After you get a sense of what is being written in the publications that I mentioned,you have to look a little bit deeper to discover WHY these particular articles andbooks are being written. Publishing is a business like any other. It is designed tosell products services. You can write for fun if you want to—create your own blogor newsletters—but if you want to use writing to grow your business, you have tounderstand how the system works.You share your expertise—which should address a specific problem that your idealclient and community is having—and then you should let people know HOW yourservices – classes or private sessions or trainings—will help them to solve theirproblem. Your ‘ideal client’ WANTS to hear what you have to say. Your writing can bethe introduction to YOU and the services that you offer that can help her.There are so many great examples of this. Let’s take Gabby Bernstein for example—author of Spirit Junkie and other books—in addition to being a successful writing and yoga teacher, she is a marketing GURU. She’s gone all the way to Oprah with her teachings on Course in Miracles and Kundalini Yoga. How did she do it? She wrote books about spirituality and yoga, then she offered courses about them, then she built up a big following and she kept growing and growing until she got national recognition. Now, if she just wrote books and never left the house to teach, would she have gained such wide-spread success. I doubt it. If she just taught classes and never wrote best-selling books, would she end up on Oprah. No way. So it was the combination of writing, teaching and marketing that was a winning combination for her. How did her writing and teaching get so popular? Because she knew how to speak to her community with messages that they needed to hear. She knew how to empower them with her own stories of struggle and recovery. She knew how to be cute enough (wearing jeans and lip gloss) to be relatable to her community – she wasn’t wearing white robes and a turban like all of the other Kundalini yogis.None of this happens by accident. It’s a concentrated effortto create a strong personal brand (which we will talk aboutmore in Chapter 6) and offer services and products thatmatter to the world. Blissful Business 51 GabriellePelicci.com
Ok, let’s talk a bit about the types of writing that are published in the wellness industryso that you have a blueprint for what to create.As I mentioned before, reading what’s out there will give you a lot of information—especially information about repetitive patterns in publishing. All books and articlesgenerally fall into one of 3 categories: trends, seasonal or evergreen.TrendsThis is just what it sounds like. What is popular right now. Organic products. Vegandiets. Acro yoga. This is always changing and is strongly influenced by what celebritiesare doing or what new products are being invented. If you scan the headlines, you’llsee these patterns—videos that go viral and news programs that all mention the samething. Writing about something related to a trend is a good way to get your writingpublished. People will pay attention because it is current and relevant.SeasonalIn summer, you see stories about building your bikini body. In winter, you see giftguides with natural products. These are seasonal stories. Some of them may berelevant to your business and others may not. If you can use the seasonal angle—likeNew Year’s resolutions or summer weddings—to promote whatever you offer, thenit may be easier to get published. Editors are always looking for stories that fit intotheir seasonal sections.EvergreenNo matter the time of year or what’s happening with trends, there will always besome stories that are consistently relevant. How to find a romantic partner, how toraise kids, how to eat healthy and so on. Some of these stories are more interestingthan others. It’s important that if you are writing evergreen content, that you still offera fresh perspective. Mention a new research study or something makes people thinkdifferently about the topic. Blissful Business 52 GabriellePelicci.com
In the last 2 chapters, we used the prenatal example to create sessions and classes.Let’s use this example again, for the 3 different kinds of writing.TRENDSLet’s say that Beyoncé decides todeliver her new baby at home andnow a popular trend in the mediabecomes ‘home birth deliveries’. Nowevery print and online magazine iswriting about home birth deliveries Body Work for Home Birthand doulas are publishing booksabout the 7 secrets to successful home deliveries. What can you do? You can writean article “Bodywork for Home Birth” that talks about how pre-natal massagehelps pregnant women prepare for home birth deliveries because it gives theexpecting mother a safe, natural technique to reduce pain and relax the body.Now, you’ve done a couple things with this article—you’ve positioned yourselfas someone who is an expert on pregnancy, you’ve shared information that isvaluable, you’ve commented on a trend which is something that people careabout right now and you’ve let people know that you do pre-natal massage—allgood things! Hopefully the phone will start ringing for appointments after thearticle is published! SEASONAL Ok, let’s do another example of writing.Keeping Cool during a Summer Delivery Imagine that summer is approaching and all of the magazines are publishing articles about fun summer activities and place to travel on summer vacation. How can you use your knowledge to write something interesting that is related to the season of summer AND your business?How about: “Keeping Cool during a Summer Delivery” that talks about how toprepare for delivering a baby in summer using deep breathing and gentle stretching.You could talk about cooling yoga breaths and exercise that is not too strenuousor heat-producing.This has a similar effect as the trendy article— you’ve let people know that you arean expert on pregnancy, you’ve shared information that is valuable, you’ve givenyour ideal client something she can do in summer that will help her and you let herknow that you do pre-natal breathing and stretching classes if she wants to reachout to you—all good things! Blissful Business 53 GabriellePelicci.com
EVERGREENAnd our last example is theEverGreen example. What is a topicthat is important to all pregnantmoms at all times of the year? Howabout losing weight after givingbirth. 10 Natural Ways to Lose WeightSince there have already been After Giving Birthmany, many articles written about this topic, you’ll have to come up with somethingfun and different for your community. If you can’t think of one specific thing that isunique, this is a good opportunity to do a “round-up.” A round-up is where you givea list or group of things that solve a specific problem. In this case, we could do ‘10natural ways to lose weight after giving birth’ or something like that. In the article,you can still talk about massage and gentle stretching but then you can throw insome other cool things that new moms can do.Just like the other examples, you’re letting people know that you are an expert,you’re sharing valuable information, and you’re letting people know what you offer. Blissful Business 54 GabriellePelicci.com
Now we have 3 exercises! Exercise #1Before you answer the questions below, you have to find a health & wellness articlewritten by a practitioner (not an editor!). When I say practitioner, I mean someonewho has a clinic or classes or retreats or something related to the wellness industry.Not someone who just writes articles about wellness but doesn’t actually practice inthe wellness industry.You will be able to identify this person by their bio— it should say at the beginningor end of the article, so-and-so is a massage therapist and has a practice in Texas orwhatever. You can use the publications that we discussed earlier in this chapter if you’renot sure where to look for an article. After you read the article, then you need to tell us:Why did the author write the article?Does it mention her products or services?Do you trust her as an expert? Why or why not?Is the content Evergreen, Seasonal or Current Events?How did you find the article(Google, Facebook, word of mouth, etc.)?Did it make you want to learn more about the author?Were there hyperlinks to websites or social media accounts in the article? If so,which ones?This exercise is designed to help you become a publishing detective so that you learnto look at writing differently – and eventually apply the same principles to your ownwriting. Blissful Business 55 GabriellePelicci.com
Exercise #2Pick a topic that you are passionate about that is related to your business. Imagineyour ideal client surfing the web, trying to solve a problem and she stumbles ontoyour article.What do you want to tell her that will help her solve her problem?What sessions or classes do you offer that will help her solve her problem?What expertise or experience do you have helping other people solve this sameproblem?How can she learn more about you if she wants to work with you?How can she share your article with her friends who are having a similar problem? Blissful Business 56 GabriellePelicci.com
Exercise #3In Chapter two, you answered the question: What magazines or journals does your ideal client read?Pick one magazine (print or online) and study the articles that relate to your idea inExercise #2 and write your reflections.Why is your idea a good fit for the magazine? What is new, unique or fresh about your idea? How will your article benefit the readers? You may discover that your idea from exercise #2 is a perfect fitfor the magazine and your topic is fresh and unique. OR You maydiscover, on the other hand, find that your topic isn’t a good fitor too closely copies the content that is already in the magazine.Either way, that’s perfect! You are learning how to become a good detective andstrengthen you investigate, reflect, connect muscles. Super Growth Formula Write the article that you described in Exercise #2 and submit it to the magazine that you described in Exercise #3. Blissful Business 57 GabriellePelicci.com
Maura Kennedy What expertise and experience do you have helping other people solve this same Exercise 1 problem? I have studied all the major dietary theories Article: “Despite the Hype, Saturated Fat and use practical lifestyle coaching meth- is Still Bad for You” Mehmet Oz and Mike ods to guide clients in discovering which Roizen approach works best for them. 1. Article was written to discuss the How can she learn more about you if she importance of “good” fat in our diets wants to work with you? (olive and canola oil, nuts, avocados) She can learn more about me by visiting rather than saturated fats (those found my website in red meats and bacon as examples) How can she share your article with friends 2. Does not mention authors’ products/ who are having a similar problem? services but both authors have Article can be shared via e-mail. published books Exercise 3 3. Dr. Oz and his colleagues are both trusted experts in the field, Why is your idea a good fit for the credentialed physicians, etc. magazine? My ideal client might be reading – Shape, Self, 4. Evergreen Eating Well, Weight Watchers, Prevention, 5. Article was found in health supplement MindBodyGreen. My idea is a good fit for any of these because all of these magazines of daily newspaper feature articles about wellness, diet, nutrition, 6. Yes weight loss, etc. 7. No links to websites or social media in What is new, unique or fresh about your this article idea? My article will talk not only about the body, Exercise 2 but also about the mind and how we apply our knowledge to create new habits and What do you want to tell her that will help stay motivated her solve problem? Instead of creating lists of restrictions and How will your article benefit the readers? good and bad foods, I teach people to It will help them create a foundation of create a happy, healthy life in a way that is health and a life of happiness through flexible, fun and free of denial and discipline. understanding the power of food. What classes or sessions do you offer that will help her solve her problem? One-on-one coaching and free webinars Blissful Business 58 GabriellePelicci.com
Presenting5Speaking to be Seen & HeardBlissful Business 59 GabriellePelicci.com
What we will cover in this chapter: What to Say Online & Offline How Attendees become Clients Making “Sticky” PresentationsPresentingSpeaking to beSeen & HeardBy now you should be familiar with the process of turning your outreach intobusiness. In Chapter two, we learned the power of referrals and setting yourselfapart from the competition. In Chapter 3, we learned how to find the best placesto teach in order to reach your community. In Chapter 4, we learned how towrite so that your clients and community will recognize your expertise andseek out your services. Now we will dive into presenting.So, what is presenting?Presenting everything that you say about your business from formalpublic speaking to the 60sec elevator pitch that you say at a party.It’s how you “present” yourself, your services, your current offersand your business mission. Blissful Business 60 GabriellePelicci.com
In chapter 3, we talked about the “Script” that you say at the beginning and endof class to let people know about your private sessions. The sample script that weused for a pre-natal therapist was: “I am happy that you joined me for this pre-natalstretching class. It will help you to reduce pain and increase flexibility in a natural,healthy way. If you have injuries or you need more assistance, I also offer pre-natalmassage as an outcall service so that you can get the care you need in the comfortof your own home.”That was a “short and sweet” presentation. You let your students know the value ofthe class that they’re taking. You let them know that there are other options to solvetheir problem in a healthy and natural way AND you positioned yourself as an expertwho can give them additional services if they need more help. Mission accomplished.In chapter 4, we talked about 3 different types of articles that you could write aboutprenatal care: a trending piece about bodywork for home birth deliveries, a seasonalexample about summer deliveries and an evergreen round-up of ways to lose weightafter giving birth. In each example, you let your community know that you’re anexpert on pregnancy, that you have valuable information to share and that you offerservices that can solve a problem for them. Do you see the pattern here? JNow we are going to take this SAME concept and apply it to online and offline speakingopportunities.First let’s talk about the presenting opportunities that you have. Presenting OpportunitiesOnline Offline• Radio Shows • Conferences• Podcasts • Wellness Expos• Online Summits • Networking Events• Web Shows • Corporate EventsMany people freeze-up when we talk about presenting because they think of a formaltalk on a stage, but that’s only one kind of presentation. There are lots of ways to getthe word out about the work that you do both online and offline.Blissful Business 61 GabriellePelicci.com
I’ve done all of these different kinds of presentations during my 15-year career. AndI’ve learned a few things that are important. 1. 1 First, talking about your work is the best way to get more work—if you remember in chapter two, I said that there are 4 ways to get new clients—face to face, referrals, marketing and publicity—and of these 4 methods, face to face is my favorite. When I speak about my work, new clients magically appear—well, it’s not so magical actually. When they hear my passion and excitement about my work, they are drawn to me. I try to speak in really simple terms—just like I am doing with this book. And I try to speak from the heart. I genuinely love sharing information about wellness with others—and I’m sure you do to. So, if you channel that love and passion into a presentation, it’s guaranteed to attract clients and other opportunities. 2 Secondly, presentations have helped me to achieve many of my career goals. Some of the presentations that I’ve given over the years have been at academic conferences. I chose academic conferences specifically because I wanted to find university teaching opportu- nities. I was able to use the presentations to meet college administrators AND add more credibility to my resume. Over time, I’ve been invited to teach at 8 different universities—so it’s paid off well. 3 And lastly, presentation opportunities don’t just fall into my lap—I have to actively seek them out. Some of you may have seen me on MSNBC in May 2015, giving a pitch live on stage to hundreds of people – that was a great opportunity for me and my business—and it didn’t happen by accident. I had to put myself out there—I had to submit a video to MSNBC about why they should pick me and compete against hundreds of women—and I am always on the lookout for opportunities like that.So, Presentations can definitely help you achieve YOUR goals! Whether it’s growingyour community, finding partners and collaborators, or even raising money for abusiness project – people need to hear your voice so they can help you bring yourvision to life. You should keep an eye out for opportunities and don’t hesitate reachout to event organizers, producers, or hosts of places where you want to present.We’ll talk about this some more in a little bit.In the next few images, let’s about how to get prepared so that you are ready forspeaking opportunities. Blissful Business 62 GabriellePelicci.com
Ok, we’ve already talked about the “short and sweet” presentation that you keep inyour wellness briefcase for when you are teaching classes. Now, what if you weren’tin front of a class, but instead in a different situation?Elevator If you were walking around at a wellness conference and Pitch someone asked about your work. What would you say? You could say: “I am a childbirth educator. I teach breathing and gentle stretching classes at the local hospital and I also do outcall massage for pregnant women in their homes. I am passionate about helping moms reduce pain in a healthy and natural way.” This is called an “elevator pitch” – it communicates the essentials of who you are and what you do in a clear and concise way. Now, let’s talk about how we would expand on that to prepare for an interview or longer talk.Panel or Imagine that you are invited to be interviewed for an onlineInterview radio show about Pregnancy and the interviewer says: Tell Us about yourself. You could respond by saying: “I am a childbirth educator. I teach breathing and gentle stretching classes at the local hospital and I also do outcall massage for pregnant women in their homes. I am passionate about helping moms reduce pain in a healthy and natural way And letting them know about their options for holistic care. I recently wrote an article called “Bodywork for Home Birth” that talks about how pre-natal massage helps pregnant women prepare for home birth deliveries because it gives the expecting mother a safe, natural technique to reduce pain and relax the body.” This expands on your elevator pitch by adding information about your writing and other areas of expertise. Longer interviews or panel discussions require you to keep expanding —explaining more of your background and why you think your work is important. Blissful Business 63 GabriellePelicci.com
Panel or Longer talks or presentations require you to spend evenInterview more time crafting your personal story and your “idea worth spreading” —which we will talk about more in a minute. The most important advice that I can give you is to keep your ideal client and community in mind as you prepare your presentations. If you are growing your pre-natal massage business, then being a guest on a panel about holistic treatments for cancer is not a good fit for you. The reason that we do all of the preliminary work to define our vision and get clear about the problem that our ideal client is trying to solve is so that it’s MUCH easier to make decisions about where to present our ideas in order to grow our business. The audience who is listening will become your “fans” and fans turn into clients, collaborators and community.I want to talk briefly about ‘what you should say when you speak to make yourpresentation memorable. These are some tips that I learned from Chip and Dan Heathin their book Made to Stick.We are going to use theacronym SUCCES—withonly one “s.” The first S stands for Simplicity – finding the core of your message and expressing it in a compact idea—we discussed that in the pre- natal example—the core message is that you “help moms reduce pain in a healthy, natural way”—so you want to stick to this core idea when you are speaking about your work. U stands for Unexpectedness – the most basic way to get someone’s attention is to break a pattern—surprise them with something that is counterintuitive about your core message—what could be counterintuitive about the pre-natal example? Maybe: Did you know that there is something that you could do right now to relieve your pregnancy pain and it’s even more effective than medication? The important thing is that you make your idea stand out —try to find a fresh spin on your core message. The first C stands for Concreteness – let’s imagine that you really want your message to “stick” with your attendees. You have to do something to make your idea concrete for them. You could take them take the hand of a person sitting next to them and rub their hand for a minute to feel the immediate relaxation benefits of massage. Anything that make ‘pain relief’ and ‘relaxation’ concrete for them. Blissful Business 64 GabriellePelicci.com
The second C stands for Credibility—if you are trying to persuade askeptical audience to believe a new message, you have to demonstratecredibility. In the pre-natal example, you could give some statisticsabout the benefits of pre-natal massage or give an example like wetalked about in the publishing chapter—if Beyoncé Is doing homebirths with her doula and massage therapist – then it must be credible!That’s a funny example, but endorsements for your work—directly orindirectly—make people more likely to “believe” and if they “believe”then they will give it a try.E stands for Emotions – This almost goes without saying – we allknow how much easier it is to remember something if it makes uslaugh or cry. How do you evoke emotion about your topic? Find somepoignant or funny story to tell about your work—the time that yourclient was so grateful for your pre-natal massages that she namedher baby after you. It doesn’t matter—you just want the audience tofeel something when you give your presentation.And lastly, Stories. Why did you become a wellness practitioner?What is the most memorable experience that you’ve had with a clientor class? What happened to you that made you want to do the workthat you do? Stories are the way that we build connection, trust andrelatedness. Dig out your best and worst moments and add them toyour presentation to make them memorable. Blissful Business 65 GabriellePelicci.com
Now for some more exercises! We are going to spend some time watching a TED talkand observing what other speakers do to tell their story.You can choose any TED talk that you want. Here are some Recommended Talksabout health and wellness:Shawn Achor: The happy secret to better workDean Ornish: Healing Through Diet OR Dean Ornish: Genes are not your fateKelly McGonigal: How to make stress your friendBrene Brown: The power of vulnerabilityArianna Huffington: How to succeed? Get more sleep.It’s important to listen to speakers so that you can learn how they talk about theirwork, what stories they use, how they use unexpectedness or emotions to make theirmessage memorable. You will use this research to discover your own unique voiceand style. Exercise #1Watch a TED talk of your choice and answer the questions below:What is the theme or message of the talk?Why is it an idea worth spreading?Who would benefit most from hearing this talk (hint: the ideal client of thespeaker)?If you could summarize the talk in 1 minute, what would you say? Blissful Business 66 GabriellePelicci.com
Exercise #2Pick an event (Mind-Body Expo, wellness conference, networking meeting, etc.) wheremembers of your community hang out. In the boxes below, write your reflections.Reminder: Your “community” is a group of your ideal clients gathered together.What is the theme of the event?What presentation can you give that aligns with the theme of the event andshares your expertise?What are the submission guidelines and requirements to present at this event?What is the one-minute pitch for your presentation? Super Growth Formula Submit your proposal to the conference coordinators. Draft your presentation. Make sure it’s an “idea worth spreading” that will benefit your ideal clients and your community. Follow the S.U.C.C.E.S.s formula to Make it Stick! Blissful Business 67 GabriellePelicci.com
Patty Rickman What is the theme of the event? Wellness Fair at my local community college Exercise 1 located about 10 minutes away. What is the theme or message of the talk? What presentation can you give that aligns “BJ Miller: What really matters in End of Life” with the theme of the event and shares with your expertise? Mr. Miller who lost part of his arm and both of I think Chakra’s and learning how they his legs in a tragic electrical accident before function throughout the body is an excellent college gives a moving Ted talk on what really connection to my goals. is revered and important at the end of life, and thus should be important all throughout What are the submission guidelines and life. requirements to present at this event? I have to submit a pitch for my talk. Why is this idea worth spreading? I think its important to remember that death What is the one-minute pitch for your is a part of life, and we should live each day presentation? with love, compassion, kindness, gratitude, My Shake Your Chakra workshop combines and joy. ancient wisdom with modern mindfulness techniques and leads you on a journey of a Who would benefit most from hearing this lifetime through your 7 personal power centers talk? so you can improve your health, increase your I think anyone would benefit from this talk, energy, and experience more joy. For more no matter what socioeconomic background, than 5000 years, ancient healers and yogis race, sexual orientation or belief. have been using the power of the chakras to facilitate healing and improve well-being. If you could summarize the talk in one When your chakras are in balance, you will minute, what would you say? experience more love, openness, kindness BJ Miller challenges us to see our challenges and creativity. as opportunities to grow our hearts and minds and find new ways to approach life in a positive more exciting way. He did not allow his loss of limbs to define his life, career, goals and or achievements; he defied the odds, and lived his dream. Exercise 2 Blissful Business 68 GabriellePelicci.com
Media6 Blissful Business 69 GabriellePelicci.com
What we will cover in this chapter: Benefits of Media Coverage Personal Branding Using Social Media to Grow Your Business How to get Free PRMedia This is one of my favorite chapters because we get to take all of your hard work -- yourclient testimonials, your class content, your articles and presentations – and share itwith the world. We will also leverage it to get you more business! I think that media issuch an exciting way to increase awareness of wellness, share stories of success andcelebrate what we do. There has never been a time in history when we could reachso many people so easily with just the click of a button.So, what is media?In this book, when we talk about Media, we are referring to mentions or appearancesin newspapers, magazines, TV shows and social networking sites. Sometimes you willbe posting this media yourself – like with Facebook or Instagram-- and other times,you will be a source for someone else’s story – like a newspaper or magazine article.Let’s talk about some of the benefits of appearing in the media: It’s free advertising. A story about you in a major magazine would cost thousands if you had to buy it as ad space. It creates awareness, enthusiasm and support for your business It strengthens your personal brand – we will talk about this more in a few minutes Press coverage can make you look more impressive and credible It can generate surprising connections and introductions. Even a small circulation magazine with 50,000 readers will reach more people than you are likely to meet in a year. It can lead directly to more loyal followers and clients Blissful Business 70 GabriellePelicci.com
You don’t have to be a big celebrity to get media coverage -- Even the smallestmeeting or event can be worthy of print, radio and TV media attention. I’ve receivedmedia coverage on MSNBC, Yogi Times, Spirituality & Health Magazine, The New YorkPost, and so on. I did all of this on my own without any formal PR training or hiring aPR firm. I want to teach you what I did, so that you can do it, too. But before we dothat, first I want to talk about Personal Branding.What is personal branding?In Chapter One, you did a vision board of the “look and feel” of your business. Everypractitioner and organization has a specific “look and feel” or “brand” for theirbusiness—some famous brands are easily recognizable like Nike swoosh sign andslogan “Just Do it” or McDonalds Golden Arches and slogan “I’m lovin’ it.”YOU also have a brand—whether you know it or not. Your personal brand is theimages, words, fonts, colors and messages that you use for your business. It’s betterto consciously create your brand to communicate your important messages then tolet it happen by accident.When you are creating your brand, you want to make sure that you: Have Professional Headshots Have a consistent message and theme Use the same colors, fonts and images on your website, social media and printed materials Keep your ideal client and community in mind with your words and stories— you don’t just want to have pretty pictures of yourself doing yoga—that’s not a brand. A brand speaks to the client and says ‘this is how I can help you’ Tell a story that is memorable—in Chapter 5, we talked about making your story ‘stick’ by keeping it simple, unexpected, concrete, credible, and emotional Describe the transformation that someone is going to have if they work with youDON’T Post personal or unprofessional images or updates on your website or social media Don’t offer too many services or try to target too many types of clients on one website or social media account—you can set up different websites and accounts if you are doing more than one business Don’t neglect your media—the most important thing you can do with media is be consistent—people need to be reminded of what you do because they are bombarded with so much information on a daily basis that they can easily forget about you and your work Blissful Business 71 GabriellePelicci.com
It’s important to get your personal branding sorted out BEFORE you appear in themedia so that your core message comes across loud and clear. If you already have awebsite or social media sites that are disorganized or unclear, that’s ok. You’ll havean opportunity to work on them in the homework this week. And this is an on-goingprocess—my personal brand has evolved and changed so much over the last 15 years.Your personal brand will evolve and change too. The most important thing is thatyour current media coverage accurately represents your business vision, mission andvalues so that you can attract the clients that you want and achieve your career goals. Social Media • LinkedIn • Facebook Page • Twitter • Instagram • Website or BlogLet’s talk about social media for a minute. Using social media for your business is notthe same as posting personal status updates and images. Your business accountsshould speak to your ideal client and community. They should position you as awellness expert. And they should highlight the great work that you do.The 4 accounts that you should have in addition to a website or blog are LinkedIn,Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.A personal Facebook profile is not the same asa business page. You need to have a separatebusiness page that is focused on your work. Blissful Business 72 GabriellePelicci.com
A personal Instagram account is not the same as a business account. You shouldn’thave pictures of your dog and your kids on your account unless you are letting peopleknow that you work with dogs and kids. For the pre-natal example, the images shouldshow pregnant moms getting massage, pregnant moms doing yoga, pictures of youworking with pregnant moms and so on.You should be posting daily—You can put the same post on all of the different accounts.You don’t have to write a different post for each account.You can schedule everything using softwarelike “Hootsuite.” You don’t have to do itmanually. If you really dislike doing socialmedia, You can pay someone else to do it—cost ranges from $50/month to $1000/monthdepending on what services you want.Now, you may feel that your ideal clients are not visiting one or more of these socialnetworking sites and that you don’t need to have a presence there – that’s a legitimateresponse. However, keep in mind that social media is not only a way to find clientsbut it’s also a way to build credibility. More than ever, publishers, producers and otherprofessionals will check your accounts to see what kind of influence you have. Theycall this your “platform.” Some practitioners even use their social media accounts toearn money. If you have thousands of followers, brands will pay you to endorse theirproducts. Now, we may be a long way off from that but it’s something to keep inmind. It definitely doesn’t hurt your business to have a strong social media following.#HashtagsThe way that clients and others will find you on social media is by the hashtags that youuse. It’s critical that your posts have tags that represent your business. I’ve put sometags here on the image that would be appropriate for the prenatal therapist example.#prenatal#prenatalyoga#pregnancy#prenatalmassage#birth#homebirthThis is by no means an exhaustive list. I have about 50 hashtags that I use to promotemy work. These tags help me add hundreds of followers a month to my twitter andInstagram accounts. Again, if you don’t want to spend a lot of time on social mediaor you don’t feel totally comfortable with it, consider outsourcing it so that you canfocus on other things. Blissful Business 73 GabriellePelicci.com
What is PR?PR is press coverage of your work. Getting press coverage gives you credibility andfree advertising. And it’s not as hard as it seems. It can be as easy as inviting an editorto experience your work or responding to a request from an editor for informationthat they need for an article. Editors and producers are always looking for fresh newstories that they can use for their magazine or show.You may be thinking…what if I’m not ready for PR? All you need to do to get press readyis follow the instructions in this book. You don’t need to write a book or accomplishsome big goal—You are an expert on what you do. You know that your services canbenefit others—that’s what you want to share with the press. Share your excitement,your passion, your expertise, and your story.I included an article here fromOmYoga that recently featured oneof my friends. She teaches prenatalyoga in the UK. This is exactly thekind of article that would benefitthe “prenatal therapist” that we’vebeen discussing throughout thechapters. This article will reachtens of thousands of people—and could lead to some greatopportunities.You can get press like this yourselfby reaching out to editors andproducers or, if you are reallyuncomfortable, you can pay someone else to do it. However, most reputable PR firmscharge between $3000-$10,000 a month so it’s better to get started on your own!I’ll tell you how… The best resource that I’ve found for getting free press is “Help A Reporter Out” aka “HARO” HARO is a website where reporters and sources can sign up to connect with each other. If you sign up as a source, you will receive 3 emails a day —morning, afternoon and evening with PR opportunities. Thanks to HARO, I’ve been quoted in about a dozen press stories this year. Blissful Business 74 GabriellePelicci.com
As soon as I receive the HARO emails, I stop what I’m doing, scan them for requests thatmatch my expertise, and respond immediately with an email about 5-10 sentences longwith my advice. You have to respond within an hour or so because the opportunitiesdisappear quickly. This will make more sense once you see the HARO emails, butfor now, I just want to say that—When responding to HARO queries, keep it shortand sweet & respond fast. If the editor wants more information, she will email you orcall you. Be sure to include a very short bio (2-3 sentences max) and your contactinformation when you respond. Blissful Business 75 GabriellePelicci.com
Now complete the following exercises. Exercise #1Set up your social media accounts to reflect your Personal Brand. Facebook Business Page LinkedIn Twitter Instagram Website or Wordpress BlogNote: If you already have accounts, reflect on the following questions to see if youraccounts accurately represent your business.o Does your account have recent professional photos?o Does your account speak to your ideal client and community?o Does your account position you as a wellness expert?o Does your account highlight the great work that you do?o Does your account make it easy for someone to learn about your services andcontact you?o Does your account tell a story that is memorable?o Do you describe the transformation that someone is going to have if they work with you?o Are you posting at least once a week? About Me Worksheet My services makes my clients feel ____________________ because I ____________________. I love _____________ and it shows up as ____________________ in my services. Unlike my competitor, my service is______________________________________. Blissful Business 76 GabriellePelicci.com
Exercise #2In Chapter 2, we studied our competitors to learn about their services, pricing, workenvironment and so on. Now, revisit the social media accounts of the people that youidentified.When you visit her accounts, you are going to look for the hashtags that she uses onher posts and then you are going to create a list of hashtags that best represent yourbusiness. Some of the hashtags may be the same as your competitor and some may bedifferent. When I did this exercise for my business, I visited several of my competitorsand with each competitor, I discovered more cool ideas for branding. Have fun withthis. It’s sort of like going to a fashion show and observing what everyone is wearing.Each person is beautiful and each person is unique. The more we pay attention, themore we learn what our special “dress” should look like to bring out our best features.What tags are they using on their postings?What social media tags best represent your business? Blissful Business 77 GabriellePelicci.com
Exercise #3Go to http://www.helpareporter.com and sign up as a “Source.” Super Growth Formula Respond to a HARO Querie that relates to your business. Blissful Business 78 GabriellePelicci.com
Dr. Gabby Social MediaFacebook Business Page Twitter Business PageLinkedin Business Page Instagram Business Page Blissful Business 79 GabriellePelicci.com
Launch 7Customized Career PlanBlissful Business 80 GabriellePelicci.com
What we will cover in this chapter: Manifestation Meditation S.M.A.R.T. Biz Goals Career Action PlanLaunch Customized Career PlanI just want you to take a moment and pat yourself on the back for coming this far!You have done amazing work. It takes a lot of courage to go after your dreams andtake on the challenge of learning something new. As I mentioned in the introductionto this book, building a holistic business is a creative process and requires both right-brain and left-brain thinking. We’ve done some meditation and vision work, you’veanswered reflection questions and brainstormed about how to reach your ideal clientwith your classes, writing, presenting and media. Now we have to bring it all togetherand create a plan that you can use going forward to execute everything that you’velearned.If you’re anything like me, you may resist creating timelines, schedules, and calendarsbut we have to commit to some dates and deadlines or we will never get anythingaccomplished. So we are going to a build system that works for you AND we aregoing to add the support and accountability that you need to be successful.Now that’s you understand how to create a vision, we are going to put all of thataside and do a meditation together. Below you will find a script for the mediation, youcan record yourself saying the meditation or have a friend read it to you. There is alsoa FREE audio copy of the Guided Mediation on my website for you. Guided Meditation Sit back, relax and listen to the meditation. (Visit my website for a FREE audio copy of the Guided Meditation) Blissful Business 81 GabriellePelicci.com
Once you are ready, I want you to put your phone on silent, dim the lights, get comfy,and let yourself be totally present for the next few minutes. Have a piece of paperand a pen close by so that you can take some notes after we finish. Like I mentionedbefore, this vision is going to be the foundation of you work so I want you to be reallyfocused.Ok, you ready? Settle in and settle back, close your eyes and focus your mind on the breath. Mentally say ‘inhale’ as you breathe in and ‘exhale’ as you breathe out. Feel the breath filling up your chest, your heart, your lungs. Exhale, feel all of the stale air leaving your body. Inhale feel all of the fresh clean air coming into your belly, your sides and your back, exhale, release any stress or tension in your body. Inhale, feel the breath traveling into your arms and legs, fingers and toes, relaxing all of your muscles, exhale, release any thoughts and let your mind be totally free and clear. As you connect with your breath, you may notice different sensations— just relax and allow the sensations to rise and fall—allow yourself to be fully supported by whatever you are sitting or lying on. Now imagine that all of the words, images, exercises and lessons from chapter one are floating in the air before you. Imagine everything that you learned about visioning, your vision board, your reflections about the future and the dream that you are trying to create—see all of that floating in front of you. Everything is calm, peaceful and warm. You feel totally safe and supported. Now see a radiant translucent ball forming around the words, images and reflections—see everything from chapter one contained inside this soft radiant translucent ball. Everything is calm, peaceful and warm. Imagine that ball floats up until it is hovering over the top of your head. Then it gently comes down and lands on top of your head. Feel this soft radiant translucent ball on top of your head. You feel totally safe and supported. Now imagine that there is a channel that runs from the crown of your head down along your spine into your heart. Imagine the space inside your heart is lit with candles and incense and flowers and it’s a beautiful magical space. Imagine the ball slowly starts drifting through the crown of your head, down your spine, sinking into the warm, open chamber inside your heart. Feel yourself embrace this soft radiant translucent ball of inside your heart. Now bring your attention again to the space outside your body. Imagine that all of the words, images, exercises and lessons from chapter two are floating in the air before you. Imagine everything that you learned about One-on-One Sessions, How to Find Clients, what you offer that Blissful Business 82 GabriellePelicci.com
is totally unique, how you help clients be successful – see all of thatfloating in front of you. Everything is calm, peaceful and warm. You feeltotally safe and supported. Now see a radiant translucent ball formingaround the words, images and reflection – see everything from chaptertwo contained inside this soft radiant translucent ball. Everything iscalm, peaceful and warm. Imagine that ball floats up until it is hoveringover the top of your head. Then it gently comes down and lands ontop of your head. Feel this soft radiant translucent ball on top of yourhead. You feel totally safe and supported. Now imagine the ball slowlystarts drifting down through the crown of your head, down your spine,sinking into the warm, open chamber inside your heart. Feel yourselfembrace this soft radiant translucent ball of inside your heart. Smell thecandles, the flowers, the incense. You are peaceful and at ease.Now bring your attention again to the space outside your body. Imaginethat all of the words, images, exercises and lessons from chapter 3 arefloating in the air before you. Imagine everything that you learned aboutcreating classes, preparing your wellness briefcase and building yourcommunity—see all of that floating in front of you. Everything is calm,peaceful and warm. You feel totally safe and supported. Now see a radianttranslucent ball forming around the words, images and reflection – seeeverything from chapter contained inside this soft radiant translucentball. Everything is calm, peaceful and warm. Imagine that ball floats upuntil it is hovering over the top of your head. Then it gently comes downand lands on top of your head. Feel this soft radiant translucent ball on Blissful Business 83 GabriellePelicci.com
top of your head. You feel totally safe and supported. Now imagine theball slowly starts drifting down through the crown of your head, downyour spine, sinking into the warm, open chamber inside your heart. Youcan smell the candles, the flowers, the incense. Feel yourself embracethis soft radiant translucent ball of inside your heart.Now bring your attention again to the space outside your body. Imaginethat all of the words, images, exercises and lessons from chapter fourare floating in the air before you. Imagine everything that you learnedabout writing articles, How to use Publishing to Grow Your Business,solving problems for your clients with your written words—see all ofthat floating in front of you. Everything is calm, peaceful and warm.You feel totally safe and supported. Now see a radiant translucent ballforming around the words, images and reflection – see everything fromchapter four contained inside this soft radiant translucent ball. Imaginethat ball floats up until it is hovering over the top of your head. Then itgently comes down and lands on top of your head. Feel this soft radianttranslucent ball on top of your head. You feel totally safe and supported.Now imagine the ball slowly starts drifting down through the crownof your head, down your spine, sinking into the warm, open chamberinside your heart. Feel yourself embrace this soft radiant translucentball of inside your heart.Now bring your attention again to the space outside your body. Imaginethat all of the words, images, exercises and lessons from chapter five arefloating in the air before you. Imagine everything that you learned aboutPresenting Opportunities, creating a “sticky” memorable message,How Attendees become fans and fans become Clients—see all of thatfloating in front of you. Everything is calm, peaceful and warm. You feeltotally safe and supported. Now see a radiant translucent ball formingaround the words, images and reflection—see everything from chapterfive contained inside this soft radiant translucent ball. Imagine that ballfloats up until it is hovering over the top of your head.. Feel this softradiant translucent ball on top of your head. Now imagine the ball slowlystarts drifting through the crown of your head, down your spine, sinkinginto the warm, open chamber inside your heart. You are peaceful andat ease.Now bring your attention again to the space outside your body. Imaginethat all of the words, images, exercises and lessons from chapter 6are floating in the air before you. Imagine everything that you learnedabout social media, PR opportunities, personal branding—see all ofthat floating in front of you. Everything is calm, peaceful and warm.You feel totally safe and supported. Now see a radiant translucent ball Blissful Business 84 GabriellePelicci.com
forming around the words, images and reflection – see everything fromchapter 6 contained inside this soft radiant translucent ball. Imaginethat ball floats up until it is hovering over the top of your head.. Feelthis soft radiant translucent ball on top of your head. You feel totallysafe and supported. Now imagine the ball slowly starts drifting downthe channel, through the crown of your head, down your spine, sinkinginto the warm, open chamber inside your heart. Smell the candles, theflowers, the incense. Feel yourself embrace this soft radiant translucentball of inside your heart.Imagine that these 6 soft radiant translucent ball expand inside yourheart, feel them expanding and merging with each and every cell ofyour being. Feel your whole being vibrating with the new and powerfulinformation about your vision, your clients, you classes, your community,your writing, your presenting, and your presence in the media. Feelempowered and energized as all of this information expands inside ofyou. Feel a knowing inside each and every cell of your being that youknow exactly what to do to manifest your career dreams, to bring yourvision to life. Feel strong, powerful energy coming up from the centerof the earth, through the bottom of your feet, into your legs and torso,Feel this strong, powerful Earth energy vibrating throughout yourbody, pumping in your heart. Feel yourself stable and supported. Feelempowered and energized as all of this information expands inside ofyou. Feel a knowing inside each and every cell of your being that youknow exactly what to do to manifest your career dreams, to bring yourvision to life. Feel the soft radiant translucent energy merging with thestrong, powerful Earth energy. Feel empowered and energized, eachand every cell of your being knows exactly what to do to manifest yourcareer dreams, to bring your vision to life. Really allow yourself to take inthe full experience of living and breathing your work. In a few moments,we will come back to the present moment. Know that any time youwant, you can come back and visit this place.Feel the rise and fall of the breath. Feel the breath filling up your chest,your heart, your lungs. Feel yourself coming back into your body, backinto the present moment. Becoming more awake and alive. Inhale feelall of the fresh clean air coming into your belly, your sides and your back.Wiggle your fingers and toes. Feeling awake and energized. When youare ready, gently open your eyes. Blissful Business 85 GabriellePelicci.com
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