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Guest post by the infamous Teresa Thomas Teresa Thomas connects people, possibilities, and purpose as an award-winning professional connector, speaker, networking expert, facilitator, and author of Win/Win Networking and 50 Fun Things: Enjoy the Small Things. Self-doubt is one of the top obstacles that hold many of us back from achieving the quality of life and success we seek. As someone who has regularly struggled with self-confidence (don’t we all?) and because my mission is to help others live more confident and connected lives, I am constantly pulling from a toolkit of quick self-confidence boosts. Following are several simple, immediately applicable ways you can increase your confidence. You may have heard of “life hacks” and “productivity hacks” which are easy ways to make life better. The tools below are “confidence hacks” to quickly raise your confidence. Apply these hacks to take yourself to the next level in your communications including having more control in your career path, negotiations, speaking up, and challenging yourself to pursue what you really want for your life. Interspersed within the hacks are several resources with research that examines how women and men are challenged with self-confidence in different ways. There are links throughout for learning more. My call to action is that we become more aware of not only how we hold ourselves back but how we inadvertently hold others back when we don’t participate in and foster working environments that support confidence. The following Confidence Hacks are organized under these 5 Cs: • Clarity • Communication • Composure • Core (mind and body) • Competence Clarity (knowing what you want, figuring out how you’ll get there) • Do your research (e.g. what qualifications are required for a higher-level position) • Gain experience (how could you gain experience, mentor-type connections, help on a project) • When you are sufficiently prepared, the more confident you’ll feel. Note that I said sufficiently. Overpreparation and waiting until you feel 100% prepared can become procrastination. Remind yourself that if you wait until 100% ready, you won’t ever take action because there is always more you could do. (Note that women tend to underestimate their qualifications and therefore unnecessarily hold themselves back.) • Informational interviews. Find out what you want to know to help you determine what you aspire to for the next steps of your career. • Practice making quicker decisions, gradually getting bolder as you go. A trait of many confident people is to not obsess over making decisions. They make a choice and then course-correct as needed. (This one has been challenging for me. I’m better but I continue practicing. Menus are an easy way for me to practice. Instead of obsessing over the myriad of choices, I give myself a small window of time to make a decision and then assure myself that it didn’t have to be the perfect decision.) Click to learn more about how the length of time for decision-making affects confidence. • Self-reflection. Gain a better understanding of your key motivational drivers, values, strengths. Knowing what makes you tick can help you to make better decisions and to speak up on the things that matter. Understand your uniqueness vs comparing yourself to others. • Pangs of jealousy can be used positively. Instead of harboring ill thoughts about the situation or person, see envy as a clue to what you really want. Be happy for the situation/person and pay attention to what you can learn from it. Tell yourself this is an important clue and to investigate further. For more on how to replace envy with mudita (“rejoicing in the good fortune of others”), read Envy at Work, Harvard Business Review. • Future projection: Consider what words of advice or encouragement your “future best self” would share with you. (Tara Mohr has a great visualization exercise for tapping into your Inner Mentor in her book, Playing Big) Communication (articulate, enunciate, pause, focus on others) • When you focus on others, it helps you to get outside of your own worried mind. (Resource: Marie Forleo has a great video explaining this.) • Think about “what’s in it for them” just as much or more than WIIFM (what’s in it for me) so you can frame your request or suggestion from a place of confidence in how it will positively affect them. • Embrace silence (Don’t always try to fill the voids with conversation. Purposeful pauses also increase the perception of confidence. It gives you space to think.) • Self-fulfilling prophecy: By increasing the perception of confidence, it triggers you to feel more confident, which in turn further increases others' confidence in you (and so on). • Be articulate in your communication. Take time. Don’t feel that you need to rush through. (Practice by stating your name with a confident tone and pace in an introduction with someone.) Composure (state of mind, “the state or feeling of being calm and in control of oneself”) • Take a deep, focused breath (or try this breathing technique specifically geared for building confidence) • Get into a centered state of mind (take some alone time, avoid distraction). • Listen to a power song and immediately feel more powerful. • Concentrate on a mantra or quote that helps you feel centered (“Nothing ventured, nothing gained.” One that I often use is “Just when the caterpillar thought its life was over, it became a butterfly.”) A phrase that helps boosts your confidence (e.g. “You’ve got this.” “We’re all just human.”) Imagine hearing this in the voice of someone who is encouraging to you. • Give yourself a pep talk. Jasmine Brett Stringer, author of Seize Your Life includes a link to a great “fill-in-the-blank” pep talk template in her blog post on self-confidence. • Positive affirmations help create a confident state of mind. Affirmations are statements you repeat to yourself that counter negative messages in self-talk. • Declutter your work environment to feel more focused and therefore more confident. It also improves our own and other’s perception of our capabilities which affects our confidence. • Declutter your home environment to give your self-perception a huge lift. • Encourage others' confidence. Not only will you feel good about helping others but you’ll boost your own confidence, too. When you notice someone isn’t acknowledged for a useful comment or great idea they shared, help them to be heard. Examples of ways to do this: “Jane made a good point. Could you reiterate that, Jane?” “I think Joe had something he wanted to say. “ “Jill has mentioned an idea I think we should consider.” “Jim always has helpful insights. Jim, what do you think?” (For additional perspective: Attitudes and the Karma of Confidence) Core – Mind: • Practice presence. Concentrate on the here and now. Don’t dwell on the past and don’t skip the present moments by having your mind fast forward to the future. • Ruminate. If your mind ruminates on something, acknowledge it once and then tell yourself you can pick back up on it later if it ends up being a real issue. Much of what we ruminate on is our imagination going wild on worst-case scenarios. • Identify your values. Being clear on what you believe in gives you stronger resolve for the decisions you make and the opinions and ideas you express. • Remind yourself of the skills you already have • Embrace past successes. Notice what you did that contributed to the success. • Take time to celebrate and document your successes. Too often, we “go, go, go” always striving for the next thing and don’t realize how much we have already accomplished. • Collect uplifting encouragement, cards, and commendations you’ve received “kudos” file. Look through this file when you want to remember how you’ve influenced others positively. • Learn from and move on from failures vs getting stuck there– “fail forward” • Instead of getting stuck in regrets, determine what you will do differently next time. • Remind yourself of times you experienced perceived setbacks that actually ended up serving you better. • Reframe your perceived “weaknesses” for how they can be perceived as strengths (Strengthfinders is a great tool) • Re-interpret the feeling of nervousness as excitement. Our minds and bodies feel those emotions in similar ways so you may as well experience it in a positive way that serves you. (Resource: Bloomberg Business) • Imagine how you’ll feel when you succeed at a challenge and have a great outcome. Allow yourself the feeling of success instead of getting mired in the feeling of self-doubt. • Try new things and adventures to get practice pushing outside of comfort zone • Create a Claiming Confidence list. It’s like a Bucket List but of things that will increase your confidence by trying new things (Some things that have worked for me: Going to a trampoline park and doing a flip for the first time in my life, experiencing a Zipline, traveling, and even simply dining alone). Include three sections on your list: Things I have done, Things I am doing now, and Things I want to do. Seeing what you have done already reminds you of what you are capable of doing. • Practice things you are already good at to remind yourself of what you are great at already. • Emotional awareness. Notice how you are feeling and if it changes depending on the time of day or circumstances. If you see patterns, take them into account. For example, I tend to feel less confident on Mondays and early mornings. When possible, I try to avoid making big decisions or having important meetings on Mondays or in the early morning. • Think in new ways and break patterns of thinking that result in low self-confidence. (For example, ask yourself how someone you look up to would think through a situation.) • Practice mindfulness. Consider lapses in confidence with tenderness and curiosity. “Hmm, isn’t that interesting? Well, it won’t last forever. What can I do at this moment to help boost my confidence?” Remind yourself that confidence ebbs and flows over time and that you will get through it. (Listen to Amy Poehler’s great advice on confidence for teenage girls — it applies to anyone.) • Use confident language in your communications. Practice reviewing your writing before you share it to make sure you aren’t diminishing yourself. Notice what the confidence level is like in your verbal communication (For example, I noticed I was often apologizing and for absolutely nothing. I asked others to point this out to me when they heard it. I was astounded and have gotten much better.) Core – Body: • Practice presence physically (being in the present moment, eye contact, noticing what is around you, listening) • Posture (imagine a balloon pulling your head and spine up) • Self-care (enough sleep, time to relax, meditation, yoga) • Exercise (being active help you to feel good and strong in your body) • Stand up for important phone calls (you’ll feel more confident and your voice will sound more confident). Click for more tips for better and more confident phone meetings. • Select attire that helps you feel confident (and get rid of items that you don’t feel good in) • A talisman that boosts your confidence (e.g. wear a ring or put a special coin in your pocket that reminds you of someone who encourages you) • Power pose (Resource: Amy Cuddy Ted Talk, and her Harvard research) • Personal space. It’s OK to take some space. Stand balanced on both feet. (Practice. And while standing, also try out power pose from previous bullet point) Women tended to make themselves small, holding their wrist, wrapping their arms around themselves. Guys tended to make themselves bigger. They’re leaning back, stretching out, draping their arms around chairs. We know from studies of facial feedback that if you smile, you fake yourself into feeling happier. We wondered whether just asking people to spread out would help them feel more powerful, and it did. -Amy Cuddy Competence: • Skill-building • Hone what you know to become more and more of an expert • Continue learning (e.g. reading, trainings) • Be a resource and pay attention to WIIFT (what’s in it for them) vs focusing solely on WIIFM (what’s in it for me) shifts self-awareness • Foster connections that support and challenge you to be your best • Pay attention to the company you keep. Spend more time with people who lift you up and as little time as possible with people who try to pull you down. For people who do try to pull you down, remind yourself that their actions say more about them than you. (Resource: The Power of People: Four Kinds of People Who Can Change Your Life, Dr. Verna Cornelia Price) • Be uniquely YOU. Stop comparing yourself to others. • Cultivate a realistic higher perception of self. Women especially feel they need to exceed vs meet qualifications. for new challenges and it holds them back. (Resource: The Confidence Gap) • Claim your successes. Women often diminish their successes in fear that it will be seen as bragging. • Procrastination makes you feel worse about yourself. Do a thing you dread first and the rest of the day you will feel better about yourself for the accomplishment. (Resource: Eat that Frog, Brian Tracy) Too often women overestimate the risks and underestimate themselves. Only by doing the very things we’re afraid of can we come to realize how little reason we ever had to fear. The only way to build confidence and courage is by acting with it. – Margie Warrell, author of Brave Luckily, human brains of both sexes have one great feature: They’re highly trainable. …studies by neuroscientists at M.I.T. and elsewhere that suggest the surest way to get past an overactive cingulate gyrus and build confidence is to spend some time each day doing things we’re good at. – Anne Fisher, Fortune Make a commitment to yourself and others on how you will support a culture of confidence. Which of these Confidence Hacks spoke to you? Which ones will you put to use? ____________________ Thank you for reading Teresa's insightful words of inspiration! About Teresa Thomas Teresa Thomas connects people, possibilities, and purpose as an award-winning professional speaker, networking expert, facilitator, and author of Win/Win Networking Enjoy the Small Things. In her 25 years as a professional connector, Teresa has facilitated over 500 events (in-person and online), presented for countless groups, and helped thousands to connect and grow. Book an online or in-person workshop or presentation on 50 Fun Things or Win/Win Networking (customizable for conferences, team-building, corporate wellness, employee engagement, networking skills development, client appreciation, or celebratory gatherings). Teresa can be reached at teresa@teresa-thomas.com. “People with low self-confidence are constantly trying to find themselves rather than creating the person they want to be.” – Harvey Mackay If you would like to guest post on NLC's blog, let us know! We'd love to share your knowledge with our business community. ©Neon Lizard Creative 2021 | Rebecca Rausch | neonlizardcreative.com | 952.452.0168 To make an appointment with Rebecca, please click: https://www.linktr.ee/neonlizardcreative

The Invisible Man, science-fiction novel by H.G. Wells, was published in 1897. Little did he know that over the years “invisibility” would morph into a marketing term meaning that your business is invisible in the market! If only there was a team that could come in and take the stress of marketing off of your plate. A group of professionals that guide you on how to strengthen your brand, and create a unique visual style while nailing the values and message of your business. What a dream to grab and keep the attention of your prospect! They now notice you and listen to what you have to say. Your new stellar team builds a relationship of authenticity and trust so your prospects are happy to buy from you. You’ve heard of a company like that, Neon Lizard Creative Marketing & Design. You’ve heard the chatter of how NLC helps builds a foundational brand that opens the eyes of your potential clients. You've seen the great work and "giddy clients" touted on social media. You totally get that branding is not just the logo. You know that all the parts working together like a well-oiled machine is the secret sauce to success. Thank goodness for companies like Neon Lizard who enjoy the journey, value transformation over transaction, and put the client first. STOP BEING INVISIBLE. Check out neonlizardcreative.com Browse around, check out our FREE killer resources page and tons of testimonials to see how we’ve helped hundreds of businesses across the country emerge from the abyss. Hire Neon Lizard Creative Marketing & Design LLC. We’re here and ready to work! Call us today! ©Neon Lizard Creative 2021 | Rebecca Rausch | neonlizardcreative.com | 952.452.0168

Many people who opt to run their own businesses find themselves working longer hours for less money than the job they worked so hard to escape from! They finally have the freedom they craved, but it isn’t always sunshine and rainbows. The Dream. If you began a business of your own, and within a year, it was making twice the salary of your current job, you would be pretty happy. But what if, in addition to that, you were only working half the hours of your current job? So, now you’re working half the hours for twice the pay. Sweet. You have time to take your kids to school, learn new skills, get in shape, make new plans, and not stress about money to fund your adventures. How could you get involved in your community and make a difference? All the benefits of this type of blossoming business would feel pretty good, right? How would that go down in your social circles? Do you think your friends would follow your positive lead? Why not strive to be successful in order to be a great leader and money becomes just a bonus? (Hhhmmm—now, that upsets the paradigm!) Most people would call that scenario a fantasy! Many will say it isn’t possible to have it all. They are wrong. Thousands of people are already living that fantasy and so can you. No, we’re not selling the latest passive income; we’re simply sharing wisdom to build a business that leaves the world better than you found it. Through positivity, discipline, and focus, you can live your values through your brand and align with others to build your business "A-team." True entrepreneurs never waste time or energy re-inventing the wheel. They talk with the guy who created the wheel in the first place. 1. How do I run a better business and live my best life? We all need help with our business. That feeling of being stuck or overwhelmed is absolutely normal. At NLC, we discovered that implementing The Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) is helping us achieve our dreams. Get everyone in your business on the same page with your long-term vision and establish a clear plan to get there by doing the right things vs. all the things. Focus on the most important efforts. Ensure that your team members love their jobs and are great at what they do. EOS calls it, "Right Person, Right Seat." Healthy teams enjoy working together to achieve the collective mission. NLC absolutely attributes EOS to our expansive growth! Here’s our contact who can explain how it works and help you get started! (Learn more) Albert Einstein once said, “It’s impossible to solve a problem with the same kind of thinking that created it.” AD 2024 LTO NEW YEAR PROMOTION: NEW NLC CLIENTS GET 15% OFF!* Here’s a tip that seasoned business owners use... 2. Ask, What is Right About the Issue? Use The 5 Right Questions to Find Solutions. When you come from a positive perspective, your creativity for problem-solving is switched on and in alignment, before you start. Applying positive creativity can transform your business from a good company into a fantastic one! The 5 "Right" Questions... 1. What’s right about this issue/situation/strategy? Get clarity of what is working so you can be clear on what is not. 2. What makes it right? Get specific. What about those things make it an effective process for this situation? 3. What would be ideal? No dumb ideas; do a brainstorming session where the box does not exist. What would be the ideal strategy/solution for this issue in a perfect world? 4. What’s missing? What could bring about the ideal situation? Get resourceful. What must we find, create, add, or invent to reach this ideal? 5. What will it take? What’s missing so we can bring about the ideal? Get busy. What will it take to make this issue/strategy/situation ideal? This is where you define your goals. Using the “What’s right?” perspective will, over time, change your complete mindset about everything you do - not just your business but also your personal and family life. Try it yourself the next time a conflict shows up, and see how different your attitude immediately becomes. 3. Should I Implement Quarterly Reviews or Establish Weekly SMART Goals? BOTH! It is good business practice to sit down every 7 days and review the answers to these questions: 1. What measurable action did I take to promote my business? 2. What measurable action did I take to generate more sales for my business? 3. What measurable action did I take to improve my systems? 4. What measurable action did I take to improve communication and project efficiency? 5. Am I meeting weekly with my leadership team to identify and solve key issues? 6. Did I actually do what I said I was going to do—across the board? 7. Did I review how my actions helped or hurt my business? 8. Quarterly measure your success from a bit higher viewpoint and with your long-term goals in mind. Onward and Upward The truth is, the more decisions you make and the more action you take, the more efficient you become. And the more efficient you become, the better results you’ll create. Plus, it will take you progressively less time to achieve those results! TIPS Unlock success by consulting seasoned professionals who specialize in business. Seek advice from fellow owners; the brilliant ones have failed a few times along the way and can provide valuable insight. Top entrepreneurs seek wise mentors for many parts of their business. Forge partnerships for business growth and longevity by helping others without strings. Promote others through referrals, reviews, and articles like this, or join them for events or community projects that are important to them. It is just good karma. Remember to respect the expertise of the pros and listen and implement their advice and direction. The pros are pros for a reason; don’t try to tell them how to do their job. Ask them what you need, not demand what you "want." It isn't McDonalds. Also be sure to limit your decision-makers. Too many cooks are a recipe for disaster. Collective consensus is a time-wasting effort that will likely result in a mediocre outcome. SEO/SEM is something every business needs, but finding a team that does a great job is challenging. Every business needs to be knowledgeable about how people find them. Make it easy for them to do so. It is crucial for your business to establish credibility with the biggest search engines in the SEO realm. SEO/ PPC/SEM are key elements if you wish to scale. For organic brand marketing, a professional design/marketing team can help your business look and sound like the industry leader you are or hope to be. (Want to be global? Assume the stance!) Plus, experienced marketers know where to fish and "whom you can best serve." These skills help you make more profitable decisions, take practical actions, and streamline your efforts. A great design firm acts as a true partner who saves you money by managing assets, repurposing the brand visuals, and by curating impactful key messaging. This provides a cohesive presentation across platforms which helps your viewer recognize and learn to trust you. Insider tip: Only work with agencies that allow you ownership of your art and access to all raw files. Transparency and generosity are key values your agency should live if you hope to have a lucrative partnership. Freelancers are fine as well, but are generally not around long-term. If you want a comprehensive team that does it all plus provides brand asset security, hire a proven and established design agency. Answer these questions regularly and reap the benefits of a strong company and culture! How can I do better? What’s working and what’s not? With whom should I partner? Making greater profits in your business comes down to these important questions: What’s working and what’s not? How can I do better? With whom should I partner? Answer these questions regularly and reap the benefits of a strong company and culture! QUICK LINKS www.neonlizardcreative.com www.scottcda.org Entrepreneur Operating System www.burnsvillechamber.com www.skolmarketing.com www.score.org www.larkinhoffman.com 2024 LTO NEW YEAR PROMOTION: NEW NLC CLIENTS GET 15% OFF!* Make an appointment today! @ Linktr.ee/neonlizardcreative *Offer for new clients who purchase a $1500+ package through January 31, 2024. ©Neon Lizard Creative 2021 | Rebecca Rausch | neonlizardcreative.com | 952.452.0168 If you would like to guest post on NLC's blog, let us know! We'd love to share your knowledge with our business community.

Many companies face issues like we are ALL facing and the first thing that is cut from the ever-shrinking budget is design and marketing. However, I'd like to put forth that THAT is the last thing that should be cut! Being out of the public eye, not finding the groove and niche that makes you stand out as a leader during this time is a death sentence. At Neon Lizard, we focus on your marketing and messaging FIRST. Unlike other design firms or strictly marketing firms, we understand that yes, we need a beautiful design, but without the right message, it is a dud. The design MUST undergird the message. There has to be a creative bend that stops potential clients in their tracks. It must be consistent across platforms if you want a presence. But... oh wise lizard, how is that done? We would love to show you. A brainstorming session can elicit avenues and methods you may not have considered. It's worth the time if it saves your company. Example: An automotive company we serve had a downturn in clients. The client said, "Oh, that is just this time of year. It happens, part of the industry, won't come back until November." However, this client trusted NLC when we said, "NO - we can work around this. Don't roll over." We developed a campaign playing off the idea that since you've been with the kids all summer, and now they are in school some of the time, you finally have time to get your car winter-ready. Oh, and by the way, here is a discount. Better hurry before there is a big line and you have to wait! Seems simple, but he may not have done anything as "it is just the industry." ​Needless to say, within a week of the campaign, he was busy. Sometimes, people just need a nudge and a carrot. Don't do what you have always done, think out of the box. If you would like to learn more or do a FREE brain-storming strategy session to generate ideas that are not industry standard... give us a call! 952.452.0168 ©Neon Lizard Creative 2021 | Rebecca Rausch | neonlizardcreative.com | 952.452.0168

A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE: SOCIAL MEDIA PROFILE CHECKLIST Follow these steps to set up your social media profiles in a professional manner. Select your username Generally, this will be your name. Do not select something you like, such as TulipGirl197. Use your full name. Your username typically is also the URL of your social profile. Ideally you want to keep your username the same across all the social networks. For Facebook, set up a professional page as well, not just a personal profile. So, for example, your Facebook page username should be www.facebook.com/yourfullname Select a secure password This password should be a combination of numbers, letters, and symbols that are impossible for anyone to guess. Don’t use an easily guessable password such as your last name, your pets name or your birthday. For sure, don't use your birthday or the year and exclamation marks! Too easy to hack! Upload a professional headshot Hire a professional headshot photographer to take your photo. Don’t use an illustration, graphic, landscape, or family photo as the headshot unless your brand is intentionally playful. Most people want to see a real person they can connect to, so don't be afraid to show them your beautiful smile. Upload a professionally designed cover photo Your cover photo is the landscape photo that sits behind your profile photo. Be sure to, include your Unique Service Proposition (USP - see Step # 4 here), on the cover photo. Canva is a great tool that makes it easy to add text to photos, but better yet, get it done by a pro. Remember, no one cares what your building looks like. You need to show them what you do and how you can help them. On Facebook, you can also upload a video in place of your cover photo. This could be an opportunity for you to talk about your brand and the specific ways that you serve people. Upload a channel trailer (YouTube) A channel trailer is a brief video that explains what your channel is all about. Again, this is a great place to talk about your brand and how you serve people. Also, talk about what people can expect to get from your channel. Thoroughly fill out your “About” section Include website links and your bio. You should also include your Unique Service Proposition. Talk about your brand and specifically how you help people. Also, if you have space (it depends on the social network), tell the story of your business and how you arrived at where you currently are. Enter all your contact information This should include your general business email (not personal), your website, a business phone number, a business address, and links to any other social media profiles that you have. Upload your resume (LinkedIn) Enter all the dates of your previous jobs, as well as the job you currently have. Enter your education, as well as any awards that you have received. Also, if you’ve been published in any high profile outlets, remember to add those as well. This is your place to show off. Enable two-factor authentication to keep your profile safe. Two-factor authentication requires two different factors, such as a password and a pin from a text message, in order to login. Enabling two-factor authentication keeps your profile from being hijacked by hackers. Adjust your privacy settings so that everyone can see your account. Because your goal is to build your brand, you want as many people as possible to be able to see your account. Don’t keep it set to private. Allow anyone to see your profile and posts. Would you like a partner to work with you on your design and marketing efforts? Give us a call for a FREE brand audit! We'd love to help! Linktr.ee/neonlizardcreative ©Neon Lizard Creative 2021 | Rebecca Rausch | neonlizardcreative.com | 952.452.0168 If you would like to guest post on NLC's blog, let us know! We'd love to share your knowledge with our business community.

For more than a decade, UpCity’s mission has been—and continues to be—to help businesses find B2B service providers they can trust. The UpCity Recommendability Rating was developed to determine a service provider’s credibility and recommendability, giving UpCity the confidence to recommend them to the more than 2 million businesses that visit their site. Each year, UpCity analyzes and scores more than 70,000 service providers based on their UpCity Recommendability Rating and acknowledges the top national and local providers with an UpCity Excellence Award. The results are in, and we won! We are proud to announce that Neon Lizard Creative has been recognized as not only one of the best B2B service providers of 2022 in the Minneapolis area, but also one of the top B2B providers in the United States by UpCity! Dan Olson, CEO of UpCity, had this to say about Neon Lizard Creative: “No matter what challenges they are faced with, the Neon Lizard team always finds a way to overcome! Their multitalented team of marketing and creative experts gives them a leg up on the competition. We’re proud to call such a talented company an UpCity partner and name them a 2022 Excellence Award winner!” —Dan Olson, CEO, UpCity This recognition has been driven in large part by our 5-star review rating on UpCity. Here are a few of our favorite pieces of feedback we’ve received from our incredible customers: “Creative, high quality, super responsive, and fun to work with! These are just a few reasons we are repeat customers of Neon Lizard Creative Marketing & Design. We couldn't be happier with the branding, logos, banners, website, social media ads, etc., etc....created by this team! We would highly recommend working with NLC!” - Jo F., September 2021 “I stumbled into Rebecca and Neon Lizard on LinkedIn and find myself so very lucky. I had a big event coming in less than 10 days and she put boards and messaging together that really spoke to what the event was about. They created language I will be able to use again and again as she helped draw thoughts and words out that came from the heart. Rebecca had designs ready for me in minutes (or so it seemed). We are looking forward to continuing our relationship with Neon Lizard and can’t wait to see what they come up with next!” - Terri M., September 2021 Thank you to the UpCity team for recognizing our company and thank you to everyone who has supported us and helped us reach such great heights! If you would like to guest post on NLC's blog, let us know! We'd love to share your knowledge with our business community. ©Neon Lizard Creative 2021 | Rebecca Rausch | neonlizardcreative.com | 952.452.0168

As we all know, marketing our business to potential customers is a necessary part of having a successful business. The issue with traditional advertising, such as newspaper, radio, and television ads, is that they can be expensive and may produce little or even no return on investment. It's very hard to measure. Advertising online may be a better option. You can track the effectiveness of each advertisement. Then, you can focus your marketing strategies on the techniques that are the most profitable. But what if you don't have the budget to invest in pay-per-click or other types of paid advertising? There are options for advertising that don’t cost you any money at all! Check them out! 1. Partner up with another expert in your field or consider joining forces with another brand. You can then offer a more substantial product/service together than either one of you could offer alone. ● In addition, you’ll automatically get the attention of both audiences, resulting in more sales and adding more leads to your email list. In the future, these new leads can drive more sales of another one of your products. ● Partnering on even one marketing campaign can bring long-term benefits to both of you. 2. Encourage user-generated content. If you can acquire user-generated content, your website will grow without you having to create your own content. This type of content also increases your website visitors. Enable comments on your website and contribute to the discussions. ● Allow visitors to submit their own articles and encourage guest posts from other experts. ● Post contest winners or share social. ● Enable comments on your website and contribute to the discussions. 3. Utilize affiliate marketing. When you create an affiliate program for your business, you will be getting other experts in your field and the public to send business your way. This can be mutually beneficial, and you will only be paying commissions (after the sale) if the affiliate makes a sale. ● As with the partnering technique, many of these new visitors will sign up for your email list, even if they don’t buy something right away, bringing you long-term benefits and sales. 4. Be active on social media. There are millions of users visiting the various social media platforms daily, so it makes sense for your business to have a presence there. Activity="Google Juice" ● Share funny or interesting images or videos that are relevant to your business. ● Post insights and valuable information. ● Let your audience know when you have a sale on your products. Give your social media followers coupons or discounts. ● Encourage engagement by participating in discussions. Ask and answer questions. ● Run a survey, poll, or contest. ● In turn, these will be shared by your followers, increasing your reach and ultimately resulting in more sales of your products or services. 5. Use free online tools. There are plenty of tools online that can help your business. You can sign up for websites that will enable you to create free surveys, or you can use free online services to send promo emails to your customers. With AI available now, there are more than you can imagine! ● Create some interesting imagery with MidJourney/Discord. ● Use filters and software such as Canva to help create professional looking posts. ● Make a branded Pinterest board of great info others could use and promote on social. ● Don't be afraid to have fun, the world is just a little too serious these days! 6. Change and reuse old advertisements. Rather than going through the expensive route of creating new articles with every marketing campaign, try reusing parts of an advertisement that worked well. This will save you time and expense. ● Plus, keeping consistent brand imagery through every ad will help with brand recognition. ● Use old visuals but create a new message. ● Reuse art as a before and after or throwback post. 7. Build an email list. If people are visiting your website, chances are good that they are interested in what you have to offer. Make a form available for them to join your email list and be kept in the loop about future product releases or special offers. ● Once they’ve signed up to this email list, you can send emails to these prospects with news and further information about your products. Let them know whenever something goes on sale. ● Email marketing is one of the best ways to drive sales. Treat your list members like gold, because that’s what they are to you and your business. 8. Google loves video content. Video content is incredibly important nowadays as the younger generation would rather watch a video than read a blog post or scroll your site. Create interesting videos and you’ll create interest in your brand. Be real, not fancy. Be helpful or fun, not "salesy." ● TikTok if that is where your demographic lives. Otherwise, do IG reels or just get video in your feed on LI or FB. ● Capture video testimonials from your clients. Easy to do and gets lots of hits. ● Take a tour of your office on video or events you participate in. People love to see another's "life." ● Do video of reveals or tell a story. ● Interview your clients on video - lift others up to be seen. 9. Get involved with a charity you love. ● Donate time and services in lieu of money. ● Serve on the board of directors. ● Promote the organization through public speaking engagements and include them in your advertising and social posts. Not only will the charity love you, other people will love and respect your effort. 10. Blog, blog, and blog some more! ● At least once a month. Google loves it some content on your site, make sure you are constantly supplying it so you maximize your reach. Pair it with social posts to push people to the site to read. Saving money is easy. This is only a snippet of all you can do. Follow NLC for more great ideas! Would you like a partner to work with you on your marketing and branding? Give us a call for a FREE brand audit! We'd love to help! Linktr.ee/neonlizardcreative ©Neon Lizard Creative 2023 | Rebecca Rausch | neonlizardcreative.com | 952.452.0168 If you would like to guest post on NLC's blog, let us know! We'd love to share your knowledge with our business community.

The Take-Away: Learn to be self-aware of how you may be perceived by others at work and make changes to improve your work relationships and reputation. Coworkers are often the most challenging part of our jobs. But what if YOU’RE the challenging one in your office? If you think you aren’t, that’s a good enough reason alone to frankly assess yourself and how you might be perceived at work. Have self-awareness and take the necessary steps to improve your actions and reputation. The obvious reason is that you might need a coworker to give you a reference later, and you don’t want to be remembered for your bad habits. Just wanting to be a better person is another good reason. If you are one of the annoying coworkers in the following list, review what you can do to improve your work relationships and reputation. 1. The Noisy Coworker We all have that one coworker who has zero awareness of how loud she speaks or moves about the office (yawning or sighing loudly, drumming fingers on the desk, etc.). This person is probably loud wherever she is and has never learned to vary her volume and actions to suit the environment. Is this you? Realize that your loud speaking and noises are very grating to your coworkers. Some of them probably cope by wearing noise-canceling headphones, but that’s no excuse for your continued loudness. Try talking and acting like you are at a funeral—a hushed voice and quiet movements. Your coworkers will be pleasantly surprised. 2. The Gossip This coworker is energized by spreading news and juicy tidbits about coworkers and the company to others, whether true or not. He feels important and connected by being the one in the know, but it often masks insecurity of his own abilities or role in the organization. Is this you? Know that your coworkers don’t trust you to keep anything private. In fact, you might even be used by coworkers who want news to travel fast. Rather than focus on getting the latest news, be the employee who is known for solving problems and learning new skills—tangible things that will earn you respect and trust. 3. The Smelly Coworker You can often smell this coworker before you see her. Perhaps it’s her body odor or that horrific mix of coffee-garlic breath, or maybe it’s because she uses a strong perfume. This coworker may also be the one who causes the office to smell horrible due to burning popcorn or cooking fish in the microwave. Is this you? Some people are very sensitive to smell, and your smells could make your coworkers physically ill. Your own sense of smell might not be strong, so don’t rely on it to gauge the strength of an odor. Ask a trusted confidante if you smell bad (or too good), and make adjustments (stronger deodorant, breath mints, no perfume, etc.). And be wary of the food you bring into the office. 4. The Whiner This coworker’s glass is always half empty and he has something bad to say about everything. He has a difficult time acknowledging improvements or progress in work projects and can say what is wrong with the weather on any given day. He always declares his victimization due to continual disrespect. Fun guy. Is this you? Your negativity is draining on your teammates and they roll their eyes in anticipation of what you’ll find wrong. You have a gift for discernment, but make your words count—when you complain about everything, it’s easy to ignore you. If you only complain about important things, your words will carry weight and be more considered. Also, before complaining, determine a solution to the problem and include that with your complaint. 5. The Flirt Some people rely on their flirtatious behavior to get what they want or simply enjoy seeing what kind of reaction they can get out of you. The Flirt can sometimes cause attachments that later affect other work relationships as well. Is this you? Tread lightly, as you may not be able to tell how your actions are being perceived. Also, realize that your reputation at work may be based more on your flirting than your actual work. Focusing more on your work projects and less on your work relationships will improve your reputation. 6. The Talker This coworker shouldn’t be confused with the Noisy Coworker, although she could be both. The Talker doesn’t know when to stop talking, either on the phone or with coworkers. She might not get enough work done, because she always has time to converse and chat about life unrelated to business. Is this you? Remember that you add value to your company when you work, not when you chat constantly about last night’s game or your vacation to Myrtle Beach. Additionally, your coworkers resent knowing as much about you as they do, because they may be forced to hear your chatter even when you’re talking to someone else. Less is often more, and that is no more true than with our words. 7. The Busy Worker The Busy Worker takes pride in being busy and makes sure everyone knows how over-scheduled he is. He appears to be hardworking but may be all hat and no cattle—not a lot of work being accomplished behind his outward busyness. This may result in him never being willing to accept new projects or his work on projects might not get done because he’s so busy. Is this you? If you are truly over-scheduled, speak with your manager about reducing your workload or reprioritizing projects. Otherwise, acknowledge that everyone else may be just as busy as you and they don’t want to hear about your schedule. Simply be known for getting your projects done. 8. The Slacker This coworker cuts corners, ignores project expectations and tries to work as little as possible. Her work product may not be important so she can get away with doing less, or she simply doesn’t want to work hard. Is this you? Realize you are preventing your department or company from truly excelling, and your coworkers will resent your lack of work ethic. Perhaps your job is boring or unfulfilling and you need to find another one. If you decide to stay, talk to your manager about what projects or other roles you can do that will energize you and make you want to do your best work. 9. The Cruncher Chips, carrots, crackers, and more, this co-worker loves to challenge the chompers with every crunchy food they can find. However, similar to the noisy worker, they have no awareness of how loud their crunching is like fingernails on a chalkboard to their nearby office neighbors. They are blissfully unaware and believe the crunching is only in their own head. Is this you? Ask your neighbor if they can hear your crunching and if it is problematic. If it is, then switch out to softer foods and keep your crunch needs after hours or in the breakroom. 10. The Know-It-All He has strong opinions about everything, dominates meetings, and has a hard time accepting if his idea is not adopted. He may even subvert a new project if he was not in favor of it. Narcissism check please! Is this you? Be willing to really listen to others and be coachable, as no one likes a know-it-all. You may also have a hard time admitting you’re wrong, so be prepared to adopt the best ideas even if they aren’t yours. It’s OK to not have the answer to every problem—give others a chance to shine and you will gain their respect. FEEL FREE TO SHARE THIS ARTICLE! Looking for tips on how to deal with an annoying colleague? Be sure to read the next article in this series: Coping with Annoying Coworkers ©Neon Lizard Creative 2021 | Rebecca Rausch | neonlizardcreative.com | 952.452.0168

.... but she didn't know what that meant. When she was a little girl they told her she was beautiful but it had no meaning in her world of bicycles and pigtails and adventures in make-believe. Later, she hoped she was beautiful as boys started taking notice of her friends and phones rang for Saturday night dates. She felt beautiful on her wedding day, hopeful with her new life partner by her side but, later, when her children called her beautiful, she was often exhausted, her hair messily tied back, no make up, wide in the waist where it used to be narrow; she just couldn't take it in. Over the years, as she tried, in fits and starts, to look beautiful, she found other things to take priority, like bills and meals, as she and her life partner worked hard to make a family, to make ends meet, to make children into adults, to make a life. Now, she sat. Alone. Her children grown, her partner flown, and she couldn't remember the last time she was called beautiful. But she was. It was in every line on her face, in the strength of her arthritic hands, the ampleness that had a million hugs imprinted on its very skin, and in the jiggly thighs and thickened ankles that had run her race for her. She had lived her life with a loving and generous heart, had wrapped her arms around so many to to give them comfort and peace. Her ears had heard both terrible news and lovely songs, and her eyes had brimmed with, oh, so many tears, they were now bright even as they dimmed. She had lived and she was. And because she was, she was made beautiful. ~ Suzanne Reynolds, © 2019 At some point in our life we will each identify with this beautiful woman. Age brings a wisdom and awareness that we failed to see along life's journey. In business, we often get caught up in the day-to-day and forget to remember the struggles and strengths of those who are part of our journey, and worst of all, fail to see our own beauty and victories. Regardless of gender, we love, we hurt, we go on. Remember to appreciate the beauty within you and in others and give grace and love to all. Photo credit: Nina Djerff Model: Marit Rannveig Haslestad If you would like to guest post on NLC's blog, let us know! We'd love to share your knowledge and heart with our business community. ©Neon Lizard Creative 2021 | Rebecca Rausch | neonlizardcreative.com | 952.452.0168

It’s not necessary for the whole world to know who you are to be highly successful. You only need the right people to know who you are. For example, if you’re a real estate broker, you want the people in your area to know who you are. If you own a company that provides web links, you want all of the SEO business owners to know your name. If you’re a realtor in Minneapolis, it won’t matter much if you’re a household name in Portugal. However, being famous to the right population can make all the difference in the world. Luckily, being famous on a small scale is easier than you think! Follow these tips to ensure that the right people know who you are: 1. Specialize. It’s easier to become well-known if you’re extremely good at something. It’s easier to be extremely good at something specific. For example, keeping with our Minneapolis real estate example, you don’t want to be a general realtor in Minneapolis. You want to be THE realtor that specializes in high-end Minneapolis properties. 2. Identify your target audience. At NLC, we call it the CLIENT YOU CAN BEST SERVE. Who are you trying to serve that you know you can rock their world? What does your ideal customer look like? Develop a composite of the people that you want to know you. Are they a certain age? Male, female, or both? What income level do they have? What profession are they in? What hobbies do they have? Be as detailed as necessary, but not more detailed than necessary. It’s important to know who you’re trying to reach. Avoid wasting your time with those who aren’t in your niche. 3. Fill the gap. What does your audience need? What is the common problem they all have? Center your message around this need and your ability to solve it. Noise is simply non-meaningful messaging. Be meaningful to your audience. 4. Become an authority. When people want to solve a problem, they want an expert. But how does the average person spot an expert? They aren’t experts themselves, or they wouldn’t need you. Consider these ideas to be looked at as the expert: Put content in front of ready-made audiences. There are others who already have the attention of those you want to reach. Write a guest post for a blog. Be a guest on a podcast. Teach an online class. Create a class and put in on one of the several websites that specialize in that sort of thing, such as Udemy.com. Everyone will assume you’re an expert if you’re teaching a course that you created. Put content on social media and on your own website regularly. It’s important to be consistent with your postings, so stick to a schedule. Use linkedin.com. Keep your profile up to date and use all the features that are supplied on that platform to post content. Write a book. It’s not as daunting as it seems. It only takes a few pages a day to write a book in six weeks. There’s no expense for creating a Kindle book. It’s hard to find a respected expert that hasn’t written a book. Sign up with itellifluence.com (tell them Rebecca sent you!) 5. Make friends with well-known experts in your fields. You can become famous by association. Interview these experts. Contribute a guest post to their website. Ask them to write the introduction to your book. Being famous has its advantages. This is especially true within your niche. The world within your niche is quite small, so it’s not nearly as challenging to be famous within your niche as it is to be famous in general. "A little fame can go a long way toward building your career or business. You don’t have to be a household name. Just a little fame will do." Would you like a partner for your design and branding efforts? Give us a call for a FREE brand audit! We'd love to help! Linktr.ee/neonlizardcreative ©Neon Lizard Creative 2021 | Rebecca Rausch | neonlizardcreative.com | 952.452.0168 If you would like to guest post on NLC's blog, let us know! We'd love to share your knowledge with our business community.

Managing Time When You Work for Yourself Whatever your work is or whatever kind of company you own, how you manage your time greatly impacts the outcome of all your investments and your bottom line. It also dictates the balance in your life – work, family, time for yourself and friends. We won't even start on health and stress levels! Take a break! Common outcomes of poor time management are missing deadlines and important meetings, unmet commitments, and unhappy clients. To avoid livin’ on a slim nickel, it is crucial that business owners handle their time well. Efficiency over the ever-touted "badge of busyness" will not only make you more money but also make you more fun to be around! Actively Manage Your Team or All Your Roles If you own a large business with people under you who are well versed in their roles, you still need to know what they’re doing and make decisions for the whole company. If you’re running a smaller business, you might be responsible for multiple roles (or all of them). - Make good use of tools. From a simple color-coded calendar to a complete work management system, use tools to organize the various aspects of your work. Post-it notes alone won’t run your business! - Plan for deep work. Failing to work on cognitively challenging tasks without interruptions is what can most put your business at risk. This is the work only you can do and is what makes your business uniquely suited to solve your clients’ problems. Schedule deep work time and consider it non-negotiable. - Plan for interruptions. It’s just as important to plan margin into your day to handle the unexpected problems and employee questions/concerns, as well as to fix the copier that no one else seems to be able to do. If your schedule is too full, you’ll be stressed and actually less productive. - Hire someone. Consider hiring an additional employee or contract someone to complete work on a project basis. While you need to monitor this work, you should save time overall because you have delegated this work and can move on to projects that no one else can do. Prioritize Your Work Decide which details of your business are worth spending time on and which ones you can do without or delegate. - Stop doing unnecessary tasks. Do you spend time writing reports no one reads? Honestly assess all the tasks that you do and see if any can be shuttered. (Read the 4-Hour Workweek!) - Keep track of your time. Even if you don’t have to report the amount of time you work on a timesheet, it’s helpful to track your time for a week to see what you’re actually doing. This will help you determine if you constantly underestimate the amount of time needed to complete a project or if you have pockets of downtime that you could combine into a deep work session. You may discover loads of time you've been spending perusing social media streams or news updates. You have the same amount of time as everyone else, use it wisely. - Use Key Performance Indicators. This helps you pinpoint where you need to improve. However, if you know you won’t analyze them so you can make changes, then don’t bother (see the unnecessary work point above). Prioritize Yourself Don’t forget to spend time on yourself too. The health of your business directly depends on your health. Taking time to get to know yourself better, give yourself a pat on the shoulder, and allow yourself a break will help make you be more effective, efficient, and more pleasant. (see previous post about Annoying Coworkers) - Schedule things at work to run smoothly for you. If you’re not a morning person, then don’t schedule your most important work or meetings right away in the morning. If you hate meetings, then communicate your expectations in a different way, or create a rule that they can be no longer than 20 minutes. This is your business, so make it work for you. - Draw the line between work and personal life. Your employees will appreciate that your family crisis details are left at home, and your family will appreciate that your work crisis details are left at work. Arrive and leave work on time (yes, that means actually having designated work times!), and ensure that you have a hobby or interest that keeps you from thinking about work all the time. - Take vacation days. It’s hard to leave work for a week, but you need the space away from it. Downtime can improve mental, physical, and social health, and it can also give you the distance to be more objective about your business. If you give your clients advance notice and can work around their deadlines, they will be more than happy to hear you’re taking time for yourself. We hope you have enjoyed this reminder that you are important too. Go have some fun, we will all thank you for it! ©Neon Lizard Creative 2021 | Rebecca Rausch | neonlizardcreative.com | 952.452.0168

Are you looking for ways to move your workplace from good to great? If so, you’re in luck! This article will discuss five tasks that will help you create positive change in your organization. Creating a great workplace isn’t always easy, but it’s definitely worth the effort. Here are five important steps to implement to help create positive change in the workplace: 1. Define the culture you want to create. What kind of environment do you want your employees to work in? Do you want it to be collaborative or more competitive? Do you want to focus on innovation or customer service? ● Once you’ve decided what kind of culture you want to create, it will be easier to develop strategies to make it a reality. ● Use these ideas to help define the culture you want to create. First, develop a mission statement that reflects the culture you want to create. Next, establish values that everyone in your organization can buy into. ● Identify policy conflicts and establish new ones to build cultural alignment. Finally, employees can socialize and get to know one another outside of work. Do this by setting team-building exercises and planning company excursions. 2. Assign clear roles and responsibilities. One of the most critical aspects of creating a great workplace is ensuring that everyone knows their roles and responsibilities. When everyone agrees, it is easier to work together towards common goals. ● To ensure that everyone knows their roles and responsibilities, start by creating job descriptions for each position in your organization. Make sure that these job descriptions are clear and concise and accurately reflect each position’s duties. ● Also, establish expectations for each employee. Let them know what you expect from them regarding their work ethic, attendance, and attitude. By setting clear expectations from the start, you’ll avoid misunderstandings and conflict down the road. ● It’s also important to communicate these expectations to your employees regularly—schedule regular one-on-one meetings with each employee to check in on their progress and give feedback. ● Finally, hold periodic team meetings to keep everyone in the loop on company news and updates. ● By clearly defining roles and responsibilities, you’ll create a workplace where everyone knows their place and how they can contribute to the organization. 3. Set measurable goals and objectives. Setting measurable goals and objectives will help you track your progress and ensure that everyone is working towards the same goal. ● To set measurable goals and objectives, start by identifying the overall plan for your organization. Next, break it down into smaller, more manageable goals. For each purpose, establish measurable objectives that you can track. ● Involve your employees in team goal-setting exercises. Ask for their input on what they think are realistic and achievable goals. By involving them, you’ll build support and commitment to achieving the goals. ● Finally, create a timeline for each goal and make sure that everyone is aware of it. By setting measurable goals and objectives, you’ll be able to track your progress and ensure that everyone is working towards the same goal. 4. Encourage open communication and feedback. Encouraging open communication and feedback is essential for creating a great workplace. When employees feel like they can openly communicate with their managers, it creates a feeling of trust and mutual respect. ● There are a few ways you can encourage open communication and feedback in the workplace. First, create an open-door policy where employees feel comfortable voicing their concerns or suggestions. ● Ensure that you’re accessible to your employees and take the time to listen to what they have to say. ● Another way to encourage open communication is to solicit feedback regularly. Ask your employees for their input and encourage innovation and creativity in the workplace. 5. Celebrate successes and learn from failures. Finally, it’s important to celebrate successes and learn from failures. When you take the time to celebrate your employees’ successes, it shows that you appreciate their hard work. It will help to build morale and motivation in the workplace. ● Celebrate successes by establishing a reward and incentive system. Recognize employees who go above and beyond their job duties. ● Develop a culture of accountability by encouraging employees to take ownership of their mistakes. Help them learn from their failures and avoid making the same mistakes in the future. ● By celebrating successes and learning from failures, you’ll create a constantly improving and growing workplace. Creating a great workplace doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time, effort, and commitment. But, by following these five steps, you’ll be well on your way to creating a healthy, productive, and positive work environment. Would you like a partner to work with you on your marketing and branding? Give us a call for a FREE brand audit! We'd love to help! Linktr.ee/neonlizardcreative ©Neon Lizard Creative 2021 | Rebecca Rausch | neonlizardcreative.com | 952.452.0168 If you would like to guest post on NLC's blog, let us know! We'd love to share your knowledge with our business community.