Weekly-ish notes on navigating big change

explore your enthusiasm

185: Permission to Rest

Just because you run an indie-biz doesn’t mean you can’t take time off. In fact, taking the time to rest and rejuvenate is incredibly important for you AND for your creative business! Listen in to get a giant permission slip to take time off at TaraSwiger.com/podcast185

You are your business's number 1 asset. You are the producer, packager, marketer, seller and face of your biz. You know what that means? It doesn't survive without you!

Now, some of you use this as a reason you can NOT take time off, but I am telling you this is why you NEED to take time off!

Links I mentioned:

How to listen

  • You can subscribe to it on iTunes (If you do, leave a review!)
  • You can listen to it using the player above or download it.
  • Subscribe or listen via Stitcher (or subscribe in whatever you use for podcasts – just search “Explore Your Enthusiasm” and it should pop up!).

Find all the podcast episodes here.

184: Sane Holidays: 3 questions for the busy creative

The winter holiday season can be the busiest and MOST profitable time of the year in your creative biz. But it can also be the most overwhelming, and least enjoyable time of the year. Learn how to have a busy, profitable, enjoyable, and sane holiday season at: TaraSwiger.com/podcast184

Welcome to your busiest, and potentially your most profitable time of year! And…also potentially the LEAST sane time of year. If you are dreading the holiday season and busyness and scramble, I wanna help you get you ready to have a killer season and fantastic good time.

As we leap into Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and Christmas, I hope this collection saves a bit of your own sanity.

On CraftyPod:

On Karina Dressess:

I gather all my favorite sanity-saving posts on this Pinterest board (new articles are added all the time!).

Don’t forget to sign up below to get access to Holiday Sanity Guide in the Black Friday Bundle!

How to listen

  • You can subscribe to it on iTunes (If you do, leave a review!)
  • You can listen to it using the player above or download it.
  • Subscribe or listen via Stitcher (or subscribe in whatever you use for podcasts – just search “Explore Your Enthusiasm” and it should pop up!).

Find all the podcast episodes here.

182: Fear of disapproval: get over it

Fear of rejection and disappointment are too real when it comes to running a creative biz! In this episode learn all about how to let go of the fear of disappointing people so you can get unfrozen and keep moving forward in your biz. Listen in at TaraSwiger.com/podcast182

Are you unsure of your next step, because you’re afraid of the reaction you’re going to get? Are you avoiding rejection, because you want to have the approval and acceptance of your customers and audience?
Yeah, me too.

Links I mentioned:

How to listen

  • You can subscribe to it on iTunes (If you do, leave a review!)
  • You can listen to it using the player above or download it.
  • Subscribe or listen via Stitcher (or subscribe in whatever you use for podcasts – just search “Explore Your Enthusiasm” and it should pop up!).

Find all the podcast episodes here.

181: Your Questions Answered

This week on Explore Your Enthusiasm I answer listener questions all about creating a successful creative biz. Listen in at: TaraSwiger.com/podcast181

Today I’m answering YOUR questions about whether you should announce a change in your prices, how to find your people, and how to get in the habit of creating your content ahead of time.

Links I mentioned:

How to listen

  • You can subscribe to it on iTunes (If you do, leave a review!)
  • You can listen to it using the player above or download it.
  • Subscribe or listen via Stitcher (or subscribe in whatever you use for podcasts – just search “Explore Your Enthusiasm” and it should pop up!).

Find all the podcast episodes here.

180: How to be great at sales (without being sales-y)

Your creative business relies on sales. That means YOU need to get good at sales. Yes, you need to be a salesperson. But did hearing that sentence just totally freak you out or turn you off? Listen to this episode of Explore your Enthusiasm and learn how to get great at sales without being gross: TaraSwiger.com/podcast180

Your business relies on sales. That means YOU need to get good at sales. Yes, you need to be a salesperson. But did hearing that sentence just totally freak you out or turn you off?

We have some gross connotations with that word…. and it may be impacting the sales you make and the health of your business.

Links I mentioned:

How to listen

  • You can subscribe to it on iTunes (If you do, leave a review!)
  • You can listen to it using the player above or download it.
  • Subscribe or listen via Stitcher (or subscribe in whatever you use for podcasts – just search “Explore Your Enthusiasm” and it should pop up!).

Find all the podcast episodes here.

178: How I found time for a whole new business

Finding time for a new venture when you already have one successful creative biz can sometimes feel impossible. But it’s not! Find out how I created time to start a whole second business on this episode of Explore Your Enthusiasm at: TaraSwiger.com/podcast178

In April of 2017, after 8 years of self-employment, shifting my business focus a few times and having my best year ever in 2016, I started an entirely new business…while keeping my current business almost exactly the same. I record a weekly video and audio podcast, hold live weekly chats, teach classes around the country and started a whole second business, based in collaboration. How the heck did I find the time for it?

Links I mentioned:

How to listen

  • You can subscribe to it on iTunes (If you do, leave a review!)
  • You can listen to it using the player above or download it.
  • Subscribe or listen via Stitcher (or subscribe in whatever you use for podcasts – just search “Explore Your Enthusiasm” and it should pop up!).

Find all the podcast episodes here.

Mindfulness: our favorite tools with Kara Gott-Warner

Mindfulness is essential to success in your creative biz, listen in to this episode of Explore Your Enthusiasm to listen to Tara Swiger and Kara Gott-Warner chat about about their favorite mindfulness tools. Listen in at TaraSwiger.com/podcast177

In today's episode I talked with Kara Gott-Warner of The Power Purls Podcast, we talked about mindfulness, and some of our favorite mindfulness tools including apps and of course essential oils.

Kara is a knitter, podcaster, business coach, and also a certified nutritional consultant. She focuses on working with individuals who wish to create a holistically – balanced life and business that converges creativity with mindful living, – “knitting together” creativity, body, mind and spirit.

Be sure to visit The Power Purls Podcast for more about Kara's favorite mindfulness tools!

Links I mentioned:

How to listen

  • You can subscribe to it on iTunes (If you do, leave a review!)
  • You can listen to it using the player above or download it.
  • Subscribe or listen via Stitcher (or subscribe in whatever you use for podcasts – just search “Explore Your Enthusiasm” and it should pop up!).

Habits make the business

Success in business is about focus and consistency. But how do you remain consistent when life get’s overwhelming? The simple answer is HABITS. In this episode of Explore Your Enthusiasm with Tara Swiger where we talk all about creating solid, sustainable habits so you can keep your creative biz successful even when life gets chaotic - listen in at: TaraSwiger.com/podcast176

If you read any business book, it all comes down to the same things: your business is built from your beliefs, which affect your actions, and the most important of those actions need to become habits. Habits are what you consistently do day after day, and, as we talked about in last week’s episode, those habits build up to create success (or failure).

Links I mentioned:

How to listen

  • You can subscribe to it on iTunes (If you do, leave a review!)
  • You can listen to it using the player above or download it.
  • Subscribe or listen via Stitcher (or subscribe in whatever you use for podcasts – just search “Explore Your Enthusiasm” and it should pop up!).

Are you limiting yourself?

Do you ever tell yourself you’re “not the type of person who…”? Did you know this is a form of limiting yourself? Learn more about how to stop subconsciously limiting yourself (both in life and in your creative business) on this episode of Explore Your Enthusiasm with Tara Swiger: TaraSwiger.com/podcast175

I'm not the kind of person who….
makes a lot of money
has a super successful business
would ever be good at sales
could ever be self-promotional

How many times have you caught yourself saying a version of this: “I'm not the kind of person who….” I know I do it all the time, and my recent experience is the inspiration behind this episode. We'll talk about why it's true that you really aren't that kind of person and how to become the kind of person who reaches your goals and lives your dream. It all comes down to the habits you have now and the habits you can create.

Links I mentioned:

How to listen:

  • You can subscribe to it on iTunes (If you do, leave a review!)
  • You can listen to it using the player above or download it.
  • Subscribe or listen via Stitcher (or subscribe in whatever you use for podcasts – just search “Explore Your Enthusiasm” and it should pop up!).

YAY! It’s episode 100! It’s a call-in show!

YOU GUYS! It's episode 100! I can't believe that we have been hanging out for 100 episodes (I can't believe I stuck with it! I can't believe YOU stuck with me!). To celebrate, I did something all new - a call-in show! I invited you, in episode 98, to call me with your questions. And you did - yay! And boy, your questions were awesome! The first question got me so fired up that I created a totally new worksheet for you, to help you figure out your own best email opt-in! To listen in and get the FREE worksheet visit TaraSwiger.com/podcast100

YOU GUYS! It's episode 100!

I can't believe that we have been hanging out for 100 episodes (I can't believe I stuck with it! I can't believe YOU stuck with me!). To celebrate, I did something all new – a call-in show! I invited you, in episode 98, to call me with your questions. And you did – yay!

And boy, your questions were awesome! The first question got me so fired up that I created a totally new worksheet for you, to help you figure out your own best email opt-in! Click here to get it in your inbox!

In this episode, I answer questions about:  

  • What to send email subscribers
  • How to use your opt-in to get MORE email sign-ups
  • Where to start creating a new blog (I mention this workbook)
  • How to decide where to spend your time
  • Getting started making videos (you can see all of my videos here)

 

How to listen

Find all the podcast episodes here.

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