I feel like this week has flashed by in a haze of coffee fumes and endless (literally, ENDLESS) emails panicking about impending GDPR doom.

Saying that it might be time for us all to chill and take a breath away from our computer screens would be a colossal understatement…

But before you unplug (and pour the wine), here’s this week’s stash of brainboosters.

Never (ever) violate Girl Code

Last weekend I sat in my lovely, sunny garden and read Girl Code by Cara Alwill Leyba in one sitting. I could write you a crazy in-depth review (because GOD is that a quotable book) but I’m not going to. I’m just going to recommend you read it.

Girl Code is nothing about staying away from someone else’s boyfriend, as you might expect, and everything to with empowering yourself and any other woman striving to succeed.

Because, believe it or not, there is enough epic life to go round.

Being yourself online actually *doesn’t* come easy

When I first start doing the new client dance, more often than not we’ll end up talking about how I show up online (and how they would never be able to find it so easy to expose themselves online).

But let me tell you, this whole “naturally sassy” thing has been a long and winding evolution. There have been times when I’ve had NO voice and NO confidence. You just don’t see that because you’re seeing me now. This isn’t a “pity me” party, this is simply evidence that you too can create a personality-fuelled online presence. So no more excuses, m’kay?

I talk more about this here (+ you get a taster of my latest batch of pro photos):

“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” – Dr Seuss 💮 My whole “thing” is about helping other entrepreneurial types stand out online… not by following the good girl marketing rules, but by harnessing that signature sangria mix that makes them THEM. 💮 When I first start talking to a would be client, the first thing that tends to come up is bottling that online personality. I hear things like “oh but it’s so EASY for you”. IS IT? 💮 Let me shine a little light on that wishful thinking of yours… nobody *naturally* has the confidence to put their entire personality out there on the internet for others to judge, without a helluva lot of inner work. 💮 Once upon a time, I couldn’t even answer a question in front of my class. I’d open my mouth and nothing would come out. The thought of answering the phone at work made me shake. Fast forward a little while and I couldn’t bring myself to have my name anywhere on my blog, or start an Instagram account, or let ANY of my “real life” acquaintances know about my business. 💮 But after consistent showing up, consistent pushing myself out of the box and a consistent effort to be honest (and vocal) about every little bit… look where we are. 💮 That’s the lesson here – being seen online is effort for everyone, so don’t dismiss what others do. Chances are they’ve had a long and winding road too. 💮 P.S. THE NEW PHOTOS ARE HERE. Bloopers and all 🤣 💮 💮 💮 #contentarsenal #languagearsenal #yourbizyourrules #selfemployed #visibilitymatters #standoutonline #contentmarketing #personalbranding #brillianceignition #daretogrow #smallbizowner #bloggersunite #blowuptheblueprint #defineyourhustle #instagramtips #instagramready #digitalcontent #marketingwithheart

A post shared by Daire Paddy #digitalcontent (@dairecharlotte) on May 23, 2018 at 2:39am PDT

Are you afraid to repeat yourself?

I know when you’re operating online there’s often this apparent pressure to keep churning out shiny new stuff, hour after hour, day after day.

I don’t mean to rock your world or anything, but you can recycle some of that stuff you’ve already brought into the world.

One of two things will happen:

1. People won’t notice and will just enjoy this piece of new-to-them content.
2. People will notice and you’ll realise you’re actually creating some memorable shit. #egoboost

Read more: Afraid to repeat yourself? Take a tip from every dumb ’80s sitcom.

Will I ever learn to love LinkedIn?

Last night, I recorded an interview with the Lady of Linkedin herself, Helen Pritchard (which will drop in a couple of weeks so keep your eyes out for that).

I’ve actually been swanning around recently telling everyone who will listen that I’m sacking off my LinkedIn account, but after the chat we had, I’m feeling inspired to take another look.

I’ve signed up for Helen’s bootcamp on the topic (because we get £200 off with the minisale voucher code and Mama loves a bargain) and I’m giving myself the month of June to dive in and have a go before I do anything drastic.

Care to join me? Find it here.

Be fierce with the follow-up

Let me give you a taster of what whirls around my brain every time I have to follow up with someone:

Do I have to do this? I know I have to do this. God, this feels horrible. We all know they’re not going to hire me. It’s like I’m asking for a pre-sacking. Why can’t people just say no straight away? It’s clearly because they hate me and want to see me suffer. I’m just making it awkward for everyone by asking… and that’ll make them hate me EVEN MORE. We will never recover our imaginary friendship if I force them to reject me like this. Am I really going to do this?

*Follows up*

Oh. I’m hired.

Moral of the story: pretty much everyone hates to follow up but that’s you, y’know, win work. And make money. Which is kind of the point of this online business malarkey.

You don’t need some super formal process, but here’s what I do:

1. Once I’ve responded to an initial enquiry, I drag it into the “pending” email folder.
2. I set a calendar reminder for once a month, to prompt me to go through that folder and do the follow-up, using a variation of this template:

Hey [name]

How’s it going? I’m still reeling from this week’s episode of The Bachelor but I wanted to check in with you anyhow.

I know [however long ago] we were chatting about [whatever the project is] – is this still something you’re looking for?

If you’ve got any questions about how any of this would work, hit reply to this email and we’ll chat.

Talk to you soon,

Daire xo

Simples.

A reminder for when you feel like you aren’t making an impact…

Read this article by the lovely Sarah Morgan. It just hits the nail on the head.

5 days of Instagram inspiration in literal seconds

This week, I shared and Instagram Story covering 5 dynamic posts for you to publish each day. Posts that you can whip out week after week, so that you’re consistently pushing out creative content (a.k.a. the goal).

Check out the highlight here.

Has something given your brain (or business) a boost this week? Share it below 👇

About Daire

Daire Paddy | Life Coach + Witchy Business Strategist | Breathwork + Energy Healer | Host of Your Biz, Your Rules | Creator of MANY life-changing coaching programmes