5 unconventional ways to level up your marketing

When it comes to marketing your business and sharing your creativity, there’s a lot of advice out there. Today I want to share five unconventional tips that you might not have considered before to step things up a level.

These days, marketing is about content and connection: sharing ideas and inspiration with people who feel the same way and like what you’re about, plus – of course – sharing those for-sale creations you’ve made.

So there’s a whole load of content to create, photographs to take, videos to play with, captions to write. There can be a lot to learn about making a content plan, figuring out your key messages, and figuring out hashtags and scheduling apps.

It’s a lot of action to take, right?

Well, what would you say if I told you that successful marketing is about 80% mindset and energy?

I know. It’s a lot.

Even before you start creating and taking all that action, having your head and heart lined up and your energy in a good place can make alllllll the difference.

So today I’m not sharing tips for creating killer content or hacks for hastags or Reels.

Instead, my unconventional wisdom is to upgrade your marketing energy.

How do we do that? Well, we need to tap into the power of your chakra system and combine the physical, emotional, and psychological energy you’re bringing to the table.

To transform your marketing energy, I recommend focusing on your throat chakra – that’s the area near your vocal chords, but also links to your shoulders, jaw, nose and ears.

This chakra represents (in Western modern and Jungian interpretations) our ability to express ourselves and our ability to receive (it’s where we swallow and absorb nutrients) – which are deeply related to marketing our businesses.

You throat chakra might be out of alignment, overworked or underworked. If that’s the case, you might find yourself with a lump in your throat when you think about your business or a specific project, or you might be prone to sore throats, colds and coughs. You might find that you hold a lot of tension in your jaw or your shoulders – holding things in, or tensing up against potential threats. You might even find you have more dental issues!

These are all ways your subconscious mind manifests your mental blocks in your body, and vice versa.

When you’re not blocked, you’ll find you’re able to express yourself easily, through words, actions and creativity. You’ll find yourself wanting to share your ideas and inspiration! You’ll also find it easier to receive good things, whether that’s sales, money, compliments, good feedback, good news, and good ideas.

So how can we realign your throat chakra, clear those unhelpful thoughts, and improve your marketing energy?

1. Pay attention to your throat chakra

Notice, right now, how you’re feeling in that area of your body. Does it feel tight, over-stretched, blocked? Or are you feeling fairly comfortable and able to receive?

You might find that certain activities have you tensing your jaw more than others – spot where you might need more support.

2. Drink hot lemon (and honey)

This home remedy for sore throats is also a great first step in caring for your throat chakra. Grab some lemons and start each day with a healing and opening drink of hot lemon juice in hot water. (I use half a lemon for an average mug.)

If you’re in need of soothing, or are struggling to receive, add a little honey. It’ll heal any raspy voices and ease those good vibes.

3. Play some chakra-healing music

Yogic traditions typically have chants to instill specific qualities in the different chakras. There are also powerful practices in using healing bowl music to do the same. When I’m feeling stuck or tense in my throat, I use healing music designed specifically for the throat chakra on the Insight Timer app. It’s easy to put on in the background while I’m working, or while I’m relaxing or falling asleep.

4. Use chakra-opening essential oils

Spearmint, chamomile, and even eucalyptus are great essential oils to use when you’re feeling stuck in your marketing. You can pop them in a diffuser with water or a base oil, use them in a spray, or use a roll-on like this one by Eve & Keel on your pulse points. I like to put it on my wrists and behind my ears. Don’t forget to breathe deeply!

5. Choose a mantra or affirmation, and say it aloud

Having a positive mantra or affirmation can help to re-program your subconscious thoughts and beliefs, and instills a new belief instead. I recommend choosing one and using it daily for a week or two. Pop it somewhere you can see it, and, crucially, say it out loud. Ultimately, you shift your throat chakra energy when you speak truth, so actually saying your affirmation to yourself will help you to practice sharing positive things and receiving positivity in return.

Try: Marketing my business is creative, fun, and offers endless opportunities for success.

You could also sing, dance, shake off your blocks, double down on your flossing habit, practice yoga, and meditate to help realign your chakras and shift your energy.

Okay, I told you this was going to be unconventional…

Nothing removes the need for content creation and putting in some work to marketing your business (and you might like my 30 Email Subject Lines cheat sheet to get going with email marketing). But clearing out unconscious energy and old beliefs can really get things moving!

What do you think? Is there anything you think you might try?

How to prepare for Christmas even more successfully this year

Last week, I hosted a Masterclass all about creating your own Game-Changing Success Ritual for your business. It was SO much fun to spend an hour and a half (plus a bit extra) hanging out with creative entrepreneurs and makers to talk about how you can balance head and heart.

It’s really easy to avoid looking at your business numbers, even if you know your SHOULD.

There’s always something more urgent to work on, plus it can be uncomfortable and just plain boring.

Which is why I love to create a ritual vibe, to make it enjoyable and empowering to do!

Because ultimately, getting friendly with your key business numbers and checking in on your strategy IS empowering. It’s one of the most empowering things you can do.

It’s all about the mindset

Part of what I teach about creating a Game-Changing Success Ritual is about shifting your mindset, being in a place where you can hear your head, hear your heart, and make the right commitments and decisions for you.

The mindset shift might come from engaging your senses to reset yourself: scented candles, great music, hand cream, a delicious beverage or treat, a cosy cardigan (hi, autumn).

It might come from listening to a pep talk or podcast that encourages you to think in creative, curious ways.

It might come from a meditation that allows you to drop those monkey mind busy-busy worried thoughts and connect with your wise inner self, and your gorgeously creative heart.

And honestly it also comes from reminding yourself again and again that you deserve success on your own terms, that what you want is possible, and that the world is a better place when you are more successful.

Me? I like a combination of alllllll of those things, but you get to choose the things that work for YOU.

Use these tools as you get ready for Christmas

While I recommend the power of ritual for your monthly business review, you can use these same methods to shift your energy from freaking out about Christmas to deeply creative and strategic.

So if you’re trying to get your creative mojo flowing, it’s pretty much impossible to do that when you’re stressed out or freaking out. Instead of trying to push through and getting more and more frustrated, engage the power of ritual to break that pattern and get you into a positive and creative space.

This works well for:

  • Product development
  • Getting your products listed (that positive energy flows through the screen to your customers!)
  • Planning a photoshoot
  • Planning, creating and scheduling your Christmas marketing content
  • Basically any strategic thinking you need to do for your business

Let’s do it together!

If you find it tricky to carve out space for reviewing your business or need some inspiration to get the ritual vibes flowing…

Or if you need mindset and marketing support for Christmas… 

Then I’d love to give you a big warm welcome to The Better Business Collective, my membership group for makers and solopreneurs who are ready to strengthen their business from the inside out.

Featuring a completely game-changing regular business review and a wealth of tools to tighten up your marketing content this season, The Better Business Collective is the place to stop getting in your own way and raise your business savvy up a gear.

Doors close on Monday 14th September at 5pm – it’s time to jump in!

How to decide if a course is really right for you

There are so many courses, coaches, and programs out there, and a lot of them offer incredible value, wisdom, and resources… For the people that truly need them.

So how do you decide whether a course is right for you, right now?

  1. It’s for you if… it solves a problem you’ve already identified.

I hope that you’ve already figured out the things holding you back. There are plenty of ways people can tell you about a problem you didn’t even know about, and then sell you the solution. Sometimes that’s helpful. Sometimes it’s not a problem you need to fix RIGHT NOW. 

I see a lot of people in the industry selling education about Facebook ads. But if you don’t have the budget, and don’t know what you’re trying to achieve or the wider strategy to support it, that course isn’t for you RIGHT NOW.

But you’ve probably identified a few things that you need to work on or need help with, and you can prioritise them first.

So if a course or coach is solving a problem you’ve already identified, go ahead and find out more! If you didn’t know about this problem, check in with yourself: is it really a priority for you right now?

  1. It’s for you if… you can afford it.

There are two factors to affordability.

The first is can you afford to pay for it right now? If you have the literal cash in your bank account at this very moment, great! Keep finding out more. If you don’t, and would consider putting this on a personal or business credit card, you need to be really, really confident that you’re going to get a return on your investment, and in the relatively short-term.

Because that’s part two: the ROI. I’m all for investing in your personal, professional, and business development. This is essential for growth. And sometimes gaining confidence and a positive feeling is worth the investment without any numbers on it, but let’s also give our brains the opportunity to do some maths.

To cover the cost of this course, coach, or program, what level of revenue would you need to bring in? For example, The Better Business Collective is £250 when you pay upfront. If you’re a product-based business (the core business type for The Collective) and you have a 25% profit margin on your products (the rate I recommend as a minimum), you need to make £1,000 in sales to cover the cost of the program.

Since The Better Business Collective is four months long, you’d need to make £1,000 over the course of four months to break even on the investment.

So when you look at the program and the resources offered, are they tools that will help you to make MORE THAN £1,000 on top of your normal turnover in that time frame? (I’m fairly confident that the email templates, marketing support, business review, and live workshops will bring in a lot more than that, just for the record…)

You can use this same calculation for any course, coach, or program.

  1. It’s for you if… you can commit to the time required.

It’s really easy to purchase a course and figure out when you’ll actually do it later. Read the sales page carefully. Does it have a clear estimate of how much time you’ll need to actually make use of the resources? If not, red flag! And if so, is that manageable for you?

For example, if you sign up for The Better Business Collective, I recommend having about an hour to 90 minutes a week available to work on the program materials and make the most of the community. That includes these monthly activities:

  • The monthly Game-Changing Success Ritual preparation (1 hour) and live call (1 hour)
  • Time to create your email and other marketing content (either on your own, or in an hour-long live workshop)
  • Getting support from me and the community each week in the focus and flow community posts

You might decide to take extra time to plan a photoshoot to support your marketing content, for example, or dive deeper into your Game-Changing Success Ritual preparation and analysis. But to really get the benefits of the resources, 60-90 minutes a week is ideal. (And yes, you can spend less time on it in December!)

  1. It’s for you if… it supports your learning style.

How many of us have signed up for a self-paced course and then never completed it? HAND UP. Me, too. It’s so easy to do, right?

And have you ever bought a course that’s 100% PDF reading, when you’re an audio or kinaesthetic learner? Chances are, you didn’t get as much out of that one.

If you get the most out of things that are live, look for resources with live workshops – great if you struggle with accountability or prioritising the work.

If you like to hear things said aloud rather than reading, look for courses and programs where there’s a video or audio version.

If you’re really visual, you’re going to work best with videos, well-designed PDFs and clear overviews.

If, like me, you’re a kinaesthetic learning (you learn by doing), look for resources that have checklists, step-by-step structures, and clear instructions.

I am OBSESSED with figuring out as much about ourselves as possible, so that we can make smart decisions. Whatever you know works for you, check in: does the course you’re considering have that?

(And yes, The Better Business Collective has self-paced options, live workshops, great PDFs, and clear step-by-steps. I’ve got you covered.)

  1. It’s for you if… you’re ready.

I know it sounds silly, because of course we all want more success and a better life and to feel happier, but making real progress and committing to sustainable growth (whether material, mental, emotional or spiritual) takes energy. It takes commitment. You have to be really ready.

You have to be ready to commit to yourself through the course or program. No matter how well it’s written or delivered or coached, if you don’t yet believe that you deserve more success (and the course doesn’t support you in that), there’s a chance you’ll self-sabotage and drop off the course.

So yes, be ready to do the course, but be ready to do the inner work, too. (Even better, find a course or coach or program who helps you do BOTH at the same time…)

And even if all the previous questions were a yes, even if all your logic says it’s the right thing, step back for a moment and ask your gut, ask your heart – and even your soul – are you really ready for this exact route into your future?

Listen closely. Then decide.

PS I hope this helps you figure out if The Better Business Collective is right for you. I hope you’ll, at least, check it out before the doors close on Monday 14 September.

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Enter The Forge

Life's too damn short to chase someone else's definition of success. I'm here to give you the courage and tools to forge your own path.