Wit + Wisdom: Serious Business. Seriously Funny.

You hear it all the time: "You gotta treat it like a business!" But what's that mean, exactly? We dive into the mindset shift and tasks involved with running a business like an actual business.

Algorithm changes happen all the time on social media and Pinterest. You don't have to lose your mind! Here is what you need to know as a business owner!

January is when everyone and their mom sets big goals and vows "THIS will be MY YEAR to do ALL THE THINGS!" But let's be honest - how good are you at actually accomplishing those goals? In this week's episode, we dive into the goal overwhelm that usually happens around February, leaving goals unaccomplished and dreams unfulfilled. Goal setting should not be taken lightly. Here at W+W, we love to talk about goal-setting, but mostly we love goal-GETTING. Don't feel overwhelmed by your goals. Instead, use these realistic tips to achieve great success with your big picture goals!

Wit + Wisdom is brand spankin' new! This is the first episode of our new season, and the first episode under our new name! We are digging into all the bits & pieces that have gone into combining our businesses to create Wit + Wisdom.

Well, here we are - the final episode of Blog Fuel. We recorded this episode live and chatted with our audience, answering questions and having fun!  But have no fear - we'll be back in January with all new episodes and an all new brand, Wit + Wisdom!

It's the end of the year which means it's time to start looking forward to a bright, shiny future! Don't suck accomplishing your goals yet another year! Learn how to set goals the right way and actually achieve them, plus we talk about the tools we use to work through our own goals! AND here's some cool stuff we talk about in this episode: LIVE Ep. 060: 12/13 at 7:30pm EST - Register —> http://bit.ly/060Live Interested in Powersheets for goal-setting & group accountability? Get yours here (aff link) —> http://bit.ly/2i8ofLO Join our FB community --> https://www.facebook.com/groups/witandwisdom/ Book Club starts in January! We'll be reading & discussing "The One Thing" by Gary Keller. Grab your book here (aff link) —> http://amzn.to/2ibGEaP

Should your business have a Facebook group? Short answer: Yes. Facebook groups allow you to have more engagement and a sense of community with your audience while helping your content get seen without the wonky Facebook algorithm that impacts Pages. Also, visit us on Instagram for A Witty December to Remember, and CLICK HERE to register for our LIVE Episode! 

How do you know when it's time to quit your job and pursue your side hustle full-time? There isn't a "right" time or a "perfect" time, but there are some things to consider.

It's OFFICIAL!! Erin and Kirsten are joining our businesses and rebranding to Wit + Wisdom!! We decided to record a mini-sode to share all the goodness with you! Erin and Kirsten met online back in the spring of 2016 and were fast friends. When Kirsten launched the Blog Fuel podcast, Erin was a guest on the first season (episode 011!), and in Season 2, Erin became a co-host. That's when the clouds parted and the angels sang, because magic happened! Erin and Kirsten love working together, and we've spent months talking about ways  to collaborate more often, when finally we decided to jump in with both feet and join our businesses! In this mini-sode, we share the story of how it all happened and what we're working on. We are so excited to bring Wit + Wisdom to you! Our full launch with a brand new website happens in January 2018!!

A loyal fanbase has nothing to do with the size of your email list or the number of pageviews you have. When it comes to building a loyal fanbase, it requires one thing: YOU. Let's chat.

As much as you might like to avoid it, or stick your head in a hole, taxes are inevitable, and a really important piece of business ownership. We are excited to have Melissa Whaley on with us this week to talk about taxes, but we promise it'll be fun! Melissa is a licensed tax pro and has been in the tax environment since 2009. Her mission is to help empower women with an understanding of their finances so they can feel more in control of their money and their business growth. END OF YEAR TAX INFORMATION: It's less stressful to have your taxes done prior to the April deadline. Even if you haven't been tracking your finances, just start. If you are trying to save on taxes by spending at the end of the year, don't waste your money. Make wise investments by depositing money into an IRA or purchasing much-needed equipment that will actually grow your business. Audit your recurring expenses and determine if you really need to continue paying for them. ADULTING WITH YOUR MONEY: Set up an IRA and pay into regular

Everyone is afraid of something, and while it's perfectly fine to be afraid of clowns (like Kirsten) or E.T. (like Erin), fear in your business can hold you back from moving forward, reaching your goals, and growing your business! We want to help you overcome the fears in your business and make big things happen!

Whether you are the host of a podcast or video, or you are the guest, there are steps you can (and should) take to be prepared to be live on the air. As both guests and hosts ourselves, we share tips and real-life accounts of both good and bad situations.  As the INTERVIEWER: Prepare questions or talking points ahead of time so you can give your guest reference points, but make sure you keep it casual, too. You may not get to all of the questions, but it serves as a guideline, particularly if there are lulls in the conversation. It is hard to turn people down as guests, especially when you're starting out, but keep in mind that you want quality, engaging guests. Be prepared to fill the gaps, but understand you can edit things out if it's a recorded interview. Live events are a bit different, so we recommend hopping on a video call prior to the live event to get the awkwardness out ahead of time. EDIT, EDIT, EDIT - recorded videos and podcasts, edit the awkwardness out! Edit out the lags in conversation,

Whether just getting started with a new blog or online business, or launching a product or service, there's a fear of launching from zero - starting at the beginning, having an audience of none. It happens to everyone, so how do you overcome it? When you are first starting out online, you're inevitably going to have an audience of zero, or maybe one if your mom is a fan. It can feel very defeating, and often pointless, to create content for a zero fanbase, but it's important to just DO IT. Email your subscribers, even if there are only a few. Write blog posts and publish your blog with only one post. Share content on social media even if no one engages at first. Act as if... Act as if you are a professional. Act as if you have 10,000 people just waiting for your next post or email. Act as if you have been doing this for years. Here's why: You have to learn from your mistakes, so it's better to make those mistakes when essentially no one is watching. You can't get better at [insert whatever you do here] unl

We're talking all about creating a positive client experience, from discovery calls and onboarding to overdelivering and follow-up. Make your clients fall in love with you because it's easier to retain a client than find a new one! Erin is a coach and Kirsten offers services, so we deal with clients a bit differently, but we both work hard to create a positive client experience. Here are our tips: (some links are referral links) The client experience starts before any work gets done. As soon as someone contacts you, they become a lead. The way you treat your leads will give them a good idea of how the client experience will go. Make the process as seamless and smooth for the client as possible. Create a workflow that dictates how you communicate with your client, what docs are sent and when, how clients will schedule meetings, etc. Must-Haves: Invoicing and Contracts. Erin and Kirsten both recommend Dubsado, a powerful and affordable client management system. If you need to start with a free versio

With all the hype around Picmonkey suddenly charging for all accounts, rather than offering a free version with an option to upgrade, we decided to talk about changing business models and whether or not it's a good thing. Picmonkey went from a free-with-option-to-upgrade business model to a free-to-try business model recently and a lot of people are in an uproar. But is it all bad? We don't think so. Here's why: Picmonkey experimented with this model before putting it into place permanently. They discovered they had a higher retention rate when charging after a free trial, rather than hoping free-forever users would eventually pay to upgrade. Businesses need to make money in order to stay in business. In order to continue adding great features, they need to charge for the service. (And it's still a very minimal fee.) When it comes to determining what you charge for and what you give for free, remember what Erin says: "You can give away the entire farm, but people still need the farmer." People still need yo

Kirsten recently sent out an incredibly vulnerable email to her email list, and was amazed at the responses, the majority of which were something along the lines of, "OMG Me TOO!!". So, is transparency in business okay? Let's discuss. There is so much pressure in the online business world, particularly among women, to be polished, professional, and put together. It's what's expected. However, when one person decides to be completely transparent, sharing her struggles with jealousy and comparison, it's celebrated! The bottom line is, these feelings are normal, but too many of us feel ashamed when we feel that way, and we feel like we are struggling alone. It's the same with celebrating our successes - we hold back from patting ourselves on the back because we don't want to come across as arrogant or proud. The feeling of comparison is real. Jealousy is real. And pride in your work is real. And all of those feelings are perfectly okay to vocalize. It's time to make transparency the norm, not the exception.

We came. We saw. We conquered...online summits, that is. Kirsten put a summit together in three weeks over the summer, and Erin just wrapped up her first summit recently, so we're talking about #allthethings that go into a summit, and if we'd ever do it again. Summits are collaborations of epic proportions and are a ton of work, so we offer our insights into our individual summits to help you decide if you want to tackle one of your own.

We decided to talk about something timely and important - how to prepare your business for natural disasters. At the time of this recording and episode airing, Houston, TX, has recently suffered from severe flooding from Hurricane Harvey. Hurricane Irma is blazing a trail to Florida and is a record-breaking storm. Montana and the entire west coast are dealing with forest fires. As much as we like to think we are safe, it's important to know how to prepare. Online businesses are waterproof and weatherproof, but there are things you can do to protect your tangible assets and make sure you can solely focus on your family when/if something happens. Be safe friends. We're praying for you. GOOD TIPS: https://www.facebook.com/notes/susan-chichester-hobson/hurricane-irma-prep-9517/10150112932761875/

Collaborations are great for expanding your business's reach, getting in front of new audiences, and making a project more fun! But sometimes, they go sour, and you have to break up. And sometimes, those break-ups can get downright ugly. In this week's episode, Erin and Kirsten talk about the 4 types of people you can potentially work with during collaborations - the victim, the defensive, the ghost, and the winner. (The winner is who you want to end up with!)