Expand Your Fempire Podcast #82 Transcript

Wear Your Heart All Over Your Business

Welcome to Expand your Fempire with Caterina Rando, the podcast for women in business on a mission. Sharing ideas to support you to grow and thrive. Now here’s your host, Caterina Rando.

[00:00:00] Caterina Rando: This is Caterina Rando, and I am blissing to be with you for another episode of the Expand Your Fempire Podcast. Many of you may have started your careers in a corporate environment where you were not able to be your super exuberant self, or you were encouraged to not wear your heart on your sleeve, where perhaps the institutional environment was more cold or dare we say, not warm. Or perhaps you grew up in a household where you were told to be seen and not heard or you picked a career like banking or law or something else where it was about thinking about facts, about numbers, and not so much about people. Now you’re in your own business. And guess what, my friend, you get to do business any way you want. And you know how I like to do business? I like to do business with my heart not on my sleeve, I like to do my business with my heart all over the place.

[00:01:55] This episode is all about you and me looking at how you can wear your heart more all over your business. Now I’m imagining that right now, you might be thinking “Caterina, what does that look like? What does that even mean?” Now while I consider myself super smart, I cannot answer that question for you. You have to answer that question for yourself.

[00:02:30] We will though, in this episode, explore some different ways it’s being done. I will ask you some questions for you to answer because my goal here with you today is for you to spread your love more, to share your love more through your business, to uplift the lives of your clients and people that you interact with. Wearing your heart all over your business will also result in more long-term and lifelong clients. And here’s the other thing. It will have you blissing in your business more. I want you to think about right now, when have you been touched in the heart through your business? I don’t mean those moments where you’ve touched someone else, like when you serve your clients. I mean, when someone has touched you.

[00:03:34] I remember when I had my first business, my cafe and catering business. Laura Whitworth, one of the founders of the Coaches Training Institute, she was my first business coach. And she looked at me and she said to me “Caterina, you are a good listener. You care about people. You would make a great business coach”. This touched me, this stayed with me, and what she was doing right there is something I want you to do for your clients. She was holding a bigger vision for me than I held for myself. She knew that I loved the business part of having a cafe. She knew I loved the people part of having a cafe. She also knew I didn’t love the foodservice part and I’m trying to figure out my thing. She saw something for me that I did not see for myself. I was shy. I was not loud and proud. I was not out there. I was super insecure.

[00:04:40] And guess what? Even if your clients are not looking insecure, don’t think they don’t have insecurities. What my coach did for me was she held a bigger vision for me than I had and held for myself, took me quite a while to grow into that vision. And I’ve seen this with my clients where I’ve talked to them about what I see for them. I see them speaking. I see them running group programs. I see them running retreats. I see them having a team. I see them building their own Fempire. And sometimes when I share this with them, you know, they’re just focused on how to get a few more clients. You know what though? The more they hear it from me, very soon they start to grow into these ideas.

[00:05:33] One of the best ways you can wear your heart all over your business is to hold a bigger vision for your clients than they hold for themselves, and to articulate this to them.

[00:05:49] By the way, this comes under the important umbrella of encouragement. Do not think, just because your clients are adults that they cannot use/benefit from when you encourage them. A client said to me yesterday, she got a new contract for a big institution, her first one. And you know what I said to her? I said, “this is going to be the first of thousands”. That was not an exaggeration. Now she’s only focused on filling the contract of the first one. I’m seeing more possibilities for her. That’s my job. And even if you’re not in the women empowerment business, whatever business you’re in, graphic design, professional organizing, whatever it is, your job is to hold a bigger vision for your clients than they hold for themselves.

[00:06:53] Sometimes wearing your heart all over your business looks like giving someone some extra time. One of my clients said to me “Caterina, will you watch this video? Will you watch the speech?” Sometimes I can, sometimes I’ve got a lot on my plate, I always do my best to accommodate. I always do my best to be a “yes” whenever a client makes a request. Why? Because they’re my client. Isn’t it my job to go the extra mile? Isn’t it my job to under promise and over-deliver? Isn’t it my job to do whatever I can to support them?

[00:07:31] And you say “well Caterina, are you charging for that?” Guess what my friend? Nickeling and diming your clients is not wearing your heart all over your business. There will be a couple of people who will take advantage of your generous heart. However, in those cases it’s your job to speak up and to say, “sweetheart, this does not work for me”, or “I can do this, but I cannot do this”. You’ve got a voice, amplify your voice, use your voice if you feel you’re being taken advantage of. I almost never have that experience. Why?

[00:08:13] Because I have the attitude and the belief that it is my privilege to serve my clients. And if they need a little extra something something, be it a little time, a little encouragement, a listening ear, I’m thanking them for making it easy for me to give them what they need. That’s my job. And that I hope you are taking is also your job. Wear your heart, my friend, all over your business.

[00:08:46] It looks like a lot of other things, too. I used to be a direct seller. I used to sell Cookie Lee jewelry way back when. I remember the first time I went to a Cookie Lee convention. First of all, I loved it. All these excited, enthusiastic, happy women from all over the country. And at some point, all these ladies walked on stage and they had on orange, purple, light blue sashes. Like in a M iss America contest where they have the different states they’re representing written on the sashes. I looked at those ladies on the stage, they were beaming, they were blissing. And I said to myself, what do I got to do to get a sash? Well, eventually I did get a sash, that was the leaders. They got sashes. And I mentioned this to you because the sashes were a tool of recognition.

[00:09:51] What are you doing to recognize your clients? Now again, here’s where you might say “well, Caterina, I’m not in the direct sales business. I’m not in the women empowerment business. That’s okay. Every business wants to recognize and acknowledge and uplift their clients. I remember years ago a client of mine, she was a financial planner, and every year she did a client appreciation dinner where she took them to a fancy dinner and then a concert with a world-renowned celebrity musician. Everybody loved it. Everybody was excited to go.

[00:10:36] This was a great way to acknowledge and recognize her clients. Another client who was also in financial services every year. She got a whole group of her clients together to do a walk-a-thon in her community. And then after she would have a big party, not just for the people that were in the walk-a-thon, but for all her clients as appreciation.

[00:11:05] What are you doing to acknowledge and engage with your clients? The thing is engagement is not just about social media engagement is all the ways people can come and be with you, virtually or live and in-person. Sometimes this looks like gifts. Yesterday from a client, I got a beautiful card. She used crayons to make hearts all over the card. I was so touched. We sent out Valentine’s cards to all of our clients. We send out a gift when they join a program. We send out a certificate, which is in a gold frame, when they graduate from their program. And you know what I’ve even started to do? I’ve started to track who likes milk chocolate, who likes dark chocolate, and who wants a vegan chocolate?

[00:12:10] Now you might think this is a lot, you know what though? All of your clients, just like you, they want to feel seen, they want to feel heard, they want to feel valued, they want to feel cared for. Gifting is one of those places where you can get it really right, or you can get it really wrong. For example, I don’t really drink. I might have two or three cocktails a year. Unless we’re on a cruise ship, then I’ll have two or three over the course of the cruise, but not much. Not really a beverage person. If I have a beverage it’s amaretto, it’s a Kahlua, something sweet like me. If someone wants to say thank you to me and they give me an award-winning bottle of wine from Italy. Well, I like that they know I’m Italian, but guess what? That says to me that they don’t really know me. If they give me a bottle of scotch, I know they super have no idea who I am.

[00:13:17] Gifting is an important place where you want to do what you can to get it right. You know I am a big fan of the five love languages. Gifts is one. You got to get it right though. My favorite one is words of appreciation and acknowledgment. And I’ve talked about this before, and I really want you to look at how you can up your acknowledgment of your clients, your potential clients.

[00:13:47] Wendy Lyon, she’s a wonderful relationship coach in Marin I’ve had the privilege of working with. She said to me a couple of days ago, she said “Caterina, I love your podcast. I was listening to it while I was walking my dog. And you know what? I’m going to start listening to it all the time when I’m walking my dog.” Her taking a moment to do that with enthusiasm, absolutely made my day.

[00:14:17] Words cost you nothing. They can be a huge investment in uplifting your relationships and having your clients and your potential clients feel gotten by you. And seen and heard and valued. I want you to ask yourself right now, how are you doing with your acknowledgment? Is there room for an upgrade? And by the way, we don’t just acknowledge people for what they do. We acknowledge them for how they’re being while they’re doing it: enthusiastic, kind, loving, dynamic. And the really important part is to acknowledge them for how it impacts us.

[00:15:07] Elaine Williams, one of the amazing women in our community, she sent me a Gal-entine’s Day card. I was so excited when I got it. It was beautiful. Had hearts all over. I said to her, not only thank you for your kindness and your generosity, I also said “you made my day.”

Acknowledgment is a skill that I don’t want you only to do, I want to encourage you to master it, because it will uplift you, it will uplift your clients and potential clients, your vendors, your team, and it will have you bliss more in your business.

[00:15:50] In the beginning of February, I sent these boxes to everyone on my team for Valentines. I called them love boxes. There were cards and a little ceramic dish that said “hello, gorgeous” and a journal that said “fearless female” and chocolates and all kinds of things. I had so much fun putting those together.

[00:16:14] Letting people know I’m thinking about them, that they’re appreciated. How are you doing at letting your clients, your team, your vendors, the people in your personal life know that you appreciate them, that you value them?

[00:16:31] Right now, I want you to think about as a client or a customer, when have you felt really loved and appreciated? When have you felt like the people that you’re giving your precious money to, that you’re entrusting to serve you, when have you felt really loved and cared for.

[00:17:02] Yesterday, I go to see Shannon Sunburg. She’s one of my amazing VIP clients. She has a spa in Petaluma, California, where you can go get detox foot baths and raindrop massage and you can lay on her Beamer for microcirculation. Upgrade for your body. She does tuning forks to wake up your nervous system. She’s an amazing gal. I get there for my foot bath. She greets me at the door with my favorite beverage, which is a special tonic she makes for respiratory support. We have a lovely visit while I’m there. Then I’m taking home a couple of bottles of tonic, I got a couple other little things, and she insists on walking me down to my car and helping me get on the road.

[00:18:03] Now I’m sharing this with you because of course we concluded with a hug and a great to be with you. I felt so supported. I felt so appreciated. I felt so much love as a client and a customer. Now I’m only telling you about yesterday. This is standard operating procedure for how she interacts with her clients. I’m sharing this with you because I want you to think about when you have had an amazing experience as a client. And I want you to look at how you can have that inspire you, or you could duplicate that in your business.

[00:18:47] I remember many years ago I was on a retreat with another coach, and it took her about five months, but at some point, we got in the mail a picture of all the participants, and I loved that. Now, of course, I’m going to upgrade, I’m going to send it out within two weeks after the retreat. That is now the standard operating procedure. Why? Because I felt so seen and appreciated when it happened to me as a customer. This is what I want you to be thinking about.

[00:19:32] Jumping back to Shannon with her amazing spa location. She is a great listener. And I want you to ask yourself, how are your listening skills? Do you take time to listen to your clients? When you get on the phone with them, are you dashing all the time? Are you booking appointments so tight together that you have to say to them “Hey, I have another appointment in a few minutes”? Of course, occasionally we have to put appointments back to back. Let’s not have that though be standard operating procedure. Because we want time to connect with people. We want time to take a break between appointments. We want time if we say to them “Hey, I’ll send you this resource” or “I want to introduce you to so-and-so,” we want time between that appointment and the next appointment to be able to do those things we said we would do.

[00:20:39] Because you know one of the big ways you wear your heart all over your business is keeping your agreements. Keeping your agreements, of course, with your clients, with your vendors, with your potential clients. And this is really important, because sometimes I’ve been a client, and I’m sure you have, where somebody is promising something and then things change and they don’t acknowledge that they promised this thing, or they forget that they promised. This is never acceptable.

[00:21:13] Recently, we were scheduled to go on our Bliss Retreat, our 10 day Mexican Riviera cruise, where we were doing our Bliss Retreat for Women Leaders on a Mission. Unfortunately, due to the variant and the pandemic, we decided as a group that we would move it to the next year. Well, because all these ladies were wanting to go on a retreat and now we have to move it out, you know, a very important guiding principle I’m going to remind you right now, you have to keep your clients engaged. And although I have to move out the retreat, what am I going to do to make sure these ladies are engaging with me through the year so that they’re still as excited next year, about going as they were this year?

[00:22:08] Well, that’s when I said to them “you know what? I am going to do a virtual retreat every month, or we’re doing it 10 times”. We’re doing a virtual retreat because I’m going to Italy in September and in December we will have a lot of other things going on. I said to them “okay, we’re going to do nine virtual retreats”. And I said to them “Okay, this is going to only be for you all because anyone else that signs up, they still get to come, but they’re not going to get this retreat”. Well, then I started to sign up ladies for the retreat that were not in the initial group. And you know what I said? I realized… I decided, it didn’t feel good to have some ladies getting this special something and some ladies not getting it. So I decided we were going to give it to everybody. So that means I changed my mind after the fact, after I announced what was included. Well, do you know what? At the first retreat, when I went to everybody and I said, “you know what, I’ve rethought this. I’m not going to exclude anybody. You know, that’s not how I roll. Everyone who’s coming is going to be included”. They were all very happy with this decision.

[00:23:27] Here’s my point. When you change something, you don’t just change it. You acknowledge it to your clients. There’s been a few times over the last many years where something has had to change or be adjusted. Well, when that’s the case, we always look for how can we not only acknowledge it, but how can we make it even better? For example, there was last year, a time when I had a group program scheduled. I had to be out of the country. I said, “you know what? We have to cancel this group session. However, everyone’s going to get a half an hour coaching session, and then we’re still gonna reschedule”. Well, of course, everyone was blissing about that. Here’s what I’m sure you know: you under-promise, you over-deliver, you also acknowledge any time there needs to be a change. Now, this is you operating with integrity. Why are we talking about this? Because part of keeping your agreements is acknowledging when you can’t keep it perfectly, and that your clients will absolutely care about.

[00:24:44] Let’s talk about a few more things. Your job is to be looking for anything you can do that supports your clients. What do I mean by this? What resources do they need? Even if it’s personal resources, they need a babysitter. They need a cleaning service. They need somebody to haul an old desk out of their house and take it to their favorite charity. If they ask you something, you help them find a resource, even if it’s outside your scope, because you want to be a trusted source for your clients, for whatever they need.

[00:25:26] Let me give you an example. Let’s say I have a new client and her website is schlumpa-dinka, meaning it is not up to the standard that would result in her getting clients. I don’t say to her “sweetheart, you need to upgrade your website”. I say to her, with love, “it looks like it’s time for you to upgrade your website. Here are some people that can help you. Here are some trusted resources that I want to share with you.”

[00:26:00] Years ago, I was at my sister’s house for dinner and I met this lovely lady that she had a business, and she told me that she gave money to three different web developers before she got a website, that the other two took her money for the most part.

[00:26:19] I’m sharing this with you because it’s our job to have trusted resources for our clients. Now, if you’re business to business, not only do you want to have trusted resources, you want to look at how can your network help your clients. For example, I got booked for a podcast today to be interviewed on a lovely woman’s podcast. Well, what did I say to her? I said, “what other kinds of guests are you looking for? May I make recommendations to you?” And then before I got off the phone with her, I recommended seven different people to her, whom are all my clients, who I think are a great match for her podcast.

[00:27:07] You be on the lookout for your clients when you’re business to business, or even if you’re not business to business, any resources or opportunities or access or introduction that you can give your clients. When I get booked for a speaking engagement, what do I say to whoever’s booking me? “What other kinds of speakers are you looking for?” And of course, I’m going to recommend my clients first. Because don’t I want them to thrive? Don’t I want them to benefit from their relationship with me in a variety of ways, in every possible way. This is a great place where you can wear your heart all over your business by thinking about your clients and what have you got going on that would support them on their journey.

[00:28:04] Yesterday, I was getting an unexpected pedicure. When I went to get something I saw there was a nail shop. I was very happy to be getting a pedicure. And during that time I watched a 30-minute video one of my clients had sent me to review and give her feedback. Now, when she asked me to review her 30-minute video and give her feedback, that’s basically another hour of my time. Did I say, sorry for you, you’ve got to write me a big check or even a middle check or a little size check for this additional time? Or did I find a way to do it that really didn’t cost me much time? I did that because I always want to be a yes for my clients.

[00:28:57] I hope you heard what I said: whenever possible, I want to be a yes for my clients. The meter is not always running. And what does this get me as a thriving woman in business? You know what it gets me? It gets me long-term and lifelong clients. Client’s been with me more than 10 years. Clients that are saying to me towards the end of the year, “what are we doing next year?” Clients that are a insta-yes. I do something which I’m going to share with you now.

[00:29:31] There’s the price of a program. Then there’s the early bird price. Then I do something called the pre-publication price. This is before we have the website, before we have all the details knocked out for people in my VIP community, they are offered a pre-publication price. Do you know what that means? That means that they’re saying yes to a program when all they know are the dates, the topics and the price. Why? Because of the significant influence that has been built over time from not only providing value for clients, providing extra value. And part of that extra value is loving all over my clients, wearing my heart all over my business. Because do not think that is not value, that is value. Having the people that you serve feel seen, heard, valued, welcomed, included, know that they matter.

[00:30:47] Because you communicate that they matter, because you acknowledge them, because you do give them extra time, because you do go the extra mile for them. That my friend is wearing your heart all over your business, and that keeps your clients coming back, and that has them be an insta-yes for whatever is next, without even knowing the details.

[00:31:14] I hope you’re blissing, as you’re hearing this, I hope that you are looking at where you can embrace this strategy in your business for more ease revenue and bliss.  

[00:31:28] I mentioned about feeling seen, heard, valued. Let’s not underestimate the power of this. This morning, I woke up to a message from a client. This client is very successful, has been a leader in her field for many years, over three decades. She sent me a note thanking me for the Valentine that I had sent her. You know what she said to me? She said, “thank you so much for the kind words. And thank you because this was the only Valentine that I got this year”. She said, “yes, I got texts, I got Facebook messages, but this was the only Valentine that came in the mail”. Now, maybe you don’t send Valentines, maybe you don’t care about Valentines, but let me tell you something.

[00:32:24] Everybody on this planet wants to feel loved. Everybody on this planet wants to be reminded that they’re lovable. It doesn’t matter what age they are. It doesn’t matter how confident they are. We can never have enough words of appreciation and acknowledgment. This was proven to me on this last Valentine’s day also, when I went to see my mother and father. Now, I had been there only a couple of days before. I never leave any conversation or visit with them without telling them how much I love and appreciate them. When I dropped by on Valentines with a small gift for each of them, some loving words in a card, it was like I had never done it before.

[00:33:22] I’m 56, so I’ve done it lots of times. It was as if it was the first time I had ever said, “I love and appreciate you”. I’m sharing this with you because it never gets old, it never gets tired. Where in your business and your life can you love on people more? I want you to answer that question right now.

[00:33:51] The thing that happens when we give words of appreciation is that people feel seen. Many years ago when I was at the University of San Francisco getting my master’s in counseling psychology, I went to France with one of my teachers for a week-long seminar on developing a professionally effective presence. The seminar was in the region in France where they grow lavender. It was not in an academic setting. It was in a fancy farmhouse setting, and there we worked with and met the members of the Roy Hart Theater Company. Among them was a woman named Kara Anderson. This woman who was well into her seventies had more vitality than any gal I ever met in my life. She was so fun and vivacious. I felt alive simply being in her presence. And you know what she thought I was fabulous. She gave me extra attention. She gave me extra time. We had to do a performance, all of us, that was part of the graduation from this week-long seminar. And for whatever reason, I decided to sing “O Sole Mio” in Italian. Now, if you know me, you know I’m not a singer. I do speak Italian. However, this was a big, tall order. This woman worked with me on this four-minute performance as if it was going to be delivered at a big theater in Milan

[00:35:50] Attention – giving people our attention is one of the ways we show them our appreciation, our love, and in business, that we are honored to serve them. My time with Kara Anderson, that was at least 25 years ago. It warms my heart and it lifts me up today to think about it.

[00:36:18] You know, one of the things that always lights me up is when someone comes up to me after a speech or they send me a note on Facebook or they jump in a Clubhouse room, and they reference a time and a place where I spoke with them five, ten, or more years ago. And they tell me something I said to them way back when. This just happened to me today around this topic. A lady was talking with me about what I shared with her about, you know, relationships first, revenue second, and how it changed her life and her business. Words matter. The more attention you give to your clients in a special way, meaning a one-on-one way, the more impact you will have with them.

[00:37:19] My friend, you know, I have a lifetime supply of more super tips on this particular topic. I do want to let you know, I did a Clubhouse room on this topic recently, Wear Your Heart All Over Your Business, you can listen to the replay. There were several women in that room. We had a wonderful time.

[00:37:42] If you are not following our club on Clubhouse, Thriving Women in Biz, if you have not joined, please do. Please join us over there. We have rooms every week. You can come, you can network, you can get your voice in the room.

[00:37:58] If you are not in our Facebook group, please join us, Thriving Women in Business. Please make sure you’re subscribing to this podcast. Please give us a five-star review. My team and I, we put our whole heart in these podcasts that we do for you, because my mission, our mission is, to provide you massive value in order for you to grow, thrive, learn, and of course, bliss more.

[00:38:26] Please join us for an upcoming free workshop. Send me a Facebook message. Send me an email. I would love to get to know you and your business more and support you however I can. As we wrap up, look at how you can wear your heart more all over your business, because you know what? You have an endless supply of love to give. The more you give, the more it replenishes. And more importantly, the more you uplift the lives of others and your own. I’m sending you some love. Call on me anytime, for any reason. And I cannot wait to be with you again on another episode of Expand Your Fempire.

We hope you enjoyed this episode of Expand Your Fempire with Caterina Rando.