December 4, 2024 • 36 mins
In this interview episode, we've got the amazing Liz Wilcox joining us to spill her secrets on turning email followers into friends, and eventually, loyal clients.
In this episode you’ll hear:
- secrets on capturing leads through strategic social media moves and savvy website setups
- Discover the "email staircase" and turn your followers into pals, then clients
- how Liz strategically places lead magnets all over a website
- the power of building a solid referral network and collaborating with other business owners
Resources mentioned in this episode:
- Episode 56 ⎸ Infusing Personality into Your Business
- Episode 13 ⎸ How to Use Email Marketing in Your Bookkeeping Business (Email Staircase)
- Email Marketing Membership (affiliate link)
Meet Liz
The Fresh Princess of Email Marketing, Liz Wilcox is an Email Strategist and Keynote Speaker showing small businesses how to build online relationships + make real money with emails. She’s best known for selling a blog, turning a $9 offer into multiple six-figures (without ads), and helping you untangle the email “knot” with her simple framework, the Email Staircase. She loves the 90s, headbands, and the beach.
Connect with Liz
🎁 Free Email Swipes for Building Your Email List
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Serena (01:38):
Welcome to the Ambitious Bookkeeper podcast.
Today, I have a good old friendof mine, Liz Wilcox, on the show.
This is now your, what, third appearance?
Liz (01:47):
Third appearance.
Ta da!
Serena (01:49):
Ta da! So welcome, welcome.
Go ahead and introduceyourself to our listener.
Now, hey friends, you know when youlisten to amazing podcasts like this one
and there's some crazy lady yelling atyou about email marketing and saying,
you know, for every dollar you spendwith email, you can get 40 in return.
Now go, go, go, go, go!And so you promptly open up your kid
(02:10):
account or flow desk or whatever theheck you're using and then you Feel
kinda silly because you have no ideawhat the heck to say to your people.
Well, what's up?
I'm Liz Wilcox and I helpeliminate that problem.
Yes, even for you, my bookkeeping friend.
I'd love to help you write emails,hit send, and make more money.
(02:33):
Yes.
And I'm just gonna shamelessly plug rightoff the bat your email marketing templates
if you are listening to the podcast.
You get an email every week directingyou to this podcast to listen, but
part of that email is in general,one of your weekly templates.
Liz (02:54):
Oh, I love that.
Yeah, so I've got a 9 a month emailmarketing membership where I write, you
know, kind of like Mad Libs style templatefor you to take and make your own.
I always say, like, I get you about80 to 90 percent there, but if
you're using ChatGPT, you can put thetemplates in there and it'll get you,
like, 98 percent of the way there.
So if you're struggling with writing thosenewsletters, I got your back, friend.
Serena (03:18):
I never even considered putting that into ChatGPT.
Liz (03:21):
You know, at first I was like, Oh, don't do that.
Then my content's gonna, and I'm like,people are gonna do what they're gonna do.
And I really, really mean it when I sayI want email marketing to be simple.
So if that's like how their brainworks and how their system works,
like, please put it in there.
See, you know, if that helpsyou, I love it for you.
(03:42):
especially if you've already beendoing a lot of work with ChatGPT and it
knows like your brand voice and all ofthat, if you've been doing it that way.
So it could be very helpful.
I may have to try that and seehow it turns out next time.
Yeah, why not?
So before we hit record, we were tryingto figure out what to chat about.
If you've been a longtime listener ofthe podcast, you may have heard the very
(04:05):
first time Liz was on the, podcast, butthat was like, when I first started it.
So we decided to kind of roll back tosome of the foundations and talk about
building an email list because I know somany of you This came up, I don't know if
it was in my group but someone was talkingabout, like, what, should they do for
a Black Friday special and how do they,like, talk about it and get it out there.
(04:27):
And one of the advantages that I'vehad is that I have built an email
list for my firm, and so I can,you know, I have this, like, built
in audience to, offer things to.
And so it got me thinking,like, not everybody's there,
so how do we get them there?
So let's chat aboutstarting an email list.
Yeah, so the number one thing Iwant you to know about growing your
(04:50):
email list, and I love that Serenajust said this, is like you have to
pause like that short term pleasurefor long term gratification, right?
We're going to talk about growing youremail list and a couple foundations
today, but it's going to take a minute.
And luckily, you know, we've got a wholenother year until Black Friday, right?
(05:11):
So, I hope that So I you know, wheneveryou're listening to this, you can, you
know, spend the next 6 12 months reallygrowing that email list, nurturing the
relationship, so that, you know, thenext time Black Friday does come up,
like she just said, you can just, ohyeah, I've already got this list, I,
you know, I can blast out, here's somecredit, you know, sign up early for XYZ,
(05:35):
whatever Black Friday offer you've got.
So the first thing I want youto know about list building.
Is that number one, like listbuilding is a money making activity.
It might, again, it might seem likeall this slow thing, but when you can
change your mind around, Oh, it's justthis other thing everybody's telling me
to do when you can change it from thatto, Oh, this is a money making activity,
(06:00):
this is essential to my business.
And really it isn't even about.
Getting to the highest number possible.
It's about finding the right people.
Then you can sort of breathe this sighof relief and say, okay, yep, I'm going
to go all in with email marketing.
So when it comes to startingyour email list, I really
recommend having a lead magnet.
(06:23):
Something that incentivizes.
They used to call it anethical bribe, right?
Like, I give you this, you giveme your email address, right?
So making sure you have some sort oflead magnet that's for your people.
So depending on what kindof bookkeeper you are.
What kind of firm you're trying tobuild will depend on the lead magnet
(06:44):
because you might be talking todifferent customers than someone else.
Maybe you want to work with nonprofits.
So what kind of lead magnetcan you create for them?
Maybe you want to work withcompanies that, you know,
care about the environment.
Maybe you want to work withonline service businesses, right?
Who is that audience?
And I like to think, you know, whatis your vision for them, right?
(07:07):
My vision for people is you makemoney with email marketing, right?
If we're walking across LizWilcox university, that's
the degree I'm handing you.
So think about.
You know, your university, whatdegree are you handing your clients?
You know, what are youtrying to really help?
What is the vision there?
And then take it all the wayback to the first day of class.
(07:31):
That is your lead magnet, right?
With me, it's email marketing.
You make money with email, right?
So my first day of class, well, youneed a welcome sequence to get started.
That's the first thingI want you to learn.
That's the first lesson,the first day of class.
So.
I know Serena has a lead magnet.
I'd love to hear how you getpeople on your list for your firm.
Serena (07:53):
so I have a couple different lead magnets.
And that's because they bothhave different goals, right?
originally I started with a leadmagnet that kind of goes through
like a bookkeeping checklist forsomeone who's going to DIY it.
And then like a tech list and all thethings are kind of built into that.
And then Maybe a year or two down theline, I was like, well, wait a second.
(08:15):
I'm not trying to attractpeople doing their own book.
I want to attract people whowant to just hand it over.
So I crafted a different leadmagnet that talks about KPIs
that they should be tracking.
so I still have both available.
But yeah, so those are mytwo different lead magnets.
And the way that I get people tothem is I drive in my blog post.
(08:36):
I, I do a monthly blog post.
And I try to tie those leadmagnets in when it makes sense.
And then the other way that I drivepeople to them is that occasionally
I'll share, On my social media.
I don't do too much withmy social media on my firm.
that's another way that I do it, butin general, the biggest way that I
(08:57):
actually get people on my lead magnetis when they book a call or they
fill out an interest form, I have alittle like caveat that says, we're
going to add you to our email list.
So that's another way that I do it.
So that's basically it.
I guess that could also be considereda lead magnet in itself, but I
do email them that freebie whenthey get on the list anyways.
(09:18):
So even if it comes from a differentavenue, so everyone gets it.
it's kind of a complex thingnow that I'm talking about it.
I'm like, this might bevery confusing for a lot of
Liz (09:29):
makes sense.
So, you know, she'sputting it on her website.
And then, of course, like, ifpeople just want to book a call,
you know, They're going to beadded to the email list as well.
So I don't, I don't thinkthat's confusing at all.
And let's, let's talk aboutthat as service providers.
You know, we want people to book a calland it's, you know, normally I recommend,
(09:50):
Oh, well on your homepage, you know, wewould need to put this lead magnet, right?
And if you go to my website, you know,you'll see, I ask you to join my email
list five times directly on the homepage.
I ask you five times.
Again, if you're like, Serena, oh, Ijust, I want to get people on a call,
there is a balance that you should puton your homepage, right, because you
(10:12):
want to send people to your website, youwant them to book a call, but I want you
to remember, like, you are not Amazon.
com.
You know, if I go to Amazon.
com, I'm buying something.
I know that I'm buying something, right?
Most people are going to your website,or even mine, to just kind of peruse.
Oh, I heard of this.
Let's check, let me see what she'sabout, you know, it's sort of like
(10:32):
a billboard, like a soft sales page.
So you want to make sure, you know,you're, you're having the book a
call, book a call buttons, but I wouldrecommend at least once, maybe twice,
depending on the length of your page.
Put that lead magnet, you know, evensaying something as direct as, you
know, not ready to book a call, butstill interested, download this guide
(10:54):
or whatever you decide to create.
And that way you're still, you know,picking up the maximum amount of eyeballs.
Because placement on yourwebsite is really important.
So homepage.
Also put it on your about page, right?
Put it on your services page.
Again, you could, it could be thevery last thing on my website.
(11:14):
It says, cause I'm very 90s themed.
So it says, oops, you did it again.
You got to the end of the page andyou didn't sign up for my list.
So you could do something similarwhere it's, you know, not ready to
book a call or unsure if we're theright fit, you know, get on my email
list or get this guide, you know, soyou can see more about what I'm about.
Also, if you have blog posts likeSerena, putting them in there,
(11:38):
at the top, in the middle, at thebottom, a sidebar on your website is
a great place for the lead magnet.
even if you're not active on socialmedia, if you have those, accounts set
up, making sure the link in the biogoes directly to a landing page or,
you know, they know where they can signup to join your list to learn more.
(12:01):
That's really important.
Serena (12:02):
Yeah.
I do have it on my website,now that you mention it.
I'm like, I just don't think of thatas like, how I, just because it's
like, the website's just there, andit's been working, so it's like, not
really front of mind, of like, I'm notactively pushing people to that lead
magnet, but yeah, it is on there as well.
So,
Yeah, well, I love that Serenajust said, I'm not actively pushing
(12:23):
people to that lead magnet, butI'm sure, she's actively, or the
team, you know, is pushing people tothe website, to this, to that, and
then those things are just there.
That's what people, when, youknow, You grow your list, you might
think, Oh, well, I'm doing this.
you know, I'm doing the things,but if your website itself is not
(12:43):
set up to capture leads, it's areally huge missed opportunity.
You could be sending all the traffic tothose blog posts, but if don't have the
call to action to capture that lead,you're really, really missing out.
So I do recommend, of course,we want them to book a call.
Of course we do.
But again, we're not Amazon.
(13:04):
Not everyone is goingto always book a call.
But if we can capture that lead somehowwith who would have thunk, a lead magnet?
Wow, I just got that, right?
Um, if you can capture it with thelead magnet on the page, You're going
to see much more list growth faster.
(13:25):
So making that sure that your ecosystemis set up so, you know, in a few
minutes, I'm going to tell you, Oh, youcan get on podcasts, you can network,
you can Pinterest, all these ideas.
But if.
Your homepage, you know,again, is not set up.
It's all for naught.
So really recommend, you know, if you'vegot 20, 30 minutes, even after listening
(13:46):
to this episode, you know, go get yourlaptop out, look at your homepage,
look at your about page, is there justeven the smallest thing that says,
Hey, not ready yet, you know, join thelist where I'll share more about XYZ.
I think that'll really helpincrease your conversions later.
Yeah, absolutely.
what's one of the things that, Imean, I have an answer for this, but
(14:09):
I'm curious to hear your suggestion.
As a bookkeeper, people mightbe like, well, like, what am I
supposed to email people about?
Liz (14:19):
Well, number one, your services, my dear.
Serena (14:22):
Yep.
Liz (14:23):
Right?
Uh, you know, and I'm not sayingyou have to, every email has to
be a sales email, but I teachsomething called the email staircase.
You can go back to my first episode.
I'm sure we go really hard on that oneand that'll be in the show notes for you.
But the email staircase isfirst you've got a follower,
then a friend, then a customer.
And especially when you're a clientbased business, you know, some
(14:46):
people will just be ready to buy.
Right?
Yep.
I heard of you through Liz.
Liz says you're good.
You know, I'm ready to buy.
But I'm not.
You know, some people might needa little bit more nurturing.
They want to see the resultsyou've gotten for other clients.
They want to see the way you work.
They want to, you know,get a feel for your values.
Is this person in alignment with me?
(15:07):
Especially when it comes to money, right?
Like you're going to be literallykeeping the books here, right?
That's, I don't know.
I would consider that avery intimate thing, right?
Especially depending on your client.
So you want to make sure in theemails, you know, share just a
little bit about yourself, give somebehind the scenes of the business.
(15:30):
Even when you have a win,celebrate with your email list.
Oh, I just signed a client andyou know, we're doing this.
Of course, get permissionfrom the client, right?
If it's.
Confidential, but you know,you can celebrate those wins.
Show that you are invested in the client.
If you took a new class, if you'vegot a new certification, if you just
(15:50):
mastered Xero or QuickBooks, youknow, tell people that, Hey, I just
learned this new thing I got, justgot certified or I got re certified.
This is my eighth year in a row.
Da da da da da.
You know, they want to know that stuff.
That's going to help them, decide,yep, Yep, Liz is for me, yep,
Serena is for me, yep, Shahara,that is my next bookkeeper, right?
(16:12):
Also sharing when you're available,uh, I've got two slots coming up, or
I have no openings right now, but stayon the list because this and that.
Especially if you're a bookkeeperthat also deals in taxes, having
that list when it comes to tax time,hey, you know, want to offload this?
(16:33):
You know, I have thismuch available, right?
And then, to Serena's point about BlackFriday, when Black Friday is coming up, or
you want to do a sale, you have that listthere, and you can share those things.
Serena (16:46):
Yeah, absolutely.
Oh, I just got so many good tips thatI'm like, Oh, we should be incorporating
that in our newsletter and this and that.
Like, I only do a monthly newsletterfor my firm and we typically talk
about like deadlines coming up.
And then there's usually asection on like, hear me speak.
So I'll pop in like whateverpodcast interview I had that last
(17:10):
month or, you know, whatever.
And then I'll usually have likea blurb on like a money tip.
So that could be related to like asoftware or just a general tip on
banking or whatever money type stuff.
Cause that's why they're there.
Like they're here to geta little bit of value.
And then you said not every email shouldbe a sales email or maybe it couldn't be,
(17:35):
but I definitely sell in every email, but
Liz (17:37):
Oh, I mean, yeah, no, I also sell in every email.
Especially if you're only emailingonce a month, there should definitely
be a pitch at the top, in themiddle, wherever makes sense, right?
I think for most bookkeepers,once a month is pretty decent.
I would say, you know, once a monthand then if and when something is, you
(17:59):
know, Is occurring like in the middleof the month like hey, don't forget tax
deadline is coming up or I know thisyear there's a new tax law or something
so maybe that pops up and you want tosend that on the 15th just a quick note
like hey Don't forget the deadline toconform with this law is coming up, you
(18:20):
know, if you need my help Boom, boom.
And then it's just a sales email,but it's also like, Oh crap.
I didn't even know about that.
you know, Oh, I don'teven have to Google it.
She put a link right here.
Oh, snap.
Yep.
I need to hire her.
Let me go back to that other link.
Great.
I love the money tip.
That Serena just said, andhere's what she's doing.
So I talked aboutfollower, friend, customer.
(18:42):
So in order to make a friend in the inbox,you have to show you are invested in them.
Right?
And so when she's sharing a moneytip, you know, whatever it is that
month, she's saying like, yep, Iknow she even just literally said it.
I know they care about money.
That's what they're here for.
Right?
She knows that.
So she's investing in thosecustomers and those potential
(19:03):
customers by saying like, Hey.
This is the tip of the month, right?
And so making sure your customers knowthat you are invested in them is going
to help them invest back into you, akabook that call, get those services.
Serena (19:20):
absolutely.
so monthly is okay.
Liz (19:23):
Yeah.
Monthly, monthly is okay for bookkeepers.
And I find specifically withy'all, you get really tripped up.
And normally I do say like oncea week is a great baseline.
It's a great rule of thumb, butlet's build that muscle, my friends.
We don't go to the gym and suddenlywalk out with six pack abs.
And suddenly, it's in our dailyroutine to go to the gym, right?
(19:46):
Maybe we go to the gym, okay, I knowI'm going to go on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Okay, for a month, we go Tuesday andFridays, and then we build up, right?
So that's the same.
is what I want you todo with your email list.
Just once a month.
And I just want you to be open tosending more than once a month.
Again, if that tax law comes up, evenif you've got this great idea for this
(20:09):
new sale, or you've got an opening up,or, or maybe you're all sold out, you,
this is an underrated email to send.
When you're all bookedout, sending an email.
Hey, I'm, I just want to let you know,if you're thinking about booking my
services, I'm actually all booked outfor the next six weeks, you know, I'll
let you know when a new opening comes up.
(20:32):
This is great to show people thatyou are actually in business, baby.
For example in November, 2024,I sent out, an email to only
certain customers of mine.
To upgrade to a lifetimedeal of my membership.
And I said, I'm only selling a hundred.
And then when I sold the hundred.
(20:53):
Send out an email.
Hey, there are none left.
Sorry.
And that got people like,oh, wow, there's none left.
I was thinking about it, but, uh, andnow they're definitely, oh, well, if you
open it again, Liz, holler back, right?
So it's a great way.
It's a really underrated emailto send out when you are actually
(21:13):
booked out to let people know.
And also, this is great if youdo have a referral network.
Where you can say, Oh, but I knowmy bunny over here has an opening.
for this type of client, right?
Serena (21:26):
Oh yeah, that's a really good point.
I can never think about doing that.
Yeah.
Listen, I love a referral network.
Like, I don't take copywriting clientsanymore, but people still always ask me.
And, you know, I know that if Ipromote so and so, I share so and
so, they give me 10 percent back.
Or, you know, I know if I give it to thisperson, that person, they're going to help
(21:49):
me out when I'm, uh, Launching a big sale.
Oh, she always gives me a lot of businessi'm going to promote her thing over here.
So and that's a great wayto grow your list, right?
Is to network a lot of people thinkyou have to network up right like
oh, well i'm You know, if only Serenawould promote me, then maybe I could,
(22:12):
be successful, but Serena has been inbusiness for a very long time, right?
And maybe you're just starting out.
that's a mismatch of, youknow, objectives there, right?
And so if you can network across,especially when you're trying to list
bill, when you're trying to grow yourclientelle so networking across is,
Oh, I'm in my first year of business.
(22:34):
She's in her first year of business.
what can we do together to groweach other's businesses, right?
Maybe you're both local, so you can justgo to chamber meetings together, right?
You can, share each other'sbusiness cards locally, you
know, drop yours and hers, right?
Or if you're doing onlinestuff, How can you, oh, let's
(22:55):
do an Instagram live together.
Serena mentioned I was on the podcast.
It had to have been, what, two, you'vebeen doing this over two years now,
Yeah, I was like, the first time was like three years.
I think I started in 2020
Liz (23:07):
Okay.
Yeah, I knew it hadbeen a long time, right?
Uh, you know, I wasn't trying to ageeither one of us, but yeah, it's been a
minute, and so, you know, and here we are.
Years later and when we met it waslike maybe we don't have anything to
help each other with but we were ableto find a through line And you know
(23:28):
now we're working together, right?
And so finding those people thatare at, you know, the same level
of business and what can you do?
together to Grow your businessesgrow your email list like hey, i'll
share your freebie You share mine.
Hey, I'll go live withyou on your Instagram.
Will you come into my Facebookgroup and go live with me?
(23:50):
Those things really, I callthem kind of like starter
activities for your email list.
Serena (23:56):
Yeah.
And those are also just reallygood starter activities to getting
comfortable doing those kinds of things.
Liz (24:02):
Amen y'all it's Well, let's talk about that for a second.
I know this stuff is cringy.
I know it's hard to put yourself outthere But here is the thing that you
got to know about email marketing.
Well, really just businesslike you are Your own hype man.
No one is going to care more than youabout your business and they shouldn't.
(24:25):
It's not, it's not theirs.
let this be freeing.
And when I say, and I say it withlove, I promise like nobody cares.
Nobody cares.
But you have to care.
You have to care deeply.
You have to care enough to getout of your comfort zone, right?
To go out and find thosenetworking partners.
To go to the Chamber of Commerce, togo live on Instagram or LinkedIn or
(24:51):
wherever the heck your people are, right?
You have to care.
You are the hype.
When it comes to your email list, youknow, we talked about, Building your
ecosystem, making sure it's on your socialmedia bios, making sure, you know, your
homepage is set up, but look, you can havethe most beautiful ecosystem in the whole
world, but if nobody knows it's there.
Nobody's visiting, right?
(25:13):
And so you have to be the oneto put yourself, your business,
your services out there.
And yeah, it totally sucks.
I'm sorry.
Unless you have a lot ofmoney for advertising, like
this just is the way it is.
And so when it comes to listbuilding, when it comes to growing
(25:34):
your business just in general, Ifind it's really about awareness.
Right, would you agree?
Like the more aware people are ofyou, the more the business grows.
Would you agree?
Ser (25:45):
100 percent and I was just, as you were talking about this whole
thing, I was like, reminded of whenI've listened to like several different
podcasts that are kind of all connected.
By the same people, not like connectedwith the same people, but you, you
know, the ones I'm talking aboutwhere it's like, you get someone
that goes on interviews on one andthen they're on this other one.
(26:05):
And then they're on this other one.
It's like, Oh, this person is everywhere.
This is what you've done by the way.
And it works, obviously.
But yeah, it's like when you startto see that same person everywhere,
it's like, okay, well maybe I shouldstart really paying attention to
them because they're everywhere.
So what do they actually have to say?
But that could be anyone like do apodcast interview round, go do a bunch
(26:26):
of lives with a bunch of different peoplein your network and, and you'll be the
one that's the person that's everywhere.
Liz (26:32):
Yeah, so I do do this.
I've been on, oh my gosh, over 200podcasts, over 100 like digital
summits, and it really, y'all, Icall this the Drake method, okay?
Uh, I don't want totalk about this enough.
I really don't.
So y'all know the rapper Drake.
Of course you do, becauseI stole this idea from him.
(26:55):
He was everywhere in like 2019.
This man was on every song.
He was, On every commercial, he hadcameos in like, little movies, he was
on the radio, he was on the TV, he wason the internet, he was everywhere.
And I'm not saying, you know,you have to be Drake, right?
(27:16):
But if you want any sort ofsustainable business, you have to
have different touch points, right?
People have to hear you on that podcast,especially if you're building online.
They have to hear you on that podcast.
They have to see you overin that Facebook group.
They have to, you know, be ableto see you on the email, right?
emailing.
(27:36):
At least once a month you know,you can send that newsletter like
Serena was saying, and then, youknow, Oh, hey, just popping in.
I've got an opening, you know, justa quick little email here and there.
That's going to really help you, again,stay top of mind, which is really,
really important because, you know, thefirst time they see or hear about your
email list, maybe they don't join, butthe second time, Oh, I've heard of her.
(28:02):
I've heard of them.
let me check this out, right?
So It's something that I find a lot ofbusiness owners, especially when we're
building online, and we see these peoplethat are promising us, you know, 100,
000 in 48 hours, join this webinar, youknow, just buy this 30 thing and I'm
(28:23):
going to show you how to get 100, 000.
Followers on Instagram in thenext 24 hours, you know, like
really, I'm here to keep it real.
This is a long term game and if youcan focus on list building, you know,
growing that email list, puttingyourself in those places online so that
(28:43):
people come back to the website, theycome into your ecosystem, it's set up
for leads, that's really, You know,how you build that firm foundation
and a sustainable business and firm.
Serena (28:56):
Yeah, it is a long game.
Liz (28:59):
It is
Serena (29:00):
That's one of the things that I, I'm constantly telling my
students is like, they're like,I'm not getting any clients yet.
And I'm like, well, how many Upworkproposals have you submitted?
And how many times have youlike put yourself out there?
Cause it's a long gameand it's a numbers game.
Liz (29:16):
It is a numbers game.
Y'all, I've done six podcasts this weekand it's Tuesday 1045 in the morning.
And y'all, I have an emaillist of almost 15, 000.
What am I doing here?
You know, I know that it'sa numbers game, right?
And y'all, I mean, I've been onthis podcast three times now.
I could say, nope, I've talked to Serena.
(29:38):
I can talk to her about,they'll discover me.
They'll be listening to her episodes.
It's fine.
but no, I know it's a numbers game.
I know Serena in the last two years, orI think we recorded maybe a year ago.
I know in the last year she's beenputting in the work, you know, she's
been finding new people and maybe Icould connect with some of them, right?
(29:59):
And so it, oh my gosh, itreally is a numbers game, y'all.
Just keep taking action.
And the beautiful thing is, whenyou're starting out, like she was
saying, how many Upwork proposals?
How many this?
How many that?
It's so ugly in the beginning.
Just let it be ugly, my friend.
It's like, oh yeah, Idid this, I did that.
Probably if you go back to andlisten to our first episode, we'll
(30:21):
probably both sound rusty, terrible.
We'll be sputtering and muttering.
practice really does make Perfect.
And just let it be ugly.
Let yourself, not get the proposal,not get the client because
you're going to learn so much.
Even when it comes to list building,you're going to learn, Oh yeah, I
tried the networking thing, Liz.
(30:42):
I didn't really like it, but I lovedoing podcast interviews or I'm really
into bundles or I found my thinggoing to local networking events.
That's how I'm growing my list, right?
You just have to let yourselfkind of do it ugly, and then,
you know, see what works.
So you can pretty itup later, so to speak.
Serena (31:03):
Yeah, absolutely.
Okay, well in the interest oftime, because I have a hard stop,
I have one more question for you.
It's not email list related, althoughyou could probably turn it into this.
But anyway, as a business owner, andI know you have a bookkeeper, and
I've probably asked you this on aprevious episode, but what is one or
two things that your bookkeeper hasdone have been the biggest game changer
(31:27):
and like solidified that like, yes,I'm working with the right person?
Liz (31:31):
Yeah, I love my bookkeeper.
I've worked with heralmost five years now.
And the main thing that keeps me goingwith her is that she gives a crap.
About my business every time we meet,you know, we go through the numbers, of
course, but because she knows my goalsand not just my business goals, she
(31:52):
knows what I'm trying to do with my life.
And that's because I, as her client, likeshe works with online businesses, right?
She works with those quoteunquote solopreneurs, right?
So the, the life aspect of it is veryimportant because she knows those things.
She can help me make better decisions.
(32:12):
She can use the numbers to say,well, I know you want this, but the
money is reflecting this, or yourspending is reflecting that, like
if you still want this over here.
Maybe knock it off over here, right?
Or you, or you aren't like, forexample, this year I bought a house.
And so the year before I was saying,yeah, I'm thinking about buying a house.
(32:36):
so let's save as much money as possible.
can you tell me when I'mspending past this certain point?
Right.
And every month she wouldsay, oh, the spending's good.
Or, oh, I noticed you bought this andthat, you know, was that necessary?
And so she's really likeconsulting with me, right?
And it's, it's great.
(32:56):
It's not just, here's thenumbers, here's a spreadsheet.
you know, and then I can even to myown self say, Oh yeah, I did need that.
It was worth the extra money.
Cause ultimately I am the business owner.
She never makes me feel like, Oh,I'm doing anything wrong, but she's
there to remind me, Oh, you said youwanted to do this with the money.
(33:17):
You know, we're on trackor we're not on track.
Here's what I'm noticing withthe numbers about that goal.
So that's really what I personallylove about working with Angelica.
Cause.
She really knows what I want out oflife, how I want the business to run.
And she can look at the numbers,look at the spreadsheet and say,
(33:40):
yep, you're so on track over here.
This is great.
month over month, we're improving.
Or, oh my gosh, you know, Liz, Iknow buying a house was expensive,
but, you know, like, maybe youdon't need that much furniture all
at once, or whatever, you know.
Um, so,
Serena (34:00):
yeah.
Well, awesome.
And congratulations on buying a house.
Liz (34:04):
Thank you.
I really, y'all, this is, andI know you have to leave, so
I will wrap it up very nicely.
Y'all, as bookkeepers, thank you.
Your work is so important.
I credit all of my success, my financialsuccess, to hiring a bookkeeper
before I made a dollar in my business.
(34:27):
I have had businesses before thatdid not succeed in the way that
this business succeeds, even thoughI was making a Many, many sales.
I did not have my financial act together.
I could not keep my own books,even though I thought I could.
When I started with my bookkeeper,I started a whole new bank
(34:48):
account, a whole new system.
And I've learned so muchabout the power of money.
What you do is so important.
My bookkeeper has changed my life.
I truly believe if I hadn'thired a bookkeeper, honestly,
I'd probably still be married.
I'd probably still be brokeand I'd probably still be
wondering where my money went.
(35:09):
I'm not even joking.
I firmly believe in thepower of bookkeeping and
that includes you listening.
So please, I know it's cringy.
Please get yourself out there.
Do it ugly.
You're bound to catch something andGo from there and you're gonna find
a client just like me who loves you todeath and would literally die for you.
(35:32):
So that's how I just love my bookkeeperso much and I know there are people
out there that will love you, too.
Thank you so much for having meSerena I can't wait to see what
everybody does With their email andwith their businesses so exciting
Serena (35:46):
Awesome.
Thank you so much.
And if someone wants to connectwith you, we'll have everything
linked in the show notes, but goahead and tell us where's the best
Liz (35:53):
Oh, yeah, of course.
I got so wrapped up and I'm enamored.
Uh, Liz Wilcox.
com, hot pink button.
We're going to get you everythingyou need to get set up with email.
We're going to get you a welcomesequence, three samples from that
membership we pitched earlier and,subject lines for a year full of prompts.
Liz Wilcox.
com.
Thanks.
Serena (36:13):
Awesome.
Thank you so much.
Welcome to the Ambitious Bookkeeper podcast.
Today, I have a good old friendof mine, Liz Wilcox, on the show.
This is now your, what, third appearance?
Liz (01:47):
Third appearance.
Ta da!
Serena (01:49):
Ta da! So welcome, welcome.
Go ahead and introduceyourself to our listener.
Now, hey friends, you know when youlisten to amazing podcasts like this one
and there's some crazy lady yelling atyou about email marketing and saying,
you know, for every dollar you spendwith email, you can get 40 in return.
Now go, go, go, go, go!And so you promptly open up your kid
(02:10):
account or flow desk or whatever theheck you're using and then you Feel
kinda silly because you have no ideawhat the heck to say to your people.
Well, what's up?
I'm Liz Wilcox and I helpeliminate that problem.
Yes, even for you, my bookkeeping friend.
I'd love to help you write emails,hit send, and make more money.
(02:33):
Yes.
And I'm just gonna shamelessly plug rightoff the bat your email marketing templates
if you are listening to the podcast.
You get an email every week directingyou to this podcast to listen, but
part of that email is in general,one of your weekly templates.
Liz (02:54):
Oh, I love that.
Yeah, so I've got a 9 a month emailmarketing membership where I write, you
know, kind of like Mad Libs style templatefor you to take and make your own.
I always say, like, I get you about80 to 90 percent there, but if
you're using ChatGPT, you can put thetemplates in there and it'll get you,
like, 98 percent of the way there.
So if you're struggling with writing thosenewsletters, I got your back, friend.
Serena (03:18):
I never even considered putting that into ChatGPT.
Liz (03:21):
You know, at first I was like, Oh, don't do that.
Then my content's gonna, and I'm like,people are gonna do what they're gonna do.
And I really, really mean it when I sayI want email marketing to be simple.
So if that's like how their brainworks and how their system works,
like, please put it in there.
See, you know, if that helpsyou, I love it for you.
(03:42):
especially if you've already beendoing a lot of work with ChatGPT and it
knows like your brand voice and all ofthat, if you've been doing it that way.
So it could be very helpful.
I may have to try that and seehow it turns out next time.
Yeah, why not?
So before we hit record, we were tryingto figure out what to chat about.
If you've been a longtime listener ofthe podcast, you may have heard the very
(04:05):
first time Liz was on the, podcast, butthat was like, when I first started it.
So we decided to kind of roll back tosome of the foundations and talk about
building an email list because I know somany of you This came up, I don't know if
it was in my group but someone was talkingabout, like, what, should they do for
a Black Friday special and how do they,like, talk about it and get it out there.
(04:27):
And one of the advantages that I'vehad is that I have built an email
list for my firm, and so I can,you know, I have this, like, built
in audience to, offer things to.
And so it got me thinking,like, not everybody's there,
so how do we get them there?
So let's chat aboutstarting an email list.
Yeah, so the number one thing Iwant you to know about growing your
(04:50):
email list, and I love that Serenajust said this, is like you have to
pause like that short term pleasurefor long term gratification, right?
We're going to talk about growing youremail list and a couple foundations
today, but it's going to take a minute.
And luckily, you know, we've got a wholenother year until Black Friday, right?
(05:11):
So, I hope that So I you know, wheneveryou're listening to this, you can, you
know, spend the next 6 12 months reallygrowing that email list, nurturing the
relationship, so that, you know, thenext time Black Friday does come up,
like she just said, you can just, ohyeah, I've already got this list, I,
you know, I can blast out, here's somecredit, you know, sign up early for XYZ,
(05:35):
whatever Black Friday offer you've got.
So the first thing I want youto know about list building.
Is that number one, like listbuilding is a money making activity.
It might, again, it might seem likeall this slow thing, but when you can
change your mind around, Oh, it's justthis other thing everybody's telling me
to do when you can change it from thatto, Oh, this is a money making activity,
(06:00):
this is essential to my business.
And really it isn't even about.
Getting to the highest number possible.
It's about finding the right people.
Then you can sort of breathe this sighof relief and say, okay, yep, I'm going
to go all in with email marketing.
So when it comes to startingyour email list, I really
recommend having a lead magnet.
(06:23):
Something that incentivizes.
They used to call it anethical bribe, right?
Like, I give you this, you giveme your email address, right?
So making sure you have some sort oflead magnet that's for your people.
So depending on what kindof bookkeeper you are.
What kind of firm you're trying tobuild will depend on the lead magnet
(06:44):
because you might be talking todifferent customers than someone else.
Maybe you want to work with nonprofits.
So what kind of lead magnetcan you create for them?
Maybe you want to work withcompanies that, you know,
care about the environment.
Maybe you want to work withonline service businesses, right?
Who is that audience?
And I like to think, you know, whatis your vision for them, right?
(07:07):
My vision for people is you makemoney with email marketing, right?
If we're walking across LizWilcox university, that's
the degree I'm handing you.
So think about.
You know, your university, whatdegree are you handing your clients?
You know, what are youtrying to really help?
What is the vision there?
And then take it all the wayback to the first day of class.
(07:31):
That is your lead magnet, right?
With me, it's email marketing.
You make money with email, right?
So my first day of class, well, youneed a welcome sequence to get started.
That's the first thingI want you to learn.
That's the first lesson,the first day of class.
So.
I know Serena has a lead magnet.
I'd love to hear how you getpeople on your list for your firm.
Serena (07:53):
so I have a couple different lead magnets.
And that's because they bothhave different goals, right?
originally I started with a leadmagnet that kind of goes through
like a bookkeeping checklist forsomeone who's going to DIY it.
And then like a tech list and all thethings are kind of built into that.
And then Maybe a year or two down theline, I was like, well, wait a second.
(08:15):
I'm not trying to attractpeople doing their own book.
I want to attract people whowant to just hand it over.
So I crafted a different leadmagnet that talks about KPIs
that they should be tracking.
so I still have both available.
But yeah, so those are mytwo different lead magnets.
And the way that I get people tothem is I drive in my blog post.
(08:36):
I, I do a monthly blog post.
And I try to tie those leadmagnets in when it makes sense.
And then the other way that I drivepeople to them is that occasionally
I'll share, On my social media.
I don't do too much withmy social media on my firm.
that's another way that I do it, butin general, the biggest way that I
(08:57):
actually get people on my lead magnetis when they book a call or they
fill out an interest form, I have alittle like caveat that says, we're
going to add you to our email list.
So that's another way that I do it.
So that's basically it.
I guess that could also be considereda lead magnet in itself, but I
do email them that freebie whenthey get on the list anyways.
(09:18):
So even if it comes from a differentavenue, so everyone gets it.
it's kind of a complex thingnow that I'm talking about it.
I'm like, this might bevery confusing for a lot of
Liz (09:29):
makes sense.
So, you know, she'sputting it on her website.
And then, of course, like, ifpeople just want to book a call,
you know, They're going to beadded to the email list as well.
So I don't, I don't thinkthat's confusing at all.
And let's, let's talk aboutthat as service providers.
You know, we want people to book a calland it's, you know, normally I recommend,
(09:50):
Oh, well on your homepage, you know, wewould need to put this lead magnet, right?
And if you go to my website, you know,you'll see, I ask you to join my email
list five times directly on the homepage.
I ask you five times.
Again, if you're like, Serena, oh, Ijust, I want to get people on a call,
there is a balance that you should puton your homepage, right, because you
(10:12):
want to send people to your website, youwant them to book a call, but I want you
to remember, like, you are not Amazon.
com.
You know, if I go to Amazon.
com, I'm buying something.
I know that I'm buying something, right?
Most people are going to your website,or even mine, to just kind of peruse.
Oh, I heard of this.
Let's check, let me see what she'sabout, you know, it's sort of like
(10:32):
a billboard, like a soft sales page.
So you want to make sure, you know,you're, you're having the book a
call, book a call buttons, but I wouldrecommend at least once, maybe twice,
depending on the length of your page.
Put that lead magnet, you know, evensaying something as direct as, you
know, not ready to book a call, butstill interested, download this guide
(10:54):
or whatever you decide to create.
And that way you're still, you know,picking up the maximum amount of eyeballs.
Because placement on yourwebsite is really important.
So homepage.
Also put it on your about page, right?
Put it on your services page.
Again, you could, it could be thevery last thing on my website.
(11:14):
It says, cause I'm very 90s themed.
So it says, oops, you did it again.
You got to the end of the page andyou didn't sign up for my list.
So you could do something similarwhere it's, you know, not ready to
book a call or unsure if we're theright fit, you know, get on my email
list or get this guide, you know, soyou can see more about what I'm about.
Also, if you have blog posts likeSerena, putting them in there,
(11:38):
at the top, in the middle, at thebottom, a sidebar on your website is
a great place for the lead magnet.
even if you're not active on socialmedia, if you have those, accounts set
up, making sure the link in the biogoes directly to a landing page or,
you know, they know where they can signup to join your list to learn more.
(12:01):
That's really important.
Serena (12:02):
Yeah.
I do have it on my website,now that you mention it.
I'm like, I just don't think of thatas like, how I, just because it's
like, the website's just there, andit's been working, so it's like, not
really front of mind, of like, I'm notactively pushing people to that lead
magnet, but yeah, it is on there as well.
So,
Yeah, well, I love that Serenajust said, I'm not actively pushing
(12:23):
people to that lead magnet, butI'm sure, she's actively, or the
team, you know, is pushing people tothe website, to this, to that, and
then those things are just there.
That's what people, when, youknow, You grow your list, you might
think, Oh, well, I'm doing this.
you know, I'm doing the things,but if your website itself is not
(12:43):
set up to capture leads, it's areally huge missed opportunity.
You could be sending all the traffic tothose blog posts, but if don't have the
call to action to capture that lead,you're really, really missing out.
So I do recommend, of course,we want them to book a call.
Of course we do.
But again, we're not Amazon.
(13:04):
Not everyone is goingto always book a call.
But if we can capture that lead somehowwith who would have thunk, a lead magnet?
Wow, I just got that, right?
Um, if you can capture it with thelead magnet on the page, You're going
to see much more list growth faster.
(13:25):
So making that sure that your ecosystemis set up so, you know, in a few
minutes, I'm going to tell you, Oh, youcan get on podcasts, you can network,
you can Pinterest, all these ideas.
But if.
Your homepage, you know,again, is not set up.
It's all for naught.
So really recommend, you know, if you'vegot 20, 30 minutes, even after listening
(13:46):
to this episode, you know, go get yourlaptop out, look at your homepage,
look at your about page, is there justeven the smallest thing that says,
Hey, not ready yet, you know, join thelist where I'll share more about XYZ.
I think that'll really helpincrease your conversions later.
Yeah, absolutely.
what's one of the things that, Imean, I have an answer for this, but
(14:09):
I'm curious to hear your suggestion.
As a bookkeeper, people mightbe like, well, like, what am I
supposed to email people about?
Liz (14:19):
Well, number one, your services, my dear.
Serena (14:22):
Yep.
Liz (14:23):
Right?
Uh, you know, and I'm not sayingyou have to, every email has to
be a sales email, but I teachsomething called the email staircase.
You can go back to my first episode.
I'm sure we go really hard on that oneand that'll be in the show notes for you.
But the email staircase isfirst you've got a follower,
then a friend, then a customer.
And especially when you're a clientbased business, you know, some
(14:46):
people will just be ready to buy.
Right?
Yep.
I heard of you through Liz.
Liz says you're good.
You know, I'm ready to buy.
But I'm not.
You know, some people might needa little bit more nurturing.
They want to see the resultsyou've gotten for other clients.
They want to see the way you work.
They want to, you know,get a feel for your values.
Is this person in alignment with me?
(15:07):
Especially when it comes to money, right?
Like you're going to be literallykeeping the books here, right?
That's, I don't know.
I would consider that avery intimate thing, right?
Especially depending on your client.
So you want to make sure in theemails, you know, share just a
little bit about yourself, give somebehind the scenes of the business.
(15:30):
Even when you have a win,celebrate with your email list.
Oh, I just signed a client andyou know, we're doing this.
Of course, get permissionfrom the client, right?
If it's.
Confidential, but you know,you can celebrate those wins.
Show that you are invested in the client.
If you took a new class, if you'vegot a new certification, if you just
(15:50):
mastered Xero or QuickBooks, youknow, tell people that, Hey, I just
learned this new thing I got, justgot certified or I got re certified.
This is my eighth year in a row.
Da da da da da.
You know, they want to know that stuff.
That's going to help them, decide,yep, Yep, Liz is for me, yep,
Serena is for me, yep, Shahara,that is my next bookkeeper, right?
(16:12):
Also sharing when you're available,uh, I've got two slots coming up, or
I have no openings right now, but stayon the list because this and that.
Especially if you're a bookkeeperthat also deals in taxes, having
that list when it comes to tax time,hey, you know, want to offload this?
(16:33):
You know, I have thismuch available, right?
And then, to Serena's point about BlackFriday, when Black Friday is coming up, or
you want to do a sale, you have that listthere, and you can share those things.
Serena (16:46):
Yeah, absolutely.
Oh, I just got so many good tips thatI'm like, Oh, we should be incorporating
that in our newsletter and this and that.
Like, I only do a monthly newsletterfor my firm and we typically talk
about like deadlines coming up.
And then there's usually asection on like, hear me speak.
So I'll pop in like whateverpodcast interview I had that last
(17:10):
month or, you know, whatever.
And then I'll usually have likea blurb on like a money tip.
So that could be related to like asoftware or just a general tip on
banking or whatever money type stuff.
Cause that's why they're there.
Like they're here to geta little bit of value.
And then you said not every email shouldbe a sales email or maybe it couldn't be,
(17:35):
but I definitely sell in every email, but
Liz (17:37):
Oh, I mean, yeah, no, I also sell in every email.
Especially if you're only emailingonce a month, there should definitely
be a pitch at the top, in themiddle, wherever makes sense, right?
I think for most bookkeepers,once a month is pretty decent.
I would say, you know, once a monthand then if and when something is, you
(17:59):
know, Is occurring like in the middleof the month like hey, don't forget tax
deadline is coming up or I know thisyear there's a new tax law or something
so maybe that pops up and you want tosend that on the 15th just a quick note
like hey Don't forget the deadline toconform with this law is coming up, you
(18:20):
know, if you need my help Boom, boom.
And then it's just a sales email,but it's also like, Oh crap.
I didn't even know about that.
you know, Oh, I don'teven have to Google it.
She put a link right here.
Oh, snap.
Yep.
I need to hire her.
Let me go back to that other link.
Great.
I love the money tip.
That Serena just said, andhere's what she's doing.
So I talked aboutfollower, friend, customer.
(18:42):
So in order to make a friend in the inbox,you have to show you are invested in them.
Right?
And so when she's sharing a moneytip, you know, whatever it is that
month, she's saying like, yep, Iknow she even just literally said it.
I know they care about money.
That's what they're here for.
Right?
She knows that.
So she's investing in thosecustomers and those potential
(19:03):
customers by saying like, Hey.
This is the tip of the month, right?
And so making sure your customers knowthat you are invested in them is going
to help them invest back into you, akabook that call, get those services.
Serena (19:20):
absolutely.
so monthly is okay.
Liz (19:23):
Yeah.
Monthly, monthly is okay for bookkeepers.
And I find specifically withy'all, you get really tripped up.
And normally I do say like oncea week is a great baseline.
It's a great rule of thumb, butlet's build that muscle, my friends.
We don't go to the gym and suddenlywalk out with six pack abs.
And suddenly, it's in our dailyroutine to go to the gym, right?
(19:46):
Maybe we go to the gym, okay, I knowI'm going to go on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Okay, for a month, we go Tuesday andFridays, and then we build up, right?
So that's the same.
is what I want you todo with your email list.
Just once a month.
And I just want you to be open tosending more than once a month.
Again, if that tax law comes up, evenif you've got this great idea for this
(20:09):
new sale, or you've got an opening up,or, or maybe you're all sold out, you,
this is an underrated email to send.
When you're all bookedout, sending an email.
Hey, I'm, I just want to let you know,if you're thinking about booking my
services, I'm actually all booked outfor the next six weeks, you know, I'll
let you know when a new opening comes up.
(20:32):
This is great to show people thatyou are actually in business, baby.
For example in November, 2024,I sent out, an email to only
certain customers of mine.
To upgrade to a lifetimedeal of my membership.
And I said, I'm only selling a hundred.
And then when I sold the hundred.
(20:53):
Send out an email.
Hey, there are none left.
Sorry.
And that got people like,oh, wow, there's none left.
I was thinking about it, but, uh, andnow they're definitely, oh, well, if you
open it again, Liz, holler back, right?
So it's a great way.
It's a really underrated emailto send out when you are actually
(21:13):
booked out to let people know.
And also, this is great if youdo have a referral network.
Where you can say, Oh, but I knowmy bunny over here has an opening.
for this type of client, right?
Serena (21:26):
Oh yeah, that's a really good point.
I can never think about doing that.
Yeah.
Listen, I love a referral network.
Like, I don't take copywriting clientsanymore, but people still always ask me.
And, you know, I know that if Ipromote so and so, I share so and
so, they give me 10 percent back.
Or, you know, I know if I give it to thisperson, that person, they're going to help
(21:49):
me out when I'm, uh, Launching a big sale.
Oh, she always gives me a lot of businessi'm going to promote her thing over here.
So and that's a great wayto grow your list, right?
Is to network a lot of people thinkyou have to network up right like
oh, well i'm You know, if only Serenawould promote me, then maybe I could,
(22:12):
be successful, but Serena has been inbusiness for a very long time, right?
And maybe you're just starting out.
that's a mismatch of, youknow, objectives there, right?
And so if you can network across,especially when you're trying to list
bill, when you're trying to grow yourclientelle so networking across is,
Oh, I'm in my first year of business.
(22:34):
She's in her first year of business.
what can we do together to groweach other's businesses, right?
Maybe you're both local, so you can justgo to chamber meetings together, right?
You can, share each other'sbusiness cards locally, you
know, drop yours and hers, right?
Or if you're doing onlinestuff, How can you, oh, let's
(22:55):
do an Instagram live together.
Serena mentioned I was on the podcast.
It had to have been, what, two, you'vebeen doing this over two years now,
Yeah, I was like, the first time was like three years.
I think I started in 2020
Liz (23:07):
Okay.
Yeah, I knew it hadbeen a long time, right?
Uh, you know, I wasn't trying to ageeither one of us, but yeah, it's been a
minute, and so, you know, and here we are.
Years later and when we met it waslike maybe we don't have anything to
help each other with but we were ableto find a through line And you know
(23:28):
now we're working together, right?
And so finding those people thatare at, you know, the same level
of business and what can you do?
together to Grow your businessesgrow your email list like hey, i'll
share your freebie You share mine.
Hey, I'll go live withyou on your Instagram.
Will you come into my Facebookgroup and go live with me?
(23:50):
Those things really, I callthem kind of like starter
activities for your email list.
Serena (23:56):
Yeah.
And those are also just reallygood starter activities to getting
comfortable doing those kinds of things.
Liz (24:02):
Amen y'all it's Well, let's talk about that for a second.
I know this stuff is cringy.
I know it's hard to put yourself outthere But here is the thing that you
got to know about email marketing.
Well, really just businesslike you are Your own hype man.
No one is going to care more than youabout your business and they shouldn't.
(24:25):
It's not, it's not theirs.
let this be freeing.
And when I say, and I say it withlove, I promise like nobody cares.
Nobody cares.
But you have to care.
You have to care deeply.
You have to care enough to getout of your comfort zone, right?
To go out and find thosenetworking partners.
To go to the Chamber of Commerce, togo live on Instagram or LinkedIn or
(24:51):
wherever the heck your people are, right?
You have to care.
You are the hype.
When it comes to your email list, youknow, we talked about, Building your
ecosystem, making sure it's on your socialmedia bios, making sure, you know, your
homepage is set up, but look, you can havethe most beautiful ecosystem in the whole
world, but if nobody knows it's there.
Nobody's visiting, right?
(25:13):
And so you have to be the oneto put yourself, your business,
your services out there.
And yeah, it totally sucks.
I'm sorry.
Unless you have a lot ofmoney for advertising, like
this just is the way it is.
And so when it comes to listbuilding, when it comes to growing
(25:34):
your business just in general, Ifind it's really about awareness.
Right, would you agree?
Like the more aware people are ofyou, the more the business grows.
Would you agree?
Ser (25:45):
100 percent and I was just, as you were talking about this whole
thing, I was like, reminded of whenI've listened to like several different
podcasts that are kind of all connected.
By the same people, not like connectedwith the same people, but you, you
know, the ones I'm talking aboutwhere it's like, you get someone
that goes on interviews on one andthen they're on this other one.
(26:05):
And then they're on this other one.
It's like, Oh, this person is everywhere.
This is what you've done by the way.
And it works, obviously.
But yeah, it's like when you startto see that same person everywhere,
it's like, okay, well maybe I shouldstart really paying attention to
them because they're everywhere.
So what do they actually have to say?
But that could be anyone like do apodcast interview round, go do a bunch
(26:26):
of lives with a bunch of different peoplein your network and, and you'll be the
one that's the person that's everywhere.
Liz (26:32):
Yeah, so I do do this.
I've been on, oh my gosh, over 200podcasts, over 100 like digital
summits, and it really, y'all, Icall this the Drake method, okay?
Uh, I don't want totalk about this enough.
I really don't.
So y'all know the rapper Drake.
Of course you do, becauseI stole this idea from him.
(26:55):
He was everywhere in like 2019.
This man was on every song.
He was, On every commercial, he hadcameos in like, little movies, he was
on the radio, he was on the TV, he wason the internet, he was everywhere.
And I'm not saying, you know,you have to be Drake, right?
(27:16):
But if you want any sort ofsustainable business, you have to
have different touch points, right?
People have to hear you on that podcast,especially if you're building online.
They have to hear you on that podcast.
They have to see you overin that Facebook group.
They have to, you know, be ableto see you on the email, right?
emailing.
(27:36):
At least once a month you know,you can send that newsletter like
Serena was saying, and then, youknow, Oh, hey, just popping in.
I've got an opening, you know, justa quick little email here and there.
That's going to really help you, again,stay top of mind, which is really,
really important because, you know, thefirst time they see or hear about your
email list, maybe they don't join, butthe second time, Oh, I've heard of her.
(28:02):
I've heard of them.
let me check this out, right?
So It's something that I find a lot ofbusiness owners, especially when we're
building online, and we see these peoplethat are promising us, you know, 100,
000 in 48 hours, join this webinar, youknow, just buy this 30 thing and I'm
(28:23):
going to show you how to get 100, 000.
Followers on Instagram in thenext 24 hours, you know, like
really, I'm here to keep it real.
This is a long term game and if youcan focus on list building, you know,
growing that email list, puttingyourself in those places online so that
(28:43):
people come back to the website, theycome into your ecosystem, it's set up
for leads, that's really, You know,how you build that firm foundation
and a sustainable business and firm.
Serena (28:56):
Yeah, it is a long game.
Liz (28:59):
It is
Serena (29:00):
That's one of the things that I, I'm constantly telling my
students is like, they're like,I'm not getting any clients yet.
And I'm like, well, how many Upworkproposals have you submitted?
And how many times have youlike put yourself out there?
Cause it's a long gameand it's a numbers game.
Liz (29:16):
It is a numbers game.
Y'all, I've done six podcasts this weekand it's Tuesday 1045 in the morning.
And y'all, I have an emaillist of almost 15, 000.
What am I doing here?
You know, I know that it'sa numbers game, right?
And y'all, I mean, I've been onthis podcast three times now.
I could say, nope, I've talked to Serena.
(29:38):
I can talk to her about,they'll discover me.
They'll be listening to her episodes.
It's fine.
but no, I know it's a numbers game.
I know Serena in the last two years, orI think we recorded maybe a year ago.
I know in the last year she's beenputting in the work, you know, she's
been finding new people and maybe Icould connect with some of them, right?
(29:59):
And so it, oh my gosh, itreally is a numbers game, y'all.
Just keep taking action.
And the beautiful thing is, whenyou're starting out, like she was
saying, how many Upwork proposals?
How many this?
How many that?
It's so ugly in the beginning.
Just let it be ugly, my friend.
It's like, oh yeah, Idid this, I did that.
Probably if you go back to andlisten to our first episode, we'll
(30:21):
probably both sound rusty, terrible.
We'll be sputtering and muttering.
practice really does make Perfect.
And just let it be ugly.
Let yourself, not get the proposal,not get the client because
you're going to learn so much.
Even when it comes to list building,you're going to learn, Oh yeah, I
tried the networking thing, Liz.
(30:42):
I didn't really like it, but I lovedoing podcast interviews or I'm really
into bundles or I found my thinggoing to local networking events.
That's how I'm growing my list, right?
You just have to let yourselfkind of do it ugly, and then,
you know, see what works.
So you can pretty itup later, so to speak.
Serena (31:03):
Yeah, absolutely.
Okay, well in the interest oftime, because I have a hard stop,
I have one more question for you.
It's not email list related, althoughyou could probably turn it into this.
But anyway, as a business owner, andI know you have a bookkeeper, and
I've probably asked you this on aprevious episode, but what is one or
two things that your bookkeeper hasdone have been the biggest game changer
(31:27):
and like solidified that like, yes,I'm working with the right person?
Liz (31:31):
Yeah, I love my bookkeeper.
I've worked with heralmost five years now.
And the main thing that keeps me goingwith her is that she gives a crap.
About my business every time we meet,you know, we go through the numbers, of
course, but because she knows my goalsand not just my business goals, she
(31:52):
knows what I'm trying to do with my life.
And that's because I, as her client, likeshe works with online businesses, right?
She works with those quoteunquote solopreneurs, right?
So the, the life aspect of it is veryimportant because she knows those things.
She can help me make better decisions.
(32:12):
She can use the numbers to say,well, I know you want this, but the
money is reflecting this, or yourspending is reflecting that, like
if you still want this over here.
Maybe knock it off over here, right?
Or you, or you aren't like, forexample, this year I bought a house.
And so the year before I was saying,yeah, I'm thinking about buying a house.
(32:36):
so let's save as much money as possible.
can you tell me when I'mspending past this certain point?
Right.
And every month she wouldsay, oh, the spending's good.
Or, oh, I noticed you bought this andthat, you know, was that necessary?
And so she's really likeconsulting with me, right?
And it's, it's great.
(32:56):
It's not just, here's thenumbers, here's a spreadsheet.
you know, and then I can even to myown self say, Oh yeah, I did need that.
It was worth the extra money.
Cause ultimately I am the business owner.
She never makes me feel like, Oh,I'm doing anything wrong, but she's
there to remind me, Oh, you said youwanted to do this with the money.
(33:17):
You know, we're on trackor we're not on track.
Here's what I'm noticing withthe numbers about that goal.
So that's really what I personallylove about working with Angelica.
Cause.
She really knows what I want out oflife, how I want the business to run.
And she can look at the numbers,look at the spreadsheet and say,
(33:40):
yep, you're so on track over here.
This is great.
month over month, we're improving.
Or, oh my gosh, you know, Liz, Iknow buying a house was expensive,
but, you know, like, maybe youdon't need that much furniture all
at once, or whatever, you know.
Um, so,
Serena (34:00):
yeah.
Well, awesome.
And congratulations on buying a house.
Liz (34:04):
Thank you.
I really, y'all, this is, andI know you have to leave, so
I will wrap it up very nicely.
Y'all, as bookkeepers, thank you.
Your work is so important.
I credit all of my success, my financialsuccess, to hiring a bookkeeper
before I made a dollar in my business.
(34:27):
I have had businesses before thatdid not succeed in the way that
this business succeeds, even thoughI was making a Many, many sales.
I did not have my financial act together.
I could not keep my own books,even though I thought I could.
When I started with my bookkeeper,I started a whole new bank
(34:48):
account, a whole new system.
And I've learned so muchabout the power of money.
What you do is so important.
My bookkeeper has changed my life.
I truly believe if I hadn'thired a bookkeeper, honestly,
I'd probably still be married.
I'd probably still be brokeand I'd probably still be
wondering where my money went.
(35:09):
I'm not even joking.
I firmly believe in thepower of bookkeeping and
that includes you listening.
So please, I know it's cringy.
Please get yourself out there.
Do it ugly.
You're bound to catch something andGo from there and you're gonna find
a client just like me who loves you todeath and would literally die for you.
(35:32):
So that's how I just love my bookkeeperso much and I know there are people
out there that will love you, too.
Thank you so much for having meSerena I can't wait to see what
everybody does With their email andwith their businesses so exciting
Serena (35:46):
Awesome.
Thank you so much.
And if someone wants to connectwith you, we'll have everything
linked in the show notes, but goahead and tell us where's the best
Liz (35:53):
Oh, yeah, of course.
I got so wrapped up and I'm enamored.
Uh, Liz Wilcox.
com, hot pink button.
We're going to get you everythingyou need to get set up with email.
We're going to get you a welcomesequence, three samples from that
membership we pitched earlier and,subject lines for a year full of prompts.
Liz Wilcox.
com.
Thanks.
Serena (36:13):
Awesome.
Thank you so much.
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