This episode is a response to a question that a listener asked me over on the question part of my website. You can find it and submit your own question at www.thepurposegathering.com/askashley!

Becky asked: What do you do during your CEO Day?

I’d also love for you to come answer this week’s Voxer question!

This week’s Voxer Question: What do you feel like is holding you back from consistently moving the needle forward in your business?

I’m super excited to share a list of things that I do during my personal CEO Day!

1. Reflect

I think this is something that a lot of people miss because we are just so ingrained as humans to move from one thing to the next to the next. We’re always looking ahead, and we are really struggling with staying in the present moment.

That’s something that I really like to do during my CEO time is to just start to celebrate. I want to celebrate my wins from the past week, I want to evaluate what’s working in my business, I want to think about what’s not working in my business.

I really want to reflect, and I want to be very introspective during this time. I also want to do a capacity check, and I want to make sure that I’m feeling good, energetically, emotionally, and physically.

I really think it’s important to check in regularly with what you need, and see what you want to maintain and what you need to change and where you might need support.

2. Track and Evaluate

Using Toggl has been a game changer for me when it comes to tracking my time.

When you start to track your time, you start to make better, more informed decisions.

You need to know what’s moving the needle forward in your business, and what moves the needle for me might not move the needle for you.

It really depends on your business structure. It depends on what type of photography that you do.

Yes, you can use some of the strategies that I’m about to share. But if it’s not working for you in that way, then you need to evaluate different things.

There are certain principles that work, but there are execution strategies that are different for each of us.

I give you these tips with the caveat that you really have to do the work yourself as the CEO to really understand where you’re spending your time, and if it is on the right things for you specifically.

Checking your conversion rates (number of bookings that you’re getting divided by your number of inquiries), figuring out where your leads are truly coming from specifically, and managing income and expenses are a huge part of what I do during my tracking and evaluating.

3. Planning Ahead

Because I’m regularly in the process of doing this when I go to write everything down. It’s not like I have a million things in my brain, because I actually do this regularly.

I use Asana for myself, and I organize my tasks and assign them to myself so they’re not just floating around in my head.

Revising your goals, deciding what support you need, like babysitters is a large part of this planning ahead portion as well.

Once you have those goals in place, you are going to create the action plan that goes along with each month so you know what you are expected to do.

For me specifically, I have a 2 hour CEO date every week, usually on a Saturday, sometimes a Sunday, if my husband works that Saturday. And then once a month, I do a 4 hour work block.

That work block is creating the action plan for next month. So I revisit all my goals, I’m looking at all of my upcoming tasks, I’m assigning due dates, and then I’m creating the action plan.

When you are streamlined and when you are organized, you have capacity to do these next strategic steps. Because if you’re not doing steps one through three, you’re not going to have the capacity or the brain space to do these next things.

Specifics To Focus on in Your CEO Day

1. Track and Follow Up With Your Leads

You need to have a way that you are keeping track of who has reached out to you and how you’re following up.

There are so many different strategies for this. There are things like Honey Book, Streak, and personally following up.

2. Networking with Complementary Vendors or Businesses who Service your Specific Ideal Client

If you can tap into someone else’s market and you can get to know somebody who also knows a lot of people and is very reputable in their business that is going to get you more qualified leads than if you just pop on social media three times a week and post a pretty picture.

I really believe that there is value in networking and getting your name out there.

Check out this episode on Relationship Marketing!

3. Having a Marketing Plan

What this marketing plan looks like is it’s knowing my income goals, and working backwards.

And it’s saying ‘what do I need to do in order to fill these specific openings?’ and you need to make sure that they’re checked-off-able tasks.

I do this very strategically and intentionally in my business. I point people to the coaching side of my business the most in my marketing strategy.

4. Streamlining Your Processes

Things such as nurturing my clients, inquiry calls, booking, invoicing, onboarding, client journey, editing, and all of the things that go into running a business.

If you can get those processes streamlined, that is going to be so absolutely crucial for you.

Because when you have more time to think, then you can focus on your marketing plan, you can focus on how you are converting your leads, you can focus on a better, more quality, client experience, you can invest in education, and you can hone your skill!

All of those things are things that we talk about in great detail inside of my coaching program, The Efficient Mom Photographer.

Resources:

1. Need support managing your time well and creating systems to streamline your Photography Business? Join the Efficient Mom Photographer (12 Week Group Coaching Program)
2. Message me on Voxer
3. Join the Waitlist for my Free Masterclass, The Profit Shift: 3 Strategies to Optimize Your Limited Time and Maximize Your Revenue as a Mom
4. Have a question for me? Or a specific struggle you’re dealing with? I’ll address your question on the podcast. Submit your ‘Ask Ashley’ question here
5. Looking for tips and strategies for making motherhood and business easier? Join Our Free Community – The Organized Mom Photographer
6. Local to Gilbert/Mesa Arizona (For Mom Business Owners) Join our in person membership community