Market Your Coaching and Healing Practice Without Social Media

Marketing without social media is possible

It’s true: social proof is essential for large, small, and micro businesses.

But social media isn’t the only kind of social proof. Press, Interviews, Guest Lectures, Course Development, Testimonials, Referrals, High ratings, Raving Reviews, and Client Success Stories are all ways to build your social proof in business.

Plus, relying on social media for client acquisition isn’t ideal for all businesses —especially transformational service providers like Coaches, Healers, Helpers, or Consultants.

Social media companies earn income based on client attention —and on guiding that attention to the content they want to show. That content is monetized and optimized. The higher your social buzz, audience size, and advertising budget, the higher you rank. That doesn’t bode well for independent, small or micro-businesses—like most Coaches, Healers, Helpers and Consultants.

Social media presence and social media advertising are different.

If your business is looking for new leads, paid social media ads are one way to acquire clients who are searching for the solution you’re selling. Paid social ads don’t require a huge following, but they do require investing in an expert (or spending a good chunk of time and resources to DIY it) plus the actual fees for advertising.

With a large enough following, your consistent and relevant social media presence may be enough to bring potential clients to your digital (or actual) doors…

…but you’ll need to spend resources (your own time, a strategic hire’s time, or advertising dollars) to gain that following.

If you don’t have a large social media presence yet, strategic social media advertising can help you reach more of your ideal clients. Targeted ads that drive those interested clients to your valuable, relevant free (or paid) products or services are the aim —and those ads are often effective but require time, testing, and resources.

What if you don’t have a large social media following, a big advertising budget, or a desire to engage on the socials at all?

While you’re growing your following or building your advertising budget, go back to basics! Build or scale your business the time-tested way: and remember that vanity metrics like social media followers are rarely indicative of actual income.

Here are 25 creative ways to build, grow, or scale your business without social media (plus a few that DO require social, but take a stress-less approach).

I used these exact strategies to build my unknown yoga therapy and wellness coaching studio in a small town back in 2008 when social media was a thing… but not a huge thing for business. Those same strategies allowed me to pivot into location-independent yoga teacher training after I closed my studio to spend more time with my little one. And I used these strategies again when I deleted all my social media back in 2019 (I’m back now, but…you get the picture!). Get the full list here.

Plus, here are 20 more ways to grow your business without relying on a large social media presence or paid social media advertisements:

1. Offer memberships or discounted rates to local firefighters, police officers, or other first responders to show appreciation for their service.

2. Partner with a local sports team, special interest group or league to offer training, massage therapy, mindset coaching, or photography sessions to their members. Think: Yoga for Knitters, Mindfulness Training for Golfers, Tai Chi for Bowlers.

3. Host a "Lunch and Learn" events for community organizations, local businesses, or trade organizations. Network before and afterward with business cards, brochures, or the perfect elevator pitch.

4. Offer mobile services or corporate packages to busy professionals who can't make it to your studio or local business.

5. Attend local trade shows, conferences, or expos related to your niche and network with attendees and other vendors.

6. Host a live webinar, workshop or talk to showcase your expertise and offer a special promotion for attendees. You don’t need fancy equipment and can stream Live on YouTube with nothing more than your smartphone.

7. Offer specialized training, series courses, packages, or classes for specific populations in your niche that deliver a specific, singular solution. Examples: Prenatal Cooking Classes, Meditation for Legal Professionals, Wellness Coaching for WFH Parents.

8. Partner with local non-profit organizations and donate a portion of your profits to their cause! Usually, they’ll offer to feature your business or promote you in their outreach materials. (You’re doing it out of the goodness of your heart, but the extra shout-out is nice).

9. Offer a trial period for new clients to try out your services at a discounted rate, and follow up with them to encourage them to continue working with you once the trial period ends with a special package only available at that time (Pro tip: add value, rather than reduce cost).

10. Create a customer loyalty program that rewards clients for repeat business or for referring new clients. People like to refer people they know and are more eager to do so if you have a system in place.

11. Host a free seminar or workshop on a topic related to your niche and invite your local community to attend. Bonus: invite “sister service providers” and turn it into a Panel where you all build interest and promote one another’s transformational services. More clients book with you, more clients book with them, and everyone benefits. Win-Win-Win.

12. Develop a Talk Show, Podcast or Video Blog, featuring your work and services. Regularly provide valuable content and promote your services at the end of each show or in the show notes. Discuss topics that your ideal clients are interested in, problems they’re already asking about, and showcase how your services or products provide a solution to those problems.

13. Develop a customized corporate package and pitch your local businesses with more than 50 employees. Use this as a way to build your referral network or create a collective to provide services on-location.  

14. Create an online course or e-book and offer it for sale on your website or at trade shows and events.

15. Collaborate with influencers and thought leaders in your niche to promote your business with an event, challenge, or contest.

16. Host a Continuing Education or professional development training for a trade organization in your industry to share your expertise and build your corporate consulting opportunities.

17. Use search engine optimization (SEO) tactics to improve your website's ranking on search engines and attract more traffic. Develop lead magnets for your best SEO ranked content and grow your email list at the same time.

18. Host a contest or giveaway to engage with potential clients and build your brand.

19. Develop a mobile app to make it easy for clients to book appointments and stay connected with your business. Or use one of the integrated apps that comes with course creation membership sites like Passion.io, Thinkific, and AttractWell.

20. Start a Membership site using software (like this or this or this) to grow your community and monetize your creative content at the same time. Substack or Patreon offer email marketing and social sharing options that allow you to market your business and earn income at the same time.

I’d love to know—what are your tried-and-true client attraction strategies that don’t rely on social media?

Join the conversation in the Kula!

And if you missed KULA CONVERSATIONS with Kristina Molnar, Hypnotherapist + Coach yesterday, catch the replay right here.

We talk neurodivergence, WFHmom-life, designing your business around your body-mind-heart needs (instead of sacrificing your core needs for a broken business model). And Kristina shares a mind-shifting tip to support you (and your clients) in making big changes in life. Hint: it’s word magic! Head here to catch the replay (for 2 weeks).

See you in the Kula!

~Kellie Adkins, MS, C-IAYT, Business Coach + Yoga Therapist

Founder | Wisdom Method School of Yoga

P.S. Want to Map our your non-social media marketing strategy together? Start here.

25 Creative Ways to Build Your Coaching and Healing Practice Without Relying on Social Media

Every business needs a way to reach potential customers.

Your marketing strategy needs to get your Coaching, Healing or Service-based Business in front of the people who want what you have—and who want it now.

Nowadays, most people think of social media as a viable way to market and grow their coaching, healing, or transformational service-based business.

But the truth is that relying on social media for clients isn’t tenable for most businesses because social media trends come and go.

Do you remember MySpace? Tumblr? Periscope? Google+? Yeah, me, too. But no one is using them now.

Social media platforms make their money by keeping people on the platform NOT by sending their users elsewhere (like your website services page).

There are creative and effective ways to market your coaching or healing practice that don’t require much social media.

While the market has shifted considerably in the direction of social proof for businesses, maintaining a strategy that works for you is key….but that doesn’t mean you have to jump on every trend bandwagon or go viral to get clients (and remember, there are other forms of social proof for your business. You’re getting testimonials, right?).

Your marketing strategy needs to get your business in front of the people who want what you have: and who want it now.

That doesn’t require a million followers on social media (or even 1,000). It does require some higher-order thinking, market research, and creativity. In other words: YOU GOT THIS, brilliant one!

When I first started a business in 2007, having a website was a novelty, and a social media presence wasn’t required.

But a business card? Absolutely.

Local networking events? You betcha.

Print advertising and PR: even better.

Back then I didn’t have the budget for glossy paid ads in the local style magazine.

I had to get creative!

Below are 25 things I did to market my Yoga Studio and Coaching Practice, that are as relevant now as they were back then. In fact, when I quit social media for a few years, I relied on these exact strategies to fill my calendar with long-term consulting gigs.

25 ways to attract clients without using social media:

1. Print business cards and give some to friends, family members, and colleagues. Ask them to keep a small stack in their car or purse and hand them out to people that might be a good fit for your services.

2. Host pop-up demonstrations or mini-classes in local parks, botanical gardens, downtown areas, or during large events (ask permission).

3. Collaborate with local partners, such as dance teachers or salons, to create joint events or performances.

4. Develop a signature workshop, training or course and deliver a free mini-course to local businesses or offices during lunch breaks.

5. Print glossy postcards or business-card size passes with your class schedule, website, and discount codes, and distribute them at local gyms, fitness centers, and coffee shops.

6. Offer referral fees or commissions to local health professionals or complementary service providers for sending clients your way.

7. Pitch your training, course, or programs to local colleges, vocational centers, or educational institutions to secure contract gigs.

8. Send personalized emails to people in your network and ask for referrals or introductions to potential clients.

9. Host seasonal special events and open houses or sample classes at your studio and offer exclusive membership packages.

10. Add your Training, Workshops, Courses or classes to Google and share them on local networking and events websites or print publications.

11. Advertise at local farmers' markets, craft fairs, or events that attract your ideal clients.

12. Join your local Chamber of Commerce, municipal business association, or business networking groups and share your elevator pitch during their monthly events.

13. Offer complimentary mini-sessions or exclusive discounts to local service providers that also serve your ideal clients (stylists, estheticians, etc.) in exchange for referrals.

14. Collaborate and co-promote with other practitioners or businesses in your niche or local area for special events.

15. Send thank-you postcards or free class cards to clients, friends, and colleagues to express appreciation and encourage repeat business.

16. Print mini-cards or flyers with your business information and a QR code to a complimentary download (valuable content) and distribute them locally.

17. Organize a charitable fundraising event or sponsor a charitable event in your community.

18. Order custom promotional items, such as water bottles, yoga mats, tote bags, or T-shirts, with your business name and website. Give them to friends and clients. Use them as raffle items or gifts during events. Sell them on your website.

19. Offer special packages and customized classes to members of local churches, community organizations, or neighborhood associations.

20. Teach a series class, signature workshop, or specialized training at a local church or community center and offer their members a special rate for private sessions.

21. Print neon flyers or posters with your business information and distribute them strategically in town and at events (ask permission).

22. Wear branded T-shirts or ask family and friends to do the same to raise awareness about your business.

23. Keep business cards handy for networking events or other opportunities to share your contact information or get one of these nifty cards.

24. Book a booth at local health, wellness, or education events in the area to showcase your business.

25. Order or make special swag that showcases your brand and advertises your business. Then hand out around town or at events. Examples: custom herbal tea sachets with handstamped tags, Wildflower seed paper business cards, Hand-stamped leather cards (upcycled leather, of course).

Ok, and because I can’t stop myself, here are 4 more ideas that do require social media, yet allow you to be more strategic in your use since content on these platforms performs well in driving traffic to your website and has a longer shelf life than Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok.

*Want even more? Here are 20 more marketing ideas to grow your coaching, healing or helping practice that don’t rely on social media.

For a “stress less” approach to social media marketing:

1. Start a YouTube channel and create content optimized for SEO (Search Engine Optimization) to drive traffic to your website.

2. Start a Substack, Vimeo, or Patreon account to monetize your content, then share bits of paid content to your social media channels to increase your subscriber base (pre-schedule the posts for even less stress).

3. Write and publish a book, e-book, audio book or podcast, sell it on Amazon, Etsy or your website. Promote it everywhere you go.

4. Craft a public talk or presentation. Contact local organizations to invite you to speak at their events. Promote your book and / or services when you do!

I’d love to know—what are some non-social media ways you attract clients?

If you liked this post and you want to learn more about scaling your business for more influence and ease, join me every week for LIVE workshops to make growing your business more fun (and less stressful).

With gratitude,

~Kellie Adkins

Business Alignment Coach + Yoga Therapist (C-IAYT)

Founder | Wisdom Method School of Yoga

P.S. If you missed KULA CONVERSATIONS today, join the Kula and catch the replay right here! I share my simple 3-step process for creating irresistible courses your clients want NOW, not later.

P.P.S. Want to Map our your non-social media marketing strategy together? Start here.

Grow your Healing or Coaching Business Beyond one-to-one Sessions

An Epistle on Expansion

Or, making the case for growth even if you’re not maxed out on 1x1 services (yet)

Dear Reader:

As a fellow 1x1 service provider for most of my career (Yoga Therapist, Wellness Coach, and Business Coach), I humbly offer the following case for expanding your work beyond the bounds of 1-to-1 or premium services as early in your career as possible.

Indeed, this applies whether you’re building your private client practice or currently maxed out with private clients.

As you read this letter, consider the wonder of these words reaching through the ether to greet your eyes on the magical fantastical creation you now hold.

Through this device and its connection to the internet, you have access to millions of teachings that provide insight into better health, greater wellbeing, and more purposeful living.

Before the digital age, this type of learning was layered beneath circles of privilege and kept behind ivory towers.

It is a wonder to have access to this once-cloistered information—and all at your fingertips.

Digital courses democratize access (to an extent).

In time, it is my hope, that more healing, helping, and self-development teachings will be shared even more widely for more meaning, engagement, and well-being outside the circles of privilege of higher education, whiteness, able-bodiedness, and neurotypicality.

In my view, sharing the skillset you’ve carefully curated over the duration of your career is an act of social justice: widening and improving access to powerful healing and helping tools the world needs. 

All humans need these tools, not only those who can afford to pay a premium rate for your one-to-one services. Even more so if you serve an underserved community that is hard to reach.

I know you don’t do the Work for fame, money, or bragging rights. 

You do it for the mission 

You do it because it changed your life

You share this Work for a healthier, happier, and kinder world

There are more people who need what you are sharing—and the world needs your insight.

This letter is an invitation, yes, and it’s also a rallying cry of sorts. 

If you’re a healer, helper or change maker and you AREN’T on fire about lighting up (more of) the world with your gifts…maybe there’s a good reason. 

But if that reason is that you don’t know where to begin…

Let’s start together, right now.

In your 1-to-1 services, you provide a safe container for clients to facilitate their own transformation. Your clients come to you with frustrations, pain, suffering, and problems…and your valuable work provides a solution.

There are so many “problems” your work solves.

Think of a few right now. Then:

Pick one and dig deep, and..

Think of the people who need that problem solved …right now.

What do they need to get that problem solved?

How can you provide a solution in the most effective, time-sensitive way—that isn’t 1-to-1?

Lots of people have pain that you know how to reduce, symptoms your support helps them in resolving or mental barriers your techniques breakthrough.

You can only reach so many as a 1x1 service provider because your time and energy are finite.

What if…

You create a resource, a guidebook, a mini-class, a workshop, an on-demand training they can access focused on that specific issue? 

You don’t have to deliver a massive group course, create a clunky membership site, or become internet-famous to expand your work in a mindful way.

What if…

You deliver a single, targeted solution in a way that feels aligned with your goals and your values: that specific people will benefit from again and again.

a mini-book

an on-demand guide

a curated course

a private podcast

a signature talk 

a protocol 

a series class

a Retreatshop

Expanding a small portion of your work to a wider audience allows more people to benefit from your gifts while allowing you to honor your commitment to equity, inclusion, and access.

What, then?

Need more ideas? Join us in the Kula for my full idea brain dump today plus a special invitation to a new way to work with me (hint: DIY is soooo last year. DIT is where it’s at!).

Kula Conversations // WHY IT'S TIME TO CREATE YOUR COURSE ALREADY! The ins and outs of course creation, Kula Conversation-style, today at 1 pm Eastern (10 am Pacific).

You'll learn ...

Where to begin (it isn't where you'd expect)

How to structure for maximum results (and client rave reviews)

Why you want to do it now (and your first action to take!)

See y’all there!

xo,

Kellie Adkins, MS, C-IAYT

Business Alignment Coach + Yoga Therapist

Founder | the Wisdom Method

Use Intention to Fuel your Goal-Getting

How to Reach Any Goal

If you’ve ever set a meaningful goal then failed to reach it, you’re in the majority (and welcome to the human condition!). Goals require change —change in behavior, thoughts, attitude or actions (or all of the above). And change is hard.

Change your behavior

But as humans we crave change: novelty lights up different regions of the brain, change is challenging and shifts in perspective inspire new insights. So it’s natural that change is something to move toward —in business and in life. Setting goals is a function of change and is a worthy pursuit in business, especially as a conscious entrepreneur with big dreams, powerful work to share, and many passions.

Setting goals is a function of change and a worthy pursuit in business, especially if you have BIG dreams.

But setting goals and actually reaching your goals are very different things.

If you want to make big things happen, you have to commit to taking mindful action that both aligns with your intention and supports your long term vision.  

If you want to make BIG things happen, you have to commit to taking mindful action

You can expand your goal-getting powers by using an intention to align your priorities and your daily actions. That (plus a little strategy) equals your business goals, conquered.

INTENTION + STRATEGY + ACTION =  GOALS, CONQUERED.

Consider the following examples...

EXAMPLE 1

Jane sets a goal to grow her massage therapy practice by 100 clients this year. She first sets an intention to expand, then takes mindful action each week to identify new clients, reach them with her message, and invite them into her practice.

EXAMPLE 2

Cathy sets a business goal of packaging her expertise into a training, product or program this year. Cathy sets the intention of reaching more people with her message, then carves out 2-5 hours a week to develop her program, host a beta offering and learns how to market your signature offer.

In each of the above examples, the goals are specific, realistic and time-sensitive. Each goal-getting plan includes a set of actions (goal-supportive actions and behaviors) that bring Jane and Cathy closer to their goal. Both Jane and Cathy set an intention and use that intention to fuel their commitment to achieving their goals. Finally, both Jane and Cathy are laser-focused.

First, Commit to focus

You’ve heard it before and you’ll hear it again:

You can do anything, but you can’t do everything.

What is the “anything” you will do —this year, this month or this week? That’s where focus is required. And as a result of this level of focus, you are better able to identify the supports required and to take the specific actions that will move you toward meaningful goals.

Next, identify the supports required

What supports are necessary for you to reach your goal? For Jane and Cathy, those supports were a set of actions and behaviors needed to get different results in their business. Jane had to reach more people with her message —which required upleveling her marketing and being specific in her networking.

Cathy needed to learn about course development, the ins and outs of marketing her signature course, and the technology behind delivering her material. In your own goal-setting practice, the supports required become clear when you are able to articulate (and focus in on) the specific goal.

Next, develop your meaningful goals

Develop your meaningful goals by ensuring they are ….

• specific (grow practice //  package expertise)

• measurable (by 100 clients // into a training, product or program) and

• time-sensitive (within a year)

As in the examples above

• specific (EXAMPLE 1: grow practice //  EXAMPLE 2: package expertise)

• measurable (EXAMPLE 1: by 100 clients // EXAMPLE 2: develop a training, product or program) and

• time-sensitive (EXAMPLE 1 + 2: within a year)

Finally, take action!

Remain intentional in your daily actions and avoid any behaviors, habits or attitudes that distract your from your focus. Keep taking tiny steps forward every day and if you get stuck —reach out for support.

If you are stuck turning your intention into meaningful goals, take some time for self-reflection. Rather than being distracted by the "you've got mail" sound and the impossible-not-to-click headlines floating through your social feed, visualize laser-focus on your most fulfilling projects, dreams or life goals.

Get out your journal and answer these questions…

• What do I want to more of —in life or in business?

• What do I want to create?

• How do I want to show up in the world?

• What is my grandest vision for my business / life / sacred work?

Bottom line: if you want to turn your goals  into reality, stay mindful and apply focus to align your intentions and your actions.

If you struggle to develop, set or reach your goals, accountability could be the missing link. Loads of loving accountability (and hand holding) available right here.

Join us for Kula Conversations :: Mini Workshops to Fuel your Purposeful Business Growth —LIVE in the Kula every Tuesday at 1 pm EST / 10 am PST

How to Stay Proactive When Life Gets in the Way

“Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans.” - John Lennon

Eloquent words from a modern poet-prophet, to be sure. But sometimes, life isn’t limited to the swirl of activities on the sidelines of your work and ambitions. Sometimes life actually monkeys with the plans you’ve made. Life can be hurricanes and broken legs, busted carburetors and cancelled flights, sick kids and lost dogs. Sometimes life is an unexpected mini-disaster that brings everything to a grinding halt. Sometimes life is the hulking bully who runs down the beach to stomp all over the exquisite sandcastle you’ve been building all day long.

You can be meticulous and careful, have capable staff on-call to help in emergencies and a half-dozen backup plans … and still get screwed by natural disasters, germs, or planned obsolescence. No matter how diligent you are in your business plans and entrepreneurial actions, sometimes life steps in and derails you.

I watched this happen to a dear friend of mine just last week, so it’s top-of-mind for me now. And I realized that many of you lovely readers could likely benefit from the advice I gave to reassure her that all was not lost. (And to prevent her from constantly hyperventilating.)

Here are some simple, smart actions you can take when life throws roadblocks onto your path to success:

Simplify your business plan

Remember: 80% of your income is the result of 20% of your efforts. Your top-performing classes or offerings are always exponentially more profitable than less popular ones, so when life gets hairy, cut the dead weight. Identify that uber-profitable 20%, and simplify your business to that / those offers. Even if this is just a temporary switch, it can make life in emergency mode SO much more manageable. Need support identifying that 20%?

Choose one point of focus per week / month / quarter

Conscious entrepreneurs are chronic multi-taskers., and we tend to try to do everything ourselves. It’s a risky way to operate, but many of us make it work right up until the studio floods or the server crashes. When that finally happens, we are forced to focus. Focus is practical magic and the more you can laser in on the things that need to happen to move your business forward, the easier juggling everything else will become. Separate the day-to-day operations tasks from the growth tasks, and assign out the former to trusted employees. Pick a single item from the latter group to tackle each week, month, or quarter. Just one. That’s plenty. And focusing on it will help you feel productive and forward-looking even when you’re functioning in the wake of catastrophe.

Stay narrow and strong

Which of your regular responsibilities, roles, or offers are causing your now-limited energy to dissipate? The more you stay in your strength zone—your zone of genius where your unique magic lies—the less of a drain your business will be. And it’s essential that you conserve and manage your energy in times of crisis. Not sure what your zone of genius is or how to identify your unique magic? I’ve got you covered right here!

Let it go

Let’s be real: Sometimes life happens and you absolutely have to breathe into the holes that it creates in your business. Let it go and ride the wave: this too shall pass. (Even if it feels like it never will.) Remember to be gentle with yourself as you put the pieces back together. Ease yourself back into the swing of things when you can, but don’t apply any undue pressure.

Self-care is a business strategy

Speaking of which, never forget to listen to your needs and ask for help when catastrophe comes a’callin’. You are the beating-heart center of your business, so self-care is absolutely a business strategy! Identify three or four self-care practices that encourage you to feel vibrant, healthy, capable, and strong. Then stick to those come heck or high water. Promise me!

Find a community

If you’re in the throes of a business-derailing disaster right now, I sincerely hope some of these tips feel do-able to you. But if not—or if you could use an extra shot of support and empathy—come join us at the Conscious Entrepreneur’s Kula. Don’t go thinking this is “just an online community.” This amazing group knows how to help, heal, and nourish its members, and we’ve always got room for one more.

Crises can teach us essential lessons and illuminate what’s most important in our lives. But that doesn’t make them any more fun to live through. The next time life gets in the way of your plans, use these strategies to keep yourself moving forward.

Feeling Burned-out? Here’s the Antidote to Overwhelm.

Are you the bottleneck in your business?

Think about it. Are you:

• Working with current clients?

• Hustling for new clients?

• Posting to your social media channels?

• Running a clinic / practice / studio?

• Studying to bring your expertise to the next level?

• Growing your business to the next level?

• Teaching classes or courses?

• Livestreaming or hosting in-person events?

• Doing your own accounting?

• Attempting to have a social or family life outside your all-consuming work?

Grow your business with a business coach

I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that many of you are doing all these things AND MORE. If you’re drowning in work, scrambling to do it all, and losing traction with every passing day—you’re not alone.

But you’re also not in a good spot, especially if you want to drive business growth forward. (And I know you do.) In order to prime your enterprise for real, ongoing, profit-generating growth, you’ve got to identify your key tasks, and yoke your focus + energy to get those tasks done.

Your time is limited and precious. Burning through your valuable time and energy with tasks that someone else could do isn’t a sustainable strategy. Understandably, you may need to wear all the hats right now….even if that is the case, track your time and you’ll begin to see where you are able to “retrieve” a few hours by pivoting your focus.

So just how do you figure out what to keep and what to ditch?

Here’s how I decide:

Divide and conquer

Make a list of every ball you’ve got in the air right now. Every task you do from creating long-term marketing strategies to sweeping the studio floor. Then divide them into two groups:

• Those that help maintain the business: The must-do daily or weekly tasks that help keep the business running. Think teaching classes and working with clients, but also paying the bills and replying to emails.

• Those that help drive business forward: Growth-promoting, catalyzing, and profit-enhancing tasks. Think developing new products or programs,  launching higher-value offers or group programs, learning valuable skills, and working with business coaches.

Some of these tasks need you. There’s no trusted advisor or second-in-command who can step in and teach your classes, courses or coaching sessions, so you must be prepared to give them your attention. But there are other tasks that you may currently handle yourself to “save money,” or haven’t considered delegating.

When it comes to that second group, I want you to ...

Hire smart people

No one likes to hear that you’ve got to “spend money to make money,” myself included. (Seriously, who enjoys cliches?) But if you drown yourself in tasks that competent paid staff members could handle, you are quite literally keeping yourself from dreaming up and rolling out new, better, higher earning-potential offerings. Investing in trustworthy, creative full-time, part-time, or freelance staff frees you up to focus on business-building.

If you’re not in a position to hunt down and take on traditional employees, consider digital solutions like:

• Virtual assistants (VAs), who can schedule your social posts, edit your content, or do grahic design work remotely and affordably.

• Provider marketplaces like Upwork or Fiverr, which connect you with designers, programmers, and content marketers through bidding systems.

• Design aids like 99 Designs, where you find and work with freelance designers on logos, packaging, websites, and more.

Once you have the tasks you keep all to yourself and the ones you selectively delegate there will be a few stragglers which don’t serve you or your business.

Eliminate underperformers

Sometimes we outgrow aspects of our business or find that certain responsibilities no longer serve their purpose.

// If you never get more than two students in your Thursday night cooking class, why are you still offering it?

// If you’re spending time populating gorgeous Pinterest boards but they don’t drive sales or generate new customer leads, quit it.

// If you dread the thought of teaching that weekly webinar, axe it.

// If you have an offer, program, workshop or course you’ve outgrown, retire the offer.

You do NOT have to keep doing things just because you’ve done them in the past. And you do NOT have to do things just because your peers are doing them. Keep your top-performing offerings and cut the dead weight. Focus on social media outlets that you enjoy and that bring you new business, and ditch the rest. You’re the boss. Make some tough calls and reduce your workload by letting go of underperformers.

Dial up the discipline

We’ve gone from easy to tough, I know! Making a list of your work tasks is a cakewalk. Increasing self-mastery? Not so easy.

Start with tiny steps like disabling social media notifications and practicing mono-tasking. (Multi-tasking is a total myth, believe me.)

Be honest with yourself about your most productive hours, and schedule your hardest tasks at those times of day. (More productivity tips here!)

Pick up an important, business-focused task to complete each day at the start of your workday. You’ll get an instant boost of motivation knowing you completed an important task for your business growth and that will help keep you motivated whe

As time goes on, you’ll learn the valuable lesson every successful entrepreneur has learned: you can’t do it all. Embrace this lesson with big, open arms. Doing it all is overrated. Focusing your efforts on strategic, key tasks is the only way to fly.

Wanna connect with a supportive group as you manage your task lists?

Join the Kula, a Free Coaching Community for female founders and integrative practitioners. We go Live every Tuesday at 1 pm EST / 10 am PST for mindful business tips and weekly action plans.