How to Scale Your Wedding Business with Hannah Bjorndal Hannah Bjorndal

OVERVIEW
You might not know this, but it was never my dream growing up to be an entrepreneur or small business owner. It also wasn’t my dream to be a photographer. Owning a small business has been an adventure more exciting and fulfilling than I ever could have dreamed!

On this week's episode, I'm sharing 5 things this year that I'm thankful for in owning my business. I hope this episode encourages you to be thankful for the elements of your business that bring you joy and fulfillment - because for me, gratitude is an essential part of feeling fulfilled within my own work. I hope it can be that for you, too.

FREE GUIDEBOOK: The 10 Pitfalls of Growing a Creative Team

OVERVIEW
This episode focuses on my top insights on how to protect your business, plan for the future, and handle unexpected events, especially if you're a one-person team.

As small business owners, time and resources are often sparse. Without a reliable team, stepping back from your business could lead to a significant loss of income and potentially tarnish your brand's reputation. This reality comes to life as we discuss the personal anecdote of a photographer who unexpectedly fell pregnant during a busy season. We dive into the repercussions of this incident and how it impacted her brand's reputation. Real-life stories like these highlight the importance of creating a supportive business structure for women looking to start families while maintaining their careers.

Finally, we turn the spotlight on the benefits and downfalls of being a solo business owner. How do you ensure your business thrives when you're steering the ship alone? We answer this by exploring practical steps and sharing resources to help build the right team for your business. Whether you're contemplating maternity leave, or just pondering ways to safeguard your business for the future, this episode promises to equip you with the right tools to build a secure and stable business. Tune in and fortify your business strategy.

RESOURCES:
BELAY: my top recommendation for virtual assistants
Schedule a call with Anna and mention Hannah Bjorndal for $300 off the implementation fee
Vision Casting Workbook: Download for Free
SIGN UP NOW: Dream Team Accelerator Waitlist
Join the Insiders Group: Team Building for Creative Entrepreneurs

FREE GUIDEBOOK: The 10 Pitfalls of Growing a Creative Team

Description
Ever feel like there's just not enough hours in the day to get everything done? You're not alone! This episode is all about my personal journey of overcoming that feeling of overwhelm by hiring a virtual assistant (VA). I know the idea of hiring a VA can be daunting, but getting started is actually so much easier than you might think.

Let's face it - emails are the bane of our existence! But what if I told you there's an efficient way to manage them with the help of your VA? Yes, it's possible! We get into the nitty-gritty of creating an effective email management system for your VA, including how to train them to respond to your emails and keep your inbox organized. We even discuss the types of emails you can immediately delegate, so you can start reclaiming your time.

We also discuss how better time management and creating an ideal work week can significantly boost your productivity. Incorporating this system has been a game changer for my productivity and overall well-being. So, let's dive in and get you back in control of your time!

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
BELAY: my top recommendation for virtual assistants
Schedule a call with Anna and mention Hannah Bjorndal for $300 off the implementation fee
Episode 82: Exactly How I Organize My Inbox to Save Hours of Time Each Week

OTHER RESOURCES
Vision Casting Workbook: Download for Free
SIGN UP NOW: Dream Team Accelerator Waitlist
Join the Insiders Group: Team Building for Creative Entrepreneurs

FREE GUIDEBOOK: The 10 Pitfalls of Growing a Creative Team

OVERVIEW
We only have so many hours in a day, and one of the most important things we can do for our businesses and our lives is decide to use those hours wisely. That's the theme behind what we’re talking about today: working smarter, not harder.

This the final week of the 5-part series I’ve been sharing with you on how I doubled my annual revenue in 2 years. If you haven't already listened to the previous 4 episodes, check those out first!

Here they are:
Step 1: Prioritize Working “On” Not “In” the Business
Step 2: Get Clear on the Long-Term Plan
Step 3: Hire the Right People
Step 4: Know When to Pivot

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
When by Daniel Pink
Episode 18: 5 Stats You Need to Start Measuring TODAY to Grow Your Business

OTHER RESOURCES
Vision Casting Workbook: Download for Free
SIGN UP NOW: Dream Team Accelerator Waitlist
Join the Insiders Group: Team Building for Creative Entrepreneurs

FREE GUIDEBOOK: The 10 Pitfalls of Growing a Creative Team

OVERVIEW
When was the last time something did not go according to plan with your business? You had a plan or an idea of what you were hoping for or working towards, and then something happened - many times, something that was totally out of your control, and the plans were ruined?

Have you had to do this before? If you’ve been in business a while, I know this has happened to you. It happens to everyone!

For me (and probably you, too!), 2020 started out as a year of ruined or cancelled plans for our businesses. 2020 was supposed to be the year of really putting my team members “on the map” - I wanted to build them up as a part of my brand, increase their influence in the wedding industry, and ensure that their portfolios were gorgeous and full by the end of the year. They had both been shooting as lead photographers for less than a year with me, so this was a huge priority. And with the weddings they had booked, we were all super excited to dig in and make it happen.

But when the pandemic hit and the majority of our 2020 clients either rescheduled or majorly scaled down their weddings, the plan was pushed back. I spent a few weeks stuck in my overly optimistic mindset. However, by the beginning of April, I had a choice to make: was I going to keep living in the dreamworld of “this will pass soon” or did I get real, get serious, and make a plan for how we were going to weather the storm

Thankfully, I chose the latter, and I'm sharing exactly how that impacted my business on today's episode!

RESOURCES
Vision Casting Workbook: Download for Free
SIGN UP NOW: Dream Team Accelerator Waitlist
Join the Insiders Group: Team Building for Creative Entrepreneurs

FREE GUIDEBOOK: The 10 Pitfalls of Growing a Creative Team

RESOURCES
Vision Casting Workbook: Download for Free
SIGN UP NOW: Dream Team Accelerator Waitlist
Join the Insiders Group: Team Building for Creative Entrepreneurs

OVERVIEW
In this episode, I share why hiring the right people led to rapid growth for my company. This is week 3 in a 5 part series about how I doubled my income in 2 years.

First, I'm sharing how hiring, in general, was the right choice for me and allowed me to grow really rapidly (and also be sustained during the craziness of the Pandemic). After that, I'm sharing the importance of the right people - finding people who fit and actually allow that growth to happen.
Listen to learn about how both impacted my business!