So, it wasn’t even 8 weeks ago that I excitedly announced that I held not one — but TWO– spots on page ONE when you searched for “women entrepreneurs” on google.

Today, I guess the algorithms changed or the search engine gods got mad at me or something because I’m nowhere to be found, for the exact same search term. Am I sweating it?

Nope.

Because I found a way to win the search engine game a long time ago.

HOW DID I DO THIS EXACTLY?

I decided not to DEPEND on the search engine game at all.
It was so complicated… and I couldn’t make sense of it, so I got frustrated and just said “screw it.”

And I decided to CIRCUMVENT the search engines altogether.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN EXACTLY?

Well, I decided that I wouldn’t invest MUCH in a system that was constantly changing and that I didn’t understand. Instead, I decided I’d go DIRECT.

INSTEAD of trying to please the search engines… so they’d MAYBE grace me with a page one spot… I’d go DIRECTLY to the people, the groups, the journalists whose attention I wanted and EARN that attention…

I’d show up,
unable to be ignored.
Via snail mail in some cases.
Via a phone call.
An interview request.
A hand-written greeting card.

I’d show up and just knock on their door.
I’d introduce myself (and Women Who WOW) to influencers who could (and SHOULD) be talking about the women in our tribe and just let them get to know us.

In this way, I show up in a competitive vacuum…
with a clear purpose…
in a closed system…
and in a way that grows relationships, and not just views.

The truth is, I was PUMPED to find myself on page one of Google for such a WILDLY POPULAR (and location-generic) search term like “women entrepreneurs.” I HAD given some attention to this goal in the recent months…. mainly simply adding “women entrepreneurs” to a lot of my blog post titles. And, you know, it worked.

For a time.

But for the six weeks or so that I graced page one of the google… do you know how much my income went up as a result? NOT MUCH!!!

In fact, nearly ALL of my income STILL came from people/groups/influencers who didn’t FIND me on google, but who I deliberately made AWARE of me through other means.

Bottom line, friend…

WHENEVER possible, take matters into your own hands.

Don’t leave yourself VULNERABLE to Yelp and their fake review sites or to Google and their constantly changing “algorithms.”

Instead, create a HABIT of doing something EACH and EVERY day to introduce yourself to people who SHOULD know about you… to people whose attention you SHOULD have. Don’t sit back and wait like some “good girl.”

Go out there and DEMAND the attention to deserve.

Women Who WOW members will come together tomorrow for our “VMM” — or Virtual Mastermind. Our topic: 27 Ways to Circumvent the Search Engines And WIN Way More Than Page One Position.

Yes, I’ll give 27 actions I take REGULARLY to keep my brand (and my bank account) growing. But, the CORE of this is about your willingness to WAIT… or not.

The CORE of how I developed these 27 action items is based on a couple “mental technologies” I call IMPATIENCE and DEFIANCE.

If you ARE a woman who wows, invite your friends to take a look at membership…. If you are NOT one of us, PM me for details or go and check us out over here: womenwhowow.com.

Don’t forget to check out my Facebook Page and stay updated with all my content.

The post 27 Ways to Win the Search Engine Game appeared first on b. michelle pippin.

…ARE TO YOUR LUNGS.

WARNING: This article refers to topics you likely find “heated,” and trigger worthy. I hope you read anyway. Because the “secret” to successful selling is also the secret to successful LIVING, successful EVANGELISM, successful ACTIVISM. And there is a common “sin” that kills them all.

Ask any marketer (me, included) and they’ll tell you that the FIRST thing you have to do is GET THEIR ATTENTION. TRUE!! But, friend…

1) NOT at any cost; and
2) you can’t stop there. Attention is JUST the first glance… it is NOT the end goal.

Because I’m a Christ-follower, let me start with stories of “my own kind.” It GRIEVES me greatly to see Christians “evangelizing” with what used to be referred to as “fire, hell, and brimstone.”

I see them on Facebook… NOT ONLY does my stomach turn, but I immediately look away and keep scrolling. I KNOW that they are turning people away from “our” faith… creating, EVEN MORE, stumbling blocks for people to come to know the Jesus I know.

And as an aside, I roll my eyes thinking about how foolishly they’ve cherry-picked their Bible reading.

SURE, they get my attention…
But at what cost????

With their poorly thought out attempt to get attention (at any cost) they are turning people off, closing minds — perhaps with cement — and actually LOSING INFLUENCE over people whose attention and a relationship they ALREADY had. I’m sure there are a handful of other “Christians” who applaud what they’re doing, but I can say this: I hope to never meet them.

These posts turn my stomach… because I know how much damage they are doing.

Consider the professional athletes not standing for our national anthem. In effect, they’re doing something similar…. getting attention, SURE… but at WHAT cost?

And this, also, grieves me.

Because NOW, instead of social injustice, we’re talking about advertising dollars and NFL viewership…. Imagine the OTHER conversations we COULD have had… the open dialogue… the TRUE and EFFECTUAL collective activism… something creating REAL change….

Yes, FIRST… you must get attention. I give you that.

BUT, you must do so in a way that DOES NOT IMMEDIATELY shut minds and cement them closed AGAINST your cause. You CANNOT do so in a way that instigates an INSTANT argument.

Because when you OPEN with a comment, conversation or gesture that incites INSTANT argument… you lose.

In evangelism.
In activism.
And, of course, in selling.

I’ll never forget the vacuum sales person who came to my home — unannounced — to sell me a vacuum. I let them in because they were giving away a free snuggie as a gift. The entire pitch was wrong, but it started with them vacuuming a portion of my floor and then shaking their heads in sadness and disgust over the FILTH of my carpet.

Now, keep in mind, my husband keeps a VERY clean house… and always has. There may be times when the kitchen is cluttered with dishes or my books and notebooks are scattered around, but there is NO FILTH in my home. (I wrote about it back in 2010, and it is a pretty hilarious read)

These “salespeople” even USED the word “filthy” to describe my carpet — or at least the 2-foot section they were “cleaning” for demonstration purposes.

Anyway, needless to say….
they opened in a way that made me immediately want to defend my home’s cleanliness… AND get them OUT of my filthy home.

In other words, they killed the sale…
right at the beginning.
They got my attention alright,
but to what END?

Here’s my point… if you want to influence people (for your faith, your cause OR your brand) you will HAVE to do so in a way that DRAWS PEOPLE in…

If you get their attention — but in a way that SHUTS them DOWN or gets them in DEFENSIVE mode — you’ve lost. And if you BELIEVE in what you’re selling… whether it be your faith, your cause OR your product… you’ve just done THEM a disservice.

So, yes.
Get their attention.
BUT do so in a way that invites MORE and further and deeper dialogue.

Otherwise, you’re dead in the water.

P.S. If you’ve ever wanted one of my programs that teach experts how to dramatically INCREASE their own influence and impact and — of course — income… stay tuned for our CYBER MONDAY gift.

You’ll be able to get ANY program you want at PENNIES on the dollar.

The Cash Copy Clinic…
Profitably Speaking, The Speaking for DOLLARS intensive… The Betting on YOU program about Mental Toughness….
The Advanced Training for Enterprising Experts…. or
the Blogging for Bucks program.

Any or ALL for PENNIES on the dollar.

More Later… but for today…
Enjoy Small Business Saturday by Shopping SMALL.

Don’t forget to check out my Facebook Page to stay up to date with all my content.

The post This is More Dangerous to your Sales Than Cigarettes appeared first on b. michelle pippin.

9 THINGS STRUGGLING ENTREPRENEURS DO… THAT PROFITABLE ‘TREPS DON’T.

I believe strongly in BEHAVIORAL congruency. Before I could afford my own coach — which I hired before I thought I could afford my own coach, lol… — I simply looked at what other successful people were doing, and aligned my behavior with theirs… looked at what Unsuccessful people were doing and did the opposite.

Behavioral congruency = results congruency.

So, here are ten behaviors that STRUGGLING entrepreneurs REPEAT (or make a habit) that help create the financial struggle they’re seeing in the business.

1) STRUGGLING entrepreneurs wait until they’re READY. Profitable entrepreneurs know that “ready” is a trap… and aim for “ready enough… and willing” instead.

2) STRUGGLING entrepreneurs watch too much TV. So sorry, but it’s true. Talk to them. They know which celebrity is dating who, ON and OFF screen. Profitable entrepreneurs watch SOME TV, but comparatively very little. There is a DIFFERENCE in watching TV for entertainment… and watching TV for an ESCAPE.

3) STRUGGLING entrepreneurs schedule too many meetings. They meet over EVERYTHING, perhaps out of loneliness… but still. Not everything needs a meeting. MOST things don’t. Too many meetings = too little money.

4) STRUGGLING entrepreneurs show up in SPURTS while profitable entrepreneurs show up DAILY.

5) STRUGGLING entrepreneurs seek affirmation, applause, confidence and personal value from their business dealings… saddling a business with burdens it was never meant to carry. Profitable entrepreneurs bring their sense of self TO their business instead.

6) STRUGGLING entrepreneurs wait for perfect timing. Profitable entrepreneurs know there’s no such thing…

7) STRUGGLING entrepreneurs exercise very little control over their day, their schedule, their meetings. Coffee dates — and even “business meetings — are scheduled and attended without even the most basic of agendas. Profitable entrepreneurs begin by exercising complete dominion over their day… and their time.

8) STRUGGLING entrepreneurs look for FREE advice and FREE networking and mastermind groups. Profitable entrepreneurs invest in mentoring and deliberate association with others who are taking the world by storm.

9) STRUGGLING entrepreneurs talk more than they act…. plan more than they produce… dream more than they do. Profitable entrepreneurs… well, do the exact opposite.

Behavioral congruency = Results congruency.
But only every time.

Want to keep up with all my posts, news, and videos? Follow my Facebook page!

The post 9 Things Struggling Entrepreneurs Do appeared first on b. michelle pippin.

I’M SOOOOO FAR BEHIND: THE WEIGHT OF UNFINISHED BUSINESS FOR WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS.

There’s a certain energy inherent in women who are “natural born hustlers.” The women who have a lot of balls in the air, those who are pushing PLAY on multiple fronts, the DO-ERS who have multiple projects, unlimited ideas and quite simply THRIVE on life.

These women…
like me…
don’t seek ESCAPE from life very often.
I don’t LIVE for my vacations.
In fact, most of my travel is truly DREADED….
Because it requires me to push pause,
it requires me to LEAVE,
And I actually quite LOVE the hustle life…
the life, the pace, the push, the STRIVING
of my daily life.

I love the pursuit.
Of happiness.
Of excellence.
Of the next level.
Of the unreasonable…
Of the impossible.

I’ve never quite resonated with the whole “take it easy” mantra. YAWN… Some people move at a pace that I swear MUST bore even themselves to tears. I wrote yesterday about my rejection of “reasonable goals” and I’ve written multiple articles about the topic of hustle and pursuit, the joy of the “hunt” over the past 10 years.

So, it’s nothing new for me. But I remember the EXACT moment I fully embraced the “hustle life.” I remember embracing the knowledge that I’d die one day with a messy desk and in mid-pursuit of some lofty goal.

Until then, though, I intend to play full OUT.
I intend to suck the marrow out of this ONE life of mine.
I am ruthlessly committed to STRAINING my potential,
to testing the limits,
to seeing what is REALLY possible for a small town country girl like me.

But there’s ONE thing that can really slow me down,
weigh me down,
have me feeling TIRED,
and OVERWHELMED…

And not just in a “how I feel personally” way…
But this ONE thing can also slow my cash flow,
stall my income,
block my progress,
and GUNK UP this whole growing empire of mine.

This one thing is…
UNFINISHED BUSINESS.

Half-finished projects.
Half-written books.
Half-cocked (but really SO full of potential) plans, left unimplemented.

This WEIGHT on my business is THE REASON I began my “working pajama parties.” I had this thought… All year we travel to this conference and that conference. We have notebooks full of ideas….

BUT WHERE IS THE BUSINESS CONFERENCE THAT IS FOCUSED ONLY ON ALLOWING YOU TO CATCH UP AND TAKE ACTION ON THESE IDEAS?

My very first PJ party was JUST ME.

I rented a hotel room.
I arranged for amazing food to be brought in.
And I pulled the grown-up version of a “college all-nighter.”
But for a woman entrepreneur.

I loved it.
And so I did it again… and invited a few friends.
I said I’ve got two adjoining rooms, and all the food is paid for.
Come… or not.

Well, they came, and a Women Who WOW tradition was BORN.

The Women Who WOW Pajama Parties are legendary and BOY do we have stories to tell… Once we were locked in while Hurricane Sandy tore into the area around us. The Women Who WOW official drink was created. One year, we even sipped our own private label wine.

But mainly,
a lot of new ground was taken.
Unfinished business was FINISHED, IMPLEMENTED, and MONETIZED.
And DEEP friendships were born and deepened.

The Working Pajama Party has ALWAYS been a pay your own way event. Meaning, I only charge what it costs me to host the event. It’s really for our community.

If you would like to know more about this, message me. I have 3 spots left.

One quick note: This will be the LAST “Hustle HOUSE” event…. as our numbers will demand a Hustle HOTEL next year, just to keep it “fair.”

SO, what is INCLUDED in your Working Pajama Party?

— Of course, a PARENS from your daily life… a time that is carved out and protected to plot and plan, dream and do. No distractions. No speakers. No excuses. A time to LASER FOCUS on your own agenda.
— Yoga on the beach, if you are so inclined.
— A sunset surprise….
— Gourmet food prepared and cleaned up for us.
— Hot seats and roundtables… if you want.
— Wine, of course.
— Goodies and sponsor gifts.
— An intimate weekend with your WOW sisters.

Our location?

The BEAUTIFUL OBX of NC.

Dates? December 7th from 11 AM EST – December 9th at 11 AM EST.

What’s Included in your “ticket” to the PJ Party?
Everything, of course.
ALL meals and snacks from lunch on December 7th to Breakfast on December 9th.
Accommodations for your entire time in the Hustle House.
Extras, bonuses, and surprises.

You want IN?
PM me on Facebook and let me know…

The post The Weight of Unfinished Business appeared first on b. michelle pippin.

I read a sales page the other day for #womenentrepreneurs. The HEADLINE: “The problem is… you’re constantly distracted by things in your personal life.”

It was an event about business habits — specifically for people working from home — and the leader is a PHENOMENAL leader. I respect her, and those who attend will be well-served.

But, it had me wondering…
HOW MANY WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS ARE REALLY DISTRACTED WITH THEIR PERSONAL STUFF AT HOME?

Not me.

As I type this to you, the hard truth is that I’m broken-hearted.
It’s a personal and private thing. If I ever reveal it, you guys know me, it will be many months or years from now… and will long have been in my rearview mirror.

But for today, there’s an ache in my heart and when I show up for my #MorningsWithMichelle livestream — which I will OF COURSE do — in about 15 minutes, I’ll have to do it with audio only. Why?

My eyes are too swollen from crying.

That’s the hard, totally inconvenient, vulnerable truth.

Am I showing up because I have to?
Absolutely not.
I’m showing up because I LOVE this stuff.
And because it DRIVES me.
I’ve chosen work that SEDUCES me each and every morning.

So, let’s get back to distraction…

I’m (literally) NEVER (ever) distracted by dishes or laundry or organizing the flipping closet… or any other “personal thing” that is “in my face” because I work from home. I can’t even imagine it.

And it has me thinking…
If something like housework can “DISTRACT” you so easily… and so regularly… from your business,

am I wrong to think maybe you need to choose a new business? Or — at least — change SOMETHING in how you DO business?

So that it captures your attention?
And maybe even your heart again?
So that it lights you up and engages you fully?

Today, I admit…
My work IS the distraction.

But, if you are REGULARLY distracted by something… let’s lean into a bit more deliberately….

What are you distracted BY?
Maybe THAT is your true passion.
Maybe you can build a business, a brand, a platform around THAT.

What are you distracted FROM?
Maybe you need to eliminate this task from your day-to-day work… Maybe even eliminate it completely, or delegate it.

Here’s the way to FOREVER DEFEAT DISTRACTION in business:

Work MORE of what fully occupies your attention into your business day. =) This business of yours is of your own making. you chose it. You built it brick by brick. And you can re-model it whenever you like.

Here’s to women entrepreneurs… doing business WITHOUT COMPROMISE. There’s a whole tribe of us creating success on our own terms. Join us! WomenWhoWOW.com.

The post Defeating Distraction For Women Entrepreneurs appeared first on b. michelle pippin.