"Simplify to Amplify" - Marie Forleo
One of my gurus, Marie Forleo says, "You need to simplify to amplify"
I find it funny that, as a woman whose signature offering has "Simply" in the name, I managed to over complicate my entire business operation. Let me explain.
I don't do well with baby steps. I can follow directions (mostly) to get from point A to point B, or when putting together furniture, puzzles, or models of any kind. But, for every step I read / listen to, there will inevitably be a step I completely skip / don't read correctly / do the opposite of (I've never been tested for dyslexia but I wonder if I should). I end up going left when I should have gone right; having to take something apart in order to put in the crucial missing pieces.
When I finally got the chance to take Marie Forleo's B-School course, I ran through the modules at break neck speed. I did the exercises in their entirety, with the exception of those few steps that, OMG, just...why? All the reading, all the researching, all the getting out of my comfort zone to find and interview strangers who might potentially be my ideal customer. Meh! So I ended up figuring out who my Ideal Customer Avatar was, then half-assed the research on how best to connect with her. I built a website using the services as recommended in the course; I added extensions, shopping carts, opt-ins, etc. When it was all said and done, I had a mess of a site with a bunch of technology I had no idea how to use.
I wrote out a marketing / content plan - hopped back on Facebook, opened an Instagram account, and started a YouTube channel. Then promptly fell into the social media rabbit hole where I found myself scrolling more than posting. Making video? Yeah, I can press record with the best of them, but when it came to editing? (an eternity later)...yeah, not so much. So none of my social media ever netted the results I was hoping for. I skipped steps, didn't fully commit to the little in-between actions, which created more problems that I didn't necessarily know how to solve.
In the midst of it all, I lost my passion for writing. The one thing that had set me on this path to begin with had been crushed under the weight of "I have to make a butt ton of money right now so I can quit my day gig and do what I love for the rest of my life!" I latched on to the idea that B-School would be the ONE THING that would turn my passion into a money making machine. B-School is a mass of information, techniques, advice, and such that while well put together, wasn't the right fit for me; not for the way I learn, not for the way I operate.
With the world-wide wake-up call currently in progress, Simplify to Amplify makes a lot of sense. I'd already switched from the programmer's paradise that had been my previous website to the cleaner, lighter one surrounding this blog. I've deleted my social media accounts (again) - and yes, I get it, all the cool kids are on Facebook, influencing trends on YouTube, and posting stories "for the Gram", but let's face it, I've never been one of the cool kids. Chasing likes and "followers" on social media isn't me.
Now that all the complicated clutter has been cleared (hmmm, gotta love a little alliteration), I'm back to doing what I love - writing and self-publishing, and coaching others through my SIMPLE self-publishing process. Getting back to my simple pleasures is going to amplify what I have to offer. Which, I believe, will simplify my marketing process a great deal, which will then amplify my reach...you get where I'm going.
Let's chat. Drop a comment below and let me know if the current shift in your day-to-day has you discovering places where you can simplify things in order to amplify your passions.
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Until Next Time.