Ever wish you could skip over the understanding of your business finances? Does all the business nitty gritty feel like a Debbie Downer? Talking about money feels gross, you just want to create!

In this Podcast Feature with Beth Kirby of Raw Milk, we’re talking all things business and finance and how understanding your business finances can be easier than you think (and key to keep you creating longer!) Plus, I’m sharing updates on my social media free experiment and how to succeed with marketing sans the highlight reel and comparison game. It’s a good one!

Raw Milk Podcast Feature

Why I teach about money in an industry that tends to avoid the conversation

In October of last year, a friend of mine sent me an old-school, text-style screenshot of an Instagram Post by LOCAL MILK.

“WHAT?!!!!!!”

Local Milk, with her 700k+ Instagram followers posted, about me?!

So you may be thinking, “Why didn’t you see the post Shanna?”

Oh right.

So as of October 2017, I was a good six months into my Social Media Free Experiment. I was OFF THE GRID, ya’ll. Literally! I was pretty disconnected from the world, and I’m not gonna lie,  feeling pretty lonely! !

This little unexpected gift meant the world to me.

So I reached out to Beth and told her so.

Side Note: If there is someone you’d like to meet in the business world, here’s a personal service announcement: The days of “taking you to coffee” are probably few and far between. My friend Ashlyn talks about this really well in her post “How I Deal (And Don’t Deal) With Coffee Dates.” I know as much as I’d like to chat with new friends, my availability just isn’t there. The way I’ve had success in these situations is to show that person you actually follow their work, and you are actually a fan! And of course, be humble! I think those little tidbits played a huge part in getting Erin Loechner to speak at our 2018 Blueprint Summit! I literally cried when she said yes!

Okay, back to the story. Beth wrote back to my email within two hours! I couldn’t believe it! She said she’d been following me for a while (along with some other really kind words). A few email exchanges later, and we were grabbing coffee to seal our new business bestie bond.

Beth shared so much about the real behind the highlight reel with her own social media journey. Spoiler alert: She’s launching her own Instagram course! But not just your average “grow your followers, yada yada,” kind of course. She’s going beyond just building a following and sharing how to actually use that following to grow your business (and make money!). It may come as a surprise but, despite what the highlight reel wants you to believe,  followers don’t always equal income!

Beth launched a new business podcast this year, Raw Milk, and I was so honored when she asked me to be a guest. Because A) It’s Beth! Total girl crush! And B) She has an all-star lineup already like Marte Marie Forsberg and Elizabeth Suzann, two women I have followed and admired for quite a while.

Related – This article by Elizabeth Suzann on pricing is EVERYTHING! It gives so much purpose to my work and my WHY for each of you!

So let’s get to it!

This episode is super special to me because it’s the first time I’ve really shared about my social media free experiment, what I’ve learned, and how I’m going about marketing differently these days! It’s SOOOO good! (Don’t tell the others, but it’s possibly my favorite!) If that gets you curious, tune into Episode 10 Raw Milk Podcast: Business & Finance for Creative Entrepreneurs. We drop some pretty good content like:

• What does creative & business really look like and how to do both/and well.
• How to take the ugly out of making money with your art/craft.
• How to reframe your thoughts about money.
• How to do your best work & how finances play a big part in this.

A few highlights include :

• Our only resource isn’t money. Time is currency too! (15:00)
• Defining enough for yourself and how to overcome comparison (17:30)
• Why we’ve been conditioned by saturation and what it really is like when things get quiet (21:00)
• A better way to marketing | Building your marketing sundae (25:30)
• So what does Shanna really do? And why is the Blueprint Model the answer to your business prayers?!  (29:30)
• Moving from a one-to-one model to a one-to-many model (36:00)
• What no one ever taught me about becoming successful & finding contentment on where you are now (41:00)
• Overcoming THE common struggle among creatives — SALES! (45:45)
• And my favorite part? Where you get to know real Beth & Shanna! (51:00)

The resources mentioned include :

• My Social Media Free Experiment
• “Pricing for Creatives” with If I Made
• The Blueprint Model
• Elizabeth Suzann Pricing Post
• Blueprint at Home

As you heard me mention in this interview, I’ve been super convicted about the idea of sales and the common struggle we all have talking about money! That’s why I put together a new class and I’m so pumped about called, “The Art of the Sale | How to Perfect the Perfect Sales Process”.

The art of the sale | Book more ideal clients without feeling like a sleezy salesperson