This show will help you grow your audience and make an impact without compromising your faith or values. If you are a Christian business owner or content creator who wants to make an impact and shine the light of Jesus, stick around.
With several years of experience serving clients and growing her own blog & podcast, host Esther Littlefield will bring you practical strategies and get into the nitty gritty of HOW to actually build a business and audience online.
Ultimately, the goal of this podcast is to help you shine online by operating with integrity, doing excellent work, and making a Kingdom impact that points people to Jesus.
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The 4 Keys to Overcome Hustle with Erin Harrigan [Ep. 122]
Season 10 · Episode 122
Tuesday, August 1, 2023 • Duration 01:06:35
Do you ever find yourself mixed up in the striving for more success? Trying desperately to climb that ladder in the name of bigger and better? Does our culture's 'hustle culture' feel like it's trapping you whether you really want it to or not?
In episode 122 of the podcast, you'll hear a conversation with my friend Erin Harrigan. She vulnerably shares how she felt trapped by the hustle culture we all seem to face, and how she managed to shake it in exchange for more depth and relationships in her business.
Erin shares her 4 Keys to Overcome Hustle, how she overcame it herself, and shares some real practical tips for how you, too, have a hope for changing how you might currently be doing business. She's so passionate for women to know the truth of their identities as daughters of Christ, and how that plays into their roles as Christian women business owners.
Top 10 Mistakes to Avoid When Pitching Podcasts with Wren Robbins [Ep. 113]
Season 9 · Episode 113
Thursday, April 27, 2023 • Duration 29:41
Have you ever wanted to be a guest on someone else's podcast? If you've ever considered being on a podcast, you've likely written a pitch to try and introduce yourself to the podcast host. Like with anything, there is definitely a right and wrong way to go about this.
In today's episode, you're going to hear a conversation I shared with my friend Wren Robbins on her podcast, Don't Wing It. We talked on her podcast about the 10 mistakes to avoid when pitching a podcast. I know that a lot of you have asked me in the past about how to pitch a podcast, or how to get on other people's podcasts, especially if you do not have a podcast yourself.
I think this conversation will really give you some insights on what not to do when pitching to be on a podcast, and in the midst of the conversation, we also give some hints and some tips on what to do instead.
3 Ways to Develop Confidence & Combat Imposter Syndrome in Your Business [Ep. 35]
Season 4 · Episode 35
Friday, April 16, 2021 • Duration 31:06
Have you ever questioned yourself in your business, wondered if you should do what you're doing, or felt like clients or customers won't want what you have to offer?
Why am I talking about confidence and imposter syndrome? I believe they are closely related, and they are something that many of the women I talk with experience.
A lack of confidence can look like questioning what you're doing, wondering if you're on the right track, feeling like clients or customers wouldn't want what you have to offer, or struggling to share about your offer or your business with others.
With imposter syndrome, you might second guess whether you are qualified to do something, underestimate your abilities, and assume that others could do it better than you. Often it includes feeling like you're going to be "found out" -- like someone is going to figure out that you actually don't know what you're talking about.
Can you relate to any of this? I absolutely can!
In this episode, I'm sharing 3 ways you can become more confident in your business and combat imposter syndrome.
#1: Know Biblical Truth
When we look at confidence from a Biblical perspective we can see this: Confidence is not about you, it's about the God who lives in you.
You see if you look at the definition of confidence you find that it has a lot to do with trust. And Scripture shows us that our trust should not be in ourselves and our own abilities but in God and His ability to work in us and through us and to provide what we need. I want to share a couple of scriptures that demonstrate this:
Psalm 33:20-22 - "Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you."
#2: Understand the Truth About You #3: Take Action Faith Focus: Shine a Light Segment: Connect with Esther:
Creating Consistent Income and Maintaining Boundaries with Clients [Strategy Session with Jenifer DeCastro] [Ep.34]
Season 3 · Episode 34
Friday, March 12, 2021 • Duration 36:35
Have you ever struggled with how to maintain a consistent flow of income in your service based business? There are strategies you can use to deal with cancellations and inconsistent cash flow in order to stabilize your income.
In this episode of the Christian Woman Business Podcast, I'm sharing a strategy session with life coach Jenifer DeCastro. Jenifer and I chat about her struggles with maintaining consistent income, finding a comfortable pricing structure, and what to do if her business grows too fast.
Key Points Discussed about creating consistent income and maintaining boundaries with clients:
What Jenifer would like help with: creating consistent income
Who her ideal client is
How Jennifer has found clients to this point
Inconsistencies in income due to cancellations and intensive needs
Using client contracts or agreements to cut down on late cancellations
Creating packages to help create more stable income
Pricing structure and raising rates
Planning around how many packages to sell each month to maintain consistent income
Marketing methods
The importance of having a website
What to if she feels her business is starting to grow too fast
"Sometimes your target audience is more of a psychographic versus a demographic."
"It's okay to start low, but it's also realistic to increase your prices over time."
"I always recommend having a website for any business, because it's basically the hub of what you do, it gives you more credibility, and you own it; you don't own your Facebook page."
Related Episodes:
Connect with Jenifer DeCastro: Connect with Esther:
What You Think You Need vs. What You Actually Need to Grow Your Business Online [Ep. 33]
Season 3 · Episode 33
Friday, March 5, 2021 • Duration 28:12
What do you need to grow your business online? There are many things you might *think* you need, but the truth is, they are not the most important things.
In this episode, I'm going to share with you the one thing you truly need to grow your business online and what's involved in creating it.
There are no cookie cutter solutions in business, but there are some principles that apply across the board. What I share today will help you no matter what kind of business you are building AND no matter what stage of business you're at.
Full show notes can be found at christiawomanbusiness.com/33
Key Points Discussed:
What you think you need (marketing tactics)
Additional things you think you have to have (marketing assets)
What you actually need
What the Confident Marketing Method is and how it will help you
Introducing my course, Shine Online
Learn more about Shine Online here.
3 Reasons Your Business Might Be Stuck [Ep. 32]
Season 3 · Episode 32
Friday, February 26, 2021 • Duration 36:51
Does your business growth feel slow or sluggish? Do you have trouble engaging with your audience or feeling like you have their attention?
On this episode I'm sharing 3 reasons your business might be stuck, based on my own experiences and on the issues that come up most often with my clients. I'm also giving you some ideas on how to change things up if you see yourself reflected in any of these areas.
You have too many offers, or too much customization
You're not solving a problem that is important enough, specific enough, or clearly spelled out
#3: Marketing
Your communication doesn't connect with your audience
You start promoting your offer before you have clarity and confidence
Your marketing focuses on you rather than on the client
Join the challenge!
If your business is stuck or not growing the way you want, I want to help! I hope the tips I've shared have been helpful but I want to go deeper with you to support your growth and that is why I'm offering the FREE Communicate & Connect Challenge coming up March 1-5.
Through this challenge you will learn to:
Feel confident introducing yourself and talking about what you do online or in person
Create curiosity about what you do rather than confusion
Connect with Esther:
What Marketing is Really About and How To Do It Well [Ep. 31]
Season 3 · Episode 31
Friday, February 19, 2021 • Duration 27:20
What do you think of when I say the word marketing?
The word marketing can have a negative connotation sometimes. There are plenty of marketing tactics that feel a little dishonest, spammy, or slimy.
You know your product or service is good and can help others, but how do you get them to pay attention and learn about what you have without compromising your faith or values or feeling like you're being annoying?
On this episode, I'll share what marketing is really about, and then go through a few ideas about how to do it WELL.
What Marketing is NOT:
Marketing is not sales. Often, people want to jump right to the selling before doing the marketing. This is a mistake. They need to be two separate parts of your process.
I use the dating and marriage analogy. Connecting, getting to know each other, and dating are like marketing; popping the question is when you get to sales. You don't ask someone to marry you when you first meet them! You don't want to jump into trying to sell to them that quickly either.
Marketing is also not just advertising and promotion. This is only part of marketing, and if it's all you're doing, you're skipping an important part of the marketing process.
What is Marketing?
Recently, I heard Cathy Heller make this statement on Clubhouse, and I could not agree more:
"Marketing is about connecting and clearly communicating what you do."
Marketing is Connecting
Marketing starts with connecting. I teach this in my Connection Catalyst System to help clients grow their audiences, and it's a super important part of the marketing process.
Marketing Is Communicating How to Do It Effectively 1. Have a strategy 2. Stay in Alignment with Your Personality and Your Values 3. Learn to Communicate More Effectively Connect with Esther:
What Type of Online Business is Right for You? [Ep. 30]
Season 3 · Episode 30
Friday, February 12, 2021 • Duration 37:19
Are you selling the right thing in your business to generate income? Are you building a business that you will enjoy a year or two from now? What kind of business model are you trying to create?
So often we jump into business focused on our idea for what we want to sell. But if we don't actually understand where that fits into the overall landscape of online business, we can struggle, and may end up with a business we hate a few years from now.
In this episode I will walk you through HOW you sell something (the business models) and how to decide WHAT you are selling (the product or service), so you can move forward with clarity and confidence.
Note: I mention but do not discus in depth another model: e-commerce or product-based model.
Deciding What You Want to Sell
The three things you want to consider when deciding what service, product, or skillset to sell, are:
your area of expertise (your skills, experience, education; what you're good at)
your passion (something you actually enjoy doing, and could do long term)
what others will pay for (if people won't pay for it, it might be a hobby, but it's not a viable income option)
How to communicate about what you sell and how you sell it:
I'm putting together a FREE 5-day challenge for you coming up in just a couple weeks. In this challenge, you're going to learn:
Connect with Esther:
Getting Clarity on Your Message & Reaching Your Ideal Audience [Strategy Session with Janell Wood] [Ep. 29]
Season 3 · Episode 29
Friday, February 5, 2021 • Duration 30:43
Are you finding yourself stuck or frustrated about growing an audience online? You might need to start by getting clarity about your message and your ideal listener or reader.
In this episode of the Christian Woman Business Podcast, I'm sharing a strategy session with podcaster Janell Wood. Janell and I chat about her desire to reach her audience with a message of hope and truth.
She shares about some of the practical and mindset challenges that many of us encounter when sharing a message online. We dive into how she can clarify her message, identify her ideal listener more clearly, and start to reach that person.
Key points discussed about finding clarity on your message and reaching your ideal audience:
Where Janell is at right now [3:00]
Clarifying the message [6:00]
Who does she want to be listening? [9:00]
Finding an angle that sets her podcast apart [15:00]
Identifying her ideal audience [19:00]
Reaching her person [27:00]
Quotes:
"It's going to be hard to grow your audience if you don't feel confident in the clarity around your message. And if your audience is confused, it's going to be hard to grow it."
"We're trying to be all things to all people, and we don't really set ourselves apart from other podcasts."
"You are simply taking the next step that God has called you to take."
2 Cor. 3:4-6 - "Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life."
We can see that confidence is not based on our own abilities, but on God who gives us everything we need. God has given us abilities. He has given us gifts.
And if developing confidence is something you struggle with, then you may want to check out my Confident Leader Catalyst. In that course, you will develop confidence based on God's truth, gain clarity about your purpose, and gain courage to step into your calling.
Once you establish that your confidence comes from God, it's important to also look at the truth about yourself. This is not about being prideful, it's about being honest.
Many times I have second-guessed my own products and services, my rates, what I'm doing and whether I have a "right" to be offering what I am.
One time I was struggling with this and I had a conversation with a mindset coach. She asked me several questions that helped me to gain an accurate perspective of what was going on. Over the years, I've had other mentors and biz besties who have helped me to do the same.
So I want to do the same today with you... I want to help you gain an accurate perspective of your qualifications for what you are doing. Here's how:
List any and all experiences you have in the past that have prepared you for what you are doing today. Identify what you learned or took away from those experiences.
List out anything you've invested in for your own personal or business development (courses, mentors, coaches, books). Note what you invested and reflect on what you learned or took away from each one.
List out any practical skills you might have, and make special note those that are rare or unique.
List out your natural and spiritual gifts. Reflect on how these help you in your business.
Think about the work you are doing now. When have you gotten results for yourself or others? List out any and all wins you've had in your own business or with clients or customers (free or paid).
After you've done this I hope you'll see that there's no need to be questioning your ability to do what you are doing!
But we still do it. So I find it really helpful to have a visible list of my own experiences and qualifications even just for my own reference so that i can confidently share what I'm doing with others.
Now maybe you are staying, "But Esther, I am offering something brand new! I have never done this before and I don't know if it actually makes sense for me to charge for it."
I will say this: I do think if you're putting yourself out there as a coach, consultant or expert that you should have some level of knowledge about that thing. But there is a first time for everything! Which brings us to #3.
When I first got started, someone reached out to me about building a website. I had built one for myself but never for someone else. I had no idea if I really had what it took to do the process for someone else.
I definitely underpriced, but I did the project and the client was happy with the results. So the next time, I bumped up the price and built a site for another person.
Over time, even though this was not a main service of mine, I got over questioning whether I was actually able to do a good job b/c I had taken action and done it.
More recently, when I felt God asking me to shift into doing more coaching and strategy for Christian women business owners, I had a massive mindset battle. I felt like I wasn't sure if I could actually do it. I felt like people might think I was being prideful or something crazy like this if I said I could help them grow their business online.
One day I was chatting with a friend through Voxer and she was having a business challenge. I offered her some encouragement and she came back to me and said, "You just coached me. You've been doing this for years and you just haven't been calling it that."
Now that we're several months into the year, and I've been offering this kind of support with clients and students, I can tell you that it feels amazing and God has affirmed that I'm on the right track! Through the feedback and responses I've had from clients, I know that what I'm offering is something that is needed.
And the same goes for you. What you have to offer is needed! And if you hold back because you are afraid of whether you have all the right qualifications you might never move forward! And others might be missing out on what you are offering.
I get it, it's tough to put yourself out there. It's tough to get visible and tell people you can help them withXYZ. But there are people who need your gifts, your experience, your insights! So, I challenge you to take action even if it's not perfect! As you do, the imposter syndrome stops having power over you.
And if you are really unsure about where you are at and you need an outside perspective, you can book a strategy session with me. We can chat about it and I can provide an objective viewpoint.
Our faith focus today is Matthew 5:16 - "In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."
One of my business values is excellence because I want to serve my clients and students well so that it will reflect the beauty of who God is and bring Him glory.
Let's serve our clients with excellence and let's shine our light to those around us. As they see this light, they may ask us questions. They may be inspired to get to know more about God because of how we are living our lives and running our business. Or, if they already know God, they will hopefully be encouraged to glorify Him by seeing what we are up to.
This week as you do your work, as you serve your family, or as you interact with your community, remember that you have the opportunity to be a light to those around you.
Today I want to shine a light on Christa Hutchins. Christa is a project manager and accountability coach serving Christian creatives and leaders. She is passionate about leading women to draw their strategic influences straight from scripture and apply it to their everyday tasks and decisions. She works one-on-one and through her Move Forward Mastermind.
She's also a friend, Podcast in a Weekend student, and client.
I want to shine a light on her today because she consistently builds up and encourages women. She's a master at collaborating and connecting people! She also recently launched her new podcast, Just One Simple Thing while working a full time job and continuing to serve her clients. She used Podcast in a Weekend to do so and she said "I never would have made it through a long complicated podcasting course."
Here's why: in order to effectively market your product or service, you have to know your target client and their needs. Connecting means figuring out what their struggles are… what their needs are, and how what you're offering could help.
Another part of connecting that I teach my clients (you get a sneak peak today!) is to collect the words and phrases your potential clients and customers use. If you know how your client speaks then you can use that language in your promotion to reach them effectively.
"Marketing starts with connecting." -Esther Littlefield
This is the part of marketing that we think of right away: FB and YouTube ads, messaging on the radio, podcasts, and TV.
But here's the thing about all of these methods of communication: they have to be crystal clear. Essentially, it's the better communicator, not the better product, that wins. (Thanks Donald Miller for making this point many times).
Often our communication is confusing and unclear. We know what we're talking about and why it's important, but if we're not communicating it in a way that makes sense to our potential clients, it just won't work.
So, marketing starts with connecting with your potential clients, getting into their heads and knowing exactly what they need and want. Then it moves to communicating your message clearly. These two halves of the marketing process will help you gain traction and be effective.
I've been in a place where I was trying to be visible everywhere, all the time, and do #allthethings to market my business. This was not a good or sustainable idea. I also didn't have a clear plan for what happened after clients moved through my marketing process and wanted to work with me. I realized how important it is to have strategies in place.
Here are some examples of having a strategy:
Knowing what you are going to sell at the end of your marketing efforts. Getting really clear about your offer(s) and what it is you want someone to buy.
Having a clear path to take someone to the point of buying. This might be having customers go to your website and then to a discovery call. Or it might be that they go from social media to your email list to an offer for a coaching session. Or from a FB ad to an email opt-in then to a small course. You need to know what you want your customer journey to look like.
Having a plan for your content marketing. For me, my podcast is my main marketing tool. Then I take what I share on the podcast and repurpose it to FB, which is my main social media platform. Especially if you're just getting started, I recommend one main content platform (blog, podcast, video) and one main social channel.
"The way to do marketing well is to have a strategy." -Esther Littlefield
You don't want to use marketing techniques that are not in line with your faith, or your values. I'm not suggesting that you throw away ideas just because they are uncomfortable...I've had my own business coach suggest some ideas that were a little bit out of my comfort zone, but ended up working well for me. There's a difference between being uncomfortable and being out of alignment with your values.
If you're not sure about a particular tactic, try putting yourself on the other end. For example, if you're thinking about cold messaging as part of your marketing process but you wouldn't want someone cold messaging you...don't do it!
And don't try to conform to a system that just isn't true to your own personality. Your message still needs to have you in it.
"Don't compare where you're at to...a business that's been well established for many years." -Esther Littlefield
To help you with this piece, I'm excited to be sharing my FREE Communicate & Connect Challenge coming up March 1-5.
The challenge will help you come up with the words you can use to clearly communicate what you do and who you help. We'll work through this together so you feel confident when someone asks you what you do, have the words to create curiosity instead of confusion, and can keep the conversation going to lead people down the path of working with you!
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