Having trouble getting to Inbox Zero? Feeling like you’re playing whack-a-mole with your emails all day every day? You’re not alone.
And in this episode of the podcast, I’m giving your 4 practical tips on how to reduce the stress, anxiety, and overwhelm of an overflowing email box.
To get there, we’re tackling everything from a super helpful tool to use, what types of processes or systems to put in place and even the importance of creating and maintaining boundaries.
And if setting up an email process to manage your inbox makes you feel like you have “one more thing” to do, let me tell you this: When you implement these four simple tips, you’ll have more time to spend working on your business, more time to focus on clients and more time to spend with those that matter most.
Sound good? Let’s get to it, then.
A hard boundary I’ve set for myself is that I’m only going to check emails when I know that I can actually respond.
In This Episode We Explore:
Why you should unsubscribe end the email inbox noise
How to time your inbox checks to reduce your overwhelm and why “I’ll just reply really quickly.” isn’t the answer
How to batch your inbox replies so you stay focused as your write
When to use folders and filters to delegate email to other team members
How to respond to emails on weekends or late nights without setting false expectations or breaking with your boundaries when you do
Want more of the 100 Degrees of Entrepreneurship podcast?
Follow me on Instagram: @stephanie.skry (Tag me in your screenshots of the podcast and I’ll be sure to share!)
Ready to get a little uncomfortable so you can grow your business? Let’s get to know your numbers. Check out The Profit Playbook, a template that will help you create a roadmap to reach your business goals.
Do you remember the days when email was exciting? When you’d hear that ding and get excited for a new client or that juicy newsletter from someone you admire? Well, if that once joyful “You’ve Got Mail” feeling has been replaced by email inbox dread, the latest episode of The 100 Degrees of Entrepreneurship Podcast is definitely for you.
Seeing emails pile up can bring on a great deal of anxiety. It can make you feel like you’re constantly behind and you can end the workday with more emails unread than when the day began. But putting productivity on pause is simply not an option when you’re running your business.
But having a plan and a system you use each day is the best way to tackle your inbox with confidence.
In Episode 11 of The 100 Degrees of Entrepreneurship Podcast, we’re talking about managing your email, and here are my four key tips to managing your email inbox:
Tip #1: Unsubscribe to End The Noise
From promo emails to sale notifications things can get pretty crowded. And if you’re living with a personal email and a business email, it can feel like whack-a-mole throughout the day. My best suggestion: but otherwise, get rid of them. If you’re busy and not buying, just save your absolute favorites and ditch the rest.
Trust me, you won’t miss the clutter. And if you miss something you can always resubscribe later. No worries!
Tip #2:Only Check Your Inbox When You Can Respond
Whether it’s off-hours, you’re out with your kids, or you’re in the zone on your latest project, there are times when it’s just going to stress you out to check your inbox.
And that’s okay.
My suggestion here is that you consciously decide that you’ll check your email at a particular time each day. If that’s not how you roll, then I’d encourage you to decide you’ll only check your email when you can respond to it. This skips the anxiety or the “writing the reply in my head” feeling you get when you feel the need to respond right away.
Multitasking and answering emails can lead to miscommunication or missed opportunities so the decision to check your email when you’re focused on that specific task is the way to go.
Plus, you get to show up more fully in whatever you’re doing which is a big impact booster for sure!
Tip #3: Batch Answer Similar Emails
Want an easy way to stay focused when writing or replying to emails?
Try this trick: Go through your email and answer or write emails that are related in some way.
This may mean responding to all emails from clients at once and then moving on to emails from team members and then responding to potential leads.
When you do this you’ll eliminate chunks of your email box at once, build momentum, and feel the progress you’re making.
And, you’ll find it easier to write when you’re dealing with the same audience or subject matter. So you may discover that this makes you an email reply superstar who gets more done in less time just by focusing more effectively.
Tip #4: Use Folders And Filters
Not everything in your email box needs your attention. So, using folders and filters is a great way to make delegation a breeze.
If you get an email that someone on your team needs or should see you can have those emails filtered over to them or create a folder where everything for that team member can live when they’re ready to dive into the inbox.
*Bonus Tool Tip: Schedule emails with Boomerang
I think we’ll all agree that healthy boundaries around your time are essential. But there might be some late nights and weekends where you are checking or answering emails.
One way to maintain your time-related boundaries when those instances occur is to use Boomerang. It’s a plug-in that allows you to schedule emails to be sent at a different time or to have an email you received boomerang back to you at a later date so you don’t forget about it.
As an entrepreneur, you’re not always living a 9-5 life but this tool can help you maintain boundaries as if you are. And those healthy boundaries can really help everyone from you to your clients to your team feel comfortable and confident as they interact with you.
I can’t wait to celebrate all of your Inbox Zero accomplishments!
P.S. In case you missed it, here’s a quick review of the latest podcast episodes!
Jennifer Grayeb is the CEO of The Nimble Co, a consulting group focused on helping online business owners better understand their numbers so they can make data-driven and profit-generating marketing decisions.
Jennifer and I talked about how to skip vanity metrics and use data to make more money and better decisions in your business.
In Episode 9 I’m sharing four of my go-to strategies for building a business for the long haul. These strategies are ones that my clients and I use to grow our impact and our bottom lines every day and they’re things you can implement in your business right now.
Kari Elizabeth Enge Kari Elizabeth Enge is the founder and editor in chief of Rank & File Magazine, a publication that shares authentic, vulnerable advice on building a social impact business. She’s also a coach for purpose-driven entrepreneurs. Rank & File Magazine has featured notable thought leaders and entrepreneurs such as Simon Sinek, Jessica Honegger, Liz Forkin Bohannon, Caitlin Crosby, and more. In our conversation, we explored the brain trash we all need to take out to grow as people and as business owners. Her guidance offered practical tips for making these shifts so you can make a real impact in the world around you.
Kari Elizabeth Enge is the founder and editor in chief of Rank & File Magazine, a publication that shares authentic, vulnerable advice on building a social impact business. She’s also a coach for purpose-driven entrepreneurs. Kari was selected into the management intern program for the world’s largest private mega-yacht. What started as a three-month experiment at sea turned into a life-altering journey.
She climbed the corporate ladder and traveled to over 30 countries where she came face to face with extreme poverty. Kari realized that her values were no longer aligned with her corporate life and in 2016 she quit her corporate role to pursue a life of purpose. She launched Rank & File Magazine which has featured notable thought leaders and entrepreneurs such as Simon Sinek, Jessica Honegger, Liz Forkin Bohannon, Caitlin Crosby, and more.
Kari has a coach certification from the renowned Life Coach School and is passionate about empowering and equipping entrepreneurs to build intentional fulfilling lives and businesses that contribute to a better world.
We talked about the transformative power of investing in yourself, how to make an impact while building a life you love, stepping outside of your comfort zone, and what so often holds her coaching clients back before they begin working with her.
Our conversation is full of mindset-shifting revelations that you can use in your business-building journey and I can’t wait to share them with you.
“ It’s amazing how when you just decide you’re this future person now the goals become really easy because you’re being the person you need to be to make it happen.”
In This Episode We Explore:
What mindset shifts you can make right now to transform how you show up in your life and business
How the brain drama of thinking entrepreneurship has to be hard actually makes it even harder and what to do about it
Why “success” for your brain and success in your business are two different things and how stepping out of your comfort zone can help bridge that gap
Why there’s no “right way” to do social impact entrepreneurship and what that means for you if you’re ready to have a life you love and make a difference
How to understand and overcome analysis paralysis so you can truly make an impact
Connect with Kari Elizabeth enge
Learn About Kari, her coaching, and her Mastermind “The Year of Uncomfortable” Here: https://www.rankandfile.com/
Want more of the 100 Degrees of Entrepreneurship podcast?
Follow me on Instagram: @stephanie.skry (Tag me in your screenshots of the podcast and I’ll be sure to share!)
Check out The Profit Playbook, a template that will help you create a roadmap to reach your business goals.
If you’re anything like me, you’re always on the lookout for the best ways to grow your business. It’s what we do as resourceful, driven entrepreneurs.
But the truth is, from social media to blogs to gurus and courses, things can get a little overwhelming when you consider all of the business advice that’s out there. So, today I decided to cut through that noise and share some of the things I’ve learned as I’ve scaled my business over the past five years.
And while this episode is straight from the heart, it’s also backed up by what I’ve heard from dozens of real-life entrepreneurs from a variety of industries.
In this episode we’ll cover four pieces of insight that I hear nearly every time I meet a business owner at an event, connect with my podcast interview guests beyond the episode, or touch base with my clients.
From mindset shifts to practical, action-focused guidance, these four key strategies will help you grow your business and your bottom line.
So let’s get it going.
“The consistent efforts that you are putting into your business are going to get you to where you want to go. It is a long game.”
In This Episode We Explore:
Why the “quick wins” or overnight successes you see on Instagram are probably not what they seem, and the mindset that’s really required for sustainable business growth
How to make pivots, shifts, and other changes in your business less scary
Why “one size fits all” business advice isn’t going to fit your business and how to use your financial numbers to know if something is really working in your business
Why committing to a niche and owning it is the best way to expand your impact and your bottom line
Want More of The 100 Degrees of Entrepreneurship Podcast?
Follow me on Instagram: @stephanie.skry(And definitely tag me in your screenshots of the podcast and I’ll share them!)
Check out The Profit Playbook, a template that will help you create a roadmap to reach your business goals.
This week on the podcast my guest, Jennifer Grayeb, and I are diving into data in a way that’s anything but boring.
I’m excited to welcome Jennifer to the podcast because she is the CEO of The Nimble Co., a consulting group focused on helping online business owners better understand their numbers so they can make data-driven and profit-generating marketing decisions. She recently left her senior strategy role at a Fortune 5 company where she had six roles in just seven years. While in that role in just two years, she built a productivity blog that reached over 2 million page views per year, which she then went on to sell. In every role, she’s had or every company she’s owned, one thing has been consistent. She delivers results without working 80 hour weeks, and now she helps others do the same with one of her best-kept secrets data.
Jennifer and I talked all about marketing data, how to use it to make decisions in your business, and how it can transform the way you spend your time and money.
We also explored the role that confidence plays in the entrepreneurial journey and Jennifer shared a real, practical way to use data to develop your confidence.
Jennifer explained the key ways she helps her clients collect and interpret marketing data so they can make better, more informed decisions about what next steps to take as they grow and scale their businesses. Plus, Jennifer shares why she just says “No” to vanity metrics and what she encourages her clients to measure instead.
So, if you’ve ever wondered how to really measure the success of your marketing efforts, this is the episode for you.
Let’s focus on the thing that we know for sure will drive results… then tweak the activities that lead to that.
In This Episode We Explore:
Why you’re probably wasting money if you’re doing any marketing right now (And how data can help you change that)
How your marketing data can help you spend your time and money more effectively as you work to reach your goals
Why the metrics you’re always hearing about (from follower counts to likes) aren’t always the right ones to look at as you make business decisions
What an “evidence bank” is and why you need one as an entrepreneur
How data can help you understand where your team’s time is best spent and why Jennifer Grayeb swears by looking at your dashboard each day.
What a deep-dive into your website traffic data can do for your marketing strategy
This week I’m diving in to give you 5 practical, purposeful ways to create discomfort in your life and business.
But why would I spend a whole episode on something like that?
Well, because that’s where real growth, real transformation happens.
And before you brush that aside as just a thing “they” say, I’m here to tell you that it’s absolutely true. And not just for me, but for so many of the entrepreneurs I’ve worked with over the years. They didn’t grow, shift, and thrive because things were simple or comfy. They made real, lasting impacts in their lives and their businesses’ bottom lines because they were willing to work through the uncomfortable and toward the amazing impact on the other side.
And today I’m inviting you to consider how these 5 approaches will help you stretch, expand, and grow in your life and business.
When we push through the uncomfortable, the hard, the challenging in our life, that’s when we have a greater impact on ourselves, on our community, on the world. The impact is on the other side of discomfort.
In This Episode We Explore:
How moving through discomfort can show you things about your own strength, your own resilience, that you wouldn’t have seen otherwise
Why leaving your everyday routine behind and traveling can help you see things from a new perspective
How taking on challenging projects or experiences before you feel 100% ready can transform the way both you and your business grow
Why you need to move past “what if” to make any real progress or impact
Why an uncomfortable “No” is better than a reluctant yes and how “no” can actually unlock opportunities in your business that you didn’t have before
What thinking bigger and setting bigger goals for yourself can do for the future of your life and business
Want more of the 100 Degrees of Entrepreneurship podcast?
Follow me on Instagram: @stephanie.skry (Tag me in your screenshots of the podcast and I’ll be sure to share!)
Ready to get a little uncomfortable so you can grow your business? Let’s get to know your numbers. Check out The Profit Playbook, a template that will help you create a roadmap to reach your business goals.
Morgan Smith is a mother of three, entrepreneur, and founder of Minnow, a children’s swimwear company. Morgan has a background in premium product marketing and after working in New York and Los Angeles, she returned to her hometown of Laguna Beach, California with her husband and two children. With the beach inspiring her daily life, Morgan envisioned a children’s swimwear collection with an elevated approach—sun-kissed color palettes, purposeful details, custom prints, and high quality, hand-finished production, all locally made—and minnow was born.
I spoke to Morgan about what it’s like balancing a burgeoning swimwear company with the demands of motherhood. And the conversation we had covered everything from how her journey began, to how she and her husband navigated the shifting roles they took on as the company grew, to what she’s learned about finding mentors, managing her time as she moved through the early stages of her business, and what she hopes to teach her children as she leads by example in her life and business.
Whether you’ve just launched your business or you’ve been working on your own project for a while, this interview will give you a new perspective on balance, growth, and scaling a startup as you raise your family.
And I don’t think it’s so much about this message of learning how to be happy but learning how to overcome obstacles and learning how to overcome struggle. And to me, that entrepreneurial message is so huge and something that I would love to teach my kids, that we can do hard things.
In This Episode We Explore:
What it really looks like to scale a start-up as you continue to show up as a mom and partner
How your greatest ideas can come from your daily life challenges (And how a trip to London helped Morgan find her business idea)
How to navigate the evolving roles you take on when they’re building a business and raising a family
The power of amazing mentors, friends, and business networks as you fill in your entrepreneurial knowledge gaps
The importance of accepting help at home and in your startup
What your children can learn about work ethic and resilience as they watch you grow and scale your business
The life hack that Morgan uses to save her time and energy as she works and parents
Want more of the 100 Degrees of Entrepreneurship podcast?
Follow me on Instagram: @stephanie.skry (Tag me in your screenshots of the podcast and I’ll be sure to share!)
And if you’re ready to get clear on the numbers in your business so you can grow and scale just like Morgan Smith did, check out The Profit Playbook, a template that will help you create a roadmap to reach your business goals.
In this episode of the 100 Degrees of Entrepreneurship Podcast I’m sharing the monthly finance routine you can use to grow your business and your bottom line. We’ll explore the reasons you really need a finance routine and how it can be both a measure of progress and a crystal ball into your business’ financial future.
I’ll tell you the 3 foundational pieces you’ll need to have in place before you start your finance routine and then we’ll dive into the specifics of each step so you know exactly what to do and when.
We’ll explore revenue, expenses, and forecasting and how comparing this month to others can help you plan for what’s next. Plus, you’ll learn what steps to take, reports to review, and things to consider as you make decisions about where to spend your time and money.
Oh, and the best part?
This streamlined and strategic finance routine can transform your business’ bottom line in as little as 1 hour each month. That means you’ll have a crystal ball into the future of your business and you won’t need to spend hours upon hours pouring over the numbers for a peek at that future.
We want more energy to come to our money…We want to help increase our abundance and our wealth and the only way to do that is to pay attention to our money.
In This Episode We Explore:
How to design a monthly finance routine that helps you grow your business and your bottom line by making strategic, numbers-backed decisions
The 3 key steps you need to take before you begin a monthly finance routine
How this routine can give you a crystal ball that shows you the future of your business (And how to use your monthly finance routine to change what you see when you need to adjust course…)
How to avoid that “Are we going to make payroll” feeling and plan for anything that’s thrown your way
Want more of the 100 Degrees of Entrepreneurship podcast?
Follow me on Instagram: @stephanie.skry (Tag me in your screenshots of the podcast and I’ll be sure to share!)
If you want to stay in the loop about what our next episode is live, enter your email below.
And if you’re ready to get started with your finance routine, check out The Profit Playbook. It’s an amazing template that you can set up in 15 minutes and use to see the future of your business from revenue to expenses to cash flow. The Profit Playbook will help you create a roadmap to reach your business goals and you can find it for free over at 100degreesconsulting.com/profit
Ready To Step Outside Your Comfort Zone And Make A Bigger Impact?
In this episode of the podcast, I’m chatting with Laura Foote about building your business on a foundation of generosity.
Laura is a branding and lifestyle photographer, coach, editor, and educator based out of Kansas City in Tampa. Her work has been featured in Better Homes and Gardens, Southwest Airlines, and Southern Weddings Magazine as well as brands like Lauren Conrad, Emily Lay, and Glitter Guide.
Laura Foote holds a master’s degree in counseling and instruction and is a former university faculty member and StrengthsQuest Certified Educator. Her Disney customer service training developed from her time working as a cast member has been delivered to over 3,000 people, and she also speaks and coaches professionally about applying your strengths in life and business and networking to cultivate growth, among other topics. She has also been a speaker and or a mentor for the Cultivate Retreat, the Creative Heart Conference, and the Mastermind Retreat. Recently, Laura is the creator of two photography courses, the One Hour Workflow, and Shooting Manual.
Laura’s generosity is what strikes me and it’s the reason I was so grateful for our conversation. She’s found her own unique way to bring her desire to serve others to her business in an authentic way that really maximizes her strengths as a creative person with a background in counseling and education. And her business is a direct reflection of that multi-passionate, multi-talented approach to entrepreneurship. While other entrepreneurs are urging everyone they meet to “niche down” and focus on one thing, Laura’s fiercely following her love of photography and her desire to help and create amazing connections with people.
We talked about everything from why there’s no one quite like you to planning for generosity in your business finances to how to create amazing client experiences and even her best productivity hack for getting things done and staying on track. And I know you’ll love Laura Foote’s kind and brilliant presence as much as I do.
But then I had to realize there were not a lot of mes, there’s not a lot of any of us, right? When we really choose what we want to do with our day-to-day, and what we want our businesses to look like, the biggest encouragement we can take away is there isn’t anyone like you.
In This Episode We Explore:
What generosity looks like as a business owner
What it means to forge your own path as a multi-passionate entrepreneur
How generosity impacts the numbers in your business
Some ideas for creating amazing client experiences
How to create a business that you love based on your natural strengths, abilities, and the things that bring you joy
CONNECT WITH LAURA
To connect with Laura Foote, visit her website Laurafoote.com, or follow her on Instagram @laurafoote.
Want more of the 100 Degrees of Entrepreneurship podcast?
Follow me on Instagram: @stephanie.skry (Tag me in your screenshots of the podcast and I’ll be sure to share!)
If you want to stay in the loop about what our next episode is live, enter your email below
Ready To Step Outside Your Comfort Zone And Make A Bigger Impact?
Sometimes when I’d be in the car alone, I’d practice an intro. “Hi, I’m Stephanie! Welcome to my podcast!”
I’d dream of how I’d interview guests. “Tell me the story of your business journey.”
Then one day, late last year, I decided now is the time and it all came together. Equipment, production, marketing, content – let’s just say it was a learning curve.
I am so thrilled to let you know that…
100 Degrees of Entrepreneurship Podcast
Launches on March 1st!
The show is a mix of solo and interview episodes where I chat with inspiring business owners to share their journey and experiences where they pushed outside their comfort zones to create impact on the world.
The first three episodes will drop on March 1st and you’ll be able to listen on iTunes, Spotify, and Google.
In Episode 1, I share my personal story – how a failed wannabe lawyer turned nonprofit worker built a business serving hundreds of leaders around the globe.
In Episode 2, I chat with Jessica Rasdall, a speaking expert who has turned her mess into her message.
In Episode 3, we blow your mind by explaining the difference between a bookkeeper, accountant, and CFO and what you’re missing without one of these critical roles.
This podcast is my heart and my dream and I’m equally terrified and over-the-moon excited to launch it into the world.
Stay tuned for an email on March 1st to let you know it’s live!
New Podcast Episodes Drop Each Week.
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Boost Your Nonprofit’s Impact: Download the Ultimate Tools List for Efficiency!
Inside this resource, you’ll find a list of the 12+ tools that my team and I know and use to help nonprofits save time and money, plus direct links so you can check them out yourself.
