How does your online persona match up to the “real” you?

When you meet someone who you’ve watched from afar online… how likely is it that their online persona is really how they are in person?

I’ve seen both cases: people who are exactly how they are online, offline… and people who seem to have different personalities entirely.

Why Your Online Persona Matters

What Is An Online Persona?

Your online person or personal brand is how the world perceives you on the web. Since it is the web, you could technically create an all new personality for yourself… but I don’t recommend it, and here’s why.

People need to be able to see you in 3-D, before they ever buy into you or buy from you.

Trying to be someone else online is going to be hard to sustain, and people can usually smell it when you’re not being true to yourself.

Now, when I say 3-dimensional, I don’t mean just video.

You can totally paint a picture and show your three-dimensional self through writing, audio content, or images.

The medium is not the message, but you need to know how to distill your essence through the web.

When people feel like they really know you, you know you’ve achieved 3 dimensions.

So how do you it? By showing that you’re a real human being, you have a family, you share personal stories, and allow people to see your unpolished sides, too.

It also means being comfortable sharing the uncomfortable, being a little bit vulnerable and allowing yourself to let that show.

It’s not just about being unpolished though, it’s also about the fact that you are allowing yourself to be seen. Truly seen.

How can you be more three-dimensional in your marketing in your writing and your video content? Tell stories. Shar your inner thoughts. Be your goofy self. Develop and cultivate your own style.

All of these are ways for you to be a more three-dimensional person online.

Why Being 3 Dimensional Helps You Sell More

When I think of someone who is three-dimensional, I think of someone that I’ve shared a meal with. Someone that I’ve opened up to you. Who also shares things with me.

Now you might not think that the Internet is an ideal place for you to open up and be vulnerable like the three-dimensional person you are. You might be what worried about your privacy.

We all feel scared when we open up and show our true selves. Trust that the right people will see you for the unique genius that you are, and love you for it. And those that don’t will find someone else to play with.

Those of us who are able to show our true three-dimensional self are the ones who are going to dominate the market, close the deals, and really make the world a safer “more real” place.

Did This Video Bring Up Some Questions?

I know this online persona thing can be tricky… leave your questions about the topic in the comments below and I’ll do my best to address your concerns. We’re all navigating this world wide web together.

The post Online Persona: Is It The Real You? appeared first on Nathalie Lussier.

Do you have a good elevator speech?

You know when you meet someone at a cocktail party, networking event, or in the elevator at the publishing house… and you don’t know how to answer the “what do you do” question?

Yeah, that sucks.

So let’s talk about how you can craft a compelling elevator speech or elevator pitch.

Designing Your Elevator Speech

Your Elevator Speech Should Go Beyond The “What”

The biggest take away is that you should…

Strive to make a connection, not just an impression. Tweet that.

When you’re meeting someone new, there are 2 stances you might be tempted to take:

1) to impress the person with a fancy title or description of what you do, or

2) to connect with them through the work your do or the things you value.

In the first instance you might say that you’re a consultant, business owner, head of communications, or an author. These words are very vague and don’t give people an in to ask you more about how you might be able to help them or people they might know.

So what should you say to people you meet with your short 30 second elevator speech?

I say start with the results your deliver to your ideal clients.

Elevator Pitch Examples:

For example, you might say that you help musicians sell their music online. Or that you design jewelry for men who want to surprise their wives for their anniversary. Or that you work with nurses to relieve stress from their care-giving roles through aroma therapy.

Each of these examples are super specific, and you’ll know if you’re a musician, husband, or nurse that you’ve met someone you need to learn more from. Or, if you know someone who fits these descriptions you’ll pass on the person’s contact details and make a referral.

And just like with an email subject line, you want your elevator speech to arouse a little curiosity, so that the person you’re speaking to wants to ask you to elaborate.

Share Your Elevator Speech Below

The best way to fine tune your elevator pitch is to write it down and practice the next time you’re out! Second best is to post it in the comments below, and you never know… you might just find your ideal clients are reading the comments, so don’t be shy!

The post Elevator Speech: Is It Working For You? appeared first on Nathalie Lussier.

In today’s episode, we’re taking at look at all the great free content you’re putting out on the web… and whether you’re giving away too much.

It’s a question I get all the time: am I going to go out of business if I keep giving away all my best ideas, strategies, and advice for free on my blog?

Watch the video below to find out!

Free Content – Are You Giving Away Too Much?

The Free Content Myth

It’s a common misconception that if you give away some of your best content for free… you’re going to make fewer sales or get fewer clients.

In reality, it’s the opposite. The more high value stuff you can give away, the more people will see your generosity and want to buy from you. This happens through the built-in human need to reciprocate. When someone is nice to us, we want to be nice to them.

But just giving away your best stuff isn’t necessarily enough to ensure you’ll get your fans and subscribers to turn into paying customers.

That’s where doing a little content strategy work comes into play.

The key to creating content that converts into sales is to educate your visitors, think of it as prerequisite courses they can take before signing up for your service or product. And by the way, this applies no matter what type of business you have, whether it’s selling jewelry, books, or massages.

You want to create videos, podcasts, or articles that answer your ideal clients’ answers… before they can ask them.

You do this by educating people about the steps that lead up to what you offer, through your free content.

Take Your Audience On a Journey

Here’s a quick example: if you’re a dog walker, you can create content on things people do before they hire you. This includes finding and adopting a dog, training a dog, and choosing a dog’s diet. If you’ve walked people through all of these steps, they know you know your stuff, and it’s way more likely that they’ll look to you when they’re ready to hire a dog walker.

The other thing to keep in mind when it comes to creating free blog or newsletter content is that everyone is on a journey. Your free article might solve one of their problems, but if it does a good job of it, they’ll come to you for that next level issue.

So before you decide to stop blogging or to hold back on your juiciest tips and tricks… think through: is this answering the questions that people have before they have them? Is this solving a problem that will set them up to work with me down the line?

Think of the pre-requisite concept as prepping people to get the most out of what you offer!

Are You Coming Around To The Idea?

I’d love to hear about your aha’s from today’s content strategy tips, so leave a comment below!

The post Are you giving away too much free content? appeared first on Nathalie Lussier.

Now that Off The Charts Live in NYC has wrapped up, I thought it would be a great time to share the highlights and the lessons learned from my first big live event.

Off The Charts Live Recap

We had an amazing turnout, and as promised the caliber of women (and 2 men!) attending was Off The Charts. I mean, I’m still getting emails and mentions about the great new friendships that were formed over these two days together.

The speakers were spot on, and each played to their strengths, giving the whole event what many are calling a holistic business feel.

All in all, this event represents two of the best days of my professional life (so far!). I shared some of my best stuff, pushed the envelope and went beyond the tech trainings you might all know me for. And I also got a little daring at the end, with a choreographed dance to a Britney Spears song.

Because that’s what I wanted to create for Off The Charts. And I know that next’s years event is going to be even more amazing, so stay tuned and get on the early bird list if you couldn’t make it this year!

Now onto the things you can learn from my experience…

1. To Make Anything Happen, Pick a Date

If I learned anything from putting on my first live event, it’s that nothing really happens until you pick a date and announce it to the world.

Until you have that date in place, your project is just an idea… You can’t bring together the resources you’ll need, or really take confident action because you can’t be sure if things will change.

But once you commit, things really start happening – and fast too! We were able to pull this event together in just 3 months, and while next time I’ll definitely give myself more time to make it happen, I think it worked because we set a date first.

And also as a note to myself and anyone planning a live event: research what other events might be happening at the same time.

During our Off The Charts week-end there was a bike race that made it difficult to get to the event space!

2. You’ll Experience Extreme Highs and Lows

No matter what new endeavor you’re undertaking, the first time is always harder, more time consuming, and more expensive than you thought… But just like Off The Charts was for me, also more fun, motivating, and fulfilling than I could have imagined.

I still remember the days leading up to the event, my internal dialogue was that I never wanted to put on a live event again… and the next day, during the event I was thinking that I wanted to be on stage leading an event every day!

3. Surround Yourself With The Best People

The bigger the project, the more you’ll need a team to help you execute it. I feel like the people who came together to support Off The Charts Live were total superstars!

Starting early each day with Kaela Dobson in the hair and makeup chair. Having fun with the make-it-happen master Jessica Scheer who helped bring our sponsors together, to Kelley Bruso (pictured above) who captured our special moments on camera… To our video team, Adam Kerchman and Neil Schneck who were on all week-end, to our amazing volunteers led by Rebecca Reser. The incredible Jeannine Yoder, who rocked the testimonial booth, and Mark Unthank who kept the music blazing. Thank you SO much!

The speakers brought so much to the stage, too. From Dr. Sharon Melnick who helped us discover what type of action blocker we are, to Laura Hames Franklin who helped us balance both sides of our brain.

Derek Halpern made us laugh while teaching us how to sell anything, and Liz DiAlto brought home the theme of authenticity in sales. Finally, Nisha Moodley brought everything full circle with her touching story and suggestions for creating more supportive sisterhood in our lives.

At the end of the day, the people you work with become like a family, and it was truly an honor and privilege to work with this team for the first Off The Charts event.

4. Delegation Is Key

Delegation becomes way easier when you physically can’t do it yourself, and this tones your delegation muscles.

I’m a bit of an independent control freak, but doing a live event meant that I couldn’t physically do everything myself. Learning to delegate started to come more easily at the end of the two days.

Now I feel like I’m more capable of translating my in person delegation (ie. make sure that everyone gets an Off The Charts notebook) to my online business (ie. make sure to schedule xyz email).

5. Off The Charts: Our Sponsors

I have to brag and say that we had the best sponsors for Off The Charts Live! Let’s take a quick look at them here:

1. Shivaloka Soul Jewelry: Donated incredibly soulful jewelry, which I got the pleasure to wear during the event itself! Each of their pieces has an intention and power behind it, and they’re so beautiful, too! Use coupon code OTC13 for a discount.
2. Shrink Session Workout: Erin Stutland’s incredible confidence-boosting workout that’s good for the soul, the sweat, and the variety, too! I personally use and love these workouts and the mantras that go along.
3. Kombucha Brooklyn: This tangy drink kept us energized and hydrated during Off The Charts, and brought a little of that Brooklyn energy to our Manhattan event. I’m super grateful to the folks at Kombucha Brooklyn!
4. Camille Carnevale Jewelry: A girl after my own heart, Camille donated some beautiful pieces of jewelry including her lighter ring and librarian style necklace. Totally fitting!
5. Mayi Carles: What’s cuter than Mayi Carles’ todo list notepads, or her Life Is Messy Bootcamp? Nothing, that’s what. The winners of her prizes were as excited as we were when we glimpsed these beauties!
6. Brooklyn Salsa: This super yummy salsa kept the munchies at bay, and we got to sample Brooklyn Salsa’s different flavors that make this brand so addictive! Thank you guys for the flavor infusion!
7. Tracy Matthews Jewelry: Some lucky ladies in the audience left with a Tracy Matthews piece to take home, and we’re so grateful to Tracy for her incredible designs and generous gifts! Keep rocking it, Tracy!
8. 305 Fitness: Keeping with the beautiful on the inside and out theme, 305 Fitness showed us that a club and strobe light inspired workout is fun and exciting, too!
9. Whitney English: The consensus about Whitney’s Strategic Day Designer is that we should be selling these at next year’s Off The Charts event, and I agree!
10. Kelley Bruso Photography: Kelley is an incredible photographer, and she loves working with entrepreneurial women – so if you’re looking to get photos taken for your website, she’s your gal!

6. Everything will come together beautifully.

Finally, everything really came together like magic in the end, and I couldn’t be more happy or grateful. I can’t wait for the next Off The Charts Live event, and to see and hear what everyone who attended does with what they gained at Off The Charts!

The post Off The Charts Live in NYC Highlights appeared first on Nathalie Lussier.

In today’s episode on business increase strategies, we’re talking about making space for your business to grow.

Have you ever had a plant that was in a small container, that seemed to be just scraping by or even going downhill? But as soon as you moved this plant to a bigger pot, it started to thrive and bloom again?

This can happen in your business, too! Except that we’re not always aware of the different ways that we’re keeping our business in a small container.

Watch this week’s Off The Charts episode to see what I mean.

Business Increase: Increase The Size Of Your Business Container

List Building & Business Increase Sabotages

Here’s an example of one way that I was keeping my business small.

I’m constantly working on growing my email list, but for a period of a few months I realized that my email list was stagnant.

I’d get new subscribers, but I’d also get unsubscribes.

There was something else happening though. You see, I was about to reach the upper limit of my email management provider… and if my list grew any more, I’d be paying a few extra hundred dollars per month.

So I’d go into my email system, prune people who had opted out, clean out duplicate emails, and essentially pinch my way into that lower bracket of email subscribers.

Finally, I decided that I had pinched enough and it was just time to increase my limit and bite the bullet.

I shelled out the extra few hundred dollars a month to my email management company, and low and behold my email list started to grow like crazy.

I was adding thousands of subscribers to my list, and my unsubscribes became less frequent too. Coincidence? I don’t think so.

How Upgrading To a Bigger Container Helped My Business Grow

It was all about me upgrading to that bigger container, and allowing what was naturally going to happen to take place without any restraints on it.

Instead of focusing on how to keep my list under the limit, I was able to go out and schedule list building activities like webinars, guest posts, and so on – without holding back!

And by the way, with this slew of new subscribers, I’ve more than made up for the cost of the email service in new sales. I’m just kicking myself that I didn’t make this upgrade sooner!

I’ve also seen similar results from people joining mastermind groups or other “containers” that gave them the space to grow like nobody’s business!

In fact, this is the reason why I’m putting together the Daring Business Cultivator program. It’s the bigger container that you and your business have been waiting for, and it’s going to be like miracle grow.

Take a look at ways that you might be unconsciously doing to keep your business small and watch how easy a business increase can be once you increase your container. It’s time for your business to bloom, baby!

Got Examples of This Container Theory?

I’d love to read your stories, leave a comment below about your business increase strategies so we can all learn from each other’s lessons!

The post Business Increase Strategy: Make Space For Your Business Growth appeared first on Nathalie Lussier.

Today I have a question to ask you about your Off The Charts Success Team… what the heck is that, you ask? It’s my version of a mastermind, but now you might be asking yourself what is a mastermind…

I’m glad you asked! The definition of a mastermind is: bringing together a group of like-minded individuals and meeting regularly to support one another’s progress toward similar intentions and goals.

I think that’s awesome, but as usual I like to put my own twist on things, and also take a look at where things come from.

The book “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill is responsible for popularizing the concept of the mastermind. The book describes the power of a mastermind as:

“The coordination of knowledge and effort of two or more people, who work toward a definite purpose, in the spirit of harmony.”

Now before we dive deeper into the different components of masterminds, and why they work so well… let’s see who is on your team right now.

What Is a Mastermind & Why Do You Need The 3 C’s On Your Success Team?

Click here to check out The Daring Business Cultivator.

A Skeptic’s Look At Masterminds and Teamwork

When I first heard this quote it sounded cliche: “It takes teamwork to make the dreamwork.”

But now that I’ve seen what can happen when you’re surrounded the right team of supporters, I believe it.

So what kind of team do you need exactly? I like to think of it as an Off The Charts success team, because this team will help you move forward in your life and business like nothing else.

In this team, I’m not referring to employees, though they are absolutely important, too.

I’m talking about the 3 “C”‘s that you need to have as part of your team or mastermind.

Your Success Team Needs Customers & Clients

When most people think of a mastermind, this typically does not include customers or clients… but to me, every mastermind has a mix of different business relationships and it includes client relationships too.

In order to have a successful business, you need customers and clients. That’s plain to see, and it’s usually the first place we look when something isn’t working in a business.

Do you have enough clients and customers raising your business?

If not, these next two “C”‘s on your team might be able to help with that.

Colleagues Are Often The Missing Piece

Your peers are those people in business who are at roughly your level of expertise and influence.

Your peers can be colleagues, they can be competition, they could be different people in different industries who just so happen to hang out in the same circles that you do.

Your colleagues are crucial because they can both inspire you, motivate you, and keep you accountable.

Your peers are like your best buddies swimming alongside you to get to the other side of the river. If either one of you were to get a cramp, the others would stop swimming and help you out immediately.

This is the missing piece for many start-up business owners: they’ve got some customers, and maybe a coach, but no one swimming alongside them.

An often overlooked bonus to having a mastermind group with your peers, is that they can also help promote you, and help you find more of your ideal customers and clients.

Without colleagues, you’re dead in the water.

What Is a Mastermind Without a Leading Coach or Consultant?

At first, I didn’t want to believe it to be true, but I’ve found that having a coach makes a huge difference as to how fast and far you go.

When I was an active student in Tae Kwon Do, my instructor saw things that were possible for me that I had no way of seeing for myself. She pushed me, guided me, and corrected me along the way.

Without her as a coach and mentor, I wouldn’t be the woman that I am today, and I probably wouldn’t have started a business of my own either.

The same has proven to be true in business too. My mentor Marie Forleo helped me to see beyond my immediate issues toward the bigger picture, and the steps needed to build my ideal business.

A coach in business is important even if you happen to be really smart and good at business yourself.

If you’re a hair dresser, you can’t give yourself a good haircut.

Combine All Three “C”‘s and You’ve Got a Mastermind…

The one thing that brings all three of these “Off The Charts Team” elements into one place is a mastermind group led by a coach.

There’s something powerful about being connected to other business owners who are up to big things, and having a leader who can see things that you can’t see for yourself.

Each colleague of yours in a mastermind group will be able to contribute their own resources, distinct perspectives, and original insights to your company and your issues.

You’ll also often find ideal clients and customers within a mastermind group, not to mention tons of potential collaborative partners.

So the next time you feel alone while you’re building your business, take a look at which “C” you are lacking.

I’m currently accepting applications for my mastermind program: The Daring Business Cultivator. It encompasses all three, check it out.

The post Who Is On Your Success Team? And What Is a Mastermind? appeared first on Nathalie Lussier.

This week-end was the inaugural Off The Charts Live conference, and I’m still floating from pulling off my first big live event!

As promised, the women (and men!) who attended the event were Off The Charts: smart, supportive, and up to great things in the world.

I’m still floored that we were able to put this event together in just 3 months while keeping the Nathalie Lussier Media ship running, so today’s topic is definitely something I can speak on.

How To Get More Done In a Day Without Overwhelm

My 7 Tips For How To Get More Done In a Day

I’m going to share with you the simple steps that I take to get more stuff done without feeling overwhelmed.

1. Write down your 3 most important things for the day. Bonus points if you’re using a beautiful Whitney English strategic day planner. Whitney sent some of these beauties to us for our sponsored gifts at Off The Charts, and I loved them so much I ordered one for myself.

2. Do one of those things at a time and reduce distractions. Multi-tasking is not all it’s cracked up to be, it just slows you down. If you need a break, don’t surf social media – instead take a walk, a nap, or stretch.

3. Break big projects down into do-able bite sized chunks. There’s nothing like looking at a huge mountain you need to climb to make you want to turn around… instead, focus on putting one foot in front of the other.

4. Close the loops: if there’s something on your mind, write it down and get back to it later, or if it’s quick handle it now. If you get a new idea for a blog post, write it down in your Life Is Messy planner. Did I mention that the lovely Mayi Carles sent some goodies to give away at our event too? Incredibly useful, adorable, and so smart!

5. Consider your bandwidth – you can get a lot more done if you’re doing less.

This may seem counter-intuitive at first, but focusing on one project at a time will absolutely help you get more done in a day. Having too many projects going on at once can reduce your capacity to get work done.

Think of a highway: it’s fine when there are just a few cars, but once you had a bunch of cars, things really slow down.

It’s the same for projects and todo items, even if you’re not working on them concurrently you’re still thinking about them.

That’s why I love my big wall calendars, because I can dedicate months out of my year to certain projects and keep others open.

6. Leave breadcrumbs for yourself. Sometimes you need to do research to figure out how to do something, or you end up getting sidetracked on a project.

Write down what you were originally going to do before you dive into these sub-tasks. These breadcrumbs will guide you back to your original purpose, without making you feel disoriented and confused. You can then get back into the groove that much faster, and get it crossed off your to-do list!

7. Take time away from it all to decompress and rest. A little R&R goes a long way toward helping you achieve your goals and stay productive.

I recently read an article about the so-called benefits of being a workaholic… but I have to say that I wouldn’t be proud of working 70+ hours per week, because that pace is not sustainable or healthy. Stick to a more balanced approach to work, and you’ll feel much better and have more energy to contribute to your business, too.

When you ask yourself how to get more done in a day… what’s your best strategy?

I’d love to hear about your experience with getting more done without getting overwhelmed. Leave a comment below, I love hearing from you!

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