The Darling CEO

Money, Business, and Life Tips for the Working Mom

What I learned from Joanna Gaines…

What I learned from Joanna Gaines (well from her book)

 

I just got back from a wonderful vacation in beautiful Northern Michigan.  Despite chasing two lively toddlers around, I was able to read a book.  Yes, a real book. For enjoyment. Consider it a summer miracle.

 

I digress.

 

Before hitting the roads, I grabbed “The Magnolia Story” by Chip & Joanna Gaines with Mark Dagostino.  I got the book fully intending it to be just an easy read for the beach. Little did I know that Joanna would teach me some important business and life lessons…

Let Go

Joanna and Chip’s story taught me that you need to let go in order for life to work its wonders.   Joanna was conservative by nature but she let go when she met Chip and it made all the difference.   Caution is important but there is something to be said for just going for it.

The Road May Take Many Turns

Chip & Joanna’s entrepreneurial story took many different twists and turns.   Just because you do something now, doesn’t mean you are stuck with it and that you can’t start doing something else later.  Chip was a serial entrepreneur and all of these little business adventures helped him refine his skills and identify his true passions.   If you don’t know where you are going, just start. You are never going to get to your destination if you never board the train in the first place.

Make the Most of It

Joanna and Chip had numerous mishaps and obstacles throughout their journey.  No matter what life threw their way, they always seemed to make the most of it and actually end up a little bit better off than when they started.  For example, if it weren’t for Chip getting duped into buying a dilapidated houseboat, they would likely never have their show on HGTV. The same show that gives them the opportunity to impact and inspire millions of people across the world. I’m a huge believer that your attitude creates the outcome. You can choose to be the victim or you can choose to overcome. Chip & Joanna overcome.

Do What is Right for You & Your Family

It was so refreshing to see that Joanna struggled with the decision to close up her first shop and stay at home with her babies. That is a very personal decision and something that only you can decide for yourself.   The lesson is, do what feels right at the time.   If that means to stay in the workforce, stay. If that means stay at home, stay there. Ultimately, she heard a voice tell her that it was time to stay home and that is what she did.   And that is cool because that worked for her.  Do what works for you.

Be Kind to People

Chip & Joanna just seem like really awesome, really nice people.  There are stories scattered throughout the book of Chip & Joanna helping someone out in need whether it be giving a homeless man a place to sleep in the middle of the night or keeping a couple kids out of trouble by giving them some work for the night.   I wholeheartedly believe that if you put good out into the universe, you get it back tenfold.  Chip & Joanna are testaments to this.   They have had some incredible breaks in their lives.  If I were to guess, this was not by chance.

Seize Opportunity

Chip & Joanna never seemed to hesitate to seize a business opportunity whether it be opening up a retail store or buying their next house to flip. In business, the spoils go to those that take a chance and seize the opportunity. This is why I’m such a big believer in everyone having an emergency fund. This way, when life gives you an opportunity you have the means to take advantage.   There was a point in the book where they were $5,000 shy of a life-changing business venture, luckily, Joanna had been stashing some money aside and had exactly enough.  Without that little cushion, life could look very different for them.

Use Debt Carefully

Chip is a big fan of using debt to fund his business ventures. I agree that debt does have a place in business. If you are in business for any amount of time, there may come a time when you need to use it.  However, I caution you, use it carefully. Only use debt when you need it and never take out more than you can cover.  Always have a backup plan because the banks can call their line at any time and it may not have anything to do with you or anything you can control.  Chip & Joanna were heavily leveraged in order to fund the development of their dreams. The made their payments on time,   borrowed responsibly, all the things that they were supposed to do. Unfortunately, this was right at the height of the financial crisis. The government forced their bank to essentially cut their line of credit leaving Chip & Joanna on the brink of financial ruin.   The lesson is, debt is good but use caution when using it.

Work Hard

No question about it, Chip (and Joanna) has an awesome work ethic.  One of my favorite quotes from the book comes from Chip,  “Whenever I’ve been down financially, I’ve just picked myself up and worked a little harder. And whether it’s a little luck or God or a combination, everything seems to find a way of working itself out eventually.”  Good things come to those that work hard and stick with it.  As a parent, it is equally important to instill good work habits into your children.  We want to give our kids the world, but the best gift that you can give them is the ability to be humble, work hard for what they want, and be content if it doesn’t come right away. I think that Chip & Joanna are doing a great job of that.

Stop Cleaning the House

I picture Joanna’s home as Pinterest perfect at all time,   everything is tidy, everything has its place, everything is beautiful and in pristine condition. She is Joanna FREAKIN Gaines for Pete’s sake.   One of my favorite parts of the book is when Joanna came to a revelation that she couldn’t keep up with keeping a perfect household all the time.   Say what?!   Joanna’s kids spill cheerios and write on the walls too?!   I am not alone, I am not a failure of a mother and wife.  If she can let the housework go for a bit and spend some more time with the kids, the rest of us can.
I loved this book so much. It was entertaining and read like a story but it taught you so many meaningful life and business lessons. While I didn’t get to speak to them personally, I felt like it when reading their book.  I recommend it for literally everyone.  Check it out on Amazon!

Have you read The Magnolia Story?   If so, what are your thoughts?  What lessons did you learn?  I’d love to hear, drop a line below!
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What I Learned from Joanna Gaines. Business & Life Lessons from the "Magnolia Story". A book review by DarlingCEO

Office Supplies to Beautify Your Office

Office Supplies to Beautify Your Office

You may find this article contains affiliate links. Purchases thru these links may result in a small commission at no additional cost to you. 

Who says that your office has to be dull and boring?  Having an opportunity to personalize your work space can not only inspire creativity but it can also have a big impact on your productivity. When you have a chance to decorate and use office supplies to beautify your office, you feel more comfortable and connected to your workplace.  Hey, we spend hours at our office, we might as well enjoy the space!

Check out these gorgeous office supplies to beautify your office and add a little pizazz to your workday!

Notebook Set

I love notebooks. They are a great place to jot down your goals, to-do list, meeting notes, ideas, dreams, etc.   What is even better than having a place to store all of your thoughts, having a beautiful place to store these thoughts. I love that this set comes with three notebooks and is super affordable.

Accordion File

Accordion files are great to store important documents, forms, and notes.  This particular accordion file is sure to beautify your office and provide some organization.

File Folders

Back to organization, file folders are a great way to add some attention to detail to your office.  No need to tuck these into a filing cabinet, these file folders will look great sitting on your desk.

Gold and White Calculator

Sure, we all have calculators on our phones and computers, but it is very convenient to have one right on our desk.  Better yet, it’s a great way to beautify your office and add some personality.  This gold and white calculator is a nice size, is affordable, and is solar-powered so you will never have to worry about batteries.

Pretty Pens

Beautiful pens are a cheap and easy way to spruce up any office space.  This set of rose gold pens comes with 10 pens that you can easily stash in a pen holder to pretty up your desk.

Marble Pen Holder

Speaking of pen holders, this beautiful and simple pen holder is a must-add to beautify your office.

Paperclips & Holder

Matching the pen holder, this beautiful little paper clip holder would also be a perfect addition to your office decor.   Beautiful and functional!   

Desk Phone Stand

This beautiful phone stand is functional and pretty.  It’s a great way to keep your screen visible while you are busy typing away.  I  keep a charger at my desk and use this a charging station.

 

What are your must-have office supplies to beautify your office?  Where do you get your favorite office supplies?   I’d love to hear, drop a comment below!

Let’s be friends. Find Darling CEO on Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest!

Related Content:

Pretty Office Decor: 6 Must-Have Items Items 

Mobile Office Must-Haves

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Improve your Blog Customer Experience

Your blog is your business. Like any other business in the world, your job is to keep your customers happy and coming back for more.  Luckily, it is pretty simple to create a positive customer experience for your reader and keep them coming back!

Make It Easy to Find You

Your readers should be able to easily find your content. Keep your URL as short and simple as possible, using a .com address if possible.  You also want to make sure that your content is properly linked from your social media accounts.  Your reader should only have to click once or twice to get where they want to be.  Every so often, you should conduct a click audit where you click through your entire site and make sure that everything is working properly.

Make Your Blog Clean & Inviting

Think of your blog like a storefront  Do you like shopping in stores that are cluttered and disorganized?   Or,  would you rather shop in stores that are clean, inviting, and make it easy to find what you need?  You want to ensure that your theme is clean and uncluttered. Are your images and content front and center or is it crowded out by excessive ads and clutter?   A great way to assess this is to have someone visit your blog and let you know the first thing they notice.   If it isn’t your content, you will want to clean up a bit. While you are doing your click audit, assess all aspects of your page.  What does it look like ? How does it make you feel?   Put yourself in your customer’s shoes.

Add Value

All businesses need to provide value to their customers. The key to providing a great customer experience is to make sure that you are providing value over and beyond what your competitors are offering. This will make your blog memorable and keep them coming back to your site.   In addition, customers LOVE tangible goodies.   Look for ways that you can provide something that your customers can keep. Things like printable planners,  checklists, and e-books provide such value.

Make it Easy to Contact You

You want it to be as easy as possible to get in touch with you.   You should have a very clear CONTACT ME page with a couple of options to get in touch with you (email, phone, social media. smoke signals, whatever works!).    You should also make it super easy for readers to comment on your posts.   A huge pet peeve of mine is when you have to jump thru hoops to engage with an author.  I simply lose my patience and move on and I’m sure others feel the same.   I highly discourage requiring readers to enroll or subscribe in order to leave a comment.

Engage with your Readers

Always encourage engagement and dialogue on your blog. People love to talk about themselves so ask them thoughtful and entertaining questions about them or their businesses to get the convo started.   Most importantly, RESPOND to them when they do comment!   Communication should be a two-way street.  Reply to all of your comments and social media mentions within 1-2 days.  You should also ask them for feedback as often as possible.  What do they like? What do they want more of?   What are they struggling with that you can help them with? Use this feedback to tailor your content to suit your audience.

Resolve Problems Quickly

 If your customers encounter a problem,  fix it quickly.  Maybe they are unable to download a product that they purchased or your site isn’t loading properly.   Whatever it is, own it and make sure the customer is happy with the resolution.  A good goal for problem resolution is to leave the customer a little better off than before they had the issue.  Fix it right and you will have a customer for life!

 

What other tips do you have for fellow bloggers? What types of customer issues have you encountered and how did you resolve them?   We would love to hear, drop a comment below!

 

Make sure to follow us on Pinterest, Instagram, or Twitter.

 

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Improve your blog customer experience, Build your blog through customer experience by DarlingCEO

5 Things You MUST Do Before You Monetize Your Blog

Whether you start your blog for enjoyment or you plan to monetize your blog, it is a good strategy to treat your blog like a business from the very start. There is nothing wrong with monetizing your site and earning a little supplemental income from all of your hard work (or at least recoup your costs!) The moment that you decide to monetize your blog, you will want to take a look at completing the items below.

5-Ways to Prepare to Monetize your Blog:

Decide on your Business Structure–

The first step to take before you monetize your blog is to determine what business structure will work best for your business. Two more commonly used structures for blogs include Sole Proprietorships and LLCs.

–Sole Proprietorship: A Sole Prop is the easiest and cheapest ways to structure your business. In many states, there is nothing that you will need to do. However, if you would like to operate under a different name other than your own, you will want to file Fictitious Name paperwork (commonly referred to as DBA).  For example, if you would like your business to be known as “Sally’s Blogging” instead of “Sally Smith”.  The main drawback to a Sole Prop is that you are essentially one and the same with the business. This means that you have unlimited liability versus the limited liability that others business structures provide.

– Limited Liability Corporation– An LLC is a type of ownership structure that allows you to shield your personal assets from business liabilities without all of the complexities of a Corporation. This is a tad more expensive to set up but sites like Legal Zoom make it very easy and affordable. Hence the name, you have limited liability, meaning you typically won’t lose more than what you have invested into the business.
These are just two of the more popular options. For more info on choosing the right structure, there are TONS of books and articles on business structures that you can find out there.  For example, check out this great article by Business-ese. If you plan to monetize your blog in any way, I strongly encourage you to contact an attorney or CPA to figure out the best option for you.
 

Open Up a Business Account

Go to your local bank or credit union and open up a separate account for your blog.  If you are a Sole Prop you can just open up a regular personal checking account because the checks will be made out to you personally. If you have a DBA, LLC, or Corp, you will need to open up a business account.   Make sure you find one that is free or very cheap. There are plenty of options out there, so don’t pay an arm and a leg if you don’t have to.  The purpose of this account is to keep all of your blogging transactions separate from your personal transactions. You will want to make sure not to intermingle the two as much as possible. This will make tax time so much easier for you!
 

Start a Record-Keeping System

You will want to research what record-keeping system will work for you. There are so many apps and software programs designed to help small businesses with their accounting and bookkeeping functions.  My suggestion is to keep it as simple and cheap as possible. A good ole’ fashioned spreadsheet will work just fine for many as they are starting out. You can add more bells and whistles as you grow and figure out what your business needs.   Regardless of what system you use, the key is to make sure that you are keeping track of every dime coming in and out of your business. When you monetize your blog, you will have many deductions available to you so make sure you keep receipts for everything, your accountant can determine its deductible or not.

Figure Out Your Tax Obligations

 The taxes you pay are dependent on the type of business structure that you select. This is yet another reason why I suggest meeting with a CPA when you are first starting out. The last thing you want to worry about is a huge bill because you were not setting enough aside for taxes.  Because everyone’s tax situation is unique, it is worth it to speak to someone that is knowledgeable about small business taxes. If you don’t know who to go to , check with your local chamber of commerce or ask local business owners who they use. Make sure to vet them out and get several references!
 

Write a Business Plan

There are so many benefits to writing a business plan. For starters, it forces you to work through your goals and strategies that will help you grow your business. It creates a road map for your business which is invaluable to a new entrepreneur.   Secondly, it is nice to have a business plan ready to go shall you ever need one for something like financing.  You won’t have to go scrambling around for one when you likely won’t have the time to. SCORE has a great template that you can use to frame out your plan (https://www.score.org/resource/business-plan-template-startup-business). Don’t focus on making it perfect right now, just start putting your thoughts together.
Regardless of the reason for starting a blog,  these steps will help you set up your blog successfully and prepare you for the business side of blogging.
For more business & blogging tips, follow us on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter.
What other tips do you have for others when they decide to monetize their blog? What questions do you have?  Drop them in the comments below.  We would love to help!
 

Pretty Office Decor: 6 Must-Have Items

You may find this article contains affiliate links. Purchases thru these links support the ongoing efforts DarlingCEO. 

I love pretty things. I especially love pretty things in my office. I’m just so inspired and motivated when I am able to look around and see beautiful things all around my office. Recently, I had the opportunity to move offices and I must say, I am totally into chic office decor right now. My old office was a very drab, very corporate setting. There was no color, no personality, and it was just so stuffy. I was so excited when I saw my new office for the first time. It too was very boring but I have more license to spruce it up a bit in my new building. I’ve been on a pretty office decor & supply shopping mission!

I’ve put together this list of pretty office decor to help inspire you to spruce up your own space. If you are going to be in your office for eight hours a day, you might as well enjoy the space!

Desktop organizer

I love this desktop organizer!  First of all, it is so pretty and spruces up my drab desk. Not only is it adorable, but It is also very functional.  It comes with a detachable phone stand/business card holder, includes a monthly and yearly calendar, has a pen holder, and a pocket for notes or receipts. I love sticking important info and inspirational quotes under the mat so they are always handy.

pretty coffee mug

I don’t know where I would be without my coffee.  I have two toddlers so the world without coffee is a very sad, sad,  tiring world. What is better than coffee?Coffee in a pretty mug. I just feel so Sex & the City-ish sitting there in my office with my chic cup of coffee tapping away at the keyboard. Nothing can stop me!   Bring it on day!

Inspirational art

I love quotes and inspirational sayings. Sometimes you just need a little pick me up to keep you going through a tough day. These desk cards are a cute complement to any office and will keep you inspired and motivated all week long. There are twelve different cards so you can rotate them depending on your mood/day.  I LOVE the gold stamping paired with the pretty colors. So fancy!   These are a perfect complement to your office decor.

wireless speaker

Silence creeps me out. I have to be listening to something all the time. This cute little Bluetooth speaker is amazing to listen to music, podcasts, or even conference calls. The rose gold color is perfect with my office decor. I also love that it is on the smaller side so it is perfect for a cubicle or smaller office as well.

cute office supplies

I am probably the biggest nerd I know. Some of my favorite memories growing up involved back to school shopping. I just loved going to the store to buy my new school supplies. Finding the perfect binder, smelling the fresh paper, getting everything nice and organized in your new backpack. The stuff that dreams are made of. Needless to say, that love for office supplies has not gone away. I’m an absolute sucker for a pretty stapler, just like this one. This set is super adorable and perfect to fit your office decor.  Pretty, yet functional!

Planner/organizer

I love this planner. Not only is it pretty, but it does an awesome job of helping you identify your goals, identify ways to achieve them, and hold you accountable.   Most people don’t write down what they want to achieve let alone how they plan on achieving it. Study after study shows that those that write down their goals are more likely to achieve them.   This planner includes a Life Set-Up Guide, commitment contract, yearly/quarterly goal plans, monthly and weekly planning pages, and relaxing coloring mandalas.   My favorite part is that 5% of this company’s profit goes to helping children in Tanzania.

 

Hopefully, this gets your office decorating juices flowing. Now get out there and start making your office beautiful!

For more inspiration, check out and follow our Office Supply Pinterest Board!  You can also check out Mobile Office Must-Haves: 5 Gadgets You Need!

Pretty Office Decor, 6 Must-Have Items, Make your office and cubicle pretty & functional.

How to Work from Home With Kids

How to Work from Home With Kids

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon afflliate, I earn from qualifying purchases 
While it’s not desirable to work from home with kids, the need sometimes arises. Like for examples, the occasional snow day or a global pandemic.  Things happen that are out of our control and working parents have to do what we have to do.
Over the years I have had several times when I  was forced to work from home when my kids were home.  When this situation arises, no need to panic. Here are a few tips to make working from home with kids as enjoyable and productive as possible.

Don’t Stress

 The first tip is to relax. Things will not always go smooth and that is okay. Just do the best that you can.  I’m a huge believer that everything happens for a reason. At this moment, you are simply meant to spend a little more time with your family. Take advantage of this wonderful opportunity and enjoy. You will likely find that you are able to get just as much done, you may just need to be creative to find the time. 

Reschedule Important Calls or Presentations 

Murphy’s law of working from home with kids is that the moment that you have an important call or presentation, your kids will turn into wild banshees. I    swear they have some type of radar to know when you need them to cooperate. For your mental well-being, try to move any call that may require you to speak to another day.   If you can’t do this,try being up front and letting your coworkers know that they may hear some background noise. Don’t worry, we have all been there.  Everyone will understand.

Pull out the Big Guns

Sometimes we just need to get something done and be able to concentrate on the task at hand. With kids at home that can be difficult.  Don’t be afraid to pull out the big guns when you are working from home with kids. Big guns meaning special treats, activities, or shows that your kids don’t normally get. You can also loosen up the screen time limits for the day.  The novelty of such an occurrence and certainly buy you some time.  No judging but once I gave my kids ice cream at 9 am so I could hop on a conference call. Moral of the story is that sometimes you have to do what you have to do.

When you are going to be working from home with kids, make sure you are stocked with some things that can keep their attention. One thing that I do is  stash away some of of my kid’s Christmas and birthday gifts, Throughout the year when I  am working from home, I have a secret stash of toys that can keep them amused for a while. I also try to keep some special snacks on hand for this reason as well.  A good snack can buy you 20 minutes at least.

Get Them Involved

Depending on how old your children are, get them involved in your work and look opportunities to teach them things.  You can have them proofread your emails,  double-check your math, read and summarize an article relevant to your industry, etc.

If they are on the younger side, you can have them do literally anything and say that they are “helping”. For example, If I’m reading a report I will print one for them as well and give them a pen to make notes.  They always get super geeked to help their mommy work.   Another time, I had my kids serve as my audience while I was practicing for a presentation. Believe it or not, doing a practice run in front of the kids did help me feel more comfortable with the material and calm my nerves a bit.

Getting your kids involved when you work from home will also make them feel more connected to you and the work that you do. Some of my favorite memories were hanging out with my parents while they were working.  It really allowed me to see a different side of my parents that I     really loved and respected.  It also helps spark my imagination and feel super important to be hanging out at their workplace.

Communicate

Make sure that your boss is in the know. Be up front if you need to work from home with kids. You don’t want them finding out that you are at home with the kids by hearing them scream in the background of your weekly status call.The best thing you can do is to call your boss and let them know that you need to work from home with kids. Reassure them that you plan on hitting all of your targets and commitments.  

Be cautious about trying to hide the fact that your kids are home.   Going back to Murphy’s law of working parents, your boss WILL find out in the most awkward situation imaginable.  Trying to hide this from your manager is super stressful and can distract you from what you need to do.  Being honest and upfront will help build trust with your manager and allow you to relax and focus on work instead of hiding your toddler.

Tackle 10 Minute Projects

At the beginning of the day, make a list of 5-7 tasks or projects that will take 15 minutes or less.  This is your game plan for the day.  Most kids can keep themselves amused for 15-minute increments so you should be able to knock these tasks out without too much interruption. You are  likely not going to be able to draft a 20-page report on days that you are working from home with kids, but you can knock out some smaller tasks that you may have been putting off. Some examples include: cleaning out email inbox,  updating distribution lists, sending out recognition emails, customer follow-up emails, reading industry articles, expense reports etc.

Make it Up Later

If you really can’t afford to fall behind when you work from home,  see if you can get some help later in the day. See if your partner can come home a little early from work, see if your parents can come and get the kids for dinner, have the babysitter come over and help out.   Take this time and “turbo-work”.  Knockout as much work as you can during this time period. Chances are that you will find you accomplished just as much, if not more,  by laser-focusing on the tasks at hand.

Working from home with the kids is not always ideal but it can be enjoyable and productive as long as you are relaxed & strategic.  Think of it this way, you likely won’t remember an ordinary day at the office, but you will remember the days that you worked from home with the kids.
What are your strategies for working from home with the kids? What have you found to work well and what doesn’t work well? We would love to hear your strategies for being productive when you work from home.

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Mobile Office Must-Haves: 5 Gadgets You Need!

You may find this article contains affiliate links. Purchases thru these links support the ongoing efforts DarlingCEO. 

I spend a ton of time in the car. In fact, my car is like my second office as I spend a good chunk of my day driving between offices. This can be incredibly uncomfortable and inconvenient if you aren’t set up properly.   Luckily,  I’ve put together a list of items that will help you make the most of your mobile office.

Car Office Organizer 

This is super helpful!  If you are like me, your car is a hot mess most of the time. I have receipts, water bottles, cords, pens, and goldfish crackers strewn all over my car.  Rather than have this chaos on four wheels, this organizer helps me keep everything organized and all in one place.  It is always a good idea to keep an extra phone charger, earbuds, pens, notepads, and a spare wireless mouse in your mobile office. This keeps those items nice and organized so you never have to go digging through your purse or computer bag when you’re late for a conference call!

Power Inverter 

This is a total game changer for so many reasons. It never seems to fail, you are rushing on an important Skype call and your laptop battery dies leaving you completely helpless. This little gadget ensures that you always have the power you need in your mobile office.  You can charge your laptop, iPad, cell phone, essentially anything you would need! Also, as an added bonus, it is also so very helpful when you have kiddos.  You will never have to hear your kids whining like Calliou because their iPad died. For that reason alone, this thing is pure gold.   I seriously can’t believe I went so long without it!

A Nice Mug

I’m a huge fan of saving money. The more that you can make your own coffee or tea rather than purchase it, the better! A nice steel mug is very nice to have and will keep your drink hot or cold while you are on the go. I have tried so many and this one works the best. In addition to functionality, it is also sleek and attractive! The perfect addition to any mobile office!

A Good Planner
I’m a sucker for a good ole’ fashioned planner. There is just something to be said of taking pen to paper and jotting down your goals and accomplishments. I LOVE this productivity planner. It helps you strategically plan your day/week and prioritize your tasks. I love the combination of paper planner and technology so I use this in conjunction with my Evernote app. If you need to be more intentional with your time and focus, this is the planner for you!

Ear Buds with Mic
If you need to talk a lot on the phone or have a lot of conference calls, you will want to invest in a pair or nice earbuds or wireless headphones. The sound quality is much better than if you were speaking on the phone or overhead speakers. Keep a pair in your purse, workbag, and car. You can even splurge on a pair of Apple Airpods!

What other items can you not live without for your mobile office?  Let us know in the comments!

Also check out 5 Ways to Make the Most of Your Commute!

 

 

 


5 Ways to Lose Your Direct Sales Customers

Disclosure: This post may contain links to products where I may earn a small commission. 

Direct sales can be a tough business. Your customers are your lifeline. Your business is entirely dependent on your ability to retain and grow your customer base. You can’t rely on a flashy website or a storefront in a busy downtown district.

One way you grow your direct sales business is through word-of-mouth and getting current customers to chat up your services to their friends and family. This is awesome and extremely effective and cheap! A downside to this is that just as customers chat about an awesome experience, they talk MUCH more about a negative one. Customers are twice more likely to talk about a negative experience than a positive one (Global Customer Service Barometer).

Here is a list of ways that you can almost guarantee you will turn off customers to your direct sales business.

  1. Being too Aggressive– We all know what I’m talking about here. You are at a direct-sales party and the salesperson is just overly aggressive. This is probably the main reason why people hate in-person parties. Customers do not like feeling pressured to buy something. It creates a negative experience and they will not come back or refer to any friends or family.
  2. Being too Annoying– Social media is awesome for direct sales businesses. It provides you the ability to more easily and efficiently connect with a broader audience. Just make sure that the audience wants to be contacted by you, how, and when they want to be contacted. Make sure to ask for these preferences when signing customers up for your email list. One tip-off that this might be happening is if people continue to leave your Facebook group shortly after joining or if they unsubscribe from your email list shortly after signing up.
  3. Being Hard to Contact– Customers have grown accustomed to convenience when shopping. Direct sales customers are no different. Make it super easy for them to contact you. Your contact info should be on every correspondence you send, every social media page, and so on. Also, make sure that you monitor your messages. Make it a commitment to respond to all inquiries within 3-5 hours. If you are going to be any longer than that, make sure you set up an auto-reply or voicemail message that explains when they should be hearing back from you. You want it to be as easy as possible to do business with you.
  4. Being Unorganized– I get it, it is tough to keep up with everything. You are literally everything to your direct sales business: CEO, accountant, marketing director, social media manager, shipping supervisor, etc. It is imperative that you keep everything as organized as possible, at all times. Take some time to organize your inventory, use an inventory control system, organize all of your supplies and marketing material, keep a calendar with all-party dates and deadlines, etc. Being unorganized leads to inefficiencies and huge customer problems. Which leads to our final point.
  5. Don’t Resolve Problems– You are your business. If a customer brings a problem to your attention, try your very best to resolve it as quickly as possible (regardless of whose fault it was). Sometimes that may come at a slight cost to you (which really stinks, I get it), but I guarantee you, it will be less than the cost of a lost customer and negative word of mouth. Consider it a cost of doing business and move on. Your time is better spent growing your business than going back and forth with an angry customer.

In conclusion, your goal should be to make it easy and enjoyable for your customers to do business with you. If you aren’t sure how you are doing on any of these points, simply ask. Customers will give their opinions if they are asked. The feedback may be tough to hear, but essential in growing your direct sales business.

Have you had a bad experience as a customer? What mistakes have you made in your own business? Leave a comment below, we would love to hear from you!

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5 Ways to Lift Others Up at Work

5 Ways to Lift Others Up at Work

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. This means we may earn a small commission if you use one of the links to purchase a product, at no additional cost to you 
I truly believe the sign of a strong influential leader is the ability and willingness to lift up those around them.  The strongest people I know are constantly looking for ways to teach, inspire, and advocate for others.
Here are five ways that you can grow yourself by growing others:

Offer to Mentor

Check to see if your company has a formal mentoring program that you can take advantage of.If your company doesn’t have one, check out potentially spearheading one (Check out this article from Inc. for more details How to Start a Mentoring Program).  If not, reach out to someone that you see has a lot of potential that you can help develop.  Ask them if they would like to form a mentoring relationship.    Ideally, you would have someone approach you for this but often times employees can be intimated by more experienced members of the organization.  Undoubtedly they will feel honored and relieved that you approached them!

Offer to be a Guest Speaker

There are a ton of ways that you can share your expertise and experience via speaking.  Check around for employee business resource groups or clubs. These groups are always looking for speakers to engage their members.   Ask another area of your organization if they would like to learn more about you and your particular line of business.   Look for opportunities with the local Girl Scout groups or other youth organizations.  Not only will speaking give you the opportunity to help others and lift them up, but it will help you expand your professional network and hone your public speaking skills.

Always Coach and Add Value

Some of the best advice I ever received came from people that were not my boss at the time. Always be on the lookout for coaching opportunities with those people around you.   Of course, it is critical that you do this in the most delicate and respectful way or you run the risk of developing a reputation for being overly-critical and insensitive. People need to know that you are coming from a good place and have their best interests in mind. Always be looking to provide value and help others.

Recognize Others

Human beings have a deep need to feel valued and loved.  Recognition is a great way to make others feel this way.   Find ways to recognize those that deserve it.   Often times it as simple as a shout-out at a meeting or a handwritten thank you card.  Just think of how you feel after you receive encouragement- like you can conquer the world. How awesome is it that we have the opportunity to make others feel that way every single day.

Formal Learning

There are so many ways to formalize your teaching. You can develop an e-book,  online course,  podcasts, blogs, the opportunities are endless! These methods allow you to gain a much greater reach to help others.   Find a topic that you are passionate about and share it with the world!

Now get out there and change the world!   I would love to hear how you have been able to lift up others or ways that others have lifted you up. Please share in the comments below.
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Welcome to the Darling CEO! Get to Know the Author

Hello everyone and welcome to The Darling CEO!

My name is Chevelle and I live in the Midwest with my amazing husband and my two beautiful children (Cooper, 3 & Madison, 1). In my spare time, I love to learn, read, and play with my kiddos. In addition to writing this blog, I have been happily working in the banking business for 10 years.

How I grew up is pretty important to the content of this blog…I grew up in a small midwestern town with one stoplight. Our biggest draw was an apple orchard and a dive bar called McNastys. The fanciest restaurant we went to growing up was Olive Garden. Very humble and modest beginnings.

As a result, I have had to learn A TON about navigating my way in the shark pool of business! Luckily, I have had some awesome people help me along the way. In fact, this blog is my way of paying it forward and hopefully sharing some helpful information to other ambitious ladies out there!

In this blog, we will talk about topics that are pertinent to women in business, leadership, entrepreneurship, mom-life, and other random thoughts that happen to pop up in my head. One thing you will quickly learn about me is what you see is what you get. It may seem like I got my stuff together but I am a happy rider on the #hot_mess_express! I will share my successes but I will also share my struggles because we need to see that stuff too! It’s tough work being a lady these days, we need to lift each other up!

In conclusion, I am super excited to start writing and sharing my journey with you.

Creator of Darling CEO, Chevele
This is me and my awesome family!

Drop a comment down below. I would love to learn more about you and also hear some feedback on topics you would like to talk about!