Big changes come in small practices

Grow your creative, technical or advisory business with the guidance of an experienced coach in collaboration with a small, supportive group of like-minded professionals. My small accountability groups and new Action Intensives are designed to address the inevitable ups and downs of self-employment and creative work, backed by solid ideas you can and will actually implement, without drowning in the noise and overwhelm of the latest and greatest marketing tools and flashy tactics. Sound good?

We’re all in this together

More and more creatives and independent professionals are working in isolation, with no one to talk to about their business, no feedback or sounding board, or exposure to what other successful business owners are doing to market themselves. They miss out on the sense of community that spurs them on toward their next milestone, the kind of community that grows from a small group of committed people who work together to help each other over the humps and cheer each other on with every big (or tiny) win.

The kind of support that:

  • Creates a firm foundation to stand on as encroaching tools and technologies continue to transform the service sector
  • Cuts through the clutter, and provides actionable clarity on what and how to best market your business
  • Creates a productive and enjoyable environment in which to actually get your marketing done

How does it work?

Action Intensives: The newest offering, it's series of live group coaching sessions where you focus on and begin to master one tactic or tool at a time with a small group over the course of 8 one-hour intensive Zoom sessions.

For each Action Intensive, I will walk you step by step through the process. You will have time to implement what you learn - usually during the session. We'll look at a few different approaches, analyze "excellent" (and "awful") examples, and then you’ll apply what you learn and tailor it for your own comfort level and process.

Here a few of the tacts and tools offered: 

  • LinkedIn: how to optimize your profile, expand your network and engage your network
  • Outreach: how to put a 4-step outreach campaign in place to reach your ideal clients
  • Tweak your "marketing-smart" web site: how to refresh and make your web site more "marketing-smart"
  • Proposals: how to use yours like the sales tool it is (and only invest time in the ones you're most likely to win)

Not only will you learn how to use the tactic or tool, but during these meetings, there is a 20 minute work session during which you will have time to actually get the work done too. So no "homework" to carve out time for. By the end of the intensive, you'll not only know how, but you'll actually be using that tactic or tool! That's my goal.

Of course, the sessions will be recorded in case you have to miss one.

(No Intensives scheduled at the moment.)

 

Small Accountability Groups: The goal of each group is to get you into the habit of marketing your business consistently and manageably in 30 minutes every day.

Each cohort is made up of five to eight creatives of all types — from designers to copywriters to photographers, marketers and coaches, and beyond — at approximately the same stage in business development.

The process is firmly rooted in the Simplest Marketing Plan framework and each 60-90 minute session includes:

  • A short presentation of a simple marketing idea and excellent examples of how it works in real life marketing for other creative professionals
  • Real-time, live feedback from Ilise and other group members on individual assignments
  • Accountability reports where each participant reviews what they said they'd do, what they did and what they'll do for next time.

In between sessions, group members post assignments and content for review and feedback to a dedicated 24/7 Slack channel, where you can ask questions or comment on marketing-related issues any time, anywhere.

“After being on Ilise’s mailing list for more years than I can count, I finally decided to sign up for her group coaching plan. Meeting twice a month with a small group of creatives has proven to be an amazing way to get the support I need to grow my business in very real and actionable ways. I am already starting to see results!”

Ilise’s depth of experience as a coach and marketing mentor are vividly clear as she confidently and intelligently guides us through all of the ups and downs we experience in managing our own business.

— Melanie

 

“Bottom line, I love the way Ilise’s brain works — she always has fantastic recommendations for how to turn any situation into a win-win opportunity for self-promotion that is also valuable for our dream clients.”

The bi-weekly sessions ensured I routinely kept pushing the needle forward on my marketing. Big changes sometime come in small, incremental steps, and that was the case for me. Ultimately, I was able to confidently overhaul my website from a more strategic perspective. The sessions also helped me identify the types of content marketing appropriate for my business and of value for my ideal clients. Not to mention I can now provide better advice to my clients on how and why content marketing would be of benefit to their business.

— Suzanne

Schedule a free session to find out more