Shows
Talking Small Business#034: Rebranding: A Candid ConversationWe're so excited about today's episode! We are going to talk about rebranding for your business and specifically, how to know when it is time to approach a rebrand in your business. Our goal for today's episode is to help you make a decision about whether or not the investment, time and the emotional energy is worth it right now for your season of business. Kat recently rebranded, so we're going to talk about her decision, as well as some other general tips! We hope this episode encourages you through your rebranding decisions! What we’re discussing tod...
2022-08-2923 minTalking Small Business#033: A Simple Strategy to Get More Done in Your Work DayWe've talked a lot about quarterly and yearly planning on previous episodes, but today we're talking about how to actually get things done and chase those goals. We often put a lot of effort into creating great plans and dreaming big, but we need to learn how to turn those plans into action steps that we can get done on a daily basis! So, today we're picking Kat's brain about how to tackle the dreams and daily to-dos that need to get done to move our business forward each year. Join us for a candid conversation to learn how...
2022-08-0819 minTalking Small Business#032: BTS: The Passive BundleMegan is in the hot seat today! We're talking all about the Passive Bundle that she put together this past January. She's opening up applications for contributors for the next round of the bundle and as we were discussing this together, we realized something. We've never talked about what it's like putting together a bundle like this. So today's episode is all about preparing and coordinating a bundle and how you might go about doing that for you own niche! Megan's going to be sharing her experiences and ideas, so if you've ever thought about offering a bundle, make...
2022-07-2527 minTalking Small Business#031: Our Partnership: A Candid Conversation (Plus, Happy Birthday TSB!!)Our favorite episodes to record are the ones that you've requested, which is why we're so excited about this one! Today we’re going to talk about partnerships, and specifically approaching partnerships in small business. We're going to share what that has looked like for us, with our partnership and this podcast. Together, we're having a candid conversation about how we approach partnership: what to think about, how to plan, and so much more. We'll also be celebrating ONE YEAR of Talking Small Business. It's wild to think that we've been doing this for a year because we just lo...
2022-07-1127 minTalking Small Business#030: Mid Year Review: Let's do this!We've talked about end of year reviews and quarterly planning but now that June is here, it's time to talk about completing a mid-year business review! Kat is literally the queen of planning, especially quarterly planning, but she's also a huge advocate of these mid-year business reviews. Today, we're going to discuss why it's important to make time for your mid-year review, what it might look like, and how to set goals for the remainder of your year. This is the perfect time to start evaluating what's working - and what isn't - so you can set yourself up for...
2022-06-2015 min
It's About Time | Time Management & Productivity for Work Life & BalanceDoing All the Things: Time Management and Quarterly Planning with Kat SchmoyerHow does someone achieve work-life balance, launch four successful businesses with their partner, and still find time to spend with their kiddos? Kat Schmoyer is a business coach, integrator, and entrepreneur who’ll tell you that it’s no walk in the park, but it’s doable. Big-picture planning and finding the right project management and biz operation tools are key. So is pursuing work that you truly love. Shownotes for Episode 127 Stay in touch with Kat: Kat’s website Creative at Heart Talking Small Business with Kat Schmoyer and Megan Martin Read her blog Che...
2022-06-1342 minTalking Small Business#029: How to Find Your Zone of GeniusIf you're a part of the creative industry, you've probably heard the term "zone of genius" - and that's exactly what we're going to be talking about today! In our industry, it's common to hear your zone of genius come up when you discuss outsourcing or offers in your business... but what does that actually mean? So today, we're having candid conversation about what your zone of genius actually means as well as how to find it - and stay within it. We'll be sharing our stories on how we found our own zones of genius and how you...
2022-06-0622 minTalking Small Business#028: How to Practically Build a Value Ladder in Your BusinessDid you know value ladders are on of the most beneficial things you can build on the back end of your business? Today, we're talking about how to actually create a value ladder for your business (and a quick refresher about what one is!). In today's episode, we're diving into the how's, what's and where's of building a value ladder. Whether you're a product based business or a service based business, a value ladder will absolutely serve you well so let's get started on how to build one for your biz! What we’re discussing today:What...
2022-05-2330 minTalking Small Business#027: Prepping for Maternity LeaveSince Kat is expecting her third baby, we thought today was a good chance to discuss maternity leave as a business owner! Kat is in the hot seat, sharing about how exactly she prepares her business, her team, and herself to take a leave of absence for baby #3's arrival! Whether you're planning for your own maternity leave or just an extended sabbatical from your business, today's episode will provide some tips about how to prepare for your time off. Taking time off from your business is absolutely possible with some planning ahead and forward thinking, so let's dive...
2022-05-0926 minTalking Small Business#026: Facing Seasons of Burnout & Finding Joy in Your Business AgainToday we’re getting a bit personal on the podcast and we're talking about a topic that one of our listeners actually suggested: burnout in your business. When we received this message, it was definitely a gut punch to us both because that feeling is SO real. Whether you're three years into business or 10, burnout in business is no joke. Burnout as a business owner shows up in so many different ways. So, we wanted to sit down and have a really candid conversation about what burnout can look like and how to find joy in your business again. As...
2022-04-1827 minTalking Small Business#025: The Magic of a Value Ladder in Your BusinessToday, we're going to break down what a value ladder is and why it can be so magical for your business! To us, there's nothing more exciting than thinking through the strategy of value ladders and offers in our businesses. We love helping each other, our students, and our listeners to determine how to build a ladder well! A value ladder requires looking at your products and services then structuring them in a way that leads perfectly from one to the next. With that in mind, let's dive in! What we’re discussing today:What "value lad...
2022-04-0435 minTalking Small Business#024: The Truth About Launching: A Candid ConversationToday we're going to share about our experiences with launching different products, services, and offerings in our own business. There's always so many hopes and dreams wrapped up in a launch, so we hope that this conversation will help you create realistic expectations for your next business launch! We hope that your launch will be even more successful because of this - and that you'll come out on the other side in one piece! Tune into this week's episode to learn the truth about launching your next product!What we’re discussing today:How stressful launches ca...
2022-03-2130 minTalking Small Business#023: Course vs. Membership: which one should you choose?!Today, we’re talking all about what you should create as a small business owner: a course vs. a membership. As two digital product educators, this is a question that we get a lot. Our students want to know what kind of setup is best for their business, along with the types of products to create. While it's easy to look at a membership and the recurring revenue it provides, we want to break down some of the things to consider when deciding between these two digital products for your business. We'll be discussing the commitment level that both ta...
2022-03-0728 minTalking Small Business#022: Being an Enneagram 7 in a World of 3's: A Candid ConversationThis is a really fun episode and we're so excited to be sharing it with you! Today, we're talking about Enneagrams and business owners. So if you love the Enneagram like we do, you're going to love this week's episode! We've found that a lot of business owners are Type 3's. Now, not every business owner is, but it definitely seems like a lot of them are. However, Megan is a Type 7 (Kat's a Type 3!) and we thought it might be fun to dive into that a little bit more. So, today we're talking about how our personality types...
2022-02-2232 minTalking Small Business#021: Investing in Education in 2022Today, we’re chatting about investing in education as a small business owner. We both consider ourselves educators in the industry and we love and value education. But, we're also business owners who have spent our own hard earned money on education, too. In today's episode, we're going to be sharing our experiences, what kind of education we invested in and when. Together, we want to help you make smart decisions this year on where you’re going to spend your dollars to learn and grow and try something new in your business. Today we're talking about: How...
2022-02-0734 minTalking Small Business#020: How to Organize & Plan Your Year (2022 style!)Last week, Kat walked us through how to do an End of Year review for your business so you can end 2021 on the right foot. This week, she's back in the hot seat to share about how to plan 2022 in style! It's an exciting time for goal setting and prepping and we hope this episode gives you some great insight on yearly planning for small business owners. This process can be so fun (and not as overwhelming if you think!) if you go into it with a plan. What we’re discussing today:What annual planning lo...
2021-12-1318 minTalking Small Business#019: How to End Your Year Well: Doing an End of Year ReviewThis time of year means that a lot of people start to think about goals for the next year, which is amazing. But before you can really begin to plan your next year's goals, you need to close out the year that you're in. We're putting our planning queen, Kat, in the hot seat today as we discuss how to end your year well and do an end of year review. To plan goals that match your long-term plan, you have to sit down and determine what worked (and what didn't) in the current year! What we’re...
2021-12-0624 minTalking Small Business#018: How Megan Launched A Physical Product Shop: A Candid ConversationLast week, we talked about being a multi-passionate entrepreneur and Megan mentioned her daughters' new product shop, Reese and Renee, that she's been helping them launch. It's amazing - and just so incredible that they're doing this! But, since Megan is known for being the digital product queen, we thought it would be fun to put Megan in the hotseat (again!) to talk about launching a physical product shop! What we’re discussing today:Learn about Reese and Renee and their story What the backend of launching a shop with inventory is like A look at the...
2021-11-1524 minTalking Small Business#017: Marketing & Messaging for the Multi Passionate EntrepreneurBeing a multi-passionate business owner is an exciting journey. Both of us have multiple brands and businesses under us, multiple products and revenue streams - and we LOVE it. But, being a multi-passionate entrepreneur doesn't come without it's challenges. Megan is definitely our go-to marketing and messaging expert so today, we're picking her brain about marketing and messaging for the multi-passionate entrepreneur, which is one of the hardest things about what we both do. Join us! What we’re discussing today:How a shift towards organic marketing vs. referrals is changing how Megan approaches marketing The st...
2021-11-0828 minTalking Small Business#016: How to Come Up with An Idea for A Digital ProductToday's episode of Talking Small Business is for the business owners out there who want to make a digital product to sell - or maybe already have one out in the world. Megan has built her whole business on the idea of selling digital products, so we've put her in the hot seat yet again. We'll be picking her brain about how to build a digital product that you're passionate about, but that your customers will also want to purchase. Where do you generate ideas for digital products? Why looking inward should be your first step when creating a...
2021-11-0140 minTalking Small Business#015: Black Friday: Strategies for Your SaleIf you work and operate in the world of products - physical or digital - this episode is for you because we're talking about all things related to Black Friday sales! We're putting Megan in the hot seat to share about her experiences with Black Friday sales and her strategies so that you can start to plan ahead. This is one of the biggest sale days of the year - so many people in your audience are excited to see what you're going to offer, so we wanted to encourage you to take advantage of this amazing day. Today...
2021-10-2535 minTalking Small Business#014: Hiring a Biz Coach: A Candid ConversationToday, we're talking about all things related to hiring a business coach. As two women who have worked with business coaches and who offering coaching for our own students, we wanted to have a candid conversation about hiring a biz coach. We're talking about what it can really be like working with a coach, what expectations you should or might have, and whether or not you really need to hire one. So let's dive into this conversation and see where it goes! How to know if you need a course or a coach Why learning a specific skill m...
2021-10-1840 minTalking Small Business#013: Live Launch vs. Evergreen: Which is right for you?If you run your business in a digital space and you're thinking about launching a new product, today's podcast episode is for you! We're diving into what it means to launch and whether or not a live launch or evergreen launch will be right for your business. Both of us take a different approach to how we launch our products and while there's no right or wrong way to do anything in business, we're sharing how we think through our launch strategies. Let's dive in, because we've got so many thoughts to share with you! What we're d...
2021-10-1133 minTalking Small Business#012: Expectations on Motherhood & Business: A Candid ConversationToday, we wanted to talk about what it's really like running a business with babies at home. Because the fact of that matter is: business IS different when you're a mom. If you're listening and you're a mama like us, we want you to know that you are so welcome here and we're cheering you on. It isn't easy to wear all of the hats but it's always worth it. We hope this candid look into expectations on motherhood and business help you realize you're not alone... and you're doing amazing things. Understanding Megan's family + teamKat's family + team How...
2021-10-0426 minTalking Small Business#011: Breaking Down Barriers: Building a Digital Biz with Social Media BoundariesBuilding a digital business in 2021 (or in the digital age!) when you want to have boundaries around social media can be... complicated. Today, we're bringing you into our latest conversation about how exactly we can both grow our business and protect our lives outside of the apps we use every day. Building boundaries for our families and our mental health is a necessity, but it can feel really confusing when there's this expectation that as business owners, we need to be super present on social media to grow at all. Here's what we're discussing: What boundaries on social...
2021-09-2734 minTalking Small Business#010: BTS: Beta Testing Revenue RippleFor this week's episode, Megan is in the hot seat because she's sharing a little behind the scenes of beta testing her new offering, Revenue Ripple. Beta testing is a great way to test your products to a smaller audience, gather feedback, and prepare to share it with the masses. But, if you don't know what you're doing, it can feel overwhelming - like so many other things in business. Come take a listen to Megan's experience beta testing Revenue Ripple so you can be better prepared for your next launch! How Revenue Ripple was created Beta Testing 101: w...
2021-09-0643 minTalking Small Business#009: Breaking Down Barriers: The Woman Making MoneyThis week's episode is one we're really excited about having with you. From the start, we've wanted Talking Small Business to be these real conversations - the ones we have over Voxer every day - just with you involved. This topic of women making money and being the main financial contributor to their households is a bit taboo. But we're two women who have built businesses to the point that we are the financial backbone of our households - and our husbands can work at home with us, too. It's our hope that this episode will leave you feeling e...
2021-08-3042 minTalking Small Business#008: Should You Call Yourself an "Expert"? A Candid ConversationWe've got another great episode for you today all about when to call yourself an expert. There's so many people in our industry that say if you know 10% more than the people around you, then you're an expert and you should absolutely be able to teach them. You'll have to listen to our episode to learn exactly what we think... but we'll give you this little reminder: it all comes down to being honest and genuine with your audience. Inside this episode you'll hear:What we think the "10% rule" means Where calling yourself an expert can...
2021-08-2329 minTalking Small Business#007: BTS: Creative at Heart Round 10We're talking about something near and dear to Kat's heart today as we recap how Creative at Heart Round 10 went this year! If you're not familiar with Kat, she's the founder and host of the Creative at Heart conference each year. Recently, they just had their 10th round of the conference (since 2020 got pushed to 2021!). So, we thought it might be fun to talk about what it's really like hosting a conference, and how things changed because of the pandemic. If you've ever thought about hosting your own conference - or even just attending C@H, take a listen!
2021-08-1624 minTalking Small Business#006: How Niched Do You Need to Go: A Candid ConversationLast week, we shared our unpopular opinions about whether or not you should only sell one product... and so today, we thought we'd talk about another hot topic in the creative industry: do you need a niche? As business owners, we truly believe the riches are in the niches... but we also get that the journey to finding your niche isn't always super straightforward. And that's okay! Today, we're really breaking down our stories into finding our niches in our businesses - and how even that looks different between us. Come take a listen and let's talk about your...
2021-08-0927 minTalking Small Business#005: Should You Only Sell One Thing? A Candid ConversationToday, we're sharing a pretty unpopular opinion as we discuss whether or not you should only sell ONE thing to your audience as a small business owner. Although we'll admit this was a tough one to work through (Kat is a self-proclaimed people pleaser who knows this will rock some boats!), we hope it's life-giving to hear that you don't have to sell just one thing in your business - and when it might be good idea after all. We really get candid about our opinions on this one... you might be surprised by what you hear! ...
2021-08-0242 minTalking Small Business#004: The Small Biz Pivot: What it Really Looks Like2020 was the year of pivoting for small business owners. It really turned out to be a buzz word (and a necessity) for our creative industry as life as we knew it shut down completely. While pivoting feels scary, it isn't always a bad thing. Today on Talking Small Business, we're sharing all about what we've done over the last year especially, how we've made pivots in our business and a little more insight as to why you might want or need to pivot your business. On this episode of the Talking Small Business Podcast, we're chatting what...
2021-07-2641 minTalking Small Business#003: Quarterly Planning for Type B Biz OwnersEvery year, we hear thousands of conversations about goal setting - especially as a business owner. But, it's not often that we talk about what planning really looks like, especially when you're a Type B personality - and planning may not come so easily to you. On this episode of the Talking Small Business Podcast, we're talking about quarterly planning for small business owners - whether you're Type A or Type B - and how you can tackle chasing those goals in a manageable way without burning yourself out. You'll hear:Why to consider quarterly planning...
2021-07-1937 minTalking Small BusinessTalking Small Business: The TrailerThis is Talking Small Business with Kat Schmoyer & Megan Martin: a podcast for creatives who like to keep it real about what it actually takes to grow an online business. We’re competitors turned biz besties who chat daily… and now we’re bringing you into the conversation! Every Monday, we'll bring you candid conversations on topics specific to small business - topics like email marketing, social media, passive income, goal setting and more! We aim to provide actionable, heartfelt biz strategy, peppered with real-day-in-the-life discussions. We're open up our biz playbook and bringing YOU into the conversation, too. You in...
2021-07-0701 minTalking Small Business#001: Best Friends with the Competition, Our StoryKat and Megan have been business besties for over 5 years. After talking on Instagram and then meeting face-to-face at a conference for creatives, they quickly realized that there was something special about the friendship they were forming. Now, Kat and Megan talk (almost) every day (and their husbands laugh about it)! Their vox thread is filled with all things business, motherhood, and so much more! On this first episode of the Talking Small Business Podcast, they're diving into what it means to be best friends with the competition and how that's impacted their relationship. They talk about:
2021-07-0142 minTalking Small Business#002: How to Market Your Biz in 2021It's no secret that social media is changing. And after working through many waves of changes online (remember when Instagram feeds were all about posting 3x a day with the prettiest photo in the world? Yeah, we do too), we've learned a few things about how to focus on what matters most as a small business owner who has to market online. On this episode of the Talking Small Business Podcast, we're chatting about how to market your business in 2021. We dive into:How the social media landscape is changing for business owners A reminder to...
2021-07-0143 min