted that you are right on time for your own destiny? Today I am joined by Amber McCue, a woman who went from being an 18-year-old single mom to owning three companies that allow her to work from anywhere in the world.  Join The Co-op - The Membership for Online Businesses Connect with Abagail Instagram All the Links! Amber grew her first business to a multi-million-dollar company from just a side hustle! She knew her business was going to be a success when she encountered what she calls ‘right on time’ moments that nudged her in the right direction and she still looks out for them 14 years later! In this episode, she and I talk about the concept of being ‘right on time.’ This conversation is so life-changing, I can’t wait for you to hear it.  Episode Highlights You Cannot Be Late for Your Destiny Detaching from Outcomes in Your Business The ‘Try it on’ Visualization Gifting the Idea of ‘Right on Time’ to Other People How Being ‘Right on Time’ Ties into Resilience Thank you for listening! Please subscribe, rate, and review The Strategy Hour Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated. For show notes, go to thestrategyhour.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

People often believe that in order to succeed at their work, they have to be absolutely excellent at everything that they do. But what if following that path would only lead you to burnout? Today’s episode was inspired by an article I read by Morgan Smith for CNBC. She interviewed Harvard-trained Neuroscientist and Adjunct Professor Juliet Han. Han suggests a totally different approach to growth. Rather than self-examining your strengths and weaknesses, what if you focused predominantly on your job responsibilities?  Join The Co-op - The Membership for Online Businesses Connect with Abagail Instagram All the Links! Here’s the thing, though: you’re a business owner. So, as the CEO and head of your company, what is most important for you to do? What do you need to be excellent at? What tasks do you need to be good at? What tasks can be low-effort or delegated? There are a couple of things you need to focus on to make your business thrive: cash flow, sales, and messaging. In the digital product world, it’s all about driving continuous traffic to your product rather than constantly improving the offer. Every company is different! Let’s get into it. Episode Highlights What Changes When You Figure Out What Really Drives Your Company Why Asking For a Second Opinion Could Highlight What You Really Need to Change  How to Get Out of Autopilot and Put Yourself Back in the Driver’s Seat of Your Career Getting Hyper-specific About the Types of Skills You Need Most Thank you for listening! Please subscribe, rate, and review The Strategy Hour Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated. For show notes, go to thestrategyhour.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I don't know about you, but when I’m feeling stuck, my default is to jump straight into strategy. What's the tactical plan? What steps should I take? How do I break free from this rut? Is there a book, a podcast, a process, a checklist – anything that can guide me out? Just hand me the instruction manual, and let's get moving! But if you suspect that what's holding you back is more about mindset than your previous blocks have been, then this can be a tough place to be in, especially for those of us who thrive on logic and clear steps forward. Join The Co-op - The Membership for Online Businesses Connect with Abagail Instagram All the Links! How do we get to the root of why we are feeling so stuck? And more importantly, how do we start feeling positive about charting a new course? But I want to take it a step further. I've compiled a list of questions that I truly believe can help us dig deep and uncover what's going on beneath the surface. I don't think the questions by themselves are as helpful as seeing the process in action. So, we're going to tackle this together. I haven't prepped my answers to these questions. Instead, I'll open up about my own struggles, my mindset obstacles, and where I'm aiming to go next. Let's dive deep into these questions together! Episode Highlights: What Do You Really Want? What Is Making You Feel Stuck? What Are You Willing To Do About It? What Are You Not Willing To Do? What’s Your First Step? What Are You Willing To Commit To? How Will You Stay Focused? How Do You Need to Feel To Be The Most Effective At Showing Up? How Can You Create More of That Feeling? Is There Anything You Need To Address In Your Body In Order To Make This Happen? Thank you for listening! Please subscribe, rate, and review The Strategy Hour Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated. For show notes, go to thestrategyhour.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are you creating a diverse social experience for yourself and your business or are you playing it safe? I’m going to argue why talking to strangers might be the key to more revenue growth and your happiness! During this episode, I’m going to tell you how talking to strangers has contributed to my overall happiness and helped me to grow my revenue and how you can make the same thing happen in your own life and business. Join The Co-op - The Membership for Online Businesses Connect with Abagail Instagram All the Links! Episode Highlights: The Two Elements That Make Up the Magic of Relational Diversity [0:02:37]  So, You’re Talking to Strangers. What Now? [0:08:50] Seven Ways to Tell Strangers Your Story [0:14:30] Thank you for listening! Please subscribe, rate, and review The Strategy Hour Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated. For show notes, go t thestrategyhour.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Strong partnerships and collaborations can be the keys to success. By joining forces with like-minded people, you can not only unlock new opportunities and expand your network but also achieve remarkable growth! In this episode, Angela shares how she built 120 partnerships in one year, the positive impact those relationships had on her business, and the seven steps you can take to overcome common mindset blocks and build mutually beneficial collaborations. Join The Co-op - The Membership for Online Businesses Connect with Abagail Instagram All the Links! This conversation offers you so much more than just a guide to incredible collaborations and partnerships that move your business forward. Angela and Abagail also get into some powerful (and actionable) mindset stuff that is going to rock your world!  Episode Highlights: How Angela Became a Powerhouse Business Coach The Mindset That Made 120 Partnerships in a Year Possible Goals Aren’t Everything: How Business Can Be Playful and Fun Tips for Overcoming the Mindset Blocks That Can Stand in Your Way Types of Collaborations That Could Work for You Reasons You Might be Holding Yourself (and Your Business) Back Thank you for listening! Please subscribe, rate, and review The Strategy Hour Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated. For show notes, go to thestrategyhour.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Passive income posts frustrate me so much – especially the ones promising you that digital products will make you money in your sleep. Don’t get me wrong, digital products have made me millions and they are great to have in your business. But they do not generate sales without maintenance and certainly do not work all on their own! They are far from passive. Today I want to talk about what is actually passive because passive income definitely is available to you and it’s not talked about often enough.  Join The Co-op - The Membership for Online Businesses Connect with Abagail Instagram All the Links! When I came into this business, I had a world of knowledge at my fingertips. I worked in the financial industry prior to building this company and that definitely gave me an advantage. I got to witness what really goes on in the financial world and I got to learn about my financial future rapidly. I know that this job set me up for success regardless of how much I disliked working there! I don’t sell financial products and am not tied to any financial firm, I simply want to see you wealthy and deeply care about your future!  Episode Highlights: The Easiest Way to Retire Early The One Thing You Need to Know About Saving How I Make Truly Passive Income My Number One Goal in Life and Business Thank you for listening! Please subscribe, rate, and review The Strategy Hour Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated. For show notes, go to thestrategyhour.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today's episode, Ryan and I delve into his entrepreneurial journey, starting from his very first company which kickstarted his career. We explore the invaluable lessons he's learned and what he recommends for businesses in their infancy. As for those businesses that don't quite make it? Ryan breaks down the biggest reasons and shares insights on what it takes to scale a business from half a million to millions more. Whether you're a budding entrepreneur or a seasoned business owner, there's something for everyone in today's discussion.  Join The Co-op - The Membership for Online Businesses Connect with Abagail Instagram All the Links! Have you ever wondered what it takes to leverage your business into a scalable enterprise? Well, today we're going to explore just that with a very special guest, Ryan Deiss. Ryan is a serial entrepreneur, author, and investor, with a proven track record of building successful companies. He is the founder and CEO of The Scalable Company and DigitalMarketer, and a founding partner at Scalable Equity, an equity accelerator that builds, acquires, and invests in b2b media services and software brands. He's also the brains behind the Traffic and Conversion Summit, the largest digital marketing conference in North America, and the author of the book Digital Marketing for Dummies.  Podcast Highlights: How Ryan Started His First Business Monetizing Your Knowledge Setting Yourself Up to be Scalable How to go from Primary Operator to Scalable Business How to Grow your Sales as you Scale Your Team Scaling Fast and Staying in Business Why Businesses Fail When It’s Okay to Stay Small and When You Should Scale Thank you for listening! Please subscribe, rate, and review The Strategy Hour Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated. For show notes, go to thestrategyhour.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today's fast-paced digital world, the pressure to keep up with marketing trends and strategies can be overwhelming. However, I've found that by streamlining my approach and focusing on efficiency, I can effectively balance marketing efforts with other essential aspects of my business.  By dedicating just one hour a day, five days a week, to strategic marketing tasks, I've been able to achieve significant results while still having ample time to devote to serving my clients and growing my business in meaningful ways.  Join The Co-op - The Membership for Online Businesses Connect with Abagail Instagram All the Links! Let's dive into these strategies together and discover how you can maximize your marketing impact without sacrificing precious time and energy! We’re talking about: Why You Need an Awareness Platform and a Nurture Platform Choosing Your Platforms Instagram Marketing Strategies and Analytics Balancing Experimentation with Repetition Instagram Stories and Building Awareness Don’t be Afraid to Sell  How to Use Email Thank you for listening! Please subscribe, rate, and review The Strategy Hour Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated. For show notes, go to thestrategyhour.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There’s a new trend popping up on social media where people are sharing the real struggles they face in life and in business. Even after nine years of business, there are things I still struggle with, and today I want to let you in on what some of them are. These are things that deeply bother me, things I talk to my therapist about, and that hold me back from doing what I really want to accomplish. Join The Co-op - The Membership for Online Businesses Connect with Abagail Instagram All the Links! Highlights from today’s show: One Surprising Fear Despite What I Have Built What It Really Feels Like to Be On the Outside The Real Reason Women Don’t Talk About Money How I Trick Myself Into Talking to Strangers One Way I May Never Be Able to Relate to My Audience Why It Can Be So Hard to Meet People Where They’re At Thank you for listening! Please subscribe, rate and review The Strategy Hour Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated. For show notes, go to thestrategyhour.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Faceless marketing is developing its own niche and I’ve recently started exploring what would happen if I utilized faceless marketing to appeal to a wider audience. I think this gives people an opportunity to show up online without having to worry about what they look like while still making marketing personal. This is for those of you who want to sell a digital product, not necessarily for someone looking to build a local-based business.  People are leveraging this trend, specifically on Instagram, to build a brand without showing their faces and with the use of stock imaging. I feel like this trend is just a natural continuation of things like faceless blogs for example. People can utilize stock and place a focus on their words without worrying about what they look like. And it really does work if it’s done correctly! Faceless marketing still keeps the human element without associating an identity therefore making it more relatable.  In this episode, you’ll learn: Why Faceless Marketing Works (and Has Always Worked) The Number One Thing That Builds a Brand Long-Term The Best Way to Utilize Faceless Marketing Thank you for listening! Please subscribe, rate, and review The Strategy Hour Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated. For show notes, go to thestrategyhour.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on the show, I want to talk about what it was like to diversify from one-on-one client work services to adding digital products and courses. We’re going to cover: The Story Of The Late Lunch That Changed Everything How I Went Out On A Limb To Solve a Simple Problem Three Situations You Might Find Yourself In And How I Could Help Other Areas You Will Inevitably Grow In As You Grow An Audience The One Marketing Activity You Should Be Doing To Build Your Business Thank you for listening! Please subscribe, rate and review The Strategy Hour Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated. For show notes, go to thestrategyhour.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pre-sales are the perfect tool for anyone wanting to sell more digital products and courses. As you’re listening to this, I am in the middle of my own pre-sale pitch. Being in the thick of the process, this is the perfect time to talk about it on the podcast. Tune in to find out what pre-sales are, how you can benefit from them, and learn some simple strategies to help you get started! Thank you for listening! Please subscribe, rate, and review The Strategy Hour Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated. For show notes, go to thestrategyhour.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today I’m going to take you behind the scenes and share what it was like to shoot a TV show for a major streaming network. For now, I’m not allowed to tell you anything about the show so bear with me while I try to share my experiences in a somewhat cryptic manner!  I was approached as someone who built a business and asked to appear on the TV show. All I had seen was a sizzle reel for the show and I basically went in blind. I really think that this is going to have a good impact. Starting out, I had no idea what this experience was going to be like– but I said yes anyway!  Key topics from this episode: Shoot dates changing at the last moment Styling myself and finding a last-minute makeup artist Dealing with self-doubt and imposter syndrome My free day in Los Angeles What this means for the second half of my career  Thank you for listening! Please subscribe, rate, and review The Strategy Hour Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated. For show notes, go to thestrategyhour.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s difficult to believe that I have been in business for nine whole years! For those unfamiliar with the story, nine years ago, in March, I was laid off from a startup — I had only been working there for three months. This startup had recruited me for a position I had held for years at a financial firm, where I worked as a graphic designer in strategic marketing. Then, three months later, the entire marketing department was axed in one fell swoop, leaving me with 30 days' notice. What I didn't know at the time was that they were attempting to avoid paying me unemployment. So there I was, paid to occupy space at my desk while I ostensibly hunted for new work. Instead, I seized those 30 days, predominantly throughout March of 2015, to kick-start my own business. Jump forward in time – it’s nine years later – and I am still loving this wild ride! I’ve learned a LOT over the past nine years, and today I get into key lessons I’d like to share with you. Join me today for a trip down memory lane and a breakdown of 9 critically important lessons I’ve learned from 9 years in business! Thank you for listening! Please subscribe, rate, and review The Strategy Hour Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated. For show notes, go to thestrategyhour.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if you could generate consistent paid leads? This episode is dedicated to the specific things you can focus on to do this naturally, seamlessly, and consistently. So often, when we get frustrated by a lack of leads or a lack of sales, it’s rooted in a lack of belief that we can do it. Confidence attracts people like nothing else I can possibly describe.  Tune in to hear about: What It Really Means to Have Enough Confidence Breaking Down the Small Business Infinity Loop Two Ways to Capitalize on Magnetic Marketing The Dual Purpose of Nurture Content How to Leverage the Power of Activation Content Thank you for listening! Please subscribe, rate, and review The Strategy Hour Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated. For show notes, go to thestrategyhour.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s episode, I want to talk about the intimidating parts of getting visible because it can be so vulnerable! My focus is specifically on Instagram but that doesn’t mean that it’s the only platform for you. From my perspective, Instagram has the lowest barrier to entry and is the best place to drive free and organic traffic to monetize the work you’re doing there. So, let’s answer some of your questions about how I monetize on Instagram!  You’ll learn: How to Overcome Intimidation of Being the ‘Face’ of Your Brand and Posting Reels  How to Captivate Attention Span on Instagram  How to Deal with Most of Your Followers Not Being Your Target Audience  How to Get Your Existing Followers to Engage More  How to Make Sure That Your New Followers Are Your Target Audience Thank you for listening! Please subscribe, rate, and review The Strategy Hour Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated. For show notes, go to thestrategyhour.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we are talking about using Instagram strategically in your business to actually lead to sales. This is a digital marketing tactic you need to pay attention to! Every business needs visibility in order to drive new people to discover who you are, earn their trust, and start them down a sales pipeline. If you’re always in nurture mode, then you will run out of leads to nurture because your business will shrink.  I did something incredible with Instagram recently and had fantastic results! Today I’m sharing that specific strategy with you. You’ll learn about: Evolving Your Social Media Marketing Strategies How Instagram Visibility Helps Other Areas of Your Business Grow The Importance of Mindset  Thank you for listening! Please subscribe, rate, and review The Strategy Hour Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated. For show notes, go to thestrategyhour.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are unspoken expectations thrust upon every area of your life. People complain about how others choose to show up, respond, or not respond to what’s happening in the world. There is so much anger about the state of our world and our economy, what people are saying or not saying, and even how you might choose to run your business. I get it! These are important things to have thoughts and feelings about. But what would it look like to show up in alignment with your truth? At the end of the day, it’s about you, the weight that you carry from these societal expectations, and how that bleeds into your business and career.  Thank you for listening! Please subscribe, rate and review The Strategy Hour Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated. For show notes, go to thestrategyhour.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, I dig into how I would start a business with zero existing audience. First of all, I have to admit that I’ve never met anyone who actually has no audience. Everyone has up to 1,000 connections that they can leverage from day one. Whether you believe it or not, you already have an audience and it’s your job to leverage existing connections to build momentum for the life and the business you want. Ultimately, the number of people in your audience and the number of followers you have has little to no influence on how much revenue you can generate. Getting visible isn’t just about growing an audience. It’s about growing a community of real relationships. Emphasizing growing my community rather than chasing the numbers has been empowering, and today I’m sharing that experience.  Tune in to learn: How to Utilize a Digital Product to Convert Strangers to Buyers How to Build an Audience You Can Sell to How to Leverage Digital Products to Build Your Audience The Best Way to Communicate with Your Followers Directly The Biggest Mistake that People Are Making Thank you for listening! Please subscribe, rate, and review The Strategy Hour Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated. For show notes, go to thestrategyhour.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices