Elephant Sandwich

01/05/2023

I know that mindset matters.

I believe in affirmations.

I am also 💯% sure that if I don’t show up for that stuff, what I know doesn’t matter. I’ve been getting up early so that I can steal some quiet time while the dog and his dad are on their walk.

I started a journaling challenge on January 1 and because I have kept that commitment, each day, without trying, I’ve added more productivity. The laundry is under control, the kitchen is clean, we’ve eaten better, the bed is made, I’ve been posting on social media, and I’ve been using a planner...I woke before 5 a.m. without an alarm.

You can’t get momentum without movement. What actions get your day rolling?

01/04/2023

Happy Wednesday! (I loved this show, have you seen it?)

01/03/2023

Even social media pros are asking if organic engagement is dead on certain platforms. Admittedly, it takes more work to get engagement than it used to, but one of my clients reached a lofty fundraising goal without buying ads. It took every minute of the six week campaign, and to my knowledge, there weren’t any big donors stepping in to save the day so with persistence and sharing, along with some very effective videos about women who have been helped by the organization they reached a $10K goal that was matched by a local organization.

Social platforms are going to change. We can adjust and adapt or we can complain. If you want to be more effective on social media in 2023, here are some suggestions:

📲 Use short form video on multiple platforms.

🤷🏻‍♀️ Don’t even dream of perfection, instead be brave and genuine.

🫱🏻‍🫲🏾 You need a marketing strategy. If you don’t understand your sales process, you don’t have one.

🧩 Clarify how each piece of the puzzle fits together. How do you identify potential clients? Do you have tiered offers? Are you making your ideal offer irresistible? Do you have a system to connect and court? Are you getting references and referrals?

Do you have a question about social media that I can answer for you?

01/02/2023

It feels like I’ve been in the cocoon a long time. I think I was trying to decide if I am willing to emerge and step into the awkward newness again. I needed to marinate in the thought that staying put isn’t ever a real option. It’s annoying.

My ego says I have to hide until I am graceful and certain but that only comes by surviving clumsy and unsure. The only shortcut is to trust that it won’t be that awful, and there will a lot of awesome times swirling around with the suck.

In some ways I will always be the new girl, woman, person, thing…because I am endlessly restless and perpetually curious. These are my gifts and sometimes my curses because they keep pushing me out of comfy nests to prove that I was designed to fly.

P.S. You were given wings too. Care to stretch them?

12/05/2022

Remember the answer is always "no" if you don't ask!! LOVE THIS SO MUCH!

11/25/2022

I’d love to hear!

11/21/2022

We went out of town for a function this weekend and I found out that the facility where I would be staying had pet friendly cabins. I made arrangements to trade in my suite for a cabin so that my husband and Elroy could come along. The conference paid my pet deposit and even made a little badge for my dog. That extra effort made me so happy and made me feel so welcome! I have been thinking about it for days.

Sometimes we think it takes an over the top demonstration to set ourselves apart from our peers but that’s not always true. Typically, I am more moved by thoughtfulness than expense. I go back to my mechanic because they have a nice waiting area with drinks and snacks provided. This is a big deal to me because it’s easier for me to hang out during an oil change or tune up than it is for me to find a ride during the day and I’d rather hang out in a place that looks more like a living room than a garage.

Take a little time to think about a business that has won your loyalty. What did they do that set them apart? How can you use this information to make an impact on your clients and customers?

11/11/2022

Packing well is easy peasy with these tips!

11/10/2022

"Curiosity is what keeps me open to a sense of hope. It staves off negativity."

Carrie Brownstein

I woke up yesterday a little off and I knew I was going to have to proceed with caution. I love social media. I really do, but there are times when it takes a deep commitment not to accept the many invitations to dance with anger, cynicism, bitterness, and fear. I fight daily to keep my thoughts on "we" and "us" so that I don't feed the false narrative that I am not connected to those who have a different viewpoint. I also avoided the temptation to mother those who are vocal about how frustrated they're feeling. (Sometimes I assign myself entire circuses just so I can get upset about the monkeys.)

Once I navigated that, I came face to face with the highlight reels from friends who are enjoying the trip of a lifetime while I'm over here trying to get my laundry from two weeks ago done. I don't begrudge anyone the gift of travel, especially not some of my very favorite people but I'd be lying if I said that there aren't twinges of jealousy that nibble on my elbows and ears from time to time. So off I go looking for a pacifier for my whiny toddler brain that thinks everything is or should be about me.

The good news is that I have learned a thing or two about how to proceed on days like these. The first thing I do is quiet my mind with some kind of meditation. Yesterday I chose Zentangle. Zentangle is a meditative form of drawing that has some very specific guidelines that separate it from doodling. If you're curious about it, you can learn about it at www.zentangle.com

Next up, I got over myself by getting out of myself. Service of any kind is fast-acting medicine for self-centeredness and I found a couple of things to do to benefit others.

Finally, I ran an errand and on the way home, I turned off the GPS and meandered down an unknown road. See that tree tunnel? I found that in west McKinney. By indulging my curiosity, I saw something unexpected that calmed my spirit like a little love note from the universe.

Yesterday was actually an okay day considering I got to go to the DMV (twice). I'm pretty committed to loving my neighbor, and the good news is that I don't have to muster that up on my own. I know a power that has the power...staying open and curious keeps me flexible and those who bend are much harder to break.

What do you do to center yourself when you're feeling off?

11/07/2022

This weekend I planted 80 bulbs in our front beds. I have no way to know if even one of those bulbs is going to bloom--the only thing I know for sure is that if I didn't get them in the ground it's 100% guaranteed that I won't have flowers in the spring.

In between groans about my lower back, I thought about how much bulb planting is like what we do in our businesses. No one can guarantee us results for our efforts. The only sure bet is inaction and inactivity which will yield nothing 100% of the time. I'm sure all of us have a list of things that looked good on paper but didn't live up to the hype. Hopefully, we also have some things we tried on a whim that blew us away.

Me, I'm betting on effort and enthusiasm. I might get a bouquet and I might get a lesson, but one way or another I'll have more going on this spring than I would if I sat on the couch hoping. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get my hands dirty planting some seeds for Elephant Sandwich!

11/03/2022

Does Thanksgiving get it’s own season or is it just a one day intermission from the Christmas season at your house? (I know not everyone celebrates either of these holidays.)

I have been amusing the heck out of myself with these face swap photos. I have them in frames in my house. They crack me up! I can hardly wait for the Christmas reveal!

11/02/2022

Yesterday I went to one of my favorite places to get cookies. I love these cookies so much that I served them at my wedding. Jen's Place Bakery & Cafe

When I walked in the door, I didn't ask how much the cookies cost.

When I paid, I didn't particularly pay any attention to how much I paid for them.

This is pretty unusual behavior for me. I'm a bargain hunter and I'm normally pretty in tune with what things cost. So why didn't I consider how much the cookies cost?

The cost didn't matter to me because I knew exactly how good those cookies are. They were great the first time I had them. They were awesome on my wedding day, and they were phenomenal yesterday.

If potential clients or customers are balking at your price, it may be time to consider how well you and especially others are sharing the value of your product or service. Are you asking for reviews, recommendations, and referrals from your customers? Are you sharing the awesome reviews you've received? Are you paying attention to what people like best about what you do? Are you sharing about the features people appreciate most and building on those?

What's something you purchase without any concern for price because you value the product or experience?

11/01/2022

Questions to ask every morning:

1. What do I have to do today?
2. Who do I need to talk to today?
3. What action would make the most positive impact on my business today?
4. How can I make today better than yesterday?
5. What can I get off of my to do list that would give me the most relief/freedom?

Night Questions:

1. Who did I make happy today?
2. What did I achieve?
3. What did I learn?
4. What took me off task today?
5. How do I feel about the work I did today?

10/28/2022

I really love getting a good deal! I mean it’s sort of my sport and because I love a good deal, I am often tempted to run a sale with some outrageous discount but experts don’t recommend doing that. Do you know why?

There’s an online business that runs specials constantly and it’s always the same—20% off. They also run their seasonal ads year round so this week on this platform I’ve seen both a Labor Day ad and a Black Friday ad, both for 20% off. They offer a discount for new customers. Care to guess the discount? It probably wouldn’t surprise you to learn that they’ll provide a 20% off code for anyone who joins their email list. At this point it’s no longer a special offer, it’s a 20% up charge for anyone who can’t figure out how to get their every single day of the year discount.

The problem with “steals and deals” is that it calls the quality of the product or service into question. While a deep discount may be wise when a product is being phased out or is near expiration, when you’re knocking 40% off of a service it can come across as desperate. Big discounts can lead to delays in decision-making too because no one wants to pay more than they have to!

If you want to add an incentive, consider adding something on rather than knocking something off. “If you sign up for one year of our monthly service in December, we’ll throw in an additional month!” The annual price doesn’t change, it will just renew one month later. If you reduce your price 10% for the first year, it will appear that you’ve raised your prices at renewal.

The key to all of this is that you must be 100% clear and confident with your pricing and the value of your service. Any uncertainty will be easy to spot and capitalize on.

10/27/2022

Today there were a bunch of new business owners online debating how to handle a client who hired someone to do a project for him and then decided to close his business. The guy wanted the 50% he’d paid back even though the project had been started and was easily half done per the agreed on time frame.

The guy had every right to ask for his money back, but the contractor had every right to politely decline. This type of situation is exactly why one asks for money up front. Many women struggle with this kind of thing. We don’t want to be greedy, or mean, or unfair and the problem is that some of us have some screwy ideas about what greedy, or mean, or unfair is! (I’m looking at you Jennifer Huddleston-Kelley in 2020!)

Some of the fear-based suggestions that were made were:
😰 Maybe you could figure out an hourly rate and give back some of what you were paid…
🫣 It’s possible this guy could ruin your reputation if you don’t work with him. If you refund his money, he might give you some referrals…
😬What if he starts another business? You don’t want to burn a bridge do you?

Spoiler alert! One client is not the magical unicorn that will unlock the doors to prosperity and the quicker you are to respect your work and your business the faster you’ll walk away from those who expect you to work for free. There’s a pretty good chance this guy asked for his money back hoping that the contractor was a we**ie whose letting fear make her decisions. (I mean if the hot dog suit fits, wear it!)

Here are some questions that I thought of much too late that may be helpful to you moving forward:

🤨 Do I believe that the person asking for the discount or refund would give me a significant discount on his goods and services?
🥺 If this person did send me a referral, is it possible or even probable that those they refer will expect a discount?
😳 Do I believe I am overcharging for my goods or services? Do I recognize that the time spent on the project cannot be refunded?

As a dear friend of mine says, “We don’t do this for hugs and kisses!” Devaluing your service, time, or products can take a long time to correct…assuming you can stay in business long enough to get back on track.

How would you handle this situation?

10/21/2022

Earlier this week I got a wild hair and moved some furniture around. Since my mom died I have made some changes so that the home is a little more ours. I bought a rug she wouldn’t have chosen and fully expected her to show up in a dream to chat with me about it. 😆 Change often feels awkward but I need to keep looking at my surroundings with a fresh eye to make sure that what I am doing makes sense with how we live today.

Social media is changing too as is my attitude about it. Many of us in the biz are making a shift from churning out massive amounts of content to creating more thoughtful and personal posts. I am no longer driven by the ABC (always be closing) mentality which never felt right in the first place. Now I am more focused on an “if you build it they will come” approach. In some circles that’s referred to as “attraction rather than promotion.” That doesn’t mean that I don’t need to be clear about the work I do and how I can help, it just means that I don’t feel the need to beat anyone over the head with 2000 details that none of y’all cared a googob about. I still need to show up and engage—interaction and connection is where the magic happens, I just need to be thoughtful and strategic about where, when, and what I post.

I hear that change is painful all the time but that’s not my experience. RESISTANCE to change is where the discomfort comes from. We get stuck on how it used to be or bellyache about how it ought to be and we miss out on some pretty sweet opportunities that are right here in the right now. What changes are you embracing in your work or personal life? What shifts in your actions or attitude are you experiencing?

10/19/2022

Do you read or listen to audio books?

I am a reader. I read to improve my spiritual life. I read to improve my professional life. I read because I love a good story and when I find something cool, I love to share it. When I got my first Kindle, Big Daddy teased me saying I needed a wrist strap for it. I took it everywhere including the bathtub. The problem was that buying books got expensive. I tried Prime reading but I didn’t find a lot of the books I wanted to read.

Then I tried Audible but because I listened sporadically, sometimes I had a lot of credits hanging around and other times I had none. I prefer reading to listening but have found that listening to books is great during workouts, housework, or road-trips.

Enter Scribd. With this service I didn’t have to choose between ebooks and audio books, they have both! For the price of one book, I get access to their library and so far, most of the books I want to read are available including many of my favorite recovery texts. I use Scribd on my phone and iPad. It also works on Android phones and tablets as well as some Kindle Fire tablets. It will not work on a regular Kindle which makes sense since the Kindle was designed to sell Amazon books. I still use my Kindle to read my Amazon first reads freebie books and anything that I can’t find on Scribd.

If you’d like to try it out, use my link for two free months and see what you think!

What are you reading/listening to?

Join Jennifer Huddleston-Kelley on Scribd and read books, audiobooks, and more free, for 60 days

10/18/2022

I just saw something cool that I thought y'all might want to try. Do you know why people buy from you?

Recently, I signed up for a higher ticket program. In the midst of the onboarding process, I got a message and the founder asked what it was that motivated me to buy. I thought that was a genius question! By learning what the tipping point is for her buyers, she now knows exactly what to use in her pitches, ads, and other marketing materials to attract her ideal client/customer to her program.

Is there a way you can use this idea in your business?

10/17/2022

I'm so excited about the new direction Elephant Sandwich is headed! We're going to be able to help you in so many new and exciting ways. :D

10/14/2022

Y’all this feels like something I need to try. Who else needs to get comfy with uncomfy?

10/14/2022

I am a fall freak. I always have been. The world seems right when there’s football to watch and chili to eat. I have a fall birthday and anniversary. This weekend I am in Tennessee and the leaves are putting on a show. This is the season when nature reminds us to let go and make space for something new.

What do you have going on this weekend?

10/13/2022

Something awesome happened yesterday, I lost my wallet.

Now that may not seem like something awesome but stick with me for a minute. The dog and I were out running errands and I made a quick grocery store run because Elroy was in the car. I tossed all of the groceries in the car, grabbed my keys and phone, and headed home.

When I got home, I unpacked the groceries and looked around there was no wallet. I checked the car--no wallet. I asked Elroy and he didn't have it. That's when my old friend panic chimed in.

OMG! I HAVE TO TRAVEL TOMORROW AND I HAVE LOST MY DRIVER'S LICENSE!

OH NOOOOOOO! I HAVE TO CANCEL ALL MY CARDS AND I DON'T HAVE ANY CASH.

WHAT IF SOMEONE IS USING MY CREDIT CARDS NOW?????

I grabbed my keys and started driving across town to go to Tom Thumb with my heart thumping. During that time, I started thinking about what was going on inside of me. As I thought about the missing driver's license, I remembered that I actually have an extra driver's license in my suitcase. I also have a valid passport so there's no reason I can't get on a plane. My shoulders dropped.

Then I thought about not having any money. In short order, I had come up with three easy solutions. My breathing slowed.

Then I thought about the credit card situation and I thought, "I hope they're going to Bath & Body Works and not Best Buy or they're going to be really disappointed. I started to smile.

I challenged myself to look for the blessing in the situation. I thought about the fact that I have solutions and that my instinct when I got afraid was to start praying. That hasn't always been the case so that was something to celebrate. I realized that on my drive back to the store I stayed present in the moment and prayed for the fear to be removed and I had half an hour of extra time with God. As I pulled up to Tom Thumb, I started to pray that my wallet was at the customer service desk but then I stopped...I considered that there might be something else I need to learn or experience and with an uncharacteristic degree of calm I prayed, "Thy will be done."

Holy Shift! In a matter of minutes, I went from panicked to peaceful. It doesn't really matter whether my wallet was turned in or not because I knew I was okay no matter what. Pretty cool huh?

10/12/2022

Elroy wanted me to remind you that while we believe in doing one holiday at a time over here, we also know that it's time to start thinking about and planning for 2023. Here are a few things we're working on over here:

1. Based on several horror stories I've heard from people I know, I've turned on two-factor authorization. I think it's a massive pain in the neck but it's much less frustrating than
losing control of your business page! I have heard stories of social media managers not only losing control of their own stuff but also of their client's pages. Hackers get in and change passwords and once that happens there's not a lot that can be done!

2. I'm looking at all the apps and subscriptions to evaluate whether the value is there and to make sure there aren't better/more affordable options available.

3. I am evaluating several options for continuing education. Whether you are in a business that requires continuing ed or not, I suggest that you look into additional training or coaching. I have found that nothing motivates me more than new information.

What are you doing to prepare for 2023?

10/08/2022

Seize the cheese! (And have an awesome weekend!)

10/07/2022

Social media is a terrible place to get your okay, but it's a great place to lift others up. It's important to remember that there are real live people behind those profile pictures. There are people who feel all the same emotions you do. Some are having a great day and others may be hanging on with everything they've got. Some may share too much and some may never let you see what's really going on out of fear, or shame, or a belief that no one would care if they did. What we see on social media isn't the whole person or the whole story.

Recently, I was asked to lead a weekend event and while I was facilitating, a woman interrupted the meeting and confronted me about why I was pushing to stay on schedule. When I gave her my rational, she pushed some more with a room full of people getting more uncomfortable by the minute. She wanted me to do things differently and I had a game plan in place. I tried very hard to be polite and respectful even though I felt attacked. It was tough and honestly, I wanted to gather up some of the others and get them on my team.

Instead, I stepped away, got quiet, and looked inside. I acknowledged that I was feeling uncomfortable and alone. I really explored why I wasn't open to her suggestion. I decided that I wasn't trying to stay on track so that I could be in control, but because I wanted to facilitate an experience that required we get through a lot of material. Once I had settled myself with a little prayer and deep breathing, I made a decision that her behavior wasn't going to change mine.

Later on, I learned that she'd experienced a huge loss earlier that week. Having experienced a loss of my own, I knew exactly how it feels to go out into the world feeling inside out. I cannot tell you how thankful I was that I looked inside for the answers rather than creating an us vs. them scenario. I was unconcerned about whether she liked me and more concerned about how she could get the love and attention she needed over the weekend.

In our own way, we're all "influencers" on social media. What kind of influence do you want to have? What kind of impact can you make?

10/04/2022

Elroy wanted to remind you that sometimes you've got to trust the process, even when it's slow!

Our boy was a longtimer at the shelter and when we got him home, we saw that someone had worked with him. He knew a few commands. He didn't have accidents. He was relatively well-behaved BUT he wanted absolutely nothing to do with the crate. *Please note, the point of this is not pro-crate or anti-crate, so don't get tangled up in that, okay?*

Now I don't presume to know why Elroy wasn't having anything to do with the crate but there are a couple of theories. One is that he got enough of cages at the shelter. The other is that he was surrendered because someone's life changed and they couldn't take care of him as they once did. *Please note, the point is not about whether you should or shouldn't surrender a pet...we don't know if someone was sick or died...we don't know the particulars and we do know that Elroy is where he belongs now, so don't get tangled up in that, okay?*

I bought a crate because I thought it would be good for my peace of mind to have a crate on the days when I have to travel when he'll be home alone for a while, but that boy was not having it. In one of the photos, you can see it was littered with treats that fossilized from neglect.

I moved the crate to different locations. He didn't care.

I put his toys in there...they were dead to him unless he could get to them by just poking his head in the doorway.

Then I brought home the snake. The snake is the most obnoxious squeaker toy known to man AND it has survived the jaws of steel for weeks now! (Big Daddy is not a huge fan of the snake because it sounds like stuffed animals having really noisy s*x when Elroy gets into chewing it which started out funny but can get old quick.)

I started a game where I put the snake in the crate and Elroy got the snake out to put it in his self-assigned toy scattering place. Slowly I scooted the snake farther back into the crate and homeboy would stretttttccccchhhhh to get it.

Then we started tricking Elroy into eating by putting his food into "people bowls" and we accidentally hit upon a new thing. I put the bowl inside the crate and as he ate, he'd scoot the bowl which forced him to go farther in...if Elroy ignored the food, I'd take it out and put it on the counter in the kitchen and I'd wait 5-10 minutes to put the bowl back in the crate. My technique was to completely ignore the dog as I did this so that he felt in charge of the situation.

That's when the magic started happening.

One foot in...

Two feet in...

Three feet in...

Jackpot!

We're still a long way from, "Go to bed!" but it's no longer an impossibility.

Here's the thing, creating a social media presence that works for you requires patience, persistence, creativity, and lots of enthusiasm. It takes time. You will try things that you've seen work for others that will fall completely flat for you. There will be days when an awesome idea is met with the roar of crickets. There will be posts that unexpectedly get some engagement...but you won't know why unless you run some experiments. The thing is that even though your progress may be slow, it's progress and you can build on progress.