Unconventional Life – Podcast, Blog, Live Events

Category: Business

Ep:192 How to use Pinterest as a Search Engine to Scale Your Business, With Pinterest Expert, Kristina Day

Millions of people love finding inspiration, information, and the latest trends via Pinterest. Did you know that the #1 misconception is that Pinterest is a social media site? At its core, Pinterest is a highly targeted search engine site that provides valuable links to your website. If you are able to brand yourself as an expert in your niche your pins will appear at the top of the page whenever someone searches for your keywords related to your brand.
Sounds a lot like your standard SEO, right? That’s because it is, Pinterest works similarly to a Google Search.

This week on the Unconventional Life show is Kristina Day, a Pinterest account manager.
Kristina is a pro when it comes to optimizing your account, creating a strategic approach to marketing content and getting fresh eyes to your website. In this episode, Kristina shares what to focus on and what to not waste your time on when it comes to the world of Pinterest. So let’s take advantage of this free opportunity to reach your target market!

Kristina explains it simply, “It’s like Google but with pictures!”

The biggest misconception

As previously mentioned, the biggest misconception is that Pinterest is a social media site, when really it is a search engine. If you want to find inspiration about a topic you would type that keyword in the search bar, you wouldn’t go through someone’s specific account.

When you type in a keyword such as “entrepreneur” you get a ton of secondary keywords, such as mindset, business, lifestyle, boss babe, etc. this allows you to learn what other keywords are related to your niche so you can start to include those additional keywords into your posts and on the titles of your boards to hyper-target your audience.

An extension of your website

Think about Pinterest as an extension of your website. On Instagram and Facebook, you have to create new content specifically for that site. With Pinterest, you can recycle all of your content and link podcasts, blogs, Etsy shop, youtube Instagram or your website.

To repost content click the red “Save” to Pinterest button in the left-hand corner and the graphic automatically loads to your Pinterest board with a backlink to the original source. The only social that Pinterest isnt compatible with is Facebook.

Have a clear call to action

The goal is to drive traffic to your website and get people to take action. This action could be a simple opt-in for a free gift in exchange for their email or purchasing your product or service. You must optimize your website to have a clear call to action to convert people, otherwise, it’s not worth your time to put all the effort into search engine optimization if you can’t convert any sales.

Collaborative boards

A collaborative or group board is owned by one person and other pinners can contribute to that board. Group boards aren’t a great idea for two reasons. One, they were introduced as a way to help friends or coworkers collaborate on an event, like planning a wedding or party and not for marketing. Two, many people post content that isn’t specific to that board which makes it disorganized and messy.

Set it and forget it

You can schedule all your posts in 2 hours for the entire month by using Tailwind. It equips you with analytics, a reporting system and advises you about the ideal times to schedule your pins. This takes out the guessing game of when your target audience will be on Pinterest, getting you the most exposure. If you are a beginner and are starting from scratch Kristina recommends posting 10-15 pins per day with an 80:20 ratio, 20% is your original pins and 80% pins from someone else in your same demographic.

Ps. Tailwind offers a free trial, which allows you to schedule your first 100 pins for free.

How to create a good pin.

Pins look best when photos are vertically oriented. Pins get cut off in feeds if the ratio is greater than 1:3.5 so make sure the image isn’t too tall. For example, an image that is 600px wide should be between 900px and 2100px tall.

Create an image with some text. This not only shows what your product is but what someone can do with your product. The text should be similar to an email subject line that catches attention and sparks a sense of curiosity.

Canva or Picmonkey is a great resource for creating the correct aspect ratio and adding text and personalization to your photo.

Now you are all set to start your Pinterest account! Get out there and start repurposing your awesome content and drive more traffic to your site!

Giveaway!

Kristina is giving away a free 30 min consultation with her to go over how to start an account or if you already have one she will audit your account and give you tips on how you can improve your SEO! Thanks, Kristina!

You can find more about Kristina through her website or connect with her through Instagram.

October 14, 2019
Ep:191 The Art of Business, and the Business of Art , With Theatre Performer, Clyde P Riddlesbrood

In today’s world, it would seem that many people believe that art and Entrepreneurialism “just don’t mix”. I’ve heard some artist friends say that putting a price on art devalues the piece. While some entrepreneurs might think that business is all logic and reason, leaving no space for creativity.
The truth is that art and entrepreneurialism are two expressions of one shared desire: to leave a personal imprint and impact on the world. In reality, art and entrepreneurialism are quite complementary and interwoven.
This week on the Unconventional Life show is Clyde P Riddlesbrood. He is the founder of the Riddlesbrood touring theatre company which is known as being one of the most successful and vibrant theatre companies in the New York and New Jersey area. Clydes shares some insight on how he manages to make his art a successful business.
Art first, business second
Most art starts out when we are children with an explosion of colors in a finger paint session. From early years, art is a fantastic way to allow children to explore and experiment with a variety of modalities of self-expression. Whether it’s drawing, dancing, theatre, music or fashion, each starts out as a hobby or a passion before art can become a business.

“And after all, if you do really like what you’re doing, it doesn’t matter what it is, you can eventually become a master of it. It’s the only way to become a master of something, to be really with it. And then you’ll be able to get a good fee for whatever it is.”
– Allan Watts
Bridging Art and Business
“As we know business is the analytical side of your mind, the money side, the practical side. Artists cherish the subjective, the imaginative and bizarre and perhaps even incoherence. All art means no business, all business means no art.”
-Clyde P.R.

Both sides need each other, despite their apparent differences; If only we could meet in the middle, we might find a perfect balance of mind and body, calculation and creativity.
Clyde’s hack for balancing these two areas is to compartmentalize as he states, “Sometimes the art wins. and sometimes the business wins in different realms.”
Compartmentalizing Business
In Clyde’s experience when it comes to the budget, the business must always win. You can’t be one of these people that say, I’m going to take all my money, and I’m going to get the most beautiful costumes or the best quality paint, and then you do one piece and you’re out of business. “You have to learn first that the budget is God, you must not spend more than you need.”
Receiving money is what takes your hobby and turns it into a business. I understand that selling your art can be intimidating, you put so much time and effort into your art and wait in anticipation when you put your art up for sale, hoping that someone will find your art brilliant and will gladly purchase your piece or attend your show.
In reality, by focusing on sales and marketing you could be able to make art for a really long time and supporting yourself off something you love to do. I think that money is a beautiful reflection and a great energetic exchange that respects the craft.
Compartmentalizing Art
If you don’t have a large budget you can make up for it with bootstrapping creativity with the currency of time. This not only saves you money but also creates really nuanced and unique pieces.
“My time is the art,” says Clyde. He will sit in his garage and spend three days painting something or will work really hard doing cool sound effects even if it’s only for a moment in the show. Normal businesses value efficiency but Clyde contributes his longevity in the arts to this tactic.
Giveaway!
Clyde is giving away a copy of his book “The Greatest Brochure”
To connect with Clyde or book him for a show check out his Linkedin or his website.

October 7, 2019
Ep:188 How to Launch a Business in 30 Days with Institute of Code Co-founder, Tina May
Days before launching her first product, her boss at the time came up to her and said “Look, Tina, I’ve come to a decision. I just don’t think you have what it takes to get this off the ground.” Tina was devastated. She had put so much time and effort into the company, and now, she was left with nothing.
Within that fury was also motivation and determination to succeed. So she made a promise and that promise was to launch a company in only one month.
And in 30 days, from idea to product, the Institute of Code was born.
Tina May is the co-founder of the Institute of Code along with her partner Emilio. Together, they are pioneering and redefining what education can look like. Located in Bali, Indonesia, Institute of Code encompasses a new way of learning.
Tina and Emilio believe that when you remove people from the distractions of everyday life, keep them nourished with high-quality food, movement, and meditation, plus a beautiful natural environment to surround themselves in while they learn, something amazing happens.
Their programs combine mentor-supported online learning with a 10-day intensive’s to help students launch a new career in web development or social media marketing in only two months!
Currently, IOC has taught over 500 students and is pulling in 7 figures… I’d say this lady definitely has what it takes to get a business off the ground.
In this episode, Tina shares 5 easy steps that you can use to take your own business idea off the ground and running in 30 days.
Put aside any preconceived notions about how things are or should be.
Tina shares that “If you’re trying to innovate, and you’re trying to come up with something new, you have to step back from the perspective of why things are the way they are, and just reimagine what else could be possible.”
Even if your idea sounds ridiculous, entertain it for a while! Tina and her partner Emilio have a policy when they are brainstorming ideas to not shut each other down too quickly. The rational mind can be so quick to judge and figure out why something wouldn’t work that ideas have a tough time of even getting off the ground.
Your brainstorming session should be spontaneous and free-flowing, plentiful, and without hesitation. Once you have your ideas out on paper, start to see how you can organize them to turn an idea into action.
Validate your idea by getting feedback
Talk to a lot of people about your idea, and be prepared to receive their feedback. Tina shares that this is one of the hardest things to do. As an entrepreneur, you need to stay true to your vision, even when other people don’t understand it, but you also have to receive valuable feedback and criticism from other people.
Yes, these are conflicting goals. There will be some people won’t see or understand your vision, and that’s okay. You can’t let them wack you down. In the words of the iconic Steve Jobs: “The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.”
What starts to happen when you speak to people about your idea is that you are able to see problems and solutions from a different perspective to really understand what your future customer would want.
Find a way to test your idea with minimal risk as possible.
Start with fast and cheap experiments when your uncertainty is at its highest. Starting with expensive and time-consuming experiments can become very costly if your initial assumptions turn out to be wrong. For example, one of the reasons why Tina choose Bali was that it was a lot cheaper to rent out a luxury villa and run their programs there than getting a similar set up in Australia.
Jump in!
Tina gave herself a 30-day time frame to launch her business and within 12 months they had run 8 retreats and gained valuable information from taking action. Yes, they made mistakes but so much of starting your business is not just thining or daydreaming about it but actually jumping in and learning as you go.
So don’t spend the next 12 months deliberating on the perfect idea. Just pick something that feels right to you, and that you’re passionate about and start.
Prioritize your mental health.
“As an entrepreneur, having good self-care practices and surrounding yourself with other people who believe in you are probably the most important things you can do as an entrepreneur.
Some recommended self-care practices are;
Reflective practices like acupuncture, massage, meditation, yoga, and journaling
Eating a balanced diet, minimal substance use and plenty of sleep
Being a part of supportive communities
Being creative outside of work by making art, cooking or dancing
Taking a vacation or mini holiday.
Being okay with doing less.
Watching Netflix
Unless you’re taking care of yourself first and getting yourself into the headspace to succeed, it’s very hard to pull any business off.
Giveaway!
Institute of Code online course Website in a Weekend. The course takes you from absolutely zero coding skills to build your own responsive live custom website. “zero to hero” is the approach 😉
Find out more about the Institute of Code on Instagram or through the website.
September 16, 2019
Ep: 186 How to Make Google Love Your Website, With SEO Expert, Sam McRoberts

Search Engine Optimization, also commonly known as SEO, is such a buzz word in the entrepreneurial scene. Many say that you must have it, but what exactly is SEO, how does it work and how do you apply it to your business?

Today on the Unconventional Life Show is Sam McRoberts. Sam has extensive experience with Search Engine Optimization and loves solving the ongoing puzzle of algorithms that search engines like Google keep secret. Although the layers of SEO can be quiet complex, He shares some simple steps on the in’s and out’s of SEO’s and how to make Google LOVE your website.

Search Engine Optimization 101

Simply put, Search Engine Optimization is making changes to your website in hopes to increase the quality and quantity of organic, non paid, traffic that is driven to your website through search engines like Google.

The way Google works is that “they start by crawling through a website and extracting all the website data.” Google looks at the quality of your code, your content, if other sites are linking back to yours and your website structure to determine what your site is about and how it relates to others with similar content.

Google’s goal is to provide the most accurate information to its users so in order to rank in the top pages your website needs to be superior to other websites in the same niche.

So, let’s dive in and explore how you can optimize

Site structure

Users should be easily able to navigate around your site and should be able to instantly understand what your message is and what products or services you are selling. If users can’t find answers to their questions or products that solve their problems it’s unlikely that they will come back to your website or become a customer.

Using Keywords

Keywords are words and phrases that describe what your content is about. “Put keywords in the right places such as your URL, your title, the heading tag & in the content itself.” You will also want to be specific with your keywords. Take a look at the graphic below from Backlinko.

If you write ‘t-shirts’ as your keyword it is highly competitive and has low conversion rates. When you get more specific and descriptive you experience higher conversion and low competition.

You want to have the theme of your keywords all over your site. Think of your childhood birthday party and how the theme was on everything… napkins, spoons, balloons, good bags and do the same on your website.

Speak your customer’s language, not yours

Know your customers really, really well. I know you have heard this before, its the holy grail of any marketing tactic. “Understand your audience and make sure that you’re creating rich content that answers the questions they’re asking from as many angles as thoroughly as possible”

Sam shares that he is constantly surprised by how many people put up minimal content or product description on their site and this is a red flag for not understanding the audience well enough. If you really understand your audience, the problems they are going through, the way they want to feel and what they are looking to do then you can create much better content. “At the end of the day, Google’s in the business of answering questions and solving problems, the better you are able to solve specific problems, the happier the people who search on Google will be and the higher your site will rank.

Great content deserves a great ranking

If you are a business selling diving trips in Bali, think of some phrases that your customer would use to search for a dive trip in Bali. Some would be, top activities in Bali, best dive spots in Bali, places to stay, best places to stay in a specific month, diving tours in Bali, Bali adventures, etc.

“The customer will start off with informational, trying to understand what’s possible. Once they know what’s possible, they’re starting to look for specifics. Then once they feel like they have more details, then they’re going to start looking to take action. Understanding the full cycle of that customer journey, that before the middle and the after, can help you to do a lot better job of providing content for your site.”

Google would rather send someone to one site that has all the information and outlines the complete customer journey in one place rather than to three different sites for questions that are related.

Google is very transparent at letting you know what sites get good ranking so you can work backward and see what the top-rated content is within your niche, what it covers and taking notes along the way.

‘Back Linking’ to your site

Google gives you major kudos if multiple different sites link to your content. This validifies that the content is trusted by the public as many people are sharing and including the content on their sites.

Some ideas for linkbacks are reaching out to other people who are in a similar niche and offering giveaways or discounts on your site, setting up an affiliate program, do podcasts and host on their website, targeted facebook ads to similar audiences.

GIVEAWAY! An SEO training course, eight hours of video content, tons of additional links, documents & spreadsheets. This course will walk you through SEO fundamentals taking you all the way to the edge of having advanced SEO knowledge.

Sam McRoberts is the CEO of VUDU Marketing where he specializes in SEO audits, strategies, and consulting. He has solved problems or puzzles as he calls it for hundreds of companies such as Amazon, HTC, Microsoft, Nokia, HostGator, Scholastic, and Goodreads. Sam also wrote a little book called Screw the Zoo (#1 Amazon bestseller in self-help). The book about finding, bending, breaking rules and the nature of reality.

If you want to check out more from Sam you can visit him at Vudu Marketing or get in touch on Twitter

September 9, 2019
Ep:182 Transitioning From the Conventional to the Unconventional, with CEO and Co-Founder of NED, Rett Taylor

“After spending years in different industries chasing previous ideas of “success” in some of the world’s busiest cities, there was the realization that there is something fundamentally broken about the way we, as a modern society, are approaching our health and well-being. Many of us are feeling the consequences of device addiction, stress, anxiety, and a multitude of other ailments that have come to rule our lives. We are too quick to turn to doctors and prescription drugs as the first line of defense.

We were reminded, in our own ways, that the best answers often lie in nature… in a walk through the forest; in the glow of a campfire; and in the plants, herbs, roots, fungi, and the very soil that our ancestors have used for millennia.”

This week on the Unconventional Life show is CEO and Co-founder of Ned, Ret Taylor. Ned is a wellness brand that produces CBD oil, hemp balms ,and medicinal tinctures.

In this episode Ret shares,

-His greater why in life and how that has impacted the business and work that he does today.

-How he made the switch from a very conventional life to the unconventional life.

– and so much more!

Ret’s research into CBD started after his mother was treated for breast cancer. She had chosen to improve her health through movement and diet instead of putting her body through rigorous chemotherapy. Ret researched natural ways to keep cancer from returning and was presented with the option of CBD use as a complementary therapy.

He started buying CBD from Alfalfas, a local grocery store, but couldn’t find “any loyalty or affinity to their brands.” He didn’t know how they were extracting or what extra ingredients were added. So he decided to start his own brand for himself and for his mom.

Fast forward two years and Ret and his business partner, Adrienne have created one of the highest quality hemp products in Colorado.

From seed to bottle, all Ned Full Spectrum Hemp products are energetically infused with love, gratitude, and positive vibrations.

Great Vibes

Farmer Curt sees to it that each of our beautiful, organic hemp plants receives the best of everything, including a lifetime of sun, filtered mountain water, and great tunes.

Quality, Not Quantity

The plants are grown in Paonia, Colorado one of the top places to grow produce. Care is put into each plant to ensure it’s healthy and symbiotically thriving within its environment.

Love and Gratitude

Once extracted, the words “love” and “gratitude” are energetically infused into the hemp oil according to the findings of Dr. Masura Emoto in his NY Times Best Seller, “The Hidden Messages in Water.”

Binaural Beats

The products are attuned to the frequencies of 3.5 Hz and 7.83 Hz are then played to the contents of each bottle to promote balance and grounding. Binaural beats are the result of two different auditory impulses heard from opposite ears. The Delta 3.5hz frequency is associated with remedying depression and anxiety while promoting DNA repair. 7.83hz is the powerful healing frequency of the earth’s magnetic field (Schumann’s Resonance), which promotes focus, balance, and calm.

Biodynamic Farming

Biodynamic farming is the highest level of “organic” farming. This type of agriculture practice is very detail-oriented and works symbiotically with the land to produce an exceptionally high-quality product.

One of Ned’s company values is to keep it simple and keep it natural. So by the time the products reach you, they have taken every possible step to ensure you’re receiving the very best of everything, including the right energy and vibrations.

Connect and learn more about Ned by visiting their website or follow on Instagram

This week on the giveaway Ned is giving away an entire package of products- tinctures, body butter, and lip balms. To be entered to win the giveaway, click here. A winner will be selected next week.

August 5, 2019