FamousAshleyGrant

I decided I want to start sharing blog post ideas for a variety of businesses. Something about just keeping these ideas in my head is starting to make me feel as though I could explode. I often will see a business owner, and hear him/her complain about how to engage with potential customers. What immediately starts happening is my mind begins racing with all kinds of ideas that they could use to blog about and share in their newsletters, on their website, possible even transform into an eBook or eCourse….this is just how my creative mind works. James Altucher said that ideas are like a muscle that needs to be worked out. If you don’t use it you lose it, so he recommends writing a list of 10 ideas a day.

With that in mind, I’m going to flex my idea muscles even more. Who knows? This could turn into a fun and exciting eBook or pamphlet for my ghostwriting clients! Without further ado…here is my first set of ideas- Blog Post ideas for Salons

1. About your salon – when did you open, where did you open, why did you open, and who do you run it with?
2. Spotlight on your staff, or even one spotlight per staff member. What a great way to encourage your staff members sharing your website on their own social media pages! Many people love to have their moment in the spotlight. And, most folks enjoy recognition from their employers.
3. The services you offer. Often times, I see a mundane list of services offered on a salon’s website. What I mean by mundane is it just lists the name of the service and the price. I want to know more. What will I enjoy during the service? For example, don’t say wash, cut and style. Instead, tell me about how my service will begin with a luxurious shampooing and a consultation with my stylist about the right cut for my face. Then, after my hair is nice and clean, I’ll be whisked away to my chair where my hair will be magically transformed and finished off with a wonderful blow dry and styling. Example two – if your salon gives pedicures, explain how important pampering is for our tootsies. Tell me about the foot massage I’ll enjoy, and why proper foot care is so important.
4. Milestone events. Tell your readers about your anniversaries! Share lessons learned after 500 haircuts. Explain how grateful you are for serving your 100th customer in your new location. Share the joyous news of your new spouse of baby on the way. People crave relationships and love working with those they feel they have a connection with.
5. What sets you apart from your competitors? Why should someone visit you instead of the guy down the road? What special extras do you offer that would make someone feel appreciated as a customer?
6. Share your specials! Is it your salon’s anniversary? Celebrate with a sale on all of your products. Or, perhaps you could have an open house party and write about that. Then, after the party do a follow-up post and share the images from the night.
7. Top 10 cuts for a round face, or top 12 styles for your wedding. There is a reason lists are so popular on blogs – the public eats them up!
8. Quick styles for date night. You could even do a video tutorial on your blog for easy styles people can do at home. Now, I know what you might be thinking – I want them to come IN to my salon. That’s great, but building a relationship with your readers is what will make them loyal customers. Show you’re the expert on hair care!
9. Hair care tips. I love this one because personally, after I get a hair cut, I love learning how to keep my hair looking as healthy as it did when I got it done. I want to know how to make it shinier and more vibrant. Your customers might want the same!
10. My final idea that I’ll post today is a round up post of your favorite styling tools. What are your must haves? A flat iron? A curling iron? Combs or brushes? Bonus idea – mention styling tools that you are selling in your shop. Or, if you aren’t selling tools in your shop, get an Amazon Affiliate account and link to the tools there to earn a commission.

There you have it folks – my first post of blog post ideas. I enjoyed doing this post so much that I’m definitely going to be doing a LOT more of them. Do you have an industry you want me to post about? Leave me a comment below and tell me about it!

I get a bunch of magazines in the mail every month. I usually end up just throwing them in the recycle bin if and when I read them. This time, however, I decided to take all the bright and colorful pages and make a pretty 3-D card out of them. Here’s how you can do the same:

Materials needed:

– A magazine
– Scrapbook Paper/ Cardstock- I used a piece that was 8.5 X 11″ and folded it in half to make a card
– hot glue gun
– glue stick
– Stamp, Sticker or Large Sequin to make the star
– scissors
– a smooth rounded pen/pencil

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I love, love, love me some Marie Forleo ya’ll. And, today, while watching a video of hers, I got inspired to do this 2016 year in review post. She created a simple process to review your own year with just 3 questions. Since that doesn’t seem so scary, I thought I would answer the questions for myself! So, here we go…

What did I do, create, or experience this year that I’m really proud of? I have to say I’ve actually created a lot that I’m proud of this year!

• I wrote some really great content for the Godaddy Garage. The article I’m most proud of writing for them this year was the one that gave me the amazing opportunity to interview Chalene Johnson!!! Check it out HERE!
• I finished a ghostwritten book for a client that was more fulfilling than my college degree
• I FINALLY finished the backbone of my writer-for-hire website
• I raised my new client prices
• I wrote a LOT of blog posts for clients that I’m really proud of!!! Omg, some of the work I did was just frikkin AHHHHHMAZING!!!
• I went on a cross-country road trip (something I’ve wanted to do since I first got my license!!)
• I went to THREE blogging conferences. Cool in and of itself!!!
• I self-published another eBook under my own name along with writing a lot more other blog posts under my own name
• I was active with a women’s networking group. Being a member of Charity Chics has been amazing for me!!!
• I started working on the content for the course I’ve been talking about creating for nearly two years! Recent, but still counts for this year!!! LOL
• I started taking better care of myself
• I asked for help a LOT more this year

What mistakes did I make that taught me something? What lessons did I learn that I can leverage?

• I didn’t put myself out there enough!!! I should have been pitching myself more than I did to get more writing work.
• I didn’t write enough under my own name. I could have and should have!!! I plan to do a lot more podcast interviews, guest posts and self promotion going forward. Fear is what held me back from putting myself out there, but that is why I’m creating a word of the year for 2017. That word is EXPERIMENT! From now on, everything I do will be an experiment. More on that in another post though.
• I didn’t speak up enough when I was unhappy with something, or I spoke up from an emotional place. Breathing and then being rational is way more helpful!
• I should have been taking better care of myself before this year. My medical woes are all self-induced, but I am getting healthier every single day now!
• I stayed in friendships that weren’t serving me for far too long, and the ones I did let go of I mourned way too much. When people are hurting you for their own benefit, you’re only hurting yourself if you stick around.
• I also learned that November and December are slim months for my clients, and I should have budgeted myself better to prepare for the lean income!
• Finally, I should have been building my email lists sooner, and affiliate marketing more!

What am I willing to let go of?

• WEDDINGS!!! I decided earlier this year that I don’t want to photograph weddings anymore. This is true now, more than ever. I am NOT a fan of shooting weddings. The pressure, the nerves, the tears, the fears – nope, not for me anymore. I’m now shopping for wedding photographers I like that I don’t feel are too expensive so I will have someone or a few people to refer clients to because I just don’t ever want to photograph another wedding again!
• Clients that want too many freebies, or aren’t willing to pay my requested rates. I have been really bad about letting some people walk all over me in the past. I got much better about this in 2016, but I do still have room for growth. I’ve decided that in 2017 I will be much stronger, and if people can’t afford me, welp – then we can’t work together. I bust my ASH for my clients, and I deserve to be paid for this work.
• CLUTTER – oh man! This has been a big one for me. I’ve been getting rid of stuff all year, and I’m not done yet. I’m decluttering all. the. things! I’ve given away clothes I haven’t worn in years, books I never even opened, toys (yes toys!) that I had as a child, makeup and toiletries that should have been thrown away long ago, and so much more. I’m loving how good it feels to let go of all this crap, and I know that it’s just making way for the new, fresh and wonderful things the Universe is sending my way!!!

Wow, so although I’ve had some downs in 2016, it’s clear that this year has actually been a damn good one. Grateful that Marie suggested reviewing my year from a distance!!! I’ve learned a lot, I’ve grown a lot, and I just know that all of the amazing things that happened to me this year are going to lead to a bigger, better and more amazing 2017. Bring it on! I can’t wait to see how many wonderfully abundant things are coming my way.

Restating my goals for 2017:

• $10,000 a month profit in easy, recurring revenue
• Get healthier mentally, spiritually, physically and emotionally
• Have more fun and adventure
• Do more creative things!

Want to do your own year in review? Catch Marie’s whole video here:

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I am insanely excited to announce my first course HAS LAUNCHED! I’ve been talking about creating this course for nearly two years now. It started as a discussion with several writers I know that kept asking me about how I’m making full time income from writing. Yes, I get paid to write in my pajamas! Instead of staying on the 9 to 5 path, I took a chance nine years ago and decided to become a freelance writer. Then, the economy tanked and the freelancers were the first to go at every publication I was writing for.

Fast forward to 2014 and an opportunity landed in my lap to start ghostwriting for a small business. A light bulb went off! I realized I wouldn’t get the credit, but I was ready to take the cash! So, I started ghostwriting for this small business owner’s blogs and slowly, but surely, began getting offers to write for other people’s blogs. In the midst of building my business I had to take on another 9 to 5 to make ends meet, but just six months later I was able to quit for good. I haven’t looked back since!

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