Strutting Your Stuff Online, The 1% Mindset, Libraries, and Sausage Rigatoni
Mary Rose "Wildfire" Maguire
Author & Lead-Gen Ghostwriter ????? | Authority Marketing for Financial Advisors | Host of "The Financial Advisor Authority Podcast"
If you’re new to this THE EDGE Newsletter, welcome!
My mission is to not over-complicate things. You have enough on your plate without a dense newsletter that will give you heavy marketing lessons that will take a long time to comprehend let alone implement.
This newsletter is divided into four parts:
The Leading Edge: Focusing on YOU, leadership & authority building
The Sharper Edge: Focusing on your business, sharpening the axe to get things done
The Cutting Edge: Focusing on your environment, productivity tools/hacks, and decluttering your space
The Italian Edge: I’m a foodie. I’ll be sharing some of my favorite recipes and food-related items in this section.
Congratulations on filling your tank. You’re going to receive a lot of good ideas for free!
Strutting Your Stuff Online
If you’re a professional service provider, you already recognize the importance of establishing yourself as an expert authority in your field. By gaining recognition as an expert, you can attract more clients, command higher fees, and create a reputation that sets you apart from competitors.
But how do you go about gaining that recognition and establishing yourself as an authority? I’m going to share a little of my own experience and observations.
First, a little caveat: I’m a Midwestern girl. I also was raised by a father who constantly admonished me to avoid bragging. So, I carry a little extra baggage when it comes to promotion. You may be in the same boat.
However, if you’re a business owner and don’t have a sales and marketing team… guess what? You’re it! It’s up to you to promote your business.
One fairly simple way to do this is to create a strong online presence.
First, you need a website that very clearly states your target market’s problem and how your business solves it.
Really, I could just end it there. Too many businesses have vague, unclear, or unpersuasive messages on their websites.
Here are some ideas:
Whatever content you create, you want to re-imagine that content in several different ways. Take parts of your blog post and create social media updates. Then here’s the extra sauce: Add the link to your blog post.
And more: On your blog post, have a specific lead magnet that relates to the topic of the blog post that will lead to a squeeze page to opt-in and receive the lead magnet.
For instance, let’s say you’re a financial advisor who wrote a completely awesome blog post about Social Security. Your lead magnet could be a tip sheet on when to start your benefit and tips on how to make the most of it.
If you don’t have a opt-in form already on your site, this would be a great way to build your email list and continue to communicate with potential clients.
By the way, I have written Authority Bios for my clients. Contact me if you want a bio that goes above and beyond the norm.
Have you heard of the 1% Mindset?
It’s when you apply a 1% effort to reach a goal. It may not sound like much, but it’s how I accomplish my goals.
When I coach clients on writing a book, I remind them that a book is written over time in small pieces. If you can write for 15 minutes and you do that each day for a week, that amounts to one hour and 15 minutes per week.
You would be surprised by how many words you can type if you do it for 15 minutes.
If you type for 30 minutes and did that each day for a week, you would end up with 2.5 hours worth of writing.
I know not everyone types as fast as me nor are they a writer. But let’s say you can type around 300 words in 15 minutes that you’d consider worthy of publishing.
300 words x 5 = 1,500 words.
If you’re writing a short book, that would be one chapter per week.
A 1% effort produces small, incremental efforts that build up over time.
How about reading a book? If you read 15-minutes a day, you would eventually finish that book in 1-3 weeks, depending upon the length.
What if you took 15-minutes each day to reach out to a current client to check in with them? Just a courtesy call. Would that accumulated effort make a difference for your business?
Try the 15-minute daily effort and see what happens.
For another perspective on this, check out the Forbes article, “The Positive Impact Of A '1% Better' Leadership Mentality.”
Libraries or Cafes?
Are you someone who thrives in a bustling, public space or do you prefer a quiet, solitary environment for work? It's important to find the right level of activity to stay focused and productive. Your environment can make a big difference in your productivity levels.
领英推荐
If you enjoy the energy of a busy café, that may be the perfect spot for you. Or if you prefer the peaceful atmosphere of a library, your best work may happen there. Research even suggests that working around others can actually increase productivity. However, it's also important to recognize that everyone is different and what works for some may not work for others.
If you prefer a quieter environment but are struggling to find one, try using earplugs or finding a corner away from distractions. On the flip side, if you need some background noise to work efficiently but find yourself in a too-quiet space, consider plugging in your headphones and listening to music.
For me, I need absolute silence when I’m writing. I love my classical and jazz music, but I save them for design and formatting sessions. When I need to focus on choosing the right words or editing paragraphs for flow and continuity, I can’t be distracted.
However, there are also times when I head to my favorite library for a change of scenery. Sometimes I need that to generate fresh ideas. Taking a break while browsing the bookshelves is a great way for me to re-energize.
The key is to find the level of activity that works best for you and helps you stay productive. So, choose your workspace wisely and get ready to rock your projects!
Baked Rigatoni with Sausage
For the vegans and vegetarians…
A few years ago, my husband and I decided to change our diets to vegan/vegetarian. He’s vegan (avoiding dairy and eggs) but you’ll have to pry the Romano cheese wedge from my cold, dead fingers.
As I said before, I’m Italian. I may find meat substitutes, but cheese? Fuhgeddaboutit!
This recipe below is one of our favorites. The link goes to Giada de Laurentiis’ original version and the vegan substitutions are below. It’s delicious!
Baked Rigatoni with Sausage
Now for the vegan version… just substitute “Italian Sausage Crumbles” (found in the frozen food department) and HALF of the “ricotta” recipe below. Note: Finding Italian-style vegan sausage has been a hit-or-miss experience.
Our local Meijer store is the only place I’ve found it, now. I use Impossible Italian Sausage in the frozen section. I thaw the links in lukewarm water to remove the casing, then put the links in a skillet to break them into crumbles and cook them along with the other ingredients.
Cashew “Ricotta Cheese” (Remember: you need only half of this recipe for the Rigatoni recipe)
Ingredients
1 ? cups raw cashews, soaked
?? cup water
juice of 1 large lemon or 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 – 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast, optional
1 small garlic clove
? teaspoon onion powder
Himalayan sea salt & cracked pepper, to taste
Instructions:
Soak cashew in cool water for at least 2 hrs. in a bowl of water, covering the cashews about 2 – 3 inches of water as they will swell up. OR for a quick method of soaking, let cashews sit in hot water for 5 minutes.
Blend: Drain cashews and place all remaining ingredients into a blender or food processor, process until creamy stopping to scrape down the sides every few minutes. Taste for flavors adding any additional ingredients. Some like a salty ricotta so feel free to add as much salt as you want.
Chill: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for an hour or two, this will stiffen the mixture a bit. You can also prepare your dish straight away without refrigeration if needed. Refrigeration will thicken the mixture a bit. If it becomes too thick, add a tad of water and mix well.
Store: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a 5 – 6 days. To keep longer, store in the freezer for up to 2 months in a freezer safe container. Let thaw in the refrigerator. Give a good stir before using.
Makes approx. 2 cups
Serves 8 – ? cup per serving
Buon appetito!
The Content Edge
New Blog Post: Unleash the Power of Authority Marketing: More Content Marketing Ideas for Financial Advisors
That's all, folks! I decided to keep the "folks." I am a friendly, Midwestern gal, after all. :-)
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