What Can You Do To Dominate Your Niche?

Wednesday, March 13th, 2013 at 5:00 am  
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OwnYourNiche_cover_final (1)Do you know exactly who you have been called to serve?

I mean, if I were to ask you to list all of the characteristics of your ideal client, would that be easy for you to do?

And if you can do that, do you know how to position yourself  as the authority in your field so that when your ideal client is looking for a solution to the problem that you solve, you are their ultimate problem solver—without reservation?

Well, yesterday’s show is entitled How to Dominate Your Niche and I was blessed to have Ms. Stephanie Chandler, author of Own Your Niche, on Books That Transform for 47 minutes.

Stephanie shared some of the incredible, results-oriented tips and strategies in her book that focus on choosing the right audience, demonstrating authority in  your field, showcasing your unique skills, and bringing value to your audience.She talked about building loyalty, community, and brand recognition, giving more than receiving, and about growing your business.

All About Stephanie Chandler

Stephanie Chandler is an author of several books including Own Your Niche: Hype-Free Internet Marketing Tactics to stephaniechandlerEstablish Authority in Your Field and Promote Your Service-Based Business, From Entrepreneur to Infopreneur: Make Money with Books, eBooks and Information Products, and LEAP! 101 Ways to Grow Your Business.

Stephanie is also founder and CEO of BusinessInfoGuide.com, a directory of resources for entrepreneurs, and Authority Publishing, a custom publisher specializing in non-fiction books. A frequent speaker at business events and on the radio, she has been featured in Entrepreneur magazine, BusinessWeek, and Wired magazine, and she is a contributing blogger for Forbes. To learn more about her, visit stephaniechandler.com.

Listen Now

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Share Your Thoughts & Spread the Word

Wasn’t that some great, applicable content? I had so much fun talking to Stephanie, but more than that, I know that the information that she gave in that short amount of time is really simple, powerful, and effective.

Share your thoughts on the interview and go tell a friend (who wants to sustain a relevant, profitable business enterprise but needs a little direction on how to increase visibility and loyalty with the right audience) all about it. :)

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Questions I Asked Stephanie

Stephanie, since your book is entitled Own Your Niche and the show is entitled How to Dominate Your Niche, I’d love for you to “educate” us on a couple of things—

  • What is a niche?

  • How does a small business entrepreneur or solopreneur choose a profitable niche by which he or she can dominate?

Now, that you have defined niche for us and we have a clearer understanding on how to select a profitable one, how then do we establish or niche identity and why is that so important?

Stephanie, on today’s show, I promised the listeners that they would learn online and offline methods that would get them the kind of exposure that will establish them as leaders in their industries. I am counting on you to be our tour guide on this journey. So, let’s divide our discussion into two parts—online strategies/tactics and offline strategies. Is that okay with you?

 Great! Well, let’s start with online tactics first.

 One of the things that made me want to really get into your book was when you began by addressing some of the unethical behaviors that are going on online these days. Stephanie, explain to us the difference between the kind of marketing tactics that most of us are bombarded with today and the kind of marketing that you advocate?

Stephanie, I’d like to share a website with you and the audience and that is www.guzymusic.com. It is the website of a music producer in the Greensboro area where I live named Luguzy Atkins. Now, Luguzy just created his website this year and he is open to any advice you might give him. So, let’s use his site as our model for this portion of the show.

Share with us specific online strategies that he could implement that would—

  • Establish his authority as a producer

  • Build his audience & engage his community

  • Turn his website into a “client conversion machine”

  • Increase his website traffic

 In chapter six which is entitled Blogs Rule, you say that “A blog is hands-down one of the most important elements of a successful website.” What are entrepreneurs who do not consistently blog missing out on?

 While we are in this vein, let’s talk about content marketing. If you were starting your business from scratch in 2013 what would be the top two types of content marketing you would implement consistently to establish yourself as an authority in your industry and why?

 Stephanie, I love the fact that you devote an entire chapter to internet revenue streams—multiple streams of income. Give us an example of a client or an entrepreneur in your book who has mastered the art of creating multiple streams of income online.

 Stephanie, now it is time for us to delve into becoming a rock star offline. Professional Speaking is the first offline method that you address. What would you say to the person who 1) does not know exactly how to create interesting speaking topics, 2) needs pointers on how to actually get on the speaking circuit?

 Another method that you address is event promotion. Betty Brand Specialist is only interested in hosting paid events. What are the pros and cons of having this kind of perspective?

 Stephanie, there is no way we could touch on all of the offline strategies that you cover in your book, but if I gave you an apple pie and I asked you to divide it into pieces that represent the fresh new marketing plan of a start-up or start over entrepreneur, how many would go to online strategies and how many would go to offline strategies?

Peace and Blessings,

Ladies, Are You Afraid to Negotiate For What You Want?

Sunday, March 10th, 2013 at 5:00 am  
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In 2010, women comprised 47% of the U.S. Labor Force.

Today, it is said that figure has tipped over the 50% mark.

Even with so many women at work, it appears that we have yet to obtain the positions of authority in our work or business Rezvani - PUSHBACK - Cover (2) (1)environments. According to Selena Rezvani, women’s leadership author of Pushback: How Smart Women Ask For and Stand Up For What They Want:

Despite some of our gains, women continue to make up a meager portion of senior leaders in government, business, and even those fields that are female dominated. Our low presence in top decision-making roles diminishes our contributions, gives us little say in corporate and societal directions, and reduces us to mere observers.

 

Hmmm…..Ladies.

I say, it is time for change. It is time for us to do what COO of Facebook Sheryl Sandberg advises--Go Get It!

The only way for us to go get it is to ask for it. In other words, we must first change our mindset about what we deserve and then hone our negotiating and self-advocacy skills.

To get a better understanding of the negotiating process, I called upon women’s leadership author, speaker, and consultant, Selena Rezvani.

selena rezvaniWho is Selena Rezvani?

Selena Rezvani’s goal is to propel more women into the top echelons of businesses — an objective she achieves through her writing, consulting, and speaking engagements. She is the co-owner of Women’s Roadmap, a consulting firm that elevates women into leadership through assessment, the design of gender-inclusive policies, and coaching. Outside of her consulting and coaching work, Selena promotes her message through training programs, teaching some of the brightest minds in business at eBay, Harvard, Accenture, Princeton, Duke, Johnson & Johnson, The Clinton Foundation, and many others. 

She has been quoted, interviewed, and profiled by The Today Show, CareerBuilder, the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, ABC, and NBC. She is a regular commentator on NPR’s syndicated 51 Percent: The Women’s Perspective, blogs for Forbes.com and writes an award-winning column on women and leadership for The Washington Post. She is the author of the acclaimed career guidebooks PUSHBACK: How Smart Women Ask–and Stand Up–for What They Want (Jossey-Bass, 2012) and The Next Generation of Women Leaders: What You Need to Lead but Won’t Learn in Business School (Praeger, 2009).

Selena received her bachelor of science and master of social work degrees from New York University, and has an MBA from Johns Hopkins University, where she graduated first in her class. She lives near Philadelphia. For more information, visit: www.NextGenWomen.com or www.WomensRoadmap.com.

 

Listen to Our Discussion Now to Learn the Four-Step Model of Negotiation & The  Importance of Self-Advocacy by Women in the 21st Century Workforce

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Questions I Asked Selena

  1. Selena, one strategy that authors are given to help with crafting their message is to visualize that one person they are writing to. Describe for us the ideal reader you were thinking of when you wrote Pushback.

  2. Selena, to some, the term Pushback may sound a little combative and therefore have a negative connotation. Give us your definition of pushback and share a few examples of some “pushback scenarios.”

  3. I love the fact that you did your own research for this book by interviewing what you call “a new set of 20 women leaders in the top echelons of their fields.” As you analyzed your data, what was the most shocking thing that you learned from this experience?

  4. Selena, it is apparent that women struggle with pushing back, even today when there are more of us who are educated, more of us in the work force, and more of us as even head of our households. What would you say are the top 3 reasons that women shy away from pushing back?

  5. Selena, for older or more seasoned women who say, I am sorry, I am just not going to risk negotiating or advocating for myself given today’s climate, what would you say are the consequences of such a decision?

  6. Selena, you say that “One of the best investments you’ll make in your career is spending time learning a reliable and effective system for negotiation. As you build your skills and learn the art of negotiating, you’ll begin to see it not just a one-time or occasional (and somehow mysterious) transaction but an everyday necessity.” So, in the book, you give us a four-step model of negotiation. Please take your time and breakdown those four steps for us.

  7. You provide an assessment in the book that can help women pinpoint the areas of strength and identify their weaker areas. Give us an example of how a woman would use this information to become better at asking for and standing up for what she wants.

  8. Selena, as I was reading your book, I immediately thought about Sheryl Sandberg, the COO of Facebook and how she states that women hold themselves back by lowering our expectations of what we can achieve. And, then, as I read on, lo and behold, you actually talk about the speech she gave in which she urged women to “go get it” rather than waiting for permission. Why is it so important for young women who are just entering the workplace to possess the pushback kind of mindset?

  9. Selena, you have registered for my English 101 class, and your first assignment is to write a persuasive essay. This is your writing prompt: This is a great time to elect a qualified woman for the presidency of the United States because…..

 

Please share your thoughts about the interview below and if you haven’t already, don’t forget to subscribe to Books That Tranform! :)

 

Peace and Blessings,

The Sweet Savor of Obedience

Monday, March 4th, 2013 at 5:09 am  
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Growing up as a member of the Owens clan (my mother’s maiden name), I knew this one thing–my grandmother and grandfather better not have to tell me to do something more than once.

It was understood who the king and queen of 1202 Scout Drive were and once their requests and expectations were made known, they were to be fulfilled.

Point blank…period. obedience

My grandparents did not play.

Of course, because my grandparents raised their children that way all of my aunts and uncles did the same. You listened for the instructions, you responded “yes ma’am and yes sir” and you followed through.

Now, if you were not reared in this form or fashion, it may sound harsh to you, but, it is for this kind of child-rearing that I am grateful.

Ironically, although I was raised to be obedient to my elders that I could see with my natural eye, I sometimes struggle with being obedient to my Heavenly Father.

At this point in my life, I have come to realize that obedience is very important to God.

22 But Samuel replied:“Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. I Samuel 15:22

Actually, the Greek term for obey (hupakou) means to listen attentively, to hearken with the heart, to heed or conform to a command or authority. It does not mean to assess, analyze, evaluate, weigh your options and then decide what you are going to do.

You know how it is.

You hear from God in a still small voice, a whisper in the wind, or through a bullhorn, loud and clearly…but for some reason, you try to ignore it, you disregard it, or you choose to do nothing he says or even worse,  the complete opposite of what he says.

(Okay…maybe I am the only one. :) )

Well, then when things get all mixed-up or you find yourself in hot water,  you run to the very same God that you disobeyed. (Thank God for his grace, right?)

Well, I am happy to announce that I am finally growing in this area. (Applause.) Just this past month, I made a decision to be obedient to God and was amazed at the outcome.

I hope you have a minute because I want to tell you the story. :)

The Story of My Obedience

In the month of February, while I was up at 3:00 a.m. writing and working on some projects, I heard the Lord tell me to start this Bible study in a teleseminar format.

Hmmm….I thought.

Well, this idea just would not go away, so I grabbed a sheet of blank, white copy paper so that I could brainstorm. Immediately, the details began to work themselves out on the paper and I was like, “Are you sure you want me to do this, God?” I then followed that with a few, but’s, what if’s, and maybe laters.

In my initial thinking, I would  promote the Bible study and then would interact with whoever registered for the call, but I would soon find out that is not what God had in mind.

Night after night, the telestudy (which is what I decided to call it) kept running through my mind and within a couple of nights later, it  had developed into something totally different. It would no longer be me against the world :) , but, I was going to embark on this “project” with some other key people.

Five names immediately came to mind.

Five names of five women who might work with me on this assignment were given to me as if someone were whispering them in my ear. It was craaaaazzzyyyy. So, I wrote them down.

Once again, I tried to come up with excuses because I kept hearing February 24th….February 24th at 8:30 p.m. and it was already February 10th.

February 24th, Lord? Like, this month? I asked. But, they may have something else to do. You know this is kind of short notice? Let’s shoot for March. :)

No, February 24th is the date and 8:30 p.m. is the time. (I am telling you. That is exactly what I heard.)

Deciding to Obey

Deep in my spirit, I knew that I had to be obedient. So, I created a format for the Bible study that would allow us to provide some strong application to the process. It was based on a very effective learning through discussion format that I use with my college students in the courses that I teach.

Next, I found a service where the call could take place that would allow me to create registration forms and send reminders to those who registered  in advance.

Still feeling a little apprehensive, I created the page.

Then, I typed up a letter to request that these ladies be members of the panel for the Bible Study. (You would not believe how everything just flowed. It was as if God was telling me exactly what to say as I typed the letter. I am serious.)

So, I sent the letter via email to all five women, held my breath, and waited.

(Technically, I invited one of the women over the phone, and she’d agreed to do it, so I was waiting for four responses.)

Guess what?

Four of them said yes--yes to the date; yes to the time; and super triple quadruple yes to the project. (By the way, the one person who had to decline said to keep her posted on the next one.)

I then talked to each of them one-on-one and it was incredible how God just put His hand all on it. Each one of the ladies felt led to be a part of it and I was elated.

BBGTS Showtime, Lights, Camera, Action!

On February 24th at 8:30 p.m., you would not believe how the Lord showed up in our discussion.

It was an incredible 60 minutes of fellowship, insight, revelation, encouragement, agreement–and I could go on and on. If you’d been there,  you would have thought that we were a group of BFF’s (best friends forever) talking over a cup of hot cocoa at Starbucks because everything flowed so organically. From the opening prayer to the closing remarks, it was just a fascinating experience.

I marveled at the wisdom, power, and majesty of God. It just left me speechless!

After the session ended, I was up until 4 a.m. listening to it….over and over and over again. Every single time I listened, it blessed me in a different way and I knew that nobody did it but God.

My co-teachers and I had a conference call on Saturday morning and they all felt the same way.

Now, we are on fire!!!

God has given us a vision to change people’s lives with not only the Branded by God Telestudy (in that format) but with some other projects as well.

And, all of this came about simply because I finally decided to trust God and obey.

And The Moral of The Story Is….

I know this post was long but I had to share it with you because I know that God has spoken to you about something you need to do in regards to your divine assignment and you are tarrying, contemplating, and probably making excuses. I want to be the one to give you that push, no, a shove to move forward with what HE has placed in your heart to do because I promise you….he will do exceedingly, abundantly above all you can ask or think (Ephesians 3:20-21) and you will experience the sweet savor of obedience!

 

Ladies of the BBGTS

Alaina by the Tree

 
 
Alaina Odessa
www.alainaodessa.com
Author of Slow Running Honey: First Born Poems of Salvation
 Dallas, Texas
 
 
keyshabass
 
 
 
Keysha Bass
www.keyshabass.com
Host of Attract Your Dream Life Show on Blog Talk Radio
 Seattle, Washington
 
 
Katrina Spigner in Purple
 
 
Katrina Spigner
www.katrinanow.com
Author of  This is For You! 31 Days of Life Changing Discoveries &
GIFT (Growing In Faith Today)
Columbia, South Carolina
Peace and Blessings,

What Can Reading Do For You?

Tuesday, February 26th, 2013 at 5:00 am  
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I grew up in a small public library.

Okay, well, perhaps that is a major exaggeration, but my house was very close to it. My mother loves to read so there were books everywhere. My mother tried to organize her collection by placing them on shelves that she nailed to the wall, but she had so many that she had to lay books horizontally over the books that stood vertically. public library

At one point, there were so many books on the shelves that they surrendered and came tumbling down. Now, that was a sight to see. :)

Had the books been fiction–Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys, Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret? by Judy Blume,  or even the action and adventure of Dr. Seuss–I may have been impressed. But, to me, those non-fiction books that my mother held so dear represented solemn, depressing expressions of deep thoughts that felt too much like the textbooks I had to read in school.

So….they were aggravating instead of interesting; mundane instead of imaginative; bland instead of spicy and I wanted them to be shipped to some quaint bookstore in some little corner of the world where the yellowing pages and stale smell of old, used books were appreciated.

Skip to the Present

You may not believe this but I am a certified reading specialist and I have been since 2001.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I never said I didn’t love to read, I just didn’t like non-fiction books. But, give me my library card and I would checkout enough books that would take most people an entire year to read.

In fact, when I was in college, I was threatened by mail to never see the stage on graduation day if I did not return the hundreds (not literally) of books I had checked out of the WSSU library along with paying the fines that accrued. Of course, it took me a week or so to round them all up, but I finally did and made it just in time for graduation.

Well, today, I absolutely, positively have to have non-fiction books in my life. And guess what, I am turning into my mother. I have books on the dining room table, in my office, in the bathroom, in the bedroom–I just always have to be reading something or have something nearby to read. Sometimes, I literally feel like I am addicted to books.

I never imagined that anything could stop me from reading Eric Jerome Dickey books, but non-fiction books have. I guess I love that they teach me, guide me, instruct me,  and enhance my thinking and development. I always walk away with an understanding of how to execute something better in my business or how to grow in the various areas of my being.

It is a wonderful feeling–one that I want you to experience. So, just in case you are a grouch when it comes to reading non-fiction books like I used to be, I have prepared a video for  you that gives you 5 reasons reading will benefit you.

Please watch, comment, and/or share the video below with your network. Thanks! :)

  •  Which benefit stuck out the most to you? 

  • Will you take the challenge?

Books That Transform Recommended Reading List

If you need a jump start on selecting books to read, access the Books That Transform Reading List here.

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Peace and Blessings,
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