Send us a textWhen financial advisor Cris Caruso left her secure corporate position to launch Savoire Financial, she knew exactly who she wanted to serve: women, Gen X, and LGBTQ+ clients who've been historically overlooked by traditional financial services. In this conversation, she shares how she successfully transitioned her practice, brought her clients along, and built a business that combines hospitality with education. Her insights on the coming wealth transfer to women and the power of building genuine relationships reveal why going niche isn't just good business—it's transforming how underserved communities access financial guidance. A must-listen for service professionals ready to make their own bold move.

Send us a textReady to stop feeling guilty about your workday? In this practical episode, Rachel Cook dismantles the outdated 8-hour workday model and presents a smarter way to run your business. Based on research showing knowledge workers peak at just 3-4 productive hours daily, she reveals how to leverage these focused periods for maximum impact. Through clear examples from her own successful practice of separating focus days from call days, Rachel demonstrates how you can structure your business around your life—not the other way around. Learn the proven approach that's helping women entrepreneurs get better results while working less, and finally feel confident about how you spend your time.

Send us a textWere you able to consistently show up and market your business this year... or was marketing and sales an afterthought?Were you actually able to take time off this year... or did your schedule get so out of control that you are on the verge of burnout?In the final part of the Plan Your Best Year Ever Challenge, we are going month by month to make sure you and your business have a real action plan to achieve your goals in 2025.Get access to the full Plan Your Best Year Ever Challenge Here!

Send us a textYou tell yourself This is my YEAR! I'm gonna do the dang thing!You write down your big business goal. You put in up where you can see it constantly. You're committed to making it happen!But then life gets in the way and that goal you set is a long gone memory. When we only set goals once a year, we miss out on the process of going after that goal because we aren't setting ourselves up for success.In this episode, learn a better way to achieve your overall business goals including increasing revenue, increasing profits, and increasing control in your business.Get access to the full Plan Your Best Year Ever Challenge Here!

Send us a textDoes it feel like your business is constantly in emergency mode and you're spending your days putting out fires?You might be running your business by DEFAULT instead of by DESIGN!In this episode, we are talking about how you can proactively design your business to truly work FOR YOU in 2025.Get access to the full Plan Your Best Year Ever Challenge Here!

Send us a textFor so many small business owners, the non-stop hustle culture has seriously caused an epidemic of burnout. The last few years have only made this worse!The good news? You don't have to work 60-80 hours weeks to have a successful business. In fact, many of our clients are working less than 30 hours a week with more than enough time to prioritize their health, wellness, family, friends.. you know... actually having a life!In this episode, we creating a clear vision for all areas of our life in 2025 based on our definition of success.Get access to the full Plan Your Best Year Ever Challenge Here!

Send us a textWith the holidays just around the corner, now is the time to look ahead and plan your business for 2025!So many entrepreneurs set goals only to reach the end of the year and realize that they didn't follow-through. If that's you - no worries! We have you covered with the Plan Your Best Year Ever Challenge.In this episode, we are kicking off our 9th annual Plan Your Best Year Ever Challenge beginning with the 2024 Year in Review.Get access to the full Plan Your Best Year Ever Challenge Here!

Send us a textThis episode was a little hard to record - I ended up starting and stopping about a dozen times. Here at The CEO Collective and on the podcast Promote Yourself to CEO, I've spent a LOT of time talking about building a Life FIRST Business. One that allows you to prioritize enjoying your life - right now - as you grow your business. One that allows you to take time for your health, spend quality time with your family. All the fun parts.But there is another reason why this approach is so crucially important.Life doesn't always go as planned. And sometimes we don't just need a Life FIRST Business - we need a Life PROOF Business.One that's going to fully support us as we experience loss, setbacks, and the harder parts of life.In this episode, I'm sharing more about what I'm currently navigating as I'm experiencing the loss of my dear cousin Holly and how focusing on SYSTEMS are what have allowed me to keep this business running smoothly when I'm not able to show up 100%.Mentioned in this episode:Plan Your Best Year Ever! - Join the free challenge!The CEO CollectiveRacheal on Instagram and TikTokRate and review on Apple Podcasts

Send us a textAvoid Common Planning Mistakes for Small Business Success in 2025With my big-picture plan in order for Q4, in this episode I want to prepare you for  planning for 2025! As we begin that task, I want to offer you advice on course-correcting by detailing 10 major mistakes to avoid when setting business goals. The holiday season will be here before you know it, and I plan to be spending so much time with family and friends. I want to make sure that come January, my business is already in motion and I can take off with momentum. Join us for the 'Plan Your Best Year Ever' challenge to ensure both life and business goals are prioritized for sustainable success.02:35 Seek specificity in your goal-setting starting with your priorities, and including traceable metrics05:44 How can you break down your big goals into actionable, check-off-able items08:17 Reviewing, adapting, and adjusting your plan must be part of the plan10:47 The importance of tracking cashflow and financial planning in your goal-setting11:52 Protect yourself from overwork, and how to not overload your plate13:45 Don't compromise your long-term sustainability when working on short-term goals16:09 The importance of involving your team in your planning process18:11 Your Plan B in case of emergencies19:54 Value-based, life-first considerations when planning your business's year ahead21:57 Maintaining attention to the process, not just a final end24:14 Introduction and Invitation to join the Plan Your Best Year Ever! Challenge

Send us a textHey there CEOs, Q4 is here and with the holidays fast approaching, I want to talk to entrepreneurs about effectively managing the final 90 days of 2024. I share my insights on managing business during an election cycle, taking time off for family during holidays, and planting seeds that will fruit in Q1 2025! Join me soon for my 'Plan Your Best Year Ever Challenge' to help set sustainable systems for business growth.

Send us a textYou make yourself available to your clients constantly. They can email or text or call you 24/7, and you make it a priority to respond to them as soon as possible. And you might even be making great money in the process!From the client's perspective, this sounds great. But while the constant availability works for them, it means your business isn’t really working for you.Today, I talk with CEO Collective member Dr. Libby Wilson whose functional medicine practice looked great on the surface with successful clients and cash flow. But she had to make shifts so that she could truly have freedom in her business to enjoy life. In this episode, she talks about how she turned things around over the last year to ensure that her practice not only works for her clients but also for herself and her family.On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO:3:25 - Who is Dr. Libby Wilson, how does she help her clients, and where was she struggling in her business before joining the CEO Collective?7:55 - Hustle culture created this health issue for Dr. Libby. She had to fix the root cause and talks about how the 90-Day Planner helped.13:07 - Content creation is a major sticking point for a lot of entrepreneurs. Dr. Libby has a 12-month rinse-and-repeat content calendar, so how does she do it?16:29 - Dr. Libby reveals something she does for her practice and that every entrepreneur needs to apply in their business. We discuss what it is and why it’s so important.22:34 - Watching how my business runs behind-the-scenes helped Dr. Libby get away from making herself constantly available to clients. What changes did she make in her practice as a result?30:04 - Dr. Libby discusses how making the adjustments to her business has improved her life and her mindset.36:30 - To wrap the show, Dr. Libby reveals what she’d say to anyone thinking of joining The CEO Collective. She also briefly discusses her new book and how she works with clients.Mentioned in Is Your Business Really Working for You? Best Life Functional MedicineThe Path of Intention: Five Habits to Optimize Your Health and Create a Life You Love by Dr. Libby Wilson90-Day CEO PlannerApply for The CEO CollectiveRacheal on Instagram and TikTok

Send us a textIn this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO, I invited Gabi Day, CEO and founder of Brightbody, to discuss her entrepreneurial journey. Gabi shares insights on running a non-toxic, refillable personal care line and her new venture, Hype Ma'am, which supports women in product-based businesses. Gabi reflects on her transition from healthcare administration, dealing with chronic health issues, and becoming a mother of twins. She emphasizes the importance of creating flexible systems and structures, including her 90-day operating plan and annual marketing calendar that enable her to balance business growth and personal well-being. Gabi also discusses how implementing these strategies has transformed her role as CEO and improved her team's efficiency and happiness.10:58 Flexible Work and Parenting23:40 Adapting to Challenges: Flexibility in Planning27:37 Building a Reliable Team33:28 Streamlining Operations with SOPs42:26 Scaling Your Business with Systems

Send us a textOne of the hardest lessons to learn as an entrepreneur?You can be your own worst enemy.You know that more visibility is essential to growth, but you overcomplicate it to the point where you do nothing.You have an incredible idea for a new product, program, or service, but your perfectionism keeps you from ever launching it.You know that you have completely maxxed out your calendar - you simply don't have time to do more or work harder - but you struggle to bring on more support behind the scenes to free up your time.And the thing is - we are all aware when we are self-sabotaging!These mistakes often stem from deeply ingrained beliefs and habits that can be so incredibly difficult to break. That's why in this episode, I'm sharing the top 5 mistakes, how they hold our businesses back, and how to start overcoming them so you can get closer to the life-first business you really want!

Send us a textSupporting your family as a business owner is an incredible experience. Deciding to be your own boss, delivering value to paying clients, and bringing profit home to support your family's needs and wants is just part of the reward.For me, supporting my family goes so much deeper than paying the bills. It's why I've been so intentional about building a business that allows me to be the best mom I can be, be a present wife, be a daughter who can help her aging parents. And it's meant I've always been able to prioritize the things that matter most to me and the people who matter most to me. And I know from experience working with thousands of women entrepreneurs that the biggest reason women start businesses is because they want that flexibility and freedom to take care of their families, to take care of their parents, to take care of their children, to live an actual life.In this second installment of the series on a life-first approach to business, I run through ten common myths that hinder women entrepreneurs from achieving success both at home and in business, such as the myth that more hours equal more success and the necessity of hustle culture. I stress the importance of prioritizing personal well-being, family, and effective delegation, while debunking the notion that being constantly available or sacrificing personal life is needed for business success.

Send us a textIn the first episode of this brand new series on Building a Life First Business!I wanted to kick things off with my own personal story that has deeply impacted the lens that I see the world through - and is a huge part of why I do the work I do.My mother was 31yo business owner when a car accident left her in a coma for 3 months and in the hospital for another 2 years before returning home to her family. She experienced a Traumatic Brain Injury that would leaver her permanently disabled for the rest of her life.She survived but lost her business... and even more, she missed the early days of my and my sisters childhoods.This episode is deeply personal but if you really want to know why I care so much about building businesses that actually allow you to enjoy your life - my story is a reminder that all we have is today.00:00 Introduction and Series Kickoff01:20 A Personal Story: The Accident That Changed Everything04:10 The Aftermath: Family and Business Struggles08:41 Building a Life-First Business13:33 Adapting to Motherhood and Business24:28 The Importance of Community and Support28:32 Caring for Aging Parents35:30 The Life-First Business Philosophy42:44 Conclusion and Next StepsAttend the upcoming free training with Racheal - Scaling Your Life-First Business

Send us a textWant clients for life? Give your client an experience that goes beyond their expectations. Think about booking lodgings for a vacation. It’s one thing to book a room for your stay with all the expected accommodations. But you remember the place that goes beyond: the chocolate on the pillow to greet you as a new guest, warm and freshly laundered towels in the bathroom daily, a minifridge already full of goodies you didn’t even have to buy, etc. And the next time you’re ready for a vacation in the area, you want to stay there again. Now, it’s really easy to think that translating that type of experience into your service-based business is as simple as surprising and delighting with little gifts, like that chocolate on the pillow. But there’s so much more to it, and today I’m excited to have Amber Kinney back on the podcast to talk about it. In this final episode of our customer experience series on Promote Yourself to CEO, you’ll learn about how you can translate surprising and delighting clients into your business as part of your customer experience plan. We’ll teach you how to put a little more intention and thoughtfulness into the ways you choose to surprise and delight clients so that they’ll trust and connect with you and your company. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 6:44 - What’s one of Amber's favorite ways to surprise and delight clients in her agency? 8:45 - I talk about a recent surprise I received when I started working with someone new. This kind of delight can motivate your clients even more! 13:01 - You can vote with your dollars when delighting your clients, too. Here’s how we do it every year. 16:22 - How do you and your team build connection with your clients in ways that will surprise and delight them? 24:25 - I discuss another way I try to delight all the time. This one goes above and beyond, and it can stick for your clients for years! Mentioned In How to Include Surprise and Delight for Clients In Your Customer Experience  The CEO Collective The CEO Retreat Amber Kinney’s agency, The AK Collective Maven Made Facial Serum Racheal on Instagram and TikTok Rate and review on Apple Podcasts  

Send us a textSustainably scaling your business isn’t a solo act. It takes a team to pull it off. Now you’ve probably had some help in the marketing and sales aspect of your business. Or maybe you’ve hired help for the technological or administrative side of things. But are you still holding out on hiring a team to help you work directly with clients to deliver your offer? That’s the last place we as entrepreneurs tend to hire to help us, but it’s necessary if you want a sustainable business. Building a team for a sustainable business ultimately boils down to one thing. And in today’s installment of our customer experience series, I’ve invited my Director of Operations (and right-hand woman) Amber Kinney onto the show to help me cover it. Amber and I have worked together for over a decade. And she’s the owner and CEO of her own marketing agency where she works with lots of entrepreneurs behind the scenes. So she knows the dos and don’ts of working with (and within) a business team. In this episode of the Promote Yourself to CEO podcast, you’ll learn about all the layers that go into hiring people to join your business and how to do it in a way that works for you, your team members, and your clients. We’ll teach you about transfer of trust and why it works so well to set your business up for success. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 6:49 - Why can scaling your team be one of the biggest challenges you face? Here’s the most likely place where you might stumble when hiring help. 12:24 - There’s a necessary shift you need to make to get to the point where clients comfortably deal with your team members. 16:40 - How can you start transferring your clients’ trust from working with you exclusively to working with your team directly? 20:08 - Amber reveals how to approach bringing on someone new onto your team who you don’t have a previous track record with. 23:26 - What if you have no plans or desires to hire anyone (at least right now)? You’ll still want to do this to set yourself up for success. 28:14 - I reveal a red flag that’s a sign of more than just bad hiring practices to your clients. Mentioned in How Strategically Scaling Your Business Team Sets You Up for Success The CEO Collective Amber Kinney’s agency, The AK Collective Racheal on Instagram and TikTok Rate and review on Apple Podcasts  

Send us a textAccording to American Express, people will pay 86% more if you give them an impeccable customer experience. That’s why providing a great experience after the purchase is one of the best ways to differentiate yourself, your brand, and your business from your competitors. So how can you improve the customer experience of your company? It’s all in the delivery of whatever you offer, whether you’re selling a product (physical or digital) or a service. Today on the Promote Yourself to CEO podcast, you’ll learn about seven ways to upgrade the delivery process of your offer that’ll have your clients or customers loving you and your business. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 4:41 - Clear containers for your offers helps you as well as your clients or customers. How? 8:28 - With so much small business competition, how can you develop relationships with your clients so that they remain loyal to yours? 11:45 - Have a clear vision for your customer experience and create a success path to help buyers get there. 13:20 - Do you follow up after the purchase? I discuss how to create checkpoints and proactively reach out. 17:44 - You’ll need to proactively coach your clients or customers on this as well. 21:05 - What can you use to improve your customer experience on an ongoing basis? 24:57 - The last way to upgrade your customer experience is easier said than done, but it must be done for a sustainable business. 29:22 - To wrap the show, I quickly recap the seven ways to upgrade your customer or client experience.   Mentioned in 7 Ways to Upgrade Your Client or Customer Experience The CEO Collective 90-Day CEO Operating System Racheal on Instagram and TikTok Rate and review on Apple Podcasts  

Send us a textMost people aren’t talking about customer experience when they think they are. They’re talking about putting out fires, troubleshooting things, solving problems as they arise--all customer service-oriented stuff. While having good customer service is important, it’s not a thing that’s necessarily going to help your business grow or generate excitement about it from your clients. That’s where having an impeccable customer experience comes in! But how do you design one for your business? There are three elements (or stages) to this: the first sets the tone for your relationship with each client, the next creates your path to success, and the last one wraps everything up and sets you (and your client) up for continued success. In this next episode of Promote Yourself to CEO, you’ll learn all about those three elements. I take you through every stage one-by-one and include all of the systems, pieces, considerations, and questions you should implement or think about for each to create an excellent experience for your clients. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 4:11 - I talk about the five systems you need for the first element: client onboarding. 10:50 - How can your clients get the best results? This is all about setting expectations. 12:54 - What’s the third area to shore up in your client onboarding process? (And what is the key to making it work)? 16:32 - The final piece of onboarding is incredibly powerful to make sure that everything starts off on the right foot. 19:37 - Your path to success lies in this next element of your customer experience plan. Here are a couple of areas to think about as you map it out. 28:19 - Too often, entrepreneurs wait to do this. So you’ll need to be proactive in this next step on your success path. 30:39 - How can you keep your clients committed to the process of going through your entire program? I reveal the final piece to your success path. 33:56 - I discuss four steps to think about as you complete the implementation of your customer experience plan for each client. Mentioned in Designing an Excellent Customer Experience In 3 Stages The 3 Essential Systems to Sustainably Scale Your Business (LINK TBA) The CEO Collective 90-Day CEO Operating System The Coaching Habit by Michael Bungay Stanier Racheal on Instagram and TikTok Rate and review on Apple Podcasts  

Send us a textAre you confusing customer service with customer experience? Right now, you might be wondering, “Huh? What’s the difference?” Customer service is reactive; it’s all about handling problems as they arise. But an incredible customer experience is a thoughtfully designed journey through your business that can elevate it and gain you clients for life. So how do you go about designing this experience so that your clients will not only want to stick around but recommend your business to others? Today kicks off a new series of the Promote Yourself to CEO podcast where we discuss something that hasn’t really been delved into on the show before. In this episode, you’ll learn about why creating an excellent customer experience helps you stand out from the crowd. You’ll hear about the coaching experience I heard about that triggered this topic, discover exactly how powerfully a great customer experience design can affect your business, and reveal what your revenue goals aren’t telling you. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 3:08 - Why am I digging into customer experience? I talk about the recent sales call that inspired this series. 8:03 - Customer experience matters and can be such a competitive advantage. Here’s why! 11:58 - Everybody loves coming up with revenue goals. But you’re missing out on a lot of important information in the process. 17:11 - How does plugging the holes in your customer experience affect your profit? 20:09 - What’s coming up next in this series? I give a short preview. Mentioned in The Key to Boosting Your Business and Creating Clients for Life The CEO Collective Racheal on Instagram and TikTok Rate and review on Apple Podcasts  

Send us a textHave things been slowing down in your business? What if you could start each year knowing that you have the majority of the revenue you need locked in?Many entrepreneurs have noticed a recent slowdown in their businesses due to consumer anxiety surrounding the economy. The natural reaction to that is to market to attract new people and bring them into your business to boost revenue. But are you neglecting an easier way?As a podcast producer for service-based businesses, Stacey Harris has noticed the downturn trend and gotten ahead of the curve. She and I have had a conversation about this recently during a retreat. But instead of putting all the attention on the front end, she’s helping others get set up for continued success (regardless of what happens with the economy), focusing on gaining clients for life.And now, we’re bringing our conversation to you. In this episode of the Promote Yourself to CEO podcast, you’ll learn about how you can focus on bringing in more revenue by paying attention to the people who’ve already paid you. We’ll tell you about the small things you can do and shifts you can make to take advantage of this small business gamechanger.7:52 - Some businesses like cable and cell phone companies keep making this mistake.10:16 - What’s the difference between a repeating customer and a lifetime client?16:04 - I give examples of how consumer-facing businesses can provide extra value to existing clients in times of economic uncertainty.22:01 - We run a people-over-profit business here at The CEO Collective, which helps us stand out. Here’s an example of how.26:12 - How can you make things even a tiny bit easier for your clients? Stacey talks about how she’s doing it for podcasters.28:56 - One of the biggest shifts in my business recently came from an unexpected source.31:38 - What’s the real linchpin to gaining clients for life? And how have I used it to evolve my business since the beginning?40:01 - You can bring all of your expertise to the table to make money in multiple ways. Stacey discusses a recent example of how she did it.43:04 - Stacey reveals the hardest part about communicating in client relationships.49:07 - What else happens for your business when you retain clients? It makes business growth so much easier.Mentioned in How to Gain Clients for Life with Stacey HarrisThe CEO CollectiveThe CEO RetreatCustomer Experience podcast series: episode 1, 2, 3, and 4Stacey Harris on Instagram and TikTokUncommonly MoreRacheal on Instagram and TikTok

Send us a textImagine spending a half hour (or longer) on a sales call with someone. And as you wrap it up, you’re hoping they’ll say yes to your product, program, or service.But instead, they tell you they’re not ready. Or they can’t afford it. Or the timing is off, and can they get back to you?This is one of the most frustrating things about sales and the reason why so many entrepreneurs dread getting on a call with a new potential client. If this is something that you’re experiencing right now, then you need a strategy that allows you to turn more potential clients into actual clients.Creating a well-crafted pre-client education process will do the trick. Not only does it improve your overall conversion rate, but it also makes sales so much easier!In this episode of the Promote Yourself to CEO podcast, you’ll learn how to implement this pre-sale education process for potential clients in your business. I’ll talk about why old-school sales strategies don’t work anymore, what modern sales strategies do differently, and take you step-by-step through the pre-client education process.On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO:2:24 - How have sales changed since the 1990s? I explain why there’s a disconnect with old-school strategies from 25-30 years ago.7:53 - I reveal how modern sales strategies differ from old-school sales strategies and the importance of pre-sales education.12:23 - What’s the first step of the pre-sales education process? You need this regardless of what you sell.18:55 - Here are two options you can add in step two if a potential buyer needs to have a conversation with you.24:10 - How do you use pre-sales emails to sell your product, program, or service? I discuss a great example I share with clients inside The CEO Collective.30:26 - You can add this to your pre-client education content in case potential clients aren’t already familiar with you.32:29 - I talk about a couple of other things you might consider including in your pre-sales content.37:13 - How are sales calls different for me since I began implementing this process in my business?39:09 - Give people a window of time to make a decision. What does your enrollment period look like?43:01 - Some people will want to wait for the next round to buy from you, or you might have all spots filled. I share what you can do for those situations.45:50 - What formats do you want to use to send pre-sales education content to your potential clients?The CEO CollectiveThe CEO RetreatThe CEO Planner90 Day CEO Operating SystemMarketing Strategy IntensivePodcast Ally

Send us a textWe’ve just seen a golden age for people wanting to start their own small business. The 10 to 15 year period from the 2008 recession to COVID-19 was a bull market that saw improved and more affordable technology available for small business owners. As a result, small businesses exploded into existence, particularly for women entrepreneurs.But the economy is cyclical, and there comes a time when the bull market slows down. In the last few years, we’ve seen that lots of businesses had to adapt or get shut down during the pandemic lockdowns. We’re watching inflation cause expenses to skyrocket. And your customers and clients are feeling the impact.The economy is uncertain right now, and perhaps your sales are slowing down as a result. People might be telling you that they need a little more time to budget for your signature offer, or they’re less willing to commit to a long-term program and higher dollar amounts. So your sales process will have to change.Today kicks off a new series all about how the sales process is changing. In this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO, you’ll learn about what to do if your sales strategy is no longer producing the results you want right now. I’ll teach you how to prevent your business from slowing down so much that it threatens to shut down.On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO:9:11 - There’s been a big change in B2B vs. consumer-facing sales strategies over the last few years. What is it?13:29 - Adding in a personal touch somewhere to your sales process will improve your overall results. I reveal how I do it.17:14 - Here’s another high-touch tactic I do that you can add to your marketing.19:45 - People want to know who they’re giving money to, so are you making your company’s values explicitly clear?27:40 - How can you make your business relevant to clients and customers right now? It’s all about meeting them where they are.34:48 - One last thing to think about that will help you so much as a small business owner.Mentioned in Why Your Old Sales Strategy Might Not Be WorkingThe CEO CollectiveThe CEO RetreatLoom“The Vulnerable Side of Visibility with Erica Courdae” podcast episodeMarketing Strategy IntensiveUncommonly MoreRacheal on Instagram and TikTokRate and review on Apple Podcasts

Send us a textDo you struggle internally with selling because you feel like you’re pushing people to buy things they don’t need? You want to improve your sales skills and feel like you’re advocating your offers out of service, not desperation.You need sales confidence. And my guest today, Leslie Lyons, is a sales and leadership coach with a no BS approach who’s all about helping women embrace sales confidence. She just has a way of talking about sales and encouraging people to make more sales that’s so refreshing to hear.In this episode of the Promote Yourself to CEO podcast, you’ll learn about how to get more confident at selling. You’ll also discover how to re-examine your relationship with sales and money so that you can truly step into your purpose and be of service to people you’re here to help through your business.On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO:8:22 - Leslie describes the kind of household she grew up in and reveals why having money is key for women in relationships.12:34 - How are women in the Western world conditioned when it comes to money? And how does white feminism tie into it?17:52 - How did Leslie find out she was good at sales? She reveals her very first sales job and the foundational piece to having sales confidence.26:54 - Leslie discusses how to build up sales confidence so you don’t feel so hesitant, uncomfortable, or awkward when advocating for your offer.30:33 - Other than stereotypes about selling, here are a couple of other reasons why women hesitate to do it (and what we make them mean about ourselves as individuals).34:30 - What lesson can Kanye teach you as an entrepreneur in sales situations?38:27 - I learned an important sales lesson as a kid. And it demonstrates why Leslie focuses on sales confidence instead of sales strategy.41:40 - Here’s something else that can keep you attached to your business and make it personal.Mentioned in How to Embrace Sales Confidence In Your Business with Leslie LyonsLeslie D. LyonsLeslie’s podcast: Pleasurable Profits: Sales & Leadership for Non-Traditional CEOsLeslie on Instagram and LinkedInRacheal on Instagram and TikTokRate and review on Apple Podcasts

Send us a textCan you afford to take 30 days away from your business? What would happen if you can’t but took the time anyway?Sometimes, things come up. Personal or family illness, the impending birth of a new baby, or just needing a break can spark the need for taking some extended time off.But for a lot of small business owners, taking that time would essentially shut the business down. You’d stop marketing, working with clients, and making sales... unless you have systems in place that keep your business running when you slow down.This past April, I had to step away from my business because of a flare-up of my chronic illness that caused me extreme pain and kept me up at night. But if you listened to the show in April, you’d never know that because I had systems in place that could help me weather that situation.So in this episode of the Promote Yourself to CEO podcast, you’ll learn the systems I use to make sure that my business runs smoothly even if I have to step back for a bit. By growing through some of the systems I use in my 5-part framework, I’ll teach you how you can keep on serving your clients and generating revenue while you’re away.On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO:5:09 - I talk about the biggest changes I’ve made for more flexibility in the “delight” stage of my framework.9:18 - What do these changes look like functionally inside of The CEO Collective?18:20 - How do I make sure sales keep coming in even if I have to step away from my business?25:08 - If you think you need to be active in the nurture marketing stage all the time, systems are your friend here. I reveal how.31:29 - Where do I spend the majority of my time, and why should you do the same?39:33 - It took me a long time to follow this final piece of advice.Mentioned in The Systems That Keep Your Business Running When You Slow DownThe CEO CollectiveThe CEO Retreat90-Day CEO Operating SystemThe CEO PlannerMarketing Strategy IntensiveFired Up & Focused ChallengePlan Your Best Year Ever ChallengeMore Business Growth ToolsHelp ScoutUncommonly MoreRacheal on Instagram and TikTokRate and review on Apple Podcasts

Send us a textJust because it's a slow down season in your personal life doesn’t mean your sales have to follow suit.Summer especially is known (and sometimes feared) as a dead time for business revenue. Unless your product or service can specifically cater to what people purchase during the season, you’re probably expecting to see a dip in sales.But you can still keep the sales gravy train going... and not just during the summer but anytime you choose to slow down or take a step back from your business. All you need to do is incorporate a couple of high leverage tactics to keep up the momentum.These are simple strategies you can use right away. And the best thing about them is, once you have the pieces in place (assuming you don’t already), they run automatically and won’t take up more of your time.In this episode of the Promote Yourself to CEO podcast, you’ll learn about three tactics to keep generating the sales and revenue you desire (and deserve) when you take time off from your business. I’ll also teach you ways to implement each one and ensure that you don’t have to suffer through the famine part of the business cycle so many entrepreneurs go through.On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO:5:21 - What’s the first thing you need to do before you can keep the momentum going in your business?7:21 - Make sure you make this part easy for potential clients and customers in order to keep up business momentum.11:34 - I share one of the best ways you can continue sales momentum if you’re a service provider.13:15 - Here’s a high leverage tactic you can do that often surprises people.17:34 - What should you double down on to keep momentum going? (Most people do the opposite).21:47 - I quickly recap my top three ways to keep business momentum going when you’re slowing down or taking a break.Mentioned in 3 High Leverage Ways to Keep Up Business Momentum“Why Your Old Sales Strategy Might Not Be Working”“How Your Client Education Process Leads to More Sales”“How to Gain Clients for Life with Stacey Harris”Fired Up & Focused ChallengePlan Your Best Year Ever ChallengeRacheal on Instagram and TikTok

Send us a textSummer is just around the corner! It’s the time of year to relax with a cold drink by the pool and just slow things down. Sounds great, but how do you make sure things don’t slow down too much in your business? In this episode, I talk about how you can avoid losing momentum during the slower summer months and ramp up your business for the fall. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 3:21 - Summer is the perfect time to work on the bigger picture for your business. Here’s the first way to help you get the most out of this slower period. 6:45 - What’s the one thing that’ll help you grow your business sustainably? This allows you to leverage your time and energy by working smarter, not harder. 19:19 - Want to set yourself up for success for the rest of the year? Look at these three core parts of your marketing strategy and your overall marketing system. 28:33 - How your business shows up in the world matters. It’s the first impression people get, so consider upgrading this aspect over the summer. 32:36 - This time of year is when I’ll often plan for and create new offers, including my very first program in the summer of 2011. Show Links The CEO Retreat Google Workspace/Google Apps for Work Last Pass Help Scout Asana Calendly Dubsado Racheal on Instagram Leave a review on iTunes

Send us a textPeople keep asking for your time, energy, and attention. Someone invites you to an impromptu coffee date in the middle of something important or wants to meet up with you about something after business hours. But when it comes to your business, you need to learn to say no when necessary.You want to turn these types of things down but fear it’ll have a detrimental affect on your life or business. Maybe you’ll miss out on an opportunity or offend a client or potential business partner or friend.But there’s always a trade-off and saying yes to everything is really the thing that can hurt your business. The key to not doing that is the CEO’s best friend: boundaries. You need to set strong boundaries for yourself and your business and not waver on them.That (especially the not-wavering thing) sounds easier said than done, right? Well, in this episode of the Promote Yourself to CEO podcast, you’ll learn about the three different types of boundaries you as a business owner need to think about setting for yourself. You’ll also learn how to enforce and stick with your new boundaries.On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO:8:47 - The first boundary you need to examine is the biggest challenge I hear from women entrepreneurs.12:32 - What is the flow state, and how do you get into it?16:46 - How do you organize your calendar? I walk you through how I do mine as an example.19:13 - I talk about how to manage clients when it comes to your calendar’s specificity, including emergency appointments.23:40 - What about appointments for non-business related things (i.e. lunch with a friend or potential business referral)?26:50 - So many of us struggle with constant communication. I discuss setting up your boundaries around this so you don’t make yourself seem available 24/7.30:22 - How can you set expectations for your response turnaround time? Here’s how we do it through my preferred communication channel.33:27 - I talk about boundaries around your non-preferred methods of business communication.37:48 - How do you respond to questions? You might experience this particular scenario, especially as your business grows and you become known as an expert.43:09 - Having clear, upfront boundaries saves you so much time and energy when dealing with sticky clients situations such as these.48:24 - Feel free to do this with clients when necessary. But make sure it’s in your contract/client agreement.52:02 - To wrap up the show, I give a quick recap of the three boundaries.Mentioned in 3 Areas to Think About When Defining Your Boundaries as CEOThe CEO Collective“How a Model Calendar Helps Me Work Just 25 Hours a Week!”Help ScoutRacheal on Instagram and TikTok Rate and review on Apple Podcasts

Send us a textWhat does it mean to be CEO of your business anyway? When you start your business, you’re the marketing team, the sales team, the customer service team, the tech support, all of it. But over time, as your business grows and gets more established, you want to take some of this workload off your plate. Traditional CEOs have the people and teams in place to help them so they can focus on higher-value tasks and take their business to the next level. But how do you, as the CEO of a smaller business, build an environment that’ll sustainably do the same for you? How do you transition from the role of entrepreneur to the role of CEO? It all starts with getting clear on five elements that’ll help you figure out your role as CEO. In this episode of the Promote Yourself to CEO podcast, you’ll learn about those elements that make up the job description of a traditional CEO and how to translate that for your small business. I’ll teach you the process to help you define your specific CEO role and reveal questions to help you determine your biggest value to your company. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 4:44 - Transitioning from solopreneur to CEO can be a challenge (and one I’ve faced multiple times). I explain why. 6:12 - What was Sara Blakely’s journey from solopreneur to CEO like? Here’s her story. 11:02 - What is the job description of a CEO? I share a process to help you define your role as CEO of your business. 18:58 - I talk about how we live one of my company's key values (“life comes before business”). 22:42 - Creating a strategic plan is part of your traditional CEO role. What does that look like for entrepreneurs running smaller companies? 26:07 - How do you lead your team as CEO of a small business? I use The CEO Collective as an example. 30:47 - The final piece that defines traditional CEOs is one of the hardest things about running your own company. (And you can’t crowdsource it, either). 35:44 - I quickly recap the five key elements of a traditional CEO role and how it impacts you as an entrepreneurial business owner. 37:43 - Ask yourself these questions to clarify what you need to be responsible for as a small business owner in your company. 45:57 - What do my essential CEO tasks of content, clients, and connections mean in my business? I share how I apply these to give you some clarity and insight.   Mentioned in 5 Key Elements That’ll Help You Define Your Role As CEO   Sara Blakely’s Instagram Post 1 and Post 2 90-Day CEO Operating System Fired Up and Focused Challenge The CEO Collective The CEO Retreat Double Double by Cameron Herold

Send us a textDo you feel bogged down in your business? You might be in your email inbox more often than you want to be. Or chasing people who still need to pay that invoice or scheduling people on your calendar all the time. Or perhaps you’re stuck on the technical side of things every day, messing around with the code on your website or trying to figure out what happened to that client email that seemed to vanish. Instead of being the CEO of your business, you, my friend, are stuck in employee or manager mode. So how do you shake off those shackles and embody the role you’re meant to? In this new series on the Promote Yourself to CEO podcast, you’ll learn the difference between the employee, manager, and CEO roles. And I’ll teach you how to start firing yourself from those first two modes so you can step into your role as CEO. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 2:13 - Why do women start their own business? Believe it or not, money isn’t at the top of the list of reasons. 9:30 - There’s so much glamorization around the entrepreneurship space for women. But you’ll see something different, if you take a peek under the hood. 11:19 - I discuss the role of the employee and how it’s different from being a manager or CEO. 13:58 - You can start off wearing so many hats as CEO of your business. Then as your company grows, you start bringing in team members in this order. 17:03 - You might find yourself becoming an accidental manager by adding team members. What’s the role of a manager? 21:06 - Most entrepreneurs spend their time in the employee or manager mode. How much time do you actually get to spend in CEO mode? 25:29 - Here’s how shifting into CEO mode gives you more freedom, flexibility, and control in your business. 30:10 - What does it truly mean to step into the role of CEO? I reveal what happens when you take a bigger picture view of your business. 36:02 - I talk about the importance of having a vision and values for you, your team, and your company. Mentioned in Being the Employee Vs Manager Vs CEO In Your Business 90-Day CEO Operating System Fired Up and Focused Challenge Nichole Forsline’s The Solid Bow Racheal on Instagram and TikTok Rate and review on Apple Podcasts  

Send us a textYou’re doing all the right things in your business. You have a great offer and clients you adore. Yet, you’ve hit a ceiling in your business. You can’t figure out why or break through it no matter how hard you try. If this feels familiar, then in this episode you’ll learn the three big shifts you need to make to get you and your business unstuck and back into growth mode. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 4:29 - Are you spending much of your time doing $10 p/h activities in your business? For big shift #1, I go over what $10, $100, $1,000, and $10,000 hourly tasks look like. 12:28 - Many clients hit another plateau when they refuse to make the second big mindset shift. Here’s how doing so can pay dividends. 15:05 - I reveal another challenge I often see among entrepreneurs (myself included), even when they’ve previously overcome the second mindset hurdle. 17:46 - Where was my focus when I hit this business plateau? It took me a long time to admit this to myself. 22:20 - I discuss the final shift needed and reveal an exercise I frequently do to help me get out of my own way. 26:14 - To wrap the show, I recap the three shifts to think about if you’re feeling stuck and unsure about how to move the needle in your business. Show Links The CEO Collective CEO Planner “Are You Making CEO Level Work a Priority?” 80/20 Sales and Marketing by Perry Marshall Racheal on Instagram Leave a review on iTunes

Send us a textA lot of us entrepreneurs have seen (and heard) from our parents and others that success requires a lot of hard work and long hours. I used to be frustrated with the whole “work smarter, not harder” concept because I saw my entrepreneurial parents embrace the hustle. I thought to gain success, you had to do anything and everything and work 80-100 hour weeks.But you eventually reach a point where you just can’t work any harder! So how do you get to that next level of success? Working harder for it clearly isn’t the answer. You need to shift the way you think about your relationship with work. So in today’s episode, I talk about six lessons that will have you working smarter instead.On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO:3:48 - When you do this, you get an exponentially higher return on your time and energy. So what’s lesson #1 and how have I practiced it in my business?7:12 - What does the E in CEO not stand for? I learned this lesson the hard way!11:46 - You’ve probably heard this phrase before, and there is some truth to it. I’ve had to follow this lesson whenever my business crossed another threshold.17:03 - Many entrepreneurs, especially creative ones, find lesson #4 challenging to implement. But not doing so can eventually sabotage you.20:41 - Don’t love the idea of going into debt to invest back into your business? Here’s what I did early on in my business for lesson #5.25:32 - You can’t implement the final lesson through Google. You’ll face rites of passage in your business when you want this in your corner instead.Mentioned in 6 Lessons to Work Smarter, Not HarderThe CEO CollectiveRacheal on Instagram and TikTok Rate and review on Apple Podcasts 

Send us a textIn your business, you have to constantly make big decisions. Who’s going to be your coach or mentor? Who should you hire to join your team? What resources should you use to help run your company? How (and where) will you market your business? It can get overwhelming! So you want to only spend time and money where there’s a return on your investment. In this episode, I cover the five key ways to ensure you’re getting the most out of every business investment you make. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 2:09 - I reveal why relying on your feelings can sometimes lead you astray in making business decisions. 3:45 - Tip #1 is one of the biggest things that ensures you’re not signing up for something or hiring someone who isn’t the right fit for you. 9:40 - People often get stuck in their journey because they don’t follow tip #2. Even I’ve been guilty of it recently, and I tell you how. 12:30 - So many of us have a hard time with the third tip. I discuss how I’ve seen this inside The CEO Collective. 19:23 - What’s a good rule to follow whenever you’re learning or getting advice from others? Some of my best business breakthroughs have come as a result of this tip. 23:20 - By following this final tip, you establish the ability to create your own economy. I explain what I mean by that and how I’ve benefited from it. 29:26 - To wrap the show, I quickly recap the five ways to make your business investments worth your time, energy, and money. Show Links The CEO Collective Racheal on Instagram Leave a review on iTunes

Send us a textAfter setting a revenue goal for your business, the next question on your mind might be, “How do I actually reach my goal?” If that’s you, then you’ll love this episode! In it, I dive even deeper into the actual math behind your revenue goal using real numbers to help you determine what to sell, at what price point, and to how many clients or customers. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 3:26 - I explain why figuring out how to hit your revenue goals can get a little tricky, especially if you follow so-called guru advice. 10:11 - You have to understand your sales conversion rate which varies based on what you’re selling, to who, and at what price point. 12:26 - What kind of sales call conversion rate do I see among people, even those without much sales experience? 14:53 - Let’s take a look at conversion rates of some other popular promotional methods. 22:56 - How do I know that the price point advice too many “gurus” give to entrepreneurs isn’t necessarily based on any real data? 27:39 - I discuss the biggest problems I see with offering a one-session service and my minimum price point recommendation for your signature offer. 31:39 - Here’s how building a baseline revenue with a higher-end offer can help you grow your income down the line, without sacrificing your time or salary. 34:55 - Remember this about each product, program, or service you create for your business. Show Links Get Paid Calculator Racheal on Instagram Leave a review on iTunes

Send us a textThere’s a tale that’s rarely told in the business world. It’s a tale of two companies. Both make seven figures annually. But the business owners behind them receive a vastly different amount of money as actual take-home pay. What happens once money comes into a business? Where does it go from there? The lack of real disclosure on this in online entrepreneurial circles has led to lots of people focusing solely on revenue goals, not their business’ actual profitability. So in this episode, I break it all down, talk some numbers, and tell you exactly what it means to have a six-figure take home income, not just a six-figure business. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 3:29 - How much time do you have to invest in your business? Here’s how to take a look at your situation to see what works best for you. 7:16 - How much energy do you have available to you? And what do you need to do to maintain it? 9:48 - Instead of pulling a revenue goal out of thin air, ask yourself this question. I reveal the right way to come up with your number and a free resource you can use. 14:28 - I briefly mention why defaulting to your last salary as your revenue goal won’t work. 15:55 - I talk about what goes into running a business, how to use that information to reverse engineer your target, and a super simple way to figure out your revenue goal. 23:46 - Setting aside a little bit of your profits every month really starts to change the game and your perspective. I break down some percentages in detail. 31:08 - I look at the math behind a $100,000 annual revenue goal and how much you really need to earn to make that your take-home pay. 36:27 - How much tax are you going to pay at this point? This is where you’ll want to get yourself a good CPA. 39:10 - Before wrapping up, I go over the biggest piece of misinformation about growing a bigger business. It stops many from setting a higher revenue goal. Show Links Get Paid Calculator Profit First by Mike Michalowicz Racheal on Instagram Leave a review on iTunes  

Send us a text  You’ve seen the hype about small business and entrepreneurial success out there. It’s unreal! Not a day goes by when I don’t see photos of fancy cars, vacations, oodles of cash, and the typical success catch phrases that come with them on my social media. Here’s the conundrum, though: when your business crosses into the territory of making seven or eight figures, it can quickly become less about doing what you love and more about grinding things out as an entrepreneur to meet demand.  So does bigger actually mean better for you? Or is big enough... enough? In today’s episode, I talk about why I believe in creating a big enough business to create an actual business and life you love. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 5:54 - I discuss what it was like growing up around entrepreneurs, and the surprising information I recently learned from my mother. 8:16 - Why should you beware of creating a business that grows too fast? I tell you what I’ve seen from businesses that experienced hyper growth. 10:02 - I retell a parable about a CEO and a fisherman that illustrates my point. 12:47 - I describe the time I was at a crossroads when I first heard the parable and the realization I came to after some reflection. 15:30 - The big questions I want you to ask about your revenue goals, and defining a Big Enough Business, the kind that loves you back. 17:10 - An early lesson in my business that serves as an example of why NOT to model your version of success after someone else. 20:05 - An example of what my "Big Enough Business" looks like and why it serves me in creating a business and life I love. 23:55 - How being intentional allows me to succeed without sacrificing my life and without causing me to be in a constant state of emergency in my business. 25:20 - How a big enough business allows you to live in your business sweet spot, and stop dreading Monday morning. 27:50 - How a big enough business and building a business and life you love will mean you must know your non-negotiables.  29:40 - Does focusing on a big enough business, mean you lack ambition?  34:00 - The questions I want you to ask to define your big enough business. Show Links The CEO Collective Racheal on Instagram Leave a review on iTunes

Send us a textVisibility is scary. It’s one of the reasons why so many female entrepreneurs don’t seek out more of it for their business. Yet, it’s also the thing that’ll grow your business. So how can you feel more confident and empowered in the spotlight? In this episode, I talk with my friend Erica Courdae, a CEO Collective mentor and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion consultant, about what it’s been like to have more visibility than ever before and how you can more confidently embrace greater visibility for your business and message. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 5:54 - What kind of visibility journey has Erica gone on? She talks about her roller coaster ride since 2018 and the dilemma she faced in 2020. 11:51 - Erica used to say yes to every opportunity. Now a bit more discerning about what she takes on, she discusses the key pieces that helped her handle the demand for her time. 15:21 - What does it take to get your message out into the world? We reveal why consistency is key to gaining and handling greater visibility. 17:26 - Having this missing piece really makes things easier when you find yourself suddenly confronted with more demands for your time. 23:25 - How has Erica navigated exposure to larger audiences with people who may vehemently disagree with her message? 31:59 - There’s a difference between visibility for yourself as an individual and visibility for your message. 40:50 - To wrap up, I go over a couple of key points I want to make sure you take away from this episode.   Show Links Pause on the Play The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz “CEO Confession: The Darkside of Visibility with MegAnne Ford” Racheal on Instagram and TikTok Leave a review on iTunes

Send us a textDo you think you’re attracting new people to your business through social media? The social media platforms that have been around for a while used to be that way. These days, though, fewer people see your content on most social media. So what is social media good for? Most of it now works best for nurturing your existing audience. But in this episode, I talk about my experiment with TikTok and reveal what I look for when leveraging it to attract brand new people to my business. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 2:36 - I discuss the social media landscape that existed when I first started my business and the magic space you need to best leverage a new platform. 5:15 - What happens when you miss your window of opportunity on a social media platform? 8:20 - I reveal my hypothesis about what makes TikTok different and get into how I decided to play around with it. 16:38 - I’m committing to six months of posting to TikTok five times a week as my goal. What’s my secret to staying consistent on this (or any other) platform? 19:17 - How is my experiment going? I share what I did and what has happened in the two and a half months since I started (as of this recording). 27:02 - I disclose some of my videos that took off and reveal what I’ve learned so far using the platform. It makes me feel even more confident in my TikTok hypothesis. 34:49 - What platform can you use to help you amplify your message? (It doesn’t have to be TikTok!) And why is passive marketing online a myth? Show Links Marketing Strategy Intensive ConnieGoogleQueen on TikTok Racheal on Instagram and TikTok Be Kind Coaching

Send us a textYou know you must get in front of more potential clients to grow your business. So you make plans to get more visible, whether it’s through interviews or guest blog posts or videos or whatever. Yet, you feel this anxiety creep up at the thought of getting more visibility. So what do you do when the concept of putting yourself out there more feels scary and intimidating? In this episode, I dive into how to prepare yourself for more visibility (even if you feel like you’re not ready) so that more opportunities show up more quickly for you and your business. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 2:57 - Let’s start with the easiest place to set yourself up for success. Ensure these are ready to go before you start the process of increasing visibility. 7:40 - How do I pitch myself? I give an example of how I have everything prepared before an interview and how you can do the same. 10:33 - I make a pitching recommendation that helps if you’re already feeling nervous about putting yourself out there. 12:26 - How do you pitch yourself cold to someone? Follow this process to get the most success out of it. 13:59 - How can you prepare yourself for the mindset challenges that come with more visibility? I discuss my biggest worry about the first attract marketing method I used and how I got over it. 19:19 - I encourage you to do this if you want your visibility strategy to involve video but you feel really self-conscious about it. 24:03 - There’s a dark side to visibility, and it can feel scary for women in particular. What can you do about it? 27:36 - When you pitch yourself and gain visibility, you’re going to get people rejecting you. Here’s the approach I take when that happens. Show Links Marketing Strategy Intensive “How to Go Pitch Yourself with Angie Trueblood” “From Not Ready Yet to Ready for Next Level Visibility with Nicole Otchy” “CEO Confession: The Darkside of Visibility with MegAnne Ford” “Patriarchy Stress Disorder with Dr. Valerie Rein” Need to write a bio? Use this. - Alexandra Franzen Yet another way to write your bio. - Alexandra Franzen Racheal on Instagram

Send us a textYou spend so much time posting on social media or writing blog posts or sending newsletters to your email list. But no matter what you do (or how much), your marketing just. isn’t. working! You’re not seeing results in the form of new, paying clients. Today, I kick off a new series all about marketing that converts. In this first episode, I dive into the top three reasons why your marketing isn’t converting and how you can fix it. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 3:10 - Do you only hear crickets when you get your message in front of people? I reveal two reasons why you might be making mistake #1. 7:26 - Fixing the first mistake involves doing something that the current marketing ecosystem ignores. 9:41 - Do you have a plan in place to prevent mistake #2? Here’s how to make sure you do. 15:17 - Mistake #3 is a big one and the basis for my upcoming marketing strategy intensive. It’s where I see gaps in people’s marketing strategy. 19:36 - I clarify attract marketing and discuss the pros and cons of the three primary attract strategies. 29:30 - Where should you begin with attract marketing strategies? I reveal where I always start.   Show Links Marketing Strategy Intensive “How 100 Conversations Can Transform Your Business with Tami Hackbarth” “How 100 Conversations Helped Mado Hesselink Find Her Dream Clients” Racheal on Instagram Leave a review on iTunes

Send us a textImagine you’re watching a movie about two solo entrepreneurs: One is so excited about her business but finds herself spinning her wheels. She has an amazing vision for growing her business but goes from one idea to the next because instant success eludes her. The other also loves the idea of growing her business. But instead of constantly changing course while trying everything under the sun, she takes the slow and steady approach and inevitably reaches her goals with the framework and consistency advocated inside The CEO Collective. So in this tale of two entrepreneurs, which one do you want to be? Tune in as I discuss why what you’ve done over the previous few months has resulted in the business you have now. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 4:57 - What’s the real problem for women entrepreneurs struggling to get clients? I see this so often! 10:58 - My mindset shift during my TikTok experiment thus far demonstrates why giving yourself enough time to try out strategies is so important. 15:44 - Here’s another example of how this struggle plays out for a lot of entrepreneurs. 19:36 - Are you a podcaster struggling to pitch yourself to others for interviews? I reveal what I’ve discovered in my ten years of podcasting. 23:21 - Find out why you’ll never have to worry about bothering people with your offers again, as long as you adopt this shift in perspective. 27:50 - Hiring a coach to hold you accountable isn’t going to do this for you. Show Links The CEO Collective The CEO 90-Day Planner The CEO Retreat Uncommonly More Racheal on Instagram Leave a review on iTunes

Send us a textI’m a business growth strategist who’s revealing the truth about scaling your business, so this episode series may have surprised you. But I want your eyes wide open when you go into business growth mode. It’s not just about making more sales; you also need to scale your team, customer experience, and infrastructure behind the scenes so your business doesn’t implode. In this final installment, I break down some key things for you to start thinking about to be more strategic and sustainable when you’re ready to go into high growth business mode. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 3:57 - Which mode allows me to have the lifestyle I want? Being more strategic and intentional while looking towards business growth. 7:26 - Women entrepreneurs tend not to step into leadership in their finances. You can’t allocate resources or make smart decisions otherwise. 11:42 - Keep it simple, upgrade as you go, have perspective, and stop comparing yourself to others. Here’s a particularly helpful recommendation for both new and experienced entrepreneurs. 16:14 - Marketing is one area where I see people get overwhelmed. Some personal examples of how I use my own system to prevent this from happening to me. 20:07 - Slow down. Things take time. We tend to overestimate how much we can accomplish weekly or monthly, yet underestimate our amount of productivity in a year. 25:08 - The biggest disconnect I’ve noticed between entrepreneurs and other small business owners. What the former tend to do. 27:03 - Here’s something not talked about often enough behind the scenes, particularly for female business owners. Having a team of support, both professionally and personally. 30:54 - Growth isn’t linear, and that’s okay. Some pointers on handling plateaus and explosive periods of growth. Show Links The CEO Collective The Ultimate Business Growth Checklist The CEO Retreat “What Is Your Role as CEO?” episode

Send us a textWhen you hear of businesses blowing up overnight, you get the glamorized version. You see the celebrity entrepreneurs online living the high life. They’re taking luxury vacations, driving fancy cars, and talking about how their business makes six, seven, eight (or more) figures. But here’s what they’re not telling you. Their business isn’t sustainable because things are constantly breaking behind the scenes. They feel stressed out due to all the fires they have to constantly put out. So how about we take a different approach? In this next segment of the “Truth About Scaling” series, I talk about the three mistakes I often see entrepreneurs make that cause problems when it comes to scaling your business. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 4:29 - How do you know if you’re making this first mistake? Here are the warning signs. 11:52 - I reveal how I’ve fallen into the trap of mistake #1 myself and how you can avoid doing the same. 14:54 - Hiring is another area in your business where you may be making this same mistake. 21:28 - This third area where people make the first mistake is a big pet peeve of mine (and another one I’ve done myself). 25:10 - How did I reverse track on making this mistake when I shifted my approach to The CEO Collective? 32:25 - Too many startup entrepreneurs don’t realize this about cash flow in their business. 35:44 - I discuss mistake #2 and the problem that it won’t fix for you. 41:42 - Where do you really need to get honest about your business? Here are the three markets that you need to be testing. 45:58 - The third mistake and why doing the opposite will save your scaling business. 52:30 - Too much humanity has gone out of business, so I reveal what I’m doing to help bring it back. 58:26 - To end the show, I quickly recap the three mistakes. Mentioned in 3 Common Mistakes That Can Cause Your Scaling Business to Implode   The CEO Collective The CEO Collective Free Resources 90 Day CEO Planner Racheal on Instagram and TikTok Rate and review on Apple Podcasts  

Send us a textJust because you know something isn’t the same as experiencing it. As a CEO, you undergo rites of passage as you progress through your business, especially if you want a successful and sustainable one. In this episode, I share some of the lessons I’ve learned the hard way so you can see a little further ahead on your path, mitigate some of these challenges early on, or just have a more realistic view of what you’re up against. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 3:46 - Lesson one: you cannot do this on your way to sustainable business success. 8:03 - I get angry when I see how too many others fail to implement this lesson. You won’t have a dream business team with this mindset. 16:03 - What will you struggle with when you attain success, and why? The third surprising lesson I learned. 23:16 - Lesson four: the more your business grows, the less and less you’ll find yourself seeking this. 30:55 - The biggest celebrity influencer entrepreneurs make it seem like marketing solves all business problems. Here’s why it isn’t the answer. 33:17 - Lesson six is the best lesson of all. So how do I apply it in my business? 38:33 - We’re idea machines as entrepreneurs. But we need to take more heed of this lesson and beware who we listen to. I explain why. 45:15 - Surprise! I reveal a bonus lesson to wrap the show. Mentioned in 7 Lessons I Learned On My Way to a Sustainable Business The CEO Collective 90 Day CEO Planner Racheal on Instagram and TikTok Rate and review on Apple Podcasts

Send us a textThis week, I went live on Instagram to share a little Rach Rant that I knew I needed to share with you on the podcast. I've been hearing from so many small business owners who are looking for real support but when they bring their legitimate business challenges to the so called experts - they are told that the reason they are stuck is mindset.Mindset it important! But there are very real challenges that we all are facing that impact our small businesses. If 2023 was a challenging year, then listen in!On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO:00:00 Rachel Cook challenges mindset struggles for small businesses.03:09 Challenges faced by women micro business owners.06:56 Limited availability drives up costs for working families.11:35 Global pressures can't be offset by mindset.13:11 Consumer behavior shifts impacting small business owners.18:45 Get proactive with marketing to boost sales.20:19 Be wary of misleading marketing messages on social media.

Send us a textScaling is the name of the business game online, or so it would seem. So often we hear about people having seven-figure launches or seven-figure months (or even days). But there’s something that really doesn’t get talked about regarding these eye-popping figures that you need to know. Beyond just making more money, what does it really mean to scale your business? Is it possible to double, triple (or more) your business in just a year or two? Scaling just for the sake of it can be detrimental to your business. So I wanted to do a new series to talk about the truth behind scaling. In this first episode, I talk about everything you need to consider before you press the “scale” button on your business. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 3:16 - What’s the difference between growth and scale? These words get used interchangeably a lot but aren’t exactly the same. 8:41 - Too many people go after scale at all costs and put their business into unstable territory. I reveal one of the biggest red flags that expose this. 14:26 - Beware of the well-known celebrity influencers you follow who teach you this. Here’s the real truth behind their success. 19:47 - What’s another potential “hidden” cash eater in your business? A lot of celebrity influencers like to use this one to bring in sales and clients. 22:48 - I discuss what I personally aim for when scaling my business that makes it easier for me to plan ahead. 26:37 - The last few years have seen the fragility of so many businesses. Some had to get really creative and have a solid but flexible infrastructure to survive. 29:18 - What should you focus on this month? Believe me, it’ll make it seven times easier to do business if you stick to this one thing. Mentioned in What You Don’t Know About Scaling Your Business Will Kill It Business Growth Checklist Racheal on Instagram and TikTok Rate and review on Apple Podcasts

Send us a textAs soon as you get up, the dog is already begging to be let outside. The kids don’t want to get ready for school, so you have to practically drag them out of bed. Your partner is wondering where the hell this or that is while you’re trying to get ready yourself for the day. And you’re still just barely awake in all this and haven’t had your coffee yet! Are your mornings crazy like this? Let’s do something about that! High performance CEOs know how to manage their day and conserve their energy to get the results they want in life and business. So in this last installment of the “Run Your Business Like a CEO” series, I talk about three surprisingly key things to running your day like a CEO, based on my own experience. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 7:54 - A great day truly starts the night before. I used to never be a great sleeper (and even failed at it, according to my FitBit), so here’s how I fixed that. 15:48 - Morning routines can be so different from person to person. As an introvert who likes the quiet, here’s what I do and don’t do. 20:00 - What else can you consider to keep your days running smoothly? Pay attention to these things. 23:00 - I reveal what I do to simplify decision-making regarding my wardrobe, self-care, and home essentials. 26:45 - What’s sucking away your time? I discuss the happy accident that helped me truly relax. 28:27 - I used to feel resistant to morning and nighttime routines. Are you in the same boat?   Mentioned in Run Your Day Like a CEO FitBit Calm Grove Collaborative “From Not Ready Yet to Ready for Next Level Visibility with Stylist Nicole Otchy” Racheal on Instagram and TikTok Rate and review on Apple Podcasts

Send us a textAs a CEO, you’ve got many potential distractions in your business. Answering emails or other ongoing administrative work can keep your attention off the tasks that’ll actually move your company forward. Then by the end of the week, you’ve made little (if any) progress on the tasks that do drive business growth and success. In this episode, I talk about how you can run your week as a CEO with five top strategies that help you skillfully manage your time and energy while prioritizing those higher-value tasks that move the needle. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 5:01 - What is a model calendar, and how do you use one? I talk about how I created my model calendar and really dig into the details of how I use it now. 21:57 - If you have other people on your team, here’s something else you should consider doing to protect your time and energy. 26:33 - What’s the second most important strategy to run your week like a CEO? I do this for my business every Monday morning. 39:46 - I’m pretty ruthless when I implement the third strategy. And it certainly helps with client appointments and business boundaries when I do this. 41:37 - I often get asked why I included these couple of questions in The CEO Planner. What are they, and why did I? 45:03 - The CEO Score comes in handy when it comes to sticking to the weekly plan you just mapped out. Here’s a breakdown of what it’s all about. 57:26 - The last strategy is built right into the planner as this series of questions so you can make better decisions and nip any recurring problems in the bud. 1:02:58 - To wrap up, I quickly recap all five top things to do to run your week like a CEO. Mentioned in Run Your Week Like a CEO The CEO Collective The CEO Planner Fired Up & Focused Challenge “How a model calendar helps me work just 25 hours a week!” “What Is Your Role as CEO?” CEO Date Checklist “How to Track Your Productivity With an Entrepreneur Scorecard” Racheal on