Episode 157: You Deserve the $$$ - How To Monetize Your Business (THROWBACK) w/ Sakita Holley

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On this THROWBACK episode – we take it back to EP 6 and our chat with Sakita Holley – the founder and CEO of NY-based beauty and lifestyle PR firm House of Success PR. She is also the editor of HashtagsandStilettos.com, a business lifestyle blog and hosts a podcast of the same name that you can find on Apple Podcasts and Soundcloud.

Sakita shares tips and advice from her own experience growing House of Success PR. You’ll learn more about what you have to do to find clients, close deals, and start monetizing your service-based or lifestyle business.

IN THIS PODCAST YOU’LL LEARN:

1. How to figure out when you need to leave your job and pursue something new
2. How she overcame having BUSINESS CAPITAL & CREDIBILITY and launched her own PR firm
3. The biggest mistakes Sakita made when she first offered services to clients
4. Why CLIENT EDUCATION is super important
5. The questions you need to ask to figure out your target market
6. When it’s okay to do work for FREE
7. Why walking away from a deal can be good move
8. The real reason you should NEVER low-ball your services
9. Quick inexpensive alternative for accessing legal counsel for your business
10. The systems you need to scale your business
11. 3 things all entrepreneurs NEED in their toolkit

SOME QUESTIONS I ASK:

– What inspired you as a child?
– What were some of the challenges you faced building House of Success?
– How did you get your first client?
– What’s the biggest mistake most aspiring creative entrepreneurs make when it comes to building their clientele?
– The Perfect Pitch – do you have any pointers for “closing the deal”?
– Post-sell: What are important documents/ tools/resources EVERY entrepreneur needs?
– How important is building your personal brand when it comes to building clientele and monetizing?
– How can you use social media to build your brand?
– When’s a time you felt like giving up and how did you bounce back?

SAKITA’S KEYS TO SUCCESS:
1. Know your WHY.
2. Have a mentor or informal board of advisors
3. Do more things that bring you joy

SAKITA’S KEYS TO SUCCESS (NOTES & TWEETABLES):

“Whenever you take a leap of faith and you run into obstacles, you need to have a core belief in yourself.” @misssuccess

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2. There are things that are going to happen. We plan and God laughs. What are you steadfast in? What do you know for sure?

Ask yourself: What do I know for sure? – @misssuccess

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3. Never offer services that you are not an expert in unless you are going to hire an expert to execute.

Never offer services that you are not an expert in unless you are going to hire an expert to execute. -@misssuccess

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4. Client education is key. Teach your clients how your services are impacting their bottom line.

How to make the sell? Client education is key. -@misssuccess

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5. Doing projects for free can be valuable if there is an opportunity for you to gain experience. Weigh the pros and cons and make sure you’re not locked into a long-term deal that is not mutually beneficial to you.

6. When pitching new business, make sure to LISTEN.

When pitching new business, make sure to LISTEN.” @misssuccess

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7. Sometimes the best way to close a deal is knowing when to walk away from it.

“Sometimes the best way to close a deal is knowing when to walk away from it.” @misssuccess

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8. People respect when you respect yourself and know your value.

People respect when you respect yourself and know your value. -@misssuccess

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9. Guard your energy.

Guard your energy.” -@misssuccess

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