Want to learn how to build your audience online? Listen and learn from a woman who's been doing it steadily over the past several years.

Today we're talking to Carrie Green founder of the Female Entrepreneur Association...first it was a place to share the stories of other women building their businesses and now as a platform for inspiring women along their business and entrepreneurial journeys.

I thought it would be great to ask her some questions about her top strategies for building her business and community...

• We focused on the exact steps and strategies you's used and sticks to keep her Facebook page growing beyond 400k followers.
  
• Platforms she's used and tried along the way
• How, why and when she started Vlogging
• The different responses she's received on all platforms she's tried
• Her biggest piece of advice for others looking to "build their audience"

Carrie's book "She Means Business" comes out next week - so head over to Amazon now and pre-order it: annesamoilov.com/carrie

Have you ever hired a team or even one person to help you in your business?

No?

Maybe...you’ve been doing everything yourself in your business for some time now. Longer than you really should have.

But it’s not because you haven’t tried to find people to help you.

You’ve been on upwork.com, elance.com, and hiremymom.com, but you haven’t felt very  “lucky” in your search for the right person or people yet.

First thing is this - hiring is not an easy process.

Second thing - you are not alone in struggling through that process.

Third thing -  it IS something you have to do at some point if you want to grow beyond a “job-replacement” business. (believe me - I know this from personal experience!)

Every business owner gets to the point of hiring in different ways. Some people start finding help from the second they start their business. Some people start with interns. Others do everything as long as they possibly can...

When is the right time to hire someone for your business? The answer is different for everyone.

That's what we're talking about on today's episode.

Full episode show notes located at: annesamoilov.com/126

This episode will give you some getting started advice you need to make sure you hire the right person for your Launch Manager.

As you know I’ve been managing launches for several years online and offline. Not only have I been involved with projects ranging from feature films, tv and video games but I’ve spent the past 6 years working as launch manager of some major online product launches.

People often tell you to hire a project manager - that will help.

But I get it when people meltdown, are unsure not only of -

• How can i afford that
• Where do I find someone
• What qualities should I look for
• What do I even give that person when they start
• What will I do then?

In today’s podcast, I’ll talk to you about -

• Why it’s so hard to find a good launch manager
• The 3 things you can do to decide if you actually have to hire
• An alternative to hiring a true launch manager
• Qualities to look for in a launch manager
• Questions you should ask someone who might be right in this role

If you've ever wanted to work on launches, need to hire someone or aren't sure if you could use the help of a launch manager, this episode is a great starting point!

Full show notes and resources available at: annesamoilov.com/125

If I were to ask you, who’s your audience, how would you answer?

The people who share the stories of their audience, past customers, current customers like they are relatives or old friends?

This is the one system I'm focusing on because typically I'm great at listening, watching, learning who people are and connecting with them...but truth is I'm not doing as much as could with the information.

That’s all started to change and I’d like you to join me and improve your own approach to understanding your audience.

Let’s dive into figuring out how to gather, understand and USE all the information FOR our audience.

Head to the show notes to the survey I talked about AND to get your research tracker download:

http://www.annesamoilov.com/124

In today’s episode I’m going to talk you through how to choose the right tools to run your business… and we’re going to focus on the principles that will help you make any decision.

Warning - this isn’t a “who does what better”... or “you shouldn’t switch tools” or a “tools don’t make the launch” post…

Over the life of my business and I’m sure your’s as well, you’ll come across a lot of different solutions to help you do your work better, faster, easier...and ones that will cost you less money, more money…

My take on tools is simple…and I'm talking about it in depth....

Full show notes and resources mentioned over here: www.annesamoilov.com/123

What tools do you depend on to run your launches, manage your work and make your business organized!

Still haven’t planned out Q1 yet?

Didn’t attend a planning session or brainstorm or buy a planner or anything in November or December?

That’s okay - you’re not behind and you can still make a plan for an amazing quarter...even if it’s already started.

Here are 5 tips to making your plan and getting it going fast -

Full show notes at: http://www.annesamoilov.com/122

There's a funny thing about building a business...launching products, services, making money only....

Many times we'll be all about a revenue goal we want to hit or a number of subscribers we want to reach. How many people can we get to our webinars? What's our sales page conversion rate?

Are we so consumed by needing to reach the end result that we can't recognize the growth that happens in between.

This week - we wrap up the discussion of having a successful launch by talking about launching better, improving, and why that's JUST as important.

Full show notes over at annesamoilov.com

Part three of a 3 part series all about producing a successful launch - make sure to head back to episodes 118 and 119 to hear the top 2 ways to produce that amazing launch...

In today's final part of the series I dig in a little too deep (maybe) to how to plan your launch...

I keep hearing the same things…

There’s so much on my launch to do list.

How will I actually get it all done? And what’s your launch planning process, Anne?

If you’re working on your first or next product launch, you know that the launch to do list seems to grow exponentially…and almost daily.

It’s hard when it’s  your own growing list, but it’s even tougher when it’s a client’s list…

Now I talk about planning and scheduling A LOT, but I know that sometimes we all need to hear things repeated to us and in different ways.

I know…because I’m no different…there are times when I get overwhelmed with everything I want to do in a launch.

So, today I’m sharing a new jumping off point with you to get you started “handling” all the potentially overwhelming pieces of a launch.

Depending on who I’m working with or what I’m launching, this particular process might change slightly. I am not a rigid, plan it and do it type person. That said, there are some rules I do live by.

Show notes here: http://www.annesamoilov.com/launch-planning-process

Resources:

fearlesslaunching.com

Part 2 of our 3 part series on producing a successful launch - In this series I'm sharing the top 3 things you need to do, put in place or create in order to have a successful launch.  In fact - if you're missing even one of these, you will not achieve the results you're looking for when you put your work out to the world.

Listen to part one of this series here: http://www.annesamoilov.com/produce-successful-launch-series

Rarely do I get to curate what I’ve created for you – you hear the podcasts when you want and may read a post long after it’s been published.

This series will pull some important moving parts of a launch together for you – so you don’t have to wade through information you may not need (yet).

So enjoy…the 3 key elements of a successful launch.

This series is specifically for you if:

If you’ve never launched a thing and know you will want to turn your blog into a business, start coaching people, create a course, produce an event … in 2017.

It’s also a PERFECT place to REVISIT when you’re reflecting on this year’s launches, ones that worked or didn’t…and to start again with new products you’ll create in the new year.

Part 2 is all about the essential systems you must have in place to make your launch a smashing success...plus you'll be setting your business up for stability and growth as well!

Click here to access all the episodes and show notes in this series:

http://www.annesamoilov.com/produce-successful-launch-series

It’s time…

...end of the year reflection-new-year-new-you mode…maybe a little filing, throwing ideas away, and binging on training we didn’t get to this year. Maybe you're even thinking about how to have a successful launch (if you didn't quite hit the mark this year).

So over the next few weeks, I’ve pulled together some of the most important content I’ve created and pulled it into a 3 part series.

Rarely do I get to curate what I’ve created for you - you hear the podcasts when you want and may read a post long after it’s been published.

This series will pull some important moving parts of a launch together for you - so you don’t have to wade through information you may not need (yet).

So enjoy…the 3 key elements of a successful launch.

This series is specifically for you if:

If you’ve never launched a thing and know you will want to turn your blog into a business, start coaching people, create a course, produce an event … in 2017.

It’s also a PERFECT place to REVISIT when you’re reflecting on this year’s launches, ones that worked or didn’t...and to start again with new products you’ll create in the new year.

You might be surprised where we get started…

Here’s what we’ll cover in part one:

• What you can expect in this training series
• Why learning to launch isn’t just a one time task
• What being Fearless means… again (you might be surprised)

...and we’ll spend most of our time talking about the NUMERO UNO part of any launch.

So, let’s dive in.

Full show notes and resources at: http://www.annesamoilov.com/produce-successful-launch-series/

If you've ever suffered with list shame--not having enough people who've signed up for your email list or a lack of interaction with your mailing list...today's episode is for you.

We'll talk about:

• how to find other venues you can and should count as your list
• what key questions you can ask yourself to determine if it's a place your "list" lives
• why you still want to aim for sending people back to opt-in on your website
• how to focus your energy, save time, and build stronger connections with your audience.

More details and the replay to our listbuilding webinar right here: freelaunchingclass.com

Full show notes over on annesamoilov.com

Building systems, routines and rituals in your business is an important part of building a successful business. When you create habits in your business, they become systems you don't have to figure out over and over again.

That's why I set the Top 3 everyday, do my weekly planning session, and also why I like to ask/answer and reflect on 3 Important Questions.

Today's short episode will share those questions, how to use them in a mastermind group, and why they are a great first regular routine to create for your business.

Launching isn't all about action - you have to build in time for reflection, acknowledging your wins, and challenging yourself to do NEW things.

Visit annesamoilov.com to leave your answers to these questions!

See you next week!

It's that time of the year when we're reflecting, planning, and when we're thinking about our vision for the next year.

What I've found over the last three months is that I've been really inspired by some very unexpected, dare I say random, things.

I wanted to share those with you today because they might be inspiring to you as well and all of them are things that you can either see, do or seek out yourself!

Some of these are actual items, some of them are things that hit my inbox--and will give you a good insight into where to go for new ideas or maybe like a new take on something that you already want to do.

Maybe you have an idea but you just don't know how to kind of put it in motion.

Show notes are coming soon, but I just had to get this out there to you!

Mentioned during the show is my 2nd Live Launch Mapping class >> http://www.planwithmeclass.com happening this week!

After you listen, make your own list of things that have inspired you this fall and are still inspiring you!

-Anne

Today’s podcast is a long time in the making…

If I told you how many people email me about choosing the right planner, I think you’d be surprised.

Or maybe not.

So today, I’m sharing which physical planners I’ve checked out, tried or will be trying in the new year.

This episode is perfect for you if if you’ve got an online business, love the look of paper planners, but wonder how practical they are for your business.

It’s a good question and the answer is not as cut & dry as you might think.

Click to read more now where you can watch the video, listen, and look at some more pictures/links of the planners discussed in this episode.

Today's episode - we dive into the whole topic of social proof.

Social proof is a way to show your audience that you have credibility and have been able to help other people get results in some way. You get to demonstrate your expertise through the way you help or serve other people.

The trick here is that social proof can be from people you've worked with. It could be people who have been through your program, past customers, whoever has been in your world and benefited from your experience. It could be someone who's bought something from you in the past or simply been a part of your audience and has gotten results from something FREE you've offered.

We talk a lot about social proof in Fearless Launching - which is open right now for enrollment if you're listening on November 2nd or 3rd. Visit: http://www.fearlesslaunching.com for all the details!

The doors close Friday night at Midnight - until then you can get in before the price increases, get the current and all upgrades, plus run through the live material with me in January. If you're someone who has considered hiring a launch manager, enroll here first -- we do the course twice per year and it's like having me on your team.

Full show notes over on http://www.annesamoilov.com

Shouldn’t come as a shocker here…

Most people have at least one thing that stops or delays them from doing what they really want.

When it comes to launching, the blocks can crop up the second we get an idea for a product, when we finish a product, when we talk to someone about it, and pretty much every single step up to and through the launch process.

I invited my friend Denise Duffield Thomas to have a conversation about these blocks, because she’s in the middle of her own launch right now for her long-running Money Bootcamp.

If you suspect you have some blocks holding you back from launching, today’s episode is for you.

Not sure? Delay and procrastination are huge signs of blocks. So get yourself over to our conversation.

Plus - if you like what Denise is teaching, check out her Money Bootcamp which is starting live next week….

Click here to make sure to check out her first Live Bootcamp in 3 years before her early bird pricing ends on October 27th!

Every launch begins with a conversation - doesn’t matter who you have it with.

It may be a coach. It might be your journal. Maybe a friend.

But you need to have this conversation.

It’s the step most systems, calls, programs, courses don’t really talk about.

There’s a checklist of things that starts somewhere between knowing who your audience is (important) and what they want to buy from you (uber important).

This is the mother of all kick off calls. The kick off before the team gets hired and before the partners get contacted...before any launch leak happens or a webinar is announced.

...I like to think of this conversation as more of a confessional...where you lay out your hopes, dreams, fears, and plans (if you’ve got them already) for the launch and why you’re doing it.

Don’t worry - it’s not a loosey goosey conversation...

Before we get into the specifics, something you should know--

Your launch convo must be had with someone who knows you and your business well. Coach, mastermind partner, business bestie. Someone who you can trust to let you share without the fear of judgement of any kind.

Because it’s a mix of specifics and elements that aren’t completely defined, it’s important someone can ask you the right questions and let you share whatever comes out.

I. Part one of the conversation will be talking, answering, getting clear on some of the more surface questions:

1. What are you launching?
2. Is it for your current audience?
3. How did you discover they want this? What proof do you have they want this?
4. When do you want to launch?
5. Hmm, is that similar to any other product out there? Who are your direct competitors?
6. Cool, good to know...how do you plan to be different from them?

II. Part two of the conversation you’ll probably start working on some deeper details together - and you’ll either be writing it out as you talk or putting sticky notes on your calendar.

Grab the 10 steps you should go through in the Launch Workbook.

We’re still not all the way deep yet, though.

III. Part three is probably more important than everything you talk about.

Lots of people talk about the launch story or the launch narrative...but not really telling you how to create it.

So, it’s no wonder you kind of guess what the words launch story even mean in the first place!

I’ll go into depth on creating your launch story in an upcoming post, but for now, here’s how to create in the most easy, straightforward sense.

1. Define all the marketing activities of the launch - video series? Blog series? Challenge? Webinar?
2. Whether you’re using multiple channels, activities to lead to the open sales window or just one, consider your main theme - it’s how you’ll decide what content gets shared, what recurring promise or thread you’ll keep coming back to and it’ll really connect all the pieces.
3. Another way to get to this theme - is to think of your overall vision and goal - the reason you have created this thing for other people. Your main belief behind it.

For example, Fearless Launching isn’t so much about being scared to launch but being prepared, curious and willing to revise in order TO launch… those things allow you to be Fearless. And so - I like to bring in these little touches throughout the launch--in emails….

Think to yourself - what does this thing I’ve created all come back to > what’s the narrative, the reason, the underlying belief and mission….how you got here or where you are now and why you’re doing this.

3 Ingredients To A Powerful Launch Story

There are three critical parts to a launch story….actually they’re more like layers really.

And I see them over and over and over again in my most successful client/student launches.

Pick the Visible Angle

This is the visible reason you are launching or something that will be easy to see and talk about every single time - you write a blog post or send out an email.

1. Date/Time/Event related
2. Personal life event related
3. Theme related to the product
4. Change in the industry

Pretty much anything you can think about as the “why you’re so pushed to do this launch right now” is okay. There is no wrong answer...you just have to keep it very clear as to why.

Let me give you a few specific current examples.

Fearless Launching is just about to kick of a special what I call “Closing Cuz We’re Upgrading” launch.

I must close the doors in order to finish building out our new home and all the new content for the program.

Instead of holding off until everything’s ready, I want to give you a chance to join the program right now - at the current pricing, get your upgrades for free, plus watch the before & after in progress. That’s the story this time around.

Describe Your Big Why

In addition to the surface reason you’re doing the launch - the more visible obvious reason...there’s usually at least one more narrative at play when you launch anything….

And this seemingly sub or lesser story is really the undercurrent which gets up close to the real reason your product even exists.

It gives your launch depth and meaning.

Simon Sinek talks about your why in his famous book “Start With Why” for a reason.

If you’re launch was an Iceberg - above the water would be the visible reason for the event...and below the water...well, we know that’s actually what anchors the iceberg…

If your time of the year is the surface reason for launching, your deeper why is that you know the time of year might trigger a certain emotion that you’re hoping to help people through….

This is the case if your product is business or personal related. We are emotional beings and it’s critical to understand that as humans we are emotional no matter what we do.

Don’t Break The Thread

The final ingredient in this whole story is understanding when to talk about the surface or the emotional part… when to lay it on thick and when to pull back.

Striking a balance between emotions, logistics, and practical reasons for someone to pay attention to what you’re offering is definitely something you get better at over time...and you never stop aiming to get better doing.

Understanding your audience is key to understanding when the thread is strong or weak or simply non-existent.

We go into this in more depth inside Fearless Launching, if you know you need help creating your story.

In the meantime, start today by doing the following.:

1. Schedule time with a trusted person who knows your business & you. Ideally this person can give you feedback but mostly - they are there to ask you questions.
2. Have part one of the conversation as described above.
3. Download the Launch Workbook to start thinking about your launch
4. Have part two of the conversation as described above.
5. Brainstorm a surface reason and a deeper reason that you might want to launch!

Want to attend a special webinar to learn how to put your launch conversation to work and build your list for your launch? Click here to register and read all the details.

We’ll also be opening a very special promotion for Fearless Launching, so get to work on the steps above and you’ll be ready for us to start working on your launch together!

One of the best ways to improve the power of your products is to create them as if they are part of a course curriculum instead of just stand alone somewhat related products.

Here’s why this is important and the topic of today’s podcast.

You provide a clear path and roadmap to follow, which helps strengthen and grow your community.

You allow yourself time to choose what products you create and which products you’ll promote. Thus giving you more time and freedom to focus your creative efforts on what lights you up and making your work the best it can be.

Today’s episode will help you kind of do both and give you a strategy for improving revenue without slaving over a new or even an updated product. You can focus on what you deliver the best while still giving your customers more value.

I’ll be referencing a past article I wrote for the site Think Traffic - way back in 2012 and I’ll link it below...so listen and then head over to that post!

It’s funny how you can pull wisdom from the archives…and it was especially relevant as I started to lay out the future for Fearless Launching -- not just as a stand alone course, but as a curriculum -- one that starts outside my doors!

So let’s dive in.

First - let’s talk about the way people usually create courses.

They come up with their first idea and do that...then they choose another topic that is relevant but necessarily related and they might create that.

Sometimes the courses will have some relation to the other, but rarely do you see them as a first or second or third step or having any order at all.

That’s why a curriculum really makes your entire product suite stronger and smarter.

Read more at annesamoilov.com

You’re preparing for a launch…

If you have people helping you, are they as ready as you are to make it happen?

Today’s question, does your team know how to launch.

If you can’t say yes, it’s your responsibility to train them, to get them ready.

So, if you have a team, a VA, a project manager, maybe even just someone answering emails, then this episode will help you ensure your team has your back during your next launch.

You shouldn’t be surprised when you read this, but…

I look at the process of planning kind of like it’s writing in a journal. In fact, for me, planning is one of my deepest actions of self-care.

Over this past year, I’ve realized how “planning” even by writing what happened or what you want to happen and how you want to feel as you’re doing those things you’re planning...they matter.

I don’t usually come across quite as woo-woo as I might be today. But I’ve been thinking about this topic a lot recently.

It’s also the reason I want to share my #1 self-care tool which launched recently.

But whether you’re launching or just working on your daily business tasks, you need this.

Today's episode is about my #1 self care tool that I use every day and rely on heavily as I start working on launches (even other peoples).

[insert audio]

I don’t care who you are…

Communication can be challenging when you’re first starting your business or marketing new products.

You’re not sure what to say, when to say it, how to say…

And then there’s the question of sending emails and how many to send...and how often.

Overwhelm and worry can set in fast...all the sudden you’re unsure, insecure…

Add a launch to that anxiety and you’ve got a recipe...and you might feel immediate paralysis.

You’ll question every email you send, worry you’re scaring people away, get angry when people don’t respond and more!

Read the full blog post for this episode over here: http://www.annesamoilov.com/send-better-emails-next-launch/

Have you ever felt like your business was going in reverse?

There are lots of reasons you might start entertaining this idea or wondering. Maybe...

• Your last launch didn’t go so well
• You feel bored
• You’re not sure what to do next
• Maybe you’re having a tough time getting back to work after a vacation or time off
• Maybe your daily business just looks completely different than you “think” it should.

For me - the day to day of my business started to change...and it felt like all the sudden I was doing a lot of different activities… all making me happy, no dip in revenue...but definitely different from what I “thought” it would look like.

One of the biggest changes is that I started seeing more one-on-one clients and taking one-off short term projects. I don’t know about you, but I’ve had a different view of how business was supposed to grow in my head. Do one on one work, grow your following, when you’ve got enough interest, step back to more scaled offerings like online courses where you teach people.

I thought, wait a minute, is my business going backwards? Am I supposed to go from teaching one to teaching many in order to scale? Am I doing this in the wrong order?

Reach out to me with any questions at support@annesamoilov.com

-Anne

Today's episode, we talk about how to create a launch marketing calendar for the next year. I'll share the seven questions you should ask and answer when trying to plan out the year of launches and marketing activities.

Rules of the game are simple - keep it simple, use what you've got now, leave room for new stuff. :)

Full show notes over at annesamoilov.com

If you've ever felt like your business or product is just not ready to launch...

Today we're going to talk about four practice launches that you can do before you think you're ready to launch.

Let's dive in and go through each one of these really quickly, give you the main elements you should practice in each type, and how to make sure they are worth you while.

A practice launch is a great way to get your feet wet, get your systems set up, understand the process, before you create your big blockbuster launch with videos, affiliates, webinars, and maybe even Facebook ads.

Show notes available and all resources available on AnneSamoilov.com

Today's episode we're going to talk about a few different ways that you can use to make an old product new again.

One of the reasons I'm doing this is because I find that people often just want to move on to their next project, their next great idea.

I think that that's awesome to come up with new ideas, but I also think there's major value in just keeping it simple and updating what's already working.

Now, this today is assuming you do have a product that has sold before.

Maybe it's just gotten a little stale for you, for your clients. Maybe you just aren't as excited about it anymore.

I'm going to talk about five today and a few bonus ones, but I find that sometimes just updating your work really helps you get more engaged in it and will help you have excitement when you're launching it.