Uncomplicate Your Business

We hear that we should be everywhere. We should be on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. Last year it was Periscoping and Blabbing… and now we should be on Facebook Live! We stress over blogging every week… no let’s make that a vlog… what if we make it a podcast! And we also need to write a book. And we need to be speaking and attending all these conferences and events all around the world because networking is essential. Then we need to be hosting webinars… having free clarity sessions… asking for referrals… doing all the things to build our business. It’s overwhelming isn’t it? One of the biggest challenges we face as entrepreneurs is simply understanding what strategies are the right ones to grow our unique businesses. Without this clarity and focus in your marketing, it’s nearly impossible to gain real momentum in your business — adding more tips and tricks and tactics simply dilutes all the effort you put into a marketing strategy. That’s right - adding MORE will often cannibalize the results o

It’s official ya’ll… we’re down to the last 90 Days of 2017! Are you winding down or ramping up? For some of us, we’ve already decided that 2017 is pretty much over. The holidays are just around the corner, we’re taking the kids to all their activities… it’s just easier to go with the flow than to focus on your big goals. But in today’s episode of Uncomplicate Your Business, I wanna talk about why NOW is the perfect time to start ramping up and laying the foundation for 2018 in these last 90 Days. Today I’m sharing how you can use the last 90 Days of 2017 to really set yourself up for success in 2018. http://www.rachealcook.com/winding-down-or-ramping-up/

Our topic today is all about what a capsule wardrobe can teach you about creating more ease and less stress in your business. If you have been following me for a while, you might know that I am really, really passionate about simplifying my life, around keeping things simple; everything to how I prep our food to how we run our routines as a family to how we live a very minimalist lifestyle and that has also included a capsule wardrobe. I want to share with you guys some lessons that I have learned in having a capsule wardrobe and how it really, really translates to your business. If you guys are similar to me, I know for many, many years I would open the door to my closet, look at hangars and shelves full of clothes and still say to myself, “Oh, my gosh. I’m so overwhelmed. I have nothing to wear.” I would want to get ready to go out for a date night or simply just wanting something that wasn’t yoga pants to put on and go out into the world and I would find myself getting upset, getting frustrated, feeling ov

Are you running your business or is your business running you?  This is all about do you feel like you’re flying by the seat of your pants just to keep up with this crazy monster you’ve created called Your Business. If the answer is, “Yeah, I’m feeling like I’m flying by the seat of my pants.  I’m just trying to play catch up on everything from my inbox to my marketing to all the things that I’m trying to do in my business.”  Then you’re going to love what I have to talk about for today’s episode of the Uncomplicate Your Business Show. Click here to read more

Today we're breaking it all down and talking about the numbers. We're going to talk about exactly what it means to have a six figure business. If you happen to catch last week's episode on a big enough business then maybe you went through the process I shared with you to figure out what size your big enough business is and there were really two parts to determining the size of your big enough business. This is the business. It is a perfect size for you so that you can enjoy your life right now. This is a jumping off point. It doesn't mean your big business can't grow. And in last week's episode, I talked a lot about the growth trajectory my big business has gone as I've grown as an entrepreneur as I've transitioned different life stages and things have kind of shifted and evolved for me personally. Click here.

Let's dive into how to reduce your stress to dollar ratio in your business. This is a concept that has completely transformed the way I approach my business everything from how I market my business how I run my business behind the scenes. For every single offering that you have you have to be aware of the fact that there is a level of stress associated with it. Read more here.

Today, we’re talking about why a big enough business is the key to designing a life and business you love. As an entrepreneur who teaches other entrepreneurs how to design a lifestyle business, I have to say that I see a lot of hype. Not a day goes by when my Facebook newsfeed doesn’t include some variation of: “Reach and make millions,” “Don’t let your small business make you small minded,” “How I made seven figures in 10 months and you can to.” As someone behind the scenes, with my own clients and my business BFFs, my colleagues and peers; I know that what we see on social media and on people’s fancy websites, it is just part of the picture. We talk all about the end results. You know, those dollar dollar bills. We might get a glimpse into their real lifestyle, which of course, is complete with fancy, lavish vacations and expensive cars. It’s so easy to believe that bigger is better, that a six, seven or eight figure business equals finally having that freedom that we’re all seeking. But here’s the proble

Today, we’re talking about how to much information can be keeping you stuck and overwhelmed. Let’s dive in. It’s no secret that I am a complete lifelong student. Nothing makes me happier than learning something new. Learning just excites me. My favorite time of year is back to school. A bouquet of fresh pencils and a brand new clean notebook is my love language. You will find my nose in a book any day of the week. But, too much information could actually be one of the biggest reasons why so many entrepreneurs are kind of stuck in this entrepreneurial purgatory where they’re not making any progress in their business. This really hit home for me not too long ago. I was having a conversation with an incredibly smart woman who had a brilliant idea for her business. This is somebody who is highly educated. She has all the advanced degrees, she has all the certifications and that desire to learn. That predisposition to educating herself first had followed her into her business. But it was actually at her detriment.

There’s a strong entrepreneurial culture of hustling 24/7. As if we can just work ourselves nonstop. The truth is, I really think this is setting up so many entrepreneurs on the fast track to burnout. When I look at the statistics that 80% of new businesses shut down within the first few years, I really feel like I have some strong support on this one. Here’s the challenge and the issue that I really have with this hustle mentality. First of all, we don’t all have 12-18 hours a day to work. We just don’t. For so many of us, there are other things that require our time and our attention. The idea that you could work 12-18 hours a day, like some sort of machine, is just not realistic. http://www.rachealcook.com/episode62

When it comes to working with new team members, I tend to hear from people is they feel like they hired a great person, but then a month or two into that working relationship, they just tell me, "It is not working. I don't know what's going on". And on the other end of that relationship, chances are the person they just hired is sitting there going, "This person doesn't communicate very well. I don't know what they really actually want from me." So today's conversation is so incredibly important. It's all about setting expectations and having clear communication. www.rachealcook.com/episode61

Today, we are continuing The Dream Team series and we're talking with my team about what you need to know when you're getting ready to hire your dream team. You've already determined from the last episode, that it's time to bring some support into your business. Now, you have to figure out, where do you find the right fit, so that you don't waste a ton of time, energy, and money trying to figure out the right person to be helping you behind the scenes. I have to say, this is one area that we do pretty darn well. Most of my team has been with me for years. Amber has been working behind the scenes with me for five or six years now and Katie and Lane for a little over three almost four years. That's pretty unusual, especially in this online business space. www.rachealcook.com/episode60

Do you need real support behind the scenes in your business? Maybe the idea of hiring a team has been a little overwhelming or you're just not sure if you're ready to bring some people in behind the scenes. Having a team in place really makes my life as an entrepreneur much, much easier. It allows me to focus on the high-impact activities that are both going to reach more people, serve more people, and help me to continue grow the business. Today my team is joining me to help share some insight into what they see behind the scenes in my own business and many other businesses to answer the question, are you ready for the dream team? www.rachealcook.com/episode59

I have some important questions to ask you today. Do you ever wish that you didn't have to deal with money? Have you ever had a hard time quoting a price to a potential client? Or, have you ever struggled to say, "hey, I need you to pay me" now? These are common challenges that a lot of entrepreneurs face, but we don't seem to talk about it a whole lot. That's why I wanted to introduce you to my dear friend and Money Mindset Mentor, Denise Duffield-Thomas. Denise is somebody who just inspires me, I've absolutely loved watching her business over the last five or so years, because not only has she really started an important conversation around Money Mindset for women entrepreneurs. I hope you enjoy this incredibly insightful conversation with Denise about making your money work for you, around money mindset, and around how less really can help you earn more. Let's dive in.

If this is the first episode you've ever listened to of the Uncomplicate Your Business Podcast, one, I hope you absolutely love it, and two, I hope you listen in to the previous three episodes because I have been talking with some incredible women entrepreneurs about their entrepreneurial journey. What makes this summer series different is we are not talking about the highlight reel. We're not talking about how they went from being bankrupt to being a millionaire seemingly overnight. We are talking the real journey, the hard decisions, the sleepless nights, the frustrations when you want to just throw your laptop out the window, because this is the reality of being an entrepreneur. I feel like so many entrepreneurs in those first few years would just hang in there and really figure it out for themselves if they knew that the hype that you hear, the highlight reel stories that are out there, those are the exception, not the rule. For every 100 entrepreneurs, there might be one you have that zero to s

In the last episode of this series, episode 54, with Worthy and Well founder Casey Berglund, we walked through her journey of fusing all of these interests, yoga, mindfulness, nutrition, health coaching, into one brand Worthy and Well and where that has led her today on a cross-country trip across Canada. Now, we're going to have a conversation with Casey's business BFF, Veronica Grant. This is one of my favorite things, seeing my students find each other and really cheer each other on. What I love about Veronica, without giving it away, is how she really learned to listen to the people that she's serving, to figure out the right next step for her and her business. You ready? Let's dive in.

Today, I am so excited to kick off this very special summer series of interviews to inspire you as you go through the entrepreneurial journey. Especially if you're maybe still in those early stages you're still in year one or two or three. Not too long ago, I was having a little Skype date with my dear friend and client Casey Berglund who is just incredible as you're going to hear in our conversation. We were catching up and we were saying, "I can't believe it's been a couple of years now that we've known each other," and that I've seen these incredible changes in her business and these tweaks and pivots she's taken along the way that now she is so incredibly happy and fulfilled and excited about her business. But it didn't happen overnight, it took some work. It took really rolling up her sleeves, and it took making some hard decisions doing hard things is a big part of this journey. What she said to me after we had this little catch up date, I was so

Understanding these natural seasons of your business can really set you up for success and help you to take off running in the fall. For many entrepreneurs, especially us mamapreneurs, us working moms who are juggling kids who are off on their spring break or summer break, summer can bring a dip in new clients and revenue. Whether we're just juggling our own family during that time, or it's a time of year where our own students and clients are off on vacation and they're not thinking about coming in to see us or to work with us, it can feel really easy to slip into those lazy days of summer. I want you to know that the summer slowdown is a perfect time to build your business.

About six months ago, in December of 2016, I had an episode that was all about how to do a year in review and set yourself up for success in the new year. The truth is, it feels like New Year’s gets all the glory, that’s when everybody is dreaming big and they’re setting smart goals, but by June chances are your goals, your priorities, things going on in your business, might have changed. I want you to know that this is totally normal. When you are a solopreneur or you’re running a small business where you are the one in charge of pretty much everything going on, things can shift pretty quickly. A goal that you might have set in January might not be a priority anymore. There might be a new opportunity you decided to go for, there might be a new product or program or service you decided to create. Things can change very quickly when we’re running these small businesses. Today I wanted to take time today to walk you through a process that I do around this time of year - a mid-year review.