Let's all do this together!

More and more creative and independent professionals are working in isolation.

• You have no one to talk to about your business.
• You have no idea if what you're doing is right.
• You have no feedback or sounding board, no exposure to what others just like you are doing.
• And you have no sense of community, the kind that comes from a small group of committed people working together and helping each other over the humps and cheering each other on with each tiny win. 

That kind of support is more and more essential as things continue to shift in our economy and automation begins to encroach on the service sector.

To weather the inevitable ups and downs of self employment, you need support and a solid marketing plan that you will actually implement.

Without this foundation, your future will always be shaky, whether you've been in business 2 years or 20 years. 

Plus, all the ideas and and marketing tools out there are totally overwhelming! Where do you even start? How do you know whose advice to follow?

Wouldn't it be so much more productive (and enjoyable) to grow your creative, technical or advisory business with the guidance of someone like me, (Ilise Benun)? (I've been advising creative professionals just like you AND practicing what I preach for more than 30 years.) 

And wouldn't you like to do it in collaboration with a small, supportive group of like-minded professionals?

Then you've found what you're looking for.

My small accountability and coaching groups are designed to address these important needs and much more! 

Here's what Melanie had to say, 
"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/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. 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 businesses. I am already starting to see results!" 

And here's what Suzanne said:

Bottom line, I love the way your brain works—you always have 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 sometimes 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 businesses. 

Want to join?

Next cohorts start soon so read on for details about how it works, and if you're interested:

Apply Here

How it works

The goal of each group is to get you in the habit of marketing your business consistently and manageably in 30 minutes/day.

Through the 6 month group process, you’ll get:

• Clarity on your markets and your messaging.
• Guidance from me (Ilise Benun), a business coach with 30+ years of experience who knows the creative industries.
• Support, feedback and perspective from me and the group. You’ll get to hear from people with the same struggles. You’ll get to see and learn from what others are doing.
• Community. The groups combine designers, writers, marketers and more. So you’ll have an opportunity to share ideas and cultivate connections with fellow creatives -- maybe even partner on projects! Goodbye isolation!
• Accountability and structure to help you stay on track and encouragement from others (and you’ll stop feeling bad about not doing it), to keep you consistent in your marketing efforts

In other words, no more feeling frustrated and behind all the time. These groups will help you get your marketing done and get it done right.

Format:

Over 6 months, we meet twice a month on Zoom for 60-90 minutes (for a total of 12 sessions). (Sessions are organized around the time zones and schedules of each group's participants.)

Each 60-90 minute session includes:

• A short presentation of a simple marketing idea and excellent examples of what is working for creative professionals. 
• Real time feedback from Ilise & group members on your assignments

In between sessions, you will use the group’s dedicated Slack channel to post your assignments and content for review and give feedback on that of others. The channel is also for any other questions and issues that come up.

One recent participant wrote, “I love the flow of the sessions and the stuff we’re working on, and I think we have a great group here (participation, constructive feedback, openness). I really look forward to the calls."  

Who is in the groups?

Each group is made up of 5-8 creatives of all types (designers, copywriters, photographers, marketers, etc.) at approximately the same point in the business process:

• Established with some marketing in place: You know your target markets and already have some marketing in place, but you need to get more traction. You are ready to level it up.

• Established with no marketing in place: Your work has mostly come through word of mouth, and you struggle with the Feast or Famine Syndrome. You are ready to learn how to control the flow. 

• Freelancing on the side or just starting out: You are just starting out or haven't done anything yet to find clients. You need to get your ducks in a row, set a foundation and begin looking for the right clients. 

Apply Here

Your investment and time commitment: 30 minutes/day

One goal of the group process is to begin instilling the 30 minutes/day habit and practice of working on your business. So once you have set your foundation, that is what your time commitment between sessions should be.

As for $$, don't stress. The monthly fee is very affordable (between $150-200/month with options to add one-on-one coaching). 

Next step:

Fill out this application to be considered for a spot. 

I will get back to you soon to set up a time to chat about pricing, availability and next steps. 

Or send a message to ilise@marketing-mentor.com with any questions.