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There is an idea that if you’re not working a traditional 9-5, then you’re not working hard. Neill Williams is joining us today to break apart this myth, how she fights against hustle culture, and how she has created a business that works with her life and how she helps her clients do the same. Topics discussed in this episode: How to change your outlook on the value of your time in order to model your business around your lifeThe ways in which the corporate world de-incentivizes time management and how to overcome this mindset as an entrepreneurHow Neill found the sweet spot of how much she wanted to work per week, especially as a new motherKnowing when to take time away from a problem in order to find the better solution soonerWhy Neill believes entrepreneurs have the power to change the face of what it looks like to work and run a businessHow you can start working less today, even if it’s only by a half hour Quotables: "I don't look at the time, I look at what I'm creating inside of the time." Neill Williams Tweet "We get paid because the lucrative entrepreneurial lucrative skillset is the ability to think and solve problems in ways that other people haven't solved them." Neill Williams Tweet "The creative brain doesn't like to be boxed in, it likes to have freedom, it likes the play, the space and the openness." Neill Williams Tweet "If you want to out think your problem instead of out working your problem, then you take time off of the table as an option." Neill Williams Tweet "As an entrepreneur, there are no in-the-box solution for things." Neill Williams Tweet More on Neill: Website | Instagram | Facebook To Market Your Business Online: Navigating how to market your service business online–especially when you’re moving from 1:1 services to a 1:many model–doesn’t have to be hard even when you have a lot of moving parts.You just have to know where you’re going. The Biz GPS Intensive is the best way to get that 30,000-foot view of your business–and a concrete plan for the next six months. Click here to listen to the raw transcript Britney Gardner 00:03All right, Neill, welcome to The Know, Like and Trust show.Neill Williams 00:05Oh, my gosh, I’m so excited to be here. Thank you for having me. You are most welcome.Britney Gardner 00:11I am really interested in this topic. longtime listeners know that I don’t work a quote unquote full time schedule. Which, by the way, I’d like to just get rid of that. That terminology in the first place. Like I feel like I work very full time. But I, you know, I think there’s this idea that if we’re not working, as much as you know, your average office worker, who, well at this time of year leaves the house when it’s dark, and gets back when it’s dark, if they work in person, that we’re not like working hard. And I don’t really understand that whole thing. I feel like, I’m, I’m as efficient as someone who often works 60 hours a week, because I have to be I mean, I’ve designed my life to be. So I’m just I’m really interested in hearing your take on all the things and hustle culture and creating a business that you actually can make work within your life.Neill Williams 01:08Yeah, yeah, I love that. You’re an example of this. Because I think the idea of hard work, create success is the thing that has us punching the clock as if like, the time is the thing that’s valuable, I look at it very differently, just like you do, Britney, I don’t look at the time, I look at what I’m creating inside of the time. So when you get really inefficient you look at you can create a lot of results in just a small amount of time. You don’t need 40 5060 hours per week to do that. And in fact, there’s a lot of studies that have been done that show that on average, this is kind of mind blowing, on average, many workers get their work done in 12 hours a week. So then the rest of the time is just time for time sake, not time creating value or results. Britney Gardner 01:57You know, it’s it’s so funny, you said that so, you know, I look at my husband when when the pandemic began, you know, he like everyone came home from his downtown sky, you know, Ryan’s office and everything. And I had my first clue into how he worked, right. And I think we also the memes, like, Oh, my husband’s the guy that says, let’s circle back, right. Like, I laugh so hard at those because I was actively thinking that. Yes, yeah. But, you know, I, I had hopes that, you know, they would all figure out that, you know, without the, you know, I’m gonna wander to the bathroom and talk with five people along the way, with all of that going on that they would all learn. You don’t have to actually work 40 hours to get your job accomplished. But it seems like they’ve just filled it with Zoom meetings instead. And now we have like the, you know, zooms that could be emails, memes floating around. Right. But I had really high hopes that it would shift at least somewhat, and I don’t think it has in the corporate world, at least I don’t think it has I don’t know about us. Yeah,Neill Williams 03:03I think it’s because like, if you’re looking at your job through a lens, like I have to do this in 40 hours per week, or 50 hours per week, like somehow, in your mind, if it’s the time that’s valuable, then working less wouldn’t fit into that. And so you wouldn’t you will artificially fill, find a way to fill it up, which is what has happened in the corporate world. Like, there are all these needs we didn’t used to have. But now because you know, we can get our work done or whatever in less time, we have to find some way to fill that time to feel like we’re doing our job, like we’re actually like, fulfilling on what are what we’re supposed to be doing. And so that’s what happens, right? And let instead of thinking about it in the reverse, which is the way that you think about it. And the way that I think about it is what are the things that I want done, what is the result? What are the accomplishments, what’s the value, and then I just go to work, and I get those things done. I don’t have to have like 50 hours to do it. I just tell myself, okay, this is the amount of time I have, I’m getting it done in this time. And then you do. And then you have all this other time that you can then just spend in doing your life the way that you want. That’s the model I will love to see in the corporate world. Because then you’re thinking about the value of your time, not just like the time itself. It’s like what you’re creating inside of the time. That’s what’s important. That’s what’s valuable.Britney Gardner 04:24It’s interesting because I’m sure you’re in a plethora of Facebook groups online, just like the rest of us, right and I see it every so often people are like, I you know, I just quit my full time job I’m gonna make a go of my business and I feel like I’m getting less done now. And you know, I kind of like sadly laugh inside every time I see that because it’s it’s something I feel like everyone has to go through at some point just to realize that you will fill your container of time regardless of the fact that you used to not feel that same You know, volume of time, you’re still gonna fill it in are not actually gonna get a whole lot more done. Right? So you get really regimented or systematized about your thinking about it not so much systematized in terms of like, Oh, I’m gonna, you know, punch in my clock every 15 minutes. But like, you have to, you have to get there. Neill Williams 05:18Yeah, yeah. And I think what happens in the corporate world, it DNS descent of incentivizes stuff. Like saying, I’m like, that doesn’t sound right. But it D incentivizes any efficiency, because as soon as you get this is exactly what happened to me in the corporate world, too. As soon as you get really efficient and really good at getting something done quickly, what happens is, then they’re like, Oh, well, you can just take on more. So that taking on more taking on more than that’s the artificial way of just like filling up the time filling up the time as if the value in that role is in the time that you do it not in the results that you created it. And so then if that’s the world that you’re used to, when you go into entrepreneuring, that is what you’re going to also be naturally inclined to do in your business. And that’s why that happens for so many people, even though they could do their business in 10 to 20 hours per week. They don’t know how to not work that extra time, it feels uncomfortable, it feels like they’re not doing it right, like they should be doing more. And so they will naturally increase their workload, or what the time they spend getting their work done to fulfill that idea in their mind that they’re somehow doing it because they’re working the right number of hours.Britney Gardner 06:29Yeah, I love the way that you just stated that that, you know, as an entrepreneur, we do have all the incentive in the world if we can get our mindset correctly, right, like yes, to, to spend less time on things. And yeah, that might be different for one, you know, business owner to another, it’s actually even for me, it’s different from one client project to another because if I’m really building a, like a measurement dashboard for someone that’s hands on work that I have to be doing for that person, and I know it’s gonna take a certain amount of time, no matter what. But if I’m doing copy for someone, for example, the vast majority of my time writing copy is actually spent thinking. And I don’t have to actually think at my desk, as it turns out, you know, I do need access to a voice memo just in case something brilliant comes up in a moment, right. But I can do that thinking, while I’m driving to the gym, I can do that thinking while I’m in the shower, I can do that thinking while I’m chopping vegetables for dinner. And that doesn’t necessarily mean that I wouldn’t qualify that as work time, because I’m not. I’m not in my office. But that doesn’t mean that I’m not getting work done at the same time.Neill Williams 07:38Yeah, I love what you just said is so brilliant. And it’s actually like one of the things that I was hoping that we would get to in this discussion is the thing that people are used to doing when they’re in their corporate jobs is the doing like the working less so used to doing the thinking, which is what entrepreneurs do, right? We we get paid because we think like that is the entrepreneurial, lucrative skill set is the ability to think and solve problems in ways that other people haven’t solve them in. So also like thinking about like, not busy in your time with like working in your business. But what you’re saying is working as the CEO working on your business thinking, problem solving strategizing, thinking about things in a different way. And that often happens very naturally and very easily, but not in front of a computer. Because the way that the brain is structured, that’s the right brain is the one that’s doing all that innovative, creative thinking. And it hates the idea of a box or schedule or a budget or a plan. So when you’re noticing all those ideas are coming to you kind of like naturally elsewhere, it makesBNBsense. Because you’re not sitting down telling yourself, you have to have three answers, you have to solve this, you have to do this. And so it allows the right part of your brain to just be activated and just work naturally the way that it is. And I think that some people have the idea that that’s wrong, that we shouldn’t be doing that. So then they discount that as like, No, I should be able to just do that what I’m seeing from my computer, but that’s just not the way the brain works. So leveraging that creative genius that’s going to happen outside of your office, I think is an amazing way to doBritney Gardner 09:23business. I love I love the way, but you said you know, one of our entrepreneurial things, right? Like it’s thinking, thinking is our skill set is like yeah, I feel like more people need to talk about that for starters. But also, I think, I think as a general rule, a lot of especially if you’ve come from the corporate world, I did not come from the corporate world. So I’m a little bit of a different piece there. But I think that the act of thinking is not given enough space. And then when you do actually come up with something brilliant I feel like people think it’s a fluke. Whereas I have found that if I am staring at a problem on my computer screen, like you said, right, and it’s just not happening. And sometimes it does flow, you know, I’m sitting here, but if it’s not happening, the best thing I can do is go do some sort of enjoyable chore, I am not talking about scrubbing my shower out, I have, not once ever in my life, walked away from my desk to go scrub my shower, if that’s not me, but I’m really excited to have a garden again,now that we’ve, you know, moved to a house that has a backyard with more space, because I used to get really great ideas while I was gardening, and yeah, like two houses ago, AI and those are the kinds of things that I think we create space in our world for, as entrepreneurs in like talk, right? We say that we’re creating space, there’s this like, whole time freedom thing that everyone talks about, but most entrepreneurs, entrepreneurs, excuse me, I know, they talk about creating that time freedom, but they still don’t have it.Neill Williams 11:08I think one of the reasons is, is because we’ve discounted as a lesser activity, we think that the making of the money and all those important things come from the doing. So we’re so hyper focused on that. But if we just stopped, like, what you’re saying is, and we realize the brilliance comes from the thinking, and if we just gave ourselves the space to think like, literally, when I coach my clients, I asked them to put thinking time on their schedules, which sounds ridiculous. But it makes sure that they carve out time to think like the better you think the more money you’re going to make, the easier things are going to be the simpler, you’re going to make things in your business and in your life. And once we start to realize like that is the lucrative skill, more of us are going to be inclined to actually be doing that more often. And I’m with you, like my best ideas come when I’m running, when I’m in a plane, when I’m driving, like all of that stuff. And it’s again, because I’m not forcing my brain to come up with a solution. I just like know that it’s going to come but I’m not like judging it or requiring it to come at a certain time. Just like being open to when it does come. And I always know that it does. And it does. You just have to be open to giving yourself your brain the space to like digest it and marinate on it for a little bit and then return the answer to you.Britney Gardner 12:27 I think for me, when I’m working on my own business, that’s a really easy concept to understand and internalize. But when I’m working on a client project, I still even even knowing all this stuff that we’ve been talking about, they still struggle, right. So you know, like I’m working on the sales copy for one of my clients right now. And it’s a subject I’ve never written about before. So I did, I did my research. That’s the doing right. And then I just sat there and looked at it. And I walked away. And it was easy for me to walk away. I think time timing wise, it was time for me to walk away from my desk. And it took me a couple days of not touching it to get the angle in line to like think through the kind of the the pattern of how the sales copy was going to flow. And I wouldn’t have been able to do that. Had I been working on a tight deadline. And and I’m getting better at quoting client project timelines, that gives me the ability to do the same thing for my clients that I do for myself, which sounds like a really interesting, really easy observation. But it’s taking an embarrassingly long time for me to figure that out.Neill Williams 13:36Yeah, I think that’s that’s one of the things right giving yourself space to think, and not trying to cram it in. Or like having expectations that you’re going to return an answer within a certain timeframe. Again, that’s like, the creative brain, it kind of shuts down in those scenarios, because it again, doesn’t like to be boxed in. It likes the freedom it likes, the play likes the openness and the space. So the more that you can give yourself that the easier it is going to be like, the more quickly your brain will work for you. And even think about like that, Brittany, like if you forced, like, you just chose something and you did something without you’re like, Okay, I’m on a deadline, and I have to do this, you would have come up with something, but my guess is later that idea would have come to you and then he would have redone that or you would have probably right. So it’s actually more efficient to just let the Lord give yourself the space. Because then you’re maybe not questioning yourself. Are we doing things that you wouldn’t have done thatBritney Gardner 14:34the other way? Yeah, no, that’s that’s a very powerful observation, because I would have probably gone back and read on it and rejigged and, and it would have taken me maybe not twice as much, but certainly more time, so I Yeah, that’s great.Neill Williams 14:48Yeah, I think the better that we get at thinking first and then doing the more efficient we use our time, the more value we create in our time and the quicker that process happens, the more you’re It just happens faster and faster and faster.Britney Gardner 15:03Yeah, but maybe let’s not tell my parents that because then that whole Think before you speak thing they used to scream at me all the time would be a little more appropriate. Neill Williams 15:12Alright, we’re just gonna think before we do as entrepreneurs, yes.Britney Gardner 15:16There we go. So I know like how I came to my place of working less and creating room in my life and all of that, and I know my reasons for it. But I guess we could have started with the interview with us. But how did you get to this place where you found like, kind of your sweet spot about how much you’re working? Yeah.Neill Williams 15:37Well, it started, I became a mom, and your mom’s who everyone tells you like every other day? And I’m like, No, it’s fine. I’m different. Like, it’s not gonna change, right. But I, I tried to keep my whole world the same. Even though I was a mom, it was so hard. It’s overwhelming, I was drained, I was still working that crazy corporate job of like 60 Plus, you know, sometimes 80 hours a week. And I was like, this is just not working. So I just, I was like, there has to be a better way to do this. Like, this just seemed to make sense. And so what I decided was, I wanted to work less. And I had this idea, like 30 hours felt really good to me, like about a five to six hour day. And then I just have space to be a mom and do the other things that I want to do in my life. So I started down that path. And people kept telling me, Well, you can totally do that. But you’re not going to make as much money, you’re going to have to take a demotion. And I’m like, this is such crap. Like, I just think that is the only option here, right? I didn’t. So I didn’t take that as the only solution. And I finally figured out like how to do my same job basically, in 30 hours. So that was like my first stab at this. I was like, okay, that’s fine. But I’m just gonna figure out how to do this, I’m creating the same result, I was just as productive, if not more productive than everyone else who was working those crazy work weeks, I got the same amount done that they did, I just use less time to do it. So that was like my first iteration of that. And then I started my own business. And I was like, Okay, I’m not gonna do that thing that people do, where they like, trade the job for the business where they end up working 5060 hours a week, I just didn’t give myself the option to do that. So I decided it’s going to be 25 to 30 hours per week, or I’m not doing it. And I just drew the line in the sand for myself. And I just figured out how to do it in that amount of time, because I didn’t give myself the option of more time. And that’s what I think happens is, you know, it’s like this slow process, you’re like, Okay, well, just this one time, I’ll like work that weekend, or I’ll work tonight to get that thing done, but I won’t do it again. And you know, if we’re honest with ourselves, we do it one time, it’s easier to do it the next time, and then it just becomes a pattern that we do. And before we realize like, Oh, my goodness, I’m working 50 to 60 hours a week again, how did that happen? So when you take more time, as a solution off the table, what it forces you to do is to think about things in a different way. And that’s where all the innovation that’s where all the creative solutions come from. That’s where you learn how to do things and get them done in the time that you do have is by not allowing time to be the solution.Britney Gardner 18:09I I love what you just said when you take it off the table, it forces you to think about doingBNBthings in a different way. Yeah, because yes, that is where all the magic happens totally out you you say no, no, this, this is simply not an option. And you know, you have to seek a solution within the new container.Neill Williams 18:27Right. And we’re so smart as humans, we always like we figure it out. It’s just we we go to the easiest solution, which is more time often the more time solution doesn’t require thinking. But if you want to think out think your problem instead of out working your problem. That’s the way you do it, you take time off of the table as an option.Britney Gardner 18:50It’s interesting. So right now my 10 year old is on the other side of the house trying to learn how to set up a WordPress website on Elementor. Right, like he wants to learn how to do something to make money and I was like, Well, you know, I often like do this repetitive things. If you could figure all this out. All I’ll pay you to do this for me. And I set him up last week with like the Elementor Academy like the basics, right, like learn the basics. And their tutorial video, it looks a little bit different. It was probably on like a different WordPress version, right? And he got frustrated and I told him straight up. Now I happen to not be working that day. I think it was painting one of the rooms in the house. But like, I told him, Hey, I can’t keep coming back here to answer questions. This is something that you need to figure out if it costs me more time to teach you how to do this than it would for me to do it myself. This is no longer a good solution for me. And he got really frustrated and quit. And I was like, Okay, well, that’s your choice. You wanted a way to earn more money and I gave it to you and you chose not to do it. That’s your choice. Well guess what he’s doing today. He’s back at it because you know he wants to earn the money again. He wants to celebrate. And I told him like I have two podcasts to record Back to back, you cannot come and interrupt me I am busy. And you know what? He hasn’t interrupted me. And in between the two, he was still working on it. So I feel like when you just take that easy mom card out of that situation, he found a way to figure it out, or he’s just futzing around, which could totally be the other option. I don’t know. Right. But, you know, like, I want him to become that solution seeker. And I can say that as his parent, and as his, you know, adult in training, right. But if I’m not doing that, myself and my own life, what kind of example am I setting for him as a parent, and I’m really excited that he’s hopefully stillworking. So that I can go out there be like, Look, buddy, you found a way around something that you previously wanted to quit at, like, you can make this work for you, you can make this work for your life, and maybe even help your mom in the process. But, you know, like, you know, it is an option. But like, these are, these are learning skills that we aren’t exactly taught.Neill Williams 21:03No, and that’s the thing, like school teaches us some stuff. But the solutions that were asked to come up in school are very much like in the box predetermined solutions. And then it’s challenging, then you get out into the world, especially as an entrepreneur, there are no in the box solutions, like you have to create the solutions for things. And that’s a totally different skillNBNBNset. So I love that you’re doing that so much for him, like, can you imagine like he has a skill set of being able to solve any problem that comes his way going out into the world? Like, how you couldn’t even set him up better for life,Britney Gardner 21:38that honing their skills? Right? You know, becauseNeill Williams 21:41he’ll just be able to figure it out. He’s like, Oh, that didn’t work. Okay, not a problem. I’m gonna try this. And that didn’t work. Okay. Like, he will just figure out how to create a solution without someone telling him what the solution is. Yeah, it’s amazing.Britney Gardner 21:52And I think if, if all of my clients felt the same way about their business, I feel like we couldmake such magic happen in this world, right? Totally.Neill Williams 22:01Yes, I agree with you like, this is why I think, in my opinion, like entrepreneurs have the opportunity to really change the face of what it looks like to do work, and business. Because we have so much flexibility, we have autonomy, to be able to do it in the way that we want. We just have to grab on to that magic and use it for us. And I think the more of us that do that, like you’re an example out there in the world, I’m an example of doing it in the world, the rest of the world is going to like take notice at some point, and that shift is going to happen, where we’re not using time to create things. We’re using our minds to create solutions in new and different ways.Britney Gardner 22:45I feel like, as, as an online business, like society, I feel like we’re halfway there. You know, there’s a lot of people who have figured out, you know, I’m not, I’m not someone who has to charge, you know, an hourly rate, I can charge by a project. So they’ve already got the value portion of it done, where you know, I am, I am doing the service for you. There is a value associated for that service, it doesn’t matter whether it takes me 10 hours or 20 hours, because you’re receiving the same values. I feel like we’re halfway there. On that side of things. We just need to actually like, apply it to our own lives. And take the next step.Neill Williams 23:20Yeah, yeah. And I think one of the things like anybody who’s listening for this, if you’re working more, more hours than what you want, or you’re working, you know, 5060 hour per week, no one’s saying that that’s wrong. All we’re saying is there’s an opportunity to not work as many one’s saying that that’s wrong. All we’re saying is there’s an opportunity to not work as many hours if you want to. And the way you get to that as you just start scaling it back, you start like I have a even like a six month plan that he has with a lot of my clients where it’s okay, here’s what you’re working now, in six months, what do you want to be working? And we just like, we just chunk it back a little at a time, like maybe a half hour a week, maybe an hour a week? And you figure out how do you get your work done in 45 and a half hours instead of 46. And then the next weekend 45. Like it, there is a systematic way to do it. And what you’re going to learn is like, oh my gosh, I’m creating so many more solutions. And I have so many different ideas because I not using time to solve these problems for me or as the answer to all of these things. And that’s really where all of the creativity lies is in taking time off the table as the answer.Britney Gardner 24:25I love the direction that this conversation has gone. I mean, it’s a little bit longer than we probably were planning on but like, you know, it’s I do agree with you. I think creativity is an entrepreneur’s greatest strength and setting yourself up in the best way possible to exercise that creativity. Why wouldn’t you do that? Right.Neill Williams 24:47It’s fun. I mean, like, it’s some of the most fun things that we do right is coming up with amazing ideas. How good does it feel to come up with a brilliant idea? It’s like, oh my gosh, this is gonna be amazing. I can’t wait to tell people. I can’t wait to Use this idea. And I think one of the best ways to start engaging with that is asking yourself really great questions. We have so much wisdom inside of us, but it’s the getting out getting it out of our own minds and out of us. That is sometimes the most challenging thing. So just even posing one question a day to yourself, and coming up with maybe three answers to that question like a high quality question, how can I make this simpler? How can I make this easier? How can I get this done? In maybe 30 minutes less or and half the time? Your brain has the answers? That’s the thing that I think we miss is like, the answers are in here. We just have to give them an forum to come out. Sometimes questions are the things that bring those up to the surface and to the forefront.Britney Gardner 25:43I love it. And we’re probably gonna close up soon. But do you have a couple more examples of those high quality questions? I mean, how can I make this more simple? It’s a wonderful one. I love that.Neill Williams 25:57Yeah. Along those same lines, when I think about simplifying, because in some in to some degree, like, when you do scale back your workweek, you do end up creating a simpler business, a cleaner business that’s easy to run, because it can be super complicated and messy, and all that and you do it 20 hours per week, right? So that’s kind of a nice, strategic byproduct that comes from that. So I like to think about simplification in two ways. Number one, how can I simplify the steps? That’s like layer one? That would be first question I would  ask. And then layer two of that. Is there a kind of like, learning about mastering simplicity is, what can I eliminate? What steps can I eliminate? Because no steps is way easier than simpler steps? So thinking about like, like that, how can I make it easier for myself? The other questions that I like to ask are like, How can I do this in half the time, like, if it were possible, and a lot of time your brain is like, initially, your brains gonna be like, it won’t, right? But you just can’t keep pressing forward. So the thing I like to think of is, okay, if it were possible for me to do this, and half the time, what might I try? And sometimes it’s through the trial that you learn the actual way that you’ll get there. But you have to start with a question of like, what would I try to do this? So things like that. And like, if I, if there was a way for me to not do this, how would I make that happen? So some of the things that are under scheduled like, Oh, my God, I hate doing that. Like if it’s sales calls, or it’s writing an email or anything else? Like, how can I figure out a way to not do it, or to make to do it in a way that is really fun for me. I can make it fun, what that look like. So all of those are really high quality questions that are going to ask your brain to think about things in a different way than you probably have thought about them before. If you’re just like, kind of chugging along and going along and doing the same thing you’ve always done. That’s what we want to do is kind of shake it up.Britney Gardner 27:51I like that. Yeah, shaking it up, and shaking it up is how you and I both got here. I mean, I I’m working about 20 hours a week right now, you’re a little bit more than that. But you know, I think we’ve each found what works for our lives. And I, I’ve said many times, I didn’t create my business to run my life, I created my business to allow me to live my life. And I am so glad to hear that you’re on the same page.Neill Williams 28:20Yeah, I love that so much. I have a similar kind of like mantra is like, how do I work my business around my life? How to create a business that works around my life instead of the other way, which is what the corporate world was built on. Right is like, we work first and then we live just flipping that don’t live first and then work. Yeah.Britney Gardner 28:41And I’m much happier as a result.Neill Williams 28:44Totally. Right. And I mean, obviously you don’t need the extra hours. That’s the thing that is so funny. Like when we realize that we don’t need it. We’re like, Why was I ever working that many hours in the first place? I actually didn’t need it to create what I want it. Yep. Yeah. And here we are. Awesome.Britney Gardner 29:05This has been fantastic, Neil. Thank you.This has been fantastic, Neil. Thank you.Neill Williams 29:07Yeah. Thank you for having me. Such a fun discussion. Stitcher | Google Play Podcasts | Podcast Feed | How To SubscribeLEAVE A RATING & REVIEW HEREMusic by Michael De La Torre. Thanks, Mikey! The post Thinking: The Entrepreneur’s Greatest Asset #174 appeared first on Content Strategy + Marketing Strategist Britney Gardner.

Hey hey everyone. Happy New Year, I’m excited to be here. This episode is the first one that I’ve actually recorded since the new year has started. Today we are going to talk all about being intentional. I’m not a “new year, new me” person, but I do feel like at the beginning of a new year there is a lot of intentionality, goal setting, and system integration which I am all here for. So let’s talk about being intentional with your content! Topics discussed in this episode: Why you have to be intentional with your content, especially if you’re a heart centered entrepreneurThe update to Britney’s content landing formula and the two questions you need to ask yourself regarding your contentA steady flow of cash vs. big cash jump periods and how to know what’s right for youWhy you shouldn’t aim for viral content if you need new clientsThe three steps to signing new clientsFocusing on the things you can control to create attainable goals in your business Quotables: Your content isn't a maybe, it's about you making money. Britney Gardner Tweet It isn't optional to create content creation in today's age. Britney Gardner Tweet The viral content is not the content that's going to bring you a ton of clients. Britney Gardner Tweet Visibility, plus strategy, plus consistency equals money. Britney Gardner Tweet Unless you are addressing a problem your clients have or you are delivering a result that they do want and haven't yet achieved, you will not keep their attention Britney Gardner Tweet Resources Mentioned Sally Hogshead To Market Your Business Online: Navigating how to market your service business online–especially when you’re moving from 1:1 services to a 1:many model–doesn’t have to be hard even when you have a lot of moving parts.You just have to know where you’re going. The Biz GPS Intensive is the best way to get that 30,000-foot view of your business–and a concrete plan for the next six months. Stitcher | Google Play Podcasts | Podcast Feed | How To SubscribeLEAVE A RATING & REVIEW HEREMusic by Michael De La Torre. Thanks, Mikey! The post Being Intentional: Your Content Isn’t a Maybe #173 appeared first on Content Strategy + Marketing Strategist Britney Gardner.

Lisa Simone Richards shares her expertise as a PR and visibility strategist and how you can apply her tips to your small or micro business. Topics discussed in this episode: “Pay for play” online features and why they are a scamThe differences between social, paid, and earned mediaLisa’s ABCs of VisibilityWhy you don’t need to come up with brand new messaging every time you postHow many touchpoints you may need with someone before they become a client Transcript: Quotables: This isn't just paying a few bucks to get on a site that nobody's ever read in their lives that's not indexed by Google that's not going to come up anywhere. This is actually how you develop real relationships with the right people to get that kind of credibility to honestly be featured. Lisa Simone Richards Tweet One of the mistakes that I see with coaches and social media is that they think that posting on the same platform over and over again is going to grow their visibility. And the distinction here is you're nurturing your existing audience, you are not growing your audience. Lisa Simone Richards Tweet What if you went on somebody else's IGTV, or you went live in somebody else's Facebook group? Now you're using social media in a way that gets you visible in front of new people, not just the same ones over and over again. Lisa Simone Richards Tweet There used to be an adage that it takes seven marketing touchpoints to before a consumer makes a buying decision... that number has grown to 26 now. Lisa Simone Richards Tweet Don't come up with new stuff all the time. You can say that same thing over and over again. You're the only person who's so intimate with it. For other people it creates consistency. Lisa Simone Richards Tweet More on Lisa: Website | Instagram Resources Mentioned How Should You Get Visibility Online As a Coach? Quiz To Market Your Business Online: Navigating how to market your service business online–especially when you’re moving from 1:1 services to a 1:many model–doesn’t have to be hard even when you have a lot of moving parts.You just have to know where you’re going. The Biz GPS Intensive is the best way to get that 30,000-foot view of your business–and a concrete plan for the next six months. Stitcher | Google Play Podcasts | Podcast Feed | How To SubscribeLEAVE A RATING & REVIEW HEREMusic by Michael De La Torre. Thanks, Mikey! The post The ABCs of Visibility #172 appeared first on Content Strategy + Marketing Strategist Britney Gardner.

Today we are going to be attacking — and, yes, I use that word very carefully — short attention span marketing. Topics discussed in this episode: Predictions for 2022 social media trends and Britney’s thoughts on themShort attention span marketing and how you can make it work for youWhy entertaining content only helps your audience if it leads your audience to the ultimate goal: youHow you can still infuse your personality into short attention span marketing Quotables: This is the crux right here: entertainment can help you learn and in fact, I think the best learning is entertaining. But only if you still learn something. Britney Gardner Tweet Reducing an entire message down to three soundbite clips can certainly be entertaining, but is it going to lead your audience to the ultimate goal? Maybe. And maybe not. Britney Gardner Tweet The dawn of the short attention span marketing does not have to be the end of marketing as you know it. It simply means you need to dive more into your personality, more into your strengths, and more into your unique message. Britney Gardner Tweet I am all for providing value, but I am not for providing entertainment at the expense of value. Britney Gardner Tweet Playing puppet to a tech giant's dangling strings might give you a tiny algorithm lift. But it won't last. There'll be on to the next thing soon enough, and they'll expect you to be as well. Britney Gardner Tweet To Market Your Business Online: Navigating how to market your service business online–especially when you’re moving from 1:1 services to a 1:many model–doesn’t have to be hard even when you have a lot of moving parts.You just have to know where you’re going. The Biz GPS Intensive is the best way to get that 30,000-foot view of your business–and a concrete plan for the next six months. Stitcher | Google Play Podcasts | Podcast Feed | How To SubscribeLEAVE A RATING & REVIEW HEREMusic by Michael De La Torre. Thanks, Mikey! The post Short Attention Span Marketing #171 appeared first on Content Strategy + Marketing Strategist Britney Gardner.

Join me for this conversation with Tanessa Shears, health consultant for entrepreneurs, where we talk about biohacking your life and making small tweaks to improve your life. Topics discussed in this episode: The importance of consistency in entrepreneurshipBiohacking your life to knock out brain fog and show up magnetically in your bizSmall things to try to make your sleep betterWhy what you’re doing for self-care matters more than how long you’re doing it forThe importance of mindfulness for true self-care Transcript: Quotables: I feel like that's what makes biohacking or health optimization so good for entrepreneurs. Our brains are tuned in to ROI. We're all about return on investment. Is this working? What do I need to tweak? So biohacking is the same. Tanessa Shears Tweet Anything that we can do to counteract that fight or flight that as entrepreneurs we tend to slide into so easily is just a welcome addition for, you know, clearing up brain fog and making us feel much more present. Tanessa Shears Tweet What I didn't realize before, which I have learned, is that self care doesn't have anything to do necessarily with the activity you're doing. But how fast your brainwaves are oscillating. Tanessa Shears Tweet It's like the concept of mindfulness. It's that being where you are now and trusting that your business is safe if you're not checking in every five seconds, it's making that dissociation. Tanessa Shears Tweet Nothing taught me about efficiency better than becoming a mom. Business in half the time? Let's go. And write a book? Let's go. Tanessa Shears Tweet More on Tanessa: Website | Instagram Resources Mentioned 12 Ways to Biohack Your Energy To Market Your Business Online: Navigating how to market your service business online–especially when you’re moving from 1:1 services to a 1:many model–doesn’t have to be hard even when you have a lot of moving parts.You just have to know where you’re going. The Biz GPS Intensive is the best way to get that 30,000-foot view of your business–and a concrete plan for the next six months. Stitcher | Google Play Podcasts | Podcast Feed | How To SubscribeLEAVE A RATING & REVIEW HEREMusic by Michael De La Torre. Thanks, Mikey! The post Biohacking Your Consistency #170 appeared first on Content Strategy + Marketing Strategist Britney Gardner.

Today we are going to be diving into my recent house move. And yes, it does not sound like a marketing lesson, it doesn’t sound like it’s going to be building up your know, like, and trust factor, but I promise you, it has lessons we can all learn from. Topics discussed in this episode: All the ways Britney ran her house move the opposite of how she coaches her marketing clientsHow Britney got ideas from her carpet cleaner and movers to add to her own businessWhy your business might relate to supply chain issues more than you’d thinkHow you can plan your marketing content weeks or months in advance with Britney’s toolsWhat planning ahead can look like logistically for service-based and content-based businesses Quotables: If you're annoyed at the supply chain headlines, just take a hard look at your business and acknowledge there are probably ways you are operating as a "just in time" business and it could happen to you too. Britney Gardner Tweet That's why you see marketing that creates more questions than answers: because it's being done in that just in time format, it's not actually solving problems for your audience. And that's probably why a lot of marketing fails. Britney Gardner Tweet We are not large businesses that can hide behind quote unquote supply chain issues. We cannot subscribe to "just in time" marketing. We have to make a plan. And we have to do it in a way that doesn't tire us out and lead to huge burnout in our business. Britney Gardner Tweet The reality is, taking two hours to plan now can save you weeks of anxiety over the next quarter. Britney Gardner Tweet Whether it's your next move or your next three months of marketing to build up that know like, and trust, moving forward with confidence makes all the difference. Britney Gardner Tweet Resources Mentioned Decision Fatigue Hurts Your Visibility #164The Show-Up SystemVisibility Accelerator Program To Market Your Business Online: Navigating how to market your service business online–especially when you’re moving from 1:1 services to a 1:many model–doesn’t have to be hard even when you have a lot of moving parts.You just have to know where you’re going. The Biz GPS Intensive is the best way to get that 30,000-foot view of your business–and a concrete plan for the next six months. Stitcher | Google Play Podcasts | Podcast Feed | How To SubscribeLEAVE A RATING & REVIEW HEREMusic by Michael De La Torre. Thanks, Mikey! The post Marketing Lessons From a Move #169 appeared first on Content Strategy + Marketing Strategist Britney Gardner.

Today’s episode is going to be a think piece that is short and sweet, we’re going to talk about how you can find your small business edge. As a small business owner, you have the opportunity to make a quick pivot when necessary when something isn’t working, so let’s talk about a few of those common quick shifts you can make today. Topics discussed in this episode: That advantage you have as a small business ownerHow to address crickets in the conversation with your audienceSolving the problem of failing paid Facebook adsWhat you should be looking at instead of vanity metrics when it comes to Instagram Quotables: "There are so many opportunities in all the ways in which we as online business owners market." Britney Gardner Tweet "Make sure that your content system has pieces that are actually going to drive good, thought provoking content." Britney Gardner Tweet "Your content should be a really good match with the clients you truly want to be working with." Britney Gardner Tweet "You still have the ability to make sure you have a flourishing business by making sure that you have a good content plan and are measuring results along the way." Britney Gardner Tweet "Make sure you're serving people that come through your Facebook ad funnel in the best way you can." Britney Gardner Tweet Resources Mentioned Tracy Phillips #161Schedule a call with me today To Market Your Business Online: Navigating how to market your service business online–especially when you’re moving from 1:1 services to a 1:many model–doesn’t have to be hard even when you have a lot of moving parts.You just have to know where you’re going. The Biz GPS Intensive is the best way to get that 30,000-foot view of your business–and a concrete plan for the next six months. Stitcher | Google Play Podcasts | Podcast Feed | How To SubscribeLEAVE A RATING & REVIEW HEREMusic by Michael De La Torre. Thanks, Mikey! The post Your Small-Biz Edge #168 appeared first on Content Strategy + Marketing Strategist Britney Gardner.

Robyn Graham is a certified brand strategist and business coach who helps entrepreneurs build a personal brand and business that attracts clients, makes money, and has an impact. Join us as we talk about finding brand clarity and how to apply it to your business. Topics discussed in this episode: Robyn’s transition from a pharmacist to branding expertWhy branding is more than just your color palette and font choicesHow Robyn helps her clients find brand clarityWhat to do next after you’ve found brand clarityThe importance of consistency for your brand (and that doesn’t mean posting every single day!)A tip for creating content on the fly when life happens and you didn’t get to plan ahead Transcript: Quotables: Your personal brand is what other people think, say, and feel about you. Robyn Graham Tweet At the end of the day, I'm not for everyone. You're not for everyone. No one is, right? So we have to make sure that we're connecting with those people that we're truly called to serve and to serve them the best way possible. Robyn Graham Tweet One of the ways that I help my clients find clarity is to have them list out their values, their visions, and their passions. And if you think of a Venn diagram, at some point on those lists they're all three going to overlap. And in my opinion, I believe that that is where your purpose is. Robyn Graham Tweet You can't have clients who have values at the complete opposite spectrum of yours because you're not going to be able to serve them. And they're not gonna be able to accept your guidance as well. Robyn Graham Tweet Because we live in such an online digital world, and we're all trying to build our personal brands online so that we can be visible, imposter syndrome creeps in so easily. And once that comparison-itis and the lack of confidence because of that creeps in, fear sets in. And then we stay in a place of procrastination and inaction. Robyn Graham Tweet More on Robyn: Website | Instagram | Facebook Group To Market Your Business Online: Navigating how to market your service business online–especially when you’re moving from 1:1 services to a 1:many model–doesn’t have to be hard even when you have a lot of moving parts.You just have to know where you’re going. The Biz GPS Intensive is the best way to get that 30,000-foot view of your business–and a concrete plan for the next six months. Stitcher | Google Play Podcasts | Podcast Feed | How To SubscribeLEAVE A RATING & REVIEW HEREMusic by Michael De La Torre. Thanks, Mikey! The post Skipping the Brand Questions Is a Mistake #167 appeared first on Content Strategy + Marketing Strategist Britney Gardner.

Today we are talking about inclusive marketing and shoulder clients. Some of the concepts I’m going to be talking about are very specific, and maybe even feel exclusionary — they’re not. This is actually a way for you to draw people in. Topics discussed in this episode: Why inclusive market and allowing people to self-select you is importantWhy Britney does not like the term “Ideal Client Avatar”The four levels of clients as Britney sees themGoing beyond the ideal client avatar and to the best client profileWhat a shoulder client isWhy it’s important to be able to tell people when you aren’t a good fit for them Quotables: Can we just acknowledge that the ideal customer avatar profile doesn't work from a demographic point of view if it also does not include their mindset around their actual problem? Britney Gardner Tweet The shoulder client is someone who's maybe not your best client, but they still respond to your marketing message, they still opt in, they still self select into your world. Britney Gardner Tweet Inclusive marketing doesn't mean including everybody. It means calling out your best fit client -- that best client, perfect match client -- so well that they can't help but become part of your circle. Britney Gardner Tweet That is our responsibility and duty as a business owner: to, one, stand out from the crowd so that people can see your marketing message, decide whether they are called to it, and come into you. And then, two, take a hard look at that potential client's business and look and see whether we really, truly can help them or whether we should refer them out to somebody else. Britney Gardner Tweet We do a disservice to take clients who aren't a great fit when they could find a wonderful fit elsewhere. Britney Gardner Tweet Resources Mentioned Episode 77: Ditch the Ideal Client Avatar To Market Your Business Online: Navigating how to market your service business online–especially when you’re moving from 1:1 services to a 1:many model–doesn’t have to be hard even when you have a lot of moving parts.You just have to know where you’re going. The Biz GPS Intensive is the best way to get that 30,000-foot view of your business–and a concrete plan for the next six months. Stitcher | Google Play Podcasts | Podcast Feed | How To SubscribeLEAVE A RATING & REVIEW HEREMusic by Michael De La Torre. Thanks, Mikey! The post Inclusive Marketing & Shoulder Clients #166 appeared first on Content Strategy + Marketing Strategist Britney Gardner.

Becca Rich is the founder of Holistic Time Coach, where she helps business owners expand their time and thrive. Join us as we discuss time scarcity and how to turn it into an abundance mindset instead. Topics discussed in this episode: Why Becca left her engineering career to pursue her own businessWhat is time scarcity?How time scarcity manifests itself in life and businessHow to determine what you actual time capacity isWhy it may be helpful to track your time in your businessHourly pricing vs. project pricing Transcript: Quotables: I burned out when I was an engineer. And so before I even started my business, I had this foundation of how I wanted to spend my time and how to make my core values aligned with my schedule. Becca Rich Tweet Most of the time for business owners, we think that we have to wait until one day — when we have a huge team, we have a ton of money, we have all these things — in order to spend our time how we want to and not feel so stretched thin. Becca Rich Tweet It's possible to start wherever you are today in order to start aligning your core values with your time. Becca Rich Tweet Studies have shown that our prefrontal cortex literally shuts off when we experience stress. So we can't make marketing content that actually connects with humans when our brains actually shut off. Becca Rich Tweet You will never find a project management tool or a strategy that helps you actually get to the root of that time scarcity mindset. Becca Rich Tweet More on Becca: Website | Instagram Resources Mentioned Episode 164: Decision Fatigue Hurts Your Visibility To Market Your Business Online: Navigating how to market your service business online–especially when you’re moving from 1:1 services to a 1:many model–doesn’t have to be hard even when you have a lot of moving parts.You just have to know where you’re going. The Biz GPS Intensive is the best way to get that 30,000-foot view of your business–and a concrete plan for the next six months. Stitcher | Google Play Podcasts | Podcast Feed | How To SubscribeLEAVE A RATING & REVIEW HEREMusic by Michael De La Torre. Thanks, Mikey! The post Time Scarcity & Your Business #165 appeared first on Content Strategy + Marketing Strategist Britney Gardner.

Today we’re going to be talking about a not so sexy topic: decision fatigue. But we’re going to approach it from the perspective of having a plan to avoid it, and work through it if it’s something that you actually do experience. Topics discussed in this episode: The reality that decision fatigue is real for […] The post Decision Fatigue Hurts Your Visibility #164 appeared first on Content Strategy + Marketing Strategist Britney Gardner.

Today on the podcast, I’m joined by Chris Creed who helps people make events who sell. Join us as we talk about the importance of story in your business. Topics discussed in this episode: Why stories always have an always will be important to culture as a wholeThe moment that Chris knew he was going to help people share their storiesHow Chris’ business pivoted because of COVID-19The importance of helping your audience overcome their obstacles ethicallyWhy you should focus on just showing up and helping people during your events Transcript: Quotables: If we all had a well to go to that was story rich for our businesses, that would be invaluable for a business owner. Chris Creed Tweet I was imagining that I needed to make up this perfectly crafted story. But no — I needed to tell a true story that showed people, actually showed them that I'm telling the truth. And here's proof via a story. Chris Creed Tweet I think more than ever we need people to be standing up and helping people. And that's never going to change. Chris Creed Tweet We have to get good at providing inciting incidents for people. Events just so happen to be a really powerful way to do that. Chris Creed Tweet During webinars I used to tape up a piece of paper right in front of me that said 'show up and help people.' I wasn't worried about the pitch or anything, I just wanted to show up and help people. If you come at anything from that perspective, you're going to feel better AND see some results from it. Chris Creed Tweet More on Chris: Website | Instagram | Book a Call To Market Your Business Online: Navigating how to market your service business online–especially when you’re moving from 1:1 services to a 1:many model–doesn’t have to be hard even when you have a lot of moving parts.You just have to know where you’re going. The Biz GPS Intensive is the best way to get that 30,000-foot view of your business–and a concrete plan for the next six months. Stitcher | Google Play Podcasts | Podcast Feed | How To SubscribeLEAVE A RATING & REVIEW HEREMusic by Michael De La Torre. Thanks, Mikey! The post The Power of Stories & Events for Change #163 appeared first on Content Strategy + Marketing Strategist Britney Gardner.

Today I’m going to be talking about that “in-between marketing team” — that time where you find yourself thinking, “I can’t do all this myself, but I don’t yet have the budget to hire all my marketing out.” I’m going to be talking about how you find yourself there, how to get out of it, […] The post Your In-Between Marketing Team #162 appeared first on Content Strategy + Marketing Strategist Britney Gardner.

Tracy Phillips, a 20-year, Emmy-nominated video pro, joins me on the podcast today and we talk about using video to market yourself and your business. Topics discussed in this episode: How Tracy has taken her knowledge from the film world and translated it to online marketing Navigating impostor syndrome The beauty of being yourself and […] The post Visibility = Currency #161 appeared first on Content Strategy + Marketing Strategist Britney Gardner.

Today on the podcast, I’m excited to dive into the topic of removing your ego from your marketing. Topics discussed in this episode: Two concepts that you need to internalize in order to remove your ego from your marketing How to troubleshoot when your launch is quiet The 1% better concept Using marketing and content […] The post Removing Your Ego From Your Marketing #160 appeared first on Content Strategy + Marketing Strategist Britney Gardner.

Today on the podcast, Michael “Buzz” Buzinski and I talk about SEO, why it’s so important for your business, and his Rule of 26 that will help to increase your website revenue by 100%. Topics discussed in this episode: The importance of using keywords in your content How to do profitable keyword research What to […] The post Long-Game Marketing with SEO #159 appeared first on Content Strategy + Marketing Strategist Britney Gardner.

Today we are going to talk about the difference between SEO content and social media content. The post The Difference Between SEO Content and Social Media Content #158 appeared first on Content Strategy + Marketing Strategist Britney Gardner.

As a Certified High Performance Coach, Mehreen Siddiqui equips her clients with the mindset, accountability, and leadership skills. Today on the podcast, we talk about the importance of showing up authentically in your business and life. Topics discussed in this episode: The importance of having conversations for business and personal growth How to show up […] The post How to Show Up Authentically as YOU #157 appeared first on Content Strategy + Marketing Strategist Britney Gardner.

Hey everyone, today we’re gonna be talking about monopoly content. I’m super ridiculously excited about it, and not just because I love the Monopoly board game, although we’ll get to that in a minute. But because I think a lot of people are messing up their content strategy and putting way too much, way too much monopoly content into play. Topics discussed in this episode: What exactly monopoly content is and why it’s not always great for your businessHow to balance the different types of content you’re writingWhat the monopoly board game can teach you about signing clientsThe benefits of social proof Quotables: Monopoly content will often look good, but does not aid and converting clients. Britney Gardner Tweet Sometimes the content that's converting the most clients is barely getting attention on social media. Britney Gardner Tweet That mass market appeal made it almost average or a commodity. And if there is, anything that we as online service businesses want to do is to avoid being a commodity. Britney Gardner Tweet You don't want your content that you put out there in the world to be seen as just one in the same as everybody else's, it will really hurt your business. Britney Gardner Tweet Newsflash! Good content does take you a long time to create. But also, good content is not always what you think. Britney Gardner Tweet Resources Mentioned #132 Sticky Content To Market Your Business Online: Navigating how to market your service business online–especially when you’re moving from 1:1 services to a 1:many model–doesn’t have to be hard even when you have a lot of moving parts.You just have to know where you’re going. The Biz GPS Intensive is the best way to get that 30,000-foot view of your business–and a concrete plan for the next six months. Stitcher | Google Play Podcasts | Podcast Feed | How To SubscribeLEAVE A RATING & REVIEW HEREMusic by Michael De La Torre. Thanks, Mikey! The post Monopoly Content Will Fail You #156 appeared first on Content Strategy + Marketing Strategist Britney Gardner.

Jennifer Corcoran helps female entrepreneurs get visible on LinkedIn and create economic opportunities without having to resort to paid advertising or spammy cold outreach. Join us as we discuss networking and what that looks like for introverts like us. Topics discussed in this episode: How Jennifer started networking as a child (and maybe you did […] The post Networking for Introverts #155 appeared first on Content Strategy + Marketing Strategist Britney Gardner.