9 Things That Are Working Right Now
Episode Summary:
Hi friends, today’s episode is going to be a behind the scenes podcast episode. I’m sharing a snapshot of the nine things in my life right now that I'm loving. You know that I am an efficiency and productivity nerd, so I just want to share with you what's working right now in my business and my life and I hope it's useful for you. Also real quick – I just want to say thank you for tuning in. I do not take for granted that you stop and listen to The Heart Center Entrepreneur Podcast, that you are in the Heart Centered Entrepreneur Facebook group, that you watch stories on Instagram, it means the world to me that you are spending your energy and time with me. I take it so seriously and I'm just devoted and dedicated to making your life and business easier, happier, more aligned, and more profitable. So if you ever have a question or a podcast idea, get in my inbox. Okay, onto those nine things!
Topics Discussed:
The beauty that comes with being transparent because it attracts more aligned clients to your business
The value that can come with connecting with your audience via a free call or a free offer
Creating confidence with “you” vs. “I” language and how this will help you affirm your clients and team
Leaning into giving feedback and creating a culture where it’s normal
How creating a to-do for everything that you can will improve your overall systems
Taking care of your body and how it will help take care of your business
Episode Resources:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google | Stitcher
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Anna Rapp (00:00):
Hi friends. Today's gonna be behind the scenes podcasts episode. Just nine things snapshot in my life right now that I'm loving. You know, I'm like an efficiency, productivity nerd, and so I just wanna share with you what's working right now in my business and my life. I hope it's useful for you. But first, I just wanna say thank you for tuning in. I do not take for granted that you stop and listen to the Heart Center Entrepreneur podcast, that you are in the Heart Center entrepreneur Facebook group, that you watch stories on Instagram. Like it means the world to me that you are spending your energy and time with me. I take it so seriously and I'm just devoted and dedicating to making your life and business easier and happier, more aligned, more profitable here to help you. So if you ever have a question or a podcast idea, know that Get in my inbox.
Anna Rapp (00:45):
I would love to create whatever it is that you're wanting to hear from me. Okay, so I just made nine different categories of things in life and business and I just wanted to share a snapshot of what's working for me right now in real time in my business. You ready? <Laugh>? Okay. Number one, visibility. What's working right now for me in visibility is sharing my story. You guys know I did a little personal series last month sharing a little bit of my divorce story, right? I also did a series on sharing my actual schedule and I did like a screenshot of my Google calendar and I just feel like in the online space right now, you know, I believe in like the four types of content I teach. Invisible impact, right? Authority, authenticity, engagement and sales. But I really feel like the world right now is hungry for that authenticity, content, our story.
Anna Rapp (01:33):
And so I just feel like that's been really working well for me. And what it's been doing is it's been attracting ideal clients to me who have value alignment with me. Even if their story is not my story, right? A lot of times our story ends up, you know, creating our values and what we believe in and what we wanna show up for. For example, if you're a mama and your core value is to like show up for your kids and you're sharing your story as a mama, you're gonna attract other people who at least respect the fact that you are passionate about being a mama, right? So I feel like sharing my story has helped attract people to me that have value alignment. And that's just such a blessing when you work with people behind the scenes in your business because you're able to get them better results because you just see the world similarly to the way they do, right?
Anna Rapp (02:17):
Doesn't mean you're a mere copy of them, but there's that alignment. So that's what work's working for me right now in my visibility. Also, you know, in Instagram stories I just overshare all the things, right? I'm wearing my pajamas. <Laugh> just working for me, okay? What's working for me in sales is personal invites, right? I'm just such a big fan of making things personal and people I feel like really shy away from inviting people personally to their programs. But for me, I love it because it's almost like I get to handpick my clients. Not that everyone I invite ends up working with me, but like what an honor that we can come to someone and say, Hey, I love connecting with you. Thank you for commenting on my content. Thank you for emailing me about
Anna Rapp (02:58):
That podcast episode. I'm so glad that we jive. I would love to hop on a discovery call with you if you're interested or I'd love to invite you to this program, right? And I just feel like why not, right? I just feel like why not be the person that takes the first step and says, I would love to work with you if you, there's someone that you would love to work with. And I just feel like this doesn't happen enough in the online space and it just has always worked for me. Well, but I noticed especially recently, it just felt really cozy during my sales action time during my week to just send some private invites. Not just to my paid stuff to, but to my free stuff, right? Like, Hey, I noticed that you've been watching my Instagram stories. Would you like to attend this free challenge?
Anna Rapp (03:39):
I would love to get to know you better in the free challenge. Okay, what's working for me? Well, right now behind the scenes with my clients, you guys know I'm a big nerd about coaching skills and like actually using pro proven coaching tactics with our clients to get them results. I teach that in Get and Coach Your first client. We actually, I literally have a workbook of coaching skills and one of my favorite things I've been doing recently is just really leaning into reflecting back to my clients what I'm seeing and noticing in them for the good, right? I think there's a time and a space to be neutral as a coach, right? And to let our client's voice be the loudest. But let's be honest, sometimes our client's loudest voice is the inner critic or negative self-talk. And I just feel like lately I've barely been leaning into being able to say, you and I appreciate about you, you and I notice about you.
Anna Rapp (04:28):
You've been really brave, you've been getting visible. I know that's not easy and I just think you should be really proud of yourself, right? I try to lean out of language like I am proud of you though. It's not bad to say, it's better to say you must be so proud even with our kids, right? Wow, look at that amazing math assignment. You must be pro so proud of yourself for creating that, right? So I try to do that language, but I really feel like, you know, you know, I know that this has been hard navigating, hiring and firing and team members, but I just see how courageous you've been in navigating that and you kind of see them sit a little taller because a lot of the things that my clients and or you guys do behind the scenes in your business is really unno and unsung and it's really one of the one downsides of not being in corporate.
Anna Rapp (05:13):
In corporate, there's a lot of structure around reviews and certificates and you've been in the business for two years, congratulations. You get a watch, right? <Laugh>, we have to create that for ourself in business, right? And so I really feel like I'm able to really step in that void and affirm some of that unseen hidden work. And I've been enjoying that. And so if you are a coach or a service provider, don't forget to affirm your clients and of course your team, right? But just remembering like I see this in you, right? We do this in Sell with Heart, my mastermind at the end of every session we do an affirmation session where the girls speak over each other, what they've seen in each other over the last six months, and it's powerful and it's filled with tears. And there's just, just something about someone telling you, I notice you.
Anna Rapp (05:59):
I see all that work you're doing day in and day out that's hidden that you are showing up for your clients and your family. I notice that I see a good job, good work. Okay, next, what's working for me when it comes to my team behind the scenes right now I have two incredible team members, so thankful for them. I really feel like we've been leaning into giving feedback, right? I just feel like so often people in their business are so afraid to give their team members feedback instead of creating a culture where feedback is normal. Like if something is off, you should be able to say that to your team member and guess what? They should be able to say that to you. And I've just been noticing recently my team has really been brave when it comes to like, Hey Anna, you said this thing and you're not doing it right?
Anna Rapp (06:44):
Or Anna, you know, tags me in a thread like just calling me out out on stuff and me being able to say even when someone's not doing something wrong, like I don't like this graphic, I don't like the social post. Fix it. And knowing that your team is not gonna make it mean they're a horrible person or they made a mistake or like just creating a culture where it's safe and normal to correct each other, to give each other feedback. And I just feel like we've been leaning into that recently. Hailey, if you're listening to this, do you agree <laugh>? And I'm just grateful for that, right? Something you can say to your team if you haven't yet created that culture is by the way, you know, I'm gonna start giving more feedback, not because you're doing anything wrong, but it just helps us both to know what we need to fix, what we need to do better, right?
Anna Rapp (07:32):
And knowing that we can tell some someone that there's something that needs to be adjusted with what they're doing without it meaning that they're a bad person or there's anything wrong with them, right? Okay, something that's been working really well for me for business systems always, but I've been especially appreciating that this month is putting everything as a to-do, right? What this means is when you tell your team member to do something, are you just emailing them about it or are you creating a task likewise for your clo for your team, are they telling you stuff that needs to be done or are they assigning you a task with a due date, right? It is so helpful for maybe there's like an Instagram message my team caught and they know I need to reply to it. They create a to-do for me that says reply to that Instagram message.
Anna Rapp (08:15):
And that way everything is centralized in my to-do list. I do this for my personal stuff too, right? For me, I've had a lot of drama around my kids' schooling and trying to get aftercare signed up, just like a lot of stuff around that. So I'll create a to-do for myself that says in two days, check back with this person on the aftercare program, right? That way I'm not thinking in my head, oh, follow up with that person, right? I do this with the simplest things. I do this with taking out my trash every Tuesday, right? You everything should be a to-do. That's my vote and my opinion so that it's not in your head. People think this is overwhelming. I actually feel like this is less overwhelming because then I know a to-do's gonna pop up on my plate two months from now with that thing and I don't have to remember anything.
Anna Rapp (09:00):
Okay? What's working for me as far as my work week right now, I've really condensed my week into working Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. That's when I do the bulk of my one-on-one client calls, my mastermind client calls, group coaching calls, team calls, anything that I do, right? And then Monday and Friday I do some c e o work. I did do a little content creation. If I have any appointments like a massage, I put that on there. I have really been enjoying moving it that way. So I just wanted to say that in case anyone's interested in moving their schedule that way. Okay? Next, what's been working for me in motherhood is a lot of things, but what I wanted to share with you is my kids and I have been playing improv games. You guys know my background is theater. I grew up doing theater and I just have been integrating these two little improv games lately with my kids and they've been such a fun time filler when we're in the car and such a fun way to connect and bond and play.
Anna Rapp (10:00):
Kids love to play, but as adults, it can be hard for us to sit and play Legos for an hour or maybe that's just me. And so I feel like for me, improv games is a way where I can tap in my, to my child's desire to play, but it's also fun for me. Okay? So let me teach you the two games. The num, one of them actually someone that I went on an online date with, introduced me to, it's called Five Things. And basically you go like this, five things, five things. This is five things, name five things that, and then you say a category are green. And then the other person will say grass and you say one, and then the other person says pee pods. And then you say two, another person says seaweed three. And then you do four and then five, five things.
Anna Rapp (10:49):
And the rule is that there's no wrong answers. So the person might say something that's not green and that's okay, you still say 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. But it really is a fun way to play. And like I, we were doing it this morning and my daughter said we were doing like five things you can put on your feet. And she said granola bars. And we just laughed and laughed and then she did the next thing, right? So it doesn't have to be realistic, but often it is. And it's just such a great way to practice thinking outside the box. So I really feel like, I mean, research has been shown that improv for adults actually does wonders in our brain and our creativity and our imagination too. You can Google it five things and they'll explain it much better than I did, I'm sure the other one is just storytelling.
Anna Rapp (11:34):
So we take turns back and forth telling a story. I used to play this with my family growing up, but one person starts by saying, once upon a time, the other person says there was a little tiny dragon, right? The next person says the dragon's name was Steve and he decided he wanted to go to the park. And you just go back and forth, back and forth telling the story and it's really fun. Okay, what's been working for me in body care, caring for my body? I have been loving, you guys know I did bar for a while, but then I broke my foot drama, blah, blah, blah. <Laugh>, I'm fine <laugh>. But I started really leaning into yoga sculpt, which is basically a fitness class. Been doing that really off and on for over two and a half years now. And so I'm starting to get do sculpt training with my gym.
Anna Rapp (12:19):
Namaste. And so I'm so grateful for that. I've been enjoying that a lot, learning some of the technicalities behind the weightlifting moves and I've been loving it. Maybe after I get my training I can sub here and there. Nothing crazy, but I've just been enjoying sculpt and weights in general. In fact, I've kind of been craving weightlifting, which sounds cra and I don't mean like barbell situation, I mean like dumbbells, you know? But like this morning I just grabbed my weights and like did some deadlifts and just felt really good on my bones. Isn't that weird? How like our body starts to crave things. Okay. Anyway, other thing that's been working is I've been doing prepping at Sundays protein powder for the week. I've really been trying to up my protein to make sure that I'm getting enough nutrients for my body as I'm working out.
Anna Rapp (13:06):
And so I've just been having these little shaker bottles and filling the protein powder at the start of the week filling my little vitamin container. And that's been really nice to drink my protein every day without feeling like I have to prep it. It's just sitting on my counter. Okay? Next is mind care. Something that's been working for me lately with mind care is my, oh my gosh, you guys, I have to tell you about this. You guys know I'm obsessed with the book, the Language of Letting Go Melody Beadie, right? Changed my Life, read it every day for like two years. Now I read it a little more inconsistently, but apparently she created affirmation cards. Did we know about this? We did not. Someone told me about this recently. I bought them immediately. They are amazing. And it's kind of like the, the book where there's little snippets, but it's even smaller snippets and they have the most beautiful illustrations.
Anna Rapp (13:57):
So if you search melody beatie affirmation cards, you will find 'em on Amazon. But they are just beautiful and such little snippets and great holistic spiritual reminders about gratitude and letting go and trusting and taking responsibility for ourselves and saying no and saying yes. Like all those good reminders have been such a blessing on days when I don't have as much time for mindset work, I just sit in my little meditation corner and I'll just pull one of my Melody Beatie cards and I've been loving it. Okay hope this was helpful for you. Let me know if you like episodes like this. I just had the random idea for it. I can do more, but I hope that that's useful for you as you are getting ideas for what you need to do for your visibility, for your sales. Let me know, let me know.
Anna Rapp (14:43):
I would love to hear if you're watching this in real time, remember that next round of getting coach your first client is opening. I'm so excited about this program. It is 12 weeks. It is live with me actually supporting you. If you've done like a coaching program or certification before, trust me, it's nothing like this. They will not find anything else on the internet that's net that's like this at this price point 12 weeks with me coaching. You live a proven rinse and repeat system and so many templates for starting or relaunching your coaching business. I've had women do this that have have their coaching certifications but really aren't fully booked with clients yet. And I've also had women do this that are at the very baby beginning. I've also had women doing this that are fully booked in their one-on-one, but use it to launch their group coaching program.
Anna Rapp (15:29):
So it's really for coaches or consultants of any type to fill their program and also really learn next level coaching skills to improve their practice. And also I have a ton of like business swipes as far as like pre-session surveys and you know, payment reminders, like all that practical stuff. It's just everything I wish I would've had when I was starting and growing my coaching consulting practice. And I'm obsessed, like I really have not seen anything else like this. So message me if you have any questions about that program, would love to have you in, invite you in and get to know you personally. And just lots of room for personal support for me, right? We have Slack, a QA every week where you can post your questions and I can respond every week that you do your worksheet. You get personal feedback on your worksheet from me or someone on the team. So there's that accountability to get it done. And then of course the coaching calls two or we'll all be there to support you with whatever you hurdle you're facing when it comes to making more money in your coaching business. Okay. Loves, I think that's it. Give yourself so much credit. Just like I said earlier in session today, you do so much behind the scenes. You're working so hard, you're doing your very best to balance everything that you're balancing. And I hope that you are so proud of yourself.
PS: In the midst of this challenging time I’ve been asking myself what I can do to help? One of the #1 ways I support my clients is by helping them simplify their business so that they can increase the flow of money without creating extra work. In this season simplified visibility and sales is needed more than ever.
So if you’re craving personal support as you reposition your free and paid work, I’d love to help you simplify your sales process so that you can produce income in your business even during a challenging time. If you want support you can check out my services and book a free discovery call here, or you can send me a DM on Instagram.