Summary: Are you learning to balance motherhood, family relationships, life, or any other challenge with running your beauty business? How do you rise beyond the struggles and keep moving forward personally and businesswise? Look for the opportunities in change and with hopeful eyes to see that there's always something new that you can do to adapt and thrive. The key is to focus your energy where you get a return on investment with less overwhelm. Listen to our guest and find wisdom in what she shares. Marisol Medina is the Microblading Hub creator, a digital consulting service for professionals in the permanent makeup field. She is a past journalist that fell in love with digital marketing. She loves teaching how to optimize your website, rank on Google, increase your overall visibility, and become less afraid of social media. Marisol talks about going through a marital breakup just when she was starting her business. In this episode, find out how she overcame many things to keep moving forward both personally and professionally.  Just as everything is changing, social media's algorithm goes the same way. If social media is an overwhelming thing for you, find other ways to get your audience's attention instead.   Time and again, everyone underscores the importance of mentorship. It pays to hire a coach, someone who will hold you accountable for the success you want for yourself and your business. The best in the world have mentors and coaches. Marisol talks about the importance of finding support to reach your beauty business goals faster and investing in advertising with Facebook or Youtube ads. Please don't get discouraged with other people saying they've tried FB ads and didn't work out. There are real-life examples of businesses that are scaling and doing well even amidst this pandemic with advertising.  She also talks about her excitement with TikTok for growing your business, plus so much more is shared in scaling and growing your business: 1. Make your customers' experience as impeccable as it can be, and don't cut corners with customer service because people will know that something has changed. 2. Connect and network with people so that your ideas and knowledge won't age quickly, and you are continually evolving and moving forward. 3. Learn to delegate because the most significant transformation happens when business owners delegate. That way, you can focus on doing what you are best at, that is -- customer satisfaction with your service skills. "Opportunity is exciting, change is exciting. We can look at it through a negativity lens or look at it through hopeful eyes and see that there's always something new that you can do to adapt."   - Marisol Medina What you will learn from this episode: 00:59 - A backstory of how she ended up marketing her digital strategies 03:49 - Personal struggle she went through while starting her business and getting through it all 04:25 - Juggling the roles of a mom, wife, and an entrepreneur with two businesses 07:23 - Two significant issues that need to be shifted to go forward 10:04 - Where to focus your energy instead when you feel social media is too much of a burden for you 13:34 - Trends she foresees coming 19:32 - Why investing in a coach pays you back 20:15 - How to look at change and navigate this new normal 21:56 - What's the number one thing you can do for your business to keep going 23:21 - Why the hesitation in doing advertising 26:33 - Make sure that the service that you are providing is perfect 27:51 - Don't be afraid to connect and network with other people in your space 28:49 - Biggest transformations happen when you start delegating things in your business    Key Takeaways: "If social media is too much of a burden for you, don't do it and focus your energy instead, on Google ads, or Facebook ads, something that is going to give you return on investment, and it's going to bring in clients without such overwhelm." - Marisol Medina "Invest in coaching, is my best advice. It helps so much to have someone on the side of your bench and helping you, listening to you, calling you, asking you how this and this and that are going, and keeping track of your progress and telling you, giving you ideas, and educating you." - Marisol Medina   "You can look at something and be somber about it, or you can look at something and think about the positive things that can happen from it." - Marisol Medina "Invest in having someone on your side, who cares about your development as a business owner and your development as a person, your personal growth, and just establish that connection." - Marisol Medina  "You can look at something and be absolutely somber about it, or you can look at something and think about the positive things that can happen from it." - Marisol Medina  "There's always opportunity in change." - Marisol Medina "I would say, invest in advertising. I think that's a good thing to do. Anyone that's starting a business, investing in advertising is definitely going to help your business forward, especially now." - Marisol Medina   Connect with Marisol Medina: microbladinghub.com Instagram   Connect with April Meese: aprilmeese.com support@aprilmeese.com LinkedIn Instagram Facebook    

Beauty Marketing Simplified podcast

Episode 66 Industry Trends for Your Beauty Business with Marisol Medina

Summary: Do you see value in building global partnerships? Is there an opportunity to position yourself as an expert in your industry? It's best to find out how the Clubhouse platform works best for your business. Here are tips that can help you maximize the use of this app.  Start with an intention. How are you going to give value to your audience? Think of collaborations and adding value. Then have an objective, a business strategy on how things will work out for your business. If you listen to a room, create three action steps you need to follow through and when you will do it. Next, start your room as early as now (like starting a pop-up shop); it could be talking about beauty or local businesses around your area. This is how connections are made. Think about your client-attraction strategy and how you will nurture these relationships. You might want to create a lead generation magnet where people can opt-in so you can follow up with clients. Having a system for doing things in your business is always critical because systems save you time and sanity. Commit to a schedule in connecting with and following up with the connections you make on the platform. When it comes to monetizing, you can do brand partnerships, get them to sponsor your room. Launch new products and services, create clubhouse conferences with paid access, and there is affiliate marketing you can also think about for ways to monetize this platform. There are always new things coming out of the Clubhouse platform that you can make the most out of to grow your business.    "You can have a perfect plan and never execute it, or you can just take imperfect action and make it better."  - April Meese    Topics Covered: 01:59 - How the Clubhouse app has snowballed with big thought leaders using it and what's to love about it 03:34 - Have the intention and the objective when starting the Clubhouse platform 04:21 - Currently, the Clubhouse platform is not fully optimized yet for local businesses, but you can start a room in your area 06:41 - Connections, partnerships, and collaborations: Possible pop-up shop. 07:30 - What is your client-attraction strategy? 12:16 - Systemize to maximize 15:16 - Key for connections: Make a habit of checking your messages on Instagram or Twitter for daily DMs 15:48 - Monetizing the rooms: brand partnerships 18:37 - Leading with service 19:08 - Launching new products and services, creating clubhouse conferences and panels, affiliate links 21:51 - A platform that is based on the algorithm: What does it mean?   Key Takeaways: "What I like about Clubhouse is it's real candid conversations. It's not overly-produced. It's very authentic. And what I also love about it is you can make connections with people all around the world. That's the thing that you should know, basic information about the platform." - April Meese  "When you're starting on the Clubhouse platform, you want to have an intention. Think about how you can give value, how you can show up and relate, collaborate, and add value. That's kind of the heart of it." - April Meese  "Have an objective. And this is like the head (from heart & head). So how will this work for your business? What's your business strategy?" - April Meese  "Currently, the platform is not optimized for local businesses yet, but that doesn't mean you can't be one of the first ones to start it. You can start a room for your area, for your city, your county. You could have it be about beauty, things in the area of beauty businesses. Maybe you reach out to another lashpreneur, dermatologist, or hairstylist, and you talk about what's happening in beauty for your city. That's a great way to get attention for your brand." - April Meese  "You can have a little pop-up shop where you can share other people's businesses. You can collaborate on, you know, what's happening. And the great thing is once you've made these connections, then you can talk outside of the platform about how you can collaborate in more ways." - April Meese "Systemize to maximize--have a system for connecting or following up." - April Meese "Making that connection and then, following up regularly, that's what really makes the difference." - April Meese "As you're looking about building your business on this platform, one of the things that I've noticed is, I have to check my Instagram DMS daily. Because that's how people connect with this platform, so get in the habit of checking your messages on the platforms. That is key for those connections." - April Meese   Connect with April Meese: aprilmeese.com support@aprilmeese.com LinkedIn Instagram Facebook 

Episode 65 How to Maximize & Monetize the Clubhouse Platform

Summary: How do you move from just having a successful life to one of significance that allows you to create a legacy that lives on for decades beyond your life? The Blackbelt Leadership allows you to lead and live a life that empowers a new generation to make good choices to become a better version of themselves.  Ultimately, this type of leadership makes a positive difference in the world around us. John L. Terry III is a two-time martial arts Hall of Fame inductee, John brings years of black belt experience to helping people, young and old, discover and develop the Black Belt Leader within and lead themselves with Black Belt Excellence.  They can then use their leadership and influence to create high-performance, people-centric, values-based, non-leader-dependent teams and make an impact right where they are. He is a best-selling author and in-demand international public speaker, John serves as an Executive Director and President's Advisory Council member with The John Maxwell Team. He is also a DISC-certified human behavior consultant, a Real-Life Management Master Trainer, and a CTAA-Accredited Emotional Intelligence Coach & Practitioner. In this episode, John talks about the ten essential character qualities of a BLACK BELT leader. These include: Believing in yourself Learning everything you can Accountability to yourself   Communicating effectively Kinetic-action   Bold action steps Equipping those you lead  Loyalty to your calling & to those you lead Transformation happens. Every one of these traits comes into play to create a way of leadership and thinking that becomes you.  When you embody all these traits, you become that authentic-genuine-values- based-people-centric leader who serves people the way you want to be served.  You will also become a leader who leads by example, who goes first and challenges the status quo to create an innovative way of life that significantly transforms his and others’ lives.   “The most successful leaders help their team members become leaders in their own right. Because if you can create an army of leaders, and you are leading an army of leaders, what you can do is unstoppable.”  - John Terry III   Topics Covered: 02:27 - A backstory of how John got into martial arts 03:28 - 10 essential character qualities of a BLACKBELT leader -- what each letter stands for  03:34 - Believe that there is a leader within you waiting to be discovered 04:04 - Learn  everything you can 04:42 - Be accountable to yourself 05:07 - Why communication is important 05:43 - Be kinetic 06:21 - You’ve got to be bold 06:53 - Equip those you are leading 07:35 - The sense of loyalty that comes into play 09:23 - Why transformation takes place everyday in a leader’s life 10:43 - The character trait that is not written in the word blackbelt: Mu-shin 13:04 - Foundational traits you should focus on  15:29 - A man-in-the-mirror-moment that he does every morning  16:10 - The value of bookending your  day 17:31 - Challenging the status quo 19:36 - The Warren Buffet’s way of prioritizing your day 21:11 - Let it be understood as you understand it 23:41 - What happens when we teach people how to communicate effectively 24:27- Leaders have to be people of action 27:47 - Action steps you need to take 29:58 - Accountability and deadline - the concept of working backward 32:09 - The traits that we see in successful leaders of today 33:51 - Formation and transformation   Key Takeaways: “No matter what it is we do in life, if we don't believe that we are called to do that, we're not going to be successful. Because what we don't believe in, we don't pursue.” - John Terry III  “Once you believe that you've been called to do something to make a difference in some way, now, you've got to learn everything you can about that particular topic. Then you become the authority figure and the expert. When people look to you, they look up to you as the leader that you've been called to be because the leader has to go first.”- John Terry III  “You also have to be responsible to those who are teaching you to make sure that you are being a good steward of the content they have given you, but at the same time, also accountable to those that you're leading. - John Terry III  “Communication is important. Because if you can't properly iterate to individuals, what you're doing, where you're going, and the calling that has on your life, very few people are going to follow you.” - John Terry III  “Not everybody learns to connect on a personal level and to speak with someone in their own voice. And one of the things blackbelt leaders do is to learn to speak to people in their own voice.” - John Terry III  “K is kinetic because leaders are people of action, you can't sit on your butt and be a leader.” - John Terry III “You've got to be bold, you can't sit back and let somebody else lead, and then you take credit for it. The leader goes first; the leader has to have those difficult conversations with people. The leader has to challenge the status quo to change things for the better; the leader has to disturb what is, to create what could be that's better.” - John Terry III “If you want to achieve success in life, significantly, you've got to equip those you lead because at some point, they're going to take your place. You and I are not going to be here forever.”- John Terry III “As we look at where we've come in our journey up to this point, you've got to understand that the calling that's been put inside of you, there's a loyalty to that calling. It is a God-given thing that God put within us that we've got to go live out on this earth.” - John Terry III “One of the worst areas that we see in leadership is a leader that says go, and then the leader never goes, or a leader says to do this, and he or she never does that. Leaders lead by example and that builds loyalty “ - John Terry III “The leader should be the first one to get there. And the last one to leave at the end of the day and doing everything that's necessary.” - John Terry III “If we've done all the character traits up to this point, we began to embody those in our lives. What takes place is transformation.” - John Terry III “What happens in the state of Mu-shin is, as we begin to transform, as leadership becomes a part of who we are and what we do, we begin to internalize it. And whether it's makeup and the amazing things that you do, or it's sewing, which my wife does, all of a sudden, as we begin to train overtime, you no longer have to stop and think, ‘Well, what would a leader say?’ Because it becomes automatic, it becomes a part of who you are. I don't have to think, I automatically know because that has become a part of who I am.” - John Terry III “When we find our calling and we walk through those character qualities of learning to lead ourselves well and make good choices, there comes the point in our lives when we embrace that. And that is no longer what we do, what we think, what we study; that is who we are. And when we begin to live that out, all of a sudden, we move from having a successful life to a life of significance that allows us to create a legacy that lives on for decades beyond ourselves.”  - John Terry III “We can't do everything at once. But we can do three things every day. And if we focus on getting three things done, and being accountable to ourselves, to the process, and to ultimately the people that are going to serve, now we have an opportunity to grow.” - John Terry III “If we are not kinetic, we not only rob ourselves of the opportunity to see fulfillment, we steal the opportunity for others to be impacted in a meaningful way, by that vision and that purpose inside of us that is not yet fulfilled.” - John Terry III Resources: Download for FREE the 10 Black Belt Leadership Traits. Click here: http://beablackbeltleader.com/index.html Black Belt Leadership 101: What it Takes To Be a Black Belt Leader in Life by John Terry The 12 Week Year: Get More Done in 12 Weeks than Others Do in 12 Months by Brian P. Moran   Connect with John Terry III: beablackbeltleader.com LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Instagram   Connect with April Meese: aprilmeese.com support@aprilmeese.com LinkedIn Instagram Facebook    

Episode 64 Leadership in Your Beauty Biz with John Terry III

Summary: It's the start of the year, so what better way to bring it in than with gems of wisdom from our guest Vicky Martin. With her life experiences (shaken and stirred), she has nothing but lessons learned for herself and others, for a better perspective. With her passion for continuing inner growth, she's dedicated to helping others. She inspires us to look within to see the light in every situation that we are in and pursue our ultimate purpose. Nineteen years ago that was when Vicky Martin became a tattooist. In 2000, she learned how to tattoo and began to specialize in the art of Micro-pigmentation. With over 19 years in the industry, Vicky has been able to develop her expertise. In 2010 she became a trainer for a London company, and in 2012 she started her training school with her sister.  She's also passionate about giving breast cancer survivors the very best medical tattooing results to finish their long, challenging journey and leave them feeling whole again. Fueled by this passion and using her experience, blended with the global techniques she has learned, she created her own method for tattooing the areola. She now teaches her 3D Areola (VICKY MARTIN METHOD VMM®) all over the world. Her love of learning is not restricted to micro-pigmentation techniques… She has studied neuroscience. She's also a qualified Neuro-Linguistic Programming, NLP practitioner, hypnotist, and even done Stand Up Comedy! In this episode, Vicky shares snippets of wise thoughts gleaned from a life lived in introspection and a deep sense of finding beauty even amid darkest situations. Having been a recluse herself for a moment in time, she's come out of that shell long ago to attest that something beautiful happens in life if you train your mind to think differently. It is always a matter of perspective, creating a thought in your mind to help you believe in yourself a little bit more and see the world in a much better way.  As a beauty entrepreneur herself, she has those times when she almost quit. But now, in hindsight, she can only look back and say that things only got better and easier as time went on. She points out why we shouldn't be scared to make "mistakes" as there is gold in it; it helps us grow. What is worth having takes time, and it is not an overnight success. Remember, the only way to get past the fear is to get started. Affirmations are big in Vicky's life. It sets the tone for the day. It's as simple as just having to say to yourself, 'I am enough' or whatever something positive you want to say. You should believe Vicky when she says that the moment she started to think differently, that's when she found the opportunity. She has unstoppable energy inside her. See for yourself what a different way of thinking can do for you!   "I think if you can start living your future, in a thought that you want to happen rather than a record of the past, it can really help you see things differently or feel differently, and it creates new neural plasticity in the mind that just helps you believe in yourself a little bit more." - Vicky Martin   Topics Covered: 01:10 - An intro to today's guest 03:19 - A go-getter, competitive, beautiful soul Vicky Martin 05:00 - Relating some highlights of her life 09:05 - Stepping into subconscious dominance 11:21 - Vicky's most straightforward trick to help yourself possess a positive outlook  14:37 - Think differently and notice beautiful things happening for you and others 17:39 - It's about changing filters in your mind 19:57 - Were there times in her career, she almost quit? 24:04 - Breakthroughs that made her the better person she is today 27:50 - Why you need to forgive and stop torturing yourself for something that can't be undone 32:48 - Standing up for what she believes in 36:31 - That innate courage inside of her 38:10 - How to turn a bad situation into a blessing 40:20 - It's all about perspectives 45:21 - A recap of Vicky's gems of wisdom 48:26 - Think and say good things all the time 49:58 - Empowering someone through conversations and questions   Key Takeaways: "I've been studying the mind; I've been studying how to get over something that I went through years ago; I realized that we can all help people on the outside to look good. But what I really wanted to tap into is the inside because all of our inside is where all our beauty truly comes from." - Vicky Martin "I started to realize that your life is what you think it is. And if you start thinking differently, you start noticing different things, that there's a lot of beauty in the world, there's a lot of opportunity in the world. I cut myself off from everything because I just had this belief. So, I started to realize that there's a better way of thinking." - Vicky Martin  "I actually think I enjoyed the attention; I got significance from being the person that moaned a lot. All of a sudden, I recognize that actually, I want it to be the person that could show the world that even in the darkest times if you look hard enough, find some little diamond, this has maybe given me the strength or this has given me then the power to help other people because I've walked that path." - Vicky Martin "I think it's about recognizing what you're thinking about and just setting goals, setting a plan, knowing where you want to go and knowing what you want your life to be like, because then your mind will start noticing opportunities." - Vicky Martin "There were definitely times I almost quit over the years but most definitely, the more you do it, the easier it gets." - Vicky Martin "I think one of the most important breakthroughs for me that have helped me become a better person is to know that I am enough. Because when you truly feel that you are enough, you don't really worry about someone having something better, their eyebrows being better, their training being better." - Vicky Martin "If somebody does something to you, I think it's about understanding why they're the way they are. And they're probably just like, they're hurting, or they're outing, it's making them feel better. And I think the best thing you can do is literally just send them love and just be like, 'I hope you're okay." - Vicky Martin "If you're bothered about something in life, and it's playing on your mind, you're like, why did I do that wrong? You have to ask yourself, can I change it? And if you can't change it, you literally have to stop torturing yourself. You've got to think there's a lesson in here because that's how we grow through our mistakes." - Vicky Martin "I think the biggest problem a lot of people make is they're frightened to make mistakes. But ultimately, that's the only way we grow, isn't it?" - Vicky Martin "If someone says it can't be done, then I'm like, I'm so gonna do it." - Vicky Martin "I think what's really good for your mind during COVID -- do anything, if you've got something that lights you up, that you're passionate about, and I'm lucky I've got a passion for it. Then it distracts everything else." - Vicky Martin   Resources: All the information you need to become an incredible areola artist and have the confidence to change lives. Click here: http://bit.ly/37r3jdl   Connect with Vicky Martin: vickymartinmethod.com Instagram Connect with April Meese: aprilmeese.com support@aprilmeese.com LinkedIn Instagram Facebook    

Episode 63 Vicky Martin talks Motivation and Mindset to get through Lockdown & Flourish

Summary: One vital thing that you must know about Facebook ads is that they have changed since Apple changed their privacy settings.  If you try to run your Facebook ads on Facebook and Instagram, you won't be able to track conversions for those that click on your ads while using Apple devices.  Ultimately, it seems that Facebook ads are a bit less effective, which only means the cost will be going up, too. The same is happening with Instagram; Instagram feed is mostly dead now as it is all about stories (after they copied Snapchat) & IG Reels as they are competing with Tiktok.  That is why it is an excellent opportunity to get on the Clubhouse now as it is early, and you have a chance to build your network with the app while it is in its infancy stage.   You might be wondering what this clubhouse app could be about. Will this be another shiny object out there that is just a distraction? Can you add more to “your plate” right now? Do you see the value of global connections for your business? The earlier you get on this app, the more exposure you have and the more chance to build yourself and the opportunity to develop your authentic community. When it comes to this Clubhouse app, you also need to ask these questions: Is your business focused on building relationships? Or are you wanting to position yourself as an expert? This platform is a good platform for those things mentioned above, as many connections and collaborations are happening in real time. I firmly believe in connections as a core concept of what I teach in my Amplify Method, leveraged marketing, leveraging other authority referral partners' audiences to build your network.  In this episode, we will discuss the Clubhouse app, take you behind the scenes, break it down for you, and give you all the information.   "It's a great opportunity to get in on the Clubhouse app because it's new, and you can really build a following while the clubhouse app is still in its infancy."  - April Meese   Topics Covered: 00:57 - Thoughts about the new app called Clubhouse 02:22 - The phone you need to have to download the Clubhouse app: iPhone 02:40 - What you need to know about the Facebook ad changes 04:24 - Why is it an excellent opportunity to get on the Clubhouse app now 04:38 - What is a Clubhouse app 05:43 - Key things you need to know about Clubhouse: etiquette, do's and don'ts, terminology used 09:05 - April talks about how to download the app, walking and navigating through the Clubhouse app 10:54 - What is a 'Ping' 11:23 - What is a 'room' and what are the different types of rooms 12:34 - What are 'clubs' 15:31 - A calendar of upcoming rooms 16:15 - A walkthrough on how to join the room  20:37 - How the clubhouse app is accessible by the blind and deaf 21:49 - How to have a chance to follow a speaker on Instagram or Twitter 24:16 - What you need to do for you to connect with people in the room 25:50 - What happens when you start to follow people 29:53 - How to follow speakers in the room, how to get notifications when they're on stage 31:48 - Where to find your profile and how to edit your bio 33:02 - Why the first line of your bio should be the six words that you want somebody to know about you 33:42 - What it means to 'reset the room' 35:45 - The moderator's role 36:28 - What I love about the Clubhouse app   Key Takeaways: "When I experienced it myself, I'm like, 'Alright, this is something I can get behind.' And you have to have an iPhone or an iPad to be able to download the app. So I have an Android phone, but I have my iPad." - April Meese "It's a great opportunity to get in on the clubhouse app because it's new, and you can really build a following while the clubhouse app is still in its infancy." - April Meese "What I love about it is, it's real candid conversations, it's not overly produced as we see in this world where things are glossy. It's a natural conversation; there's not going to be a replay. And so just as you see, Tiktok broke away from the curated type of reels, and they're going for more of the authentic -- that I feel like people are just craving more of the authentic." - April Meese "You could get into a room with top business owners and ask them questions, or might be, there's a lot of celebrities that are on the platform if that's important to you. But you're able to get proximity to people that you're unlikely to get proximity to before." - April Meese  "It's physically, in my opinion, impossible to fake it. Like, it's you authentically on there. There's nobody faking their photos, there's no way to fake boost your numbers right now, or straight-up lying about what you've accomplished, maybe people can put lies in their bio, but when they get on the stage, people are going to know like, 'Are they real or not'?" - April Meese    Connect with April Meese: aprilmeese.com support@aprilmeese.com LinkedIn Instagram Facebook 

Episode 62 Will the new Clubhouse App Help your Beauty Business?

Summary: Are you a beginner or an experienced permanent makeup artist and beauty professional who wants your business to be on top of Google searches? How do you go about landing in Google's 3-pack? Build your SEO and get reviews for your business. Ana Perrone was voted one of the best microblading artists in the United States. Ana is the only one in the U.S.A. holding three certificates from all major international microblading schools; Phibrows, Biotek, and Swiss Color®. With 18 years of experience in Brazil and U.S.A., Ana is the creator of the number one most downloaded Microblading app in the world. In 2019 she was invited as a special Master Speaker to showcase her "Chiaroscuro Brows" at the most prestigious Worldwide Eyebrow Festival, Rotterdam, the Netherlands. In 2020, Ana Perrone attended as an invited international speaker at The Global Permanent PMU Conferences in Russia twice this year, these events were held in the cities of Moscow and Sochi. Also, in 2019 Ana Perrone was featured in the cover of three of the most prestigious Micropigmentation magazines in the world; at the English version of "Permanent Makeup," where she explains step by step how to achieve her "Chiaroscuro Brows" technique and at "Silam Book Magazine" and "PMU International" where Ana talks about how her Microblading App has been helping over 15 thousand artists and students all over the world. In this episode, Ana talks about getting started on your SEO, whether you are a beginner or a more established professional. Other than getting reviews, she points out the need to first set up your business on Google My Business Page and how you should start the process of getting verified by Google.  Learn why it is essential to have SEO-friendly websites. Ana suggests which platform you will want to know about to have a mobile-friendly website that Google prefers. Functional over fancy websites is what she advises as these are more effective and efficient, and Google likes it, therefore a plus point for your SEO. Backlinks are essential; thus, she highlights what you should know about the various types (white hat and black hat backlinks) for your website & business to be found by prospective clients.  If you want to invest in content, blogs, and keywords, Ana introduces a service she uses called SEO CPR and Yext. She has a business that helps beauty professionals with SEO, and she gives tips on artists looking to hire for this service. She tells about the crucial questions you need to ask yourself about SEO and what you need to prepare to set it up. "The advice that I have to give to everybody is to let go of social media a little bit and focus on Google. Get those Google reviews. If you're shut down right now, now is the time for you to get those reviews and build up the SEO."   - Ana Perrone Topics Covered: 01:19 - Ana's professional background 02:38 - Talking about SEO (Search Engine Optimization)  08:01 - How to get your business on Google 3-pack 09:17 - How to create Google My Business Page for your business 10:04 - Get your reviews after you verify your Google My Business Page; why is it important. 15:30 - Why you want to focus more on SEO and not so much on social media 18:36 - Why is it essential to have SEO-friendly websites  19:22 - What builds your SEO 20:20 - Suggested websites that are SEO-friendly: WordPress, Mobirise, AMP 21:21 - Why your website needs to be mobile-friendly 22:25 - What beauty professionals with a bigger budget should focus on other than Google my business page and reviews 23:02 - Backlinks: White hat SEO versus Black hat SEO 26:04 - How Google Analytics lets you check fake backlinks 27:04 - How you can buy or get for free legitimate backlinks 29:18 - How Apple is trying to take over Google when it comes to search 32:07 - Why you need to have a Yelp page 34:20 - Learn about SEO CPR and Yext 37:06 - What you want to know about keywords 39:42 - The critical questions you need to ask for setting up SEO 41:24 - What you need to be prepared for in terms of setting up your SEO 44:34 - Tips for artists who are looking to hire for SEO 47:00 - Advice for permanent makeup artists and beauty professionals  Key Takeaways: "What I advise first that they can do, which is easy, it's free, is, before you even go there and create a Facebook page for your business which is also free, I recommend they go and create Google My Business Page for their business." - Ana Perrone "The second thing immediately after you verify your Google My Business is to get those reviews. And in the beginning, maybe you don't have that many clients or if you're doing the models just to build up your portfolio, get the models to review you. Get your teacher to review you, saying that you did well in class. It's very, very important to get the reviews." - Ana Perrone "Reviews are a huge part of SEO. And again, it's something like, 'Oh, yeah, reviews are good to look good because you have five stars. Oh, yeah, the client sees that. But in reality, those reviews are also building blocks to your SEO." - Ana Perrone "They need to be open-minded because you know how we are, especially women; we like pretty big things. We don't like certain websites, because it's fast, we like a website because it's pretty, and we don't want to change our website -- we took so long building, putting the cute little flowers in there. But your website sucks for Google, and you need to write these words. You should listen to us and do what we tell you because we know what we're talking about." - Ana Perrone "There are many things I tell my students like, don't worry about social media so much, focus on Google because most of SEO is from Google's search engine. If your prospective client wants to get the service that you offer, they're not going to go to Facebook and look for it on Facebook; they're not going to go and look for it on Instagram -- that is social media, they're not search engines." - Ana Perrone Connect with Ana Perrone: miamibeachmicroblading.com Facebook Instagram Pinterest Connect with April Meese: support@aprilmeese.com LinkedIn Instagram Facebook 

Episode 61 Learn about Getting Clients from Google/SEO with Ana Perrone

Summary: Year 2020 has put all of us in a situation none of us would have imagined happening. Business-wise, my beauty business shutdown as well as those of my students’ business. Despite what happened I still continue to find ways to help them with their business and myself, too. Since starting my beauty business, I have always been juggling family duties with work, but by the end of 2020, I felt my body was getting worn out. I had been sick with a sinus infection and hives from the family tension and anxiety that came about with quarantine. So I’ve decided to take time off from social media to create memories with my family and to get a clearer perspective. Even after a rough start to the new year I am hopeful and have a positive outlook for this year. Taking some time off gave me space and grace I needed. It helped me to get clarity about important matters and reprioritize. I have always believed that you have to build your life around your business and not the other way around. That’s what I did, I walked the talk. I’m hoping these revelations will help you, too, in any way possible. Tactics can only get you so far. I pride myself in teaching sustainable marketing strategies that give you the real results and built my business while raising twin toddlers. That’s why you want to go with leveraged marketing. As you know, Facebook and Instagram have changed a lot since even a few years ago and it takes a lot more effort and time to get clients organically.  In order to help you with your beauty business, I will continue to show up for you on my Facebook Business Page and the Beauty Marketing Simplified Podcast with free content. You can also expect low-cost workshops to give you tools for quick wins and business boost. One thing for sure is, the best way I can help you most is when you get a higher level of support. Investing in yourself gives you significant changes in your business and makes you step up on a different level. I have seen the most progress in my students in the Elevate Your Beauty Business program and the Mastermind Excel-erate Program. I would love for you to reach out to me for a success strategy call and see how I could support you.    Hoping for a fantastic 2021 for all of us! “It's important to build your business around your life, not build your life around your business. And I need to walk the talk. So that's what I needed to do. And I pride myself in teaching sustainable marketing strategies.”    - April Meese    Topics Covered:  00:55 - Why she took time off from social media and podcasting 02:37 - Finding that work-life balance 03:15 - Starting a business, helping beauty professionals, and becoming obsessed with their results 04:15 - Teaching her students leveraged marketing 04:34 - A wakeup call, getting clear and reprioritizing matters 05:43 - How to get a life and enjoying the process without overwhelm and stress 06:42 - Understanding and knowing that principles are permanent, strategies are sustainable and tactics are temporary 07:19 - What you can expect from April to help you in your business 08:03 - Invest in yourself - how April can help you the most   Key Takeaways: “I took some time off to heal my body to make some memories with my family and to get grounded on what's really important and focus on those things. And I gave myself the grace and space, to not worry about social media like I usually do, or letting people down because I said I was going to do this podcast weekly or not showing up on social media.” - April Meese  “Principles are permanent, right, and strategies are sustainable, whereas tactics are temporary.” - April Meese “I appreciate you guys taking this journey with me as I share with you what I've learned and what's helped me grow my beauty business and my students. And again in that leveraged way, meaning we can still have a life and we can still enjoy the process without the overwhelm and stress.” - April Meese “I will continue to show up with free value both on my Facebook business page and my podcast, beauty marketing simplified with real guests and topics with tips to help you grow your beauty business, and maybe inspirational stories.” - April Meese “The strategies that I teach work for everyone, and I've had it work for people in other countries across the world and people at different stages in business. And it's worked across the board.”- April Meese “One of the things that became crystal clear to me is the way I can help you the most is with the higher level of support. And there's something that happens energetically when you invest in yourself on a higher level. That is when you get lasting results and significant changes in your business, you show up on a different level.”  - April Meese   Connect with April Meese: aprilmeese.com E: support@aprilmeese.com LinkedIn Instagram Facebook  

Episode 60: BTS--Why I took almost 1 1-2 months off of Social Media

Summary: Many beauty professionals are so passionate about many things they end up with no results because they become a jack of all trades but master of none. Most successful brands/beauty professionals that you may follow started with one main service skill. After they mastered that primary skill, then they eventually expanded. However, many beauty professionals are scared that they will limit themselves when they narrow down to offering just one "thing" when they start their business. The opposite is true in that you have the chance to market your strength and become the go-to person at the top of your prospective client's mind. If you don't see any growth in your business, there are only two reasons for that: visibility and value. Make yourself and your brand known. Craft a marketing message showcasing your value to your target market. Let your marketing resonate well with your clients. One way to start the process is for you to niche down. Be the best at one thing first, be known for it, that instinctively, when people have a problem, they would think of you as the solution. "The goal with marketing is to help you stand out, not blend in, and niching is where you become that known person, that first person that comes to mind, that go-to person. That's key."  - April Meese Topics Covered: 00:14 - Two reasons why you are not experiencing growth in your business 00:55 - Why the idea of narrowing down is scary to most beauty professionals 01:19 - What do successful brands you follow are known for at the start? 02:45 - Why many beauty professionals are doing everything with no result? 03:45 - What is the goal of marketing? Key Takeaways: "Odds are if you are not experiencing the growth in your business that you would like, it's probably because of two reasons, visibility and value, meaning that you are unseen or unknown, or that you are not able to convey the value of your services." - April Meese "When you have a focused area of expertise, what I call your signature service, that it's easier to get known. That's not to say that you don't do other services, but you are marketing your strength." - April Meese "You don't want to be the jack of all trades, master of none, you've probably heard the expression, you can do anything, but it's not wise to do everything." - April Meese "If you're not able to get the traction, it's that perpetual hustle mode instead of that focused momentum." - April Meese "Remember how you talk to a 20 or 30-year-old about their problem is going to be different than how you speak to a 40 or 50-year-old with similar but different concerns." - April Meese Valuable Resource:   Join our Beauty Business Bootcamp, ‘How to Create a Vision for Your Beauty Business and Actually Achieve It’. Click here: https://april-meese.mykajabi.com/offers/2CGBFwh3/checkout   Connect with April Meese: aprilmeese.com support@aprilmeese.com LinkedIn Instagram Facebook 

Episode 59: Quick Tip: The Importance of Niching Down in your Beauty Business

Summary: Like Black Friday, December is also one of those holidays people worldwide look forward to. It is probably one of those days when people are likely to spend more, however tight the situation may be.  As you look forward to this month, you can't help but also think of what you can do for your business. Saving time and energy should be on top of your list. That is why it is best to have your systems in check. Getting a checklist on what to do next makes for speedier action. Think about your documentation for your client gifts, team appreciation system, and don't forget about your vision and planning for next year.  If you are planning to have holiday promotions this year, make sure that you not only plan on having discounts. Holiday specials do not only mean discounts. You can think of creative ways to bundle up packages or give some bonuses for purchases made on selected items. Understand that giving specials is also a way to test how your market responds to it. If you experienced offering promotions before during this time and it didn't pan out, then look at where you've been missing on not doing enough to catch their undivided decision. Or maybe you haven't been posting enough in all media available for them to know all about it. Today is also a good time for you to think of ways of getting testimonials and strengthening your social proof. Or you can actually make contests out of liking or sharing photos to elicit active engagement among them.    It is an excellent time to go over your content checklist. You must be posting valuable posts. Do your clients find enough value that it addresses their objection, leading them to take action? Also, get this time to show gratitude to your clients by having an appreciation post, talk about self-care. It has never been more relevant to be talking about this topic at this time. Or else go all out with your planning next year.  How about gift-giving ideas you can think of? Homemade goodies and self-care kits are welcome treats for customers. Throw in making a holiday beauty gift guide or collaborate with other businesses in the area.  There is just so much to look forward to and so many things you can do that you won't be running out of creative ideas. Be sure everything's strategic and not just any random plan. "The best plan, I think is to have a plan and think of ways that you can just improve."  - April Meese Topics Covered: 02:04 - The best plan to do before 2020 is finally over 02:42 - Getting your systems in place to get things done and save you time 04:38 - Making sure about your business holiday hours 05:37 - Have you thought about a system or documentation for client gifts, team appreciation system, your vision, and planning for next year? 06:47 - Research says that people spend more during December even if finances are tight 07:08 - Specials do not only mean discounts 07:29 - Understanding the idea of specials 08:31 - What you should know about holiday promotions 10:31 - Ways of getting more testimonials and increase your social proof 11:20 - What to do on days when the market slows down 13:16 - Check your content checklist and pay attention to your gratitude exercise 13:35 - How to do your holiday beauty gift guide 14:21 - Spotlight and collaborate with other businesses around the area 15:52 - Are your posts valuable? Is it something that you would tune into? Is it something that is just promotional, or is it just talking about general things?  18:10 - Holiday gift-giving ideas   Key Takeaways: "You might also just need some systems, right systems as we always say help you get things done systems save you time." - April Meese "You probably have already made sure that you have your business holiday hours, which days you are planning on being off and if you are making your hours a little shorter, and hopefully you've also not only decided that but you've also posted that to let others know." - April Meese "Specials do not mean that it has to be a discount. You can bundle your services; you can work with other referral partners to bundle packages together with them, you can get creative, you don't always to discount your services." - April Meesel Meese "Remember, the idea of a special is to show extra value and give people a reason and incentive to spend the money with you or also just to make a decision to buy." - April Meese "The other thing about holiday promotions is, you are testing things. You see what your audience responds to." - April Meese      Connect with April Meese: support@aprilmeese.com LinkedIn Instagram Facebook  

Episode 58 Preparing Your Beauty Business for December

Asking important questions that concern your beauty business peel off layers of more important issues that need to be addressed. It will not only help you dig deeper and deal with what matters most but that it will help you move closer to your goal easier and faster.  You must be always on track to where you are supposed to go and asking these questions helps a lot. The questions you ask yourself matter a lot depending on what stage in your business you are in. If you are just in the beginning stage, what concerns you most is getting clients in. What are clients thinking about, what are they dealing with now? How to overcome the client’s objections to your service? Which leads us to ask, what stories do we need to be telling them to take action and get past those objections? This brings us to the idea of social proof, which is putting out there success stories of people you’ve helped with in the past. This is how you build brand visibility that is making more buyers and not just followers.  It is also important to ask how you want your future with your business to be like. What should you let go of to focus better on something more rewarding? It‘s helpful to imagine yourself already at the top of success, try asking yourself what you created to be able to reach there? What strategies did you employ that worked for you? What systems did you set up in place to make things efficient? Less is actually more. Try to declutter your marketing strategy. Doing more in your beauty business sometimes doesn’t make sense. You just need to focus on the one that works and do more of that. That which you put your attention more grows. Be sure to find out which will bring big returns to your investment.

Episode 57 Asking Better Question For Your Beauty Business

Black Friday or Cyber Monday is just around the corner. Statistics point out that people spend more at this time of the year because they are already preconditioned to spend more. It is just a matter of standing out with your offer and grabbing their undivided attention.  As the holiday promo frenzy is getting nearer, it is best to weigh the pros and cons of offering promotions. The opportunity to earn more is the main reason and it builds brand awareness for sure. There's a big chance to hit your goals that you could not do at the start of the year and months earlier. Besides, it gives you a continuous plan on what to do over again if something works. At the same time, you must ask yourself, are you up for the big task at hand? Yes, there is some work involved here. You need to promote it correctly; otherwise, it will just be a waste of time and investment.  If you decide to make a go for it, thinking outside of the box is highly encouraged. Think of ideas that set you apart from the rest of the crowd. Though you are geared towards holiday promos, the idea here goes beyond that one-day event so that you are making sure that your strategies make a ripple effect on the back end of your beauty business. When set up correctly, these promotions make repeat buyers out of your clients and will make them value your products and service more than they do your discounts. As you know, offering discounts is not always a way to build a loyal clientele but there are ways you can increase your products and services' perceived value. Think about value-adding ways to promote your services other than just offering discounts. You can have discounts on certain products or services that are selling less, the kind which clients are a bit afraid of or not as popular. It's not necessarily that you put your best seller services on promo because they are already selling every time and all the time. Bundling and upselling are also the kind that you have to think about. It increases your average order value.  More than just creating the special offers you have in mind; you need to promote it wherever and whichever way you can. It is important to let people know about it. Make it known on all social media platforms and you can even make a contest out of it. You can even connect with other beauty businesses about your promotion, promote each other's businesses, or have it on radio or tv.  If you want to dig in more and find out three strategies that are going to boost your overall revenue without a discount, then check out the mini-workshop that is happening next week. www.aprilmeese.com/bf.

Episode 56 How to Run a Black Friday Special that Works

How would it affect you when told that you're horrible and no good tattoo artist? What's worst, this rude man tells you to keep ruining people's tattoos so he can make money off fixing your mess? Cowed down, you’d probably be. But not this amazing woman. She had been told lies, but she refused to believe them. Instead, that fire within her was ignited that she did her best even more. One day she just proved that she's undisputed because she only believed in her truth.  Angela Torresiani apprenticed as a tattoo artist in 1997 in NYC and began working full time as a professional tattoo artist in 2001 in Tacoma, WA. She learned permanent makeup in 2003 and has since worked as a tattoo artist and PMU tech in Tacoma WA (2001-2006), Stuttgart, Germany (2006-2010), and NYC (1996-1998, 2003, 2010-present). Her years as a tattoo artist have helped her as a PMU tech in providing expertise in choosing the proper color and technique to obtain beautifully natural results in all skin types and textures. She is certified internationally and keeps up to date with master level training in the latest techniques. Her office is at Flawless Permanent Cosmetics and Spa in Staten Island, NY minutes from all bridges. She is currently the president of the Society of Permanent Cosmetic Professionals. In this episode, Angela shares about what she needs to do in her business despite the circumstances. Her resourcefulness got her to practice her skill and become better at it. She believed in her truth, continued her journey, and became the best at what she does despite what others think otherwise. She took action. She went all-in, took her fears aside, and just focus on her marketing and what needs to be done to sustain her business. She looks at a rather bad day into something bright and cheerful. She knows how to pep-talk herself up--showing her best self to every client by putting on that perfect smile to carry her into a festive mood throughout. Best of all, she's got an action plan to make things happen big in her business. 

Episode 55 Inspiring Beauty Boss Series with Angela Torresiani

How do you hold your head amid life's adversity? Do you cower in fear, or do you soldier on? When life throws you one trial after another, that's not something you can just easily shrug off. But this guest we have for today's episode went through the toughest in her life and business but still stands tall despite it all.  Heidi Rockholm has been in the beauty industry for 29 years. As a successful stylist, makeup artist, and salon owner, she started in the permanent makeup industry about two and a half years ago while recovering from shoulder surgery and opening her BeeQueen Studio. Heidi currently holds 18 different certifications. Eight of them are advanced training techniques. She's very passionate about not cutting corners and giving her clients the best products and services. She also has furthered her education. She does paramedical tattooing for breast cancer survivors. And she says it's the most gratifying part of her career. She currently resides in northern Idaho with her husband, Scott, of 27 years. She's also a mother of three adult children and two grandbabies.  In this episode, Heidi shares how hard that time was when she got started in the beauty industry. With only toughness and faith in herself, she was able to get it through. She advocates for everyone to be not scared of risks and failures. It teaches you lessons in life that will only strengthen you and make you brave to face life and whatever comes with it. She highlights the advantages of delegating tasks and hiring a team. One can only do so much, and if you have someone else do things for you, you can do so much more. She also couldn't help sharing how nurturing lasting relationships with your co-workers and staff helps you big time and for a lifetime. Mentorship and friendship go a long way.  Resourcefulness helps you thrive in your business, and furthering your education about your business helps you reach faster where you want to be. What will take more time and money if you do it yourself will only take you less when you enroll in 'The Elevate Program.' She admits to making the long and winding road of self-education, and she doesn't recommend it. That's why she shares the amazing experience she had with 'The Elevate Program.' To her, 'Elevate' is not just any other marketing course you have out there.  

Episode 54 Beauty Business Journey Of Overcoming Obstacles with Heidi Rockholm

How do you break through those times when you feel defeated, and the world inside you is crumbling? How do you maintain a composure even when inside you are cracking? It is hard to imagine building an empire amidst the ashes of a burnt relationship. Only a strong mindset can see through it all. Our guest for today shares her story to prove that. Georgie Westley is the owner of Distinctive Features Cosmetic Tattoo and Beauty. She has extensive experience in the beauty industry, stretching over a 20-year period. She has undertaken a huge range of professionally certified training leading her to specialize now in her passion for the cosmetic tattoo, tattoo removal, and training.  As a professional accredited trainer, she has taught beauty therapy, makeup artistry, nail technology, hair removal, skin, and science, resulting in the constant development of her knowledge for all things beauty. She makes a concerted effort to keep updated with the industry’s latest trends by traveling overseas and interstate to train with the best masters of the beauty industry.  In this episode, Georgie talks about how she started building her business amidst a tumultuous period in her life. Instead of dwelling on self-pity, she turned her desperation into inspiration. Out of that misery, she created manuals that became the building blocks of her current business. She’s one living proof of turning tragedy into an opportunity.   As a seasoned beauty professional in the industry, she shares the best practices, tools, techniques, and trends with us at par with the industry’s standards.  Don’t miss to find out her tips and tricks to get clients and how to keep them from coming back not once, not twice, but their whole lifetime.  In this business, building relationships is one essential step to your longevity. She is not without tips to help you keep connected and engaged with your clients despite the lockdowns.  There is no business without stress. As such, her stress buster activities and techniques will help you pull out whatever it is that’s weighing you down and show up energized once again.  Who doesn’t want to celebrate? She sure has plenty of wins to be celebrating about. Let’s take a glimpse of how she basks over in her triumphs.  When it comes to the beauty industry’s future, she’s with the highest hopes that it will boom again since people want to feel good and normal again.  Pretty much like her life and business - it is booming like never before.

Episode 53 Inspiring 6-Figure Beauty Boss Series with Georgie Westley

How do you put your life together when all you've got is a seemingly crippling situation? You've started a business with your hard work, but don't see a single client around. What rubs insult to injury is the crumbling personal life you've got to deal with without family nearby to help you out. With massive faith and steadfast determination, you can beat the impossible odds and reach success. Valerie proves it as she shares her story. She did it, so can you. Valerie Weber is the Founder of Dermagrafix Permanent Cosmetic Studio, a Cosmetic Tattoo Artist and Certified Instructor. She began her journey in cosmetic tattooing, where she felt most at home in her artistic self. After years of striving to learn more to be the best, she realized that it took a great deal of practice and dedication to this craft to be just that. She continued to learn from those she admired and collected valuable knowledge that eventually helped her develop her style. Loving what she's doing is a complete understatement. The idea that a well-executed cosmetic tattoo can positively change someone's quality of life, knowing that drives her to be her best and work side-by-side with other professionals she trusts and shares that same vision as she has. Ultimately, this thought led her to train and mentor others who are also meant to change lives through art. The ever-popular Bi-Fusion Eyebrows and WhipLash Eyeliner techniques were what she played with for years to get just right.  In this episode, Valerie shares what you need to consider in growing your business, the need to hire a team, the structure you need to create, and what comes with getting one. She underscores how not to sacrifice laws and safety even when you are still starting and doing things yourself. You're putting your brand and name on the line here. Though we are already digitally connected, she points out nothing beats creating personal relationships with your clients. That will last you a lifetime. As a business-minded person, she reminds everyone that your time is your investment. Though she's big on being generous, always learn to draw the line where your business assets aren't compromised.   As with every success, you start at the beginning, and Valerie shares the most challenging times when she started her beauty business. At that time, her married life was in shambles, she went through a divorce, was left with a 5-year old son she sent to and from school while juggling her work in a clinic. She didn't receive child support; she didn't have a family member to help her out with her son. Her father was dying of cancer. She was all alone and left with no choice. What adds to the awful situation is that she had no clients, but never gave up. With patience and dedication, she painstakingly worked on her portfolio by scrapbooking. She went to every place she could get friendly with the owners and presented what she had. That's when her efforts paid off. To this day, she looks back with pride in her achievements. It was a choice of fight or flight. She chose to fight... and see where it got her today - on the wings of success.  

Episode 52 Inspiring 6-Figure Beauty Boss Series with Valerie Weber

Growing your beauty business doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Welcome to Beauty Marketing Simplified Podcast where we are dedicated to helping you with visibility strategies and business growth so that you can have MORE income and LESS stress starting right now!

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Beauty Marketing Simplified podcast

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