A Savvy CEO
I’m Savannah, a momma, a wife and a proud serial entrepreneur. I love cold brew and fancy Starbucks cups. The only way I get my daily water intake is through a straw. I thrive off of sharing savvy business knowledge with other CEO's and business owners. From marriage to kids to random thoughts we will talk about it all.
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Reflecting on What I Sucked At In 2018 and How to Grow in 2019
12/27/2018
Reflecting on What I Sucked At In 2018 and How to Grow in 2019
In today's blog post I am breaking down what I truly sucked at in 2018. This was something that was a bit hard for me to share but it is something that needed to be done. I also believe that it is something that all business owners and CEO's can relate to.
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EPISODE 1: How to Use Social Media to Increase Your Engagement and Attract More Possible Customers.
11/01/2018
EPISODE 1: How to Use Social Media to Increase Your Engagement and Attract More Possible Customers.
Social media plays a huge role in marketing these days. It isn’t only just for selling your product or service but it is a great way for your clients to get to know you on a personal level. The key to social media is consistency, being real and engagement. If implemented correctly you are guaranteed to increase your social media presence and attract more possible customers. Don’t be afraid to go after it.
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When the going gets tough... the unprepared fail
10/24/2018
When the going gets tough... the unprepared fail
There is nothing more glorifying in business than landing the dream client you have been after for longer than you can remember! There is also nothing worse than watching that new dream client walk away, because they realized that you can't deliver what you promised. Why cant you deliver it? Well, because you were unprepared. This is something that has happened to me more than once but not more than twice and I am so embarrassed to even admit it. However, with every fail comes a learning opportunity. And with every learning opportunity, comes room to grow. I won't even put a dollar amount next to the revenue we lost with us over promising and under delivering. My company is built on reoccurring business. Which means loosing a client hurts again... and again and again. So what went wrong? EVERYTHING! haha! Just kidding! We lacked the staff and the back up procedure on how to handle a sudden influx of work. Ladies, it doesn't matter how well you know your stuff. It doesn't matter if you are the best in your industry! If you do not have the infrastructure to handle the work you will fail every time! So how did we fix this and how can you learn from our mistake? Correction #1 We had to learn our limits. The truth is if we knew how long it would have taken us to hire and train we could have given them realistic expectations. Don't sell the milk before the cow is born. I have no idea where that statement just came from but I am going with it. I fully believe in transparency. I also believe that people like to do business with people who will be straight up and honest with them. Sometimes the truth will set you free! In our case we didn't know our actual "truth". That was the problem! Correction #2 Have backup. We learned that having people waiting in the wings that don't work for us on a regular basis is a positive! Ex-employees, family members, friends, stay at home moms are all great people to have in your back pocket. To ensure the best outcome... train them BEFORE you actually need them. This way they are ready to go when you call! Find a payment structure that works for the both of you and hire them as subcontractors. There is no commitment on the volume of work and they can make some extra money on the side when it's needed. It's really a WIN for both! Correction #3 HUSTLE! Truth be told we should have seen the writing on the walls, made major adjustments and FAST. The staff we hired while doing a good job didn't catch on as quickly as we would have hoped. This is business. This is YOUR business! If someone isn't cutting it, it is time to let them go. Take the heart out of it and run your business like a boss! Hindsight. You did it! You landed the client! You did something that you set out to do. And while it hurts to loose them... getting them in the first place means you are doing something right! So believe in yourself and don't let the defeat get to you too much. Set yourself up (as much as you possibly can) for success before you go after those big fish!
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Seize the moment: Carpe Omnia
10/22/2018
Seize the moment: Carpe Omnia
Have you ever heard of Carpe Diem? Otherwise known as Seize the Day! Well what about all the other times? Opportunity doesn't always come knocking during the day. *wink wink* There have been so many times in life where I missed the chance on something great, because I hesitated! I failed to seize the moment when it was right in front of me. Hesitation tends to happen when we feel uncertain or doubtful about something. Typically we are doubting our own abilities, not necessarily outside forces. Maybe I should wait, I don't want to seem pushy, I don't want to interrupt them... I am sure these are all things that we have said to ourselves when dealing with a prospect. There are so many potential business leads I let fall to the wayside because I wasn't ready to seize the moment. I doubted my ability to connect, I doubted my ability to sell them on something I knew would benefit them, and ultimately I doubted myself. There are so many people who surround me on a daily basis that believe in my abilities far more than I believe in myself at times. The best way to conquer the doubt is to be prepared! If I am doubting my ability to connect then I should have some standard questions that I have memorized to ask. Questions that will help start a conversation and allow me to get to know them on a more personal level. If I am doubting my ability to sell, then I should have my elevator speech ready to go at all times! No one knows your business more than you do, which means there is no question you shouldn't be able to answer! Think about what is holding you back and run straight into it. Don't. Ever. Hold. Back.
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Do What You Can Because You Can
10/22/2018
Do What You Can Because You Can
As I sat in my daughters middle school cafeteria chatting with her and her friends I couldn't help but stare at the cafeterias trash cans. YES! Trash cans. I know you are probably thinking ... girl, what in the world are you talking about? But I promise I am going somewhere so stay with me! Her school is a charter school and rely's heavily on parent donations and involvement. It is also only in its second year of being a open, fully operating school. They didn't get a fancy new building with all the bells and whistles. No, they took over a closed down elementary school that had been around for ages! Most of their money went to things like new desks, technology for the students and other items to enhance their education. Lets be honest, trash cans are really not that important. But, these trash cans were abnormally small. Like... really... small. Most wouldn't have thought twice about it, but I couldn't help but see that there was a problem and I also knew that there was a solution. The solution? Bigger trash cans! As I sat there I knew this was a problem I could fix but really battled with myself on whether I should step up or if I should mind my own business. However, I made the decision after lunch to approach the principal about the issue and my thoughts. I offered to purchase the lunch room new, larger trashcans with wheels to push them around. I immediately left, headed over to Lowes and picked up 5 32 gallon trashcans and the circle wheels to go with. As I drove back to the school and dropped them off I still cringed inside... what will people think? Then I heard "Do what you can, because you can!" In that moment it all made sense. Whether its money, or time, or a skill. We all should do what we can, because we can. We all should step up where we can, when it is needed because we are blessed with the ability to do so. So often I back down and steer away from inserting myself into things when I am not asked. This happens a lot when I am the grocery store! I overhear someone looking for something and I happen to know right where it is, I used to be someone who would say "Hey! I can help with that!" but more recently have started to stop myself. Choosing to mind my own business rather than allowing myself to be someone elses blessing. Lord knows one day I will need a blessing too and I certainly hope that person isn't stopping themselves out of fear of judgement. The reality is I battle with myself because the last thing I want is for people to judge me negatively based on what I perceive as being a good deed. I am criticized often on my giving. "Was that necessary?" "You only want attention." But for me... it IS necessary! and NO I don't want the attention. It is not about me. It's about God, it's about what is right. It's about blessing others. It has always been who I have been. I think so often we all become so afraid of what others will think. We are afraid to put ourselves out there. We are afraid to give, because people will think we are being self-righteous. I do not tell you this story as a way to boast, I tell you this story in hopes to inspire others to step up. To let others know that it is our place to help others when we have the ability to do so. To tell others to do what we can, because we can! In hopes of starting a movement! A movement that will teach our sons and daughters to be givers. A movement that will encourage others to step into who they were meant to be. To share their gifts and bless others!
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