Send us a textIt’s really easy for you to add complex layers to your business as it grows. But sometimes you gotta pause and simplify things in order to amplify your results. This has been the secret to success for so many of my clients, including yoga studio owner Letitia Walker. In this episode, she shares how she simplified her business’s infrastructure to maximize her results. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 4:35 - Letitia talks about her business journey. What is her yoga business, and how did she get started? 7:50 - Initially, Letitia didn’t see herself as a CEO. She discusses how being part of the CEO Collective changed that. 13:35 - Letitia reveals how she found virtual assistants for her studio and the mindset that makes it easier. 17:44 - What has forgoing the $10 and (most of) the $100 tasks allowed Letitia to focus on these days to help grow her business? 22:41 - Letitia discusses the two things she’s most excited about in her business right now. Show Links The CEO Collective The CEO Planner The CEO Retreat Racheal on Instagram and TikTok Leave a review on iTunes

Send us a textReady to Fully OWN Your Role as CEO? It starts with the Fired Up & Focused Challenge! Over these 5 days, I’m sharing a strategy to help you find more time to work ON your business (ya’ know, those $1K - $10K Revenue Generating Activities) vs. IN the day to day grind. To get the full challenge videos, workbooks, exercises, transcripts, and bonus content - join at firedupandfocused.com

Send us a textReady to Fully OWN Your Role as CEO? It starts with the Fired Up & Focused Challenge! Over these 5 days, I’m sharing a strategy to help you find more time to work ON your business (ya’ know, those $1K - $10K Revenue Generating Activities) vs. IN the day to day grind. To get the full challenge videos, workbooks, exercises, transcripts, and bonus content - join at firedupandfocused.com

Send us a textReady to Fully OWN Your Role as CEO? It starts with the Fired Up & Focused Challenge! Over these 5 days, I’m sharing a strategy to help you find more time to work ON your business (ya’ know, those $1K - $10K Revenue Generating Activities) vs. IN the day to day grind. To get the full challenge videos, workbooks, exercises, transcripts, and bonus content - join at firedupandfocused.com

Send us a textReady to Fully OWN Your Role as CEO? It starts with the Fired Up & Focused Challenge! Over these 5 days, I’m sharing a strategy to help you find more time to work ON your business (ya’ know, those $1K - $10K Revenue Generating Activities) vs. IN the day to day grind. To get the full challenge videos, workbooks, exercises, transcripts, and bonus content - join at firedupandfocused.com

Send us a textReady to Fully OWN Your Role as CEO? It starts with the Fired Up & Focused Challenge! Over these 5 days, I’m sharing a strategy to help you find more time to work ON your business (ya’ know, those $1K - $10K Revenue Generating Activities) vs. IN the day to day grind. To get the full challenge videos, workbooks, exercises, transcripts, and bonus content - join at firedupandfocused.com

Send us a textWhen you’re running a business day to day, your to-do list is full with answering emails, posting on social media, working with clients, etc. Many women entrepreneurs spend so much time working in their business that they don’t have the time to work on big picture, game-changing stuff like writing the book they’ve thought of for years or creating that next-level program that brings everything together. In this episode, I share my favorite time management tips to help you build more CEO time into your business so that you can finally open up new revenue streams, reach more people, and work smarter instead of harder. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 4:29 - The answer is, “No.” I discuss how money mindset mentor Denise Duffield-Thomas decided to use tip #1 to stop this time and energy infiltrator. 7:21 - If you’ve been sitting on big dreams for years due to lack of time, I reveal the honest truth in tip #2. 9:33 - What’s my absolute favorite strategy to help you design your week around what matters to you most? 11:54 - You can work on the big picture of your business in 20 hours a week. I discuss how, even if you’re still working a job or taking care of young kids. 16:03 - I talk about this third and final big time management tip all the time! It’s one of my favorite things to do. Show Links Fired Up & Focused Challenge “How a Model Calendar Helps Me Work Just 25 Hours a Week!” “A Mamapreneur’s Guide to Finding Childcare (Without Breaking the Bank)” The CEO Planner “How a CEO Date Keeps Me Focused Each Week” Racheal on Instagram and TikTok Leave a review on iTunes

Send us a textAs a new entrepreneur, you feel inclined to say yes to everything. But as your business grows and those yeses pile up, they become overwhelming to the point where they prevent you from doing the necessary CEO level work you need to focus on. In today’s episode, I share the top three boundaries that’ll give you the confidence to say no so that you can concentrate on the work you’re truly here to do. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 2:59 - Having clear boundaries doesn’t get talked about much in business circles. Why is having clear boundaries in place so crucial as a CEO? 8:07 - I discuss the different types of clear boundaries you need to place in your business, starting with your calendar. 15:31 - What’s one reason why people get drained and feel tired when working with clients? I talk about the most important thing you can do about it. 21:57 - I reveal how I handle emergencies (on both my end and a client’s) and requests for meet-ups to ensure I protect my time and energy. 27:29 - Constant communication can become an energy drain too. What do you need to look at when setting boundaries around people contacting you? 37:28 - While email is my go-to business communication channel, I reveal how I handle questions and messages through other channels. 42:17 - What do you do when people just want to pick your brain? It’s easy to get sucked into this thinking it’ll lead to a client relationship! 45:46 - Having these clear client boundaries in a scheduling policy will nip problems like last-minute cancellations in the bud quickly. 50:45 - This client boundary challenge is something I see a lot in service providers who are good at a lot of things. Show Links Fired Up & Focused Challenge Dare to Lead by Brené Brown “How a Model Calendar Helps Me Work Just 25 Hours a Week!” The CEO Planner The CEO Retreat Google Voice, Help Scout, and Voxer Racheal on

Send us a textMy entrepreneurial dad taught me that you have to fire yourself from every other position in your business. But when you first start your business, you have to wear so many hats: customer service, bookkeeper, tech person, assistant, and so on. So it can be quite challenging to let go of some of the roles as you grow your business and your team. Today kicks off a new podcast series that discusses how you can become more productive and focuses as a CEO. And in this episode, I talk about how to redefine your role as CEO of your business so you don’t become the bottleneck that holds everything up. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 3:56 - Why is it so difficult to let go of the other roles and stay in your CEO lane as your business grows? 7:07 - Founder of Spanx, Sara Blakely, gave insight on how she had to learn to get out of her own way. 12:05 - You being the bottleneck in your business has this unintended consequence as well. 13:06 - How can you start redefining your role as CEO? I reveal the first thing I did and some red flags that signal you’re getting in the way. 17:29 - I discuss the role of the traditional CEO in defining their business’s vision. I also share my favorite exercise to get clarity on your business’s vision. 22:00 - CEOs also have a responsibility to set the culture for the company. I talk about one of the values I’ve had for my business since the beginning. 26:36 - What’s the difference between how corporate CEOs go about creating the strategic plan for their business vs. small business CEOs? 28:49 - I discuss how running a small business team contrasts with running a large company team and how that’s reflected in my business. 31:53 - This final role-playing piece for CEOs is one of the most difficult. It’s the one thing you can’t outsource. 38:35 - Where do you need to put your time, energy, and attention so that you can focus on generating business growth and results? To get clear on this, here are some questions to ask yourself. 48:44 - I share how the avenues where I focus my time, energy, and attention on show up in my business every week and month. 56:15 - How do I divide up my time between doing all the things I’m focused on in my business? Mentioned In This Episode Fired Up & Focused Challenge Double Double: How to Double Your Revenue and Profit in 3 Years or Less by Cameron Herald The CEO Retreat “How a CEO Date Kee

Send us a text“You won’t make any real money doing that!” Has someone said something like that to you when you revealed you want to pursue a creative career in something like art or music? So many people stop chasing their dreams because they’re afraid they won’t be able to make it work. Today, I chat with one of the founding members of The CEO Collective, Jennet Ingle, who took her talent as a musician and turned it into a sustainable business. If you’re a creative person, you’ll love our conversation in this episode! On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 2:36 - You’d be surprised to know this about me. It’s why it always makes me happy to see others in musical careers. 6:29 - Traditional paths for musical majors are few and heavily guarded. Jennet reveals how she’s forged her own path. 10:20 - What was Jennet doing when she first came into my world and joined The CEO Collective? It’s such a niche thing that snowballed. 16:05 - Jennet reveals the surprising audience receptive to her programs and how the pandemic actually made it easier to reach and teach them. 21:05 - What’s happened for Jennet since she initially got serious about turning her passion into a business? 25:26 - Jennet offers wisdom for those who feel they can’t have a career or business as a musician/creative person due to their fear of financial insecurity. 28:27 - Jennet discusses what she learned from The CEO Collective that helped her solidify her business’s direction. With such a niche business, she found it indispensable! 33:45 - How do Jennet’s musician friends feel about what she’s created? She reveals what’s most unfamiliar to them about what she does. 35:02 - I ask Jennet a couple of questions about her CEO Collective experience. She talks about habits she’s kept and the biggest challenge she overcame. Show Links Jennet Ingle The CEO Collective Racheal on Instagram Leave a review on iTunes

Send us a textHow are you doing on those 2022 goals you set at the beginning of the year? We’re almost at the midway point of the year. But if you’ve gotten off track with your goals, don’t worry! In this episode, I walk you through a mid-year review to help you figure out what is and isn’t working and how you can start planning for the second half of 2022. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 2:42 - Look at each goal you set at the start of the year and ask yourself these questions. I discuss a few of mine, including a big one accomplished already. 6:07 - What goal am I not currently on track to reach? I’ve had this one on my to-do list for two years! 8:24 - The next step involves digging a little deeper and doing a month-by-month review. I reveal how I do it. 14:27 - Answer these questions to really get a handle on what you’ve noticed in your review. 20:53 - Plan for the rest of 2022 with these four questions to ask about each month remaining. 25:38 - So many entrepreneurs struggle because they overcomplicate this! To wrap up, I offer this one final piece of insight. Show Links The CEO Planner The CEO Retreat Racheal on Instagram Leave a review on iTunes

Send us a textUndercharging and over-delivering can be a challenging habit to break. You have to come to terms with the idea of increasing your prices and overhauling your packaging structure.  If you’re like my guest today and feel nervous about raising your prices, then listen up because I have a real-life case study for you! I interview CEO Collective member Sarah Young about her journey over the last 18 months where she increased her price points, decreased burnout, positioned herself differently than other bookkeepers and CPAs, and now enjoys her business more than ever. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 6:15 - What did Sarah’s business look like before she joined The CEO Collective? She reveals what prompted her to get into business for herself. 10:11 - Sarah feels like her pricing story is a little embarrassing, but she tells it anyway. Everybody has the same struggles, especially women. 14:27 - After some research, Sarah started raising her prices but still found herself burning out. Then something happened in January 2021 that changed her business. 21:28 - What did existing clients think after Sarah raised her price points? She discusses repackaging herself for higher-paying clients and framing a response to those who could no longer afford her. 27:13 - Sarah reveals something she had to come to terms with as she rebuilt her business from the ground up. 28:48 - Where did Sarah find higher-level clients willing to invest at her prices? If you think it’s super complicated, think again. 32:08 - Sarah shares what she sees happening financially with fast-growing businesses when they underprice themselves. 36:09 - How do you build in profitability in your pricing, especially as you hire and grow a team? Sarah offers her insight. 42:47 - Sarah shares what’s been the best part of being a member of The CEO Collective. Show Links Sara’s CFO Checklist Sara on Instagram The CEO Collective Racheal on Instagram

Send us a textWe’ve all heard the conditioned messaging about how to achieve success: Pull yourself up by your bootstraps! No one’s going to work as hard or care as much about your business as you. If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. If you’ve been struggling with this mindset and haven’t allowed yourself to be fully supported in your business, then this episode should help change your mind. I interview my client Michelle Clayton, who’s the founder of WeLetHerFly.com and a member of The CEO Collective. We discuss how she finally stepped into her CEO role by surrounding herself with support and made mindset shifts in her business that allowed her to get out of the feast or famine cycle that traps so many entrepreneurs. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 5:18 - Your branding can affect your ability to show up in your business the way you want. How? 9:03 - What happened when Michelle decided to increase her pricing? 13:16 - Your pricing communicates certain things about your business, product, or service. 16:02 - Michelle has undergone another big shift in her business while in The CEO Collective. It’s something I’ve often discussed on the show. 20:07 - How has Michelle’s role as CEO changed? And what did she do to stay creatively inspired when the well ran dry? 26:46 - I ask Michelle a couple of lightning round questions to wind down the show. 30:08 - Michelle discusses why anyone on the fence about joining The CEO Collective should just go ahead and do it. 36:12 - I recap some key things about how Michelle pulled her business out of the feast or famine cycle.   Show Links We Let Her Fly Free Guide: Plan Your Best Brand Photoshoot Ever The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron The CEO Collective Racheal on Instagram Leave a review on iTunes

Send us a textWhen you need to grow your business, what do you do? Do you lock out the rest of the world and brainstorm new products, programs, or service ideas yourself, like so many entrepreneurs do? Big mistake! When you try to expand your business this way, you’re cutting out 100% of one of your most crucial assets: your existing customers and clients. In this episode, my guest and CEO Collective member Layne Lyons tells us about how she’s on track to double her business by getting actual input from those already familiar with her business. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 5:17 - Layne describes her business before it underwent an amazing transformation and reveals her first business bottleneck. 9:39 - What did Layne do to resolve her first bottleneck? What was her experience like after she started putting some boundaries in place? 13:12 - Layne shares what it felt like to finally increase her price points and offers advice to those on the precipice of doing the same. 15:53 - A new offer has opened the door for Layne to double the revenue from her business. She reveals what it is and the journey she went on to get here. 21:31 - What happened when Layne launched her new offer? This demonstrates why asking your existing client base for new ideas is the easiest way to build your next offer. 25:21 - Layne describes how she and her business are different now thanks to the changes she’s implemented. 34:21 - How was Layne’s experience joining The CEO Collective? She offers an inside look. 37:09 - To wrap up, I highlight a few points Layne made about streamlining and simplifying her business to the point where she now works less and enjoys her life more. Show Links Layne’s Legal Umbrella Checklist Book Trademark Consultation with Layne The CEO Collective Racheal on Instagram

Send us a textAs a business growth strategist for over 15 years, I’ve constantly heard and seen something that grates on my nerves. So many so-called experts always hype up the latest tools and tactics that grow your business by some measly amount every year.  But why only settle for five or ten percent annual growth when you can double it instead? You don’t have to, which is why in this episode I reveal my three key strategies to help you rapidly grow your business (doubling or even tripling your revenue) with half the effort. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 4:35 - I dive into the first strategy right off the bat. You can do it quickly, without engaging in more marketing or attracting extra sales. 9:31 - What’s the most common concern I often hear when I advocate my first strategy? One of my clients recently went through this. 13:55 - I discuss one final key thing to think about when it comes to strategy #1. Women entrepreneurs especially need to pay attention to this! 18:00 - Key strategy #2 involves increasing this aspect of your business. It does come with a couple of caveats, though. 25:13 - What’s the correlation between consistent business growth and time spent on marketing and sales activity? 26:24 - I reveal the last strategy to double your revenue with half the effort. It involves something a lot of entrepreneurs forget. 30:58 - Retention is a huge thing that leads to results, and I talk about the myriad of ways in which that helps your business growth. 33:25 - What happens after your clients have achieved the big promise of your signature offer? 37:08 - To wrap up the episode, I quickly recap the strategies. Show Links Get Paid calculator More Than Money with Jacquette Timmons Racheal on Instagram Leave a review on iTunes

Send us a textIf you’re anything like me, there comes the point in your business where your business needs to step up to support you and support your family if you’re going to stick with it. We all got through those startup stages of our business where we knew it was going to take awhile to figure things out and to get people in the door. Once you get a little bit further along on your journey and you’re ready to make this your full-time focus, you need your business to pay you a real paycheck. No one loves to run a business that can’t support the entrepreneur running it. This is why it’s so, so important to have a game plan for how you’re going to design that predictably profitable business. But the statistics show us that most women do not have a predictably profitable business. Over 75% of women entrepreneurs do not earn more than $50,000 a year. And most entrepreneurs shut the doors within the first couple of years. If you are committed to making your business truly work for you and work for your family, you have to have a real profit plan to make it work before you get so burnt out that you throw in the towel. https://rachealcook.com/profit-plan/

Send us a textNot long ago, I was a guest coach for a business workshop where everyone was working on a poster-size post-it to map out our business for the next 12 months. There were directions to map out your business goals, your offers, and your marketing strategy. I started looking around the room to see where people needed help and I realized everybody in the room had a leaky business. Their marketing plan was not working together. Everyone’s marketing plan was a smattering of tactics… but there was no clear strategy to ensure that all that marketing effort was leading potential clients to their paid offers. The minute I shared with them a different way to approach their marketing strategy, all the light bulbs went off as people could see why all the work they had put into marketing their business wasn’t generating real results. Most people when they sit down and write out a marketing plan, they make a list of marketing to-dos. They need to have a newsletter and they need to blog… they need to do a podcast and they need to be posting on social media. But a marketing to-do list isn’t a strategy unless it all works together to turn your community into paid clients. Ready to fix the LEAK in your predictable profit strategy? https://rachealcook.com/predictable-profit-strategy/

Send us a textStatistically, 80% of new businesses are going to fail within the first few years… so how do you make sure that you’re going to beat the odds and succeed? How do you make sure your business is going to stick it out through the startup stages to get to the success stage where you’re finally making consistent revenue? It comes down to FOCUS. In this episode, I’m going to share how you can get more focused so you can achieve your business goals. It’s all about simplifying your business strategy. https://rachealcook.com/predictably-profitable-business/

Send us a textIn this episode, we're focusing on the #1 strategy to ensure that you get paid each and every month in your business… even when you need to take a break from your business. Have you ever found yourself with a family emergency, something that needed your immediate attention, and suddenly, you had no choice but to completely rearrange your calendar? Or maybe you just want to enjoy a fun vacation without worrying about your inbox or your clients. You love the idea of being able to take a week or two off throughout the year in your business, but the same problem exists::?If you’re not working, you’re not getting paid. I know that this is something that’s incredibly common, especially for those of you who are heart-centered service providers. Maybe you’re a teacher or a coach or a trainer and you’re probably running your business by working one on one with clients offering services. While that is a fantastic first step to get your business going, it can also create a bottleneck in your business where, again, if you’re not working, you’re not getting paid. Today, I want to break down a really simple strategy that can start to free you from this dollar-for-hour trap that is not allowing you to take sick days or vacations… and start thinking more strategically about your business. https://rachealcook.com/baseline-revenue-plan/

Send us a textIn my conversations with women, I’ve discovered that we just don’t ask for or seek enough help. We feel like we have to do everything ourselves, and this leaves us feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, and on the brink of burnout. In this episode, I talk about building your own support system. I take you behind the scenes and share how I’ve built teams to help me in various areas of my business and my life. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 4:03 - When building your own support system, you can focus on several areas. I start with discussing the different ways I receive support in my business. 8:29 - Doing this used to take up a HUGE amount of my time. I talk about it and how my Director of Operations, customer support team, and program coordinator are life savers! 14:42 - I have more people behind the scenes I’m in contact with to occasionally help me on the business side of things. 17:09 - My personal success team at home helps me manage my health. This area is one where a lot of women entrepreneurs still hold on to some old-fashioned norms. 23:21 - I discuss the final area of support I receive. It’s something I wasn’t even sure I’d talk about on the show. 28:18 - You’ve got a permission slip to ask yourself: Where do I need support? Show Links Racheal on Instagram Leave a review on iTunes

Send us a textWe've all heard that it costs money to make money, right? Do you remember the first big investment you made into your business? I do... and it was SCARY. I remember being nervous, excited, and a little nauseous as I wrote the first check to join my first mastermind for $10,000. At the time, I was coming off a nearly year-long maternity leave with my twins. We'd made ends meet with Jameson's teaching salary and a couple of clients I was working with on the side... but reality was hitting us that I needed to dramatically ramp up my business to support my family. Investing $10,000 into my business seemed like a huge stretch for us. But as Jameson and I talked about the vision I had for this business - one that would allow me to support our family while working from home - we knew that it was time to commit 100% and go all in. That decision to?commit?made all the difference. It instantly shifted my mindset from?"How am I going to afford this mastermind? How can I handle this added expense to my business?" to?"How many clients do I need to make back this investment? How can I get a Return on Investment?" I realized I just needed 2 new consulting clients. Suddenly it didn't seem so scary to make that investment. In this episode, I want to share with you the ROI of thinking like a CEO - how we can make smart decisions about when, where, and how we spend our money to grow our business:: 5:30 The big question I always ask myself when it comes to spending money in my business - is this an expense? Or is this an investment? 6:26 The different types of return I'm looking for when I spend money in my business including ROI, ROT, and ROE 11:00 Why I see marketing, branding, and photography as an INVESTMENT into my business because it reflects the quality and value of my offers - and where I'm actually investing in these areas. 14:30 Just to be clear - not everyone needs to invest this much into their brand at the early stages of your business or when your brand isn't holding you back from getting more clients or growing your business. Be discerning and only invest when you have a clear reason why! 16:03 Entrepreneurs are resourceful and will Google all day to figure things out! But it's a huge waste of our time. Hiring support is one of the best ways to buy back your time. 19:00 How you can not only get buy back your time - but get a return on investing in a team member - when you use that saved time to serve clients or attract new clients. 23:45 No one really talks about this unless you are surrounded by other high-performing entrepreneurs and business owners - but the best investment is investing in yourself! 24:46 "Your income seldom exceeds personal development." - Jim Rohn 24:48 These stats SHOCK me - Did you know that 1/3 of high-school grads never read any other book for the rest of their lives. 80% of families haven't read a book in the last year! 25:35 The level of success we experience in our outer world is simply the mirror reflection of our self-identity and personal development of our inner world. We all have a set-point, an internal thermostat, for the level of development. The only way to increase your internal set-point? Personal development. 28:15 Why high-performers invest 10% of their income back into their personal development and the lesson I learned from Darren Hardy about how he approaches investing into his development with books, courses, conferences, and coaching.

Send us a textYou hear a lot of terrible advice online these days that causes people to focus on scaling at all costs. All of that effort only leads to your business blowing up. Things break and go awry, and you’re constantly putting out fires, feeling overwhelmed and stressed at the cash-eating monster you’ve created. So let’s forgo this unsustainable approach to growth and do something different. Avoid the three biggest things I see causing problems with business scaling. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 3:58 - The first mistake I see entrepreneurs make and how you can get yourself into this situation. No matter how much money you bring in, you feel like you can never get ahead. 6:33 - When do expensive, robust systems make sense to purchase and use in your business? Technology audits and figuring out where you’re unnecessarily spending money right now. 9:50 - Female entrepreneurs are especially susceptible to this mistake. Trying to do it all yourself vs. paying everyone but yourself. 12:12 - These specific incidences of comparison often lead to overspending. Here’s how you can spend in a way more cost-effective way. 18:04 - Mindset that contributes to the second key mistake (especially for a product that doesn’t fit your market). Test this first, instead. 26:00 - The third key mistake feeds into both of the previous ones. Dangers of having overly complicated systems in your business. 31:04 - Bringing more humanity back to business. I ditched my Frankenstein-looking system for an old program that wasn’t working and simplified it. 34:20 - Recapping all three key business mistakes. Show Links The CEO Collective The Ultimate Business Growth Checklist “The Truth About Scaling Your Business” episode Profit First: Transform Your Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making Machine by Mike Michalowicz  

Send us a textIs it really possible to double, triple, or 10x your business in just a year? Or to take your business from 100k to $1,000,000 in revenue within just 36 months? If you listen to all the noise online, scaling seems like the name of the game and what we all should be focused on. But the honest truth is scaling for the sake of it can be detrimental to your business. So in this series, we’re talking about the truth of scaling your business. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 2:44 - The difference between growth and scale. While the terms are used interchangeably, they’re not the same thing at all. 6:25 - Entrepreneurs focusing just on scaling sales and not putting infrastructure in place create unstable and unsustainable businesses with irate customers and bad word-of-mouth. 9:25 - Emergency panic mode triggered by a large influx of customers creates chaos. Exhausting sales cycle leads to burnout with the type of massive, expensive launches you see online all the time. 15:15 - All the expenses going into massive launches in pursuit of scale focuses on top-line revenue, not profit. The entrepreneur gets paid last and doesn’t actually end up pocketing a lot of money at all.  18:00 - This year exposed how fragile so many businesses really are. One launch or bad month away from having to close up shop. Show Links The CEO Collective The Ultimate Business Growth Checklist

Send us a textAre you like a hamster on a wheel when it comes to content creation? Do you feel pressured to release a newsletter, blog post, or social media posts week after week? Unfortunately, you’ve become a couch potato content creator--creating content that gets seen once, then gets archived and never sees the light of day again. Time in your business can be spent so much better than that! So in this episode, I’ve invited my friend and podcast producer Stacey Harris to discuss our anti-couch potato content creation approach and how to see your content as an asset to be used over and over in your business. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 6:25 - Stacey talks about podcast production and what her agency Uncommonly More does differently for podcasters. 11:24 - Is doing an interview-only podcast a good approach to take? Here’s why you might not want to do it like Dax Shepard. 12:54 - Shifting your content approach for client acquisition purposes doesn’t just apply to podcasting. You can do it elsewhere too. 14:03 - How do Stacey and I plan out the content for my podcast together? We reveal how the sausage is made to help you see the shift in real action. 18:13 - We discuss why you needn’t worry about boring people with recycled content, as long as you’re not creating junk food content. 20:19 - Stacey and I divulge how this approach creates space to get away from the never-ending content creation hamster wheel. 27:12 - Stacey highlights how she re-purposes her sales page content and why it helps get clients on board more quickly. 31:10 - How did one service-based entrepreneur build a content marketing system that worked for her, right around the time automation became popular? 37:44 - I circle back to the three key questions that Stacey asks me every quarter. They can totally change the way you think about your content. Show Links Uncommonly More Uncommonly More with Stacey Harris Uncommonly More, Episode 543: “Using Your Podcast As a Sales Tool with Racheal Cook” Uncommonly More on Instagram Plan Your Best Year Ever 5-Day Challenge The CEO Collective Racheal on Instagram    

Send us a textTiktok taking off. Influencer marketing making a huge splash. Gurus advocating automation everywhere. AI technology that practically reads the minds of potential clients and customers (or so it seems) being a thing that exists. All of these marketing trends took the world by storm in 2021. But something about these kinds of marketing strategies doesn’t appeal or feel right to most entrepreneurs. So in this episode, I talk with marketing expert Beth Gebhard about why you need to be thinking more of the big picture when it comes to marketing and really bring the soul of your business forward in 2022. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 3:34 - If there’s one thing you should take away from my conversation with Beth, it’s this. I’ve seen people succumb to this A LOT this year. 8:13 - Beth summarizes the twisting, winding road of her marketing and PR background. 13:29 - Marketing gets treated too often as an afterthought. Try this if you’re new or hesitant to plan out your marketing. 18:52 - What are some major components you should keep in mind when creating a marketing plan for your business? 23:27 - Beth breaks down what a brand actually is. What you think it is doesn’t even scratch the surface. 25:37 - You need to get all the components of your brand in writing. Here’s how it’ll become a bottleneck in your business down the line if you do otherwise. 31:18 - Using text message marketing as an example, Beth reveals the three filters she uses to help clients decide on whether to engage with any marketing tactic. 33:30 - Ask yourself these questions after you’ve spent some time implementing any marketing technique. 38:29 - How can business growth be catastrophic? We reveal why marketing isn’t the solution to everything. 43:45 - To wrap up the episode, I circle back to point out some key takeaways from the interview. Show Links Gebhard Strategy Beth on Instagram Beth on LinkedIn Plan Your Best Year Ever 5-Day Challenge The CEO Planner The CEO Collective Racheal on Instagram

Send us a textInconsistent marketing... feast or famine cycle... shiny object syndrome... all work and no play... these are all signs of a lack of effective business planning to keep you focused and in implementation mode, without the hustle and burnout. In this episode, I guide you towards taking all the insights you’ve gained from the last few days and turning them into your 12-month profit plan for 2022. Welcome to the last day of the Plan Your Best Year Ever challenge! On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 3:59 - Your 12-month profit plan today isn’t a day-to-day or week-to-week list of things to do. 5:29 - I reveal the 5-part marketing strategy this profit plan is built on and include some examples. 8:56 - How do you map out a big picture profit plan for your business in 2022? Here’s where I start. 9:41 - Do this first to make sure you burnout-proof your business. I offer some questions for you to consider. 11:24 - Start planning what you’re going to sell next year. I discuss how I figure out what my promotion calendar will look like. 14:24 - As you implement your promotion calendar, you’ll want to build up this vital asset as well. 16:19 - I mention one last thing you might want to include in your workbook. 17:12 - If you loved this challenge, what can you do next? I offer you an invitation. Show Links The CEO Collective Plan Your Best Year Ever 5-Day Challenge Racheal on Instagram

Send us a textDo you spend every waking moment thinking and worrying about your business, especially with everything that’s gone on since last year? You can still build your dream business regardless of what’s happening in the world. Just take the time to get intentional about what you really want to experience. In today’s episode, I focus on a strategy to help you design your dream life in 2022. Welcome to day two! On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 3:54 - Today is when things get fun and exciting. I reveal what inspired me to create this exercise. 5:25 - Where is the best place to start when you’re dreaming of what you want to see in your life in the future? 5:58 - I walk you through the process and give examples of upgrades you can attain a year from now. 7:58 - Keep these caveats in mind as you brainstorm your upgrades. 8:29 - I mention some upgrades you may want to consider making in your business. 9:51 - Putting some numbers on the upgrades you desire will give you a clearer picture of the income you need to make it happen. 12:30 - I briefly preview tomorrow’s episode. If your business hasn’t provided you with a steady paycheck, day 3 will make a huge difference! Show Links Plan Your Best Year Ever 5-Day Challenge Double Double: How to Double Your Revenue and Profit in 3 Years or Less by Cameron Herold Racheal on Instagram

Send us a textWhat does it mean to have success on your terms? For many, it looks like being your own boss, on your own schedule, and making as much money as you want. Then you see the success of entrepreneurial influencers online, start to feel like you’re doing things wrong, and try to change the way you operate, only to realize you’ve just created another 9-to-5 job for yourself. To help you discover your own definition of success, I’ve created a workbook covering five areas of life. In this episode, I walk you through this workbook so you can transform life and business to align with your real desires in 2022. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 3:15 - I remember when I started realizing that our definition of success as women entrepreneurs had massively changed. 6:22 - Why can you still feel disappointed when you hit a revenue goal? Having clarity on your definition of success gives you a decision-making filter. 8:02 - What does your ideal regular day look like for you? I walk you through the first part of the workbook I’ve created. 13:19 - Keep these questions in mind as you think about your relationships with family and friends. 17:35 - This is an area where I often put myself last, especially when I’m feeling stressed. It goes back to when I was a teenager. 22:44 - Discover the biggest benefit of having creative outlets outside of your business and how I avoid the temptation to turn every hobby into a business. 26:16 - Fulfilling your definition of success in this area will have you feeling more empowered and grounded in your life and business. 29:23 - To wrap up the episode, I quickly recap the five areas you want to think about to define your success. Full Show Notes Show Links Plan Your Best Year Ever 5-Day Challenge Your Definition of Success Workbook Racheal on Instagram

Send us a textSocial media and online marketing and content creation strategies are wonderful and I use them. But... business grows at the speed of relationships. If you’ve heard it’s impossible to scale a referral-based business or that you shouldn’t rely on referrals for your business, then tune in as me and my Operations Director Amber Kinney expose these myths. Amber can certainly vouch for this promotional strategy as she’s built her business entirely on referrals. So we have a conversation about how referrals are here to stay, can serve as one of the best things you do for your business, and cover five key strategies to think about so your business can become referrable. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 6:23 - Amber briefly discusses a little bit about her business. 9:29 - Is it sustainable to only have a referral-based business? Amber shares her thoughts on the matter. 12:21 - Growing too fast has its consequences. Amber reveals two must-have components for a referrable AND scalable business. 17:07 - How does Amber get referrals? It’s such a simple, casual process. 18:48 - With referrals, a lot of the heavy lifting in vetting both sides (the client and the CEO) is done for you. We discuss the reasons why. 22:46 - Why do some people really struggle with referrals? It’s tied to the transactional feeling of relationships that lack buildup. 27:04 - We talk about how we’ve networked, made connections, and built relationships as introverts to stay on top of our game. 32:28 - Amber offers some final advice to wrap up the interview. 34:23 - I end the episode with a quick summary of the five key things Amber and I talked about regarding building a more referral-based business. Full Show Notes Show Links Plan Your Best Year Ever 5-Day Challenge Racheal on Instagram

Send us a textI’ve said before that high touch is incredibly important for entrepreneurs with premium offers. Despite being told that you can make lots of money while you sleep or that you must have a complicated funnel to be successful, directly connecting with people interested in your products, programs, and services is the real key to making sales at a premium level. In this episode, I share seven high-touch sales boosters to help you increase your revenue. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 8:28 - I dive into the first high-touch sales booster. It’s one of my absolute favorite things to do and can make a huge impact on your launch. 10:25 - How can you personally follow up with your most active community members? 13:22 - Sales booster #3 is a little bit more techie but totally worth it because it produces incredibly high conversions. Here’s how I do it. 17:30 - I only recommend this sales booster if you have someone to help you manage it. It’s a great one for enrollment periods. 18:17 - How can you quickly and efficiently respond to all the emails and DMs you receive during your enrollment period? 20:48 - Using this method can help boost enrollments during the middle days of your launch when things slow down. 25:46 - I save the best high-touch sales booster for last.  Full Show Notes Show Links Plan Your Best Year Ever 5-Day Challenge Racheal on Instagram

Send us a textRemember the day you first heard you should be on Twitter? Or Facebook? Or Instagram? Last year, it was Tik Tok. Years prior, it was Periscope. And on and on it goes. You hear the same about other marketing methods like building email lists, creating YouTube videos, starting a podcast, and blogging. And on and on it goes. One of the challenges women entrepreneurs face is just understanding the right strategies to use to grow their unique businesses. Without that clarity, you can’t gain real momentum as it just dilutes your efforts. So if all of this advice has your head spinning and confused about how to promote your business, then this episode’s for you. In it, I simplify how to think about your overall marketing strategy for better results. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 4:45 - What are your strengths? Answering this question isn’t as easy as it seems and I discuss why. 6:13 - I reveal a few ways for you to gain clarity on what you’re naturally good at. 11:05 - What are the four sweet spot themes for entrepreneurship? I briefly talk about each one. 13:25 - Focusing on strengthening weaknesses only incrementally improves results. How can you focus on your strengths instead? 21:15 - The final piece of the puzzle is the real secret to long-term success for entrepreneurs. 24:12 - I dive into all five components of my marketing strategy, using myself as an example. 32:23 - I give a quick recap of the episode and your next action steps. Full Show Notes Show Links The Sweet Spot Quiz Your Business Sweet Spot by Racheal Cook Racheal on Instagram

Send us a textWith the availability of many social media platforms today, you'd think it would be fast and easy to launch any type of business. Reaching and selling to a lot of people seems to be a task you can easily tick off your to-do list as an entrepreneur. This is a misconception which many CEO aspirants fail to realize at the beginning. To get business going, we need to address this issue. To be able to start scaling your business, first, you must understand the basics of entrepreneurship. This is a crucial stage that no CEO aspirant should skip. What are the steps that you need to take in order to scale your business? In this episode, we identify the points which you need to tackle before you can even plan to make your business bigger. Join me as I dig deep into the foundations of a successful business. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 1:44 - I talk about being approached by entrepreneurs who have tried several tactics but are still unable to scale their business. 2:36 - Is there really a specific tactic needed to scale your business? 3:00 - I share my thought process in deciding business scaling readiness. 4:30 - What are the different stages of business growth? 6:23 - Find out why you're not getting the sales you were hoping for. 11:40 - I emphasize the importance of being clear about what your business offers. 13:40 - Pay attention to the people who respond to what you offer. You'll be surprised about what it can actually do for your business. 15:24 - Do you have a marketing system in place? How do you capture and nurture potential clients? 20:52 - How much time are you able to spend in marketing your business? 21:47 - I explain how to get clients to commit to your business offer. 27:45 - Persistence is key! 29:50 - What goes into building your support team? 30:42 - Have you built your business in the right structure?  34:59 - Learn the ways to make sure that your business is fully protected. 37:00 - Are you paying yourself a solid salary? 39:01 - I wrap up with some final thoughts. Full Show Notes Show Links: Profit First by Mike Michalowicz Business Growth Checklist

Send us a textIf you’ve ever done a full-scale launch of a product, program, or service, then you know how overwhelming the process can be. You’ve got to ensure that everything’s working correctly and all the different pieces of software do what they need to do (and in the right order). But is this the only way to get more sales and clients? If you’ve been burned by launches (or feel burned out at the very thought of them), then don’t fret. There’s a way to simplify launching, and I’ve brought on business strategist Kelly Roach to reveal how. During my conversation with her you’ll discover her live launch method to get clients and sales without the super complicated, super technical marketing approach. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 2:24 - I take you back to my earliest launching days and discuss why I absolutely had to have this conversation with Kelly. 7:16 - How did Kelly come up with the idea for creating a new approach to launches? Her own frustration and desperation drove her to it. 12:44 - Remember this every time you see a celebrity entrepreneur and feel the pressure to model yourself after them. 15:18 - Kelly describes what she means by a live launch and what it looks like in practicality. 18:59 - As someone watching from afar, there’s one thing I especially love about how Kelly does her live launches. Discover what it is and why it’s so important. 20:59 - What is social selling, and how does it fit into the live launch method? 22:53 - Kelly discusses how to run a live launch and sustain this way of marketing without burning yourself out. She reveals the 3 big elements of the live launch methodology. 27:39 - How does Kelly see the future of the online marketing industry? Those making their living from selling courses will especially want to pay attention to this! 30:50 - I wrap up the episode with some final thoughts. Show Links Live Launch Method by Kelly Roach The Unstoppable Entrepreneur Show with Kelly Roach Kelly on Instagram The CEO Collective Racheal on Instagram

Send us a textRaise your hand if you’ve never felt comfortable as a promoter of your business. Today’s episode is for you! I’m joined by speaker, Hay House author, marketing mentor, and dear friend Nikki Nash who’s written a new book called Market Your Genius. Nikki is here to share how she helps women entrepreneurs do business more confidently and package and leverage their expertise for real revenue growth. Her approach is one of the smartest ways of helping women I’ve heard yet, and I can’t wait for you to hear this conversation. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 5:39 - Nikki took a bit of a long, winding road to entrepreneurship. She gives a little background about herself. 10:33 - What makes Nikki’s approach to marketing your knowledge different from other mentors? 14:14 - Is Nikki’s approach the same as brand building? It’s similar, but she adds another layer to it that helps your business live beyond you. 17:31 - Nikki quickly describes the 3-step marketing genius process she walks people through. 19:52 - Here’s something people (many new entrepreneurs, especially) don’t realize about mindset, and business growth. 23:13 - How do trends and changes in marketing tactics fit into Nikki’s way of doing things? She discusses how solopreneurs need to approach social marketing differently. 31:13 - Nikki reveals another huge mistake so many entrepreneurs make that prevents them from gaining momentum. It’s tied to something that most marketers don’t talk about. 37:29 - Once, Nikki had a Facebook Live show she thought was a waste of time, so she quit. But, months later, it led to something... grand. 42:22 - I wrap up the episode with a few key takeaways Nikki and I discussed.  Show Links Rebelle Con Market Your Genius by Nikki Nash Market Your Genius podcast Nikki on Instagram The CEO Collective Racheal on Instagram

Send us a textPricing is an uncomfortable subject for entrepreneurs that brings up all of our money mindset challenges. It often feels easier to just play safe when setting our price in order to not appear greedy to potential clients. So if pricing has ever been a sticking point for you, you’ll love today’s episode! I’ve invited my dear friend and financial behaviorist Jacquette Timmons to talk about the human side of money and how to determine the right price for us that honors what we do and helps us achieve our ultimate business and financial goals. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 6:59 - How did talking about the human side of pricing become such a huge part of Jacquette’s messaging? 9:33 - With money, Jacquette’s framework involves a few core areas to look at. Her process involves approaching them in a different, better way. 11:39 - Pricing has four jobs. What are we conditioned to do as entrepreneurs that needs reconsideration? 14:29 - Jacquette brings up another hard choice that women entrepreneurs can be confronted with. 16:49 - Jacquette reveals some common mistakes she’s seen people make when it comes to re-evaluating price points. 22:17 - Why has exclusivity and high-end service really stood the test of time, despite high prices? 27:50 - How does Jacquette help people approach the mindset block many have around raising prices? She provides two ways to shift your mindset, and one’s definitely easier than the other. 30:18 - We briefly discuss applying the “blue ocean strategy” to your business, as well as making another game changing move when the opportunity inevitably arises.  Show Links Blue Ocean Strategy by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne Pricing Made Human masterclass Jacquette on Instagram The CEO Collective Racheal on Instagram

Send us a textWhen you need to grow your business, what do you do? Do you lock out the rest of the world and brainstorm new products, programs, or service ideas yourself, like so many entrepreneurs do? Big mistake! When you try to expand your business this way, you’re cutting out 100% of one of your most crucial assets: your existing customers and clients. In this bonus episode, my guest and CEO Collective member Layne Lyons tells us about how she’s on track to double her business by getting actual input from those already familiar with her business. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 5:17 - Layne describes her business before it underwent an amazing transformation and reveals her first business bottleneck. 9:39 - What did Layne do to resolve her first bottleneck? What was her experience like after she started putting some boundaries in place? 13:12 - Layne shares what it felt like to finally increase her price points and offers advice to those on the precipice of doing the same. 15:53 - A new offer has opened the door for Layne to double the revenue from her business. She reveals what it is and the journey she went on to get here. 21:31 - What happened when Layne launched her new offer? This demonstrates why asking your existing client base for new ideas is the easiest way to build your next offer. 25:21 - Layne describes how she and her business are different now thanks to the changes she’s implemented. 34:21 - How was Layne’s experience joining The CEO Collective? She offers an inside look. 37:09 - To wrap up, I highlight a few points Layne made about streamlining and simplifying her business to the point where she now works less and enjoys her life more. Show Links Layne’s Legal Umbrella Checklist Book Trademark Consultation with Layne The CEO Collective Racheal on Instagram

Send us a textYou have money buried in your business somewhere. It doesn’t require you to gain more followers, run more ads, or hustle further to get your hands on it, either. It just involves taking advantage of the lowest hanging fruit in your business. In the last episode of this series on putting an end to hustle culture, burnout, and entrepreneurial poverty, I reveal the third and final strategy to sustainably grow your business. I can’t wait for you to unlock this one! On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 4:13 - I share a quick story and reveal the final secret to sustainable growth for your business.  7:50 - I expose the huge problem not being discussed in the business world right now. What could be the culprit? 9:35 - You need to nail these things to form the foundation for finding hidden money in your business. I see too many people ignore the last one. 14:24 - What simple offers can you provide your clients behind-the-scenes? I reveal one way to ensure your 1-on-1 clients fit perfectly for you. 18:47 - If you have past clients, what should you do next? Here are some other ways to discover hidden income opportunities.  22:52 - I sum up all of the main strategies I’ve highlighted in this episode series. Show Links   Profit Plan Workbook (LINK NEEDED) The CEO Collective Racheal on Instagram  

Send us a textYou’re doing everything right. You’re offering a ton of content to get people in the door. But no matter what you do in your business, you only get a sale here or there. You’re just not seeing the results you want. So how can you make more sales? My guest today, CEO Collective founding member Leesa Klich, is a health writer and blogging expert who helps health and wellness professionals use engaging research-based content to build their practices. In this bonus episode, she reveals the strategic tweaks she made in the foundation of her business that took her from struggling to sell a thing to selling out her offers and generating her best revenue month ever. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 9:01 - Leesa shares the vision she had for herself that prompted the restructuring of her business model. 12:26 - How did Leesa transition from serving one person at a time to multiple people simultaneously while also raising her prices? 20:11 - Leesa reveals what she has and hasn’t done to market herself and her business. Introverts especially will want to pay attention to this! 24:43 - You can get stuck in this quagmire as an entrepreneur. What does it take to be the most successful possible in your marketing efforts? 28:03 - Leesa created an even bigger offer to sell. She discusses the process of how she came up with and then refined her idea for a white label course. 30:24 - How did Leesa feel about increasing her price point again with the introduction of her course? I had to really work with her to get her pricing mindset right on this. 33:32 - Leesa discusses her audience’s response upon launching the course and what increased her confidence in raising her price. 38:15 - What’s next for Leesa? She tells us where she’s most excited to put her focus for now and advice for anyone considering joining The CEO Collective. Show Links Leesa Klich The CEO Collective Racheal on Instagram

Send us a textWhat do you think you need to gain in order for your business to change and grow? Too often entrepreneurs get hyped up to chase vanity metrics like huge numbers of Instagram followers or email subscribers. Ultimately though, gaining five or 10 new clients is all you need to have a massive impact on your business. The simplest, easiest way for getting those clients isn’t something sexy or glamorous. It involves using a real strategy to invite people in, actually connect with them, and let them know how you can help. Continuing on with this series to avoid hustle and burnout, today I talk about the second strategy you need to adopt to grow a truly sustainable business. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 3:27 - I rant (again) about an issue in the business world that sets so many people up for failure. 5:18 - What is a predictable profit plan? It’s key to how I help entrepreneurs break out of the feast or famine cycle, so I walk you through how to put one together. 10:00 - I reveal the most important but least discussed part of a profit plan. If you don’t have this, it’ll break your business. 10:45 - People get so focused on marketing and sales that they forget about this piece of the puzzle and end up with a lot of unhappy clients. 15:00 - What will be your strategies for marketing, sales, and delivery? I use The CEO Collective as an example. 17:13 - Consider this if you have no idea when you should promote your signature offer. I give more examples from my business. 20:14 - Full upfront payment is awesome! But you’ll love extending payment plans to clients for this incredibly powerful reason. 25:04 - How can you ensure that you don’t experience a revenue gap? Show Links   Profit Plan Workbook The CEO Collective Racheal on Instagram  

Send us a textHave you ever told yourself you’ll make time to do something when your life calms down a bit? Did you promise to start focusing on your health, go work out, practice more self-care, and so on when you have the space to fit it into your schedule? Then you need to listen to this special episode with my business friend, podcast host, and author, Heather Chauvin. In our conversation, she and I talk about why you must stop putting yourself on hold and why the time to prioritize your needs is now.  On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 7:08 - Heather describes what led to her changing perspective for how she wanted to show up in life and business. 13:21 - Heather makes a surprising claim about her ordeal with cancer and her health today. 15:53 - Instead of focusing on money, Heather now filters everything she does and allows in her life based on this concept. 18:59 - Why did Heather have to remove herself from “mom culture”? 22:18 - Heather discusses the mindset shift that finally ended her struggle to embody the concept of feeling good. 25:48 - It can be hard to reprogram yourself, but you’ve probably seen people everywhere discuss this process as a way to get there. 29:00 - What are some simple things Heather recommends to start with that can add up and make an impact on your stress levels over time? 32:43 - Pay attention to gender roles. Heather describes her difficult time loosening her grip on domestic duties. 38:39 - How does over-mothering, over-nurturing, or over-delivering show up in your personal life and business? Show Links Heather Chauvin Dying to Be a Good Mother by Heather Chauvin Heather on Instagram Mom Is In Control podcast Join The CEO Collective waitlist Racheal on Instagram

Send us a textImagine being so exhausted at the end of the week that you immediately put on your pajamas, pour yourself a glass (or two) of wine, and crash. By the time the last few hours of the day arrive, you’re just completely drained and have no energy for anything. Then you start all over again on Monday morning! This cycle impacts our lives and our business in a big way. In today’s episode, my guest Dr. Crystal Frazee talks about how we can learn to tune into our body’s battery and figure out which activities and interactions deplete and increase our charge. Then we can make smarter decisions that have us show up more pleasantly and powerfully on a daily basis. Get ready for a game-changing conversation! On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 6:38 - Crystal found out the true cause of women’s complex illnesses and pains. It turned her practice around. 11:22 - Crystal focuses on calling out this underlying issue causing us to busy ourselves to the point of burnout. 15:49 - How do you know when you’re being taken off track? Crystal covers three areas to pay attention to so you can recognize signs of your body’s battery depletion. 21:12 - Even though you’re on a 24-hour cycle, you shouldn’t let your charge hit 0%. These technological tools help you keep track. 31:16 - Find out what you can do to recharge your battery. Crystal breaks her program down into three parts. 36:00 - When you have signs of burnout, how long can it take you to recover? 37:35 - As a parent of young kids, I initially fought against bettering my sleep, but here’s what I did to improve. 40:17 - Don’t do this if you want better sleep to come easily to you. It’s the antithesis of your body’s nature. 42:44 - Crystal discusses implementing boundaries so we can care for ourselves better and keep charged up. She even walks us through a short exercise. 48:30 - What signals a strong yes or no for you? Here’s how most people can tell. 50:19 - Pay attention to these two concepts related to boundaries and caring for your body battery. 53:30 - Crystal reveals what you must remember whenever you decide to say no. Show Links Garmin vívosmart® 4 Ōura Ring WHOOP Swanwick Blue Light Blocking Glasses Crystal Frazee

Send us a text“You can do it!” If you’re a Gen Xer, elder millennial, or born between those two generations, you’ve heard numerous people say this about women in pop culture and real life. In fact, you were probably raised on the belief that women could do anything: have an incredible career, raise a family, build wealth, etc. Women could have it all! But now you realize that trying to have it all doesn’t feel possible, it just feels exhausting. In today’s episode, I have a wonderful conversation with Melissa Marasia, the MidLife Mentor for Gen X Women. We talk all about the burnout we women face with internal and external pressures to achieve success in work, family, and so much more. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 3:04 - What were girls growing up in the 80s and 90s not being told about “having it all”? 7:11 - Melissa reveals how her own issues with burnout culminated into her current line of work. 11:05 - What causes women headed towards their 40s and 50s to stress out so much? 14:01 - Melissa describes how even women who decide not to have kids still feel the need to compensate. 16:41 - On top of all the other inequality issues we face, women have to deal with this double standard as well. 19:14 - Discover the biggest obstacle that prevents you from making the changes to eliminate burnout. 22:13 - With young kids, I made this simple change in my life to enjoy stress-free mornings. 26:38 - How can you handle the days when you have so many things to do or must interact with many people, especially if you’re introverted or highly sensitive? 30:25 - Take the time to acknowledge this about yourself when you experience burnout. 33:42 - Follow these suggestions if you don’t know what you need or where to start finding your joy again. 36:05 - Has this productivity-driven era driven off our love of hobbies? 40:54 - Avoid this approach if you want to still love what you do as a hobby. Show Links Melissa Marasia, MidLife Mentor Join The CEO Collective waitlist Racheal on Instagram

Send us a textIt’s never been safe to be a woman in this world, especially if you’re an outspoken or successful one. For generations, we’ve carried the trauma of the war against our bodies, minds, spirits, and then some. Yet, the more we as women succeed and break glass ceilings, our nervous system perceives it as a threat and goes into hyper-vigilant mode. We experience it whenever we reach a new level of business success and decide to self-sabotage. My guest Dr. Valerie Rein calls this invisible threat hanging around the backdrop of our lives “patriarchy stress disorder.” In this episode, she and I define what it is and how to understand it so you can break out of patriarchal prison and begin burnout-proofing your business and your life. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 13:33 - Dr. Valerie discusses the health scare that triggered her realization of this disorder as a real thing challenging women. 17:28 - What is patriarchy stress disorder, and how did Dr. Valerie connect the dots? 22:57 - Dr. Valerie reveals why traditional talk therapy doesn’t have the tools for healing trauma. 25:58 - How does the transmission of intergenerational trauma happen? A study involving cherry blossoms and mice illustrates it well. 29:45 - Discover the reason why we women sabotage ourselves and struggle in getting to the next level. 31:58 - Dr. Valerie and I uncover a startling trend in the self-help space for women entrepreneurs in recent years. 36:05 - This core wound of patriarchy sets us up for a battle we can’t win. There’s only one way to get off the hamster wheel. 40:21 - Dr. Valerie tells a story of one of her clients that shows the magic that can happen when you rewire your nervous system. 44:09 - How can you tell when your defense mechanisms no longer serve you? Dr. Valerie unearths signs of trauma adaptations that may surprise you. 50:28 - Learn even more client stories that reveal the benefits of healing trauma and rewiring the nervous system. 52:45 - Where does Dr. Valerie recommend people start to make an internal shift away from the hustle? Show Links Free resources and the first chapter of Patriarchy Stress Disorder by Dr. Valerie Rein The Dr. Valerie Podcast Follow Dr. Valerie on Instagram Join The CEO Collective waitlist Racheal on

Send us a textYou’ve probably heard by now that one of the best ways to grow your business and start making a bigger impact is hiring a team. A team can support you by doing all the administrative, customer service, marketing, and sales work, and even work directly with your clients. If you’re attempting to do all of that yourself, it sounds overwhelming. So in this episode, I walk you through some things to think about as you level up your leadership and start bringing on a team. Listen as I give some insights into what it was like to grow a team inside my own business, including mistakes I’ve made and lessons I’ve learned along the way. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 2:30 - Hiring initial support at home and in business. What I did to start leveling up in 2008. 12:38 - When I set out to hire customer service help, I found two amazing candidates. How I turned a tough choice into gold. 17:02 - Audience changes, branching out, and rebranding. Gaining clarity for my new direction. 23:03 - Letting go of sales and marketing control produced my biggest leadership uplevels. Hiring coaches, a PR team, and a podcast team. 28:53 - Why I decided to hire people to help me with copyrighting. Sales-related and content-related copywriting support. 32:37 - Looking at other areas of my business. A huge change happened in one area that took me until 2018 to really get behind. 39:14 - What I discovered as I’ve released the death grip on everything in my business. My team has been a lifesaver! 42:20 - Starting out slowly and building up gradually. Final words of advice to wrap up the episode. Show Links The CEO Collective The CEO Retreat The CEO Accelerator Racheal on Instagram

Send us a textWelcome to a very special episode! I’m joined by Anna Binder McAsey who owns Rethink Nutrition. A year ago, she was running a business primarily on her own. Fast forward to now, she’s really grown leaps and bounds as a leader and stepped into her role as CEO, bringing in more people behind the scenes and working with her clients. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 1:31 - What did Anna’s business look like in early 2020? A quick overview and changes made since. 6:32 - How did Anna learn to let go of control as she built her team? 11:30 - Seeing the value in bringing on people with different specialties to your team. What nuances exist between the clients you serve? 16:35 - Anna talks about her mindset shift toward seeing the pros in adding administrative support. Her changing role as CEO. Show Links Rethink Nutrition Rethink Nutrition on Instagram Rethink Nutrition on Facebook The CEO Collective

Send us a textToday, I’m joined by my friend and colleague Erica Courdae who has been my DEI consultant and is a part of the CEO Collective as a mentor. She’s back on the show to dive into staying true to your core values when your business is growing, changing, or its mettle is being tested. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 6:23 - Making a commitment to values. It’s not a one-time thing. 9:51 - Where does real empowerment come from? The word gets thrown around often, but it isn’t a gift you can give others. 12:03 - How do the working and business worlds try to blame the victims? 18:05 - Avoiding echo chambers. Who are you intentionally networking with? 25:05 - You need to life proof your business so it can still thrive when things aren’t perfect. 32:05 - Dealing with panic moments by modeling clear and kind boundaries. Panic is not a business strategy. 36:07 - Having a strategy and a process for making decisions. Running your business becomes easier for yourself and your teams. 39:25 - The noise around you is a big distraction. Do you just need to shut it out, scale back, and return to basics? 43:13 - You can only do what you do for your community in the way that you do it. 48:23 - Clarity in your values makes your business growth journey so much easier. Show Links Implicit to Explicit: Discovering Your Core Values workshop The CEO Collective

Send us a textWhat does it actually mean to be The CEO of your business? We entrepreneurs do EVERYTHING in the beginning, but as we grow, we need to re-define our role as CEO to focus on the most essential tasks that move our business forward. When we don't take the time to redefine our role, we often find ourselves becoming the bottleneck in our business and causing chaos for our teams. This episode will help you get clarity on your top CEO tasks as your role changes. Visit https://rachealcook.com/entrepreneur-ceo/ for the full show notes.

Send us a textPast show notes - https://rachealcook.com/ultimate-business-growth-checklist/