I’ll take the newsletter, hold the guilt please
And now it’s time for a vent… this is my open letter to the marketers out there, especially the four from this morning who nearly induced a panic attack with some particularly poorly choosen subject lines designed to scare me into opening their emails.
I admit it. I’m subscribed to more newsletters and autoresponders than I can count. And at least 75% of the time it gets deleted before I read it. It’s my “quick scan filter.” You can get past my quick scan filter if I “know” you and know your content is valuable, or if the subject line really catches my eye.
But please, catch my eye with something that creates positive emotions! If you lead me to feel angry, sad, hurt, afraid, worried, or just plain cranky, sure I might read that email but there’s a 99% chance I will immediately then unsubscribe from your list and no longer consider purchasing your product or services.
Why? Because real life is tough enough. I do not need emails with subject lines like “Is something wrong?” or “What happened to you?!” coming into my inbox simply because I wasn’t ready to purchase the product you promoted to me last week. Maybe I’m still considering it. Maybe I am not sure I need it yet. Maybe I want to know more first. Or maybe I just can’t afford it at the present time.
But regardless of my reason, choosing to “sell” me with this type of psychological tactic isn’t going to work. Really, do you want me to buy from a place of negative emotion?
Consider that if a subscriber buys from negative emotion (fear, stress, concern) that negative emotion is going to stay powerfully connected to your product or service in the buyer’s mind. I don’t want to remember every time I pick up a great book that I only bought it because I felt guilty!
So stop trying to catch my attention with panic-inducing subject lines, please.
And don’t try to sell me with a scarcity perspective. If your product is going up 50 cents an hour, I’m not going to purchase it. Please, stop the gimmicks. I understand a pre-sale, that’s cool. But come on, you really want to charge your customers more as a punishment for not checking their email and being online every moment of the day?
Yeah, these things might work. I’ll give you that. But I hope that your concern for building a relationship with your potential customers and existing customers is worth more than a single sale. I hope it’s worth enough that you care about us and want to sell from a positive place.
Come from a place of inspiration, of positivity, and of genuine concern for me, my business, my family, and then we can build a relationship where you don’t just get a one -time sale, you get my respect and in turn my attention and referrals for the future. Wouldn’t you rather have that?
Inspiration Can Come from Unexpected Sources
I’ve got two boys. They’ve been anxiously awaiting the DVD release of Transformers so we picked up a copy over the weekend. The first time they put it on I was suprised to find myself interested, it didn’t quite seem like my type of movie. But I had to sit down and watch it the second time they did.
Talk about finding inspiration in unexpected places… at one point in the movie, after the main two characters have been chased by robots and attacked by a mini decepticon (I may have to check with the boys to be sure I’m referring to the right robot 
) the good robot who’s assigned to protect the boy transforms back into a car and opens the door, showing that the robot wants them to get in the car. At that point the young man says to the young lady, who hesitates to move, “50 years from now when you’re looking back at your life, don’t you want to be able to say you had the guts to get in the car?”
That’s a powerful thought, isn’t it? 50 years from now when you are looking back at your life, what do YOU want to be able to say you had the guts to do?
I want to be able to say I had the guts to give life everything I’ve got — in my family and in my business. So I’m going to continue to push myself and to take one step at a time towards my goals. And I’m going to continue to believe that it’s okay to dream big.
Admittedly, my mindset has been very focused this week on growing personally and applying that to my business, and that could be why messages of courage seem to be coming at me from every direction. I found the movie very inspiring!
So, Moms, take a few minutes, sit down and watch “Transformers” (or whatever movie your children enjoy) and just enjoy it. You might be surprised at what inspires, motivates, or encourages you.
Ever wake up to “one of those days”?
I’ll admit it. It’s taking serious effort to refocus my thoughts this morning. Started with waking up a little late, two sick kids, a husband rushing out the door to work, and a billing system upgrade gone on the fritz. Not the best recipe for a positive, peaceful day.
But today will be a wonderful day. I have so many things to be thankful for and in the grand scheme of things, these are only small bumps on the road and they won’t last long.
The best I can do is to deal gracefully with everything that comes my way and focus on the positive.
So, this morning I challenge you, no matter what kind of day you’re having, list 10 things you are thankful for right now. Then do it again. Keep listing until it makes you smile. And then focus on those things. Turn your day around. It’s up to you.
In Memory…
Sometimes there just aren’t words…
My prayers and thoughts continue to be with those whose lives
were changed forever on 9/11. Those who lost family, friends…
And my thanks goes both to those heroes who responded that day
not just to the call of duty but to the call of humanity…
And to the heroes who continue to defend our liberty
and freedom around the world. Thank you.
http://legacy.com/Sept11/Home.aspx
Days Like Today Make Me Thankful For…
Connections! Business connections, to be exact.
I’ve had sick little ones on and off for a few days now and last night the germs finally got me. I had to give up and get to bed and feel only slightly better this morning.
But between last night and this morning I had multiple logo design queries, a store that needs some double-checking on stocking, and other projects that need completed. I’ll admit it. When I don’t feel well, juggling the kids, the schooling, and my business gets tough. I can keep up with email and support tickets but beyond that I’m useless.
So I sure was thankful this morning to know that I could reach out to a few other WAHMs and either pass along the projects or collaborate. I don’t have to leave clients or potential clients without any suggestions if I’m not available.
Actually I’ve got a list of a dozen or more mom designers I am totally comfortable referring clients to — because I’ve spent several years building connections *and* relationships with designers.
Those who know me realize I’m not one of those competitive, cut-throat kind of business owners. There’s enough business for us all. :-) And we can all succeed, especially if we work together.
So my challenge to you today — seek out and strengthen your connections. Work with your competitors and you might be surprised what great things can happen! For me, it means I can breathe a little easier when I’m not feeling well or when I just need a break. It’s a nice feeling!
And on the subject of staying inspired…
You know those days where life as a work-at-home-mom seems to hand you more than you can handle? I’ve had a month full of them. But I’m still here and still going because I know why I do what I do. When you can stay focused and remember what inspires you, you can keep going no matter what challenges come your way.
My last few week have been spent worried about one very sick little boy. After ER and Doctor visits, the final verdict is wheat/gluten intolerance, probably celiac disease. And so a major diet change was in order. I feel sort of like I’ve had to re-learn how to feed my kids this month, and although I already read labels like crazy, I’ve had to read them even more closely. But I’m so thankful that through all this, I’m able to be here with my son instead of sending him off to daycare and wondering if they’d feed him something that would cause stomach pains and require another trip to the ER. My three children are my main inspiration for working from home, and I’ve been reminded of that so frequently this month.
As I sit here writing, the kids are watching “Liberty Kids” and my two older boys are discussing whether the “red coats” attack strategy is really going to work. It’s wonderful to be able to not miss the moments like these.
You know what else I find inspiration in? Knowing that what I do allows other mothers to enjoy the same moments I’m enjoying. Of course the creative outlet of design is fantastic, and coding allows me to test to be sure that my brain *is* still working after all these years out of school, but every time I complete a website design, or help a mama get setup with a shopping cart, or sell another copy of my ebooks, I know that I’m helping another mother to succeed in her home business and that’s truly an inspiration to continue doing what I do.
So, I encourage you to take some time to remember what your inspiration is — your family, your children, your art… whatever it is, embrace it and allow it to carry you through the tough times. This too shall pass…
Michelle
P.S. I’ll be posting soon about the Inspirational WAHMs nomations 
Thank you for your nominations
I’ve received so many wonderful emails and messages sharing how the writers have been inspired by others working from home–from kind words of encouragement, to being there during tough situations, to building businesses that allowed others to stay at home as well, so many lives have been touched by the strong women who’ve been nominated.
Every nominee will recieve an email within the next few days and a special little icon she’s free to display on her website or just print out to stick on the fridge as a reminder (for those tough days) that she has touched and inspired someone.
And I’ll be announcing more information in the upcoming issue of WAHspirations e-zine. So stay tuned…
A Celebration of Inspiration
In the spirit of encouraging WAHMs, I am launching an *inspiration celebration*
Have you been inspired or encouraged by a work at home mom? Her excitement and energy about her business? Her ability to keep family a priority while still working from home? The way she is willing to work with and encourage other WAHMs?
What about a WAHM has made you smile and feel better about the world this month? Tell us!! Nominate an inspirational work at home mom for our celebration! All nominated work at home moms will receive a letter congratulating them on being an inspiration!
Send your nominations to michelle@wahspirations.com be sure to include:
- WAHMs Full Name
- WAHMs Email address
- Her Business & a little about it
- Link to the business website
- Why you’re nominating her
We’ll be providing updates and more information through our newsletter, so be sure to sign up while you’re here. Nominations will be accepted through the 31st of May.
Five WAHMs nominated will be selected to receive a special surprise. Surprises donated by the following work at home mom owned businesses:
Donating three $10 Gift Certificates
Donating a $15 Gift Certificate
Donating a $15 Gift Certificate
Donating a $10 Gift Certificate
Donating a 468×60 banner and signature banner set
Donating copies of “I Love My Life, A Mom’s Guide to Working at Home” by Kristie T.
So go ahead, brighten the day of someone who has inspired you!
Juggling it all…
One of the WAHM forums I post in recently started a discussion on “balance” and getting it all done while still spending quality time with our children. When we wear the hats of mother, wife, business owner, housekeeper, cook, teacher… it’s quite a juggling act to get it all done. Most of the work at home moms I know consider it their biggest challenge.
Here are some of the tips I shared that help me juggle things without going too insane.
* Know your priorities. Know which activities directly make you money, which don’t but are necessary (marketing), and which you can let go.
* Keep a calendar. Mine tells me which days I need to post something to my blog, and which days I MUST work on my newsletters.
* Embrace and accept help! My 7 year old LOVES to vacuum. He loves it. I don’t know why. I used to feel really, really guilty if I let him help… Now I look at it like good training that his wife someday will thank me for. I let my kids help with the housework and it cuts the time in half! They also realize that by helping me, they get more mommy time.
* Don’t do what you don’t have to do. I don’t deep clean every day. Don’t misunderstand–my house is neat and clean… but it’s not spotless and I do deep cleaning only on weekends. I don’t scrub the kitchen floor or change sheets every day, that’s Saturday’s job. I do vacuum, sweep, dust, make beds, do laundry, etc daily.
* Consider creative childcare methods. Mother’s helper, occasional baby sitter while you catch up on work (see if you can swap or barter with the bay sitter if you need to), grandparents or relatives, swap time with another wahm, etc.
* Find a mentor or partners. One of the BEST things I’ve done for my business was to briefly work with a business coach (three months this year — www.jgivlercoaching.com ). It helped me find a focus and really get it together business-wise. You can also just find someone more experienced in your field to learn from. Save yourself a lot of time and frustration by learning from others who’ve BTDT.
* Another note on housecleaning–being super organized helps SO much. I was raised in a generally messy house and it took me years and a lot of hard work changing my habits and expectations before I could keep house well. Now I can. Thanks in part to FlyLady. I have morning lists, evening lists, and things that are done immediately (all dishes immediately in dishwasher, I clean up as I cook, we do living room sweeps of all toys, junk, etc put away every few hours). If I keep after it by spending just a few minutes at various times, it never gets overwhelmingly bad. I also declutter viciously. I go through once a week and donate everything that either has no good purpose or isn’t being used, played with, or worn. Helps tremendously when there is less “stuff” to keep up with.
* Take advantage of ALL your time. I keep a book or two in my bathroom (right now it’s “I love my life! A Mom’s Guide to Working From Home” by Kristie T (awesome book, if you’ve not read it, read it!!) and Learn XML in 24 Hours from the Sams guide series). Every spare minute I get in the bathroom I read (kids in bath, etc). I keep a book in my diaper bag, and a notebook to jot down things when I’m out.
* Plan your meals. This saves me SO much time!! I also use my crockpot a LOT. Probably half my dinners are crockpot dinners. So I can make them the night before and they’re ready whenever we are. Right now a wonderful aroma of potato soup is wafting in from the kitchen and I’m relaxed to know I don’t have to worry about making dinner.
* For homeschooling, one thing I decided to do differently this year was to add more accountability and support to our schooling. I enrolled in a charter school for the boys that means every month I’m in contact with a teacher, I send in samples of their work and their grades quarterly, etc. We love homeschooling, but I’m a structured homeschooler (not unschooler) and the accountability and SUPPORT helps so much. I have a teacher I can email/call when I have questions or need advice on something we’re struggling with. This helps tremendously. Just knowing there’s someone I can turn to when I’m discouraged or overwhelmed with it and they’ll offer good ideas/suggestions to help.
* Another quality time tip, involve your kids in whatever you’re doing. I have to cook. No choice. So I let my DD help and the boys when they want to. Nothing dangerous obviously, but they can stir pancake mix, help make cookies, etc. And they love it. They also help me fold laundry (they get 5 cents for every pair of socks they mate LOL). Just involve them in whatever you are doing and in addition to learning important life skills they’ll also enjoy spending time with mommy.
* I remind myself quite often that the sacrifices now will pay off. And that I love what I do, and I love that it enables me to stay home and be with my kiddos. I have inspirational sticky notes all over my desk. I make it a point to network almost daily with encouraging solo-preneurs and small business owners (forums, mailing lists, discussion groups, listening to teleclasses, etc) from whom I can draw energy and inspiration to keep going.
* And take a little time for yourself every day. I stay going, going, going, and it’s easy to run out of energy. I recharge by spending at least a few minutes a day (even if it’s only 5 minutes) doing something I enjoy. I am seriously into politics and love to read. So I take a few minutes at night after the kids are asleep to read my favorite political news sites. It recharges me enough to push into the next phase of my day which is my work time.
I hope some of these help you find more balance in your life. The life of a WAHM isn’t easy, but it’s full of rewards. Right now my children are laughing and playing on the floor (with all of the pillows off of my livingroom suite… eek!) and having such fun, and I can sit here and enjoy just watching their happy energy.