Hey there, welcome to episode 26 and to week 26 of 2019 and to halfway through your year.

Are you shocked that we are officially halfway through the year?  Or are you organised, on track and killing it in 2019?

I sure hope it’s the latter.  I sincerely hope that you’ve set your goals 6 months ago and you’re either working diligently towards them or have achieved them.

For me, well this Podcast episode I thought I might get a little intimate and let you in a little closer to the world that Jenn Donovan and Social Media & Marketing Australia, because for me this year has been everything!

Everything from high highs to low lows and I’m just talking business here!

If you listened in to the very first episode of this Podcast, you will remember my declaration.  I declared I would do 1 podcast a week for 52 weeks.  I’d never made weekly consistent content before, so this was an enormous challenge and a challenge it’s been.  But I am halfway there and so far I haven’t missed a deadline!  And these things take time – it’s almost a days work doing a Podcast every week.  I thought it would get quicker and it probably has, but it still takes a lot of time and energy from researching to the point where you listen!  Now I’m not complaining, it’s done more for my business and any other thing and it’s only going to get bigger, better and more amazing – that’s why I’m so glad you’ve decided to come along for the journey!

This week on the podcast, I thought we might do a mid-year check in.  Let’s check in, see how things are tracking and maybe reset and refocus. 

But first, of course, let’s do our discovery of the week.

THIS WEEK’S DISCOVERY!

If you follow me on only of my social platforms, Facebook, Facebook Group, LinkedIn, or Instagram, you will already know my discovery is week, because it was so brilliant I couldn’t keep it in until the podcast!

And I wanted to do a demonstration for you all that you can’t get on a voice only platform like this podcast!

It was of course the app CLIPS.   Clips is brilliant. 

Why is it brilliant – well, let me explain.  We all know how important video is in our marketing yes.  Some of you are doing video already, some of you need to stretch yourself and start and that’s ok.  But using just video in our marketing mix isn’t enough in 2019 because over 86% of us watch video on our phones with the sound OFF.  Therefore, next level with video is captions.

If you record your video with Clips you can have live captions – in other words, it does the captions as you speak.  For starter the AI on that alone is mind-blowing.  But for a free app and an almost 99% accurate free app – that’s next level mind-blowing!

So, download Clips today and start recording your videos with captions.  I guarantee your engagement rate will go up.

And if you aren’t doing video in your business but know you should, download clips and start recording something.  You don’t have to do anything with the video, you can delete it and never show a soul, but start getting used to yourself on video and if you record something that you’re happy to put out to the world, then know it’s already ticking the captions box!

There’s plenty of YouTube videos out there teaching you all about Clips if you have any problems or want to know more.  Or, of course, reach out to me!

As always, just a little disclaimer, my discoveries are just that and I am in no way affiliated with any of them but promise to tell you if I ever am.  I just love them and from the response of my listeners, you guys, you are loving them too!

Hey and if you have a little discovery, or something you use in your business that you’d like to share, please do so.  Email me at jenn@jenndonovan.com.au or tag me @smallbusinessmadesimple.  I really love to know what tools you use to help make your life simpler!

CHECK IN AND REFOCUS

At the beginning of the year, did you set yourself some goals?  My hope is that you set them, they sit prominently displayed somewhere where you can see them everything day and that you are well on your way to achieving them or have already ticked some off the list.

If you didn’t set any or you have lost sight of them or where you are going, then let’s chat about that too!

I have 3 quotes or inspiration says printed in my office which I look at every day and I know they get me on track and keep my head screwed on the right way.

They are

IF YOU DO WHAT YOU’VE ALWAYS DONE, YOU’LL GET WHAT YOU’VE ALWAYS GOT

START WITH THE END IN MIND, and

THERE’S NO POINT IN DREAMING SMALL

The first two have been with me for a long time.  I built my retail business on the first two.  The last one, well that’s a new addition this year because late last year I found myself lost, confused, hurt beyond belief from a colleague, friend and business partner.  That story is still too raw to tell but I can certainly see it in a future episode.

But I will tell you, know your worth, don’t let anyone tell you differently and fight for what is yours because sometimes you think you know someone inside and outside and can trust them wholeheartedly but in the end, they’ll screw you over and you won’t even see it coming.

So, dreaming big became 2019’s mantra.  Because I have to go hard or go home – going home meaning get a J.O.B!

So perhaps the first point in our mid-year check-in is – what inspires you?  Do you have a mantra for business or life that you could use reminding of every day?  Perhaps you could use some posters or post-it notes around you to keep you on track and intact like me!

But let’s get down to some goal check-ins.  My second point in our mid-year check-in.

If you set some goals at the beginning of the year, go get them. Let’s look at them.  I am really hoping that they are close by and something you look at every day – because the Models did have wisdom when they sung “out of mind out of sight” – or in this case, out of sight out of mind.  You need daily check-ins for the goals otherwise you might forget where you are heading.

If you didn’t set any goals – I’ll get to you shortly!

So, let’s look at your goals – pause the podcast, browse the goals and answer the following questions:

1. Did I achieve this goal?
2. Am I working towards this goal still?
3. Is this goal still important?

If you answered yes to all of those questions – brilliant!  So proud of you!  If you didn’t answer yes to questions 2 and 3 then we have some work today.

If you’re not working towards the goal still, why not?  This is a self-reflection exercise so be honest with yourself.  If it’s not important anymore, why not?  What’s changed in you and your business to make something you thought was important 6 months ago, not important now.

6 months in to 2019, maybe you need to set some new goals?  Maybe business has changed, you’ve changed, the world’s changed and it’s time to set some new ones.  Or if you didn’t set any or don’t have any, then let’s double down and set some today.

The most important things to remember about setting new goals is

1. Knowing why you want to achieve that goal
2. What’s the financial benefit for the goal
3. What’s its going to take to reach that goal, and
4. What’s its going to mean to you and your business if you achieve it.

I cannot encourage you enough to take some mid-year time to reset your goals to help you refocus on what’s important and what you want to achieve by the end of 2019.

Maybe you need to set smaller goals to help you achieve the BHAG ones you set to the start of the year.  I know this is exactly where I am.

My had lots of BHAGs for 2019.  I had lots of small goals too.  The small ones, I am ticking.  The BHAGs I am not.  If I am to achieve everything in 2019 that I set at the beginning of this year, then there’s every chance last night was my last night sleeping until January 2020.  Yes, I am that far behind where I want to be.

I laugh a little at some of the unrealistic time frames I put around my goals at the beginning of the year.  I don’t think I factored in life – you know that ol’ chestnut – life!

But I’ll be darned if I’ll give up!  I had hoped my first course; Facebook Ads for Beginners would be released by February and umm it’s still not and we are almost in July!

I could blame 100 things but the truth is, just between you and me, I haven’t made it enough of a priority.  I’ve let other things stand in the way, some excuses, some just other revenue making activities.

But my new website is almost done (don’t worry there will be a podcast episode about this in the future), which will host my courses, Facebook Ads for Beginners and Email Marketing for Beginners, which will solve the problem of where to send my amazing students to learn what I have to teach!  Which is clearly a good them – knowing where to send someone!

So, although, not ready in February, definitely going to be able to tick a couple of goals off my the end of the year!  If anyone’s interested in those courses, I will definitely let you know when they become available or you can head to my website www.socialmediaandmarketing.com.au go to the courses tab and sign up so you are first to find out all the info when it’s released!

I guess I share that story with you because I wanted you to see that although perhaps you have goals on your list that you didn’t achieve in the time you set but they’re still achievable.  Don’t let yourself be distracted by the fact that you didn’t do it yet and put that or those goals back on the list and start working towards them again!

If you’re listening to this Podcast and you are completely lost in 2019.  Please reach out.  DM me on any platform but don’t let yourself end the year with the feeling you have now.  I can help or at least be a virtual ear to listen and put you back on track.

And regardless of whether that’s you or not, I have these pieces of advice for::

1. Make marketing a priority in your business – stop making it a “if I’ve got time” priority and make it a real priority every day;
2. Take some time to look at your finances at the end of the financial year – yep bat crap scary but look at them. Know what’s earnt you money, what hasn’t and put more effort and energy, in the last half of 2019, into your money-making activities;
3. Give your workplace a “Maree Kondo” clean up. Clean and clear your workplace, invites a clean and clear mind to work with.  Spend an hour or two reorganising your workplace, giving it a clean and throwing out those thousand sticky notes that have all your important things on them (get yourself a notebook)!  Maybe cleaning your workspace also including cleaning out your inbox and computer files.  Let’s give ourselves maximum chance to start again clear and clean!
4. Put your goals where you can see them – every day you can see where you need to go. Consider doing a vision board and listening to the models song Out of Mind Out of Sight as you do it!!
5. Learn to delegate. Did you squirm just then or did your inner core shake?    Delegation can be a learned skill so if you don’t do it or aren’t good at it – take small steps to be a great delegator.  It’ll give you more time to focus on the goals you’ve now got in front of you.
6. If you are finding it hard to keep yourself accountable – find an “unreasonable friend” or an accountability buddy. If you don’t know where to start, head into my Facebook Group – Like Minded Business Owners and ask if anyone would like to pair up in there!  I have no double you’ll get a taker or two.  Accountability is one of the fundamentals missing from so many small business owners and it can make a massive difference to your output and input every day!

I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s podcast.  Please take time to look at your goals.  Even if you’re listening to this and it’s not mid- year, it’s still a great reminder to stop, reflect and refocus – so make sure you still do the exercises.

If you’d like to chat about it further – well then, let’s get social on social and continue this conversation in my Facebook Group – Like Minded Business Owners.  I’d absolutely love to hear about the goals you’ve hit so far and the even the ones you’ve missed – the group is all about supporting each other through both.

So, that’s all for Episode 26 of the Small Business Made Simple Podcast.

I’ll be back next Thursday with some more marketing know-how and another discovery of course.

If you’re enjoying this podcast, don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode and share this with a friend.  And maybe leave me a rating and a review wherever you listen in.  Those things are like gold for podcasters like me!  PS – you can leave more than one rating and review – just saying!

Stay on your game and keep going for your dreams because the world needs that special gift that only you have.  Thanks so much for lending me your ears.

…….. and remember small business peeps, as my opening song says, there’s no point in dreaming small!