2020 was quite the year. It presented no shortage of challenges globally in personal and professional settings. The pandemic did something very interesting for Ross. COVID-19 brought Ross closer to the important people in his life. Nothing can be truer than the Tricycle Creative mantra during these interesting times; keep pedaling through the tough times.
Ross sought out his friends, clients, and other creative business owners to have them talk about the good, the bad, and the lessons they can share with his listeners. Rewind is a miniseries, bringing marketing stories you need to know every end of the month, but this time we will bring to you stories from this challenging year of 2020.
In This Episode...
In today’s episode of 2020 Rewind, I talk to Jamie Steele. Jamie is a productivity specialist and digital organizer to help people find space in their calendars so that they can focus on their passions and to be brave with their technology. I was very curious about how 2020 affected Jamie’s services with so many people now working from home. Today you will learn about Jamie’s 4 M’s of Productivity, the work she’s putting into including coaching and goal-setting recommendations.
Positives Of 2020
Jamie decided, due to the lock down, to invest in her business and take coaching courses. By doing so, she has learned a lot about herself and has learned how to better serve her clients. The biggest difference between coaching and consulting is coaches view the client as naturally creative, resourceful, and whole. The client has the answers. A consultant comes in more like an expert.
Challenges of 2020
Energy level has been a great challenge for many people, and Jamie is no exception. It’s being called the Corona-Coaster, with one week feeling very motivated and writing blog posts and marketing, but then the next week she’s hit her limit. She’s started learning how to know where her limits are so she doesn’t hit them anymore. Meditation and self-care have been an adventure to rediscover and improve to help herself. One recommendation that she often tells clients when they come to her having hit that limit is to TAKE A BREAK. Then look at what you have to do and start small to build up momentum to overcome the big tasks.
The Four M's of Productivity
Jamie brings a four “M” strategy to the work she does with her clients. What are the four “M’s” of productivity you ask?
- Managing your priorities
- Managing your tasks
- Managing your calendar
- Managing your energy
Changes For 2021
The biggest change for her digital organizing and productivity business is that she will no longer do in-person client work. Following her own advice, she came to the conclusion that the best for her energy levels and her business, she will work virtually via zoom-meetings and phone calls. She will also offer some new virtual classes and some on-demand classes. 2020 has taught her that you should always have multiple streams of income, and if all her services were in person, she would be in trouble.
Ross explains how multiple streams of income in your business is something he will suggest to clients right now during this pandemic. Changing services to allow you to provide service remotely is the trend businesses are following to adapt to the times. Some clients will always question, “what about when the pandemic goes away?” Well, the great thing about creating remote services is that they are a valid second revenue stream even when the pandemic is “over”.
Only one person pushed back on virtual meetings, but they later changed their mind. Jamie’s client base dried up because of this shift, but luckily people have been forced to “get brave” with their technology and now most anyone can use Zoom. Looking back, driving to clients and helping clients in person did take a lot of driving and TIME. An hour of driving and traffic to another client could have been used to work with another client or taking a break from working.
Recommendations by Jamie
Jamie highly recommends SkedPal. This is for time blocking enthusiasts, because SkedPal will schedule your tasks for you based on your priorites. If you get off track, which for most people is bound to happen, there is a button to update your schedule to rearrange all your tasks based on where you are in your day.
For those who are not digital planners, she recommends the Full Focus Planner. It’s a 3 month planner that is all in one place to keep you on track.
A new recommendation is Focus Me, which is an app that schedule routines to block distractions, from shutting off specific apps to allow you to focus. If you are struggling with distractions, this app is great for you.
For a podcast recommendation Unlocking Us by Brené Brown which is about “conversations that unlock the deeply human part of who we are, so that we can live, love, parent, and lead with more courage and heart.”
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