The YOU-Shaped Business Blog

Thoughts and ideas for building a business based on the work you were born to do - and a personal brand based on who you are.

If you like the blog, you may enjoy our show: Building a YOU-Shaped Business.

Sometimes they just want to buy the cigar. When one-size-fits-all marketing doesn’t fit

By Patty K | August 31, 2018

Common business advice says that if you want to sell something, you need to link it to one of the “Big 3” – money, health or relationships. Sometimes this is exactly the right thing to do. And sometimes it’s not.

How many clients do you need?

By Patty K | August 29, 2018

Even if everyone in the world needs what you do, if they could afford it, if they want it…you can’t serve 7 billion people. How many clients do you need?

How to deal with (or avoid) critics, skeptics and haters

By Patty K | August 28, 2018

One of the challenging parts of running a YOU-Shaped business is the risk of being rejected or criticized for being different. Here’s how to handle it.

Get better results in less time with this 100-year-old piece of advice

By Patty K | August 27, 2018

20% of your actions will bring you 80% of your results. Here’s how the 80/20 rule applies to small business – and how you can use it to your advantage.

A quick tip for getting more done in less time

By Patty K | August 24, 2018

Ever spent an entire hour responding to 3 emails? Find yourself getting distracted when you should be completing a task? Try this one easy thing.

Do you want to be a copy or an original?

By Patty K | August 23, 2018

In business, you can follow the crowd and do what everyone else does – or you can create your own path. Which choice is better for YOU?

Not enough time to get everything done? Try this ONE thing.

By Patty K | August 22, 2018

We all get the same allotment of time each day. Here’s one thing you can do to make sure that you’re making the most of your 168 hours per week.

How to handle self-doubt, imposter syndrome and feeling like a fraud

By Patty K | August 21, 2018

Many (maybe most) high-achieving and highly competent people lack confidence in their abilities, ideas and opinions. Here’s why – and how to deal with it.

Marketing with Maslow – a way to identify and speak to your ideal clients

By Patty K | August 20, 2018

Effective marketing is client-centered. Here’s a tool that can help you tap into your Ideal Clients’ internal motivations and speak directly to them.

You belong: a letter to the world

By Patty K | August 10, 2018

If you feel different, like you don’t fit in, that you don’t belong, that you’re not enough: I wrote this is for you – my fellow weirdos and chickens.