Katie Carr Creative

04/09/2022

I always get it, and it wasn't because I was academic. I just love a new pencil case and stationery 😂😂😂

(My plan this week is to have a few slow days - ideally Mrs Bennett style, in bed, resting my poor nerves because nobody has any compassion for them.)

Anyway... the other thing I'm looking forward to (besides stationery) is that first glorious whiff of Autumn and the magic of new beginnings.

I just get that fizzy energy.

New season, new chapter.

Why wait until New Year and January 1st to do that?

You get to decide when you want to hit that refresh button.

I always find that I need that energetic momentum of back-to-school to help me plan out my goals and hit them before Christmas, spend time making sure I'm still aligned with my mission - plus give myself some downtime to be curious and creative.

A new chapter gives me the urge to have a massive clear-out (after a little rest, of course), deep clean and refresh my space after a fun, but full-on summer hols.

What about you?

05/05/2022

Loved my chat with Laura from Savvy Peacocks... we talked parenting, career, business and money (obvs.)

‎Show Money Savvy Parents, Ep 011 Interview with Katie Carr - starting a business after having children - 27 Apr 2022

03/05/2022

I would say that it's not complicated because I understand it but I want you to as well.

Just a little bit... it might be helpful!

Strategy is a fancy word for plan. ok 😉

Funnel is a fancy word for journey.
Taking folks from A to D ✨

You're probably doing this already but without the formal marketing terms, but just in case you aren't then this might help you fill in any gaps.

A - Attract and create awareness of you, your business (brand) and your offering
B - Build relationships and engage with people
C - Collaboration is important and just a lovely thing to do
D - Deliver and delight

There's no need for pain point marketing or icky selling in this funnel - It's all pretty casual actually but can be hard work for you because it requires a lot of energy and it can be exhausting to keep the momentum going 🥴 - especially if you aren't seeing the rewards £££.

At each stage, you'll provide a variety of high value, insights and entertainment to educate, help and support your community (followers, email list, friends, members) through your content aka marketing comms.

Content is the new bricks and mortar, it demonstrates your experience, skills and knowledge. Without content is your 'shop' even open? How do people know?

The planning part is just being organised and aligned with your short and long terms goals. It's knowing the steps you need to take to bring you to your goal 🥳

People get a bit bogged down at this part and then stumble over tech, imposter syndrome, comparisonitis, time issues, lack creativity and the skills to implement their ideas, money, network... and the list goes on.

(FYI - This is the point where I swoop in to rescue you 🧚‍♀️)

So how do you feel now? 🥰

🤯 Is it still complicated and confusing? Tell me in the comments where I've lost you ⬇️

Are you missing B and C? (Which is very common by the way!)

27/04/2022

Can you ever 'talk' enough about what you or your business does?​​​​​​​​
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Well, the business owners I speak to are usually worried about bombarding people with stuff - especially about what they offer. ​​​​​​​​
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Because 'sales' can sometimes feel oh so yuck.​​​​​​​​
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You might think that by posting/sharing videos daily to your followers/community and regularly sending emails about offers and new products/services it's just too much.​​​​​​​​
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BUT consider the buyer journey - it has become so complex!​​​​​​​​
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According to Forrester Research, 70-90% of this journey is complete before the buyer even engages with you. And, before they make their purchasing decision, they will typically engage with more than 11 pieces of marketing content.​​​​​​​​
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That's even if they 'happen' to see something on social media.​​​​​​​​
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(And just another reason why emails are so brilliant.)​​​​​​​​
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So if you're not putting anything out there then... I dunno. ​​​​​​​​
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What do you think?

05/01/2022

28/12/2021

Real connections are everything right now.

So telling stories is how you can connect with your audience on a deeper level.

Can you start weaving stories into your content?

If you're finding this difficult then perhaps something in your business isn't aligned.

I found this to be true with my own content - if felt worried, unsure and a little bit out of touch.

Here are a few ideas that helped me...

1. Write a lot and take notes in a journal, use prompts to recall stories.
2. Share your ‘why’ or inspiration of why you do what you do
3. Explain how you overcame something
4. Write about a problem you’ve solved
5. Celebrate a client / customer story

21/12/2021

Anyone else?

I'm not complaining at all here.

I'd still rather do what I'm doing now than report to someone else, get stuck in another pigeon hole and be just a number.

BUT we've certainly not chosen the easier route - you have to work hard, 100% love it and believe in it for it to work.

If you've read Big Magic by Elizabeth Gibert then you'll know she advises against turning your passion into a job.

I get it.

(If you haven't read it then read it asap.)

It totally goes against most of Steve Jobs' famous quotes but he was a humble narcissist and not a mum of two young children.

Passion-driven businesses and jobs that have been woven out of side-hustles and hobbies are actually made up of a s**t tonne of hard work.

Not dreams, wishes and good fortune.

You're all doing an amazing job - Enjoy the ride!

16/12/2021

I absolutely love reading but I don't get to do it enough so I've been ploughing my way through audiobooks this year instead.
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But I miss reading books. There's nothing like it.
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I'm always saying I want to make more time for reading so last week I decided that instead of picking up my phone I'd pick up my kindle every time I felt the urge to scroll mindlessly.
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I wouldn't say that I'm on social media too much, my usage is pretty average - but I wanted to see if I could redirect how I spend my 'break' times.
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The result - I read 33% of a book in two days!
That might not sound like a lot but just to put it into context it's taken me eight weeks to read 50% of an actual book.

29/11/2021

As November draws to a close I find I'm reflecting more on the past year.

The changes I've been through personally and the growth and evolution of my career have been astonishing really.

I've set my goals and stayed mindful of what my version of success looks like - not someone else's.

Contrary to the majority of the messages out there I don't feel I want bigger and better year on year.

I actually want to make things simple and nimble.

What about you?

24/11/2021

How many of you just wish things were simpler?

I did but then I realised I could make it happen... now I'm so keen to keep my business small - even when it makes me feel so uncomfortable and goes against all of the messages out there.