Recently in the Facebook group for the Design Life Project alumni, Alicia Sturdy wrote,

“Thinking about what it means to help & love our clients. Helping I get. But loving? How do you love a client well?”

I was kind of stumped by her question. We are told to love on our clients, but yes, what DOES that mean, when you are thinking of it in step-by-step terms? I’m finally just now formulating an answer to this question. I think loving on clients looks different on everyone, perhaps it is semantics, on how we as individuals show our love to others. So then, I can only say how I strive to love on clients. When thinking about it, I found 3 major ways that I try to love on my clients:

Come from a place of love

This means to always be on the positive. Brighten their day. Always give clients the best of you. Come from a place of pure intentions and come to them with a full heart. Serve them and their needs with joy in your heart. I hear you – this can be tough sometimes. I get that people have junk going on behind the scenes. I have my fair share of junk going on, but I try my best not to dump my baggage on my clients. I come to them from a place of love, of wanting to help. I check my ego and my problems at the door and I clear my head, if I need to. They deserve the best of me, I’m grateful for every one of my clients and if I’m having a bad day, I cast my cares on Him and pray about it, effectively dumping the garbage, so that I can approach them with a clear slate. Come from a place of love.

Respect their decisions

A lot of times clients come to me having had a less-than-stellar experience with another designer or coder. Sometimes I hear from them is that the last designer did not AGREE with their vision. While I think it is amazing to have a personal style, I still believe that the ‘customer is always right’ in this scenario. What separates designers from a traditional artist (painter, etc.) is that we are solving a problem FOR a client. It’s NOT about us. You have to let go of your Diva and respect your clients decisions, visions and wishes. You lovingly give your input and your feedback, but you need to respect when they don’t agree with you, or if they want something else. I also find a lot of clients apologizing when they don’t like or agree with a design that I’ve chosen. I tell them, hey – do not apologize for your thoughts – it’s NOT about me. YOU need to love it. What YOU think is the most important thing of all. MY version of success comes from a client feeling WELL REPRESENTED and authentic. I’m not painting the next Mona Lisa. I solve a visual design problem. Period. Respect their decisions, and listen to them. Which leads me to my next point….

Listen to them (and hear what they aren’t saying)

Of course I mean this in the literal sense, but I sort of mean it in the hypothetical sense too. Hear not only what they say, but what they aren’t saying. Hear their needs, but also think about what they really need – those things that they are NOT asking for. Going through a re-design is NOT an easy process, and we as professionals OWE it to them to fully utilize our experiences. We know things that they will need, that they have not yet thought of. Listen to what they are asking for, and calculate what else they may need. Pretend it’s your loved one that you are proving this service for – you would make sure they knew all the tips, tricks and helpful hints so that they would be truly successful. THAT’S how you go the extra mile to love on them. You are truly helping them to the best of your ability and hearing their needs whether they state them or not. Invest in them.

Bottom line, if you are genuinely caring for your clients and you are coming from a positive place, they will feel the love. We won’t always be perfect at it, we are human and inherently will make mistakes. But we get back up and try again. It’s loving on others that makes our job fun.

Have a lovely weekend friends!

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REGISTRATION FOR CPP IS CLOSING SOON!

Tired of trading time for money? Need to develop a system of passive profit that doesn’t depend on you? Have no clue what to offer or how to start? This is exactly why I developed the e-course, Create Passive Profits. This course will help you to develop the idea and hit the ground running with it. I’ve also added a coaching portion this time, so I’ll help you one-on-one to help you get started.

I am thrilled to announce that the lovely and super talented Whitney English and I are collaborating on a fun project together for faith & love based women entrepreneurs, called Go Inspire Love. Mark your calendars – we are hosting a FREE insider Webinar on August 21st, at 12pm PST / 3pm EST, for those who’d like to learn more. We’ll be talking about the vision for Go Inspire Love and how we think this will be a game changer.

We hope you can join us!

Hop over to http://goinspirelove.com to register for the free Webinar. We’ll be sending out a reminder the day before, and the details and link the morning of, via email, on where to go to participate.

Till then, Go Inspire Love!

 

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what it means to follow-through, and what separates those of us who JUST dream, and those of us who dream AND DO.

I’ve fortunate to meet some big dreamers, and some big doers. I do think this is a part of a bigger conversation about human personalities and such, but I do think being able to execute ideas is something we can learn, if, we aren’t automatically blessed with that ability. I’ve had success with bringing dreams to fruition and it’s not necessarily one of my strong suits – I used to be a total procrastinator and horrible with follow-through. So, I’d like to share some helpful tips that I use bring a dream to life.

1. Get past your fear

This does not mean be absent of fear, but to not let fear stop you. I wrote a post on conquering fear, in which I broke down a verse in the Bible, that calls us to instead have a spirit of courage and power in the face of fear. Once the fear is named, examined and conquered, we can truly get our idea rolling.

2. Research and Learn

Knowledge truly is power. If you have an idea, take the time to educate yourself about all things relating to your idea. I’m a business book junkie, but I’m also a learning junkie when it comes to something I don’t know. I know what I know, and I know enough to know I don’t know much. When I have a new idea, I hit up Google and books to figure it out. It empowers you to get going.

3. Help and love others

I’ve said this probably 100 times here on DLP and in my classes, but the key to really succeeding in any new endeavor is to clarify HOW you are helping others. When you have your goals in mind and you can SEE how they are helping, your motivation does not wane. If you have the right frame of mind and strength of mission, nothing can stop you.

4. Plan your attack and START

Write down the steps, small as possible, and get started. Baby step your way there if you have to, but just start somewhere – start anywhere. It sounds so simple, but once you get past the fear, have equipped yourself with knowledge, and have the right goals in mind, all that’s left is to just do it. Nothing is standing in your way at that point. Go get it EntreHustlers!

 

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TODAY IS THE LAST DAY FOR EARLY-BIRD REGISTRATION
(use code EARLYBIRD to save $50 off)

Tired of trading time for money? Need to develop a system of passive profit that doesn’t depend on you? Have no clue what to offer or how to start? This is exactly why I developed the e-course, Create Passive Profits. This course will help you to develop the idea and hit the ground running with it. I’ve also added a coaching portion this time, so I’ll help you one-on-one to help you get started.

Recently I was interviewed by Australian web developer Em Winch from Morris Bear on work and life balance, as part of her new Behind the Screens series. See the original post here, and below for the interview!

 

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your business:

Oh goodness, it’s so hard to talk about yourself right? My business is Love-Inspired, a graphic and web design studio. I blog and teach about the life/work balance and business at Design Life Project.

So about me? Here’s the highlight reel: I was artsy from a young age, found my calling as a graphic designer pretty young. I went to school for design, moved to San Diego out of college, got a job right away as a senior graphic and web designer, met my husband, started my stationery business, quit my job, started my graphic + web design business and closed my stationery business, had a daughter, had a crazy tumor that almost killed me, changed my entire outlook on life/business/family, starting teaching the Design Life Project, had another daughter, became an S corp and hired employees, and just bought a house. Phew!

Let me just tell you, I was NEVER the entrepreneurial type. I distinctly remember telling my husband, “I would NEVER want to have my own business.” I liked working for others, without all the responsibility or the risk. Becoming an entrepreneur just sort of happened, it really was God’s plan for my life. I wanted to make some extra cash on the side to help pay for our wedding, so I started a small stationery business and I met with clients at home in the evening. It ended up being surprisingly successful, and once I tasted the entrepreneurial waters, I was never the same. I was working crazy hours and I needed to make a choice between day job and my business. I quit my job at the height of the recession, and if I’m being honest, everyone thought I was a bit crazy for doing so. Here I was… a salaried, senior graphic designer at a cool design firm, while a lot of highly educated, skilled people were jobless. But… I knew something had to give, and I couldn’t bear the thought of quitting my business. My coworker (senior to me) ended up getting laid off only 4 months later after I quit. I left at the perfect time (God’s perfect timing), when *I* was ready. I realized then, that we all have a false view of stability in a day job/working for someone else. The only real stable business is the one that YOU run. I’ve redefined my definition of success. It’s not in a big ad agency making $$$$$$$ – it’s working from home in my small business. It’s having my family just a few steps away, in case we need an impromptu dance party in the middle of the day. It’s being able to employ others who also work from home. It’s being respected and paid what my creativity and experience are worth. It’s being me, and being okay with the fact that I’m not the right fit for everyone. It’s developing beautiful design, using my gifts to glorify the beauty and creativity of my creator. It’s sustaining my creative soul. It’s helping other businesses succeed in bringing their gifts to LIFE. It’s making enough to provide for my family. It’s being THERE when they need me. It’s living a life that has purpose. That’s my version of success.

What was your biggest fear (if any) that you had when starting your business?

I deal with fear on a daily basis – because I’m constantly making big, bold, scary decisions. If you aren’t afraid – what you’re doing isn’t big enough. Truly. The most amazing things I’ve done in life have come after I’ve pushed through the fear. I was afraid of no sales, of rejection, of my clients being unhappy, of not being GOOD ENOUGH. Even after 6 years in business on my own, those fears still sit in my head. But… they are not paralyzing fears – they are empowering fears. You cannot let fear stop you. I see fear as healthy – it keeps my on my toes and keeps me from getting complacent. I’m always combating those voices in my head and I use them as fuel to grow. They will always be there. There is no “other side” or end to a rainbow – we are constantly growing, learning, adapting. It’s a beautiful part of life. Fear has it’s purpose. Use it!

I struggled with overwhelm for a LONG time – going back and forth between a totally free, organic schedule and a tightly organized + scheduled one. Neither worked, but then I found a balance there – a mix of schedule and freedom. So, part of my day consists of a schedule (things I need to get done that day) and then part of my day allows for freedom (the ability to do something when it comes up). I also have schedule and freedom on a weekly and monthly basis. Therefore, it’s always different, but what I developed for myself, is the basis of what I teach in the Design Life Project. I designed my life/work to fit me, my rhythm of creativity, to allow time for all the things I love, and to let go of the things/commitment/clients that I don’t love. For me, that looks like early breakfast with my daughters, emails and business planning in the late mornings, creativity and movement in the afternoons, nights and weekends for rest and family ONLY. I have clear office hours and I stick to them. My clients respect them always. I make time for what matters the most.

I actually don’t. I find long-term plans restrictive and almost always they are wrong anyway. If there’s anything I’ve learned in business – it’s that you have to be adaptable. Actually, I do have a plan for me/us in 5 years. I will be grateful and thriving, I will be serving others and I will be putting my family first. That’s all that matters. Whether I’m still running Love-Inspired, or if I’m a CEO of another company, or if I’m a stay at home mom – I will be true to myself, my needs & wishes for the future Cathy. You’ve got to listen to your heart and stop listening to your head sometimes. I never could have planned this for myself 5 years ago (impossible really) – I just followed what God had planned. I never thought I’d be public speaking, or teaching classes – but I enjoy sharing what I’ve learned in hopes that it helps others, so I went for it. And… it’s okay to stay small. Big isn’t the only picture of success. It’s okay to change your mind. It’s okay to switch gears and head down another path. There’s no point in wasting time heading in a direction you don’t love. Allow yourself to be flexible and to roll with the punches instead. It’s a LOT easier and you will be a lot more successful. 🙂

• First, I’ll repeat what I said above: Always be adapting.

If you find another hobby/passion/love – find a way to infuse it in to your business. Is something not working/selling? Get rid of it. You make the rules, and you can choose when to break them and when to make new ones. Grow. Always be learning and getting better and better. Thrive.

 

• Second: Be in the business of Helping Others.

Love them. Help them succeed. If you are helping others with your business, you will be truly fulfilled and the clients will find you. Enjoy serving them, and give them the best of you.

 

• Third: Respect yourself.

Charge what you are worth, create boundaries, let yourself rest and be authentic. Don’t apologize for who you are. Don’t be afraid to share your faith or beliefs with the world. Be open, but be grateful and full of grace. Work smarter and not harder. Create what YOU wish existed.

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Create a revenue stream that’s not dependent on your time, and is tailored for the CREATIVE business entrepreneur.

Create Passive Profits is a 4-week, online course to help you develop a system to create passive income, so that you are no longer exchanging time for money. Create Passive Profits will help you identify profitable and passive revenue streams to add to your offerings, so that you can free up your time and energy for the things you love. Create Passive Profits will help you decide which information or products are perfect for creative entrepreneurs, how to develop them to their full potential, and start making profits RIGHT AWAY.

Passive income is money that’s created without extensive effort, that can be re-used or resold for reoccurring income. Once it’s developed, and systems are automated, you are no longer limited by time and your sales can exponentially grow with little effort. Create Passive Profits gives you the tools to work less hours and still do what you love!

Are you a creative who:

• Understands the value of passive profits, but has no idea how to implement them in a creative business?
• Is afraid of relying too heavily on your current clients or getting new clients for income and stability?
• Finds your revenue is limited because you only have so many hours in a day?
• Feels like you have more information or skills to offer the world, but can’t find the time to figure it all out?
• Would love a flexible schedule and more free time?
• Wants to diversify your income in case you ever need time off?

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Perhaps you are getting busier than ever before, and you are SERIOUSLY worried about sustainability. Maybe you’re feeling limited in how much income you can earn in your current role and with your current offerings. Possibly you’re like most of us, and feel like your true potential isn’t being utilized, but you’re stuck on how to start. This robust e-course will give you the ideas and tools to help you define the perfect passive income offerings FOR YOU, and walk you through the steps on how to start offering them, in just 4 weeks!

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Would you like to:

• Reduce your client dependency?
• Build a healthy and more consistent cash flow?
• Create endless revenue stream potential?
• Use 100% of your creative potential and feel TOTALLY inspired?
• Broaden your audience and cross-promotional opportunities?
• Have FUN?

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Each week, you’ll get:

 

• Comprehensive training videos for each lesson (approximately 15 – 30 minutes long, Mondays and Wednesdays)
• The video lesson in on Vimeo – Mobile-friendly
• Worksheets and examples to help you apply the techniques to your business
• Action steps so you can get actually develop your system as you go
• Teacher feedback, and fellow student feedback

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Week 1: Smart Passive Income and How it Will Work for YOU

In the first week, you will learn all about passive income and reoccurring revenue streams. You will learn about the different types, including the two major groups, and also some little known others. You will get a great overview of all the possibilities and EXACTLY what it will mean for your business (and for you). We will get you fired up to start this new path by hitting the ground running

Week 2: Identifying Your Direction and YOUR Unique Offerings

In the second week, you will learn how to discover the direction you’d like to take your profits, and exactly how you’re going to do it. I will help you identify what brings you JOY and what ignites your best work. You will learn how to identify market gaps, and what your ideal clients are looking for. You will discover the products or information THEY crave and you will fill the niche and in turn, be able to charge a premium for it.

Week 3: Focusing on Informational Offerings + Taking Action

In the third week, you will learn how all about the potential of informational offerings and how they can create massive revenue streams. I will show you how to use your expertise and smarts to leverage information that others will pay a large premium for. I will show you how to create these offerings, how to price them, and how they can be reused over and over and continually make profits. You will learn how to continue this path and keep creating amazing offerings that blow them out of the water, every time. You will learn how to effectively market your offerings for amazing results.

Week 4: Focusing on Product Offerings + Taking Action

In the fourth week, you will learn how to all about product offerings – both physical and digital. I will show you how to use your strengths and intuition to create products that people love and can’t stop raving about to their friends. You will learn about resources on where to sell your products for maximum profits. You will learn what’s involved in product selling and what will truly make your products stand out from all the others.

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Create Passive Profits is taught by Graphic and Web Designer Cathy Olson, owner of the design studio Love-Inspired. She has over 14 years experience as a professional graphic designer, and has worked with a range of businesses – big ones like Disney, Costco, Best Buy and Walmart – to small ones like work-from-home moms, working from a desk and a laptop in the wee hours. Cathy started her own design business over 6 years ago, and in that time has helped hundreds of businesses find their authentic voice through exploration, social media, marketing, graphics, and web. She has dealt first-hand with the juggling a thriving business, being a mom to a growing family, and personal goals. She’s determined to work less and play more – all while cultivating her thirst for art, helping others and using God-given talents. She’s experienced in business, marketing and strategy and LOVES continually learning and teaching others to work less and make more. This class is perfect for designers, photographers, artists and creatives who want to have more free time, have a monetarily healthy and rewarding business, become independent in your business and truly help brighten others lives with your gifts.

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Let’s FINALLY free up your time, and work smarter to make more money with LESS effort. There is a lot of corporate information out there on passive income, but it’s hard to figure out how to apply it to CREATIVE businesses. You will finally be able to identify a clear route towards developing a passive revenue stream JUST FOR YOU. You will learn how to develop the information and products that people WANT from you.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

I’m so busy. Can I register, but start it later when I know things will have quietened down? The course spans over 4 weeks and is very robust. Each week we will have lessons and worksheets, and you can do them in your spare time. You will also have access to the private Facebook group to bounce your ideas off of. We are packing a lot of information into 4 weeks, so you can absolutely take longer at each step if you need to. You will be able to download all the content and access the course site for at least three months after the program finishes.

What kind of teaching can I expect in the course? What’s included? The Create Passive Profits e-course is content and resource rich. Enrolling in Create Passive Profits includes full access to the online classroom, video tutorials, Q&A and worksheets to identify your unique offerings, as well as access to a private Facebook group where you can connect and share with your classmates and get feedback directly from Cathy. After 4 weeks, you will have the potential to start developing your products right away.

When does the class start? Registration opens February 24, 2014! Class begins Monday March 24, 2014. You’ll be able to download all content and access the course site for at least three months after the program finishes.

Does the course meet at a certain time? Does it matter what part of the world I’m in? Create Passive Profits is a virtual course, you can participate from anywhere at anytime! Lessons will be posted online throughout the week, and you can log into the course at any time to view them.

How much time can I expect to spend on the course? You’ll get new content on the course site throughout the week, M-F. We’ll start with a lesson, then a worksheet, some observation and testing, and then end the week with resources to explore on your own. You can expect to spend anywhere between 30 to 90 minutes reviewing the content and completing the exercises and work for the class each day, depending on the length of the lesson. Some people may work through the content more quickly, and others may want to spend more time. All the content will help you develop your personalized plan by the end of the Create Passive Profits e-course.

How are payments handled? Payment is securely processed via PayPal and can be made using your PayPal balance or credit card. Please note that all course correspondence will be sent to the email address associated with your PayPal account. To use a different email address, please forward your PayPal invoice to cathy@love-inspired.com.

Other questions? Email me at cathy@love-inspired.

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Tired of trading hours for dollars? Interested in learning how to build systems to develop passive revenue streams? I’ll be opening registration next Monday for the Create Passive Profits e-course. This session is going to have some updates and changes, and there will be 3 tiers this time around – including an option for past CPP takers!

There are 3 ways to take the next class of Create Passive Profits, and it’s really exciting!

Tier One – CPP + Coaching

Early-bird registration code will be $50 off
DLP alums code will be $100 off

This tier will include the 4 week CPP program, access to the CPP community, and will include 2 coaching calls/chats, 30 minutes each with me. The purpose of the calls will be to evaluate your finding halfway through, and then to help you get started on your plan after the 4 weeks. This is helpful for those who need help clarifying, choosing and starting.

Tier Two – CPP only

Early-bird registration code will be $50 off
DLP alums code will be $100 off
CPP alums code make this course free to re-take

This tier will include the 4 week CPP program, and will include access to the CPP community for feedback. You will have access to the course for at least 6 months after the course runs, in case you’d like to take it at your own pace.

Tier Three – Coaching only (For Create Passive Profit Alums Only)

CPP alums code make this course free to re-take, coaching add-on is $100

This tier is for those CPP alums who took the class the last session, would like to retake it (free) and would like the option to add on the coaching calls this time around. The cost of the course is free, and the upgrade to add on the (2) 30 minute coaching calls is just $100. This is helpful for those who took the course, perhaps didn’t have the time or clarity, and need a little help making their plan a reality.

 

Still deciding if passive income is right for you?

Check out all the posts in the series to help you:

Is ‘Create Passive Profits’ e-course right for me?

The Case for Passive Income

Create Passive Profits What to Expect Video

New idea fear busting #1: It’s been done

New idea fear busting #2: I’m not {blank} enough

New idea fear busting #3: Someone will steal my idea

New idea fear busting #4: I don’t have enough time

 

Have a Happy Friday and wonderful weekend! See you first thing on Monday when registration opens!