business insights
I’m officially building my first Al app. No code. No hoodie-wearing co-founder. Just me, my idea, a no-code tool called Lovable.dev, and two years of quietly training an Al on everything I know about marketing, messaging, and digital products.
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100 Profitable Digital Product Ideas
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Why We Moved Our 100k+ Email List to Flodesk
Listen, we’ve been around the block a few times when it comes to email marketing platforms. Over the years, we’ve migrated and re-migrated to a handful of different ones to find the best fit, yet we always ended up leaving. After our recent switch last year to Flodesk, we definitely aren’t planning to leave any time soon.
While we’re aware that moving over such a large email list with over 100k subscribers to a beta platform seems completely absurd and irrational, but honestly? It was absolutely the most no-brainer migration we’ve ever done, and here’s why.
How to Send Project Proposals + What to Include
Sending a project proposal can be intimidating for a number of reasons. If you’re new to business and this is the first (or even the fourth or fifth) client you’re sending a proposal to, it can be mega nerve-wracking. You’re likely having a ton of negative and worrisome thoughts. What if they have an issue with something? What if they decide to go with someone else? Does it look okay?
These are all common thoughts to have, especially when this is such an important piece to wowing your potential clients and making it a no-brainer to work with you. After years of running as a service-based business and sending countless PDF proposals to clients, we’ve learned a thing or two about making it as less overwhelming as possible for you (and them)!
So, keep reading to find out how to send project proposals, plus what information to include!
How to Use Dubsado Workflows + Tips
We’re very excited for this post today because we’ve been writing about Dubsado for a while, and we always find some way to sneak in workflows because they’re our absolutely favorite feature of the software. Finally, we’re here to dedicate a whole post just to workflows!
Workflows in Dubsado give you the opportunity to automate so many processes of your usual client workflow. In turn, this frees up so much space in your calendar for you to be able to focus on caring for your clients, completing their projects, and giving them the attention they need without worrying about the techy stuff that happens on the backend.
We’ve heard from many people that workflows allow Dubsado to serve as their VA of sorts because they can set and forget so many different things. So, keep reading to learn more about workflows, how they work, what you should do before creating them, and how you can be using them in your business right now!
How Your Enneagram Type Affects Your Life & Business
In the age of Myers Briggs and the Enneagram, personality types have never been more of a topic of conversation in the online business world than they are now. This increased popularity is leading to more talks about strengths and weaknesses, which we think is absolutely wonderful!
Knowing this information about yourself allows you to learn how to leverage those qualities in the way you do business. Not only that, but you’re also able to find business companions that you fit along with really nicely, which can be especially useful when growing a team.
But in what other ways does your Enneagram affect your life and business?
Lessons from 2020: Sales, Setbacks, and Surprises
We’ll gladly join the masses of people saying that they’re so glad that 2020 is over! And it isn’t so much that we expect the pandemic and all of the issues that come with it to just disappear with a new year, but more so that we’re now able to reflect on the year and kick everything in gear for 2021.
For us, 2020 was a whirlwind, but it was actually our best years ever. Of course we still dealt with setbacks just like everyone else, but we changed up the way we did things at the beginning of 2020, and it had a profound impact on how the year played out.
So what did we change? What actually happened for us in 2020? And what lessons did we learn that we’re carrying into 2021?
How to Stay Motivated by Making Your Goals Visible
The month of December (a.k.a. the month of goal-setting) is one of our favorite times of the year. Nothing fuels us more than to sit down with each other and discuss our aspirations for what we aim to achieve in the new year. For some reason we’re especially fueled this month, probably because we can’t wait to leave behind the chaos that is 2020 (or soon to be was).
However, a struggle for many of our fellow creatives is actually staying motivated all year long. We know the feeling– you’re pumped to crush your goals while you’re planning them, and you still have the ball rolling through Q1, but then.. it slows down.
And it keeps getting slower.. and slower.. and slower until you reflect on your year, realize how shitty it’s been, aim to change that in the next year, get all pumped up again, and the cycle repeats.
So, how do you break the cycle?
How to Automate Your Client Testimonial Process
We all know that testimonials are a crucial part to a functioning business. Unfortunately, many of us are met with fear and anxiety just from the thought of having to ask clients for testimonials/feedback.
“What if I’m actually not doing a good enough job to warrant a great testimonial?”
Thinking of actually bringing it up to your clients almost makes you want to run away or barf (or both). It can even seem like a super awkward conversation, like you’re saying, “Hey, I know we’ve working together for a while, and I think I’ve been doing a great job, but can you just confirm that by writing a testimonial that will potentially be shared with thousands of people depending on how good it is?”
Okay, so you won’t actually say it that way, but it can seem like it! So today, we’re going to walk you through how you can put this task on autopilot so that you can avoid the testimonial-asking anxiety. Or if you’re just simply the worst at remembering to ask for them, these tips are also for you!
Pulling Back the Curtain: How We Launched Our Top 30-Ranking Podcast
It’s been over three years (really, close to four) since we launched The Strategy Hour Podcast. Since then, we’ve made the ranks of Apple’s Top 30 Business Management Podcasts, have been featured in multiple blog posts about business-related podcasts, have had X total downloads on Apple Podcasts alone, and we’re coming up hot on the heels our 500th episode (that’s a lot of freakin’ recording time!).
And while we’re so grateful that our podcast took off the way it did and has influenced thousands of lives and launching it was a blast, in no way has it always been easy. So, today, we’re going to be pulling back the curtain on how we launched our podcast, the challenges we faced, all of the hustle we put in to launch, how we plan and upload new episodes, the whole 9.
If the idea of launching a podcast has been tossing and turning in your brain, our totally candid and honest experience will hopefully help you determine whether this is the right next move in your business journey!
What the Heck is the Instagram Algorithm and How Does It Work in 2020?
The Instagram algorithm, A.K.A. this seemingly mythical being that’s confusing the heck out of tons of people. You may see it talked about a lot either by Instagram gurus or in Facebook groups, but one piece of information that seems to get left out is what it is and how it even works.
We’re all aware that a few years ago, Instagram stopped showing posts in users’ home feed by chronological order, so now it almost feels more like a popularity contest. (We miss those simpler times!)
Everyone is scrambling around searching for information on how to beat this beast, so we pulled together a list of our top tips for making Instagram’s algorithm your very best friend.
Maximizing Productivity and Well-being: 8 Strategies for Working Smarter, Not Harder
A kind of shift happens to most people when they become busy business owners. We tend to start putting our own health and happiness on the back burner and pouring all of our energy into the business. We’re guilty of doing this in the past, but we quickly realized the importance of prioritizing those things for the sake of our own sanity. Hustle culture is overrated, and we want more business owners to start working in smarter and healthier ways, consequently maximizing your productivity and well-being.
Here are our top strategies for working smarter, not harder this year and for years to come!
How to Overcome Perfectionism, Procrastination and Imposter Syndrome
Perfectionism, procrastination and imposter syndrome are three struggles that go hand in hand. When perfectionism is discussed in our industry, or in the context of work and running a small business, it often gets paired with negative behavior like procrastination. This causes indecision and feeling like you don’t actually have any idea what you’re doing, otherwise known as imposter syndrome.
Luckily, there are ways to not overcome these feelings– there isn’t some mindset exercise you can do to make them completely disappear, but you can make shifts to prevent them from inhibiting growth in your business and perhaps actually serve you. Keep reading to find out how!
How Service Providers Can Identify Their Result and Deliver a Profitable Offer
Looking back there is something magical about the beginning stages of business. It’s like we all had this young naive way of thinking at the beginning. You’re learning all the things, you’re hustling, you’re saying yes a lot (probably more than you should have) but you’re doing it. You’re building something that is yours.
And then you get to a point where you’re hitting 10K months consistently. You did the thing! You’ve become an established business owner BUT you’re still holding onto that “beginner” energy. Yeah, you might be making more money but you’re still feeling stressed, overwhelmed, and stretched thin.
Complete Guide to Dubsado’s New Form Builder 2022
As two self-dubbed Dubsado connoisseurs, we were over the moon when we first learned about the updates to Dubsado’s form builder. While it wasn’t terrible to use before, this upgrade that just rolled out for all accounts in July has increased our love for the platform times a thousand. Even though all of the blocks and options are basically the same, the form builder now has a whole new look that the majority of users will find more intuitive and easy to use.
We were part of the lucky group who were able to use the beta version of the new form builder for months, so we’ve already gotten used to the upgrade and have been sticking to it exclusively. Because of that, we knew we had to put out this unofficial guide to Dubsado’s new form builder!
How to Take Action When You’re an Overthinker
We’ve talked before on our podcast about what it means to be the type of person who immediately takes action versus someone who tends to overthink before doing something, if they even do it. In the past, we’ve used the terms “be-er” and “do-er” to describe these two types, and then we learned there’s actually a more scientific Scholarly-level phrase– having a cognitive bias towards action or thinking.
If you have a cognitive bias towards thinking (a be-er), you’re someone who needs to, well, think. A ton. We believe that be-ers need to believe something specific about themselves first before they take action. (Like that you’re actually a productive or organized person before purchasing a planner. Or that you are the type of person who goes to the gym before you actually go to the gym.)
Is it possible to change your cognitive bias and become an action-taker when you’ve historically been an overthinker? Keep reading as we dive into the how-to!
How to Develop an Experimental Mindset and Curiosity Culture in Your Small Business
We have seen too many business owners allow themselves to get stuck in a planning and research phase (because planning is fun!) that the big dreamy goals they have for their business never really come to fruition. The #1 thing that’s helped our business reach 7-figures, employ us and our amazing team, allow us to take time away and live Life-First, grow (when we want to) and sustain is the fact that we’ve created an Experimental mindset for ourselves and a culture of curiosity for our team.
In today’s blog we go over how to develop an experimental mindset not just for you and your business but how to also implement it within your growing business.
Welcome to My Blog
Hey, I’m Abagail Pumphrey!
You know when you are so deeply passionate about something you can’t help but share it? That’s how this blog has felt for the last decade. I’ve written about my latest strategies, tech how-tos, experience with scaling and so much more. I hope you find just what you’re looking for. We’re here to help!
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