The Sum of Your Circle -  Who is in YOUR network? 

It’s often said that we’re the average of the five people we spend the most time with. While not based on science, there is some social truth to the influence of those we surround ourselves with, especially as entrepreneurs, career coaches, and resume writers who impact others' lives. 

Let’s face it, while we excel at advising clients on building networks, we often neglect our own. 

It’s time to practice what we preach and craft a circle that mirrors the ambition and expertise we encourage in our clients and supports our growth as professionals and people. 

Assessing Your Network 

If you coach clients on networking for a job search, you probably tell them to start by assessing who is in it. 

“Who are the first five people in your Rolodex?” is usually my prompt for initiating brainstorming. 

So, who are yours?

Map out your network. Who do you currently rely on? Do you have a mentor? A peer who challenges you? A protégé for you to mentor? People who inspire you? Push you? Make you better?

Identifying these roles is just the beginning of understanding your network and identifying the holes in it. 

→ Action Item: Catalog your network across these categories to see where you’re strong and where you are lacking: Mentors, Referral Sources, Peers, Industry Thought Leaders, Ideal Clients, Client Advocates, Industry Connectors, Domain Specialists, Supporting Non-Professionals (Family and Friends), and other Entrepreneurs (of varying industries). 

Diversify and Fortify Your Connections

Surrounding yourself with people like you is beneficial in many ways, but so is the diversity in perspectives that come from different points of view, whether it be demographics, industry-specific, or another form of diversity - let’s mix it up! 

Enrich your business with the advice, counsel, and expertise of people beyond your industry, outside your community, with different skin colors, income brackets, and geographies. Find people who can challenge your thinking or introduce you to new concepts. 

Whether it’s a coach you let behind the curtain of your business world, a VA who can freshen up your content, or a serial entrepreneur - networking outside your immediate circle will make you a better business owner and coach. Period.

Action Item: Analyze the network map created in Step 1 to pinpoint at least one type of connection you lack, and set a goal to bridge that gap. Who can you engage to fill the holes, diversify, and round out your network? Is it a specific person or “anyone” in a particular category? Where would be a great place to get in front of your targets? LinkedIn? Through your existing network? Elsewhere? 

Taking Our Own Advice

We know the theory of networking, and we even know its execution. It’s time to apply it like the pros we are! 

It’s time to go to work and be where you’ve deemed most advantageous for meeting the people filling your network. Whether attending targeted events, engaging in online forums, strategic messaging on LinkedIn, or volunteering, build your strategy - just as if you were a job seeker prospecting a curated hit list of companies. 

Remember, it’s about quality, not just quantity, so you don’t have to spam the world or show up at every Meet-Up on the planet, but you have to get yourself out there, in the right way, and in the right places.

Action Item: Identify an upcoming event where you’ll likely meet the potential contacts you want to add to your network. Similarly, craft an engagement plan to nurture similar contacts via LinkedIn or online communities. Whether in-person or virtual, focus on building a relationship and be ready to follow through with a clear call to action.

Rinse and Repeat for Ultimate Network Growth

Don’t start by filling just one hole! Set the intention to expand your network strategically and consistently so you’re never left with a hole again! Set specific, measurable goals for how you will conduct your networking efforts, and set a stretch goal for yourself to engage with a thought leader or influencer who seems just a little bit out of reach. 

You never know what doors will open or new opportunities will present themselves when you network intentionally and strategically, but I can promise: you’ll be pleasantly surprised! 

A strong, supportive network is critical to our success as entrepreneurs. Obviously, we need the direct business results from referrals, target clients, and client advocates, but there’s so much more to gain with a rich network. 

Entrepreneurship is 80% mental, and building the right community can be the difference between feeling lonely and siloed in business and being pushed to grow, build resilience, and collaborate. 

I challenge you to commit to taking one concrete step this month to enhance your network. 

You won’t be sorry!

Your Friend and Coach, 

Angie M. Callen, CERW, CPCC, CPRW

Two months to go in 2024! 

Did that make the hair on the back of your neck stand up!? With 61 days to go until the new year, we’ve got a great opportunity to reflect and set ourselves up for success in 2025. 

Our clients have performance reviews to prepare for and resumes to update, which forces a look back at the accomplishments and achievements of the past year, but we don’t have that forced accountability to take stock of our progress. 

Consider this your nudge :) 

Here’s how you can dissect 2024’s experiences to celebrate your wins while planning how to push your business forward in the new year.

1. Conduct a Comprehensive Review of 2024

If you don’t know your numbers, you can’t monitor your progress, so start by gathering data. 

→ What services did you offer most? 

→ Which offerings were most profitable (accounting for your time as the “cost of goods.”)?

→ Which services were surprisingly over (or under) performing?

Reviewing how your services perform will be eye-opening; I remember the first time I went through this exercise and realized that my most frequently selling service also took most of my time! Yeah, I made some adjustments after that. 

In addition to the quantitative review above, I recommend pulling the analytics on client interactions, feedback, social media engagement, and other qualitative outcomes to see: 

→  Which services received the highest praise?

→ What services drew your ideal client type?

→ Who is that client type, and where did they come from?

→ What marketing channels drive the highest engagement and/or best leads?

The goal here is to identify trends and patterns that can tell you where your strengths lie, how your marketing is working for you, and what might need tweaking.

2. Learn from the Analysis

Understanding your business outcomes is one of the best ways to guide your focus in 2025. You never know—maybe it’s time to drop what’s lagging - when you didn’t even know “it” was lagging while doubling down on something surprisingly effective or profitable. 

→ Which of your marketing efforts paid off? 

Maybe your blog drove more engagement, or LinkedIn posts got more shares. Use this data to refine your marketing strategy and decide where to invest your energy.

→ What adjustments from 2023 did you make that led to the biggest wins? 

Was it a new service package? A pricing adjustment? Recognizing positive changes can help you replicate those outcomes at the next level!

→ What fell flat? 

We’ve all been there. Group career coaching programs have been my Achilles heel forever, and I just had to admit that it’s a service that doesn’t meet the expectations of my audience. 

These realizations aren’t failures but learning opportunities that help us work smarter, not harder! 

3. Set Clear, Achievable Goals for 2025

Whether you want to work through a formal SMART goals process or take your insights and turn them into goals, the big picture review will help you set realistic expectations for 2025 - and maybe some stretch goals, too, while reverse-engineering those goals into milestones, quarterly activities, and monthly actions that will stack up to get you there. 

Here are a few examples: 

→ Revenue Goals: Based on this year’s earnings, set a realistic yet ambitious revenue target for 2025 - make it at least the same percentage growth you saw from 2023 to 2205, and break it down quarterly to make tracking easier. 

→ New Service Offerings: Iterate, enhance, and optimize your offerings based on what you’ve learned this year from the market, resume trends, new coaching tools, or other outcomes that highlight what makes you competitive and relevant.

→ Professional Development: As a coach, your growth is as crucial as your clients’. Plan to attend at least two professional workshops or seminars in 2025 to keep your skills sharp and network active. [Thrive is a clear no-brainer ;)]

4. Roadmap Your Year

Here’s where strategic planning gets real (and fun, if you ask me). 

Step 1: Block out time on your 2025 calendar for all the personal commitments you know about ahead of time - vacations, Fridays off (if you’re me), holidays, kid stuff, you get the gist - this ensures you maintain a work-life balance that keeps you at your best.

Step 2: Rough in and schedule major Launches and Events by planning major business milestones ahead of time. This could be introducing a new service, starting a new marketing campaign, or even onboarding a new technology - timing them right (and intentionally) can maximize impact without completely disrupting regular business operations (and life)!

Step 3: Set aside weekly or monthly time blocks for regular workloads, such as client consultations, content creation, and administration. Regular slots build a routine that you and clients can rely on, and also help you anticipate your maximize client load to be sure you’re filling that schedule with consistent revenue (while also not overdoing it, either)! 

In Summary

Reviewing the year behind can reveal some amazing insights to help you streamline your business and maximize the potential both it and you have. 

Get ready to make 2025 your most successful year yet!

Your Friend and Coach, 

Angie M. Callen, CERW, CPCC, CPRW

Patience is a Virtue Most of Us Don't Have (And Here's Why You Need It as a Business Owner)

Let’s face it. Life moves at the speed of light these days, and if you’re a business owner, it can feel like it’s moving even faster. 

Patience may seem like a luxury you can’t afford, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. 

The Rarity of Patience in Modern Business

Why do we lack patience? Our digital world has us moving faster than ever, and instant gratification has become a way of life. 

If you’re not getting rapid results, you’re failing. Or at least that’s what the never-ending stream of mass-appeal “grow your coaching business to six figures overnight” ads on my Facebook feed want me to believe. 

The pressure to perform, generate leads, and bring home the bacon can overshadow the need for thoughtful, sustained growth. We're often so focused on immediate needs - chasing the next client or the quickest revenue spike - that we neglect the consistent, systematic efforts that ensure long-term stability.

→ Sounds like something we’d tell an anxious job seeker, eh? 

The Necessity of Patience for Business Owners

While counterintuitive, patience for business owners isn’t just a virtue - it's our best strategy, especially when it comes to marketing, lead generation, and building consistent revenue. 

Here’s why:

1. Cultivating Relationships: Whether it’s with clients, peers, or mentors, building meaningful relationships takes time. Patience allows these relationships to mature into networks that offer support, business, and opportunities, but it takes time to build a consistent referral base that drives reliable leads.

2. Marketing and Lead Generation: There is no magic wand to wave or potion to concoct that will take your business from zero to six figures overnight. Trust, brand loyalty, and visibility take time to build, as do marketing and lead generation strategies that take time to percolate. Rushing these processes can lead to a big waste of money, but more importantly, impatience can set unrealistic expectations that have you jumping from channel to channel without truly cultivating any one potential source. 

3. Revenue Growth Expectations: When starting a business or in the early stages of growth, revenue can come in waves and be unpredictable. This is normal - and it’s normal for even the first year or two. What you don’t want to do is have one great month and say, “Great, I made it,” make big decisions based on that spike, and then you’re starving (literally and figuratively) for the next three. Don’t get me wrong, we want great months, but one doesn’t mean you know how to reproduce it, so take one great month and turn it into three back-to-back. Then take that three months and do it all over again, and now you have your formula for consistent revenue - see how important patience was to that sustainable growth?!

Patience in Practice: A Closer Look at Business Growth Areas

In addition to setting realistic expectations and goals for the revenue side of business, patience, and forethought can do a lot for other areas of your business. Speaking from experience, I naturally fall into the “I have an idea; let’s do it NOW” trap that can end up taxing teams or giving initiatives too little focus. 

After working with a coach (a coach without a coach is like a doctor who won’t go to the doctor), I learned how to put ideas into execution at the right time.

I learned to be patient. 

Here’s what that can do for you: 

Strategic Planning: Long-term planning is only possible with patience. Set your vision, establish your goals, and create annual road maps that include launching new products or services, your time off, and other milestones you can lock in advance. This will keep you accountable for the activities you need to do to make that vision a reality while also keeping those “I have an idea” impulses in check! 

Client Retention: Securing a new client is an achievement; keeping them is an art. Patience in your client engagements - and giving them the experience they want instead of the process you think they need - allows you to understand, meet, and exceed their expectations. Don’t rush into writing the resume if they need a coaching session; don’t rush to close a sale if they need time. Fostering loyalty is more profitable in the long run than new client acquisition. It’s also more fun! 

Building Your Skills: How to Be More Patient

1. Establish Minimums: When deploying new marketing strategies, lead generation channels, or even launching a new product or service, give it time. Pre-establish a timeline to gauge the effectiveness of any single initiative. 

Hint: Three months is typically needed to see if marketing or lead generation strategies will provide an ROI. This period allows enough data accumulation to make informed decisions and see trends while avoiding the typical knee-jerk reaction to short-term fluctuations or a week of crickets. 

2. Set Incremental Goals: Break down your larger business goals into smaller, manageable milestones.

Hint: Go back to the suggestion above about planning out your year. This will make big, hairy, audacious goals less daunting by breaking them down into smaller chunks, which also means more opportunities to celebrate wins (and celebrating reinforces patience and persistence). 

3. Reflect and Adjust: Set regular monthly or quarterly intervals to review your business strategies, goals, and current outcomes. 

Hint: Knowing your numbers helps you adjust your approach to maximize efforts, and a dose of patience will ensure the incremental goals and activities remain aligned with your long-term objectives and market realities.

In Summary

Cool it. No, just kidding - but maybe back off the need for instant gratification a touch? 

There’s a time and place to be fast, and there’s a time and place to be slow, methodical, and thoughtful. This is just another example of a time to look in the mirror and give yourself a dose of the advice we give clients every day: consistent, methodical action paired with realistic expectations (translation: patience) will get you the reward. 

Turtles win races, too, ya know. 

Coach Well!

Your Friend and Coach, 

Angie Callen

Leadership in the Digital Age – Guiding Clients Through Market Changes 

A few weeks ago, I was jetted from my little mountain home in Colorado to the cacophony of music that is Nashville to speak to a group of marketing executives about leadership in an AI world. 

The punchline of that presentation was: be a human. 

Preparing for the keynote and the (extremely positive) reception to it got me thinking about the role we, as career coaches and resume writers, play in guiding clients through the AI-influenced transformative landscape we find ourselves in. 

We’re all sick of hearing about, talking about, and thinking about AI, but it’s here and here to stay. As AI redefines job roles and industries, we find ourselves in a unique position to extend our coaching. 

Not only is it essential to leverage technology to stay ahead as a coach, but now it's crucial to understand the nuances and impacts technology has on careers—especially for our clients. This means we must proactively educate and prepare our clients for a job market deeply integrated with AI technologies. 

We’re talking way beyond the *gag* ATS stuff here - this isn’t just about building resumes; we're equipping our clients with the understanding and skills they need to confidently navigate AI-influenced hiring environments and positions. 

Here’s the thing. Technology is changing, but the nature of humans is still foundational, and in my opinion, this is where we have an opportunity to stand out. 

Stay with me…

Technology may replace workers, but if you ask me, it will displace more. Candidates who can upskill and adapt will be primed to avoid being replaced because they’re keeping hard skills current, but there’s still one overlooked area where a candidate can stand out.

Human skills. 

Hey, maybe I just coined a new term for soft skills! 

The need for leaders, or professionals of any level for that matter, who can bring humanism to the technical landscape is paramount, and we’re in the opportunity to cultivate and coach these soon-to-be unicorns. 

AI’s ability to automate tasks, predict market trends, and reshape the way of work, but what it can’t do is bring emotional intelligence, empathy, and interpersonal skills to the workplace—attributes that AI has yet to replicate.

In some of the research I did for the aforementioned presentation, I found the following mind-blowing statistic:

→ 67% of employees surveyed reported that they would trust a robot more than their manager. 

I don’t know about you, but if I’m going to go toe-to-toe with a robot, I want to know I can win (without being Tom Cruise in Edge of Tomorrow…), and the only way we can win, the only way our clients can win, is by bringing the humanity and the connection so many employees fear we are losing due to the rise of technology in the workplace. 

It may seem lofty, but I believe career services professionals have the ability to spread this message. We have the power to impact the culture of the workforce if we focus our clients on building skills that maintain connectedness in their workplaces. 

Here are a few ways you can bring these ideals into your coaching practice. 

Bonus: not only will you be impacting the culture of the workforce, but you’ll also be separating yourself from the competition with services - and an approach - that differentiates you from other coaches. Talk about a win-win! 

• Educate About AI Implications: Do not fear the technology; embrace it and educate your clients about how technology may influence their career paths, growth potential, or job search targets. Better yet, take it one step further by identifying AI tools prevalent in their industries and coaching them on how they can use these tools to their advantage.
  
  

• Leverage AI Strategically: Each client’s interaction with AI will vary based on their industry, career stage, and communication style. Personalize your coaching to help them leverage AI, even going so far as to create materials on AI literacy to equip them to use trending tools effectively.
  
  

• Maintain the Mindset: People can get reeaaaaaaal caught up in this stuff (I mean, do we need to talk about the obsession with ATS at this juncture?), and it’s your job to back them off the ledge. Encourage your clients to develop a mindset geared towards continuous learning and flexibility; if you’re working with the more seasoned professionals, this is k.e.y.!

• Promote Human-Centric Skills: In a job market increasingly dominated by AI, the distinctly human skills—creativity, empathy, and ethical judgment—become a client’s competitive edge. Encourage clients to hone these skills by providing exercises and resources to identify them, build them, and keep them sharp! 

Just as our clients are being impacted by AI, so are we; the way we work is also changing, as guiding clients through the AI age involves more than traditional coaching.

How will you keep up?

Don’t worry, those with sweaty palms! Here are three things you can do right now to make sure you - the coach - are as up-to-speed as you need to be to keep your clients on their toes: 

• Continuously Update Your Toolkit: As AI technologies evolve, so should your coaching tools and methods. Make it a habit to stay informed about the latest AI applications in career coaching and resume writing. Attend industry conferences, participate in relevant webinars, and subscribe to leading tech and career coaching newsletters to keep your practice at the cutting edge.

• Engage with Other Industry Leaders: Networking isn’t just for job seekers. Connect with other career coaches and industry experts to exchange insights about integrating AI into coaching practices. These conversations can provide innovative ideas and help you understand how others adapt to similar challenges.

• Experiment and Innovate: The best way to understand AI's impact is to use it yourself. Experiment with new AI tools designed for career development or resume writing. This firsthand experience will enhance your ability to coach effectively and enable you to offer genuine insights and guidance based on your personal interaction with technology.

I’ve said it before, but this seems like a great time to wrap up by reiterating: sometimes, the best advice we can give ourselves is to look in the mirror and say some of the things we say to our clients! 

Never stop learning, leading, or living. That’s how we win when we’re toe-to-toe with the robots. 

Happy Coaching!

Your Friend and Coach, 

Angie

Letting Go: Delegating Work is a Must for Business Growth

As career coaches and resume writers, we often work in a solopreneurial capacity, which means business growth is often bottlenecked by one person: us. 

Our time is limited, and we have to balance a lot - from client meetings and deliverables to operational tasks, marketing, responding to LinkedIn messaging, the list goes on - and it can feel overwhelming. 

Whether you want to grow (or scale!) your business or just maintain the current level of activity while freeing up some of your time, there’s a truth we have to face. 

It’s time to delegate.

Entrepreneurs are terrible at offloading work. We hold on tight-fisted because doing everything ourselves has become a way of life, and we wear it as a badge of honor. Oh yeah, and there’s also that “no one else can do this as good as I can” thing. 

Doing everything is holding you back. 

In the early days, you have to suck it up and wear all the hats because money is tight, but there comes a point where keeping everything on your to-do list has diminishing returns on your time, so in our quest to scale - or even sustain, the concept of delegation becomes crucial. 

There are many ways to attack the “get help” goal, which has been a conversation I’ve had multiple times just this week - in Build Your Business, in a coaching community, and with two separate coach clients! Clearly, we need HELP! 

My recommendation: A Virtual Assistant (VA)

A VA offers a flexible, scalable solution to handling administrative tasks without the overhead of full-time employees. For entrepreneurs in the coaching industry, this means access to skilled help on an as-needed basis, which allows us to focus more on coaching and less on the minutiae.

The key to leveraging a VA, or any outsourced support for that matter, is determining where to get help and what will provide the best return on the investment. Everyone's needs are different, and it can take some iterating to determine where you feel the most benefit, but trust me, it’s worth it. 

Note - Training someone takes more time - at first - than it would if you did the task yourself, but in the long run, it will save you time. (Sounds like something we’d say to a micromanager struggling to lead a team, eh?)

Transitioning responsibilities to a VA has been transformative for me and Career Benders, and I thought it might be helpful to share some of the areas where I’ve delegated work to get your brain thinking about how a  VA can help streamline your operations:

• Bookkeeping: It is the first thing I recommend you offload! I have a VA who works specifically in finances, so this is the only task that person completes for me every month. (Oh yeah, you can have more than on VA!)

• Client Onboarding: Setting up agreements, sending out invoicing, and onboarding new clients onto our client management system is all done by someone who is not me! 

• Document Preparation: After the bookkeeper, the next thing I brought on was someone to format client deliverables for me, so all I have to do is sit down and write. Sure, this may take only 20 - 30 minutes, but the time adds up when I was in high-volume mode and writing 8 - 10 resumes a week! 

• Social Media Management: I love marketing (as most of you know), but content creation and social media management are so different from my core day-to-day activities that it requires a big lift to accomplish. I just won’t do it, so I brought someone in to tackle it for me. Other than LinkedIn, I am totally hands-off with social. Yay!

• Email and Communication: Many colleagues use VAs to manage scheduling, which can be a huge time-saver. I’ve still found it’s best to control my calendar, but my VA has completely taken over all of our email marketing. She has a hand in newsletters, the weekly Sunday Scaries, and our automated marketing. Sure, the content still comes from me, but again, I don’t have to spend time formatting - all I have to do is opine. It’s what I do best! 

• Other Stuff (and the list goes on): From the logistics of webinars and workshops to website updates, podcast appearances, content research, and lead routing, there are a ton of ways a VA can take 15 minutes here and 15 minutes there from your plate to yours, and over time, you will see it add up! 

The other thing I enjoy about having a VA—and the right VA—is that I’m not alone! I have someone to bounce ideas off and, more importantly, some help with accountability and reminders of everything I’m good at putting on my to-do list. 

Speaking of finding the right VA…

Finding great help isn’t easy, and it may take a few tries to match the right person with the proper skill set and needs. I tried various models, from direct hires to offshore assistants, but the best fit for me came from a U.S.-based women-owned business that hires professionals who require flexible working arrangements, such as moms returning to work, women navigating personal transitions, and teachers seeking new opportunities. 

This model has not only supported my business needs but also aligned with my values of providing meaningful employment opportunities. I have a kick-butt VA who wants to see me succeed. Talk about a win-win.

Your First Hire

If you’re considering a VA, start with tasks that have clear processes and require minimal oversight, like bookkeeping, and then add layers of complexity as you build your VA relationship. Set realistic goals and have level-headed expectations, and you’ll be toting the value of a VA before you know it! 

In Summary

Incorporating a VA into your business strategy isn’t just about freeing up time—it’s about investing in your business’s growth potential. With the right VA, you can create efficiency, enhance your service offering, and ensure that your quality of service remains as high as possible because you are focused on your clients. 

Remember, the goal of scaling your business is not merely to increase the number of clients or revenue but to enhance your ability to make a significant impact in the lives of those you coach. A VA can be a pivotal part of achieving that goal.

Food for thought!

Happy Business, 

Your Friend and Coach, 

Angie Callen, CERW, CPRW, CPCC

Question of the Day: Do you keep up with the economy, the news, and the labor market? 

Staying updated on the latest market trends and labor dynamics isn’t just beneficial—it’s an essential part of career coaching today. 

I find the macroeconomics of the labor market fascinating. Give me an episode of NPR’s Marketplace, and I am a happy girl. I realize this is largely due to my background as an engineer, which still triggers the need for data and analytics more than I like to admit. Regardless, this is very relevant information for us to keep on our radar! 

I was writing my monthly client newsletter earlier today (it is literally called “The Career Economy Newsletter”), and in researching recent hiring trends and job creation statistics got to thinking about the material in the context of our businesses and came to the following conclusion: 

One reason our clients invest in us is our market knowledge and understanding of nuanced economic conditions.  

 A well-informed career coach, resume writer, or job search strategist is an asset to a client, and that competitive advantage helps drive our value (and price). 

Real-time knowledge helps tailor coaching strategies, anticipate market shifts, and provide professional development suggestions aligned with current skill demands. This improves the client’s ability to make decisions, find clarity, and navigate the difficulties of job searching. 

In other words, it gives them a competitive advantage, too. 

Here are some suggestions and resources to keep a finger on the pulse of the market as you continue to make yourself indispensable to your clients: 

Industry Reports and News Outlets: Follow and rely on trusted sources representing various perspectives. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), LinkedIn, Forbes, and The Wall Street Journal—just to name a few—regularly distribute reports and data on hiring, new job creation, and labor economics. Evaluating a few of them will give you a nice neutral picture of the current state of affairs. 

Professional Publications and Journals: Subscribe to industry-specific journals and publications that provide deep insights into market trends and economic forecasts within your particular areas. Harvard Business Review, The Economist, and Industry Week are good examples of resources focused on business, global economics, and manufacturing, respectively. 

Networking and Professional Groups:  Engage with other professionals through forums, groups, workshops, and conferences. Even informal events can provide useful insights and get you out of the “echo chamber” you may be operating within. Communities can be incredibly valuable!

Your Clients: Y’all, they are on the front lines! Ask them, listen to them, find out what they’re seeing, and then compare those notes to feedback from other clients. I guarantee you’ll find commonalities among them that help confirm the data or affirm observations, and that’s a very powerful thing to be able to share. 

We’re all here to enhance other people’s careers - to change lives - but our continuous improvement should never take a backseat. By staying informed about market trends and the labor economy, we ensure that our services remain relevant, effective, and highly valued.

Our clients and careers will be all the better for it.

Your Friend and Coach, 

Angie Callen, CERW, CPRW, CPCC

Do You Really Need a Website as a Career Coach or Resume Writer? 

The short answer? Yes. 

But if you know me, you know there’s a long answer, heh, so here’s a deeper dive into why a website is crucial and what you can do if you’re not quite ready to build one.

→ It’s Your Digital Storefront – Make It Count

Think of your website as your digital business card. Along with LinkedIn, it’s often the first encounter potential clients have with your brand. 

No website? Then you’re a hidden gem that lacks credibility in this digital world. Perhaps more limiting, it also makes it hard for connections to have a place to send referrals. A website not only introduces you but can also convincingly argue why you're the best choice.

→ Control the Narrative

Unlike social media platforms, a website is a stable, customizable space you own. It’s unaffected by algorithm changes or platform rules, allowing you to control how your professional story is told. This space lets you highlight what you want, like specific services or successful case studies that align with your target audience's needs.

→ Build Credibility and Trust

A professional website enhances credibility, and adding a blog can further establish your authority while providing valuable insights to keep readers engaged. 

→ SEO: Be Found

Without SEO, even the best services might go unnoticed. A well-optimized website ensures you appear in searches like “Resume writer in Glenwood Springs” or “Tech career coach,” which helps your audience find you. 

Think about it like an ATS. A well-crafted resume will land atop the pile instead of getting buried in a database; an SEO-optimized site will do the same because no one goes to page 14 in Google Results :) 

→ Convert Visitors Into Clients

Your website should guide visitors towards engagement—booking a consultation, signing up for a newsletter, or downloading a resource. This helps build a client base while turning visitors into potential leads you can nurture more intentionally. 

What If You’re Not Ready for a Website?

Not everyone is ready to launch a website right away. Budget constraints, time limitations, or early business stages might delay this step. 

Here’s what you can do in the meantime:

- Leverage Social Media: Build a strong presence on platforms like LinkedIn, where many professionals and potential clients spend their time. Share content, engage with users, and grow your network so your profile can become a landing page and temporary storefront. 

- Use Online Marketplaces: Platforms like Upwork or Fiverr can help you get started and reach clients without a website because they provide a built-in audience actively seeking specific services.

- Start a Blog: Use platforms like Medium or Substack to publish content to help you establish your authority and share your expertise until you have your site; this content can also be used as evergreen articles on LinkedIn to increase your profile visibility. 

- Network Extensively: Networking can often substitute for immediate online presence by building your reputation through word-of-mouth.

- Prepare Your Website’s Content: Start creating content for your future website now - write service descriptions, draft blog posts, gather testimonials, and plan your site structure. This will streamline the development process when you’re ready.

Final Thoughts: Your Website as an Investment

Consider your website an essential investment in your professional image and market presence, not just a pricey business expense. Eventually, you’ll want (and need) this tool to expand your business. 

So, let’s revisit the original question: Do you need a website? Yes, to effectively stand out, control your narrative, and attract more clients. If you’re not there yet, use the alternatives to build visibility while you save up and work toward the goal. 

Your future website will thank you for laying the groundwork.

Your Friend and Coach, 

Angie

Crafting a successful business in career coaching and resume writing requires more than just expertise in the field; it hinges on a series of strategic insights and practices that distinguish thriving businesses from those that merely survive. 

Last month, I hosted a wildly popular webinar where I shared my seven secrets of success. Whether you attended or not, I’ve wrapped up that hour into a nice little package for you, and I hope this Spotlight steers you and your business toward unprecedented growth and success.

Secret 1: The Power of Knowing Your Niche

Your niche isn't just a segment of the market—it's the focus that guides your business's direction, messaging, and offerings. Much like job searching, where lack of clarity can derail all of a candidate’s efforts, the same is true in business!

Understanding your niche involves identifying a specific group with common problems or goals and tailoring your services to meet their needs. Clarity in who you serve enables you to craft targeted marketing strategies and content that resonate deeply with those ideal clients. It doesn’t mean you turn away potential clients outside that niche; it simply means it’s where you focus your efforts for maximum return on (marketing) investment. 

2. The Strategic Use of Automation

In the solopreneur journey, time is a currency you cannot afford to waste. Automation tools, such as calendar management systems, virtual payment options, and email list management tools, are your allies. These systems help you streamline operations and do more with less time, allowing you to focus on what truly matters—growing your business and serving your clients.

3. Embracing Sales Funnels

Sales funnels are not just digital marketing jargon; they are an essential strategy for converting leads into clients, automating sales call follow-ups, and staying in front of your “people.” 

By nurturing your audience through carefully designed email sequences and engaging content, you establish trust and authority, which increases your client baseand encourages clients to return and refer. 

4. Selling Solutions, Not Services

Shift your mindset from selling services to offering solutions.

One of the best things about knowing your niche is the ability to drill into their core challenges and package offerings that appeal to those pain points. 

As Russel Simmons said, “If you want to make money, you have to help someone else make money.” 

Jobs are money, and helping job seekers overcome their challenges elevates your value and enables you to command higher prices while providing clear, tangible benefits to your clients.

5. Mastering Time Blocking

Ownership of your schedule is crucial. Time blocking is not just about organizing your day; it is about prioritizing revenue-generating activities and essential business tasks over the “time sucks.” 

By controlling your calendar, you ensure that your business operates efficiently, has the capacity to grow or generate the revenue you want, and, most importantly, provides a check-and-balance against overbooking burnout. 

6. Building Your Community

Entrepreneurship is better shared. 

A strong community offers support, feedback, and valuable insights into the market. It also serves as a referral network! A network of trusted, collaborative peers will enrich your professional and personal life.

It’s one of my very favorite things about PARWCC!

7. Cultivating the Right Mindset

Mindset can make or break your business. Period. 

Entrepreneurship is as much a mental game as it is a strategic (and selling) one, and maintaining a positive, growth-oriented mindset amidst the ups and downs of business is key. 

If you find yourself getting caught up in the ebbs and flows of clients and money or becoming overwhelmed by “all the things,” get that mindset in check. Adopt a morning routine, mindfulness practices, or get support from that network (#6!) to help you stabilize your mental and emotional health. 

Resilience and consistency are two resources you can never have enough of when you’re growing a business! 

There’s always something to learn no matter where you’re in business - day two or year twenty - I hope these insights into how I’ve grown my six-figure business will provide a new perspective and inspiration to keep going. 

There is no better exploration into self-discovery than entrepreneurship; welcome to the ride. 

Your Friend and Coach, 

Angie Callen, CPCC, CPRW

Once upon a time, in a world not too different from our own, I embarked on a journey armed with nothing but a dream and a business card that featured, I kid you not, a clip art logo of a barbell bending. 

And, Career Benders was born!

Fast forward through six years of blood, sweat, tears, and one intentional branding exercise, and here we are. 

My point? You don't need a perfect brand to start your journey; you just need to start.

Here are some ideas on where to begin to build a brand that reflects your current goals while setting a foundation to evolve gracefully as your business grows. 

Step 1: Name Your Brand

Your name is your first handshake with the world, so make it count. Start with something memorable, easy to pronounce, and, most importantly, meaningful to you. 

Free brainstorming tools and the thesaurus are great resources to think outside the box or create word associations. And remember, Google is your friend to ensure the URL for your chosen name isn't already taken [or confirm your name doesn’t mean something embarrassing in another language…eke!]

Step 2: Embrace Your Inner Picasso for Logo Design on a Shoestring

Yes, my first logo was a free clip art, which is a testament to starting where you are. Today, platforms like Canva or free versions of Adobe Spark offer budget-friendly options for more robust logo DIY. Your logo should capture the essence of your brand's personality with colors that evoke the emotions you want people to feel when engaging with you. 

Step 3: Find Your Voice 

Crafting your brand's voice isn't just about deciding whether you're more of a "dear sir/madam" or a "hey there!" kind of guy or gal. Are you formal? Quirky? Direct? Choose a lane, stick to it, and be consistent across all channels - emails, social media posts, and even how you answer the phone. Make it match and make it memorable!

Step 4: Built Your Brand’s Digital Footprint

Your website is your business card, storefront, and salesperson all rolled into one, and it’s the perfect canvas to articulate and visualize your brand. When it comes to articulation pieces, remember clarity is king. Ensure your site clearly states who you are, how you help, and what problems you solve. 

Step 5: Evolving Your Brand 

Your brand will evolve, and that's not just okay; it's necessary. As you grow and become more experienced as a coach, you’ll begin to understand how to iterate and focus your brand to align with the niche you continue to refine. The key is to keep your core values and mission at the heart of this evolution as you listen to your audience, stay abreast of industry trends, and pivot your strategy as you grow.

In Summary: Clipart Can Still Show Heart

Starting with a less-than-perfect brand isn't a setback; it's a rite of passage because it shows you tackled the biggest milestone of all: starting. 

Your brand is a living, breathing entity that grows with you, so, start where you are, use what you have, and do what you can. The rest, as they say, will follow.

Here's to bending barbells, brands, and careers! 

Your Friend and Coach, 

Angie Callen, CPRW, CPCC

Do you provide a service? Or do you create an experience?

The journey with our clients is more than a transaction – it's an experience. From the first interaction to the final stages of offboarding, every touchpoint shapes a memorable and impactful experience that can create a lasting bond between you and your clients. 

It is that bond that boosts your reputation, brings in referrals, and extends the lifetime value of a client who comes back time and again because they remember not the document you made for them but how you made them feel. 

So, let's ask ourselves a fundamental question: 

Are you delivering a document or building a relationship? 

Are you selling a product or an outcome? 

Are you creating a fun environment that goes beyond the resume and leaves a lasting impression?

If you’re not, you can, and you should! 

Imagine the scenario: A potential client stumbles upon your LinkedIn profile. What impression do they get? Is it a bland list of services and clearly AI-generated posts, or does it radiate knowledge, expertise, and enthusiasm? 

The first interaction - which could be as passive as a scroll on social media - sets the tone for what a client can expect from an engagement with you. 

From first tough to last, let’s make it count. Here are some tips on how to do just that. 

Inject Personality into Your Online Presence

LinkedIn, for instance, is a hotbed for potential clients. Hence, it’s a great example of how a client’s first exposure to you may be indirect, so you’ve got to make it engaging - share success stories, sprinkle in a bit of humor, and let your personality shine through. Don’t be afraid to be a human who lives, breathes, and makes mistakes. 

Clients want to work with real people, not robotic service providers. You can share knowledge and your personality at the same time. 

Celebrate Their Journey

Are you celebrating your clients’ successes? Do you know their birthdays? Do you send them a holiday card? A congrats card for a new job? Did you know they had a new baby? 

If you don’t know these things, you’re missing out on a hugely rewarding experience that will bond your clients to you for life. Acknowledging milestones and victories - career or otherwise - is not just about patting ourselves on the back; it's about making our clients feel valued and appreciated.

Create a Wall of Wins

Whether it's a new job, a successful career transition, or a skill acquisition, celebrate it! Dedicate a section on your website or newsletter to showcase client success stories. It boosts your credibility, instills confidence in potential clients, and inspires those who may be struggling. 

You’re not bragging when you share a win; you’re showing others it is possible (through your guidance…wink.)

Snail Mail Surprises

Send a handwritten note or a small token of appreciation when your client comes on board, has a life event, or achieves a significant career milestone.

The unexpected gestures make the client experience memorable, and personal touches go a long way in building lasting relationships.

The Art of Offboarding

Now, let's talk about the often-overlooked phase of the client journey – offboarding. 

How we wrap up an engagement can help you obtain feedback to improve your coaching and resume writing, but more importantly, it can leave the door open for future collaborations while helping you wrap up the engagement with a clear endpoint and a memorable send-off.

There’s no way a client will seek out a peer when you’ve shown care and thoughtfulness from start to finish. 

Stay Connected 

Maintain a connection even after the official engagement has ended. Follow your clients on professional platforms, engage in their content, congratulate them on their career milestones, and occasionally check in to see how they're doing. 

Be sure to include them in newsletters, announcements, and your own celebration to make them feel like they’re still - and will always be - part of your community. 

The client experience is about building something intentional - it isn’t a linear path but an amalgamation of emotions, empathy, and shared successes. Elevating this experience requires intentionality to infuse positivity, fun, and care. Do so, and you’ll craft an enjoyable - and fun - professional development journey that goes beyond the current engagement and lasts well into the future. 

Here's to creating experiences that resonate!

Your Friend and Coach, 

Angie Callen, CPRW, CPCC

Alright, fellow coaches and resume writers, it’s time for introspection! 

We’re all gearing up for a fresh start - our job seekers are hoping (and praying) for positive changes in the market - and so are we - but don’t forget you have your own aspirations to reach this year. 

Have you set them? 

I’m turning the coaching tables around - hey, every coach needs a coach, right - to keep you accountable to contemplating what you want the next 12 months to hold for you and your business.

→ What are your 2024 goals as a business owner, entrepreneur, and professional?

If you’re thinking about this with a perplexed expression because you’ve never stopped to think about what you want in your business, it’s time to change that! 

Take your own advice!

Research shows that setting clear, measurable goals helps to trigger new habits, maintain focus, and build a sense of accountability – echoing what we guide our clients through daily. 

Not sure where to start with business goal-setting? 

Start with a review of the previous year. Look at your revenue, client load, and the outcomes you achieved through your clients and as an entrepreneur. Just as we ask our clients, when writing a resume, what they accomplished through their job roles, you need to identify and recognize what you have done. 

It will give you a benchmark for setting new goals this year and a reason to celebrate how far you’ve come as an entrepreneur, coach, and writer. 

Now, let’s set some goals for this year!

Step one: Grab a pen and paper, and embrace the tangible power of ink on paper (writing goals statistically increases your chance of achieving them by a whopping 42%)!

Step two: Write down one learning or professional development goal that will help you grow as a practitioner - maybe you want to snag a new certification (I'm a fan of CPCC and CPWR; hint, hint), enroll in a course, or get more involved in a community. Maybe you want to attend a conference (I know a good one…) - whatever it is, commit to investing in YOUR professional development every year. 

What will it be this year? 

Step three: Establish measurable goals that offer numerical proof of your progress. Consider income targets—like a 15% revenue boost over 2023 or maintaining your 2023 revenue while reducing your work hours by 20%. 

Whatever it is, make it tangible: "I aim to hit $X00,000 in revenue this year."

Step four: Envision a service goal pertaining to your direct client work. It could mean diving into a new industry or expanding your product lineup, but the idea here is to use your professional development to positively impact your clients and you! 

Step five: Nail down the timeline and devise an action plan by reverse-engineering your goal. 

For instance, aiming for $360,000 in 2023 means averaging $30,000 in revenue monthly. If your average service is $2,000, that's 15 monthly clients. Is that feasible?  Adjust as needed, but maintain a stretch goal to keep you pushing through challenges, ups, and downs. 

→ You can do it!

Now that you’ve defined your goals, given power to them by writing them down, and created an action plan, you can go to work doing the things you know will generate the results. 

As a bonus, plaster your goals in plain sight —bathroom mirror, steering wheel, computer screen—anywhere that keeps them front and center.

The consistent reminder will keep you pushing ahead no matter what, and you may even shock yourself at how far you can go when you set a goal and create a plan to achieve it. 

Let's make 2024 our best year yet!

Your partner in growth,

Angie Callen

P.S. Looking for accountability to stick to your goals? Email me your 2024 goals at angie@careerbenders.com, and I’ll keep you committed and driving forward through this year. 

As career coaches and resume writers, we are all in the business of helping our clients stay ahead in the world of professional growth and career development. LinkedIn is a key component to job searches today, and I’m sure many (hopefully all) of us are helping our clients understand and embrace it. 

But how good are WE at leveraging the power of LinkedIn to build OUR brands, expand our networks, and reinforce the thought leadership that brings clients into the fold? 

In this month’s Spotlight, we’ll explore how we, as career coaches and resume writers, can leverage LinkedIn for personal and professional growth - effectively and efficiently!

Before we delve into the specifics of how to use LinkedIn effectively, it's essential to understand that success on this platform, like many other things in life, takes time and patience. Building a solid personal brand and establishing ourselves as thought leaders doesn't happen overnight. 

It's a process, and here’s what I’ve learned along the way:

• Consistency is key. If we want to grow our networks, raise brand awareness, and share valuable insights with our audiences, we must show up regularly. This doesn't mean spending hours every day on LinkedIn, but a thoughtful, consistent approach will do wonders.

• Ignore metrics. (At least to some extent.) Avoid getting caught up in how many reactions or comments you’re getting on individual posts and, instead, track your profile views and follows. LinkedIn’s current algorithms are - interesting - so this is a much better way to understand how your efforts are impacting your overall performance. 

• Be you. Getting more active with content creation can feel a little scary. You’re vulnerable, and your opinions are out there for viewing (and shaming), but it’s what people want, so get over it )to be direct!). Be confident in what you know and put it out there in your own way.

LinkedIn is continuously evolving, and what worked a few years ago might not yield the same results today.

I’ve basically decided “the algo” is to us as ATS is to our clients. Here are some strategies that are currently working on LinkedIn:

1. Content Is King: Regularly sharing content on LinkedIn is one of the most effective ways to increase visibility and engage with our audiences. It could be a thought-provoking article, a personal anecdote, or a client success story. Remember, people appreciate authenticity. Share what's meaningful to you, and your audience will likely find it valuable.

2. Engagement Matters: Don't just post content; engage with your network - in some ways, it could be an even better path to profile visibility! Respond to comments on your posts, participate in relevant discussions, and chime in on others’ content with meaningful responses (11+ words!).

3. Start a Newsletter: If you have creator mode turned on (you should), you have the ability to  

Need inspiration? Check out my weekly newsletter: Combatting the Sunday Scaries! 

4. Use AI Carefully: ChatGPT is a great tool to enable efficient content creation, but be mindful of how you use it. It seems as if both the algorithm and the humans on LinkedIn can spot AI-generated content, and it lowers engagement. You can use it; just be sure to edit the output into your own voice.

5. Don’t be afraid to be personal: Yes, you see people ranting about how personal stuff shouldn’t be on LinkedIn, but guess what? That’s what gets the engagement! The key is to take something personal and make it relevant to your thought leadership by tying in an anecdote or offering a lesson from it. Be sure to remain “above the bar,” avoid politicizing anything, and balance this kind of content with knowledge sharing and other professional meanderings.

If I can get people to like a post about me learning to mountain bike at 42.8, you’ve got ammo!

6. Chime in on collaborative articles: LinkedIn launched something called Skills Pages about a year ago, and within each skills page are AI-generated articles relevant to the topic. Find the skills pages that align with your thought leadership, follow them, and offer contributions to the articles. You’ll be seen by new faces, and you’ll also have a chance of getting one of the new yellow top voice badges!

There you have it - six easy steps to embracing LinkedIn and all that it has to offer to career services professionals. 

The journey isn’t that daunting of an undertaking, after all! 

While you’re rolling out the strategies above, I’ll also caution you to focus on high-quality connections. I’m generally open to connecting to anyone and everyone except lead-generation spammers who just want to pitch me and dilute the quality of my network. It isn’t worth the additional follower, trust me. 

In closing, LinkedIn offers a unique opportunity to expand our professional reach and establish ourselves as thought leaders, but success on the platform takes time, consistency, patience, and authenticity. Focusing on valuable content, meaningful connections, and continuous learning will help you establish your voice and grow a sustainable, meaningful network. 

See you on LinkedIn!

Your Friend and Coach,
Angie

In our worlds as career coaches and resume writers, we’re often focused (laser-focused) on building others up - helping them progress in their professional tracks, and we’re passionate about it. 

We love guiding clients toward their career aspirations, making goals a reality, and realizing big outcomes. The “giver” mentality is strong within all of us; we dedicate ourselves to nurturing others because it’s demanding yet rewarding, and we’re great at it. 

What we’re not great at is applying those same ideals to ourselves.

November is National Career Development Month. 

What better reminder that your own professional development and training is an essential element to a successful coaching business? Just as we help others achieve their goals, we must invest in ourselves, our growth, and our skills.

→ In case you need a little help in this arena, here are three ways to give back to yourself this week, this month, and the coming year!

Strive to Continue Learning 

Education doesn't stop with a degree or certification. As we know, the professional landscape, hiring, and resume trends are ever-evolving, and to stay relevant, we must commit to continual improvement and lifelong learning. 

We also know the plethora of resources available to us (because we’re usually on the recommendation end of these suggestions), so think about applying them to yourself: enroll in an online course, webinar, or workshop. Commit to a new certification. Join a mastermind. 

While this isn’t a commercial for PARWCC, there are opportunities to do all of those things right here in this community. How magical is that!? 

Regardless of where you seek this knowledge, find opportunities to equip yourself with the latest industry knowledge, fill your cup, and enhance your ability to serve your clients better.

Entrepreneurship is Better Shared

I did this alone for too long, and I can 110% tell you that any entrepreneurial endeavor is better done in community with others, but it’s even more true for career coaches and resume writers. 

Connecting with peers is incredibly enriching. Engaging in conversations, sharing experiences, and discussing common challenges gets us out of our echo chambers! Insight from others can be invaluable to understanding the markets and also validating your approach to coaching and resume writing. 

Instead of thinking about your peers as competition, embrace them as colleagues. The collaborative effort will lead to a deeper understanding of you and your business and likely spark innovative solutions you may have yet to consider.

Attend Professional Conferences

Yep, you can kill two birds (the two above, in case you didn’t pick up on that) with one stone by committing to attend one professional event each year. 

One of the most effective ways to invest in your professional growth is by attending industry conferences. These events offer an opportunity to expand your knowledge, learn about the latest trends, and network with fellow career professionals. It's where you can gain insights that will not only enhance your skills but also benefit your clients.

And if you didn’t expect me to cue up one big fat shameless plug with that recommendation, you don’t know me very well yet. 

Thrive! is around the corner, and early bird registration is open! 

This event is one of my favorite weekends of the year. It’s the perfect backdrop to engage with industry experts, peers, and heroes, participate in workshops, and broaden your career coaching and resume writing horizons. 

There is no better single source for continued learning, peer connection, and coaching professional development than this conference. 

I believe in this event so much that I wrote an entire Splight Article to encourage - convince, and force? - you to come. 

→ Don’t disappoint me, and register right now, so I can add you to the list of faces I can’t wait to hug!

In Summary (and on a serious note).

Just as we help our clients identify their unique value propositions, we should consider our own. 

What makes you a standout career coach or resume writer? Is it your expert communication skills, industry knowledge, or commitment to success? Recognize and nurture these strengths to set yourself apart in this ever-growing profession.

National Career Development Month reminds us to invest in our growth as we do with our clients. By enhancing your skills, expanding your industry knowledge, and embracing a career development mindset, you will benefit, and, most importantly, your clients will as well. 

It all comes full circle; keep your arc fueled and filled. 

Your Friend and Coach, 

Angie

In the world of career coaching and resume writing, success is often defined by one key metric: the ability to help clients achieve their professional goals. 

Whether it's landing a “dream” job, navigating a career transition, or crafting the perfect resume, our services are ultimately designed to solve specific problems our clients face. 

Do you truly understand the problems you solve?

Understanding the problems you solve and how to deliver solutions to your target audience can transform your business as a career coach and resume writer. 

If you’ve been through the Build Your Business program (the next cohort begins October 18th; shameless plug!), you know how adamant I am about packaging solutions to your niche’s problems. 

→ Why Problems-Solving Matters

As career coaches and resume writers, we’re in the business of transformation. 

Our skills, knowledge, and experience guide people through critical life decisions, and the relationship behind that engagement can revolutionize the outcome.

Here's why it matters:

1. Enhanced  the Client Experience

Putting your clients' challenges front and center allows you to create a more tailored and effective experience. When clients feel that you truly understand their problems, they're more likely to engage and trust the process. This also means they’re more likely to return and refer!

2. Differentiation and Targeting

Let’s face it; our profession is growing, and standing out requires a clear value proposition that articulates the unique problems you're equipped to solve. This not only helps you differentiate but also attracts the right clients who resonate with your expertise. That sounds a lot like a niche! 

3. Tailored Marketing

Knowing the specific problems you solve enables you to craft targeted marketing campaigns. Your messaging can directly address the pain points your clients are experiencing, making your services more appealing. Sounds a lot like what we do for client resumes, eh?

4. Powerful Value Proposition

A clear understanding of the problems you solve feeds into a compelling value proposition. It's the promise of value you bring to your clients, and when they see how your services address their needs, you become a more appealing choice. This means “selling” no longer feels like “sales” because you’re offering a value-based outcome to someone who needs it. Look at what we did there!

Identifying the Problems You Solve

Not sure how to take a resume and turn it into a solution to someone’s problem? Here are ways you can explore how to identify the problems you solve:

→ Listen to Your Clients: Pay attention to the questions they ask, the challenges they describe, and the outcomes they desire. Often, clients will explicitly state the issues they're facing when given the safe space (or prompt) to do so. 

→ Market Research: Look for common pain points, trends, and challenges that professionals in your target audience frequently encounter. Online forums, social media groups, and industry publications can be valuable sources of insight and can also provide clues as to the language the audience uses to speak about their challenges.

→ Collaborate: We’re all here for each other! Sharing experiences and discussing common client issues can help you gain a deeper understanding of the challenges your clients face. Your peers may offer valuable perspectives and solutions you hadn't considered.

→ Success Stories: Examine the specific problems you addressed with clients and how your services led to positive outcomes for that particular avatar. 

→ Embrace Your Uniqueness: Consider what unique qualities you bring to your profession and how those can provide a particular client with rare insight or empathy to support your process. 

Don’t overthink this. The problems you solve most effectively often align with your personal strengths, experience, and knowledge; it’s very likely the solution you’re meant to deliver is sitting there, right in front of your face, while you go to the ends of the Earth to find it. 

If you’re ready to build lasting relationships with clients while creating a reputation for outcomes, this is your answer. I challenge you to explore how you can present your offerings as solutions instead of transactional projects to see how the sales process feels different - better, more organic, more natural, and more successful. 

Your Friend and Coach, 

Angie

Marketing, lead generation, and sales are some of the most daunting aspects of business for many coaches and resume writers. It just so happens that these are three of my favorite areas of business, so I’m excited to break down this amorphous blob into a simple, approachable plan that’s easy to execute and stick to (because consistency is key in marketing and lead generation). 

Use the following as a field guide of sorts, as it outlines my unique three-tiered approach to marketing based on your business stage, growth, and long-term goals. Whether you're just starting out, looking to establish consistency, or aiming to build a long-term brand, I've got you covered.

Tier 1: Short-term launch activities that build initial momentum 

Getting noticed is one of the most challenging and critical aspects of your first few months in business. The activities you’ll engage with at this stage are intended to get you out and about quickly, which will help you build early awareness and hone your pitch.

Don’t hop, skip, and jump over this tier if you’re already established in business. These strategies are also beneficial when you’re launching new products, services, or programs and want to spread the word quickly and personally. 

→ Get up close and personal with FRANK (Friends, Relatives, Acquaintances, Neighbors, Kids), as well as their extended networks. Word of mouth within your existing circles can yield quick referrals.

→ Embrace in-person networking Events: Attend local business events, meetups, and networking groups to meet other entrepreneurs that will spread the word about you. MeetUp.com is a great resource!

→ Learn to love LinkedIn: There is no single better marketing channel to showcase your services, exhibit your expertise, and engage with potential clients. Regular posting and profile openness can help you establish a strong online presence.

→ Paid advertising: Pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns on Google, Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest can work, but I’ll offer two words of caution: don’t lose your shirt. Keep budgets modest at first until you validate the spend and make sure you have a proven sales process to convert leads effectively.

Tier 2: Medium-term consistency activities for steady lead generation

In the 6- 12 months following the launch of your business or new program, you’ll move on to longer term marketing tactics that will start to build leads and client inquiries. This doesn’t mean you’ll give up Tier 1 entirely, but you’ll begin to shift your priorities to bring some of these channels into the fold. 

→Directory list serves: Platforms like Thumbtack, Angi, and industry-specific directories can help potential clients find you online while you’re waiting for your website SEO to strengthen. This also gets you into new circles!

→ List-building content and freebies: How much do you love free stuff? Well, give it out! When you offer resources such as e-books, quizzes, or checklists in exchange for email subscriptions, you’ll build a highly engaged mailing list that you can market into. Yes, email marketing still rocks!

→ Referral partnerships: Sorry for the ego-hit, but you’re not an expert in everything, so collaborate with coaches, businesses, or individuals with opposing niches, so you can refer work back and forth. 

→ Virtual workshops and webinars: Hotsting online events not only positions you as an expert but also offers opportunities to engage with potential clients. LinkedIn lives could be a cool way to build on that Tier 1 marketing tactic.

Tier 3: Long-term brand building to establish thought leadership

Once you’ve nailed steps 1 and 2, you’ll likely find your lead generation is consistently, largely organic (instead of paid), and you know exactly what channels to leverage to turn up the inquiries. When you hit that point, it’s time to start thinking about the long-haul and positioning yourself as a leader in your industry. 

Many of these options take resources (time and/or money), which is why they come in at a later stage. That said, knowing you may want to roll out some of these initiatives in the future helps you build a road map that will support it when the time comes. 

→ Influencer status: Consider hosting a podcast, appearing on others’ podcasts, guest blogging, or creating online courses to contribute to your brand's authority and reach.

→ Speaking engagements: Conferences, webinars, and seminars are a great way to share your expertise in front of a live audience and elevate your profile.

→ Authorship: Write a book or e-book on career-related topics to enhance your credibility (and build another revenue stream)!

→ Digital course: Online products and digital deliveries are a great way to showcase expertise, create passive income, and impact more people than you can 1:1. These types of products can be the cornerstone of your brand, but they require a solid established reach in order to successfully launch. 

This by no means is an exhaustive list of all the ways you can create visibility at various stages in business, so I hope you’ll take it as inspiration to explore other ideas. 

The takeaway I hope you got from all of this is to implement a combination of short-term launch, medium-term consistency, and long-term brand-building activities for a well-rounded marketing plan that supports sustainable, predictable revenue.

Remember to adapt your strategies based on feedback, performance metrics, and industry trends to ensure continued growth and success, and have fun with it! This is the fun, creative side of business!

Is the Inability to manage your time holding your business back? Do you fear delegating responsibilities or find yourself overwhelmed with All. The. Things.?

Back-to-school season is around the corner, meaning it’s the perfect time to evaluate your routine, take a good honest look at how you spend your time, and adopt new habits. 

→ Are you working in your business or on your business?

As coaches and resume writers, a good chunk of our time has to be spent working “in” our businesses. We’re providers and writers who deliver products and services that take time; however, it’s easy to get out of whack with your time allocation - caught up in operational or administrative tasks that carry less value and often take more of our time. 

Alternatively, as entrepreneurs, we need to have some focused time to work on our businesses, stepping back from the grind to tackle strategic planning, long-term development, or new product launches. 

If you’re failing to carve out time for business development, or you look at your calendar and see 67 hours of client meetings this week, it’s time to make some changes. 

Five Tips to Add Time Back into Your Coaching Calendar

1. Time Blocking

Time blocking means allocating specific time slots for different activities to create structure and focus. This could mean blocking out 8 - 11 am for resume writing, or that Mondays are for marketing, Tuesdays are for networking, Wednesdays are for finance, etc. 

Start by identifying priorities and activities that suck your time but require thought and block them into your calendar - I mean physically add them to your calendar, mark it busy, and give it a special color. Commit to the rotation or activities you add as if they’re a meeting with a client. 

Remember to include buffer (bathroom) time for unforeseen circumstances or breaks to maintain productivity and avoid burnout.

2. Power Hours and Pomodoros 

Identify your most productive hours during the day, and tackle the most challenging or high-priority tasks at those times of the day to accomplish more in less time. Bonus: you can also design power hours for stacking related activities. 

For instance, you can write LinkedIn profiles or cover letters for several clients in one Power Hour, which helps avoid the mindset shift when going back and forth between tasks. 

You can leverage the Promodoro Technique to turn these times into “sprints”. Set a timer for 25 or 50 minutes and work until the timer goes off. This approach helps break tasks into manageable chunks, a great workaround to reduce procrastination. 

The key to successful power hours and Pomodoros is eliminating distractions to dedicate yourself fully to the project at hand. Put the phone on silent, pause the inbox, and remove the cat from your desk. :)

3. Automate Routine Tasks

In a previous Business Corner (March 2023), I shared a list of my top tech solutions for solopreneurs, so now is a great time to go to the archives at parwcc.com and dig that up!

A wealth of automation tools out there can streamline repetitive and time-consuming tasks. From appointment scheduling apps and project management software for task organization to email, CRM, and funnel automation tools for customer communication, automating routine activities can drastically change the time you spend in your business versus on your business! 

My top tip for leveraging automation is contained right here, in handy tip #4. 

4. Appointment Style Client Scheduling (and Calendly automated controls!) 

A few weeks ago, I was in a coaching session with a new-to-business career coach, starting a side business to complement full-time work in career services. We got onto the topic of balancing client load with the “day job”, which is when I shared my appointment-style scheduling and Calendly set-up with him, and his eyes got wide with excitement! 

I’ve structured Calendly to control and automate my availability, so I don’t have to think about a thing or worry about overbooking myself! 

It evolved from a two-step process. Here’s how it works. 

→ Manually entering all your available client sessions in your main calendar. 

Set them to an obvious color (I use orange) and title them “Client Session Available.” Mark them all busy, so no one can book a free consulting call with you during those times, but be sure to leave windows (and create a special event type) for potential client calls.

→ Offer new clients or a next session based on your established availability. 

The available orange sessions reflect open options. Change them to green once filled with a paying client (because green = money!). Train your clients to meet when YOU want to work (remember, you own your calendar) based on the available orange events.

→ Evaluate client flow by predicting who needs sessions during the following two weeks. 

This will help you throttle your new-client onboarding up or down based on what’s open while ensuring availability for clients in a multi-session program. 

→ Move all that madness to Calendly once you’ve gotten the hang of how many new clients you can take in a week and feel comfortable allowing clients to book their own follow-up sessions. 

Create different event types with the appropriate controls for the number of new clients, check-in sessions, and follow-up sessions you want to have in a day. This is an automated way to ensure you don’t overload yourself while automating your scheduling and reducing the amount associated with rescheduling. 

Magic!

5. Delegate

While it’s hard to offload stuff, you’ll need to lighten your load at some point. Monthly bookkeeping and bank reconciliation are the easiest (and first) thing I always recommend outsourcing. 

Second is special media and content creation. 

These two activities are so different from our core activities as career coaches and resume writers that it’s easy to spin your wheels and get caught in a rabbit hole when completing them. 

Or forget them altogether, which isn’t ideal for your lead generation. Or your CPA. 

Virtual Assistants can provide various services with minimal hours a week, so it may be more affordable than you think (and I have a great recommendation when you’re ready!)

Time is our greatest commodity. Clients pay us for advice and time in conversation; they pay us for the time it takes to create the perfect resume. As coaches and resume writers, our profit margins are dictated by our productivity and how much time we can bill to money-making activities. 

Optimizing your time as an entrepreneur can be a game changer to growing your profitability, building capacity, expanding your income - and avoiding burnout! Ask me how I know…

I hope you’ll try out one, two, or all of these time-savers to position your business - and you - for long-term success and sustainability. 

You’ve got this!

Your Friend and Coach, 

Angie Callen, CPRW, CPCC

→ “I’m suffering from imposter syndrome!”

How often have you heard this from a client? 

Better yet, how often could this apply to you and your business, maybe without you even knowing it!?

I was enjoying some camaraderie with fellow CCs and RWs recently via a Rising Professionals Call - it really is one of my favorite hours of the month! - when we stumbled upon the realization that many new-to-the-field career services professionals have something in common. 

[ Imposter Syndrome ]

Call it what you want - self-doubt, imposter syndrome, lack of confidence - in this particular instance, the realization surfaced while talking about how vulnerable it can feel to put ideas and opinions out to the world via LinkedIn content. 

My response to the group: get over it. 

How’s that for some coachly compassion?

As I sat down to start this month’s spotlight, it seemed so fitting that I had already determined the topic, the fourth in our series about the disrupters of entrepreneurial success: self-doubt.

In an effort to expound on the recommendation to “get over it,” let’s deep dive into the ugly world of self-doubt, how it negatively impacts our business potential, and what you can do to push past it. 

Building a successful career coaching and resume writing business requires more than just expertise and industry knowledge. Confidence, self-assurance, and an unwavering belief in your ability to succeed (and help others do the same) is a foundational mindset required to sustain the ups and downs of any entrepreneurial endeavor. 

Unfortunately, as we’ve seen all too often with our clients, self-doubt can creep in and disrupt even the most talented professionals, hindering progress and limiting potential. 

→ The Devil Wears Self-Doubt (not Prada).

Picture this: you're sitting at your desk, ready to help clients transform their careers and lives, yet in the back of your mind, a nagging voice whispers, "Are you really good enough? Can you deliver the results they expect? Who are you to think you can help people advance their careers?" 

That, my friends, is the relentless grip of self-doubt. It affects us all, regardless of our experience, accomplishments, or time in business.

Self-doubt can manifest in various ways. It might be as simple as an uneasy feeling when writing a new type of resume or handling a potential client call. It could come into play when questioning your ability to meet a client's expectations, or it could be a crippling fear of failure that prevents you from taking risks, seizing opportunities, or even launching a new program, product, or service! 

Perhaps it's imposter syndrome, where you constantly worry that others will discover you're a fraud. 

Whatever form it takes, self-doubt has tangible consequences that can negatively affect your business. According to a study conducted by the University of California, Davis, self-doubt can reduce productivity by up to 50% - what solopreneur has time for that!?

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know how crappy self-doubt and imposter syndrome are, Angie. 

→ What do I do about it? 

In an effort to build confident career coaches and resume writers, here are some tips on how to knock that little imposter devil off your shoulder for good (well, maybe not for good, but we’ll at least shut her up!)

1. Embrace Your Journey: Don’t compare your beginning to someone else’s middle or end. Remember, nobody starts as an expert. Learning and growth are part of the process of becoming, so take each challenge you face as an opportunity to expand your skills and knowledge.

2. Celebrate Wins: We know all too well how hard it is to recognize, articulate, and acknowledge our achievements (after all, that’s why we have clients in the first place). Take time to celebrate - even small wins are worth a pat on your own back to reinforce your confidence and remind you of your capabilities.

3. Surround Yourself with Support: Build a network of like-minded professionals who understand the challenges you face. Seek mentors, accountability partners, or communities (like PARWCC, Rising Professionals, and Build Your Business) where you can learn, share, support, and be vulnerable. 

4. Give Yourself Grace: Be kind to yourself. The voice inside our head is the loudest one we hear, so be mindful of what you tell yourself. Ditch negative self-talk and replace it with positive affirmations. Everyone makes mistakes, and that's how we learn and grow. 

5. Create a Brag Folder: Keep a collection of positive feedback, testimonials, and success stories from your clients in a folder on your desktop. Take screenshots of all the praise and refer to it regularly as a reminder of the impact you've made on others' lives.

6. Keep Calm and Carry On: I didn’t just violate a trademark, did I?

You will not always shave a perfect mindset, a perfect client load, or perfect output. 

→ Now is a good time to refer back to April’s article on perfectionism :)

The important thing is to have enough faith, trust, and belief in yourself to keep going through the tough days. Just like a job seeker who gets overly invested in a potential role at the time they apply, riding every up and down of the entrepreneurial roller coaster will have you puking faster than a bad oyster. 

You’ve got everything you need already inside of you to be as successful as you want to be - and then some.

Go after it with gusto. 

Your Friend and Coach, 

Angie Callen

Pricing. Packaging. Productizing. 

It’s the never-ending plight of entrepreneurs in the coaching and consulting space, and it’s even more challenging when you add resumes to the mix!\

The resume is the tangible investment - the seeming “commodity” - that gives prospective clients the perception they can shop around and look for competitive pricing, only to find everything from $259 resumes to $4,000+. 

That’s helpful intel, eh?

Coaching, interview prep, offer negotiations…figuring out how to assemble all the intangible tangible (not a typo) support we career services professionals offer can make your head spin faster than a black hole at the speed of light.*

If you're struggling to figure out how to price and package your services, don't worry, you're not alone. Determining the right price points to start at and increase to is more of an art than a science, but you’ll get better at it as you gain more experience and establish a reputation for yourself.\

Here are some ideas on where to start or how to look at your current product line-up to ensure you’re maximizing your ROTII (Return on Investment of Time + Impact) - it’s a thing.

*I’ve been watching a lot of Star Trek lately. 

1. Gather Market Intelligence

One of the best ways to determine your pricing strategy is to look at what your competitors are offering. Research other career coaches and resume writers, particularly those who have been in business for a similar amount of time or offer services to the same niche, to get an idea of what they charge. 

Looking at experts with similarities helps gauge what the market will bear, but you don’t have to blindly follow the competition. 

Consider factors such as your unique value proposition, target audience, and local market demand. Depending on your circumstances, you may decide to charge more or less than your competitors, but it gives you a starting point (sanity check?).

2. Consider Your Expertise

Another factor to consider when pricing your services is your level of expertise. Are you a seasoned career coach with years of experience and a proven track record of success? Do you have five-star testimonials coming out of the wazoo? 

Or are you just starting out and looking to build your portfolio? 

Your level of experience should factor into your pricing structure; just be careful not to undersell yourself! Being new doesn’t mean you can't charge a fair price for your services, and the last thing you want to do is devalue yourself (for the future) or the industry as a whole. 

If you're confident in your abilities and can demonstrate your value to clients through the sales process, price your services accordingly. 

Oh, and then be sure to deliver on those promises! 

3. Offer Packages 

I love packages! Package, package, package!!! 

Curating your services into solutions that solve your clients’ problems makes it easy for you to sell and even easier for your clients to buy. 

Packaged solutions make it simple for the client to understand what they’re getting and allow you to offer additional services at a lower cost than if you sold them all separately. Plus, it gives clients a sense of “bundling joy” and confidence in their decision to work with you because of the perceived value in a total solution that promises outcomes.

One last note on packages: consider tiering to offer multiple price points aligned with clients’ experience levels. 

4. Test and Iterate

Pricing isn’t a locked-and-loaded kind of thing. Once you’ve set pricing, test your market - and your sales ability - on real prospects. If your conversions are super low, move down a few bucks until you see the conversions come back up; stick around there for a while and do it again once you get stronger (at selling and at coaching/resume writing!).  

Overpricing your services will limit growth while underpricing can hurt profitability. Finding that sweet spot takes time and experimentation - but you have all the control in setting prices for your services, and the data you collect from testing will be invaluable in the long run.

If you’re converting like a machine, it’s time to raise prices! Use your collected data to adjust pricing over time to reflect your ever-increasing value and outcomes. 

5. Enroll in Build Your Business

Yep. This is a shameless plug!

Luckily, it’s also a practical solution to your pricing and packaging woes because this is the first stop on our BYB journey. 

A new cohort kicks off next week, so there’s still time to join us! 

→ Check it out at parwcc.com/page/PBA

To leave on a serious note (like I’m ever THAT serious), pricing and packaging career coaching and resume writing services is a balancing act. 

Aim to set fair prices that reflect your value and expertise while remaining competitive and accessible to your target audience. Your pricing should make you feel slightly uncomfortable; that’s how you know you’ve hit the mark! 

Now go - go package, package, package! 

There’s no better way to see if you’ve dialed in the right offerings at the right price point than to try, so combat that sense of perfectionism, and put your wares out into the market. 

You never know who may walk through your (virtual) door.

Good luck! 

Your Friend and Coach, 

Angie

If you read last month’s Spotlight, you may recall I mentioned I was rooting around into the eight entrepreneurial blunders that keep us from reaching our full business potential. 

Last month we talked about combating perfectionism, and this month it is all about money.

Cash flow can be a challenge for entrepreneurs, but before we even start bringing in the green stuff, it’s important to have a dedicated financial structure set up for your business. Keeping your business and personal finances separated is critical to having clean documentation - and making your CPA’s life a lot easier come tax time.

Back to the beginning. Once you decide to start a business, the first things you should do are: 

1. Register your business as a formal entity (likely an LLC) with your Secretary of State office. 

2. Obtain a dedicated EIN (Employee Identification Number), which will create a complete entity, so your business becomes its own little legal being. 

3. Once you have that in place, you can take all of your materials to the bank and open a bank account specifically for your business. 

4. Choose your method of distributing invoices or taking payments, and link it all to your business account. (For suggestions on payment gateways, check out February’s spotlight on my top tech for solopreneurs!)

Now you’ve established the groundwork for that separate financial foundation we want for your house (business). 

I know what you’re thinking: I’m small; I do this on the side…I don’t need to go through all of these steps.

Wrong!

Setting up these is still not a huge undertaking. Not only does it provide the financial separation we want you to have when you’re in any kind of business, but it also provides a veil of protection and liability. 

If you’re smaller and your cash flow is coming in as ebbs and flows, you can pay yourself through distributions that will be considered self-employed income at tax time. Simply transfer from one the business to the personal account with a memo “owner’s pay,” and it’ll be easy to track in your ledger. 

However, once you start to get into consistent cash flow, you’re going to want to start thinking about converting your LLC to an S Corp. 

As the owner of an S-Corp, you’re able to pay yourself as a W-2 employee, which you can’t do with an LLC. This means you can set up payroll with standard deductions that lower your tax risk and liability.. 

If you’re bringing in a salary’s worth of income into your business, it’s likely you’ve been smacked with a $7,000 bill come April 15th. That’s a clear indication it’s time to start cutting yourself a paycheck!

It’s also really empowering to set up payroll for yourself. Set it and forget about it!

If you’re well-established in business, I’ll add another suggestion. Think about setting up a Profit First system where you intentionally, and proactively, save money for the areas you know you’re going to need it.

I started following this framework, which is also a book by Mike Michalowicz I highly recommend. It was a game-changer (and a huge catalyst to buying our home in July!). 

Here’s the gist of Profit First (follow it exactly or adapt it accordingly - this is meant for inspiration!) 

I have several business bank accounts, five to be exact. This is obviously a little more structure than you need if you’re small, but if you’re full-time in business it’s an amazing way to control your finances. 

1 Income Account - where all payment gateways are connected to, and all income is funneled. 

From there, I allocate certain percentages out to different accounts for 

2. Operating Expenses

3. My Compensation

4. Taxes (talk about no surprises come tax day!). 

5. Finally, the fifth account is for profit. 

I funnel about 10% of my monthly income into this account, so I have operating reserves when I want to execute a new initiative, or buy a house! ;)

Wherever you’re at in business, take stock of your financial situation and see where you can improve. You may feel like you’re a little too small to get into all of this, but when your business booms overnight, you’ll be really glad you had your house in order before you started building that second story.

Your Friend and Coach, 

Angie

I've been doing some reading on the most common challenges entrepreneurs face when growing their businesses, and I've identified eight recurring follies that hold us back from reaching our full entrepreneurial potential.

Over the next several months, we'll dig into these hindrances right here in Spotlight. 

I'll provide tools, resources, and suggestions on how to overcome "Angie's Hateful Eight:" Self-doubt, financial management, delegation, time management, marketing strategy, productization, ego (eek!), and our starting point and the subject of this week's Boost Your Business Spotlight.

Gasp....perfectionism.

If there's one thing I've noticed as I've gotten to know more professional resume writers and career coaches - we're a smart bunch. 

We're methodical, insightful, informed, and knowledgeable in a range of topics. We love being experts in our fields (and everyone else's fields). We have opinions we love to share. 

We cross every t and dot every i, quite literally. 

We strive for perfection.

An error-free, grammatically perfect resume may be our goal for client delivery, but perfectionism can be a double-edged sword when it comes to planning new business initiatives and testing the market. While perfectionism can drive us to be our best selves (strength), it can also lead to procrastination, anxiety, and fear of putting anything out there if it isn't perfect (weakness).

--> Have you ever heard of Pareto's principle?

It's a principle that states that 80% of your results come from 20% of your effort.

It's easy to get bogged down in details, striving for the elusive 100% when there can be little additional value gained by that last push. When it comes to business, sadly, many entrepreneurs get stuck in the trap of allowing 80% of their efforts to drive 20% of results - working IN your business instead of ON your business, getting a small return on your investment, working harder not smarter - whatever you want to call it, perfectionism gets in the April way of progress.

> Shaking your head with a little realization over there? <

--> Here are some steps to turn things around!

Note: these recommendations apply to business initiatives - attempting to launch new products or services, creating social content, writing your LinkedIn posts, etc. - NOT client deliverables. ;)

1. Embrace an iterative approach: Instead of trying to make everything perfect before launching, consider creating what we tech people like to call an MVP (minimum viable product). 

This means launching your product or service with the features that are essential, preferably to a beta group that can test your service, provide feedback, and give you testimonials. You can then make improvements based on the feedback while getting your service out there earlier. Who doesn't want to start generating revenue sooner, anyway! 

2. Set realistic goals and deadlines: Perfectionists often struggle to let go of a project because they're never satisfied with the result. Be real with yourself, friends! Break down bigger projects into manageable tasks with specific deadlines, and reward yourself with some cake (or a ski day) when you hit them. 

This is a more realistic way to hold yourself accountable, build some endorphins by checking things off a list, and get into the "done is better than perfect" mode that helps combat endless tweaking and a never-ending quest for improvement.

3. Seek feedback and support: The entrepreneurial journey is NO FUN when walked alone. It's easy to get tunnel vision and get "in your head" about your product, service, brand, website, LinkedIn post...you name it for we perfect peaches! 

Find feedback and support from others - that's what PARWCC is for, by the way, #shamelessplug! 

Whether it's a trusted colleague, a mentor, your own coach, or an advisory board of clients, surround yourself with people who can give you wise counsel, share new perspectives, and provide insights that keep you moving forward!

4. Celebrate small wins: Focus on progress, not perfection; it's important to recognize that perfectionism is often an unattainable goal. 

Instead of striving for perfection, focus on making progress, focus on the 20% that will get you 80% output! Celebrate small wins and accomplishments along the way, and remind yourself that progress, even if it's imperfect, is still progress.

5. Practice self-compassion: Man, we like to beat ourselves up and often have outrageously high expectations for ourselves. Ditch self-critical talk and give yourself grace. Be kind and understanding to yourself, and acknowledge that making mistakes and experiencing setbacks is a normal part of owning, operating, and growing a business. 

As part of this, challenge the self-limiting beliefs that often fuel perfectionism and assumptions about our own abilities. Take a dose of your own medicine and follow the advice you give your clients! 

In summary, focus on key areas that will generate impact instead of obsessing over every little detail. Analyze your business and identify the 20% of tasks that will give you 80% of the results, and put your effort into those. You'll find that not only will you be able to accomplish more in less time, but you'll also free yourself from the shackles of perfectionism, and you’ll be trying out new products and services left and right (and clients will be flocking to them like flies on….)

Remember: no one starts off as a master. Perfection is great - it just shouldn't get in the way of progress! You don't have to get everything done to be successful; you're still loveable (and hireable) if you forget an Oxford comma in a resume. We all have room for improvement, we all make mistakes, and we all try things and fail. 

It's part of learning and growing as a coach, writer, and entrepreneur!

Your Friend and Coach, 

Angie Callen, CPCC, CPRW

As a solopreneur, it's essential to have the right technology systems in place to help you run your business efficiently. There are infinite software applications, online tools, and techy things that can help you streamline and automate tasks, ultimately enabling greater capacity for your one-man show. This is a hot topic in the Rising Professionals group each month, so it seems worthwhile – and fun! - to cover in this month's Spotlight!

Read on as I share my must-have technologies for every entrepreneur, including my top pick in each category. From schedule management to CRM software, these systems will help you stay organized and keep your business running smoothly. Here we go!

Scheduling + Calendar Manager

Having a scheduling manager is a non-negotiable to keep your calendar organized, manage appointments, and control your calendar availability. Automating your scheduling also benefits your clients, offering ease of use to book and manage their sessions. This, in turn, reduces the amount of coordination and communication you need to send out. Who doesn't love a tidy inbox?

If there is one thing you invest in from the start, make it a calendar and schedule system. There are a lot of options out there in this category. From Doodle to Acuity Scheduling and Schedule Once, you can find just about every functionality and every price. However, there's a clear winner (if you ask me) here for many reasons.

> Angie's Top Pick: Calendly

Calendly wins first and foremost because of its affordability. There's a free option with limited functionality that can work for a while if you're in start-up mode, and the paid version is only $15 per month. With full Google Calendar integrations, the ability to create infinite event types, take payments for events, and send workflows after someone books, this is a do-it-all application that will save you a ton of time.

Accounting or Financial software

Financial software can be an invaluable tool for keeping track of business money, getting paid, and helping you separate personal and professional finances (critical!). If you're early in business, a simple spreadsheet can do the trick; the big message here is to track your moola!

Once your business gets a little more complicated, moving to an actual financial management software will save you a ton of time and will make your CPA fall in love with you all over again (because, at this point, you probably want to have one of those too, a CPA).

> Angie's Top Pick: Quickbooks

I've used Quickbooks to manage business finances and reporting for years. The math teacher's kid (and former engineer) in me loves the ability to see in-depth reports on "my numbers." Without it, I don't feel like I’m in control of my business. In addition to making your cash flow management and taxes easier, Quickbooks can run payroll, send invoices, and take payments for a total financial solution.

> Angie's (Second) Top Pick: Stripe

We all need a way to get paid, so if you opt out of a total financial system, you'll need a payment solution for sending invoices and taking payments from clients. I like Stripe because it integrates with a lot of other things - great for your future growth - while having an easy-to-manage dashboard for both backend and front-end users.

CRM

A Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system is a must for businesses of any size. Even if you have just started, tracking contacts and building a list will allow you to nurture your audience and help your business grow. A CRM is, at the simplest, an updated database of contacts. Having this information at your fingertips makes staying in touch with potential and current customers much easier. As you'll see in a minute, I'm a big fan of email marketing, and a CRM is a foundation that will allow you to do this!

> Angie's Top Pick: Active Campaign

If you want a full-service marketing tool, this is it. Active Campaign allows you to track your contacts while building automated funnels to follow up, send email newsletters, and a slew of other things. As a mainstream CRM, it also integrates with a million other platforms for set-it-and-forget-it marketing and communications processes that make your life a breeze. Ha, I should write marketing copy for Active Campaign.

> Angie's (Second) Top Pick: AgileCRM

Looking for something more light and affordable? I used this basic CRM for a few years, and while the interface leaves a bit to be desired, it offers a serious bang for your buck in functionality for the price.

Creator Applications

You are a business owner; therefore, you are a content creator. :) Creator applications offer a way to make graphics, videos, and social media posts super simple and easy, even if you aren’t an artsy-fartsy designer. Content is king these days, and savvy content creators are taking advantage of these apps to churn out content quickly and easily.

> Angie's Top Pick: Canva

Not only is this my top pick, but it’s also THE ONLY pick. Adobe offers a similar product, but no one does efficient, simple, eye-catching social content better than Canva.

Email Marketing

Email marketing is hotter than ever, so it pays to leverage that database/CRM to create and send campaigns (be consistent!). Even if you have a small list, get into the habit of sending a newsletter. They're more powerful (and read more frequently) than you think!

> Angie's Top Pick: MailChimp

As mentioned above, Active Campaign offers this function as part of its total solution. Still, if you want a standalone that does an amazing job at sending visually appealing newsletters, MailChimp is it. They also recently added simple funnels to take advantage of light automated marketing.

E-Signature Capabilities

Getting digital signatures is becoming increasingly useful for businesses, especially since we coaches and resume writers are often conducting business virtually. Send your coaching agreements virtually - because you need to have a coaching agreement; I repeat, you need to have a coaching agreement - through a tool like Hello Sign, DocuSign, or even Adobe.

>Angie's Top Pick: EverSign

Back when I was a noob and trying to find the best technology applications at the best price, I did hours of research to find a more affordable alternative to DocuSign ($$$), and I found it! EverSign has a free option that allows you to keep one template in the system, and the paid options start at just $10.

Grammarly

I'll go out on a limb and say this one needs no explanation since I'm talking to a bunch of resume writers and career coaches!

Summary

As business owners, we're always looking for ways to streamline our processes and free up time.

Technology is a great way to do this, but knowing which applications are worth the investment can be overwhelming. I recommend these seven applications or a solution in each category if you're just getting started. They’re low-cost, easy to use, and they will make a big impact on your business.

Automating manual tasks and removing unnecessary steps from your processes gives you more time to do more of what you love, what you're good at, and most importantly: what makes you money.

As a solopreneur, it's essential to have the right technology systems in place to help you run your business efficiently. There are infinite software applications, online tools, and techy things that can help you streamline and automate tasks, ultimately enabling greater capacity for your one-man show. 

This is a hot topic in the Rising Professionals group each month, so it seems worthwhile – and fun! - to cover in this month's Spotlight! 

Read on as I share my must-have technologies for every entrepreneur, including my top pick in each category. 

From schedule management to CRM software, these systems will help you stay organized and keep your business running smoothly. Here we go!

Scheduling + Calendar Manager 

Having a scheduling manager is a non-negotiable to keep your calendar organized, manage appointments, and control your calendar availability. Automating your scheduling also benefits your clients, offering ease of use to book and manage their sessions. This, in turn, reduces the amount of coordination and communication you need to send out. Who doesn't love a tidy inbox?

If there is one thing you invest in from the start, make it a calendar and schedule system. 

There are a lot of options out there in this category. From Doodle to Acuity Scheduling and Schedule Once, you can find just about every functionality and every price. However, there's a clear winner (if you ask me) here for many reasons. 

--> Angie's Top Pick: Calendly 

Calendly wins first and foremost because of its affordability. There's a free option with limited functionality that can work for a while if you're in start-up mode, and the paid version is only $15 per month. With full Google Calendar integrations, the ability to create infinite event types, take payments for events, and send workflows after someone books, this is a do-it-all application that will save you a ton of time. 

Accounting or Financial software

Financial software can be an invaluable tool for keeping track of business money, getting paid, and helping you separate personal and professional finances (critical!). If you're early in business, a simple spreadsheet can do the trick; the big message here is to track your moola! 

Once your business gets a little more complicated, moving to an actual financial management software will save you a ton of time and will make your CPA fall in love with you all over again (because, at this point, you probably want to have one of those too, a CPA). 

--> Angie's Top Pick: Quickbooks

I've used Quickbooks to manage business finances and reporting for years. The math teacher's kid (and former engineer) in me loves the ability to see in-depth reports on "my numbers." Without it, I don't feel like I’m in control of my business. In addition to making your cash flow management and taxes easier, Quickbooks can run payroll, send invoices, and take payments for a total financial solution. 

--> Angie's (Second) Top Pick: Stripe

We all need a way to get paid, so if you opt out of a total financial system, you'll need a payment solution for sending invoices and taking payments from clients. I like Stripe because it integrates with a lot of other things - great for your future growth - while having an easy-to-manage dashboard for both backend and front-end users. 

CRM

A Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system is a must for businesses of any size. Even if you have just started, tracking contacts and building a list will allow you to nurture your audience and help your business grow. A CRM is, at the simplest, an updated database of contacts.  Having this information at your fingertips makes staying in touch with potential and current customers much easier. As you'll see in a minute, I'm a big fan of email marketing, and a CRM is a foundation that will allow you to do this! 

--> Angie's Top Pick: Active Campaign

If you want a full-service marketing tool, this is it. Active Campaign allows you to track your contacts while building automated funnels to follow up, send email newsletters, and a slew of other things. As a mainstream CRM, it also integrates with a million other platforms for set-it-and-forget-it marketing and communications processes that make your life a breeze. Ha, I should write marketing copy for Active Campaign. 

--> Angie's (Second) Top Pick: AgileCRM

Looking for something more light and affordable? I used this basic CRM for a few years, and while the interface leaves a bit to be desired, it offers a serious bang for your buck in functionality for the price. 

Creator applications

You are a business owner; therefore, you are a content creator. :) 

Creator applications offer a way to make graphics, videos, and social media posts super simple and easy, even if you aren’t an artsy-fartsy designer. Content is king these days, and savvy content creators are taking advantage of these apps to churn out content quickly and easily. 

--> Angie's Top Pick: Canva

Not only is this my top pick, but it’s also THE ONLY pick. Adobe offers a similar product, but no one does efficient, simple, eye-catching social content better than Canva. 

Email Marketing

Email marketing is hotter than ever, so it pays to leverage that database/CRM to create and send campaigns (be consistent!). Even if you have a small list, get into the habit of sending a newsletter. They're more powerful (and read more frequently) than you think! 

--> Angie's Top Pick: MailChimp

As mentioned above, Active Campaign offers this function as part of its total solution. Still, if you want a standalone that does an amazing job at sending visually appealing newsletters, MailChimp is it. They also recently added simple funnels to take advantage of light automated marketing. 

E-Signature Capabilities

Getting digital signatures is becoming increasingly useful for businesses, especially since we coaches and resume writers are often conducting business virtually. Send your coaching agreements virtually - because you need to have a coaching agreement; I repeat, you need to have a coaching agreement - through a tool like Hello Sign, DocuSign, or even Adobe. 

--> Angie's Top Pick: EverSign

Back when I was a noob and trying to find the best technology applications at the best price, I did hours of research to find a more affordable alternative to DocuSign ($$$), and I found it! EverSign has a free option that allows you to keep one template in the system, and the paid options start at just $10. 

Grammarly

I'll go out on a limb and say this one needs no explanation since I'm talking to a bunch of resume writers and career coaches! 

Summary 

As business owners, we're always looking for ways to streamline our processes and free up time. 

Technology is a great way to do this, but knowing which applications are worth the investment can be overwhelming. I recommend these seven applications or a solution in each category if you're just getting started. They’re low-cost, easy to use, and they will make a big impact on your business. 

Automating manual tasks and removing unnecessary steps from your processes gives you more time to do more of what you love, what you're good at, and most importantly: what makes you money.

If you’ve ever dug into the world of marketing, advertising, and lead generation, you’ve heard one too many times: 

Know Your Niche. 

The funny thing about this cliché is that we rarely follow it, so let’s unpack it and figure out to make it work for you and your career coaching and/or résumé writing business. 

What is a niche? 

It’s simply a group of people whose needs, motivations, and subject matter you know and understand in a unique or specialized way. It is your ideal customer. 

There are some common misconceptions - and fears - around establishing a niche.  Many coaches and résumé writers (and entrepreneurs from all walks of life) think they can’t make enough money if they focus on just one area.  The truth is, working with a niche will make your job a heck of a lot easier! 

When you know your ideal customer, knowing what services to offer, how to market them, and how to sell them becomes a million times easier.

--> If you try to be everything to everyone, you'll end up being nothing to no one. 

Let that one sink in for a sec, and you'll quickly realize how beneficial a niche can be to your business. 

Niching allows you to create more specific solutions while helping target messages, craft better sales pitches, and increase conversations. Understanding your core audience will also help you with the never-ending coach pricing conundrum while laying the groundwork for more successful client engagements.

Ok, ok, Angie, you’ve convinced me, but where do I start identifying my niche? 

The first step to identifying your niche is to examine your own experience and skills and to think through the types of people you know and are passionate about helping. 

For example, I started my career as an engineer, and I've been able to use that background to carve out a niche working with STEM, software, and technology professionals. Despite being a civil engineer, having a technical background of any sort helped create a commonality and build confidence with prospective clients. 

What can you leverage? 

What challenges have you faced in your career, and how could you use that experience to help others? What career functions and industries have you worked in that give you additional insight or perspective to support a specific client type? Whom do you enjoy coaching? Ask yourself questions about who your ideal customer is and what issues they are currently facing. What kind of job are they trying to get? What skills do they have or need? 

And also...do they have the money to pay for your services? 

Eek! I know this can feel a little icky because many coaches and résumé writers go into business to serve, but you’ve also gotta put food on your own table!  Consider who can pay for your services and will benefit most from an investment in professional development. 

Pair this with your personal experience, knowledge, and skills, and you have a niche! That niche may include several avatars, and that's ok. Having two or three target audiences to start is a good goal because it will help you focus your messaging enough without over-niching, and you can refine that target as you grow and progress in the business.

The other thing to know about your niche is that you will attract potential clients outside of it, and that's also ok! Your messaging will resonate with people outside that target market, and you can serve them if it's a fit or refer them to a fellow CPRW or CPCC if they're not (referral network, anyone?)! 

At the end of the day, there are many advantages to knowing your niche and how to best serve their needs. You'll also have better results and testimonials when working in your zone, which perpetuates better client results, satisfaction, and referrals. Win-win!

Know your niche and know how to work it. You'll be glad you did. 

Your Friend and Coach, 

Angie Callen

PS: Want some support setting goals, creating an action plan, and staying accountable to achieving them? Consider joining me for Boost Your Business, PARWCC’s latest program focused entirely on growing your business and achieving your goals!