Elizabeth, Author at Yellow Dog Consulting

Good Busy v Busy Busy

08.10.2016 by Elizabeth // Leave a Comment

When I’m out networking I ask people how they’re doing and often the response is “busy.” Which is a lame answer. So, I ask “good busy, or busy busy.” And I’ll get mixed responses. And it’s fun to watch people stop to think about it. Here’s what I’m asking:

Busy Busy

Busy-Busy is running all over town for appointments you know could be a 20 minute phone call. It’s wasting time networking at events where your target market will never show up. Busy Busy is not having systems in place. Busy Busy is finding the need to stay busy so you can say you’re busy, but none of it is producing new clients or helping you to grow your business.

Good Busy

Good Busy is what we want! You have a full workload, you might be volunteering, spending time with family, work/personal commitments, etc. When you’re “good busy” you have your priorities in check, you’re really focused on what’s moving your business (and life) forward because you’re BUSY.

Good busy is what we all strive for when we’re “busy,” and it’s hard to achieve. It can also mean there’s down time when you aren’t good busy. There are afternoons where I can be done working at 1 because I’m done with my to do list and I don’t need to keep myself busy. When I have that down time it shows me that I have room to grow my business. And that’s AWESOME. So I start to figure out what my schedule will allow (2 new newsletter clients? a large scale marketing project client?) Because I continue to attend networking events that are with my target market, and I have systems in place (my newsletter for example) to touch my network regularly I usually have a pretty healthy pipeline that I can review and work with.

The next time someone asks how you are doing, actually answer their question. And if the answer is “busy,” ask yourself – is it’s good busy or just busy busy?

Systems are Saving Me

08.03.2016 by Elizabeth // Leave a Comment

are your system in place? As I’ve mentioned in my newsletter and on the blog, client work is going great and keeping me busy lately! And I’m not feeling my usual overwhelm. Why? I have some great systems in place, including trying out some new stuff.

Here’s what I’m doing:

At the beginning of the month I created a list of every deliverable I promised clients by the end of the month. THEN I sent out an email to my clients (individually) and shared those deliverables with them and asked if there was anything else they were expecting or needed for the month. It kept us both on track and organized and on top of things.

This month, I haven’t sent the email to every client (some are just a monthly newsletter so we don’t need to), but I created the same list. And then I really went granular with each WEEK, and what needs to be accomplished each week. And you know what I discovered?

I should be able to take the last week of the month off. Yeah, #winning #blessed.

My biggest fear when I get busy is that I’m going to drop the ball on a project. I have good systems in place, but adding this checklist of EVERYTHING in one spot is really helping me to stay on my A game so that when a client called and wanted to start a new project, I knew I could. And when a prospect showed up out of no where, I was able to say yes on the spot without worry of when the work would get done.

How are your systems? Do you know what deliverables you have this month? Do you have a plan in place for it?

July Pop Culture Roundup

07.29.2016 by Elizabeth // Leave a Comment

norm in the kiddie pool Summer is the time of year when I tend to binge watch something on Netflix or sit outside and read. I love the summer. Norm’s loving all the backyard time, we even blew up the inflatable pool for him the other night! July has been a great pop culture month, and I have a full DVR and book stack to prove it. Here’s a few things I’m enjoying this month!

Reading

I’m still reading The City of Mirrors, and still loving it! It’s a big book, although not as long as The Passage (the first of the trilogy) and we’ve had a busy summer where I haven’t had as much sit down and read uninterrupted time lately. Puppy’s will do that.

My birthday was last week and as usual I got a few new books to add to the mix!

Before the Fall by Noah Hawley is a book I can’t wait to read. Hawley created the Fargo adaptation on FX which is a top 5 favorite TV show for me, I’m excited to read his book.

I also got Thug Kitchen Party Grub – the original is easily my favorite cookbook to read. It’s exactly how my brother and I would write recipes to each other.

Speaking of which, I finally got a copy of Chrissy Teigan’s cookbook Cravings – it’s also hilarious and an excellent read – I can’t wait to dive into it.

And, because of course I did, I got The Comic Book Story of Beer, sounds like a perfect book to read on the patio with a cold one.

Watching

Mr Robot. I mean, do I need to say more? Okay sure – I love this show and am so excited it’s back. I can’t wait to find out where the heck Tyrell is – but Dom discovering so easily “where” F Society is, was pretty great at the end of last weeks episode. I don’t know how people stay up and watch it at 10 on a weeknight, I have to watch it early in the evening/late afternoon when I’m alert and focused – there’s so much detail!

Jane the Virgin – I had heard great things about this show and it’s been my summer Netflix binge. It’s very funny and clever and is currently filling the Gilmore Girls sized hole in my heart. Hurry up November 25th!

UNReal – well this season is not as good as last…WOW. I had so much hope for the show based on Season 1, but wow is it doing its best to disappoint…If you haven’t watched it check out Season 1, and if your DVR is full, it’s OK to skip S2…

I’ve been watching a bit of the conventions and a lot of late night TV recaps. I can’t get enough of Seth Meyers, and Stephen Colbert is on fire!

On the DVR but not yet watched: Preacher (I finally watched the pilot the other day – gonna give it another episode to make a call), The Night Of, Orphan Black (yes, I disappoint myself, don’t worry), and The Jim Gaffigan Show (which is very funny and you can watch it with parents/kids/grandparents – super SFW).

On the Netflix Queue – Stranger Things (I know!), Daredevil S2 (yeah, I got behind on this one, crap! – but holy Luke Cage and Defenders teaser!) Maybe Bloodline S2…

Listening

I can’t stop listening to Keepin it 1600, they are on fire for the conventions and I’m loving it!

You can hear my voice on the July 14th episode of the Turn Knowledge to Profit podcast, and on the July 8th episode of the Know Like and Trust Show podcast! It’s okay to miss my voice, I miss yours too!

I started listening to Beervana’s podcast – he’s a local beer guy, wrote a book and has a podcast all about beer. I like that they have a news segment at the beginning of episodes, and their Oregon Beerfest episode has helped me figure out what I’ll be drinking…July is awesome.

So, what have your pop culture obsessions been lately? Share them in the comments!