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Tag: connection

Time to rest

With expectations from work and family, one of the biggest challenges entrepreneurs face is deciding when to push and when to rest.

Drawing lines and setting boundaries can be difficult with so many demands, yet rest can be an asset to your schedule and goals, providing the inspiration and stamina needed to finish tough projects and tackle new challenges.

Rest days aren’t just for athletes. Pay close attention to your mind and emotional states throughout the day. Aside from feeling tired or sluggish, your body will tell you when it is craving extra TLC.

Any time you create for rejuvenation and relaxation will come back to you tenfold. Your body and mind will thank you, and your work and relationships will benefit from the added spark you bring back with you. Enjoy.

SEO fundamentals

Most small business owners have heard of SEO and know this is the secret sauce that can push your content up the list of search engines. But many do not know exactly what it entails or how to put it into practice. Here are some SEO basics:

Research

You have to know not only what your competition is doing but what your customers are searching for. If you are promoting and producing content that is irrelevant to consumers’ needs, all of the coding and keywords in the world cannot help you. You need to know your own brand and the words that your audiences associate with your brand to be most effective. Google Ads Keyword Planner can help.

Organization

The way your structure your site and individual pages will help search engines place priority on your content. Deciding which keywords you want to emphasize can help you think through the pages you have  already created and the ones you need to build in order to meet your business goals. It is tricky to rank for words that are not included in your pages, so think about the keywords and phrases you want placed throughout your site.

Links

Links help show that your content is valuable. By sending audiences not only to relevant pages within your site but also to other sites that have equally valuable information, search crawlers can recognize you’re not producing spam or junk merely for the sake of SEO rankings.

Results

The whole point of SEO is to connect with a wider audience. Monitor your website’s traffic to make sure what you are doing is working. See where traffic is heading and how long they are staying. Hosts like Squarespace have analytics tools built in, or you can use Google Analytics for more in-depth data comparisons.

Quality connections

Gone are the days when you attend networking events with a stack of business cards, trying to pass out as many as you can. The most seasoned professionals know that quality, not quantity, matters when it comes to relationships and networking.
If you’re trying to make an impression, ask thoughtful questions. Listen. And be curious.
A meaningful connection is worth far more than a printed business card.
P.S. There’s one seat left in September’s NYC dinner event. Get in touch if you think it is for you.

Announcements (plus a free ebook)

Have you heard? I’ve put together a free ebook on adventure and risk-taking. You can download it here.
Also, September’s NYC dinner event is almost sold out. Get in touch if you’d like to be considered. This private event is limited to fifteen participants in order to encourage meaningful conversation and constructive networking. If not this time, we can keep you on the list for future dinners.
Questions? Reach out or say hi @redheadlefthand.

The risk of vulnerability

Vulnerability is associated with weakness and inferiority, yet exposing your true self requires strength and conviction.

The future is uncertain, and there’s no telling how events will pan out.

Find the courage to live your best life — truly, freely, authentically.

5 ways to add magic to your life

1. Say yes.

To people, to adventures, to new experiences, to uncomfortable situations. Saying yes will help you unravel all that life has to offer. Remove “what ifs” from your imagination and stay open.

2. Love fully.

Love yourself whole-heartedly, love others willingly, love the circumstances life brings you. Loving keeps you humble, generous, and able to receive.

3. Search for something new.

Go to new places, eat different foods, listen to a variety of music and lectures and plays. Keep your mind broad and your interests vast.

4. Be grateful.

No matter the circumstance — positive, negative, lucky, misfortunate — pinpoint something to be thankful for and look for the lessons life wants to teach you.

5. Cultivate relationships.

Nurture bonds with your dearest ones. Take time to mentor others and listen to mentors of your own. Identify role models and borrow some of their lifestyle habits.

Life is meant to be unpacked, day by day and year by year. Each decade will carry new teachers and gifts to you, if you are ready to observe, listen, and fully participate.

Find magic today.