Howdy Reader!I was talking with a client recently who was feeling like she was playing catch-up, and having all kinds of guilt about it. She rattled off half a dozen things that had come up this year to derail her business plans. And while she could intellectually see how they were important to deal with, she kept thinking that if she just put more effort and time into her business it would solve everything. That's when I told her that her brain was lying to her. And there's science to prove...
5 days ago • 1 min read
Howdy Reader!There’s a question I’ve been sitting with lately — one that cuts through the noise and gets right to the heart of authentic leadership: When the audience is gone… when there’s no one to impress or prove yourself to… who do you become? Over the past few months, I’ve had to ask myself that question again and again. Between health scares in my family, moving across the country, and re-establishing the foundation of my work, I realized how easy it is to perform leadership instead of...
11 days ago • 1 min read
Howdy Reader!As you're reading this, Jim and I are up in Longview for his surgery. Send us the good juju, wouldja? Thyroid cancer is supposed to be "no big deal" - a quick outpatient procedure. We're supposed to be home this afternoon. But you know, it's cancer, so who really knows what's going to happen until it's done?That's why I wrote this post over the weekend and scheduled it to go out Monday morning (which should be TODAY, if the internet gods are playing nicely!).Having tools that...
15 days ago • 1 min read
Howdy Reader! The other day, I was chatting with some other business owners and one of them was on the verge of pulling their hair out because they were caught in the all-too-familiar trap of trying to be everywhere and getting very little momentum. It was hard for them to know where to invest their resources, because so many of their visibility efforts were bringing in a small trickle of attention. Basically everything was "working" (at least to some degree) so it was hard to know what to...
19 days ago • 2 min read
Well hey there Reader! If you've been inside our Rising Tide community lately, you've seen my post about how this year has been a rollercoaster of weirdness... and I'm not just talking about the political landscape! If you're not inside the community yet, you may wanna get on that while it's still free to join. This year has had more than my fair share of ups and downs: ...leaving the radio station due to pay equity issues ...moving to the Portland area ...health and employment challenges for...
25 days ago • 3 min read
Can I be blunt Reader? There's a terrible, HORRIBLE myth in the world of marketing. You've heard these words before. I KNOW you have, because it's such a pervasive lie. "If I can do it, you can too!" I know you've heard it. Hell, I said it myself in my younger days. I have learned a LOT since then, though. There should be SO many asterisks around that statement, because it's rarely true. The reason it's so effective, though, is because we WANT it to be true. It's a different brand of "The...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
Howdy Reader! Ever feel like your business is a pair of “itchy pants” that just doesn’t fit anymore? (Cue the awkward squirming.) You’re not broken—you’re evolving. In this week’s (and maybe the final?) episode of Creative Freedom, I’m breaking down 9 unmistakable signs you’ve outgrown your brand—and what to do when you’re ready for your next chapter (even if it scares the hell out of you). We’re talking about: Why your inner critic might actually be your best ally How to spot the “itch”...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
In theater (improv, specifically), there's this concept called "yes, and". The idea is simple: acknowledge the reality your scene partner has created and build on it. So if your partner says, "there's a snake in my boot," you play along. That's the reality your partner has created and informs what you do next. What you choose to contribute to that reality needs to build on what you and your partner are creating together. The worst improv partners are the ones who refuse to play along. But...
2 months ago • 2 min read
Heya Reader - "Lisa, you're cock-blocking yourself." That's what one of my mastermind partners, Jen, said to me today. oof. She's not wrong. For months, I've been hiding behind... well, ALL THE THINGS. All the things going on in my life have been a convenient excuse for what's NOT going on in my business. And, you know... the world burning down around us.I mean, thankfully, my business has been steady. But growth has been very slow. This year has slipped through my fingers like sand through...
2 months ago • 2 min read