If your course or membership isn’t selling as well as it should, it’s not your offer – it’s your message.

In this episode, Tracy breaks down Donald Miller’s StoryBrand Framework and shows you how to use it to clarify your message, attract the right students or members, and turn more followers into paying clients.

You’ll learn:

• The 7 key parts of the StoryBrand Framework
• How to make your student or member the hero of your story
• The role you play as the guide who helps them overcome their problem
• How to apply StoryBrand to your sales pages, DMs, and Reels captions

Plus, if you’re ready to go deeper into your messaging – grab my Million Dollar Message Mini Workshop.

Hundreds of women have already used it to transform their messaging and sell with ease.

• Tess used it and welcomed over 150 new members.
• Jess and Elle used it and welcomed 100 members in 8 weeks after feeling stuck for so long on how to sell.

Listen now, then grab your lifetime-access workshop →

Grab the workshop now

This podcast is brought to you by Tracy Harris. Explore our offerings to elevate your business:

1. Social Method Society
   Join our comprehensive program designed to help you grow your Instagram presence, build a strong brand and turn your followers into customers. Learn more here.
2. Freedom Filled® Business
   Freedom Filled® Business is the most transformative and supported way to create, launch, and scale a course or membership that’s aligned with your life and values.
   It turns scattered, stuck entrepreneurs into confident CEOs with sustainable, scalable offers, a crystal-clear business strategy, and the freedom to live and lead with intention. Discover more here.
3. Freedom Filled® Mastermind
   The Freedom Filled® Mastermind is exclusively for a maximum of 20 female entrepreneurs that are committed to intentional leadership and advanced digital business strategy, that transforms teams, fuels revenue, and sets the foundation for lasting freedom. It’s about unlocking the freedom to be uniquely you in how you grow your business and do life. Find out more here.
4. Reels for Business Course
   Master the art of creating engaging reels that convert viewers into customers. This do-in-your-own-time course will equip you with the skills to leverage short-form video for your brand on Instagram. Sign up here.
5. FREE Instagram Bio Checklist
   Want to make a powerful first impression on Instagram? Download our free checklist to optimise your bio for maximum impact. Get your free checklist here.

CONNECT WITH ME

Web: www.tracyharris.co
Facebook: @mumswithhustle
Instagram: @tracyharrisco
Twitter: @MumsWithHustle
Mums With Hustle® Podcast Community By Tracy Harris: @mumswithhustle

LOVE THE MUMS WITH HUSTLE PODCAST?

Okay, mama! I'm going to give it to you straight, 'cause you know that's what I'm about. Podcast reviews are super important to iTunes and the more reviews we receive the more likely iTunes will reward us with better reach.

I want to reach more hustling mamas that can add extreme value to our kick-ass tribe. Help a sister, out? I already love you forever, but I’d be extremely grateful if you would review me on iTunes!

If you've loved this podcast, never miss another one! All you have to do is SUBSCRIBE to the Mums With Hustle Podcast on iTunes.

The post MWH 513 :  How to Use the StoryBrand Framework to Clarify Your Message and Sell More Courses or Memberships appeared first on Tracy Harris.

In this episode, I share the seven reasons why I'm absolutely loving building my high-ticket programs on Circle. From the elevated energy of the platform to the ability to run seamless sprints and create locked private spaces for advanced clients, you’ll hear how I'm using Circle to deliver transformation, connection, and simplicity at scale.

If you’ve ever wondered how to create a premium experience for your clients without overcomplicating your tech stack, this episode will give you a behind-the-scenes look at how Circle is helping me lead my mentorships with presence, intention, and ease.

You’ll learn:

• Why Circle creates an energetically cleaner, more focused environment for clients
• How Sprints keep members accountable and taking action faster
• How locked spaces allow you to serve multiple tiers within one community
• Why simplicity and design matter for client experience and brand alignment
• How my team uses Circle to keep systems organised and energy high

Listen now and see why Circle has become a core part of my Freedom Filled Business.

This podcast is brought to you by Tracy Harris. Explore our offerings to elevate your business:

1. Social Method Society
   Join our comprehensive program designed to help you grow your Instagram presence, build a strong brand and turn your followers into customers. Learn more here.
2. Freedom Filled® Business
   Freedom Filled® Business is the most transformative and supported way to create, launch, and scale a course or membership that’s aligned with your life and values.
   It turns scattered, stuck entrepreneurs into confident CEOs with sustainable, scalable offers, a crystal-clear business strategy, and the freedom to live and lead with intention. Discover more here.
3. Freedom Filled® Mastermind
   The Freedom Filled® Mastermind is exclusively for a maximum of 20 female entrepreneurs that are committed to intentional leadership and advanced digital business strategy, that transforms teams, fuels revenue, and sets the foundation for lasting freedom. It’s about unlocking the freedom to be uniquely you in how you grow your business and do life. Find out more here.
4. Reels for Business Course
   Master the art of creating engaging reels that convert viewers into customers. This do-in-your-own-time course will equip you with the skills to leverage short-form video for your brand on Instagram. Sign up here.
5. FREE Instagram Bio Checklist
   Want to make a powerful first impression on Instagram? Download our free checklist to optimise your bio for maximum impact. Get your free checklist here.

CONNECT WITH ME

Web: www.tracyharris.co
Facebook: @mumswithhustle
Instagram: @mumswithhustle
Twitter: @MumsWithHustle
Mums With Hustle® Podcast Community By Tracy Harris: @mumswithhustle

LOVE THE MUMS WITH HUSTLE PODCAST?

Okay, mama! I'm going to give it to you straight, 'cause you know that's what I'm about. Podcast reviews are super important to iTunes and the more reviews we receive the more likely iTunes will reward us with better reach.

I want to reach more hustling mamas that can add extreme value to our kick-ass tribe. Help a sister, out? I already love you forever, but I’d be extremely grateful if you would review me on iTunes!

If you've loved this podcast, never miss another one! All you have to do is SUBSCRIBE to the Mums With Hustle Podcast on iTunes.

The post MWH 512 :  7 Reasons Why I’m Loving Building My High-Ticket Programs on Circle appeared first on Tracy Harris.

In this episode, we will talk about how to plan your day for growth and freedom using the concept of minimums and maximums! We will focus on the power of consistent daily actions towards achieving bigger life goals and delve into how the minimums and maximums can help you let go of the need for perfection, celebrate progress along the way, and avoid burnout.

LISTEN NOW

By the end of this episode, you will…

• Learn how a minimum goal becomes your standard, representing the lowest level of action you should take towards achieving your goal every day. You literally don't go below that. It's important that you have minimum because if you are going to achieve our goals, even if it's at the lowest level, you are still taking a step.
• Find out how a maximum goal which represents the highest level of action you can take on a given day when you just feel like a fire powerhouse, you got more energy, more bandwidth or more time and capacity. The maximum is at the highest level that we can achieve in a given day.
• List out the action steps that would lead to your goal being realised. These become your needle moving actions. Now from this longer list you will create a minimum action for yourself and a maximum action for yourself every single day.

How To Plan Your Day for Growth and Freedom

Ladies, encourage you to grab a journal and start taking down notes as we explore the power of taking daily actions towards your big goals. I also invite you to write down three areas of your life in your personal life that are of deep importance to you. And then on the other side, identify three areas in business that you'd like to improve.

Create some goals around those. If you're in my Social Method Society, we do this in our 90 day progress parties. If you're in the Inner Circle Mastermind, we do this with our quarterly. Create those three goals and then you create the big list of action steps for each one of those goals.

Once you've created your master list of action steps for every single one of those goals, you can now go ahead and assign at the beginning of every day how you are gonna show up. You can choose how you're going to show up every single day by assigning a minimum and a maximum activity for yourself as it relates to one of those goals.

Things don't grow unless you bring intention and focus to them growing. That's really what this exercise is about. Once you list down these 3 things for your personal life and business, tag me on your Instagram Story @mumswithhustle! Remember, progress is progress, no matter how small it is.

Until next week, stay happy in your hustle.

CONNECT WITH ME

Web: www.tracyharris.co
Facebook: @mumswithhustle
Instagram: @mumswithhustle
Twitter: @MumsWithHustle
Mums With Hustle® Podcast Community By Tracy Harris: @mumswithhustle

LOVE THE MUMS WITH HUSTLE PODCAST?

Okay, mama! I'm going to give it to you straight, 'cause you know that's what I'm about. Podcast reviews are super important to iTunes and the more reviews we receive the more likely iTunes will reward us with better reach.

I want to reach more hustling mamas that can add extreme value to our kick-ass tribe. Help a sister, out? I already love you forever, but I’d be extremely grateful if you would review me on iTunes!

If you've loved this podcast, never miss another one! All you have to do is SUBSCRIBE to the Mums With Hustle Podcast on iTunes.

The post MWH 414 : How To Plan Your Day for Growth and Freedom appeared first on Tracy Harris.

On this week’s episode, I’m going to share with you how I plan my work week!

LISTEN NOW

Listen to this episode to learn:

• What do my work days look like?
• What do I do on each work day?
• How I went from 28 hour weeks to 20 hour weeks in a pandemic year.
• What is FIIT and how do I use it to grow my leadership and business?

Scaling a business to me is about “How can I increase revenue in my business to make more money without costing me more time?” Even decreasing the amount of my work time.

That’s what success means to me.

Success to you might mean different things. Sometimes it means more revenue or streamlining things in your business so you’ve got more time…

It’s okay if you work week looks different. Don’t get caught up on comparing with others’ work week, it’s different for all of us. There’s no right or wrong. Some people are early birds, whilst other people are night owls.

It’s about honoring you – your style and your energy – and also, taking into consideration what’s happening in your life.

When you take a look into your work week, I want you to do it without judgment.

On this note, I’d love to hear from you and see how your work week looks like. If you’re in the Social Method Society, feel free to a post on the wall and share!

After you listen to this episode, share a photo or video and tag me on Instagram @mumswithhustle and come and say hi! I love sharing who is listening on the podcast.

Until next week, stay happy in your hustle.

CONNECT WITH ME

Web: www.tracyharris.co
Facebook: @mumswithhustle
Instagram: @mumswithhustle
Twitter: @MumsWithHustle
Mums With Hustle® Podcast Community By Tracy Harris: @mumswithhustle

LOVE THE MUMS WITH HUSTLE PODCAST?

Okay, mama! I'm going to give it to you straight, 'cause you know that's what I'm about. Podcast reviews are super important to iTunes and the more reviews we receive the more likely iTunes will reward us with better reach.

I want to reach more hustling mamas that can add extreme value to our kick-ass tribe. Help a sister, out? I already love you forever, but I’d be extremely grateful if you would review me on iTunes!

If you've loved this podcast, never miss another one! All you have to do is SUBSCRIBE to the Mums With Hustle Podcast on iTunes.

The post MWH 305: How I plan my work week appeared first on Tracy Harris.

If you run a remote team or a virtual team, then this episode is for you. I’m going to talk about our top 4 communication tools in managing our remote team.

LISTEN NOW

Listen to this episode to learn…

• Our top 4 communication tools.
• How we use these communication tools within our team.
• What daily communication looks like when you outsource any part of your business to a virtual assistant or a contractor.

When I first started Mums With Hustle 6 years ago, it was just me and there was no team. Six months into the business, I decided that if I’m going to have any product or offer to sell, I needed to stop working IN the business and I have to start working ON the business. I realised I needed help, so I hired a virtual assistant.

(Read here: How Hiring a Virtual Assistant Can Help Grow Your Biz)

I know with 2020, a lot more people have just realised how amazing and how much opportunities there are to work from home and have a remote team. There’s a lot less fear about having contractors and virtual assistants work from their locations and be part of someone’s business team. Which is so exciting!

When you’re open to that, amazing things happen.

Girlfriend, there’s nothing to fear when you hire a contractor or a virtual assistant and have them work in remote capacity. There are some incredible tools to help you do that.

So grab a pen and a paper, and check out these very helpful communication tools!

• Slack
• Voxer
• Monday
• Quip

And if you are in the season of hiring contractors or virtual assistants or specific roles in your business, and you’re stepping away from wearing all the hats and stepping in on your role as a leader…

Then you need to be considering something like my Inner Circle Mastermind. I invite you to express your interest in hearing more about it by going to mumswithhustle.com/mastermind.

Until next week, stay happy in your hustle.

CONNECT WITH ME

Web: www.mumswithhustle.com
Facebook: @mumswithhustle
Instagram: @mumswithhustle
Twitter: @MumsWithHustle
Biz Club: MWH Biz Club

LOVE THE MUMS WITH HUSTLE PODCAST?

Okay, mama! I'm going to give it to you straight, 'cause you know that's what I'm about. Podcast reviews are super important to iTunes and the more reviews we receive the more likely iTunes will reward us with better reach.

I want to reach more hustling mamas that can add extreme value to our kick-ass tribe. Help a sister, out? I already love you forever, but I’d be extremely grateful if you would review me on iTunes!

If you've loved this podcast, never miss another one! All you have to do is SUBSCRIBE to the Mums With Hustle Podcast on iTunes.

The post MWH 280 : Our Top 4 Communication Tools For Managing Our Remote Team appeared first on Tracy Harris.

Hi! Heeey! I'm Keneena, and I'm a Work At Home mum. A WAHM. It's taken me a little while to say that out loud. With confidence. To proudly say that my little biz is real and thriving. And it's not going anywhere.

But, ooooh man, life is busy. Hectic, full to the brim. I know you know the feels. Work. Kids. Family.

For me right now, life is all about the early years – of kids, school, a small home run business. Washing uniforms, packing lunches, helping with homework. And those incredibly boring home readers. Urgh.

Working out how to build websites and funnels and hashtag lists. Baking mediocre cupcakes for fetes. Cutting and sewing for hours. Drooling over fabric. Racking up the miles driving kids to sport, music lessons and swim squad. And I'll bet you can add more things to the list – it can feel endless and relentless.

I run my business solo. I do everything. And I love it! But I'm always and forever trying to squeeze out more time for planning, testing new concepts, applying new ideas. While still getting adequate sleep. Or any sleep at all. Ha. And I'm sure I speak for all of us when I occasionally scream internally ‘THERE’S JUST NO TIME, THERE’S NEVER ANY TIME!!!’

What is Balance, Anyway?

We're constantly fed this story of a woman who can have it all. A fulfilled work life, intense ambitions and the capacity to fulfill them, a loving and vibrant family life, and time to take it all in while still feeling content and rested. Aha yep. Nup. Not happening!

Achieving perfect balance, the juggling act, having it all. These buzzwords seem to have been around a long time. But I think we all need to realise that they're false promises. That – just like the glossy pages of some popular magazines, they depict a lifestyle that’s impossible to achieve. It's time to call it for what it is.

From where I'm standing, there is no such thing as achieving perfect balance for the WAHM. It's a myth. You can't ‘have it all’ without losing something else far more precious. And what is ALL anyway? Who decides that? (those same glossy mags?)

We Need a New Perspective

Here's what I think. Balance? There's no such thing. Not the way we've thought of it before. It's both idealistic and just a little crazy to think we can kick goals in every area of our lives without failing anywhere. Ever.

it's just not true. Something's gotta give. Constant juggling as a life choice IS ridiculous. I mean, how stressful does it sound to keep multiple balls in the air ALL the time?! Seriously? It's time to get real, girl. And accept that we can't do all of the things all the time. And how do we do that?

Learn to Embrace Failure

We need to stop being so afraid to fail. More than that, we need to learn how to actively and deliberately fail. And I don't say that lightly. Cos I'm terrified of failure. But sometimes, active failure is the only answer.

Before we go further, I should clarify what I mean by failure. I really mean learning to let something go. Shifting it to the ‘less important’ column. And to let go – we need to know what we're holding onto. We need to understand what – expectations we are working so hard to achieve, at the cost of so many other things. And are they really the things we want to prioritise above all others?

(Not) The Perfect Housewife

Here's something I've learnt to let go. The pressure to have a perfect house, all of the time. Life with three kids can be crazy, even without running a business. Sometimes you have to put a whole heap of things before making sure the silver gets cleaned every Sunday.

When my business got busy, the biggest thing I had to let go of was my housework standards. For reals. I just do less, more often. Some things wait. Some things don't get done. The kids are bigger now, so they do more. My husband and I chat about what's needed, what's realistic and make sure we're on the same page.

I dropped my standards and I realised I'm happy with that. I still clean. I still wash, iron and cook. Sometimes I even knock myself out and mop the floor. But I don't hold myself to the same standards as I did pre business. And I have to say, the idea of getting a Cleaner in every once in awhile to catch me up is sounding better and better.

I had to see the expectations I had of myself before and accept that I wouldn't be meeting them anymore. I had to learn to fail. And it feels great!!

Social media FOMO

Here's another example – social media. I used to worry constantly that I should be on every platform known to man. Facebook. Instagram. Pinterest. Twitter. LinkedIn. I even signed up to snapchat. Yep – 8 months later, haven't been back on since. Oops.

Eventually, I learned to stop reacting based on FOMO. And learnt to get comfortable in just one space. Everyone has a social media or marketing platform they feel more comfortable in, that you connect with easily. I love Instagram! For me, it's fun, easy and super effective for building a tribe and connecting with customers. I'm slowing learning Facebook too….we're kind of in that ‘third date, just starting to relax with each other’ phase.

And my rule now is no more than two main platforms. Any more than that and I'm just giving in to FOMO. I don’t want to be on so many platforms that I spend all day scheduling content and reading notifications. That's crazy town. Being present on every platform, everyday is not going to grow my business. Neither is being on platforms where my customers don't hang out.

I'll end up burnt out, exhausted, and hating the interaction I should thrive on. Figure out where your conversion is working best and focus on that. Sure – try new things. Test them out, experiment. But don't give in to the pressure to be everywhere. Withdraw, and focus your efforts where your people are.

And if social media just isn't your thing, consider using a scheduling tool or outsourcing to a virtual assistant.

Where will you choose to fail?

So – where will you choose to embrace failure? Are there things you've been needlessly clutching onto – like a drowning woman trying to swim with a rock in each hand? What will you learn to let go of, so you can give more time and focus to other things? Successfully failing – it's totally a thing now! I promise.

I'd love to hear how this article impacted you. Drop me a line at hello@kablooiestore.com.au, or comment here on the blog!

Meet Keneena 

Lover of colour, words, puns, pattern clash and donuts. Definitely not a perfectionist. Keneena Fanning is the sole creator, maker and doer at Kablooie Store, her micro fashion label full of big bold happy pieces. Kablooie Store’s vision? To create fun fashion pieces for you and your child that look fabulous, and make you feel deep-down happy!

A wife and mum of three, Keneena has worked previously in economics, strategic financing, and project management, and holds a business degree in economics and resources management. True story.

Now, in between dreaming up new colour clashes, sewing and packing orders, and snapping flatlays, Keneena finds joy in the happy chaos of family and church life, loves to exercise and dreams of one day doing one handed pushups. Followed by a pepperoni pizza.

Web: www.kablooiestore.com.au
Instagram: www.instagram.com/Kablooiestore
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Kablooiestore

The post Learning to Let Go – Why There’s No Such Thing as Balance for the Modern Mum appeared first on Tracy Harris.

Work At Home Mum (WAHM). For many, those words conjure up a dreamy world where you make your own hours, work on your own terms and your hardest decision is deciding whether to go Ugg boots or just socks with your trackies.

Meanwhile, back in the real world, any WAHM worth her salt knows that, no matter how rewarding, the vibe is a lot more crazy chaos than dreamy flexibility. It's flat out hard work, and it takes time and dedication to figure out how to make it work for you.

I've tried to lighten a little of that work for you, by sharing a few tools and tips that can help you get started. If you're ready to take back control of your time as a WAHM, then read on!

Self Awareness

Okay I'm gonna start off unconventional, and say the BIGGEST timesaving hack I have found is to know yourself. We are all different. Our brains work differently. Knowing your strengths and your weaknesses will make a major difference in how effective you are in your work life. Having all the tools in the world won't help if they don't suit how you work.

Are you a details person? Or do you love the big picture? Does bullet journaling thrill your soul? Or does even the idea of all those dot points almost make you wanna mouth vomit? Knowing how you tick will help you pick the right tools.

There's debate about whether behavioural and personality tests help or not in the workplace. I think that they help, because they make you think about yourself…. and ANYTHING that increases your self awareness and emotional intelligence is a good thing.

Don't use them to put yourself in a box, but do use them to get a better understanding of how you work. Especially under pressure, because – HELLO, that's the constant life of a WAHM.

Some you might find helpful (as opposed to buzzfeed surveys to find out what flavour of milkshake you would be):

• Myers-Briggs Personality type Test assesses how people look at the world, I cousin whether you are an extrovert or an introvert. Find out more at www.myersbriggs.org
• DISC Assessment (DISC stands for dominance, inducement, submission, compliance. This one is focussed on evaluating behaviours)
• Winslow Personailty profile – help assess career success and happiness (helpful when you're making big decisions)

(I should add that some of these tests need to administered by a professional who has completed training, for you to gain the most benefit from them.)

Organisation and Project Management 

Okay, once you've got the self awareness sorted, what's next? Some way to categorise, prioritise and organise all that stuff that always needs to be done (in a way that fits you and your personality)!

I'm gonna be unconventional (even old fashioned) again and say my favourite tool is still my A4 PAGE A DAY paper diary and a pen! I love the action of physically writing things down – it sparks my thoughts, gets my head in the right space, and gets my work juices flowing.

But – when you get to project management level, or just working through a goal from beginning to deadline, apps can be a lot of help. I haven't used all of these personally, but here's a list I looked into to get you started! These apps all help you manage projects and tasks, and people, and manage and share work (and you can find them all in the App Store):

• Trello
• Evernote
• Wunderlist
• Asana
• Basecamp

If you love visual planning and mind mapping, why not check out Mindly? It helps you plan and create using visual mind maps and looks kinda fun.

Of course, if you want to start simple, your electronic calendar is a great simple tool – you can add in dates, deadlines, reminders and to-dos and you'll get alarms to help you stay on track. Simples!

A full year at a view wall calendar is also a good investment – it's a great way to start looking at your year in three month blocks – perfect for seeing the big picture and planning ahead. I got mine from the Makers Collective (ww.themakerscollective.com.au).

Prioritisation and Focus

Okay – so you've got your project management tools sorted, but all the apps in the world won't help if you can't prioritise your time, cut procrastination and focus. Here are some tools to help you decide what needs doing when, and then help you do it!

The Eisenhower important/urgent principle*. This sounds big and complicated, but it is basically a way of breaking down tasks to see what really needs to be done and when. Perfect for when you feel ‘deer in the headlights’ frozen when an avalanche of jobs all land on your head at once. Check out the basics here – www.eisenhower.me/eisenhower-matrix/

Once you've got your priorities sorted, try to write a list for every day – keep it realistic and doable – some say you should aim to focus on only 3 main priorities every day.

The Pomodoro technique** – basically working in concentrated short blocks of time. Sometimes our work, when viewed as whole big scary pile – can seem so overwhelming! Especially when there's so little time available to us in a day. But 25 minutes feels manageable, right?

The Pomodoro technique gets you to set a timer for 25 minutes at a time and work with focus on one task, until the timer goes off. Take a 5 minute break before jumping into the next block.

After 4 blocks (if you get that far with kids around!), take a longer break. This is great for ploughing through lists of jobs, especially ones you've been avoiding! I just use my timer in my phone, but you can download apps, like the Focus Keeper, which you can use for this too. Just search Pomodoro timer in the App store.

Of course, for this method to be successful, you need to stay focussed and on task. Need some things to help you tune out all your distractions?
Try Noisli *** – this is a background noise and color generator ideal for working and relaxing. I love the rain sound!! Find it at www.noisli.com.

If you need a little help with distractions on your phone or other devices, you might wanna try something like the Freedom App. It's designed to work across all your devices, and block distracting websites, notifications and apps that distract you from your work.

A couple of areas I haven't covered are programs and apps for accounting and bookkeeping (because I'm totally not qualified to advise you on these – ha!) and social media scheduling apps and websites, because I think they require a whole blog post on their own (plus I don't use them, whoops!).

The apps and ideas I've covered are just the tip of the iceberg, but I hope they give you some ideas to try and really help focus your efforts in establishing your biz routine, especially if you're just starting out. I'd love to hear what works for you, or even if you have other tips, shortcuts and methods I haven't covered here! Comment below or get in touch and let me know!

CREDITS:

*Credit to Cassie Nguyen (Eighteen fifty-One) for introducing me to the Eisnenhower Matrix
**Credit to Ami Williamson (Damn Write) for introducing me to the correct name for this technique!
*** Credit to Zoe Arpin (Mums with Hustle Facebook group member) for introducing me to Noisli.

Meet Keneena 

Lover of colour, words, puns, pattern clash and donuts. Definitely not a perfectionist. Keneena Fanning is the sole creator, maker and doer at Kablooie Store, her micro fashion label full of big bold happy pieces. Kablooie Store’s vision? To create fun fashion pieces for you and your child that look fabulous, and make you feel deep-down happy!

A wife and mum of three, Keneena has worked previously in economics, strategic financing, and project management, and holds a business degree in economics and resources management. True story.

Now, in between dreaming up new colour clashes, sewing and packing orders, and snapping flatlays, Keneena finds joy in the happy chaos of family and church life, loves to exercise and dreams of one day doing one handed pushups. Followed by a pepperoni pizza.

Web: www.kablooiestore.com.au
Instagram: www.instagram.com/Kablooiestore
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Kablooiestore

The post My Top Shortcuts, Hacks and Timesaving Tips for Busy Working Mums appeared first on Tracy Harris.

Procrastination. Time wasting. Busy work. Rearranging the deck chairs on the titanic. Whatever you wanna call it, procrastination can be a major drag for your business.

I always thought of procrastination as totally NOT me. Cause I'm always busy. Ahem. I thought that it was about doing useless unimportant things like rearranging your collection of rare ear wax or reorganising your sock drawer based on percentage of cotton content, instead of cooking dinner. Or something like that.

You see, I felt like everything I was doing was super important and needed doing RIGHT THEN.

Busy or purposeful?

What I had to realise is I was sometimes a little too busy. So busy doing all the things that I was neglecting things that were crucial for my business success.

I was stunned to realise that I was actually sabotaging my business.

I knew I was avoiding jobs I didn't like. Erm, like writing down all my expenses for the month and then actually, oh I dunno, adding them up to see what my business was costing me. Just piddling little tasks like that. Ha.

But seriously, I had to face up to the fact that I am a master procrastinator, and every time I procrastinated I jeopardised the success of what I'd built.

Procrastination = Self Sabotage

The penny dropped in a Skype call with Anna Jonak from The Business School For Mums. I confessed that I hate doing the numbers and avoid them like the plague. Anna simply asked me, ‘What do you think will happen to your business in the future, if you keep avoiding those numbers? How will you measure your success? Will you know how your business is performing?’

We had an amazing discussion about many other things, but this one pulled me up short – how many times do I delay or put off essential business tasks and how is it affecting my business?

Procrastination is basically putting things off that need doing. Important things. Not always urgent, but certainly crucial. It's when you keep putting them off, until they get to a point of crisis or mismanagement.

As I mentioned, for months I put off actually adding up all the numbers for my business, Why? Not JUST because I was busy. Because of course I was. What Mum of three running a business from home isn't busy? Duh.

Procrastinating = Avoiding the truth

It was because I was avoiding the truth. I really didn't want to know what my results were, because I might have to face an uncomfortable truth. Like, maybe some things needed to change. Or I wasn't finding my target market as well as I thought. Or my biz might not be sustainable in this competitive market.

As long as the numbers were hazy and unclear, I didn't have to face these uncomfortable truths. Easy peasy lemon squeezy. Right?

Wrong! I love my biz. I love what I do, and every product I handmake feels special. Every order makes me so excited and I dance around like a crazy person. And yet, with all this excitement, I was basically tearing my business down with my own hands.

By refusing to do difficult tasks until they became urgent and unavoidable, I was pulling the bricks from my business wall one at a time and throwing them away.

Move from Avoidance to Clarity

Crazy right? Even more so because when I faced uncomfortable facts and started to do the jobs I avoided, I was able to create a clear path of action through those hazy, grey mists of uncertainty.

I knew that by getting to know my numbers back to front (or at least be able to recognise them in the street) I could see how my business was performing financially.

I could analyse my past performance, and see what needed to change. Even more, I could use that to project where I wanted to be this time next year. I could plan effectively!

I went from feeling vague, confused and powerless, to feeling purposeful, clear and focussed.

It's Still Uncomfortable!

But guess what? I still feel uncomfortable. I still at times have to push myself to sit down with the week's numbers and update them. Sometimes I still run late and have to catch up. But I know – I'm equipped with knowledge now – that stops me going too far down that path again.

Now I know I can push past discomfort and do the work. Gain clarity. Make a plan. Do focussed work towards that plan. And get results.

So stop spinning your wheels. Enter those invoices. Write that about me page. Start up a mailing list. Allocate 20 minutes and just DO IT! Or – outsource it. Sometimes being purposeful is realising that we don't have the skills to complete a task and we need help to make progress.

Your future self will thank you. Not in a cool coming back from the future with weird glasses and a hover board way. But they totally will.

4 Steps to Smash Procrastination!

So here's a recap of what I have learnt (and am learning):

1. Recognise the things that you fear and avoid. Acknowledge them. Don't be an ostrich.
2. Articulate it! Write it down, tell someone, talk it through. Words have power.
3. Work through these questions – What will happen if I don't do it? What will happen if I do do it?
4. Write down a plan to do the thing. Upskill, outsource, or just plain knuckle down and work. Break it down into manageable chunks.

Resources I've found amazeballs:

• being a Member of Business School For Mums (you can find out more here www.businessschoolformums.com )
• ‘Plan It Out’ by Tracy Harris (www.mumswithhustle.com)
• Eisenhowers Urgent Important Matrix for prioritising work ( – introduced to me by Cassie Nguyen of www.eighteenfiftyone.com) – you can read more about it at www.eisenhower.me/eisenhower-matrix/

Meet Keneena 

Lover of colour, words, puns, pattern clash and donuts. Definitely not a perfectionist. Keneena Fanning is the sole creator, maker and doer at Kablooie Store, her micro fashion label full of big bold happy pieces. Kablooie Store’s vision? To create fun fashion pieces for you and your child that look fabulous, and make you feel deep-down happy!

A wife and mum of three, Keneena has worked previously in economics, strategic financing, and project management, and holds a business degree in economics and resources management. True story.

Now, in between dreaming up new colour clashes, sewing and packing orders, and snapping flatlays, Keneena finds joy in the happy chaos of family and church life, loves to exercise and dreams of one day doing one handed pushups. Followed by a pepperoni pizza.

Web: www.kablooiestore.com.au
Instagram: www.instagram.com/Kablooiestore
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Kablooiestore

The post Procrastination – How to EMBRACE Discomfort And Make Real Progress In Your Biz Journey appeared first on Tracy Harris.

Hello. Hi. My name is Keneena …… and I'm a multitasker.

Okaaaay…I hear you wonder – isn't that…. a good thing? What we pride ourselves on as women? Yeah. Yep. It kinda is.

For years I thought of multitasking as my super power.

And yes – I admit I feel pretty smooth when I can handle questions from three kids at once, while I'm in the phone to my husband, making dinner with the other hand. Without skipping a beat. BOOM! Come at me life, I can handle at least thirteen things at once!

Hitting Overwhelm

BUT. As the layers of life grow, I get to a tipping point now where too many balls get dropped. And focusing on so many things at once means I'm not focusing on anything at all.

A few missed nights sleep, a sick child. Lots of orders. Not enough orders. And suddenly I hit a point of overwhelm. And I just can't DO this anymore!

Sound familiar? Yeah, I've done it too many times to count.

Don't get me wrong. I love working under pressure and meeting challenges.

But now I can recognise that frantic multitasking is a sign that I am working without focus, and with no clear end point in view.

Other than DO ALL THE THINGS.

Working at this rate for too long leads to burn-out, exhaustion and all round nastiness.

I Need A Plan!

So multitasking is not necessarily a force for good in my life.

Where to from here then? How do I tackle the swarm of tasks flying at me every day? The most crucial point for me was the day I sat down to write a plan.

I used to think planning was for boring people. Ahem. (Oops – did I say that out loud?) People who like details for details sake. Yawn.

But it's not. Nuh-uh. Now I know it's for everyone who wants to reach the finish line…and keep going, when the rest are lying in a burnt out heap somewhere in the middle of the face.

Working IN and not just ON my Business

Why plan? For me, planning is about coming up with goals. Concrete things I want to achieve for my business.

When I have goals, then I can work out how I'm going to achieve them. You know that saying ‘a goal without a plan is just a dream’? I'm not much into quotes, but this one? Totes true.

Once I have steps, I have a way of making my plan a reality. Then no matter what life throws at me each day, I have something to focus on. Even if I only get one thing done each day, if that one thing is part of my plan, I'm moving forward, and I'm doing it with purpose.

A plan helps me to prioritise working ON my business where needed, instead of only IN MY BUSINESS. So my business can change and grow, and I can grow with it. Because I still wanna be here next year, and the year after that.

I'm not saying a plan makes me into superwoman. Far from it. Life happens. Kids get sick, or scrape their knees.

Just recently I had no internet service for a week. With a e-commerce store and a major online product launch to pull off. Lots of deep breathing. Possibly even pillow screaming. Talk about a spanner in the works. I had to drop some things. Adjust others. But having a plan meant I could stay focussed even in crisis mode.

My plan may not fully work out. I may have to adjust it. But having it means that when I don't feel like superwoman, I can still move forward. Even if it's with tiny baby steps.

My GO-TO Planning Resources

Wanna know what I rely on right now for my planning?

• My PLAN IT OUT book (from www.mumswithhustle.com) was the perfect tool for me to walk thru this process. Seriously loved it. It really helped me solidify why I needed to plan and gave me a process I felt comfortable with.
• Anna and Florencia at Business School for Mums (www.businessschoolformums.com.au) – these ladies are the bomb! I took the leap and enrolled in their program, and I seriously haven't looked back – best investment ever.)
• MY huge wall planning calendar from The Makers Collective. Which helps me see the bigger picture and plan backwards from key dates.
• A daily A4 page a day planner. I'm a scribbler and I love writing down everything in one place.
• My integrated online calendar on my phone and iPad for reminders, deadlines and dates. Especially little reminders of my plan and where I wanted to be with it at that point.
• I've also found Asana, Evernote, and the Notes App on my IPad really helpful tools at different stages.

What are your go to planning resources? I'd love to know! Drop me a line at hello@kablooiestore.com.au and let me know when – I might learn something!

Meet Keneena 

Lover of colour, words, puns, pattern clash and donuts. Definitely not a perfectionist. Keneena Fanning is the sole creator, maker and doer at Kablooie Store, her micro fashion label full of big bold happy pieces. Kablooie Store's vision? To create fun fashion pieces for you and your child that look fabulous, and make you feel deep-down happy!

A wife and mum of three, Keneena has worked previously in economics, strategic financing, and project management, and holds a business degree in economics and resources management. True story.

Now, in between dreaming up new colour clashes, sewing and packing orders, and snapping flatlays, Keneena finds joy in the happy chaos of family and church life, loves to exercise and dreams of one day doing one handed pushups. Followed by a pepperoni pizza.

Web: www.kablooiestore.com.au

Instagram: www.instagram.com/Kablooiestore

Facebook: www.facebook.com/Kablooiestore

The post Think BIG – Crush Your Overwhelm With Planning! appeared first on Tracy Harris.

Hey mama – I see you there, juggling school lunches, nappy changes and running a business with your free left pinkie finger. There’s an endless list of things that have to happen NOW for your biz, but babies, children and family life don't like to wait in line!

Ever struggle to prioritise your business with all the other things going on in your life? Then read on! Here's some key things I've learnt that have transformed my ability to focus while the crazy storm of family life rages around me.

Plan Plan Plan

Have. A. Plan. It doesn’t need to be a 72 page strategic plan complete with mission statement and values. But – before you jump into the nuts and bolts of your work, what is your goal for today, this week and this month? Is what you're doing helping you reach that goal?

You may feel so busy that you don't have time to stop and plan. BIG MISTAKE. Trust me, I've made it. Even 5 minutes scribbling a list will put you miles ahead of were you were. It will help you decide how to prioritise your time. It will start to show you how to work ON your biz and not just IN.

Plan, plan, plan. That is all.

(Some of my favourite planning resources right now are PLAN IT OUT, from Mums With Hustle, my huge yearly wall calendar from The Makers Collective, and my huge A4 page a day diary planner from Typo. It's covered in pink glitter. Winning)

Write It Down

A perfect segue to my next tip – write it down! Whether you're a pen and paper girl, into powerful apps or fancy journals – whatever works for you – writing it down is POWERFUL. It helps birth new ideas, stops you procrastinating and gets you working out concrete steps for how you will get where you want to go.

I keep a notebook around all the time to scribble in, when ideas come up – before they get lost in that mountainous wasteland that is my mum brain.

I no longer lie to myself that ‘Oh, I'll, remember that!’. Aha. Yeah nup. You won't. Too many things competing for your attention. Record it. And move on.

Stop Multitasking

Back away from the washing pile. Drop those dirty dishes. Close the blinds on the un-mown lawn. Yes – all these jobs are important and need to be done. But doesn't your business deserve your focussed attention too? If you want something to succeed, you have to make time for it. Don't fold washing with one hand and answer emails with the other.

Now I admit, I took a long time to take this one on board (and yes, this is another one I learnt from Tracy at www.mumswithhustle.com). I LOVE multitasking. And I could do it for a long time. I work well on the fly and under pressure.

But now with three kids, minimal sleep, a busy family and a business, things just fall out of my head. Overwhelm constantly threatens and if I follow my tendency to try to do everything at once I don't achieve ANY of my goals.

Now I list it out, allocate time and decide what can wait and what needs to happen today. The washing can wait. (Except of course for the night before school pictures when you realise you need clean school uniforms. But that's a story for another day. Ha)

Remember – multitasking is just inefficiency – don't do 3 things badly! Do one thing with focus and squash that procrastination!!

Time Blocking and Laser Focus

Moving straight on from procrastination, learn to block out time and use it with focus.

Once I have a list and know the time available, I decide how much time I will allocate to each task. I like to work in 20 or 25 minute blocks. (Apparently this is an actual thing called the Pomodoro technique – who knew?) It's amazing what you can achieve in that time. If you haven't tried this one, do it!

Be like a Jedi and get your laser focus on. You may not have the force but you can do some pretty incredible stuff if you set your mind to it.

Turn off your notifications.Close your apps. Have all the resources you need ready to go. Ignore the kids screams from the backyard unless they are accompanied by blood and concussion. Only half joking.

Limit Social Media

This is something so many Mums struggle with…often because social media is where we find our audience, and advertise our business.

Allocate TIME to social media. But limit that time! Oh I know. I've been sucked down that rabbit hole too. You look up from a quick check and 3 hours have passed.

Apart from my specific work time, responding to comments, posting and scheduling, I allocate time to just explore social media. Set the timer for 20 minutes and have a scroll. This helps me prioritise what I actually really wanna follow up, finding new influencers, accounts I love, checking out hashtags. Just enjoy. And then the timer goes off and I stop.

If it has its own time, you don't need to feel guilt about it and you can focus fully on that. Then when the time is up, wrap it up and close it down. It'll be there tomorrow.

Self Care

Aha I know, you're saying, yeah right. But I know now that giving no time to myself, my health and wellbeing, leads to burnout, bad health and frustration.

There will be times when self care feels impossible, but I'm learning whenever possible, to choose. To stop work and exercise at my scheduled time, even though it feels like I have an avalanche of work to do. Giving time to my health really helps me keep work and life in perspective.

I have time every morning and night to pray and reflect on the day. Then I give the next hour to family. I don't check any messages or apps until after this time. This helps me stay on track.

I allocate time to exercise and I put it at a time that works for me and my family schedule. There's often a temptation to cancel just to get this one thing done, but I've been down that road and it's a slippery slope.

So, what do you think? Here's a quick summary again of my 6 big tips:
1. Plan Plan Plan
2. Write it Down
3. Stop Mutitaksing
4. Time blocking and Laser Focus
5. Limit Social Media
6. Self Care

Are you ready to supercharge your productivity? Know a Biz Mum who’d love these tips too? Why not share it to help them out. I'd LOVE to hear if you try just one of these things and how it’s helped you in your business journey!

Meet Keneena

Lover of colour, words, puns, pattern clash and donuts. Definitely not a perfectionist. Keneena Fanning is the sole creator, maker and doer at Kablooie Store, her micro fashion label full of big bold happy pieces. Kablooie Store's vision? To create fun fashion pieces for you and your child that look fabulous, and make you feel deep-down happy!

A wife and mum of three, Keneena has worked previously in economics, strategic financing, and project management, and holds a business degree in economics and resources management. True story.

Now, in between dreaming up new colour clashes, sewing and packing orders, and snapping flatlays, Keneena finds joy in the happy chaos of family and church life, loves to exercise and dreams of one day doing one handed pushups. Followed by a pepperoni pizza.

Web: www.kablooiestore.com.au

Instagram: www.instagram.com/Kablooiestore

Facebook: www.facebook.com/Kablooiestore

The post Back Away from that Washing Pile……6 Tips to Supercharge Your Productivity when you NEED to Get Stuff Done! appeared first on Tracy Harris.