"Impact Audits," building credibility with proof, and going notification-free

This week begins a 5-week content creation mission for us!

After about two years of only creating insulated content for our audience (ie. this newsletter, our podcast, and our coaching sessions) we are getting back into the content game with the goal of attracting new folks to Wandering Aimfully and Teachery.

There is a lot we are re-learning when it comes to efficient content creation processes and how to make content we actually want to be making, so we'll be sure to share the lessons we take away as the journey unfolds. More to come about this content plan on the Growing Steady podcast, so make sure you're subscribed!

- Jason and Caroline

predictable 🔄

Conduct an "impact audit" to align your time spent with your goals

👨🏻‍🦲 👋: One of the hardest things about running your own business is the constant juggling act of all the tasks and to-dos 🤹‍♀️🤹‍♂️.

You need to respond to clients/customers… You need to finish writing an email newsletter… You need to post on social… You have to finish a project… You have to update older content… Etc, etc, etc.

While your to-do lists can feel exceptionally needy and unpredictable, it’s important that YOU, the person who sets your to-do list, does an “Impact Audit” to make sure where you’re spending your time is in direct relation to your current goals.

Here’s what my own Impact Audit has looked like for the past two years along with my primary goal:

As you can see, 0% of my time was doing anything related to growth, content, etc. This was by design, as we hit our enough number in 2021 and we wanted to enjoy the benefits of the years of hard work prior to that.

But, as you’ll hear over the coming weeks, we’ve shifted our priorities and focus to growth again (slowly and calmly 😉🐌). As my primary goal changes, my time allocation will need to as well, so here's what a *NEW* Impact Audit of my time might look like:

The big change to notice here is that I’m planning for 50% of my time to shift into content creation and all that goes along with it. Then, the next biggest bucket of my time (22%) will be interacting with the newer audience we will be reaching through posting discovery content consistently again. Everything else I was doing previously in my day-to-day work will need to adjust and take up less of my time.

How can you make this Impact Audit idea actionable for your business?

🎯 Step #1 - Define your primary goal right now. What is your core focus?

⏱️ Step #2 - Do an Impact Audit of how you spend your time every day for the next week. Track this time in a simple spreadsheet or note and then see how the hours break down by percentages.

🔬 Step #3 - Review your data! Are you actually spending the bulk of your time doing things directly related to your primary goal? If not, make changes!

There’s a great quote by author Robin Sharma that says, “Show me your calendar and I’ll show you your priorities.” If you aren’t making time for the tasks directly related to your goals, how could you possibly expect to achieve them?

🌟 Action item: Feeling frisky?? Create your own Impact Audit pie chart like I did above and reply to this email with it. Let us know your findings!

​- Jason 👨🏻‍🦲​

Profitable 🤑

Build credibility by offering more "proof"

👩🏻‍🦰 👋: Wanna know something Jason and I are notoriously bad at at? Telling people WHY they should care what we have to say about business.

While we're not fans of rattling off qualifications or revenue figures, as we gear up to create more content for Wandering Aimfully and Teachery, we realize that most people who see this content will have no idea who we are.

Reaching new people means making a compelling case for why they should listen to you.

This doesn’t mean you have to be braggy or mention how many “figs” your business does in every other sentence; it simply means it's advisable to offer evidence to back up your expertise.

For instance, if we’re sharing a piece of content about how to create consistently, we need to tell someone that we’ve been publishing a weekly email newsletter for OVER TEN YEARS. (😱)

If we’re talking about a launch strategy, it is helpful to mention that we’ve had a dozen launches that have made over six figures in revenue.

We've been self-employed for over a decade, so we can offer insights on entrepreneurship with a long-term perspective.

These are the things we often neglect to mention. 👆

Now, how can you apply this reminder to your business?

When creating content for a new audience, sprinkle in what we like to call “trust dust.” Here are some categories of "proof" to consider:

• 📈 Results: Real stories and real stats from people you’ve helped

• 🧮 Data: Hard numbers on ways you have grown, changed, improved over time

• 👵🏻 Experience: How much time have you spent actively practicing X thing?

• 👩‍🏫 Expertise: How much time have you invested in gaining deep knowledge on a subject?

But what if you’re a brand new business and you don’t have any of those things yet? Where do you begin?

You begin with your unique advantage. Every single person has one, so you just have to find yours.

It might be the fact that you ARE a beginner. This means you have a fresh perspective, empathy for someone else starting out, and you’re uniquely acquainted with the challenges of a beginner. Use this as your proof.

🌟 Action item: Craft 3 short "proof statements" highlighting your unique advantage or credibility. Add these to your website, social media bio, or use them as content intros.

Think about your ideal audience and answer: "Why should they listen to me?"

By incorporating authentic proof, you'll build trust and stand out in a crowded market.

​- Caroline 👩🏻‍🦰​

Peaceful 🧘

The simplest path to digital peace: turning off notifications

👩🏻‍🦰 👋: Listen, I’m aware this tip is nowhere near groundbreaking, but this newsletter is about how to make your business more peaceful and there is perhaps no single decision that has brought more peace to my life than this one: turning off all notifications on my phone.

The other day I was listening to an interview by Cal Newport about his book Slow Productivity, and he reminded me that most people still have social media app notifications turned on, meaning their phones are an incessant magnet pulling them back into digital chaos throughout every single day.

For about five or six years now, Jason and I have been living the no email, no social media notification life, and let me tell you, this one move will change. your. life.

I admit, it was hard untethering myself at first (the FOMO is real), but once I experienced the peace of an uninterrupted work day and the calm that follows once the spell is broken, I never wanted to go back.

There are times throughout the day that I literally forget where my phone even is, which I know is rare these days.

If you are someone who is feeling like you’re constantly being sucked back into the void, this is my challenge for you:

Give it a try for just one week. Turn off all email and social notifications, carve out designated times to check in on those platforms, and see how it feels.

I promise you’ll be amazed at the sense of calm it brings to your day.

In a world that’s constantly clamoring for our attention, reclaiming control over how and when we engage with technology is a radical act of self-care.

​- Caroline 👩🏻‍🦰​