Office Talk With Annette Stepanian

In this week’s episode, we’re diving into the most common questions I get from designers. So if you’re a graphic designer, a web designer, a print designer -- you’re going to want to have a listen. And if you’re not, listen up anyway! There might be a nugget in there for you!    To learn more and get the show notes, visit: www.annettestepanian.com/officetalk   Disclaimer: This content is for your educational and informational purposes only and should not take the place of hiring an attorney. It does not create an Attorney-Client relationship between you and Annette Stepanian. Neither receipt of information presented nor any email or other electronic communication submitted or received will create an attorney-client relationship with Annette Stepanian. Any information that you provide by reason of your use of this content is not privileged or confidential. The law varies from state to state and based on the individual facts. Therefore, the information in this presentation may not work for your specific situati

To learn more and get the show notes, visit: www.annettestepanian.com/officetalk   Disclaimer: This content is for your educational and informational purposes only and should not take the place of hiring an attorney. It does not create an Attorney-Client relationship between you and Annette Stepanian. Neither receipt of information presented nor any email or other electronic communication submitted or received will create an attorney-client relationship with Annette Stepanian. Any information that you provide by reason of your use of this content is not privileged or confidential. The law varies from state to state and based on the individual facts. Therefore, the information in this presentation may not work for your specific situation. If you have specific legal questions, you should seek the advice of an attorney authorized to practice law in your local state or jurisdiction.

I’m really excited about today’s Office Talk interview because we’re diving into a topic that I get so many questions about! I’m joined by fellow lawyer, Jenny Wiegley of the Maier Law Group as we walk through what you need to do when you’re ready to hire your very first employee. Based here in California, Jenny has specialized in employment law for her entire career, and in this episode she’s sharing her checklist of what to you need to know when you’re ready to hire. As you’ll hear us mention many times in the interview, the laws around employment issues can be confusing and sometimes it can feel like you’re navigating a maze, but it really doesn’t have to be that way. To learn more and get the show notes, visit: www.annettestepanian.com/officetalk   Disclaimer: This content is for your educational and informational purposes only and should not take the place of hiring an attorney. It does not create an Attorney-Client relationship between you and Annette Stepanian. Neither receipt of information presented

HAPPY NEW YEAR! To kick off the new year, in this brand new episode I’m sharing what’s coming your way in 2018 with this podcast, webinars, and events. I’m also sharing my thoughts on how to handle when a potential client comes to you requesting changes to your contract. I’m super pumped about this new year and I can’t wait to make this our best year yet - together! To learn more and get the show notes, visit: www.annettestepanian.com/officetalk Disclaimer: This content is for your educational and informational purposes only and should not take the place of hiring an attorney. It does not create an Attorney-Client relationship between you and Annette Stepanian.  Neither receipt of information presented  nor any email or other electronic communication submitted or received will create an attorney-client relationship with Annette Stepanian. Any information that you provide by reason of your use of this content is not privileged or confidential.  The law varies from state to state and based on the individual fac

On today's episode I'm speaking with Katie Doherty and Phil Van Nostrand of La Rousse Shoppe, a company that sells beautiful glass photo boxes. You're going to hear how the two of them took their background as long-time photographers to develop a business that, in about two years, is generating over $200,000 in sales annually. All this while taking up very little of their time. In fact, you'll be surprised to hear how many hours a week each of them are actively working on this business.... Whether or not you strive for similar results, our conversation will provide some valuable nuggets and insight on how to start designing a business and life on your terms.    To learn more and get the show notes, visit: www.annettestepanian.com/officetalk  

You may have heard that Google is making changes (in fact, they’re making changes all the time), but there are some big ones coming to their algorithm as it relates to searchability and search results. As we head into the new year, I want to make sure that you have all of the information and the best tips on how to stay ahead of these changes. Cause who doesn’t love some free website traffic? In this week’s episode I’m talking to digital strategist and SEO expert Myrna Daramy, all about the ABCs of SEO. To learn more and get the show notes, visit: www.annettestepanian.com/officetalk    

If you’ve ever thought to yourself: “I have so much to do and not enough time to do it,” then I think you’re really going to love this episode of the Office Talk podcast! Tonya Dalton, the owner of Inkwell Press and I are geeking out over how we can better structure our days, our to-do lists, and our lives so that we reduce the overwhelm and up the joy in our lives. And spoiler alert - it doesn’t involve a to-do list! To learn more and get the show notes, visit: www.annettestepanian.com/officetalk

If you’ve ever thought about attending a live event or conference, it can get quite overwhelming trying to decide amongst the many events taking place. And given the costs involved for things like tickets, flights and hotels - not to mention the time away from work and family - it can be quite a financial investment. So how can you ensure that you’re getting the best return on your hard-earned dollars when deciding which conference to attend? In this episode, Michelle Loretta, the organizer of the Be Sage conference, and I are sharing our best tips on how you can go about deciding which conference to spend your hard earned dollars on. We’re talking about how to do your research, what you should be doing before, during and after the event, and even some savvy tricks on how you can start budgeting to attend that conference you’ve been eyeing.  To learn more and get the show notes, visit: www.annettestepanian.com/officetalk

As a business owner, we often spend a lot of time thinking about how to brand our businesses. We think through the details of our website, We fuss over our logos, We take a million pictures before we get that perfect Instagram shot… Yet one piece of brand collateral that often doesn’t get thought of that way - are your contracts. (Yes, I said contracts.) You see, beyond just having the right terms and conditions, there’s another element at play with your contract. One that can help you reach and book bigger and better clients. And I’m sharing it in this episode of the Office Talk podcast. To learn more and get the show notes, visit: www.annettestepanian.com/officetalk Disclaimer: This content is for your educational and informational purposes only and should not take the place of hiring an attorney. It does not create an Attorney-Client relationship between you and Annette Stepanian. Neither receipt of information presented nor any email or other electronic communication submitted or received will create an a

  It's been said that we all have a story, but do you know how to tell yours?  How could effectively telling your own story help you better connect with your audience? Your clients? Your customers?  Someone who knows all about the value of storytelling when building a brand and business is Brady Hahn, founder of Insight Collective and my guest for this week’s episode of the Office Talk podcast. She helps entrepreneurs tap into their true leadership potential by focusing on bringing people together through storytelling. This episode is jammed packed with information that you can use today in building your brand, including the specific steps to take when starting to think about how to present your own story. To learn more and get the show notes, visit: www.annettestepanian.com/officetalk

When you get an inquiry from a potential client, you probably send over a proposal or quote that outlines the basic terms of your services, but when the customer accepts and wants to proceed, then what do you do? Are they supposed to sign the proposal? A separate contract? Or should the contract terms be part of the proposal? In this episode, I’m sharing three different solutions for this often-asked question: Should my client proposals be separate from my client contracts? To learn more and get the show notes, visit: www.annettestepanian.com/officetalk Disclaimer: This content is for your educational and informational purposes only and should not take the place of hiring an attorney. It does not create an Attorney-Client relationship between you and Annette Stepanian. Neither receipt of information presented nor any email or other electronic communication submitted or received will create an attorney-client relationship with Annette Stepanian. Any information that you provide by reason of your use of this co

    There's a saying that goes something like: If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together... As an entrepreneur growing your business, there will inevitably come a time when you're going to need a little help. It can be tricky though as you try to decide what type of help to hire out. In this episode of the Office Talk podcast, I’m talking to Katie Hunt, the founder of Tradeshow Bootcamp and the host of the Proof to Product podcast. Katie helps entrepreneurs create product lines that they can take to wholesale and she has a wealth of experience when it comes to topics such as hiring and delegating tasks. Not only is she a successful entrepreneur, but she does it while being a mama to four young kids! Yes - you read that correctly! In this episode you’ll hear some great tips on how to start getting the support you need to help you design a business and life on your terms! WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE A common misconception many entrepreneurs make about hiring, and how you can ch

The last few weeks it seems like everyone is coming out of the woodworks asking me about copyrights + trademarks. And one thing is super clear to me - there’s a whole LAWta’ {

If you’re an entrepreneur, there’s a lot to know when it comes to everything you need to do to run a successful business.  Lucky for you, our guest today has spent the last three decades figuring out how to build successful businesses, but more importantly, a business based on the values that are most important to you. Mel Abraham helps entrepreneurs bring their businesses to the world and build the lifestyle that they want. He has built, bought and sold numerous multimillion-dollar businesses for himself as well as his clients. As the author of the #1 National Bestseller, The Entrepreneur’s Solution, Mel’s strategies have helped build thousands of businesses which have generated hundreds of millions of dollars for his clients, ranging from large corporations to startups and small family-owned businesses.  In this episode, Mel opens up about his journey in business and life (the good, the bad-- and why he once did a webinar with his shirt off!) and how the choices we make in our businesses impact our lives. T

HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY TO THE OFFICE TALK PODCAST! This podcast has been a passion project for me and I'm beyond thrilled that we've made it a full year together. I've got some exciting things planned for the podcast in the next year that I think you’re going to love. In this new episode, I thought it would be fun to take a look back on some of the lessons I’ve learned this past year about myself and my business. Some were inspired by conversations I’ve had with guests on this show, and others I’ve learned along the way. In fact this season, I’m going to be sharing more of these insights on the podcast. So here we go. To learn more and get the show notes, visit: www.annettestepanian.com/officetalk   Disclaimer: This content is for your educational and informational purposes only and should not take the place of hiring an attorney. It does not create an Attorney-Client relationship between you and Annette Stepanian.  Neither receipt of information presented  nor any email or other electronic communication submi

When I first started the podcast, one of the reasons I wanted to interview others in business was to learn how they were designing a business and life on their terms. After all, it was only a few years ago that I took the leap to leave a cushy and secure job to begin journey of redesigning my own life in a way that worked for me. In this episode of Office Talk, I’m talking to Heather Crabtree, founder of the Savvy Community about her own journey from law, to running her own event planning business, to what she does today - helping other  female entrepreneurs build successful businesses. In this honest conversation, Heather reveals what her journey has really been like. Hint - it’s not always what it looks like from the outside. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE How Heather went from law, to running an event planning business, to the founder of the Savvy Business Owners’ Community where she teaches female entrepreneurs how to run a successful business How the loss of a family member has shaped her perspective

Are you gearing up to launch a new product or service?  Anne Samoilov, creator of Fearless Launching, shared so many amazing tips for a successful (and yet simple!) launch in this episode of Office Talk. In fact, even if you have no plans to launch anything right now, you still have to give this interview a listen. Anne’s tips are spot-on for any business owner to improve their ability to make decisions, plan, and execute effectively—in any area of their business, not just when it comes to launch time. It’s like we’re always launching, if you think about it. Every one of us has something we’re looking to get out into the world. Anne talks about how you can begin thinking with a launch mentality, not just for a successful launch, but also for a successful business. The best part? Anne likes to keep things simple, so all of her tips are attainable and will save you so much time—and maybe even your sanity! To learn more and get the show notes, visit: www.annettestepanian.com/officetalk

In this episode of Office Talk, I got a chance to chat with Shanna Skidmore, a business strategist and financial coach for creative entrepreneurs. I could definitely relate to Shanna, whose primary business goal is to simplify the seemingly daunting task of finance for her clients and set them up with the basic financial knowledge they need to take their businesses to the next level. For most creatives, finance and law can appear so overwhelming, but as Shanna shares with us, there are very few things you need to know, and once you know them, you’ll find it’s really not as complicated as you’d imagine. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE The most common pitfalls that Shanna sees creative entrepreneurs making and how to avoid them How to calculate pricing based on profit and what to do if your prices are higher than you think clients are willing to pay How time-tracking saved Shanna’s business, plus her favorite app for time-tracking Why knowing the purpose of your business is essential to its success Why Shann

One of the first investments you need to make when you’re running a business is a solid set of contracts. But which ones do you need and why?  In this episode, I’m sharing with you the four essential contracts that business owners should have when running a business. I’ll explain what they are and why they matter.  Do you have all of them? Listen to the episode to find out if you’ve got your booty covered! To learn more and get the show notes, visit: www.annettestepanian.com/podcast/26   Disclaimer: This content is for your educational and informational purposes only and should not take the place of hiring an attorney. It does not create an Attorney-Client relationship between you and Annette Stepanian.  Neither receipt of information presented  nor any email or other electronic communication submitted or received will create an attorney-client relationship with Annette Stepanian. Any information that you provide by reason of your use of this content is not privileged or confidential.  The law varies from sta

Do you constantly daydream of new business ideas? You want to start a million projects, but you have a hard enough time getting to all those tasks already staring back at you on your to-list? If anyone can give us insight on juggling multiple projects, it’s Eliana Baucicault of ellyB Events. In this episode of the Office Talk podcast, I’m chatting with Eliana about how she uses collaboration, delegation and the knowledge of her strengths and shortcomings to grow her business and her team. Eliana not only runs a busy event planning firm, but she also has a high-end modern loft and she hosts The B Academy group coaching program for wedding planners. As if this wasn’t enough, Eliana recently published B Inspired: The Book and in a few months will be launching a magazine as well. Phew! Now that’s a lot. This episode is perfect for you if you want to learn how to create multiple revenue streams in your business and how to manage to get it all done too! To learn more and get the show notes, visit: www.annettestepan