Building business and your creativity during covid
Get ahead in your business so you’re ready to rock when things Continue to Turn Around
And use any of these 900 tools (!) to help you do that :)
Things are weird AF right now. Maybe you’re like me, an empath that feels ALL the things -- sadness, anger, fear, frustration, doubt and everything in between, usually within a 2-minute window of time.
As I sit here and write this, my husband just shared that he heard of five Target employees in our beach town that were recently diagnosed with the virus. The numbers are continuing to trickle in, rising by the day so I am bracing myself for things to get worse before they get better.
Except, I don’t really know how to brace for this. It’s an unprecedented time and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t scared. (#truth)
BUT, as my husband likes to point out, I’m also someone that enjoys a nice pair of rose-colored glasses. So even in the scariest times, I choose to focus on the good.
So this blog is dedicated to you.
And your ‘good’.
Your good talent, skill, drive and passion.
Your good intuition to weather the storm with creativity and ingenuity.
Your good perseverance to keep showing up, even when things get hard.
You’ve heard stories of people who made it out of the last recession stronger and better. Yes, those people endured hardships -- the whole country was experiencing them -- but they turned the challenge into an opportunity. Maybe they failed and tried again, gaining new experience and insights that allowed them to flourish. Maybe they’re stronger because of it?
I was there, too. In 2008 and 2009 I got laid off from two highly competitive and successful ad agencies. Clients were cutting marketing budgets which meant we were getting cut as well.
Here’s what I learned: the clients that stuck it out and got more creative and consistent with their marketing remained more successful when the times finally turned back around.
So how can you get more creative in your business, grow your reach and build connections?
Here are some ideas I hope you find helpful.
Build or join an online community
Now, more than ever, we have to rely on the support and connections we have with others to help us get through these uncertain times. It’s nice to see how some people are doing this. We’ve seen virtual DJ’s playing a set to get people moving, and musicians going ‘Live’ from their living rooms to bring music to us, and teachers hosting dance parties over Facebook, and other educators finding creative ways to continue showing up for their students with virtual lessons.
You probably saw the incredible videos coming out of Italy and New York of neighbors performing workouts from rooftops; musicians singing beautiful songs from balconies to serenade their neighbors; and entire neighborhoods banging pots and pans every night to remain connected to each other. I don’t know about you, but those images fill my heart with so much joy and hope for all of us.
Ph: Eduardo Longoni
Online Community
Another essential piece for building community is to support one another with the challenging aspects of isolation. My dear friends started a Facebook group for Corona Community Support in our little town to help the most vulnerable neighbors and friends.
We offer to pick up extra supplies when someone ventures out to the store. Share information about restaurants offering takeout and pickup services, and keep members informed of important updates like the latest official reports and available resources.
Members also share how they’re helping our community. We see individuals making masks for our healthcare providers, other members are compiling lists of local farms offering food baskets while others share how they’re coping during this difficult time.
Perhaps one of the best things we can offer right now is more selflessness and compassion for others.
Music is Always a Good Idea
I can’t imagine my life without good music while I work or play. Here’s one of my favorite playlists at the moment. It’s full of tunes from artists like Tame Impala, My Morning Jacket, Bob Moses, Radiohead, Vampire Weekend and Broken Social Scene.
Find music that inspires your creativity. Use music as a way to make a connection with your audience. Don’t think it’s relevant to your brand? If you’re a closed yoga studio, post three calming track recommendations to your stories. If you sell clothes, create a playlist all about feeling your best (um, hello Beyonce “Flawless”). You get the point, take what connects with you, and share it with your audience.
More on how to build authentic connections with your audience here. I dive into “How Branding Builds Connections. And Why You Need Both For Business Success.”
Learn Good Sh*t
Take advantage of free online business-building resources. Here’s a cheat sheet I’ve compiled for you. Sharing is caring! So feel free to send to anyone that might enjoy this list.
Mentors, Coaches and Authors:
I have a LONG list of business coaches and mentors that I’ve been following since I began building my own business.
Marie Forleo is one of the best out there. Here is a link to access 322 FREE tools and resources from her team.
Pia Silva is another virtual mentor whom I credit for breakthrough lessons in my business. I’ve purchased her Badass Your Business Bootcamp, read her book, “Badass Your Brand: The Impatient Entrepreneur's Guide to Turning Expertise into Profit”, and enjoyed her countless Forbes articles. She’s the real deal! And she shows up for her followers with helpful Facebook Lives and consistent emails that share badass brand and business building advice.
To help me get out of my own way, I turn to Mel Robbins
And for a good kick in the ass I’ve worked with business coaches like Yvi - who helped me bulletproof my business AND offers a no B.S., get-out-there-and-do-it advice. Her German accent adds to the experience.
Stacy Kessler has been my accountability partner for over a year. Have you asked anyone to help you stay accountable to YOUR goals? I hadn’t before and now I can say that it was hugely impactful to know that I can count on someone to help keep pushing me to achieve big things.
Earlier on when I was learning more about Instagram (because everyone wanted to be on Instagram) I turned to online educators like Jenna Kutcher and Jasmine Star
Donald Miller and his book, “Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen” offers a great script to follow when crafting your marketing messages.
Tools for You
Since everyone is going virtual - this list wouldn’t be complete without listing Zoom. I currently use their free plan, but it’s limited to only one-on-one online conferencing, which is better than nothing.
Loom is offering discounted pricing - Screen & Video Recording Software
Adobe is Giving Everyone 2 Months of Free Creative Cloud — Here’s How To Get It
Podcasts - SO MANY! But some of my favorites include Marie Forleo, Rachel Hollis RISE podcast, Jenna Kutcher and NPR’s How I Built This with Guy Raz.
And here is a WHOLE list of Entrepreneurial theme podcasts. (555 of them to be exact!)
Education! Get Your Smart On
Masterclass - Not free, but I love their videos! - great place to gain inspiration from the world’s greatest talent in music, art, sports, fashion, lifestyle tech and more!
Yale’s most popular class ever is available free online - and the topic is how to be happier in your daily life
Here are 450 Ivy League courses you can take online right now for free
Of course I have a FREE tool for you, too!
Spend your marketing dollars wisely by uncovering your ideal client using my easy, 3-step process. Click here to get it.
Here’s how learning about your ideal client will help you:
You’ll uncover their struggles or problems.
Define how YOUR business can help solve this problem.
Serve them in a way that makes their life easier (and your brand and business more memorable!).
Keep kids learning, too!
Feeling stressed because the kids are home and you’re trying to juggle it all? Once you’ve organized the kids schedule, you’ll have more time to dedicate to building your brand. A friend of mine has a homeschooling schedule she shared which inspired me to create my own version. Now, sticking to this bad boy is a different story -- mama’s gotta work!
You can access it here for reference. Since it’s a ‘View Only’ Google Drive doc, you can’t edit this, so don’t forget to click "File" and "Make A Copy.” This will add your own version to Google Drive so you can edit and customize to your family’s needs.
Here are some other handy resources to help it all feel more manageable:
Abcmouse.com is offering a free, 30-day trial for online learning. And my 6 year old LOVES it.
I’ve also heard great things about Scholastic Learn at Home: Free Resources for School Closures
There you have it! A comprehensive list of tools to help you rock your brand, business and brain during this unprecedented time and beyond!
What’s your favorite tool? If it’s not on the list - please share below in comments!
I hope that you find a way to connect, build or create within your home or business - and come out of this craziness healthy.
xoxo
About Agaland Brand:
As a branding bestie, I help busy small business owners ROCK their brand and turn followers into fans and stories into sales by creating their stories for websites, social, blogs, videos and email.
The service is designed to help busy small business owners get back to what they do best -- running their business -- without stressing over that Instagram post or an email campaign they need to create.
Curious if the service is right for you? Let’s connect!