Consider today the beginning of a laid back but productive summer as we work together to make small tweaks so that you have your best foot forward come September. 

 

Here’s the thing – summer is, well, summer! We’re meant to enjoy it. Take our foot off the gas for a moment. Slow down. But it can also be a wonderful time to do some of the internal work that we are often too busy to do during other times of the year. 

 

Each week of DSSC is designed to be easy to implement yet build upon the previous week. So while you can definitely pop in for individual weeks (think – turning on a solo episode of The Office), you will benefit most if you stay with us for the next eight weeks (watch the whole series). 

 

A few years ago, I was talking to a friend about a course he had taken that, frankly,  transformed his business. I asked him why he thought it worked so well for him and he said, “Well, I actually did it. I did all the homework. I implemented everything they told us to implement. I literally just followed the path.”

 

That single conversation has changed so much of my life and business over the past four years. I consistently ask myself – What if I just do it? What if I hold myself accountable and do the thing? 

 

With that being said – let’s get started!

We are kicking things off today by reflecting on what has led up to this very moment in time. This week’s focus will be an audit of your recent work. Our objective is to gather enough information to shape your approach in the coming weeks.

 

For this process you can decide how far back you’d like to go – one year or two years. There is a template worksheet for this that you can download here. You can do this in a spreadsheet or blank paper if you don't have a printer. 

 

The goal here is to take an eagle-eye view of your past clients and determine: What is working? What type of projects do you enjoy most? How does your pricing feel? Then, form some factual data we will use in the upcoming weeks.

 

This week your only homework is to complete the Audit Worksheet. Spend some time reflecting – what projects were your favorite? What projects were the worst? Was it the client or the task that you didn’t like? Was it the client or the task that you DID like? Did you undercharge? Did you have any projects that had exceptional value for you? 

Extra Credit: Testimonials

Have a bit of extra time this week? Keep reading! After completing your audit, highlight 3-4 favorite projects from the past couple of years and then reach out to those clients to gather testimonials. 

 

Hint: We will use these down the line when we review your pricing, website, and portfolio.

 

I ask for testimonials as part of my post-project survey, which goes out to clients via Dubsado after the completion of a project. However, I’m not always perfect at remembering to send that form, so I sometimes have to follow up down the line and request testimonials after the fact. One unintended benefit of this is that following up after a month or so to get their feedback/a testimonial will sometimes lead to them saying “Actually, I have been meaning to reach out about working on _________” and it will lead to new work!

 

For this scenario, where you are reaching out to gather testimonials and some time may have passed, you could consider sending something along the lines of: 

 

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Thank you for turning in for week one! Questions? Respond to this email and I will get back to you as quickly as I can! 

 

Have a great day, 

 

Olivia