Three Steps to Overcome a Place of Fear

As we enter into the last month of the year I've been thinking a lot about fear and my personal journey into the entrepreneur world. I've seen a lot of growth in myself, my peers and my clients over the past year, but I've also seen a lot of people staying stuck.

To truly move forward in life and business, you have to recognize when you are acting from a place of fear. My fears often come up around money or letting down the people I love most. Where are your fears coming up?

In January, I had a desire to leave by 9 to 5, and although I was scared sh*tless, I invested in a coach. I have to be honest with you, if I would have allowed myself to act from a place of fear I would not of left my 9 to 5 in 2016 and would still be in a state of just dreaming. Over the past year I've developed a process to recognize these deep fears, to move past them and live in a moment of trust.

I'd love to offer you in this moment three things that you can do when fear starts to arise in your life. My hope Is that you will be able to recognize these feelings as feelings of fear and learn to trust yourself, the Universe and the growth that is in store for you.

So no matter what you're currently facing, where fear may be showing up for you, by using the following steps you will start to go from a place of fear and overwhelm to a place of love and trust.

three step process to recognize when acting from a place of fear

Step 1 - Recognize the fear.

Often times when we start to feel overwhelmed with the possibility of a negative outcome we will lash out, yell, cry or just throw ourselves into busy work. When this starts happening in your life take a second to sit in stillness, close your eyes and just breathe. Take a moment to really recognize and acknowledge these feelings as a state of fear.

Step 2 - What's the worst that could happen?

When I was thinking about leaving my 9 to 5 and feeling overwhelmed with the fear that I could possibly let my family down, my coach asked me this simple question, "What's the worst that could happen Michelle?" For me it was that I might have to wait tables a few nights a week; definietely not a reason to NOT go after something that could drastically improve my life and the life of my family. To not go for something, that could impact our lives, because we're fearful of a terrifying outcome, is just ridiculous. So next time this feeling comes up for you reflect and ask yourself "what's the worst that could happen?" I bet it isn't as scary as your fears are telling you it is.

Step 3 - Ask for guidance.

Now, I'm not proposing you ask a family or friend for guidance, I truly believe the answer lies within you and you know exactly how you should act. What I'm proposing is you verbally ask yourself for advice. Ask yourself and the Universe for the advice and guidance that you need. So often we have an idea or opportunity and we instantly knock it down, we don't look deeper enough to recognize that we were acting from a place of fear. When we act suddenly without any sort of thought or reflection we are allowing ourselves to move further and further into fear. The answer you are searching for is inside, you just have to ask.

I want you to make yourself a promise. Promise yourself that you will start to recognize these feelings; that you will really reflect on them and that you will make decisions based on your passions, your purpose and how you want your story to end.  Don't let fear dictate your life, trust me when I tell you it really isn't worth it, life on the other side of fear is so beautiful.

I mean what's the worst that could happen?

BE MERRY!

Michelle Knight

P.S. If you are ready to break free of these limitations and the fears that keep coming up for you and ready to step into your true purpose of impacting the world then you want to take advantage of one of my 5 spots left for 2016. Overcoming limitations is just one aspect of my program Passport to Freedom, but is so important in order to step into your true purpose. Learn more here >>

How to Write Effective Email Marketing Content with a Small EMAIL List

How to Write Effective Email Marketing Content with a Small EMAIL List

**This content was updated in November 2019

Email marketing is important whether you run an online business or a brick and mortar. The reality is every website today needs a website and an online presence. Yet, so many people are relying solely on social media to run their business.

The truth is you (we) don’t own those platforms, if Facebook or Instagram went away tomorrow could you successfully run your business?

Sure, a new platform will pop up, it always does, but how do you plan on telling you’re followers you’ve moved. Email marketing and email lists specifically are a way to stay in contact with your community, no matter what is happening on social media.

When I started my business I began building my online community via lead generation and hosting my own private Facebook group. I learned pretty quickly that even with a small email list I could make sales.

When I officially launched my business in July 2016, the first thing I did was to nurture my existing list, which wasn’t big at all and started building valuable relationships.

This is what helped me get my first paying clients.

I celebrated $15,000 cash with a list under 100 women and had my first $10k month with under 1,000 subscribers.

I’ve continued to implement the same practices as I’ve scaled my business to multiple 6-figures in three years.

Today, I'm sharing the exact 4 steps I used to let my true voice come through so you can implement them in your own business to build valuable relationships with your email subscribers.

1. Discover Your True Voice

Write how you speak, yes it truly is that simple. So many people overlook this or overcomplicate the sh*t out of it because they feel like they should speak a certain way to be taken seriously, that they should mimic what successful people in their industry are doing.

Listen, if you don’t write like you speak people are going to start connecting the dots and realize that you are not authentic and will not trust you. If you like to give a lot of detail and are a storyteller like me, then write that way.

The reality is there are already going to be people who don’t read your whole email and don’t like your style, so don’t even worry about pleasing them. Be yourself and connect with your ideal client.

By doing this, you’ll build trust faster with your true fans, rather than worrying about pleasing everyone and muddying your message.

Two strategies I use are:

• Pretend you are writing a letter to your friend

• Utilize a speech to text tool. Google Docs has an option called Voice Typing, simply talk about your subject and Google will turn that into written content. This is a great option if you are just starting out or find yourself freezing every time you open your computer to write.

2. Become Clear On Your BRAND Messaging

You need to be speaking to one person when you write your emails, posts, live streams whatever. This person needs to be so clear in your mind that you can pinpoint their pains and pleasures.

Now, I don’t want you to get wrapped up in exactly what your client needs and try to reformat your life and language to meet them, but I do want you to become clear on those pains and pleasures in their life so you can speak to them using your real-life experiences.

There are three things to keep in mind with your messaging:

1. Your purpose (why are you doing this?)

2. What you do, who you serve, what they are struggling with and how they benefit from your expertise

3. Their 3 major pains and 3 major pleasures

Use your three pieces above as a reference point to check in with yourself to see if you are still on track when it comes to your messaging every time you send an email to your subscribers.

If you’re looking for more support with your messaging, Check out this post.

3. Uncover Your Story

It is important to have your brand story laid out from the very beginning, but also be super aware of micro stories that are happening in your day to day. To start think of three major shifts that have happened in your life. For me, it was the loss of my brother to childhood cancer, the birth of my son and my decision to skip college after high school graduation (not in that order).

As you can see these shifts can be both major or subtle, it doesn’t matter, what matters is the impact it had on you and the lessons you learned (i.e. how you grew). Narrow down your three and write each story out, paying attention to details that you might share with your ideal client.

For instance, if I’m writing to my client, who struggles with time, I give them tips for how I manage time, but I also share my personal story of starting a business, working 9 to 5 and raising my son who ultimately led me on this path to entrepreneurship. Bring it back to your story every single time.

Looking for additional tips on Brand Story? Check out this post here.

4. Pull From Real-Life Experiences

There are a few tools I like to use to plan out my content. I love spreadsheets and I’m sorry if you don’t, but I love them and I use them in every area of my business. I create a spreadsheet with columns for each week of the month and columns for the number of emails I send. I use this to plan out my content because it allows me to see from a month’s view exactly what I’ll be sharing with my community.

You can download my free content calendar and learn my top strategies here.

While I’m mapping out my monthly content, I pull from real-life experiences and encourage you to do so as well. I look at every single opportunity in my life to get inspiration from. I take note! I use a few tools to keep track of all of this:

• Notepad in my phone (my favorite by far)

• I have a physical notepad reserved for ideas and stories I can share

• My journal, these often come to me in morning meditations

At the end of the month, I pull from these various places and develop my content for the month ahead. If something really stood out to me and I feel like my community needs to hear it because it is so in alignment with my purpose, message and characteristics of my ideal client, I will rearrange my schedule to fit it in.

Conclusion

My biggest tip for you as you begin to nurture your small email list is to focus on story. It’s true that in the beginning, you don’t have as much to share and that’s ok. Maybe you’re just getting started and don’t have much content, but you do have your story.

Use your story to connect with your audience in a deeper way.

**If you’re interested in learning more about storytelling and branding specifically then I’d love to invite you to check out my new training where I’m sharing The Build a Better Brand Method.

P.S. Are we connected on Instagram? I spending time in my IG Stories these days, sharing behind the scenes of my life and business.
Head there now. 

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meet michelle

Hey there, I'm Michelle Knight and I an online branding and marketing consultant for female entrepreneurs.

I believe in the power of storytelling and using that superpower to brand and market yourself online...oh and to set yourself free.

I'm obsessed with living a life of freedom, so much so, that my family and I now travel full-time while running my business from the road.

This blog serves as a home base for all things branding, marketing, content creation and more.

What I Learned in Amsterdam

#DREAMMERRY

Ok, let me begin with the disclaimer that this is not going to be that kind of email. I’m sure Amsterdam is one hell of a city without children ;) Or visit was a little more mild, but oh so impactful.

While visiting Amsterdam for a day during our 10-Day European Adventure, my husband insisted on visiting the Van Gogh Museum. To say I was not really excited is kind of an understatement. I’m really not an art freak, my husband is an artist, but besides his art work, which is totally free to me, I have never purchased or acquired art for my home.

However, our life is all about compromise so I strapped in my little guy and prepared to mindlessly wander through the Van Gogh Museum. Boy was I in for a rude awakening.

I found such joy in reading about this complex man’s life - he was so much more than just a revolutionary artist, he was a man with so many levels. WHAT TRULY STOOD OUT TO ME AND WHAT I REALLY CAN'T STROP TALKING ABOUT IS THAT VAN GOGH DECIDED HE WANTED TO BECOME A PAINTER AT 27!! Yeah you read that right, one of the most acclaimed painters in the world, decided that at age 27, well into his adult life, that he had a passion for art and was going to pursue it.

I was seriously blown away reading this within the first few minutes of entering the museum. The rest of the time I spent reading as much as I could about this man, studying his work, reading about his personal demons and leaving a different person than I came in.

I have always believed that it is never too late to change your life, it is something I preach on a regular basis. I mean I became a mother and started my own business at 28, so I definitely know it is possible. But what really stood out to me was that a person, could follow their passion and impact the world in such a small window of time.

Now I don’t know him personally and honestly don’t know much aside from what I learned during my time at the museum, but I truly believe that Van Gogh made a decision - he wasn’t going to keep doing what didn’t inspire him and was going to make his future exactly what he wanted.

We all have this power, the power to achieve greatness, paint our own future, rewrite our own ending. What we have to do is make the decision and not believe that it is too late for us, because it isn’t. I don’t care how old or young you are, if you have the passions and the purpose you can do anything!

BE MERRY!

Michelle Knight

P.S. It is a new month, yes November is here and there are only a few months left before we jump head first into 2017. I’m offering the phenomenal women on my email list the opportunity to get a head start to 2017 by offering custom, affordable coaching. Schedule a call with my this week to learn about this special opportunity. Don’t wait another minute to make major changes in your life and get the support and accountability to make it happen quickly >> bit.ly//BrandmerryChat

Confession: I have a control problem

#LIVEMERRY

Hello! We are back from our 10-day expedition to Europe and survived traveling to three countries with a 10-month old!! I've had a lot of time to really think about what I want to share with you and something very powerful came up for me - I have a control problem.

I've always been the type of person who wants to do it themselves. I often feel like it is easier to just take care of it by myself, because I know it will get done quickly and will be done right. Do you ever feel this way?

As a new mother, I'm realizing more and more that it is just not possible for me to take care of everything. To be honest, I thought that by becoming a full-time entrepreneur and leaving my 9 to 5 I would suddenly have a ton of time. Now, I do have more time in the day, but the ideas for my business just keep coming and coming and I'm spending my time making each one of the possible.

This all came up for me before we left for our trip to Europe. In the past I’ve really been on top of my sh*t and had our trips planned out weeks in advance. However, just three days before we were set to leave I realized I hadn't booked the train tickets, I still needed to go to the store, laundry wasn't done and I had not even started compiling a list of things we might want to see and do, oh and I didn't even notice they changed our departure time!!

In that moment I seriously felt like I had dropped the ball. Why did I let this happen?

Oh yeah because I felt like I needed to do it all myself. My husband is so supportive, but let's be honest he can't read my mind, I mean no one can that would just be scary. I have to ask for help and I definitely didn't.

My business has grown so fast and continues to grow, we were leaving on a major European adventure and oh yeah I still have to take care of the day-to-day tasks, no wonder I lost it. I needed help and after a small cry fest with my husband he reminded me that asking for help and releasing control is not a weakness.

I repeat, releasing control, reducing the pressure, asking for help, taking the time, is not a sign of weakness! It is so important to get the help and support you need. Let it go and trust that it will all work out, controlling every single situation is not beneficial to you or your life of freedom.

If you are struggling with this or feel like you have to do it all alone, you don't. Reach out and get help from someone who supports you and genuinely cares about you and your happiness!

Create a Morning Routine That Works for You

#LiveMerry

I can’t stress enough how important it is to begin your morning with some sort of routine. A morning routine sets the tone for your entire day and I honestly believe makes it easier to handle whatever life may throw at you.

While I was working my 9 to 5, I made it a point to complete some part of my morning ritual every single day. It wasn’t always easy, sometimes my son cooperated and sometimes he didn’t, but I was always sure to do some part in order to get my day started in a positive, energetic way.

Now that I've left my 9 to 5 and have more time to dedicate to my morning practice, I’m able to spend about an hour on my morning routine, but that came with time and definitely didn't happen overnight. I want you to remember one of my favorite quotes as you read further into this blog post, “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”

There will be days when you can only do one thing on this list, and that is fine. There will be days when you are able to complete every single thing your heart desires, and that is fine too. The point of a morning routine is to connect with yourself, if even for five minutes and live your day with purpose.

I’ve included my top seven things to create a morning ritual with, but remember to create the routine that best serves you where you are in your life:

Journal - Take just 10 minutes every morning to journal about what you are currently facing in your life. I encourage you to not look ahead, but simply address what is happening in your life this very moment. Some of my best ideas have come from journaling first thing in the morning.

Meditate - If you are new to meditation I don’t want the word, meditation, to scare you. Think of this as a listening practice. Simply sit, count your breaths, listen to what the Universe has in store for you and be still. Every single morning I begin with a simple meditation, whether that be laying in bed, sitting on the porch or in the shower. Just taking at least five minutes to be still can make all the difference.

Walk/Yoga - Begin your morning with a brisk walk or morning yoga routine. Walking is an excellent morning routine if you have children or a fur baby. It gets your blood and thoughts flowing and if you are like me and always looking for ways to maximize the time, I suggest taking this time to add in some self-reflection.

Reading - I highly suggest reading/listening 10 minutes every day to inspirational books. When I was driving to work every morning I would use that time to listen to my books on Audible - like I said I’m all about maximizing my time.

Hot Beverage - This is such an amazing routine if you are short on time or as an added addition. There is something so soothing about enjoying a hot beverage first thing in the morning. For you if may be coffee, hot water with lemon or tea. I personally love a hot soy chai in the morning - there are very few things that make me feel so energized and ready to take on the day.

Visualization - The practice of visualizing is excellent in taking your mindset work up a notch. I started incorporating visualization a little over a month ago and have seen major progress in my mindset work. I want to emphasis progress because this technique requires regular practice. I like to take two minutes and visualize an outcome I’m looking forward to (think number of clients signed, a celebration dinner or money in the bank). The point of this exercise is to visualize the end result - really be there!y

Gratitude Practice - There is nothing better than beginning your day with immense gratitude for everything you have. This is also a great practice if you are strapped for time. Simply list five things that you are grateful for in that moment - that’s it. I also like to incorporate this into my nightly routine, as a way to close out my day.

The ideas above are just a few of the ways you can really maximize your day right from the start. Create a routine that fits you, exactly where you are and prepares you for the day ahead mentally, physically and spiritually.

BE MERRY!

Michelle Knight

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