Brandmerry Blog Archives
5 Must-Read Books for 2021
If you’re like me you’ve made it a goal to read a bit more in 2021. I know finding the next book is something of a daunting task, so I’m sharing some of my favorites reads from 2020 and previous to give you a solid place to start.
5 Must-Read Books for 2021
BY MICHELLE KNIGHT
I feel like every year I make it a goal to read a little bit more.
Truth be told, slowing down is not easy for me, so picking up a book nightly sometimes feels like a chore. However, years ago I discovered that educational books and motivating books are my jam (who’s surprised truly?)!
I can easily lose myself in a book that helps me live a more aligned and intentional life.
So you’ll see a trend here in my top reads for 2021 and I hope they motivate you if you find that reading romance novels, murder mystery and fantasy just aren’t your jam. BTW no shame there sometimes I wish I could dive into them, but alas after more than 33 years on this earth I know what I like.
Are you similar? Then this list is for you!
5 MUST-READ BOOKS FOR 2021
These are some of my favorite books I’ve read over the past few years, but one I’m looking forward to most in 2021 (more on that later). Happy Reading!
1. ATOMIC HABITS BY JAMES CLEAR
I’m a BIG fan of James Clear and his work and teaching on habits. In fact, this book changed my life and I’m not exaggerating. I shared more about my journey with habits and how this book shaped my 2020 and beyond on this podcast episode of The Beautiful Climb Podcast.
James has an amazing way of presenting the data and stories around building habits and how the work of habits sets you up for success. I’ve pretty much recommended this book to everyone I know and my clients, it’s that good!
If you haven’t read it and you’re a human, it’s time to order it!
2. RICH AS F*CK: MORE MONEY THAN YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH BY AMANDA FRANCIS
As an entrepreneur, I’ve been following Amanda Francis’ work for quite some time. Although, I understand there are a lot of mentors and leaders around money mindset, I’ve found her work and way of teaching just resonates most with me. I’ve invested in her programs and found this book to provide the same exceptional value (although not a substitute for her courses).
I read this book in just 14 days, which might be a record for me. It shares her story and her teachings around money mindset in a non-bull shit way while being super motivating.
It’s a must-read for anyone in 2021 if this is the year you get your money story focused on abundance rather than lack.
I’ve had quite the journey with money as a woman, and talk about it in detail on this podcast episode.
3. I’M STILL HERE: BLACK DIGNITY IN A WORLD MADE FOR WHITENESS BY AUSTIN CHANNING BROWN
Like many of you, the events of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020 brought a lot of my upbringing and pre-programmed beliefs to the surface. While I’ve always tried to be an advocate for black lives and persons of color, I recognized that I was also lacking so much education on what it really meant to be an ally.
I found Austin Channing Brown’s work as I researched more ways to try and understand more about the Black Lives Matter movement and what it’s like as a black person in America and while I’ll never truly understand as a white woman, I found this book to be beautiful, heartbreaking and eye opening all at the same time.
I truly believe we don’t know what we don’t know, but when we know we have to do better. This book is an excellent example of great storytelling in general, but through Brown’s stories, you also develop a deeper understanding of what’s truly happening in our country.
Once again I recommend this book to everyone and love all the information Brown provides on social media and beyond.
4. UNTAMED BY GLENNON DOYLE
If there’s ever been a book that made me gasp, cry, shake my head vigorously and stop every 5 minutes to read a line to my husband it is Untamed by Glennon Doyle.
Seriously, THIS BOOK! It might be one of my favorite non-fiction books to date because of the impact it has had on me as a woman and mother. It’s a beautiful and honest reminder of what living a life of alignment and freedom really means and how it’s different for each of us.
This book almost gave me a level of permission I had been seeking. To strip away old generation stories around what makes a woman a woman and how to be a “good” person. If you’re a womxn it’s time for you to get your hands on this book.
5. WE SHOULD ALL BE MILLIONAIRES BY RACHEL RODGERS
Ok, so technically at the time of writing this blog post this book hasn’t been released yet, but that won’t stop me!
I’m most looking forward to the first book by Rachel Rodgers in 2021 for so many reasons. Not only is Rachel a mentor of mine through her membership community, but one of my favorite discoveries to come out of 2020. Her book, mission and work is so inspiring and needed because like her I also believe we should all be millionaires.
There is no doubt in my mind that this book will be one of those life-changing reads that we come back to time and time again. If you’re looking to feel empowered around making more money in business, this book is going to be a must for you as it is for me.
P.S. Have you tuned in to The Beautiful Climb podcast? I release new episodes every other Friday on topics around productivity, motherhood, habits, goals and going after the life of your dreams! Check out past episodes and be sure to subscribe at thebeautifulclimb.com
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MEET MICHELLE
Hey there, I'm Michelle Knight and I an online branding and marketing consultant for female entrepreneurs.
I believe in the power of storytelling and using that superpower to brand and market yourself online...oh and to set yourself free.
I'm obsessed with living a life of freedom, so much so, that my family and I now travel full-time while running my business from the road.
This blog serves as a home base for all things branding, marketing, content creation and more.
New Entrepreneur Shopping List
New Entrepreneur Shopping List
April 12, 2019
Starting a business can be super overwhelming. You can go from “Wohoooo, this is happening!” to “Holy Sh*t! Where do I even start!”
There are countless options on the internet that you can use for list building, sending emails, collecting leads, housing your course, accepting payments, designing, etc….
Seriously, that list goes on and on and on.
When I started my business not one single person told me what I should be investing in for my business. I was bootstrapping my buns off so I did a lot of research to find the right platforms that worked for me and my clients. Now three years later I’ve come to love a few specific platforms and tools and recommend them to all my clients.
So I thought why keep them to myself - so many of you need this information in your back pocket.
If you’re a new or aspiring entrepreneur read on for my Ultimate New Entrepreneur Shopping List!
1. Kajabi
If I had known about Kajabi from the beginning of my business it would have saved me so many freaking headaches. Now, we are working on moving all my stuff to Kajabi because it can do #allthethings. Kajabi is an amazing platform that allows you to house your website, grow your email list, house your courses and accept payments.
Some of my favorite features in Kajabi are:
Course Creation
Membership Sites
Email Marketing
Lead Generation (including landing pages)
Automation (i.e. sales funnels)
Webinars
Accepting payments
It’s now my #1 suggestion for entrepreneurs because it’s that good. The best part is even if you don’t have a course or membership site now you can grow into it. Now, I know it might seem like a scary investment right out of the gate, but when you add up all the individual platforms trust me you’ll spend just as much and end up switching later. You can test out Kajabi with their 30-day money-back guarantee!
2. Email Marketing
If you’re really bootstrapping or currently loving your website provider, you still need a strong email marketing platform. A community is everything when you are starting out and you NEED to be connecting with them beyond social media.
Creating an email list allows you to stay in contact with your audience, build trust with them through consistency and ultimately sell your offers and products, so this is an area you can’t skimp. I love Convertkit because it gives me the high-level segmenting (like Kajabi) without a major price tag.
If you’re looking for an email platform that can grow with you, I highly recommend. Get a free trial here.
3. Roadmap to Freedom
Shameless plug? I think so. Look, I’ve been doing this business thing for a few years now and if there is one thing I see so many entrepreneurs missing it is a step-by-step plan that supports them from start to finish.
I know if I had this at the beginning of my business I could have grown even faster. And this step-by-step plan does not mean starting on social media - that’s a big fat NO!
It’s following the 5-step roadmap to build a solid foundation, community and so much more. I’m sharing this exact roadmap in my upcoming masterclass, sign up here.
Want to learn more about the Roadmap to Freedom program that has helped so many women creating a thriving online business that allows them to make money on their terms and create a life bigger than their dreams? Head here: brandmerry.com/freedom
4. SmarterQueue
It’s no secret that social media is one of the best free tools for growing your business. It’s important when utilizing these platforms (think Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Facebook Groups and more) that you are consistent.
If you’re currently flying by the seat of your pants and coming up with content every day you’re going to get overwhelmed super quick AND if you’re posting your content once and then letting it drift away into the social media black hole you’re wasting time.
Enter SmarterQueue! SmarterQueue allows you to pre-schedule your content across multiple platforms and evergreen your content, meaning you can recycle your posts every few weeks so your great content is actually seen.
You need a social media scheduler for your business and your sanity and SmarterQueue is my favorite. Test out SmarterQueue for 30 days
5. Trello
And finally we get to my favorite topic...organization! Remember when I talked about flying by the seat of your pants and how that just doesn’t work?! Well, there is an easy and free fix to this and it’s Trello.
Trello allows you to create boards for your business, organize tasks, evergreen recurring tasks, communicate with team and so much more.
I don’t go a freaking day without utilizing my weekly Trello board and have boards for all areas of my life, including our full-time travel schedule. Read more about how I use Trello in my business.
And did I mention it’s free? There is literally no reason for you to NOT sign up. Sign up for Trello
There’s a lot of information, tools, resources, etc in the online space (mine included), but it really comes down to finding something that works well for someone else, testing it for 30 days and making modifications.
Trust me when I tell you I’ve done the testing and these are my top recommendations and shopping list for new and aspiring online biz owners.
Reminder: If you’re just getting started I highly recommend Kajabi so you don’t have to piece it all together and can create a platform that grows WITH YOU!
Please share your biggest takeaways from this blog post and how you’re going to implement this information in your own business!
P.S. Are we connected on Instagram? No? Well lady what’s happening here we’ve got to fix that. Come hang out with me on my favorite social media platform. Follow for inspiration and send me a DM to know we’re connected.
Episode 07 | Following the Excitement with Kelly Marcyniuk
Episode 07 | Following the Excitement with Kelly Marcyniuk
Free to Be Podcast | Episode 07
Today's episode is another guest expert and man do this girl and I have some stories.
Kelly is your go-to Freedom Life Stylist and the founder of The Freedom Babe. Kelly believes in traveling as often as possible, great wine, and living a life that feels totally free.
Kelly and I met for the first time in Paris as part of our mastermind and had so much fun. We share many of the same beliefs and values in life, including travel, and on today's podcast, Kelly and I are chatting about Following the Excitement and how when you do that you can create a truly FREE life.
Things we talk about in this episode:
• Following the excitement and not settling for "just enough" or "the should's" because of outside expectations.
• How Kelly turned down, what she thought would be her career and more schooling to start her own business.
• How to trust yourself and move through those scary decisions with full belief in your ability to succeed.
• How to follow the passion and leap, even when it's scary, and how it pays off in creating the freedom lifestyle.
TODAY'S GUEST
Kelly Marcyniuk is your go-to Freedom Life Stylist. She is the founder of The Freedom Babe where she supports women in creating freedom-filled lives and businesses on their own terms. She's also the host of The Freedom Babe Podcast where she chats with entrepreneurs and influencers about the freedom lifestyles they've created for themselves, and how they did it. Kelly believes in traveling as often as possible, great wine, and living a life that feels totally free.
CONNECT WITH kelly
Website: www.thefreedombabe.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/thefreedombabe
Facebook: www.facebook.com/thefreedombabe
CONNECT WITH ME
Web: brandmerry.com
Instagram: @brandmerrycoaching
Facebook: @brandmerrycoaching
Biz Group: Authentic Brand Builders
Important Links Mentioned
Episode 05: Building a Badass Brand + Business with Michelle Knight
Kid Box ‘Save 15% with code BrandMerry’
Own Your Story Challenge - Sign Up!
Airbnb ‘Get $40 off your next stay’
LOVE THE FREE TO BE PODCAST?
I kinda secretly hoped you'd say yes! I love you right back lady and I'm so honored you tune in every week for massive inspiration. I've got a favor to ask. Would you be so kind as to leave a review of the podcast on iTunes (if you haven't already)? It means so much to me to read your reviews + it allows more people to get their hands on the amazing interviews and content. Let's spread the love, shall we? REVIEW ON ITUNES ↠
PODCAST FEATURED REVIEW of the week
Free to Be Podcast - Inspiring and Relatable by JustWayTooBoss
“Michelle Knight’s podcast is a definite must for women entrepreneurs and those needing inspiration to pursue their goals and dreams! Her podcast is so down to earth and full of so much honesty, while giving awesome insights into living the entrepreneurial lifestyle. Listen in!!”
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EPISODE 01 | Married to an Entrepreneur with Ben Knight
Married to an Entrepreneur with Ben Knight
Free to Be Podcast | Episode 01
Welcome to the Free to Be Podcast. I'm so excited to bring you a really personal and exciting first episode with my husband, Ben Knight. With questions submitted by my community Authentic Brand Builders and followers on Instagram, Ben and I are having a candid conversation about our relationship, how we find harmony in our relationship, his role in the business and how we handle those money conversations.
It's a beautiful episode in which you can get a glimpse into our life together, hopefully, learn a little more about how he has supported me as I have grown and continue to grow my business.
Things we talk about in this episode:
→ Our story, how we met and fell in love (seriously, it could be a movie)
→ How we find harmony in our relationship while running a business
→ What Ben really thinks about the time I spend on my business
→ How Ben supports me as I grow my business and his tips for you and your spouse
Important links mentioned in this episode:
Airbnb: Get $40 off your first rental
On the Road by Jack Kerouac
CONNECT WITH ME
Web: brandmerry.com
Instagram: @brandmerrycoaching
Facebook: @brandmerrycoaching
Biz Group: Authentic Brand Builders
LOVE THE FREE TO BE PODCAST?
I kinda secretly hoped you'd say yes! I love you right back lady and I'm so honored you tune in every week for massive inspiration. I've got a favor to ask. Would you be so kind as to leave a review of the podcast on iTunes (if you haven't already)? It means so much to me to read your reviews + it allows more people to get their hands on the amazing interviews and content. Let's spread the love, shall we? REVIEW ON ITUNES ↠
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How I Made 3/4 of My Income Goal in The 2nd Half of 2017
How I Made 3/4 of My Income Goal in The 2nd Half of 2017
08/16/18
Last year, I had a goal to make $100,000 in my business. That number felt good to me, and the reason I'm sharing this with you today is because I made 3/4ths of that in the second half of 2017. Which means that it's to too late for you if you feel behind in your own goal for the year right now. My biggest months last year were September and October which were both right around $14k and December which was closer to $18k. So it's not to late for you to reach your goals, you just have to take some steps in order to get there.
Believed in My Goal
I believed so much in my goal. I was so grounded and rooted in hitting $100k - in hitting 6 figures. Be super clear and specific on your goal. I felt that number in my soul. I was invested and excited in that number.
I visualized every step of the way, every month, every time I hit a goal. I was super clear on my visualization process. I was really inspired by this number. It was about how that would make me feel. I also had to do the inner work. I really started to bust through my old beliefs around money, and I also had to release my inner perfectionist.
I was always checking in on where I was at in my goals and where I might need to pick up slack.
Planned for a Big Launch
I had planned for a big launch. Launches are a great way to bring in a big influx of money when you are trying to reach a big goal. I had been planning mine for 9 months and growing my list since January!
I did the prep work and knew this was a big part of the end of the year for reaching my goal, so I took time to prep for it and get those pieces in place.
I really focused on building relationships and nurturing my audience. I started going live regularly. I started doing more workshops and webinars. Building trust with your community is massive. I really credit the relationship building I did to the success of this launch.
I truly went all in on this launch! There was no holding back. Everyone knew I was launching. I put money in a mentor and Facebook Ads and the return on investment was huge.
Focused on New Eyes and Ears on My Brand
I focused on growing my list daily and taking sales action, but also community action.
I used FB ads, Instagram and organic reach through groups to grow my list through webinars, workshops, live videos, freebies, challenges, etc (everything I do has some sort of opt in ;))
I created a welcome sequence so people really got to know me through my free offer, so when I rolled out a new offer, they were ready to invest.
Strategically Stacked My Offers
I always had and still have a next step for my clients so they feel supported. If someone finishes a program, I have a next step for them. I planned out my launches and cart opens to lead clients from one into the other
With this in mind I heavily introduced my intensives as a welcome to coaching and focused on filling that from August - December, this led to my 1:1 clients at a higher ticket price. So you can bring people in at a lower cost level and then funnel them to the higher ticket prices.
Separated From The How, BUT Took Action
I had my big goal in mind and things I was working towards daily, but I wasn’t obsessed with one thing working over the other.
I focused my time and energy on taking action and if something didn’t work I found something that did.
I was constantly showing up, taking action and investing back into my business to get it to work. Always take action. Don't just wait for the best idea to fall into your lap. It will come, but always take action.
Head over to my Facebook Page and be sure to like and comment on the video while you are over there to help more people see this information ↠ https://www.facebook.com/brandmerrycoaching/videos/300033270574356/
And as always please share and comment on this blog post, I love connecting with you!
