Does anyone else’s mind go on vacation starting June 1st? It’s an automatic switch in my head to slowly start powering down. June 1st means I should obviously be somewhere with a drink in my hand! If your mind is in vacation-mode, too, then please join me as I slowly power my brain back on for this important exercise. Why? Because summer is an excellent time to sit down and take a good look at how your marketing and communication plan has been performing so far. It’s also a great time to think about what changes you want to make to positively impact the rest of the year. Don’t set your drink down! You can do this one-handed. I promise. 1. Take a deep dive🤿 into missed opportunities If you’re like me, you’re always seeing amazing ideas from others throughout the year that you wish you would have done. A very simple example is that on Mother’s Day I saw someone else post a beautiful, inclusive Mother’s Day message that really spoke to my heart. I wished I had come up with something similar. So I made a note for next year so I wouldn’t forget to be more inclusive with my message. That’s what Number One’s deep dive is all about. What have you seen that you wished you’d done, but it’s too late now? Go back and start making a list of things you don’t want to miss out on next year. This is a great activity to keep you on your toes and always improving your marketing efforts. 2. Ensure your sales aren’t dropping while the temps are rising 🥵 You audience is busy during the summer. Look back through your benefit statements and edit your messages to tell your audience how you can make their lives better THIS SUMMER. While they’re on the go, planning vacations and family activities, spending more time outdoors, and trying to schedule childcare while school is out. How can you help them? Thinking through this will help you stay relevant with your audience and ensure you won’t seem “out of touch” with what they’re going through. 3. Make some waves🌊 this summer for a successful winter I know the sun is shining and you should probably be floating on water with a pina colada, but this is also a great time to think about fall and winter. Specifically, what systems can you put in place to ensure a smooth holiday season? If sales drop during the winter, how can you make more sales right now to prepare for that? If sales skyrocket during the winter, how can you make sure you’re ready for those busy months? Are there any new marketing strategies you’d like to test? Maybe product or service combos? Test those now! Take a few minutes to review your marketing strategy and content calendar before the holidays are on the horizon. Because once they’re within your sights, it’s way too late to make big impactful changes. Happy Summer 🌞I love this time of year and work on my patio whenever I can. I’d love to hear what updates you’re making to your strategy and if you’re testing anything new. Join our private Facebook group of content creators and marketers so we can chat!
0 Comments
In our "Fabulous Friday with Ash-Lea" podcast, Lea Tran and I talked about cleaning up your garden to create a "clean slate" for the new growing season. We talked about how this applies in your personal and professional life as well. This stage in goal planning (and garden planning!) takes patience. You don't see growth yet and you have to sit back and let the process happen. So much waiting! This is actually a great stage to be in because it teaches us not to rush the process. "Clean up" to allow for growth lets you ...
Plan for Possibilities, Wait for ResultsWhen considering the garden analogy, it can feel counterintuitive to rip out all of your hard work from last year. You put time and energy into your garden and now you're just demolishing it? Yep! It's a very important step. You are creating a clean slate to ...
Using these same tactics can help with regular goal setting as well. It teaches us that we need to honestly evaluate where we are, what's working and what isn't, and make a plan for what needs to happen to move on to better things. Use this time to assess, review lessons from last year, and start designing a new space that allows more success. Learn to be Happy While Waiting for ResultsNo doubt, you've heard the saying that good things can't be rushed. And that sounds great ... until you're the one who's excited to see results. Results that prove you're not a failure! So this waiting game can be frustrating, for sure. Not seeing growth yet and sitting there looking at the blank slate where you just removed all of the hard work from last year can feel like you've taken a step back. But it's important to remember that this stage you're in IS PROGRESS. The act of cleaning, planning, and settling in to wait is a very important stage. Feeling restless? Check out these articles. Do you feel like you're unsettled and impatient at this stage? Learn the reasons why you're feeling this way and how you can settle in to this "waiting game" to ensure better success. If you're having a hard time sitting still and you're constantly rushing around, you might suffer from "Hurry Sickness." Remember being busy is NOT a virtue. It's a great way to end up burnt out. Find out how to protect yourself from "Hurry Sickness." What Are You Waiting On?I'd love to hear what you're working on and WAITING on! Comment below or reach out.
Kerry Fletcher, Contemporary Abstract Artist from Norwalk, Iowa, shares the creative process she uses to breathe life into her one-of-a-kind masterpieces. She also gives some insight into how she ended up with this creative process and the benefit of using it. If you’re feeling lifeless and burnt out, maybe “Getting Lost” is just what you need to bring creativity and excitement back into your life. Jump in with us …
Her current show features over 30 major works - landscapes and intuitive abstracts, all of which reflect an original, unique, and bold use of color and subject. Her landscapes give an unexpected, expansive view derived from her love of Madison County. Work is primarily acrylics, and she often experiments with, and incorporates other interesting media such as custom collage, inks, and oil pastels among others. The current work on display at the Delirium gallery in Winterset, Iowa is open to the public or shown by appointment. Come to the gallery to check it out! KerryFletcherart.com. Getting Lost with intuitive abstract art Intuitive abstract. What’s that even mean? Bear with me while I try to articulate the weird and sometimes wild process called “intuitive abstract”. Intuitive abstract … Is like writing fiction, influenced by the memories of real life. Starting a story and not knowing where it ends—is it a romance, mystery, comedy, or action adventure? It’s exploring a new place and taking random turns just to see what’s down that road. Painting an intuitive abstract is a lot like intentionally getting lost. Casting fears aside, and feeling the excitement of traveling to an unknown destination. Living in the moment. The journey of Getting lost reminds me of the feeling back when I was a kid and my Dad took us on country drives. Traveling on the back country roads, I’d repeatedly ask him…are we lost yet? When he’d finally say “yup, we’re lost” I’d squeal with delight! The thrill of not knowing, being the first or the only to discover new things, was scary fun to me. Throughout the years I’ve come to realize that some of the most exciting art results come when I allow myself to get lost. No map, no Google. No plan, no prediction of an outcome. This in itself is challenging when the rules, habits, and ideas are fighting for attention in your head, distracting the exploration. For me, color becomes the map and drives the direction of everything. Mixing and inventing new favorite, colors, placing them where they want to be. Where they complement and dance, converse or debate with their other color friends. Add to the developing plot-brush strokes and marks that feel congruent or completely in conflict with all else. Or just doing what feels good. Add, subtract, assess, adjust, add, subtract and repeat again. It’s a fun, exciting and good kind of scary ride. Intuition on a canvasOccasionally God enters in and something extraordinary happens. Like the time i was experimenting with new tools and colors and as I stepped back, saw the eye and nose of my best dog pal, a 150lb Great Pyrenees, in the painting. Initially I’m thinking “awwwwe”. After studying further, it appears as though this sweet pup is knocking someone down! The subject literally looks knocked off her feet. Que the doom music. Two months later, while playing, she did just that. To me. Looking back, I guess I can say that I “saw” it coming. This magical “painting coming to life” is not the first time this has happened, but fortunately most are not so painful! There’s always a message, or dialogue-some only known by me but hopefully felt a bit by viewers. The story unfolds as unintentionally as intended.
Getting lost is fun. There are no rules. There is no danger. Only new things to see and do. Turn in any direction that seems right. Every day, I show up. Take the turns and work on the next painting. It all comes out as a story. My hope is that the story might take you exploring someplace you’ve never been before. Life continuously changes all of our stories. It’s certainly visible to me in the art. When looking back, I can see the thread or the path and recall the related life events with some interesting perspective. The path of creating art is like being a kid again and getting lost on a country drive with my Dad. It’s letting the subconscious tell the story. Losing the map and letting the desire of exploration take over. Getting lost and feeling the sweaty, heart thumping thrill of discovery. Time is no longer the focus. Only the journey. Make more connections and increase sales with exceptional messaging and an action-oriented content planChoose a class:
Wondering what to post? How often to post? And what to say? You won't after this social media masterclass. This class was designed for entrepreneurs and small business owners who are ready to take big leaps toward growing sales and clients, but aren't ready to invest thousands with a digital marketing firm just yet. In just 60 minutes, we'll have your social posts and marketing promos planned for the next 30 days. Plus, learn the SECRETS to quickly writing AMAZING social posts and video scripts designed to stop your audience from their mindless scrolling and start a connection with YOUR BUSINESS. By attending the workshop, you'll get: ✔️ Direction to quickly set you on the golden path toward sales, growth and changing your business forever ✔️ A writing class that will open up the heavens and allow the angels to sing inspiration directly into your ear Life changes often and it changes fast. How we handle those changes, whether it's at home or at work, determines our overall happiness. Mary McCarty, expert in harnessing the power of resilience and grace, gives us mechanisms and practices to help us manage change and come out on top.
With degrees in Exercise Science and Health Education, Mary began her career as a wellness professional in Des Moines, Iowa. Her area of expertise: empowering participants to engage in holistic programs that increase resilience and wellness. After completing a Masters degree in Public Health, she worked for 10 years at WesleyLife, an Iowa-wide retirement community, and pioneered a comprehensive wellness program for older adults. As Mary’s classes offered hope and created a paradigm shift, she began to witness people aging well. In 2000, Mary launched Yoga by Mary with a single weekly class. Her passion for teaching yoga grew and in 2014, she left the corporate wellness field to focus her attention on building her rebranded business, Resilience & Grace. Mary currently teaches yoga classes, leads workshops and retreats, offers inspirational keynote addresses, writes a monthly blog, manages a YouTube channel, and produces an educational podcast. Mary’s contagious smile and laughter fill the room as she shares from her heart and invites you into the journey to your best self, living a life of Resilience and Grace. Managing Change…How to Be ResilientStability. Comfort. Peace. As humans, we are often resistant to change. So when things change, and they have changed A LOT over the past year, it may elicit strong feelings of fear and resistance. We know change is a constant. Nothing stays exactly as it is. Nothing. It is the only thing in life that is inevitable. So why is it so difficult to embrace? Fear of the unknown, loss of control, being taken out of our comfort zone, and realizing we can no longer do the things that we once were able to do with predictability and ease are all reasons why we resist change. When we experience change, it is a natural reaction to view the change as negative. This is called “uncertainty bias”. It impacts how you deal with change. When a major life change happens, the brain automatically sees it as negative. This can influence the decision-making process and increase feelings of anxiety and depression. In fact, many times I can feel the change happening in my body before I acknowledge it in my mind. These inner cues help me stop, pause, and feel. I can bring awareness to the situation and move forward with the tools listed below to help me bring compassion and understanding to the experience. Learning how to manage reactions and cope with change can make a difference in terms of mental and physical health and well-being. It is how we become resilient. Healthy coping mechanisms will allow your mental health to thrive, will boost mood, and lower stress levels. Relationships flourish and the body feels healthier. Resilience & SpiritualityResilience is the ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change (Merriam-Webster). Brene Brown reminds us in her book, The Gifts of Imperfection, of the most common factors resilient people share are:
Brene learned through her research that these factors were not the only components to managing change. She realized those who could recover from change were also spiritual. Brene defines spirituality based on her interviews as follows: Spirituality is recognizing and celebrating that we are all inextricably connected to each other by a power greater than all of us, and that our connection to that power and to one another is grounded in love and compassion. Practicing spirituality brings a sense of perspective, meaning, and purpose to our lives. Without exception, spirituality — the belief in connection, a power greater than self, and interconnections grounded in love and compassion — emerged as a component of resilience. Most people spoke of God, but not everyone. Some were occasional churchgoers; others were not. Some worshipped at fishing holes; others in temples, mosques, or at home. Some struggled with the idea of religion; others were devout members of organized religions. The one thing that they all had in common was spirituality as the foundation of their resilience. From this foundation of spirituality, three other significant patterns emerged as being essential to resilience:
Mindfulness & Self-CareYoga and meditation are wonderful practices to help you become more mindful and care for your mental and physical health. Yoga can give us the strength and insight we need to navigate the most radical forms of change. We learn to tune into our emotional and physical states of being without judgment. This includes a compassionate awareness of the changing state of our bodies and minds on a daily basis. When we move our bodies with mindfulness and compassion, we can positively impact our state of mind through the power of our breath. Before you step onto your yoga mat, ask yourself what would best serve you at this moment in time. Take time to pause and listen to your inner voice. Trust the messages coming from within. You may be inspired to do a more vigorous, active vinyasa practice or a slower, gentle restorative class. Paying attention to what you need and acting on these desires helps you build resilience. Prana, life force, moves through us with ease when we relax or surrender into the moment. One way we can become calm, clear, and stable is with our breath. There are many pranayama or breath practices to help us calm and stabilize the mind. Two of the easiest to access are the 1:1 and 1:2 breath. All you need to do is find a comfortable position, close your eyes, and breathe in and out of your nostrils. A 1:1 ratio of inhale to exhale is called Sama Vritti. Sama Vritti is even, regulated breathing. This breath practice can quickly shift the mind into a state of ease and stability. A 1:2 ratio of inhale to exhale is known as the calming breath. It is very calming to the mind and nervous system. It is also a wonderful entryway into meditation. Meditation is another powerful tool to help us be present in the moment and rest in silence with awareness and curiosity instead of judgment. Benefits of meditation:
I offer guided meditations on my “Resilience & Grace” podcast. Subscribe wherever you listen (Apple, Spotify, Google podcast) and notice the positive effects. Making time for self-care moments throughout our days helps stabilize our mind and body so we are better prepared to navigate change. Moments of self-care vary from person to person and day-to-day. Personally, I need more grounding, and calming practices to help balance the fire within. If you tend to get angry, irritated, or judgmental easily during moments of change, these fire-pacifying practices may be beneficial and cool the sharp, intense mind. We know change is inevitable. Change is constant. How we respond to change is what helps us move from surviving to thriving. Mary McCarthy, MPH, is the owner of Resilience & Grace. She is an E-500 RYT yoga instructor. With over 20 years of experience teaching, Mary shares her passion and knowledge of yoga with people of all ages helping them feel good at any age. You can practice with Mary online, schedule a wellness coaching session, or book her to present at an upcoming conference or event at www.mary-mccarthy.com
With spring comes the feeling of renewal and an inspiration for growth. Plants are starting their journey from under the dark soil into the light of day – and there’s no reason why your social media strategy can’t do the same!
Have you been wanting to overhaul your social media content and make big changes for a while now? Well, now is the time! Transform your social posts into a lead capturing, attention grabbing powerhouse with our monthly content planner worksheet. 1. Spring into fresh ideas each month Our monthly content planner worksheet is chock full of fun, new ideas each month. And it’s easy to use! All you have to do is look through the worksheet and then write down all the ideas you like, plus any new ideas sparked from the planner. We’ve included a handy calendar to help you document ideas and create a daily plan. 2. Grow your sales If sales are lacking, then it’s time to evaluate your social media posts. How often are you communicating with your audience? What’s the strategy around each post? Are they engaging with your brand? If you’re saying the same thing over and over then they’re probably not listening anymore. Use our monthly planner to help you create fresh content. 3. Ensure your strategy is in full bloom What does your ideal audience engagement and lead generation strategy look like on social media? We can get there. Our monthly content planner provides ideas for social posts but also has ideas for blog posts, video scripts, and a monthly challenge to keep you on your toes and ahead of your competitors If you’re ready to “turn a new leaf” on social media, grow your audience, and convert them to sales then start with our monthly content planner that’s only $10/month. Visit our Patreon page to get started! Taking a break from social media can be hard when that's where the majority of your leads come from and that's where you're connecting with others. It's still very important to protect your mental health on these platforms! Start by watching TedX Speaker & Coach, Lea Tran, and I talk about how we clean up social media to make it a healthier experience for us (and the "why" behind it). Plus, try my 2-week challenge outlined below... Here's how I protect myself on social media even though I own a Digital Marketing Firm and my life revolves around these platforms. Taking these steps will help you be more in control of your experience, help with productivity, and help protect your mental health.
Ashley's 2-Week Challenge Scroll with Mindfulness For 2 weeks, use social media very consciously. Instead of scrolling for what interests you, be mindful of each post. Stop and ask yourself "how does it make me feel"? Stressed? Anxious? Anger? Take this time to evaluate posts from:
When you come across things that don't make you feel good - even if it's a post you agree with (hello politics) - mute or snooze it. You don't need to unfriend or unfollow forever, but you can mute or snooze the person or brand who's posting. Remember ... even if it’s an account or post that you agree with, if it's giving you feelings that don't align with what you consider to be healthy ... then it needs to be out of sight (at least for a while). Keep evaluating, snoozing and muting for 2 weeks. The second week will come with a whole new set of people, pages, and groups you probably forget about, so you'll need to do the process again. Protect Your Posts If you're like many people you also have friends, connections, and family who you DON'T want to see your good news either. When you move forward and take big steps in your life, there are people that will come to mind and you'll think “What will they think?” “What will they say about me?” - Get rid of them! Restrict them from seeing what you post (the "restrict" option is on Facebook). Set Your Phone Up For Success When it comes to staying off social media, your phone can be your worst enemy! Turn off all notifications from social apps - trust me, you'll feel so much better! You're not going to miss a thing. You'll still be playing on your phone before bed anyway (right???), so don't worry, you'll still see all of these notifications once you actually open the app. Turn off:
Go one step further and choose a few apps to completely detox from. Remove them from your phone all together for a period of time. Most social platforms can still accessed online, so you can pull them up on your computer if you really need to get in.
Look for these options on each platform
TikTok
All Platforms Remember, you can report offensive content. Don't hesitate to report it. Also ... it’s an algorithm! Whatever you click on, watch, share, like, or comment on will be what you see more of. You do NOT have to watch or read or reply to content that's sent to you from other people. If you know it's nothing you care for then just ignore it! Twice a month, I hide in my 11 year old daughter's room because my 2.5 year old is relentless and will bang on the office door. I pour my self a BIG cup of coffee ... kidding, it's wine, and I teach people all around the world what I know about planning and writing social media posts and videos. FOR FREE! Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners: This is for you!Many entrepreneurs and small business owners are not (yet) in a place where they can spend thousands a month on a digital marketing firm, however they still need guidance and a plan to follow. I've always still wanted to connect with this audience and help them, so that's why I created this class! I've been getting great feedback so far!
The events are listed on Eventbrite -sign up if you're needing help in this area! I love meeting new people and hearing about their businesses and their goals. I also have a Facebook group that everyone is welcome to join after the class where we continue sharing ideas, asking each other for help, and promoting each other when asked. Here's the class description 𝐖𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭? 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭? 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐚𝐲? 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬. This class was designed for entrepreneurs and small business owners who are ready to take big leaps toward growing sales and clients, but aren't ready to invest thousands with a digital marketing firm just yet. In just 60 minutes, we'll have your social posts and marketing promos planned for the next 30 days. Plus, learn the SECRETS to quickly writing AMAZING social posts and video scripts designed to stop your audience from their mindless scrolling and start a connection with YOUR BUSINESS. By attending the workshop, you'll get:
It's February and we are feeling the LOVE! The new year came in like a whirl wind and suddenly it's the second month of 2022! We wanted to slow down, press pause on our busy lives, and take a few minutes to just say "THANK YOU" to everyone who's helped our business grow this year. To our clientsTHANK YOU for supporting us! We're so honored and grateful that you chose That Digital Rush to provide your digital marketing services. We utilize a network of trusted freelancers who enjoy the freedoms from working at home and the creativity that comes with choosing their own projects. You might not always see the behind-the-scenes high fives and huge grins after you show your support, but they are there! To our freelancersTHANK YOU for all of the hard work! Our group of freelancers are quite simply the most important thing to us. We couldn't build our dreams without an amazing group of people to help us provide excellent service in a timely manner and keep the backend running effortlessly. Thank you to each freelancer who contributes to our success. We only choose the best - freelancers who aren't just looking for a paycheck but are invested in and rooting for our clients to win every single day. That difference shows in our work! To our families THANK YOU for supporting our growth. When you're an entrepreneur or small business owner, your family gets what's left of you at the end of the day. It can be hard for them sometimes as they wait for us to get off the phone, close our laptops, or walk into the front door. We know that following a dream can have some sacrifices along the way and we're so grateful for the support and love from our families.
Sony, Lukas, Emma, and Nova - I love you! Thank you to everyone who has us feeling so #blessed and #loved! Happy Valentine's Day to everyone! Keeping the spark alive with your marketing efforts can feel like a lot of thankless, never-ending work when you’ve fallen into the same, dull routine. (It’s ok, you can admit your feelings to Mama Ash.) If your marketing plan doesn’t give you that tingly feeling then it probably isn’t getting your audience all hot and bothered either. Use these ideas to spice things up. 1. Start a Customer Appreciation Program |
AuthorFirst, I'm the mother of three crazy, sassy, sarcastic, hilarious children. Second, I work in the world of social media, email, digital marketing. Third, I'll probably try to tell you what to do. Archives
August 2023
|