Embracing a Growth Mindset and the 4 Keys Unlock Your Personal and Professional Development

Last year, I had an incredible opportunity to talk about Soul Care and Mindset for Entrepreneurs at the AMSE Conference. One of my favorite topics to speak about is Soul Care for Entrepreneurs and how to conquer our daily giants. One critical mindset shift I found most helpful is embracing challenges. This article isn’t about hugging your gain; instead, look at it as wrapping your arm around the neck of whatever giant in your business you are avoiding until it doesn’t exist anymore. Adopting a growth mindset requires us to view each challenge as an opportunity to raise the bar for our competitors and secure a lane in the market that makes us shine bright. Don't run; embrace ways to expand your knowledge and break barriers. The sky is the limit once we adopt the mindset of conquering every intimidating giant by equipping ourselves to thrive.

Another Key that unlocks a growth mindset is to learn, learn, and know! Cultivate a love for learning and sharpening your expertise. Give yourself space to do this in your daily schedule. I remember reading an email from AMSE Agency CEO Moni Jefferson that gave us the success planning of her day, including a time block for growth. I mentioned securing your lane in the marketplace; the best way that I have found to do this is to become excellent at doing YOU! A hot topic in the market today is "overcoming imposter syndrome." The key to overcoming imposter syndrome is to sharpen your talent and gifts. Each of us has a brain that stores special skills particular to a unique design. All we have to do is get back to the basics. Once we begin studying how to sharpen our talents and gifts, we acquire new skills and knowledge that open our minds to new perspectives. Nobody can do you better than you!

The third key for embracing a growth mindset is allowing yourself to fail brilliantly by persisting through obstacles and setbacks. It didn't work, so what?! View this as a temporary obstacle and not a limitation. I can guarantee that half of the people you think saw your mistake didn't catch it. As military spouses, we are resilient and persevere through our challenges. The hope and tenacity within us keep us determined to grow from each experience.

The final key to unlocking growth and potential for personal and professional development is embracing feedback and criticism. Disclaimer: Entrepreneurs need to heal before they ask for another dollar from anyone else. Find a great therapist, coach, or counselor, and work out your heart stuff first. When we treat others with care and excellence, doors previously closed to us begin to unlock because we didn't handle people with genuine care and excellence. I recently connected with an incredible pediatric dentist who came to me as a referral from the parents of some of her patients. After my daughter's dentist appointment, within 24 hrs. I received an email requesting feedback about the customer service during my appointment. When I opened the link, I was connected to her Google reviews. Talk about confidence! This Dr. was willing to risk the integrity of her business with someone she didn't know because she knew she secured her lane of genuine care and excellence for her business. We can view feedback and criticism as a pathway to growth and a way to accelerate our progress and success as Military Spouse Entrepreneurs.

Jaiya Clarke

Jaiya Clarke is an author, speaker, and joy strategist. She impacts and transforms women's lives globally through her best-selling book, The Keys to Unlocking Your Joy! Jaiya has an MBA in Organizational Psychology and Development. She has written multiple lifestyle resources to enhance soul care, personal growth, and spiritual maturity. Jaiya is passionate about building communities that nurture the spiritual wholeness of women. She regularly shares impactful community discussions about identity, soul care, boldness, and freedom. 

Five Tips for a Homepage That Converts

Your homepage is arguably the most important page of your website. It’s the most frequently visited and most pivotal page, for sure. 

I’d also argue it’s the most memorable. Because when readers land on a homepage for the first time, they’re seeking answers:

Am I in the right place? 

Is this for me? 

Will this help me?

It’s our job as business owners to provide those answers, but it’s also an opportunity to show off what you have to offer—the set of unique skills, services, and perspectives you bring to your business. That extra TLC on your homepage pays off in building brand awareness, loyalty, and new customers. 

Here are 5 ways to spice up your existing homepage to make it extra enticing for your site visitors.

First Impressions Matter

Have you heard the expression “above the fold?” It’s the bit of content that you see when you first land on a new webpage. The term started in newspapers with that coveted lead story, and it’s grown more complicated today where almost half of users browse online from their phones. 

So why does this matter? Because most site visitors will decide in just 50 milliseconds if they like your site or not, and act accordingly. It’s very important to make sure that in those first moments after landing on your site, they know they’re in the right place. Use these pointers to make a great first impression.

Design tips:

• Streamline your top navigation window and focus on what’s absolutely necessary. Or switch to a hamburger menu for a more polished look.

• Avoid pop-up ads, arrows, and any other distractions.

• Keep design minimal. White space is your friend.

Copy tips:

• Lead with a benefits-driven headline. Talk directly to your reader and demonstrate the value they receive by choosing you.

• Include a value proposition sub-head that lists the who/what/where of your business so readers know they’re in the right place

• You can add a CTA, but you don’t have to. And be wary of adding more than one, unless you’ve got two distinct audiences at play.

Use Your Headers

Section headers (or crossheads) describe the content you’re about to read. They’re typically larger and more scannable than body copy. Often, site visitors will skim a page looking for the information they’re after. If they find it, they’ll click and keep reading; if they don’t or they’re confused, they’ll likely click that dreaded back button.

I see two major missed opportunities for headers on your homepage:

Boring section headers: You know the ones: “Benefits,” “About Me,” “Products”. They’re clear, sure, but they aren’t exactly memorable. Pack more punch by focusing on the benefits and outcomes for your audience. For example, try these:

• Products > See why over 3,500 women are raving about this t-shirt

• About Us > Building a sustainable world for the future

Haphazardly placed headers: Think of your homepage as a more exciting table of contents. You only want to use section headers that are absolutely necessary to make your case and that direct to the right place. Be strategic in where and how you use section headers to accomplish this goal.

And one more tip: it’s OK to drop the punctuation. While it’s tempting to treat section headers like full sentences with proper grammar, punctuation is actually distracting and can cause a pause or break in the flow of reading. So unless it’s a question, there’s no need to end your headers with punctuation.

Let Others Do the Talking

Social proof can come in a lot of forms, but direct feedback, testimonials, or reviews from past customers are immensely important for earning trust.

Here’s how I recommend using social proof on your homepage:

• A proof bar: use logos from businesses you've worked with in the past (service providers) or media outlets your product has been featured in (e-commerce).

• Testimonials or reviews: You can really never have too many of these. TrustPilot ratings or board and industry ratings (for specialized fields) are also worth including. 

• Video reviews

• Links to your blog, podcast, and social media pages: Yes, this is a form of social proof. It’s like saying: “Look, I do know my stuff” and “See, other people choose to hang out with me online”. Plus, these are great easy ways for new readers to get a sense of who you are and what you stand for as a brand.

Offer an Easy “Yes” 

Most of us like to browse before we buy, and there’s a journey we go through as customers that gets us from Who are you? to Here’s my credit card.

That journey (or stages of awareness) looks something like this:

• Top of the funnel: Understanding what they need, understanding the problem they want to solve, and recognizing there’s a solution to that problem

• Middle of the funnel: Recognizing that you may be the solution to the problem, learning and recognizing how your products and services can help

• Bottom of the funnel: Understanding your products, interest in your products, and feeling ready to purchase a product.

Since the majority of site visitors are still at the top and middle of their customer journey when they visit your homepage, try getting micro-consents where you can. In other words, encourage small commitments or yeses along the way, like:

• Provide an email address to watch a webinar, receive a discount or newsletter, or download a guide.

• Respond to an email for a drawing, a mention on your podcast, or a free 10-minute audit.

• Follow you on social for savings, access to gated content, or a mention or link back to their page.

Wherever you can, look for opportunities throughout your marketing (and homepage) for those micro-commitments to build trust and help your prospects reach the next stage of the customer journey.

Measure the Results

We almost never get it right the first time, and experimentation helps you tweak (and tweak again) until you find the perfect mix of content for your homepage. Set yourself up for success with these metrics, which you can find using a free Google Analytics account: 

• Bounce & exit rate: If people are leaving your site after visiting your homepage, there’s likely a lack of clarity about who are you and how you provide value. Work on clarifying your messaging.

• Dwell time: How long are visitors staying on your homepage? Are they making it down the page? If not, you may consider reorganizing your messaging hierarchy– or the order in which you’re introducing content.  Compare dwell time against heat mapping or scroll data (using another free tool like Hotjar) to study which sections make people bounce the most. That can help you spot unclear or misplaced copy.

• Customer pathways: Where are visitors going after they leave your homepage? Is there a pattern or trend you can spot and is that in line with your goals (aka where you want them to go)? Similarly, are there pages that people typically click on but then exit from? This points to a disconnect in the messaging. People think they’ll get one thing when they click on a link but instead get something else. 

• Sign-ups: Are you attracting new subscribers from the lead magnet or opt-in on your page? Is that number increasing month over month? Are people reading your free content? Clicking on your social links? If not, focus on clarity in these section headers, or try moving your ‘free value’ content up on your page.

Finally, I want to leave you with one last truth about “conversions”. 

Real progress is not found in sales or gimmicks or marketing hacks. At the heart of every transaction is rapport and trust in the outcome. Your readers are human beings, after all, and they want what any of us do: to be seen, respected, and heard by you, the provider. 

Focus on your reader’s needs and fellow entrepreneurs, and the conversions will follow.

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The All-Access Pass gives you even MORE!

✨ Group Coaching every month, with the opportunity to be an AMSE Group Coach yourself!

✨ An exclusive discount in the AMSE Shop!

✨ A FREE 20-second snippet on our official podcast, Owning Up, to promote your business!

✨ A feature on the AMSE Blog - all about you and your business!

✨ Access to the AMSE Cohort, an immersive 7-week course with hands-on coaching through the Building Your Business the AMSE Way coursework with Moni Jefferson.

Learn more about the All-Access Pass and sign up here!

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Heather is a fellow military spouse, conversion copywriter and digital marketing strategist. She helps small businesses and entrepreneurs grow their online presence through persuasive website copy and a solid SEO strategy. She’s currently stationed in Fort Leavenworth, KS, with her spouse and twin boys, who just started Kindergarten. You can learn more about her work at her website, HD Copywriting. 

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A Year in Review: Reflecting on This Year + Preparing for the Next

It’s the end of the year, whether we like it or not. Is your milspouse business ready for 2022? 

There are plenty of ways to look to the next year and prepare for what may come. Part of this is also reflecting on the current year, too. What did you learn? What things will you be taking with you, and what will you be happy to leave behind? 

Hopefully, you have been preparing your business and yourself for 2022 but if you have not, here are a few things you can do to reflect on the past year and embrace the year to come.

Reflecting on This Year

• Consult the past.

First, I like to consult my planner for the year. Even though I utilize online planning tools and calendars, I still like to keep a paper planner. Why? It is where I jot down all my notes, thoughts, and ideas. I make mini-checklists for projects and short-term goals, and I find a lot of value in looking back at what was important to me during the year.

• Consult your books.

Next, I take a look at our financial books. Money does drive business, and it is vital to evaluate the past year before moving into the next. You should ideally start this earlier than the last week of December (my sweet spot is early November). I start by taking a look over the profit and loss sheet to see what revenue streams were successful or not, and it helps determine where our strengths and weaknesses are. I also use this to guide our projected budget and plans for the next year, as our profitable areas should continue!

• Take a deep dive and reflect on the year.

Finally, I reflect with my business partner on the year. We have a long meeting where we highlight the successes and things we would like to continue in the future while also acknowledging what didn’t work or bring us value. We have an honest conversation about our workloads, physical/mental health, and our personal goals for the business. We use all these answers to draw up plans and goals for the next year.

Preparing for the Next Year

I touched on some of this in the steps above because it’s natural for you to create goals and plans while reflecting on the past. I did some research for you, and there are a few more ideas for how to start your new year on the best foot.

• Map out your goals.

Your goals and priorities for the new year? They need to be planned out. What areas of your business are you making the highest priority? What steps will you take to achieve your goals? Make plans, set deadlines, and find a way to hold yourself accountable. For example, my business partner and I have a goal to increase our profits by at least 30%. We will achieve this by hiring assistance to help us pitch new partners, trimming down our current programs and monthly utilities, and leveraging our earned PR and current partners to help us reach more people. Whatever your goals are, make a plan to help you achieve them!

• Consider your financing options.

Whether you were profitable or not, everyone could use more funding for their business. The pandemic is still affecting small businesses, and there are tons of opportunities for grants and relief. If you are looking to start pitching or looking for investors, get your pitch decks and documents together. There are masterclass replays and downloads available on the AMSE Member Dashboard to get you started or to help you refine your current materials.

• Review your policies and contracts.

There is never a better time to audit your own paperwork than the new year. Do you have contracts that are renewing or expiring? When was the last time you updated your SOPs or workplace policies? Make a commitment to evaluate these and any other files you have been neglecting. Take those lessons learned with you as you approach your policies and practices.

No matter how you choose to reflect and prepare for the year ahead, I wish you success and the best of luck. With some planning and consideration, I know that you can reach anything you aspire to.

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The All-Access Pass gives you even MORE!

✨ Group Coaching every month, with the opportunity to be an AMSE Group Coach yourself!

✨ An exclusive discount in the AMSE Shop!

✨ A FREE 20-second snippet on our official podcast, Owning Up, to promote your business!

✨ A feature on the AMSE Blog - all about you and your business!

✨ Access to the AMSE Cohort, an immersive 7-week course with hands-on coaching through the Building Your Business the AMSE Way coursework with Moni Jefferson.

Learn more about the All-Access Pass and sign up here!

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Rachel is the co-owner and editor of The Military Mom Collective. She has been an Air Force spouse for 18 years and is a mother of four children. She holds a BA in English and a MA in Management. When not busy with work or her family, she enjoys reading as many books as possible and drinking all the coffee.

Rachel is also the Copy Editor at AMSE and a freelance writer. She has been featured on We Are The Mighty, Her View From Home, AMSE, PCSgrades, The Beautifull Project, Hand-in-Hand QC, and other publications. She has been blogging for herself and other organizations for over 10 years. She is always trying to stay on top of SEO practices and loves using the power of experiences and storytelling to empower businesses and individuals.

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5 Ways to Take the Fear out of Finances for Entrepreneurs

I’m a late-blooming entrepreneur. For years I worked the system to remain a remote employee of a Fortune 500 company no matter where we were stationed in my spouse’s military journey. I thought that was my best option to maintain some type of career, keep my professional resume current, and bring in extra money to support our family.

In 2018, I began my own business. That change validated what I’d been feeling for years. 

I wanted more flexibility. I wanted to work on projects that really excited me. I wanted a profession that better fit my family’s lifestyle. But, starting a business means money. It means capital funding or “DIY- ing” the things that someone else had always taken care of for me in the corporate world. Consequently, when I jumped feet first into entrepreneurship, I wasn’t really prepared for money matters.

Nothing is scarier to this entrepreneur than the world of financial management. 

Don’t get me wrong - I’m top-notch with personal finances, and I’ve been effectively managing our family finances for years. But when it comes to business finances, my heart starts pumping and my palms get sweaty.

Money is the primary indicator for most business owners to measure whether you are a success story or a sad tale of failure. 

Finances make or break your ability to market and build your product or service. Finances allow you the opportunity to grow. But, there are a lot of rules. We joke about keeping receipts in a shoebox. Maybe you’ve even tried to master Quickbooks to keep track of spending and income. Then, the new year rolls around, and the thought of putting it all together for taxes saps my energy. I shudder at the mention of the IRS, and do you fear the word “audit” as much as I do?

I’m afraid I’m doing it wrong, and with finances doing it wrong means significant consequences. 

To handle my fear of entrepreneurship finance, I started researching best practices and realized that there is a no-nonsense, classic approach that I can implement. I’d love to share these 5 tips that took the fear out of my finances.

1. Make a budget. Seems simple, right?  But, only about half of small business owners make a budget, according to a survey by Clutch. The benefit of a budget is more than just money management. It indicates what you are prioritizing based on where your spending happens. It also sets profit goals and expectations that are realistic for your business. Budgeting forces small business owners to know their numbers, which also means knowing their limits and whether they have the capital to invest when they see an opportunity to grow.

2. Stick to your budget. Entrepreneurs are dreamers and doers, but making ourselves stick to a budget keeps us grounded in reality. Not exactly the most exciting part of being a business owner, but a necessary part of operational success. My best advice is that you find an app that helps with day-to-day tracking, organizing receipts, and creating a big picture snapshot so you know you are on track. Sticking to your budget ensures that you aren’t overspending. When an opportunity arises or an unexpected expense shows up, you will know the best way forward financially.

A budget should be a very fluid document. Don’t expect the budget you made for January 1 each year to be set in stone. In fact, you should be making adjustments based on the reality of your business finances each month. And that’s why tip #3 is so important!

3. Time-block a monthly finance meeting with yourself. Set this in stone. Each month, you need to review what’s happened over the past month with your business finances. Ask yourself these questions:

-Am I on track according to my budget for both profit and expenses?

-Are my budget numbers realistic?

-Where am I overspending?

-Where can I reduce spending?

-What might be coming up over the next month that could affect the budget?

Eventually, these questions become more intuitive and easier to answer. You’ll be able to spot trends in sales and identify issues in your client process that keeps your profit pipeline flowing.

4. Save for a rainy day + retirement. 

As an employee, I didn’t have to worry about retirement savings. I had my 401K and a stock investment with the company that I worked for. When I left that position and started my own business, all that went away.

Data from SCORE shows that ⅓ of self-employed persons do not have a retirement plan. Are you part of that 34%?  Dear fellow entrepreneur...nobody is saving up for your retirement except you.

There are many retirement plans you can invest in. Do your research and start putting away as much as you can. Remember this - it’s never too late to start and even starting with a small amount is better than not investing at all! Do what you can and build it as you go.

5. Reinvest in you. This is my favorite part of entrepreneurship finances. When I decide how to invest in my own business, I get to invest in myself because I am my business. Take a workshop or class that makes you a better person or leader or business owner. Join an organization like AMSE that gives you amazing networking and learning opportunities. Buy that program or app that will make your life just a little easier. I consider my reward system for a job well done with my business finances is an investment itself. 

Putting these 5 simple tips in place allowed me to feel more confident as a business owner in all financial matters.

Want one last tip?  When all else fails or if you are too uncomfortable handling your business finances on your own please look into professional support from a bookkeeper or accountant. There is a list of military spouse entrepreneurs specializing in finance in the MSEG guide that are ready, willing, and expertly able to assist! 

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Want even more tips and tricks to manage your finances?

Check out the Replays section of the AMSE Member Dashboard for classes from experts and professionals on how to manage your business finances successfully. There is a phenomenal class by AMSE Group Coach Joana Linares that will answer so many questions!

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Anna Larson is a 15-year military spouse, entrepreneur, and homeschool mom of 2 amazing kids + 1 fur baby.  She started her own business after nearly 20 years in marketing and program management.  NomadAbout offers comprehensive marketing solutions, website design, copywriting and social media management.  

She contributes monthly to a number of publications, hosts a weekly podcast and livestream business show called 15ish Minute Coffee Chat, sits on a board as the Director of Operations for a non-profit that offers support to cancer patients, and co-leads the Fort Hood chapter of the Association of Military Spouse Entrepreneurs.

In her spare time, she likes to travel the world and have amazing adventures with her family.  She can’t decide if exploring glaciers in Switzerland, standing in the shadow of Burg Khalifa, or zip lining at Victoria Falls is her favorite so far.  You can also find her with her nose in a book or sitting poolside for relaxation.

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