Stories That Stick by Kindra Hall is chock full of examples, questions, and prompts to get your wheels spinning. If you are someone who feels you don’t have anything to say, or that your story isn’t worth telling, by the time you finish Stories That Stick you will have stories in spades. Even though I’m someone who has always been interested in narrative and has found a lot of success in sharing stories with my audience, reading these prompts sent little sparks of inspiration shooting through my mind. Luckily, author Kindra Hall walks you through how to sift through your newfound pile of stories and choose which to tell and how.

HOLY MOLY. TWO HUNDRED EPISODES!

This podcast has required a lot of me – time, energy, effort – even when I sometimes didn’t feel like I had it. But its given me so much more.

And probably the most powerful thing that this podcast has given me is WISDOM! I’ve learned so, so, so much from hosting this podcast.

So, today… we’re rounding up 10 things that I’ve learned from 200 episodes of Making Good. Truly – I probably could have come up with 200, but hey – I'd rather skip to the biggest and best.

Today is an important episode, because it’s about one of the most important topics we could ever cover here.

Getting stuff done.

After all, we can have all the big bright ideas in the world, but if we’re not executing on them, it doesn’t really matter. Our ideas can’t change our lives and change the world if we don’t take action to make them a reality.

But. How do we ACTUALLY get stuff done?

In today’s episode, I share some tips and strategies that I’ve picked up in my own journey with productivity. These are techniques that are really working for me lately, and I hope you find them useful too.

For many of us, the “sales” aspect of running our businesses is quite uncomfortable. But it doesn’t have to be, and that’s where today’s episode comes in. My guest today is Megan Smyth. Megan is a sales copywriter and consultant for mission-driven entrepreneurs. Through her in-depth research process, personality-filled copy, and pull-no-punches consulting, she helps purpose-driven founders drive revenue and make a positive impact–without unethical business practices or sleazy sales tactics. 

In today’s episode, we’re going to talk all about that marketing superpower: what it is, why it’s so powerful, and I’m going to give you some concrete strategies for putting it into action.

One of the reasons I was excited to dig into this book with Charelle is because since she read it many years ago, she has baked it’s methods into so many aspects of her own life and business. She also uses it in her work with her clients, supporting their goals and growth using The 12 Week Year as a general framework. Needless to say, I had a blast picking Charelle’s brain.

The 12 Week year is all about planning, taking action, and ultimately getting more out of our time, and I mean, who can argue with that?

I could not be more excited to share my conversation with today’s guest, Miriam Shulman. Miriam is a true force of nature, and I had such a blast talking with her all about how to build a career in the arts, or as a creative. Miriam is an artist and founder of The Inspiration Place, where she helps other artists learn how to profit from their passion or become better artists via online tutorials, coaching, and The Inspiration Place podcast. She is also the author of Artpreneur The Step-By-Step Guide to Making a Sustainable Living from Your Creativity. 

Today, we’re talking about launching. What it is, why we should do it, and how to do it well! The truth is, “build it and they will come” isn’t really a thing… Launching is a strategy that actually works, and in this episode, I’m breaking it all down for you. If you feel like this episode might not be for you because you think launching doesn't apply to your business model…. Well, I would challenge you on that! Give this episode a listen and see if I can change your mind.

My guest today is Amanda McKinney. Amanda is a business and accountability coach specializing in “accidental entrepreneurs.” She is also the host of the Unapologetic Entrepreneur podcast and author of Why Not You? An Accidental Entrepreneur’s Guide to Success.

Clearly, Amanda is BUSY, which is why I am so grateful she took the time to chat with me way back in March. I am such a huge fan of her human-centric approach to business and marketing, and I really appreciated her thoughtful responses to alllllll of my questions. 

Today’s guest, Aby Blum Sudds, is here to tell you that not only is google analytics, or data analytics in general, not scary, but it can be an essential tool in your small business toolkit. Would you believe me if I said having a handle on your data can even be a stress reliever?

In this month’s edition of Making Good Book Club, my co-host Charelle and I discussed Company of One: Why Staying Small Is the Next Big Thing for Business. If you’re someone who is considering the future of your small business, this book is worth a read. In it, author Paul Jarvis makes the, (I would say very strong), case for why keeping your business small is the best plan, rather than aiming for growth.

On Making Good, we have talked quite a bit about transparency, authenticity, and sharing your story. But storytelling can feel like a huge task, and getting it right can seem intimidating. My guest today, Ché Elizaga Castro, demystifies what it means to share your story as a business owner, and does an amazing job breaking it down into clear, bite-sized pieces. 

Ché is the founder of Come Alive Co., where she works with entrepreneurs on their brand story strategy, copywriting, and connection with other impact-driven leaders. Her purpose, in her own words, is “to help women feel known, seen, and worthy of their wildest ideas.” She does this by helping people step into their story so they can approach their marketing with confidence. 

Ché’s passion for what she does is truly infectious, and I’m so grateful for how generously she shared her wisdom. This episode is an absolute goldmine.

I’ve noticed something about this podcast, and specifically about you, dear listener.

And that’s this: You tend to be something like me. The things that I’ve struggled with, so so so often they are things that you struggle with too.

Things like self-doubt. Perfectionism. Consistency.

And, as we’re talking about today – procrastination.

The more I reflect on the topic of procrastination and its role in my own life – which, spoiler alert – has been huge. The more I realize that it’s such an important topic.

It might come as a surprise that we haven’t spent much time talking about website optimization on this show yet. Trust me, when I realized that was the case, I was just as shocked. After all your website, as today’s guest called it, is “your business's home on the internet.” So of COURSE, in addition to it reflecting your brand and personality, we want it optimized for your business’s goals. Elissa Voris joined me on the show to break it all down for us.

In this episode, I'm sharing my 12 favorite tools: we'll talk design tools, email tools, productivity tools, and much more.

As the name implies, this book, written by the founders of the project management tool Basecamp, is a book that challenges the assumptions and the traditional approaches to business…. In such a good way. I think you’ll learn a ton from this book and come away inspired to think about things in a whole new way.

Many listeners of the show may know that online education, along with this podcast and other resources, is a large part of how I educate small business owners about marketing. That’s why I was so excited for Melissa Guller to come on the show to explain how YOU (yes, you – even if you don’t think it’s right for YOUR BUSINESS) can diversify your income with online courses. 

Today’s episode is about something that is so, so, SO important – a concept that has changed my life and that I wish I’d put into practice so much earlier than I did.

And that concept is what I call IMPERFECTIONISM. In other words, the willingness to do things imperfectly.

Because of perfectionism, I’ve spent a lot of my life holding back. Not putting things out into the world, not sharing my work, not showing up. 

But. Here’s the thing:

The only way to get better at something… in other words, to get closer to “perfect”... is to do the thing imperfectly. 

I’m going to be honest with you dear listener. The topic of this week’s episode is a skill that I would say is NOT in my zone of genius. That’s why I was so excited to sit down with Crystalynn Shelton so I could pick her brain about all things business finance. 

Crystalynn is a licensed CPA, small business advisor, and a QuickBooks Top 100 ProAdvisor specializing in financial accounting software training, coaching, and consulting. Crystalynn was so so generous with her extensive knowledge of bookkeeping, I know anyone listening to this interview will pick up some useful tips and tricks.