Creating a business takes a heck of a lot of hutzpah. Because you’re reading this, I already know you have a rare entrepreneurial spirit and desire for more, deep in your cells. You’re constantly trying new things and pushing your own limits.

When you’re exploring new territory, it’s completely normal to feel out of your depth. It’s natural to feel underprepared – unsure of your ability to deliver and succeed. But you shouldn’t let that stop you from making big shifts in your life!

This post is about building confidence in your new business – the confidence you need to show up fully each day, ready for whatever comes at you.

Inspiration & Motivation, BusinessAshley ChymiyDecember 1, 2017new business owner, Business, motivation

Can Your Brand Be Too Consistent? Shake it Up!

Lately I’m seeing some very diligent business owners – smart cookies who understand the value of branding – creating content that could be called too consistent. It always looks and feels exactly the same, carries the same tone, uses the same format, is painstakingly curated, and misses the opportunity to reflect the human experience.

You know what else acts the same all the time, no matter what is happening around it? A robot.

Hyper-consistency can feel safe and even “correct” from a branding perspective – but after a while of too-perfect consistency, it can begin to feel stale, inauthentic, and like your heart isn’t in it. Like you’re not deeply invested in your work and living it every day.

Ashley ChymiySeptember 22, 2017

Hiring a Biz coach? Know What to Look For!

Hey you, new entrepreneur!

Are you new to the online business world? Are you suddenly seeing ads every which way, showing beautiful women laughing and cavorting across tropical islands in designer clothes, promising that you, too, can have six-figure months in just a few short weeks?

Yea, me too. And I was especially bombarded with these ads when I started researching online business to prepare for my launch.

I’m not naming names, but you may have caught yourself lying in bed reading these people’s webpages at 2am in the dark, your eyes bugging out of your head, wondering if you, too, could make a million dollars this year in passive income, “retire your husband,” and go travel the world.

If that’s your dream, awesome! I fully support that. But along your journey, you may encounter people who promise they can get you there super fast in just a few weeks – big on promises, short on details.

Resilience as a New Entrepreneur

Hello, wonderful you! Ashley here, coming at you analog-style.

That’s right – I’m writing this post with a good old fashioned pen, on good old-fashioned paper, using my good old-fashioned hand. (Okay, it has to be typed up at some point, but this draft is totally old school).

Why am I writing this blog post by hand? Well, just moments ago, I was settling in at my desk to write my weekly-ish blog post. I’ve worked over the past few months to maintain a regular blogging habit, and it was time to reinforce it.

But just as I pulled open a new document, the power went out.

Yep – no flickering, no off, then on, then back off. Just out, FOREVER.

Okay, not forever. It will come back on eventually I’m sure (unless this is the end of the world, in which case this day is going very differently from what I expected).

I’ll be honest – for a split-second I thought, “Oh well! Too bad! The universe doesn’t want me to blog, I guess. After all, my blog post ideas are in a Word doc I obviously can’t access right now.”

How to Claim the Position You WANT!

Hey...where are you?

In bed? On a train? At the library? Your favorite café?

Whatever your answer is, that is your position. And if your position is where you want to be, woohoo! You’ve succeeded at deciding where you want to be and then going there. Well done!

But if where you are isn’t where you want to be, you need start by doing some positioning – that is, you need to figure out where you’d rather be.

Now let’s tweak this question – where is your business?

It’s still a simple question, but when it comes to your brand, the answer might not be so simple. If your business isn’t exactly where you want to be, you guessed it – it’s time for positioning!

My "Popcorn" Blogging Method

This post is all about quickly creating blog copy that feels fresh, alive, and authentic to your personality. And because I’m hungry and waiting for dinner to finish in the slow cooker, I’m using a food analogy.

Picture this: You’re about to make popcorn. With gusto, you unfurl the crinkly tri-fold of popcorn and Frisbee-throw it into the microwave. Beep-beep-beep, you enter the time indicated on the box, and hit “START.” Then your delicate dance with fate begins.

The popping slowly begins, crescendos to a popping mania, and lo, it dwindles back down to slow popping again.

You spring into action and hit the “STOP” button. With trepidation, you open the microwave and delicately drag the popcorn bag out of the microwave. It smells buttery and fresh. Unburnt… or so you hope.

You delicately open the bag, shake it a bit, and….

FEAR and How to Kick it in the Tush

Ahh, the F-word.

If you have ever gotten a new business or product off the ground, you may know something a little thing called fear.

One moment you’re chugging along, whistling while you work, happily chipping away at a project. And then the next moment, it’s like you run smack into an invisible force field – and try as you might, there’s no getting past it.

I’ll let you in on a secret: As I write this post, I’m in the middle of experiencing a spell of fear and resistance.

I’m getting closer to a big new launch, after working on it for weeks and weeks, and it’s like all my deepest fears are bubbling up to the surface. Am I hitting the mark? Is my copy going to resonate the way I want it to? Should I go back to the drawing board on that thing I don’t think is perfect yet? The list goes on.

Luckily I’ve been here before, so I see it for what it is – garden variety resistance.

Become Your OWN Productivity Coach

Hey there friend – if you’re reading this, you may struggle with productivity and motivating yourself to take action. As a result, you may feel totally stuck in your current situation.

If that’s you, I SO feel your pain. Trust me. I want you to know, first of all, that you are not alone.

Here’s my story.

Not so long ago, I struggled hard with feeling unhappy in my career. I hit my five-year anniversary of working at a large firm on marketing contracts with major brands and programs. The work was engaging and rewarding, and my coworkers and clients were incredible. But it was just so, so far away from the hopes and dreams I had for my career.

I needed to take steps in a new direction, and I knew generally what I needed to do, but the road seemed so long and difficult. I couldn’t even make myself start.

I was stuck in a loop of negative self-talk.

My 7 Favorite Podcasts for Creative Entrepreneurs

If you read my previous post, How to Become Your Own Productivity Coach, you know I’m a huge advocate of using any spare minutes you have throughout the day to listen to and internalize messages that motivate and inspire you to move forward.

It’s a crazy effective and simple way to “hack your brain,” challenge your own negative self-talk, and transform your inner dialogue into a constant encouragement and motivator.

So as a follow-up, I wanted to share a few of my all-time favorite podcasts for entrepreneurs and creatives alike, to help boost your creativity and productivity!

Attract your DREAM Clients to Your Biz!

Just about every part of your brand strategy comes down to knowing your ideal customer and the experience you want to give them.

You may be thinking, “Why focus on just one customer? Everyone can benefit from my product or service.” I hear you, and I understand your hesitation! But when you’re super clear about who your ideal customer is, here is the good stuff that happens.

You create “This is for me” moments. The best brands are for someone, and that someone recognizes it as being for them – like an exclusive club where they belong. And if you want raving fans who LOVE and identify with what you’re doing, and what you stand for, you want to build a brand that not everyone loves – some people will say you’re just not for them. And that’s okay. Uglydolls may be not for you, but they are for someone, and that's why they've earned $100 million+ in revenue.
You spark curiosity. When I happen across a business that appeals to my aesthetic, personality, and current situation, I immediately want to see and hear more – give me more eye candy! It’s a dopamine rush. That's one thing we all have in common – we all really, really like dopamine. I want to know what the business owner has to say to me, because they clearly understand me and know what I’m going through.(If you want to kill curiosity, make your content as generic as possible. Womp-womp.)

Brand strategy, BusinessAshley ChymiyMay 9, 2017Branding, Strategy, Ideal customer, Clients, Business, Audience

13 Little Ways to Grow Brand Love Today

I have a confession to make.

My husband Chris is way better at showing appreciation than I am. He does little things frequently and quietly behind the scenes, on a regular basis, to let me know he cares. When I have a crummy day, he comes home with takeout from my favorite Chinese food place. When I show interest in something in July, six months later it’s Christmas morning, and I’m unwrapping it in our living room.

What a guy, right? I think I’ll keep him.

How do I show affection and appreciation? Well...usually I wait for him to tell me about some problem he’s facing, and then I stampede in to tell him everything he needs to do to fix it. I fixate on big challenges – things I honestly don’t have much control over – and forget about the little things I can do today to make his life happier.

I blame it on my years as a project manager (I’ve been brainwashed to think I can solve every problem)! But I’m trying to retrain myself to take a more measured approach, and instead look for little opportunities to help and show I care.

In many ways, building a business is the same story!

Market Research (For People Who Hate Research)

Does the phrase “market research” make you feel a little nervous?

(If not, awesome! But hang tight – the rest of us need to have a chat.)

The word “research” alone may be enough to transport you back to late nights in the basement of your school library, desperately poring over old books and clicking through JSTOR and Lexus Nexus hours before a big report is due.

I get it! You didn’t decide to start your own business so you can write book reports.

"Market research” can also evoke the idea of digging up dirt on the competition and plotting to steal their customers. Some people do that, but I promise, it's not what I'm asking you to do.

Brand strategy, BusinessAshley ChymiyApril 29, 2017Branding, Strategy, Positioning, Market research

Does Your Brand Pass the "Coffee Date" Test?

"Your brand and your ideal customer meet for coffee.
What happens? What do they talk about?"

Take two minutes and try to come up with a short list of 3-4 things your brand and your ideal customer would have to talk about over macchiatos and hazelnut lattes.

How did you do? If the conversation covers a variety of interesting topics and issues, you're on the right track!

But if all your answers revolve around your service or product, you may be missing an opportunity.

Don't worry! We're going to fix it.

Imagine this: You meet up with a friend, and she opens the conversation by trying to sell you something. You try to change the subject, but the conversation keeps coming back to what she can do for you. Erm.

If you're like me, you might gulp down your coffee and start planning your escape.