Franklin Taggart's Blog

I recently had the pleasure and honor of being interviewed by coach Kc Rossi, someone I admire and am glad to call my friend. She is the host of Women Developing Brilliance - The Spirit of Business Podcast. I was doubly thrilled to be celebrating her 200th podcast episode, no small feat that is the combination of several years of commitment and work. Thanks, Kc, for the opportunity and for all the goodness you bring into the world! Here's what Kc said about this episode in her intro: Join me in celebrating the 200th episode of the Women Developing Brilliance® — The Spirit of Business podcast!  I’ve had incredible guests on the show from all over the world sharing their wisdom and today is no different. Franklin Taggart provides deep insights from an introvert’s personal journey.  In this Women Developing Brilliance® — The Spirit of Business episode, you will learn: 🎵 A secret perspective that can help make you an uncommon coach 🎵 Why you sit on your gold and what to do about it

 This week, I'll take a break from the regular Coffee Break programming to introduce you to each of the presenters at an online masterclass I'll be participating in next Thursday, August 25th.  The event is What's Your Next Step: A Choose Your Own Adventure Business Masterclass. It's a 90-minute class where you'll identify the area you need to work on most and then work with one of seven coaches on the area you've identified.  The guest I'll introduce today is LeAndra Foster, a business and profitability coach. In the masterclass, she'll be talking about building your profit. Here she tells us about two common obstacles between small businesses and profitability. Here are some more details about the masterclass. See you there! If you've ever wished that your business came with an Owner's Manual, or recipe book,  or something with step-by-step instructions... You've got to check out What's Your Next Step? https://bit.ly/NextStepMasterclass

There's a pervasive belief that certain skills are inborn, innate talents and don't require any kind of learning or practice. Another belief suggests that new skills shouldn't take time to be mastered and that they should be easily adapted and integrated. Life doesn't work that way. If you're learning to play the guitar, you'll spend hour after hour, day after day, week after week, and year after year learning and mastering the craft. The same goes for your business. YOu will have to learn how to plan, how to market, how to sell, and how to serve. Those aren't second nature until they've been mastered, and mastery doesn't happen overnight. I still have one guitar student, and I'm not currently taking on any more, thanks. This one guitar student is diligent in practicing, and she makes steady progress. When she masters a song, she doesn't stop playing it. It becomes a part of her repertoire, and she needs to continue playing it, so she doesn&#

I have a special empathy for people intimidated and even terrified by marketing. I've been there, and I know how big, overwhelming, and scary it can feel, especially for new business owners who know how much is riding on it. In this Coffee Break, I gained a few insights from observing a couple of different people in the music world. One felt they had to be marketing constantly, showing up everywhere, all the time. Interestingly, the results weren't any better than the next person, who spent most of their time nurturing her relationships with existing fans and equipping them to bring more people into her audience.  The second person described above consistently had full rooms and happy fans. The first one spent most of her time finding new people to invite and didn't have the consistency that the second did. Another thing I observed was that a few musicians in my circle were masters at creating memorable and valuable experiences with their fans. These were the ones who showe

▼Watch and Listen Below!▼ Thought Leader is one of the most popular marketing, business, and entrepreneurship buzzwords of recent years. In this episode, we pause to think about what it really means, learn the historical background of the term, and investigate how its use has changed. We wonder out loud if a person can declare themselves a thought leader, identify people who may or may not be thought leaders, and shift into talking about how we can become better and deeper thinkers. Audrey Holst is a coach, consultant, and the founder of Fortitude and Flow, which serves individuals and organizations who are challenged by the habit of perfectionism. Find her at https://fortitudeandflow.com or on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/audrey-holst/ Erica Holthausen teaches coaches, consultants, and other experts how to get their professional articles published by the publications their audiences read. Find Erica at https://catchlinecommunications.com or on LinkedIn at https://www.link

  Sometimes solopreneurs find job opportunities appealing enough to take some of their time and energy away from their businesses in favor of the job. Recently, I had a person ask if taking a job meant that they weren't committed enough to their business and should close it down. My answer has more questions than resolutions. I want to know more. Are they ready to be done with their business? Do they need the steady income and regular structure the job provides? Have they been considering closing their business? Do they need to hire help or add partners? Unless you want one, there isn't a straightforward yes or no answer to this. Then my answer is yes. I also want to highlight that every business has a lifecycle; sometimes you reach the end and have decisions to make. Does the business model need to change? Is there another value that can be developed for the market you serve? Again, no direct or easy answers. I have more to say in the Coffee Break, but I also want to add that

After getting ghosted on a copywriting job I was hired for by a colleague, I have some things to say about the professional treatment and attitudes you need when you work with creative contractors. It shouldn't amaze me anymore to see just how little creative talents and professions are valued in the marketplace. Anyone who has ever mastered a craft seen as artistic or creative is not treated with the same level of professional respect as a janitor. We're routinely asked to undervalue our work and accept prices that don't cover basic costs. We're asked to deliver perfection on the first try. We're asked to work under ridiculously short timelines. And then when the client doesn't apparently like what we're doing, they don't even give us the courtesy of a phone call? Sorry to say that this doesn't speak well of their business practices, and it makes me wonder how they treat their clients. I'll be slow to refer anyone to these people; before this, I

Or rather, don't pay attention to my ten-year-old blog site, last-minute copy on my sales page, and disdainful approach to social media.  For my clients, the work is easier. I can see it objectively, find the gaps, fill them in, and we're golden. They get great results, and we're all happy. Behind the curtain, a guy throws spaghetti on the wall, lets it all fall to the floor, and doesn't clean up after himself. It's all too much! Yet another shoemaker whose family has no shoes, here I am, and my marketing is a pile of steamy. But my clients are rocking! I'm lucky to have customers who are so happy with what we've accomplished that they send people to me directly. Otherwise, I'd have no business based on my own marketing. Part of it is that I'm too close to it to be objective. Second of all, I'm not depending on the website or social media activity for business right now. And finally, there are so many other ways I'd rather spend my time than

I've had a couple of hard days. Feeling emotions that are bigger than their trigger. Feeling clueless and unfocused as I try to show up for my work. And aware of a sense of loss that has been affirmed by a few recent dreams of loved ones who've passed in the last few years. I don't fight these days, feelings or movements. They're just as important as the positive feeling days. The reflections and insights that come through on days like this couldn't come through on days when my energy is high, my clarity and focus allow me to get things done, so there is a silver lining. I'm not worried about days like this because they always pass. Sometimes they happen ahead of important breakthroughs, or they are a way to prepare me for opportunities I otherwise would not be willing or able to consider. My encouragement to you is to just find your way through them with as much grace as you can muster. These times are not avoidable, nor are they shameful. They are just a part

Creators are frequently asked to contribute their talents to events, promotions, and venues, and instead of being paid for their time, talent, and craft, they are asked to pay to participate. This has been going on in the music world for years.  At some point, venue owners realized there were enough musicians who were desperate for exposure out there that instead of paying for musical performances, they would ask the musicians to pay to play. In this video, I share my point of view on what is wrong with that picture. I am begging at this point for people who host venues, events, and promotions to stop this practice. You need to work out compensation for creators into your business model. Your short-term gains are leading to the demise of your cash cow industry, and you won't be able to sustain your business with this practice in the long term either. And if you are a creator, please stop offering your time, talent, and craft to people at a cost to you that will never be compensated

▼Watch and Listen Below!▼ Back in February, I made a book recommendation video for a book I had just read called Quiet Marketing: A Calm, Minimal Approach to Business and Online Visibility for Highly Sensitive Solopreneurs (Amazon Associate link: https://amzn.to/3oMCxES ) This short book is packed with essential insights, principles, and practices for highly sensitive and intuitive people who have found their way into business ownership. I'm delighted today to introduce you to the author of Quiet Marketing, Danielle Gardner. In addition to being an author, Danielle is a business mentor and tiny course creator. Her work with clients is centered around taking a calm, minimal approach to business and online visibility that is especially suited to Highly Sensitive solopreneurs.   In today's conversation, we hear about: Dani's career evolution from leaving the perks and paychecks of the corporate world to pursuing work more aligned with her gifts. Creating your own definition of

A few years ago, I was introduced to Susan Cain's first book, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking , and was deeply affected by what she had written. She was describing my repeated experience in such accurate detail that I wondered if she'd been able to do a Google search of my thought banks. Turns out I'm just not as unique as I thought I was. My book group of two that I have enjoyed participating in for the past year has been reading Susan Cain's latest book, Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole, and I'm having a stark sense of deja vu. She is putting my internal world on paper for the whole world to see. I've had a streak of melancholy as a feature of my existence since I was very young. I don't remember a time in my life when it wasn't nearby. It was never based on my circumstances; it was almost as if it was central to my worldview. And longing too has been a companion. I think this book will be an affir

You may have heard the old sales trope about people don't buy the drill; they buy the hole. I take that even further and suggest that people buy the enhancement to their life from the painting hung on the hook held by the screw in the wall that was put into the hole drilled by the drill. For the creators I work with who struggle with their pricing, I like to say that your price isn't for the object; it's for the desired experience. People buy things because of the experience of life they desire. And often, they're inspired to buy when certain experiences are suggested. When I learned this for myself, playing gigs became less an exchange of attention for money, and they became a more holistic offer - the music was a part of the enhanced experience of being together and enjoying an evening out. As I started to approach gigs that way, I started to make more money both in the pay for the gig and in tips. Tips skyrocketed. This doesn't just apply in artistic circumstance

I was referred to a coach early in my music career who had helped another musician friend of mine get her business started. When I hired her I found that most of the business things she was teaching were already things I knew, but the area where I really needed help was marketing. The marketing advice she gave me was great for coaches but not so much for musicians. I ended up finding some people who were ahead of me in their musical success and learning from them how to do marketing. And as I learned, I became a resource for those who were getting started after me. When my music career was disrupted and coaching became my main stream, the first people who sought my help were these musicians, the ones who were just getting started and had no clue.  If you're trying to find people to help, look for those who are a step or two behind you in the path you're on and see if there is an opportunity there for you. You are uniquely qualified in both knowledge and experience to help them.

Don't make making money harder than it has to be. There are opportunities all around you. If your fancy automated marketing funnel isn't working yet and you need cash, find someone to help and charge them for it. Know how to design a logo? Visit some websites until you find someone who needs a logo, and then be bold about telling them they need to hire you. Do you know how to make an animated intro for a video? Find someone on YouTube who doesn't have one yet, and tell them you'll make one for them today for $250. Know someone on your block whose yard needs to be raked? Knock on the door, remind them about the HOA rules, and tell them you'll have it done by lunchtime. If you need money, stop waiting for it to find you, and go out and help someone, then charge them for it. Don't make it any more difficult than that.  You have time to tweak your funnel until it's humming like an Indy car, but don't allow desperation to screw everything up for you. #funnel

Today my being came to an almost full stop. Despite the list of things I wanted to accomplish and the regular things I would do on a Sunday, today was a day made for silence. Not just quiet - silence. There is a depth of silence that isn't always easy to reach, but it's always here, and it is the silence that restores, replenishes, and nourishes. It doesn't manifest as more energy but rather as deep peace and calm. I've had recent conversations with a couple of people who need a full reset, but it's nearly impossible for them to stop long enough for it to happen. It's almost as if they are frightened they'll be unable to return to their normal hustle and bustle if they allow themselves even a few hours of this nourishment. Some of the most well-known spiritual masters invite people to stop. Today I understand why. #silence #mindset #reset  

 I've loved ZZ Top's music since I bought the 8-Track tape of their Fandango album when I was a freshman in high school. I even loved them when they added the fake drums and synthesizers. Last year, when Dusty Hill died, I felt like I'd lost a personal best friend. So I've watched the Netflix documentary, ZZ Top: Just a Little Ol' Band From Texas, three and a half times, and I'll finish the fourth tonight. One of the things they talked about in the film was their first gig. This part of the story has stuck with me because it's one thing I have in common with them - I had a first gig, too. And my first gig had the same number of attendees - one. They bought the guy at their show a coke when they took a break so he'd stay for the second half.  Sometimes, our first run at something gets a minimal response even with our best marketing efforts. It's easy to get discouraged when this happens, but it isn't a commentary on the work you're doing or ha

 ▼ Watch and Listen Below! ▼ For coaches, consultants, and other experts, reaching new audiences with your messages, experience, and offers is one of the biggest business challenges. You'll be given a litany of options that will include blogging, YouTube, social media strategy, public speaking, podcasting, and whatever marketing soup of the day everyone is raving about. Erica Holthausen has a better idea. Share your expertise with the masses by publishing articles in major publications like Inc. Magazine, Entrepreneur, and professional journals. The digital realm has opened many doors for experts to share their writing that weren't available even a few years ago. Erica's coaching programs help professionals plan, write, pitch, and place their articles in publications that will expose thousands of new people to their work. From here, you'll want to join her for her free Q and A session, Pitched to Published here: https://www.catchlinecommunications.com/p2p.html While you

Many years ago, a good friend of mine spent over five thousand dollars on a digital recording system featuring ProTools's latest and greatest technology. My friend had never had any experience with digital recording, although he'd had decades of experience with analog. His sole reason for purchasing the system he did was that the salesman told him it was the industry standard, which was a true statement. He set out to learn how to use his new system and ran into obstacle after obstacle. Months after purchasing it, he had yet to have recorded even a few seconds of audio. He was beyond frustrated. Yes, this system was industry standard, but it was intended to be used by professional level technicians, not novices. He never was able to make the system work. We need to treat claims of industry standard with an eye of caution and suspicion as DIY entrepreneurs. Just because professionals within an industry can make something work doesn't mean it's your best option as a new u

I had a realization the last few days that doesn't come as much of a surprise, but it is liberating to finally see. Several people wondered why I had a small mailing list after being perceived as a marketing expert. It felt good to finally articulate that I don't really want to be found, and I don't think I'm the expert that others see. I do love marketing because it's the most human thing about business, but I still don't believe that there is an honest-to-God marketing expert anywhere in the world. It's too fluid to be mastered. All that said, when I saw and admitted that at the root of it all I don't want to be discovered, located, found, or noticed, I breathed a huge sigh of relief at having made the statement.  Visibility may or may not have helped my situation. At some point, people did find out about me, but more often than not, I found them first. If I meet someone and discover I can help them, I will be relentless in my pursuit. But I don't

This morning started out with a thud. Listen for more details. I love walking my dog. I think he knew he was about to go to the groomer, so he tried to throw a kink in the works. I had her cut his hair extra short this time. I am OK, but I've had a lot on my mind since then.  Circumstances happen quickly, but our lasting experiences don't appear to be caused by the events themselves but rather by the thinking afterward. I've had a hundred different experiences of the same event today, but the event only really happened once. #impagination #mindset #reality