The Oyster With Lauren Kress

Leadership requires a deep understanding of the self and what it is to be human. Whether you believe we are in the third or fourth industrial revolution there is no denying that the ways in which technology is now enabling us to interact with one another is unprecedented. As a result, C-suite executives are required to cope with the exponential rate of change and flux that these interactions bring about. This means continual improvement, constant innovation and the ability to understand and predict what will change (and what won't) has already become business as usual for the companies that are thriving. Want to catch The Oyster in real-time, uncut and unedited? Tune into our weekly FB Live - find out more at: https://www.thechangemakers.org.au/the-oyster Need help with your next business decision? Connect with Lauren on LinkedIn to start a conversation today: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenkress89/

This week we're talking about market penetration - how to make sure your brand is getting out there, getting noticed and being remembered by your potential customers.  Based off the work of Byron Sharp in his book "How Brands Grow" the 7 things you need to do are:  1. Continuously reach all buyers of a category  2. Ensure the bran is easy to buy  3. Get noticed - make sure your brand is salient  4. Refresh and rebuild memory structures  5. Create and use effective brand assets  6. Be consistent  7. Stay competitive  I'll also be exploring some of these concepts more in my lunch and learn session at MOBLE in Pyrmont this week on Thursday the 19th of April, 2018 at 1pm we're we'll be looking at how to create memorable associations with your brand and the 6 traits of sticky content. 

Tonight I'm talking about risk management and how to know when you're ready to start a business. I cover:  - Creating a financial safety net to make sure you're not desperate for work  - The importance of bootstrapping (even with funding!)  - Some of the signs for being ready or, as the case may be, not ready to make the transition into fully immersing yourself in your business  The books I'd recommend reading to help you with this further, are books I've recommended before which are:  - The Personal MBA by Josh Kaufmann: https://personalmba.com/  - Small Business, Big Vision by Adam Toren and Matthew Toren : http://smallbusinessbigvision.com/  Ps. Correction - I started my business part way through 2016 - it was at the beginning of the financial year for 2017 (which is July 2016)

In celebration of International Women's day I share two of my favourite books for revolution and progress that ask us to be humble, reflective and empathic - and not hateful, angry or fall into the trap of victimising ourselves or others.  The two books I talk about are Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg and Empathy: A handbook for revolution by Roman Kznaric For those of you who haven't seen my video on the drama triangle - there are ways that we can get out of thinking like a victim and becoming empowered as a "survivor" you can watch it here

What do business owners need to think about to get their 1st customer through the door?  When you start out as a business owner, sales and lead generation can be particularly daunting.  One of the big problems I see with entrepreneurs who are new to sales is that they think that in order to be a "good" sales person they need to push their product or service onto people.  This is a common misconception of what sales is - what sales is really about is finding the people who need your help - and then talking to them about how you think you might be a good fit for what their needing.  When we've talked about marketing where talking about making sure that your product or service meets the need of your target audience.   When we talk about sales we need to think about how we deal with real prospective customers to make sure their specific needs are met. A good salesperson will work out how what your business does fits with what your prospective customer needs.

In this double-episode we're talking about how to demonstrate the value your business creates with a meaningful and memorable story.  We explore the core human drivers and motivations behind consumer behaviour and look at the tools that can help you craft your copy.  Tonight's question for our viewers and listeners is: What are you going to use to start telling the story of your business?  Please share your thoughts below along with any suggestions you have for telling your customers about who you are.  The 3 books I shared with you tonight (in order) are:  1. Braving the Wilderness by Brene Brown  2. The Lean Startup by Eric Ries  3. Creativity Inc. by Ed Catmull

So excited about sharing this episode with you tonight!  This week we're talking about building out the very foundation of your business:  Your Business Vision, Mission and Values.  This is what we've been working towards over the past few weeks... In episode 2 we talked about finding your passion. Then, in episode 3, we talked about how to get to know your audience so we could start to find ways to commercialize your passion. This week, we're talking about: Your Vision - why does your company exist - where is it headed?  Your Mission - Who are you and what do you stand for? Your Values - What are the core principles that will guide your behaviour and the behaviour of others who work with you?  The book I refer to in tonight's episode is "Small Business, Big Vision" by Adam Toren and Matthew Toren. This week's question is: "What steps are you taking right now to start your business?" Leave your comments below and let's get talking about starting a business.

Following on from episode 2 on why your "WHY" is so important, I delve into getting to know your audience in order to commercialise your passion.  My 3 practical tips for market research will help you get to know your audience - preferably before you even think about starting your business.  These are:  1. Find out if there is a market  First consider some broad, basic questions. I recommend using Josh Kaufman's market research checklist from the Personal MBA you can access online here 2. Blog about it first Experiment with content to start building an audience.  I recommend reading Austin Kleon's book Show Your Work to understand more about how sharing what you're doing with the world will help you build an audience and iterate your work.   3. Know what results your audience value What results do your audience want that you can offer? A great book to read to understand the power of a audience + results-driven approach to marketing is Absolute Value by Itamar Simonson &

Tonight's 'Straya Day special episode is about Dale Carnegie's global sensation of a book: How to Win Friends and Influence People.  With over 16 million copies sold, I dig into why this book, written in 1936, continues to be a bestseller 80 years after it was first published. In just over 15 minutes I cover many of the key principles of the book looking at each section and discussing how this book was way ahead of it's time.  I wanted to feature this book early on in my series as I think it is an important book for combatting bullying in the workforce - instead emphasising the importance of being genuine, kind, friendly AND using this to thrive in your career. In fact, I am of the opinion that this book is the first book on emotional intelligence - published way before we recognised EQ as a "thing".  It also shows that the whole "authenticity" buzz word that brands have been throwing around for the past couple of years ain't new. In fact Carnegie humanises sincerity and authenticity, in a way

So many entrepreneurs talk about finding your "WHY?" but what do they mean by that, and why is it so important?  Starting a business isn't for everyone and asking yourself "what should I do with my life?" is the first step in thinking about the direction for yourself and your potential business.  The last thing you want is to be stuck working your arse off towards a goal that you actually, when it comes down to it, have no desire to achieve (!)  In this second episode I talk about the first step of starting your business and why your "WHY?" is so important. For me, the first step really boils down to thinking about it like this: if money wasn't an obstacle - if you had enough money guaranteed for the rest of your life - what would you do?  This is where the question "what should I do with my life?" needs to come from - from a place that is about your happiness not making a quick (or slow) buck.  Once you have your reason for starting a business you're able to set your business vision

In this first episode, I speak about the five books that have gotten me through my first year and a half as a business co-founder and entrepreneur.  They are:  "Steal Like an Artist" by Austin Kleon  "Rising Strong" by Brene Brown  "Status Anxiety" by Alain de Botton  "The Organised Mind" by Daniel Levitin  "The Personal MBA" by Josh Kaufman