It’s been nearly TWO months since the last episode of the Marketing Your Business podcast. Why? I’ll explain in this episode along with how to navigate overwhelm (because that’s exactly what was happening for me).

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Big Ideas

How I Got Overwhelmed [1:10]

So why did I drop off for nearly two months? Truth be told, this season of business and life, meaning everything from January forward, has been a lot. We’ve had our biggest launch ever, which I detailed in episode 177, and we have been running full tilt ever since. Things just started to stack on top of each other – we went into our new membership launch, Searchie has taken off like crazy, we had our TRIBE Live event, and in the midst of it all my wife and I were launching another business, The Dover Lakehouse. Then of course, kids have been home! And navigating COVID with kids at home, while still trying to build a business, is a challenge. And quite frankly, I’ve just been burnt out – this is what it boils down to.

In all of our lives, as we’re trying to manage and juggle all the things, while simultaneously trying to build our business, sometimes it can feel tremendously overwhelming. What do you do in these moments? How do you navigate that and yet still stay on track, as you continue to move forward with your journey? I’m going to give you three quick tips that have helped me come to terms with where I’m at, and to be okay with making some decisions that mean I may not be able to do all the things.

Breath And Remember – It’s Just A Season [5:17]

Number one, I want you to breath and remind yourself that this is a season. It’s not going to be this intense for the rest of time. When you start wrapping your head around this fact, you realize there’s going to be an end to this, things will get back to some kind of normal eventually, and it almost gives you permission to relax a little bit. So this is exactly what I kept reminding myself. I needed to be okay with the fact that I’m not going to be able to do all the things during this season. This season is more intense, and navigating all of these challenges is more emotionally, psychologically and physically draining. It’s okay to take a step back so that you can take two, five, one hundred steps forward down the road. Because if you don’t, burn out is real. And when burn out happens, it can be more dangerous and more harmful to your business and your life than trying to take a step back.

Get Clear On Your Big Rocks [7:17]

Number two, get clear on what your big rocks are. I know that those of us who are high achievers want to achieve and do all the things, to continue to blaze new trails and incorporate new strategies. But in a season like this, you have to get clear on the big rocks. What really matters for you to grow your business? When you take a step back, and you get clear on your big rocks, it starts to put everything into perspective. You start to realize what things are nice to have, and what things are must-haves. When we’re growing the business primarily online, the thing that really matters for you to grow your business really boils down to a few key components.

Number one is traffic. We need to get eyeballs to see our offer. If nobody sees our offer, it doesn’t matter how good the offer is, we’re not going to make any sales. While there are a lot of things you can do to get traffic, focus on one primary source of traffic that you’re going to pour your attention into right now.

The second big rock is conversion. We can have all the traffic in the world but if nobody buys, the business isn’t going to grow. The first step in conversion in our business is driving traffic to the opt-in page, because we want to stay in touch with people who have an interest in what we’re offering. So if we can improve that one page, it can have a dramatic impact on the rest of the business. What are those small hinges that swing big doors for you and your business?

The third big rock, especially for those of us who are in the membership and subscription business, is retention – keeping people happy and paying month after month after month. The longer a member continues to pay, the more money the business makes.

Focus On Your Next Right Step [12:15]

Number three, focus on your next right step. In times of overwhelm, it may feel like there’s a million and one steps of things that you should do. But what’s the next right step amongst all of that that you could take today? You can’t beat yourself up for not having done all the things because this is the season. You have to acknowledge that and give yourself grace in these moments, because if you don’t, it’s going to lead to a burn out, and it’s going to have a far worse impact on you and your business.

Memorable Quote

“What are those small hinges that swing big doors for you and your business?” – Stu McLaren

“If nobody sees your offer, it doesn’t matter how good the offer is, you’re not going to make any sales.” – Stu McLaren

Resources

• Episode 177 – TRIBE Launch Debrief
• The Dover Lakehouse

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