Guys, we are super excited to have on our friend, Josey Stafford from Sixpence Events on the show today. She is a wedding planner and we know there are a lot of you in the wedding industry listening in today. We know nothing about the industry other than the fact that we both have gotten married. So, we are super excited to have someone on who actually knows what she’s talking about with regards to service based industries and wedding industries, and we are kind of getting into some meat and potatoes on all things referrals.

On today’s episode you are going to learn how to ask for a referral without sounding super creepy, and you are going to figure out the best and most organic ways to get clients and vendors to refer you. We are jumping into incentives, giveaways, and prizes and whether or not they work. If you are brand new to the business, we get into exactly how you go about finding these people, and the right and the wrong ways to network. We also talk about how things work for you in your business and even if you are not in the wedding industry, I want you to stay tuned because all of this has super specific takeaways that are applicable to every single one of you.

Today on the podcast, we have Claire Swinarski, a copywriter and content marketer for creative entrepreneurs. She has been featured on the Washington Post, Seventeen Magazine, Bridal Guide, and many other amazing magazines and publications around the country. Claire is based out of Wisconsin and she pretty much loves burrito bowls, so we like her. She is a girl after our own burrito loving hearts.

In today’s episode, Claire is going to break down a lot of stuff that many of us need help with, like copyrighting. First, we are figuring out how to dive into knowing your ideal client, because you have to start there before you even know what to write in the first place. Next, Claire walks us through the pages that you probably should have on your website and others that you shouldn’t even worry about, as well as how to actually break down what goes on that website itself.

Today we’re talking about one of our favorite systems, Squarespace. We’re discussing why it is our favorite web platform, chatting about all of our favorite features, and why we have adamantly insisted on staying on Squarespace despite having had the option to leave multiple times at this point. Now, if you are using another platform, we are not here to shame or judge you for that, and we are certainly not going to tell you that WordPress is wrong and that it will ruin your life. So if you are happy where you are and you are getting great results, then maybe this episode is not for you.

However, if you are frustrated with where you are right now and are thinking about leaving, or if you haven’t even started your website yet, then this might break down some options for you and let you know where we stand. This will be our judgement free zone and, although we are completely biased, we will not shame you. That is not our objective. So if you are curious about how we started out on Squarespace and why it might be right for you, then stay tuned!

It’s going to get crazy up in here! Today on the podcast we have Tasha Haynes from BLINK Conference. She is AMAZING, and we are so excited to have her share all her wisdom with ya’ll. Tash is in her fifth year of running the BLINK Conference, so she definitely knows a thing or two about conferences by now.  She has great advice for those looking to start their own conferences or perhaps attend a conference for the first time.

With Tash, we go through how the BLINK Conference has grown and chat about the unique format of their conference that makes them so different. We also dive into how they are able to create that really intimate family aspect at BLINK, which is hands down our key takeaway from our experience there and has led us to have really close relationships with not only Tash, but other speakers and attendees that we met at that conference as well. We also chat about landing sponsors, landing keynote speakers and all the good stuff in between. Tash has a huge place in our hearts and we think she will have a huge place in yours too, if you let her in.

Today you are going to learn all about how to do a survey, why it’s important, how to actually create the thing, and a few of our tips and tricks. We’ll also talk about some of the questions that you should consider asking inside of this bubbly delicious thing that’s going to give you so much information that you will be exploding with ideas by the end of it.

Surveys have gotten a bad rap, but they can seriously do so much for you and your business. If you can incentivize and make it seem easy to do, you’ll be surprised by how many people will actually give you really valuable feedback. It reminds your readers and your audience that they are literally helping shape the content that you create. Instead of just making up things that you think your audience wants, give them a platform to tell you what they actually need from you. Ready to learn how to create a badass survey? Listen in!

Today we have our little country soul sister, Jessica Stansberry, from Oh Hey Jessica on the show. We are super excited for you to dive into this episode. Pre-warning: grab your sweet tea, grab some lemonade, grab a biscuit, and kick your feet up on a porch because her accent is going to want to make you go all Sweet Home Alabama.

In today’s episode we are talking about niching down and what it can do for your business, how exactly Jessica went about doing this, and how it helped her business to grow. We also dive into some of the things she was able to accomplish because of it, what you might be able to do as a newbie, and what you can do if you’ve already started your business. Finally, we find out how you might build and see success, and whether or not it is possible to niche down too far. We definitely get a little crazy in this episode, so get ready to dive right in!

Today on the podcast we are getting into a little inception. We are talking about podcasting whilst podcast, which is going deep, you guys. In today’s episode we are revealing the truth behind podcasting, why we even started, how much all this should cost, and our entire process of how we go from idea to getting it uploaded to iTunes, on the blog, and all of that good stuff.

Whether you are looking for fast growth, or whether you are looking to build a foundation by starting a podcasting, keep in mind, it’s going to cost you an arm and a leg to make it happen. So if this is something that you’ve been mulling around in your head, maybe we can be the voice of reason to tell you everything that is in store and whether or not this is the right move for you and your business.

Today we are talking a lot about email marketing! Nathan Barry and the team at ConvertKit have definitely been a lifesaver for our business. They’ve helped us see radical growth since we’ve switched over. ConvertKit is an email marketing service for professional bloggers. Nathan’s background in the blogging world led him to build a tool to help other bloggers and entrepreneurs successfully build their audiences and grow their businesses. Understanding his own needs as a blogger, he went out and built a tool designed specifically for what he needed in his own life.  

So what makes Nathan such an email expert? Well, at ConvertKit they send about 150 million emails every month! That is absolutely bananas, and you can certainly see where his expertise comes from. So, if you want to build a tribe and sell products to serve that audience, then this episode is perfect for you. 

Natalie Franke, the founder of Rising Tide Society is joining us today on The Strategy Hour Podcast. Many of you may be surprised to find out that Natalie is a huge neuroscience nerd and uses this background to strategically make decisions in her business. She sharing how you can take cues from neuroscience and psychology to communicate with your clients and customers, form your message on your website and social media, grow your audience and more.  |  The Strategy Hour Podcast