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Chelsea: Hey, hey, hennapreneurs! This is so exciting. We are live for our first Ask Me Anything session of September. So, I'm going to share this feed over into the hennapreneur community and we'll get started. I'm super excited. There are some really good questions that came in for today's session and we are going to be going deep. I'm so excited, y'all. Y'all already know. So let's see here... Share this over...

Okay. Alright. So... Today we are talking a lot of business. A lot of business today. A lot of business and marketing questions came in for today's session. So I'm really thrilled to be able to dive in with those.

If this is your first time joining me for our Ask Me Anything session, I want to go ahead and introduce myself really quickly. Hi, my name's Chelsea Stevenson. I am a professional henna artist and business strategist based here in Baltimore, Maryland. I have been working with henna since 2011. I went full time in 2014 and now own the most celebrated henna boutique in my area. And henna artists around the world work with me. They hire me inside of my programs or privately to help them to grow their businesses and scale their businesses. So I'm really excited to be able to share some of that insight and share some of that knowledge based on the questions that came in from our community.

So, um, let's see here. We've got, oh, such good questions. Okay. So let's jump in from the top because we have a lot to cover. Alright.

So, the first question that came in, um, this hennapreneur asked, "You talked a little bit on a different video about sharing potential clients-" Excuse me, "-about showing potential clients what an experience with you would look like. How do you showcase that or take pictures good enough to use as content-" for social media marketing, I assume, um, "-while still giving your full attention to the client in front of you. I'm starting the transition in marketing for private appointments to marketing to parties since it's about to turn colder here."

Such a good question. Okay. So I love this for a couple of reasons. One, I want to applaud this hennapreneur for making the switch early. I have been saying for years, and years, and years: hennapreneurs, stop focusing on festivals. Stop focusing your attention on, like, the three-four months of a year where it's like, "peak income" because that's really not a thing. You build the income where you build it. And you can build income in your henna business on demand. And one of the things that I have been preaching on for years is the importance of shifting your services from the private appointments and from the festival sort of events into private parties, especially in the winter and cooler months, um, because that's where the money is. I have 10 years of experience that proves that's the case. So when I hear this from her, it makes me so happy. So I want to like, shout out and like, cyber high five you. Yes! You're doing the right things. Good for you.

So the, um, in terms of how you can market that, how you can showcase that, I know the concern is how, you know, how do I do that while also giving enough attention to my client? Well, you have a couple of things that you can do, right? Obviously, if you want to document an actual event, if you want to document an actual experience, you can do that. You can do what's called a 'styled shoot'. You can stage, right, stage a party stage and event, and literally have someone come and take photos for you and use those photos. If you're doing that, you would do it in such a way that's called, like, batch content creation. So you would plan a couple of hours where you're staging this thing. Um, and you would have a photographer come in or you'd have someone who, you know, maybe it's a friend or someone who's good with a camera, come in and take some photos for you. Make sure if you were going to do a styled shoot that you go in with a list of things that you want documented, so that you make sure that everything is covered. And that way you can create as much visual content as possible. Aside from that, you don't have to, like, I don't want us to get caught up in- uh, hung up on like, the detail of: "Oh, am I showing, like, an actual thing?" So much can be conveyed to your clients just by way of connecting with them and just by way of sharing information with them. So that might mean creating a video series, right? Like, what if you did have your video series of like three to four videos where you're just talking about the different ways that you service private parties? You don't have to be at a party to do that.

You can do that live from your, you know, from your phone. Go live on your business page and answer, you know, two quick questions, or give three helpful hints, uh, three helpful tips pro tips on how to plan a henna party. Um, things that they need to know if they're planning to book a henna party, if they're considering booking a henna party. Remember that education is equally important when you're trying to capture your audience's attention, because they need to know, one, that you're the expert, and two, they need to know what to expect. And so if you don't have yet the visual assets to be able to do that, do it by way of education and entertainment, okay? This is one of the things that I think a lot of times we overlook. It's so simple. It's so simple to do. Don't overthink it.

What I would suggest is literally just sitting down and writing out like, five different types of video content that you can create and then go live and create that video answering those questions, answering those concerns, providing tips, providing insight, and then use that in a social media campaign, okay? In terms of how you can otherwise make sure that you're getting good content while you're also servicing clients. I always have- like, when I attend parties, when I'm servicing parties, even when I'm servicing my private appointments, I always have a tripod with me. I always have a phone with me - an extra phone - so that I can take video content of what I'm doing. And so you can capture that content and then break that up into smaller pieces of content, which essentially is also batch creation, right? And so that way you have some visual content that's like, from the event that you can share. And so it gives a little, like, behind the scenes peek. Um, but don't feel like it has to be perfection. Don't feel like you have to hire a photographer, if that's not something that's like available to you right now. Know that there are lots of different ways that you can create content to push that towards that party promotion without actually needing, you know, pro photos and whatnot, especially early on. Ah, okay. So let's see. Oh gosh, you guys I'm like, I've got to take a breath. Like, I'm out of breath. That's a lot! Okay.

So, next question. "Hi, Chelsea. I remember a while back, you mentioned that whenever you started, your henna business in a new town, you did a promotional free henna day. As I've been out of the game due to COVID, I'm looking for a great comeback and wanted to do the same. Can you advise on how you did it? Did you post it up on social media to get the word out? Did you ask clients to post their pics and tag you in them? Any advice on how to do this successfully would be much appreciated, thank you."

Of course. I'm happy to answer. So, um, yeah, in the past, when I've moved my business from one area- so, if you're new here, you may not have heard the story. Uh, in essence, I have moved my business, over the past 10 years, I've moved my business across the country three different times. So, not like "Oh, I moved from one town over to the next," but like literally picked up my business, picked up my family and moved across the US on three different occasions. So in each of those instances, I had to start my business from ground zero. Start it from scratch, right? And so this was one of the ways that I was able to kind of get traction. And so, um, in all of those instances the process was very similar. Now there was a little bit of variation depending on where I was, but the common thread or the common process is the same. So, yes, what I would do is plan a window of time wherein I would be offering a certain amount of services. Now, you can choose - and I've done it both ways - you can choose to have people book in advance. Like, have them book and when they're booking, um, you know, if this is something that you're offering for free, you can just have them book through an online self scheduler, or you can choose to have them book within like, a timeframe, like a time window, like, "Oh, you know, I'll arrive between one and three," or whatever. Or you can just have the time, the whole time frame that you're going to be working, have that open and allow people to do walk-ins. Um, I feel like just because of the nature of what's going on in the world today with the pandemic, I likely would not opt for that last option right now. I would definitely have people book in advance so that you know how many people you can expect at any given time. And so what I would suggest in this case, um... Well, this is not always what I've done. Right now, what I would do, if I were to do this again, would definitely be to have an online self scheduler where they can book their appointment without the fee, but that there was a timeframe in them booking that appointment. That way you have a couple of things. Of course, you're going to know exactly how much henna to prepare, you know, who you're expecting and what not. But that also gives you time in between where you can make sure that you're like, cleaning the space and whatnot between clients. And this is something you would promote on social media, "Hey, on this day, between these hours, I'm going to be offering complimentary henna to celebrate my reopening and in exchange, this is what I'm asking." And you can, you can ask that they post photos. Maybe that's posting photos right there in front of you, which is something I would definitely suggest. Literally, after you complete their booking snap a photo of their hand or of their design. Ask them- and this is what I do, like, literally this is what I do every day for my own clients. I'll snap the photo. And then I'll ask them right there, "Okay, what's your Instagram handle?" And I will put it in my stories and I will tag them, right? So it goes to them so that they can share it onto their stories. And I want to see, like, I want to see them share it on their stories before they leave. Um, and so that could be something that you do. You can snap the photo and then ask them to share, and make sure that you actually see that they've shared it on their social media before they've left. So you get a little bit of return in terms of exposure to their audiences.

Um, do... Let's see... Um, I guess, any additional advice that I would give? So this works... Um, for this hennapreneur, like, I know because you've already been in business for a while, I don't necessarily think that it's necessary that you do this for free. So I'm going to say that now. Like, one of the things that you have to be cautious of is that when you're offering services for free, oftentimes that's when you find people who don't show up, that's oftentimes when you find people- it's a different... It's a different group of people who's looking for free services, than the people who are willing to actually pay for them. And so while this is great if you're like, just getting started and literally have never had a paying client, have never gotten out there, don't have any following whatever, and you're just really trying to get the market to be aware that you exist. And that's why I did it in this way in the past. But you have already a known style. You already have, like, you're known in your market. So I would suggest instead of doing a free event, for you specifically, I would say if you're wanting to do some sort of a discount or like a special promotion, great, do that instead. I would recommend that for you. Which, side note - guys, notice how I can give her specific advice based on her business. That's because she's active in the Hennapreneur Community so I know a little bit about her. So if you're wanting, like, insights on things that you can do better as well, be sure that you join us inside of the Facebook group, because the more you share there, like, I really do keep eyes. And I really do try to be aware of who's who's in there and who needs what. So, something to keep in mind. Okay. Um, but no, I would leave you with that. If you really want to do it for free, of course, it's your business, you get to do what you want, but in this case, I would suggest perhaps just doing a special promotion instead. Okay.

Um, our next question. This hennapreneur says, "Hi, Chelsea. So I'm always cleaning the tip of my cone after applying it and I think this is taking up my time. How can I improve?"

This question is one that I think definitely is coming from like, self-confidence. Can I tell you... Okay. You see how I always have stains on my fingers. It's because I'm always cleaning the tip of my cone too. Always, while I work. Always, while I work, I have a habit and I'll pinch the tip of my cone to clean the tip of my clone and then keep working. Um, and I'm trying to do better about not putting it on my fingers. I'm trying to do better of doing it with like, a napkin or a tissue, but let's be honest, like, habits, old habits die hard, right? So if you find that cleaning the tip of your phone is something that you're doing, it's not abnormal. There's nothing wrong with it. And honestly, it doesn't take that much time.

Now, it is going to take up your time if you're henna paste is not well processed. Like, if you've made your henna paste and it's not smooth, and you're constantly cleaning the tip of the cone because there's actual debris inside of your paste, that means that you have an issue with your mixology. And in that case, what I would suggest is to join Mixology & Basic Design. Learn how to make really good quality henna paste that stains well, and that's smooth, and that's velvety, and that's buttery that you can work with easily.

Now if you're just cleaning the tip of your cone out of like a habit like I do - I do this a lot because I love to see really clean, sharp lines. And so if I- as soon as I see a little bit of henna on the tip of my cone, I'm wiping it off - but if you're, you know, if it's just like that, no problem. If you're doing it because there's actual an actual issue with your paste, then I would suggest taking the course so that you can learn how to prepare good quality henna paste, okay? So, uh, let's see.

Next question says, "I have been making notebooks and have priced them at £15. Lots of people have been interested, but when it came to the price, they're not paying. What shall I do? Inyour previous video, you stated that ladies, especially colored ladies or women of color, are underpaid. And this is clear in my attempts to break even. But no one seems to realize how much time it takes to create the art and the expenses. I'm thinking of doing a flash sale, but I haven't attempted it before. So I'm a bit nervous on how and where to start. Any advice on how to make it work would be great. Thanks!"

This is so good. So, the feedback that I have actually is going to sound really counterintuitive. When I read this question initially what immediately stood out to me is that if you're having people- if you're having an issue with people opting to purchase these decorated notebooks at £15, then those people are likely not going to purchase that notebook at £10 or even at £5. This is a value issue. The value of your work, the value of the product that you're selling, has not been clearly communicated, has not been clearly conveyed to your market. So one of two things needs to happen. Either you better convey the value of the art that you're creating for them, right? So, and this- you guys, were talking about this in the context of these henna designed notebooks but, truly, the same applies even to henna design services, so listen to what I'm saying, because it applies to you likely as well, okay?

If you have an issue where people are saying, "I'm not going to buy it. I'm not going to pay that price," that means that the value has not been conveyed properly or you're marketing to the wrong audience, right? The audience that you're marketing to doesn't perceive that value to be worth it. One of the things that we have to keep in mind when we're building our businesses is that you are wanting to attract a group of the right people. Your ideal clients, right? And by definition, your ideal client must be both willing and able to pay you. If they're not willing, or they're not able to pay you, they cannot be your ideal client because they will never spend the money with you, okay? So when you are considering the products and the services that you're offering, and you're finding that they're not, like, the people aren't inviting, you have to look at those two things.

So let's start on the first side, right? The first side is obviously that the value hasn't been properly conveyed. So I would ask myself- if I were in your shoes, I would ask myself: what is it that's going to motivate someone to purchase a notebook like this?" I'm doing this art on this, uh, on this, you know, I'm doing these designs on these notebooks - or I'm doing this designs on skin if this is where we are, you know - I'm doing these designs and why is it that someone wants to buy it?

Remember you guys, there's two reasons why people purchase things: pain points and pleasure points. So it could be a pain point. Like they're looking for something unique. They haven't found anything unique. Maybe they're wanting to give this- like, they're looking for a gift. And the pain point is that they can't find a customized gift that's perfect for that person who they're buying for, right? But it could be. Your work could be perfect, right? Your work could fit that need. It could handle- it could take away from that pain point of not being able to find something bespoke, custom, right? Um, not being able to find something that's a really good quality. That could be you. You could offer the solution.

Or it could be a pleasure point. That's an impulse buy, if you will, right? Um, where they're looking for something very unique and like, it doesn't have the negative connotation of like, "Oh, I've really been searching. I'm not finding the right thing." It could be, "I'm just searching because I really want something that makes me feel good." Um, and so that also is a way that your notebooks could be providing, um, could be touching on that pleasure point, right?

So you want to consider from both sides. I think here, uh, the price point in and of itself, we have to think about, all things considered. When we make an offer, we have to look at value not only in how it serves our clients, not only in those pain and pleasure points that it's addressing for them, not only in those ways, but also we have to think about the story that we're telling as a whole, with the offering as a whole. And so in this case, you have this product that you're saying to me, "Look, I'm not able to break even at £15." That means to me that you're already under selling. And if the price point that you've got is so low, what it reads to your audience is also that however much value you're actually saying - Ooh, careful! - Whatever value it is that you're actually saying your products are offering, if the price point is low, the price point tells a different story. So your story also has to be well aligned. Does that make sense? If this is making sense, like, give me a like. Give me a heart. Let me know that you're following with me. Um, because this is really important. You're looking at the story as a whole.

In my experience, right? In my experience, when you have an issue with people not being open to the idea of paying more for a thing, like if you've priced something and you're like, "You guys, this is a steal. This is ridiculous. Like, this is ridiculously priced and this just makes so much sense to buy," and people are still not buying it, you need to raise the price. If you hav- And I know it's not- that's why I said that I knew this was going to sound counterintuitive, but the problem is often in those cases that it almost reads as too good to be true.

And you don't want that either. You want to make sure that your products are being presented with high value, both in your description and also with the actual requirement to be able to obtain those things, you know? So, um, in this case, I would suggest that. Now, there's the second piece, right? Because we talked about the value being conveyed around your service, around your product. But the other piece is, are you actually targeting the right people, right? Because there are going to be people who will see your offer and your offer could be solid as heck, right? Super solid. There's nothing wrong with it. It's positioned properly. It's described properly. It's marketed properly, except it's just being put in front of the wrong people. And if that's the case, then you're also going to find these sorts of objections.

Please understand that price point is often the objection that's given, but it's often not the objection that's actually causing people to make the decision. People will pay for what they value. So it may be that you're actually dealing with an audience who simply doesn't see the value there. And this is something that is a little bit more difficult, honestly. It's a little bit more difficult to address, but it comes down to really knowing who your ideal client is. And it may be that the clients who you serviced with your henna service - like your actual henna on body, body art services - it may be that they're not the same crowd of people who have interest in notebooks. And so pay attention also to that, I would suggest in this instance that we do a little bit of digging around who it is that you're actually trying to sell these notebooks to, and get very, very specific.

Is this someone who's looking for a gift? Is this someone who's looking for something for themselves? If so, why are they looking for this thing anyway? Why, why, why purchase a notebook right now? What's the urgency? Is it for school? Is it for, you know, is it for business? Is it for... Like, what is it? Why is it they're even looking for one? Because your marketing needs to be speaking to that need. And then once you really understand what's motivating them to purchase that thing anyway, or to be looking for that thing, then that also helps you with positioning your product for that specific market, okay? So the same applies, again, to henna services, so I hope that you guys are taking what I'm saying and considering how this might apply to your business as well. Okay. That was really long. I hope that that- I hope that it makes sense.

This is a really good question. So if you guys find that you're like, "okay, that's hitting home," give me a like. Give me a heart and let me know that like, we're on the same page. Okay. Next... Let's see... We have... Awesome! Okay. Next, this says, "Hi, Chelsea! I would like to know how to write a bio. I'm struggling with this, and it's holding me back from really going for it on Insta and promoting my Facebook page. Also, how do you get over that showing off feeling?" Ooh. "Like, I really want to share my work on my page, but I don't want to be seen as showing off."

Y'all! Y'all, this is a real thing. Ooh, this is so juicy, right? Okay. So in terms of writing a bio, there are different types of bios that you can write, right? There are different types, so there's a bio that you- like, an informal bio, something that you would use on social media. You can use a professional bio, right? The professional bio is something that you would expect to see on your website or with an article that's published about you, or if you are presenting at a place - at a school, for example - or whatever. So there's different types of bios. And each of those types of bios needs to be written in a different way. Because we're talking about social media, I will address that portion with you with a couple of tips. So in- when you're writing a bio for social, you want to keep it short and concise.

There are a few key things that you want to have like, readily available. So the first thing, make sure it's very clear who you serve. What you do, who you serve, right? So: I'm a henna artist for "XYZ". So: I'm a henna artist and manicurist. I'm a henna artist, a bridal specialist. I am a henna artist for expecting mothers. I'm a henna artist for whatever. Like, whatever it is that is your specialty, make sure that you highlight that. Let people know straight off the bat, what it is, what you specialize in, what you do, right?

Location. Please, for the love of all that's holy, put your location in your bio. I cannot tell you how many profiles I see on social media where the business doesn't include what their service area is or where they actually reside. And so what's the point? People will follow you and they'll, you know, they'll engage with you and they'll be on the other side of the world and they will literally never spend a cent with you. It doesn't make any sense at all. Don't leave this part out. Put your location in your bio. Aside from that, I want you to share what it is that like, who it is that you serve, right? So you can say this, and depending on exactly how you are positioned in your business, you might be able to cover this with your specialty, but maybe not. Maybe you have another genera group of people, or maybe you have something special about you, a special segment of the market that you serve. Make sure that you include that, right? So you can include that with a little blurb. You can include that with even just being specific, right? I serve queens in the Baltimore area, whatever, right? In that way I am identify- like, I'm using language, right? I'm using language that my ideal client resonates with. She uses that language and it's also telling the location, the area, that I'm in, right? So it doesn't have to be elaborate, but it should be specific, and it should be something that the person who's reading can self identify with.

Now, you might not choose to like, immediately, like, "Oh, I serve people in this way." You maybe want to put something different. Maybe you want to just have a couple little sentences, a couple little words rather, about the value system around your business that will also convey who it is that you serve. For example, if you wanted to speak to inclusivity, for example, let's say you're someone who... I don't know, like I'm just winging it here. Let's say you're someone who one of your brand values is inclusivity and so you want to, like, I don't know, include some, like, some marginalized community inside. Like, this is the type of community that I serve. Then you could indicate that. Maybe you're doing that with like, the LGBTQ flag inside of your bio. Or maybe you're doing that, like, whatever that is for your business, right? Everyone has their target market. You know how your target market chooses to identify itself. You know the language that they use to identify themselves. You know the symbols that they use and the emojis that they use to identify themselves, right?

So utilize those things, because even on social media, you don't have a lot of space to be able to write that bio out, right? I think in most platforms you're limited to no more than 150-160 characters. So use that real estate really well, you know? And then finally, you're going to have a call to action. Give something to them. So, give them a link. Give them a link where they can go and book with you. Give them, um... If you have like, a coupon code, for example, maybe you have a coupon code for first time visitors. You can put that in your bio. Give them something. Maybe you have an aftercare guide. Or even better, maybe you have a before the appointment guide. How to prepare for your appointment. And you can have that as a download, but they have to give you their email address in exchange, right? Have something available for them so that they also- like a party favor, if you will.

On my Instagram, uh, right now it's not showing in this way, but most of the time on my Instagram I'll have something that's like, a page on my website that's the link in my bio that's called the Insta Party. And so when they go there from Instagram they see like: okay, here's a button, you can book a book an appointment. Here's a button, you can download the aftercare guide. Like, all of the options that I provide them are also all options where I'm going to capture their information and/or they're going to book a session and pay me money, right? So do those things for yourself. Do those things for yourself also. Have a call to action. Don't just like, leave it. So those are like, the key pieces that I would suggest having in a social bio.

Now, the second piece here: how do you get over that showing off feeling, like, you really want to share your work on your page, but you don't want to be seen as showing off. You are in business- Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. This gets me excited. Okay. So I'm like, I love you guys. Know that I'm saying this with all humility and all respect, right? We have to stop being scared. You have to stop being scared. You have to stop being afraid of what people think about you. You have to stop giving so much importance to other people's opinions. Other people's opinions are only a problem if you agree with them. Do you agree that by sharing your work you're showing off? Do you agree that by sharing your work, you're somehow a bad person? Like, this is not a thing. You are in business. The only way for you to be in business is for people to choose to do business with you. That's going to require you showing up, showing your work, letting people say, "I love this. I want to engage with this person. I want to work with this person. Let me give them my money in exchange for this henna." Like, that's how that works, right?

So one of the things that I like to remind myself, one, is that, uh, any time you're having a business engagement, like, this is an energy exchange. When you're having that transaction, that transaction is less about the dollar itself and it's more about the value that's being shared. So you, as the artist, you're showing up and you're giving the best of you, and you're saying: In exchange for X-dollar amount or whatever. This is the transaction piece, right? I'm willing to part with this art, this skill set of mine, my time, right? My expertise, I'm willing to give up- I'm willing to create for you. I'm willing to give up myself for you. And your client on the other side is saying: I appreciate and value your art and your skill and your expertise such that I'm willing to part with this money, right? Which is representative of their time and hard work, their labor. They're giving this thing to you in exchange. So it really is more of a, an energetic exchange than it is like a monetary one though. The monetary piece is like, that's the means to the end.

So you're a business owner, right? It's your job to go out and share with the world what you do. If you don't share with the world what you do, you will never open up the possibility, the opportunity, for people to have that sort of exchange with you. And let me tell you, that exchange feels good, not just from the financial aspect, that exchange feels good because you know that you're serving someone and you know, that you've been valued for doing it. It doesn't make you a bad person. It doesn't make you like, showing off. Aside from that, let's just get this clear, like, in all of Beyonce's internet, in all of our girl's internet, there are so many places where people can choose to spend their time. If they're coming to your page it's because they want to see your work. So it is not a matter of showing off. It is literally your little piece of real estate in the, you know, on the interwebs. And that's where you should be showing up and showing out and showing all of the things that show exactly how wonderful you are and how lucky anyone would be to work with you, period. You know?

So, I don't want you- like, if you're looking for- it sounds as though it sounds as though you're looking for permission to share your work and you're looking for permission to really go for it. This is me saying not only do you have permission, it is your obligation, your duty to yourself and to your business to show up and show out, sis! So put the stuff out there. People want to see it.

Okay. Um, let's see... I think... Look, oh gosh, we like, we made it just in time. We're right at the half hour. So I think that that's different today. Those are all the questions that came in. So I am- I'm so out of breath, y'all. I'm so out of breath. So you can tell I got excited. I was like: okay, gotta bring it- I gotta reel it in. Gotta bring it back.

So, I want to say thank you to everyone who submitted questions for today's session. If you missed the opportunity to submit your questions, don't worry, we'll be doing this again in two weeks. We have these Ask Me Anything sessions every two weeks. Every two weeks, each month, on Tuesdays. So you can join me next time and I'm happy to answer any questions that you might have.

Aside from that, keep an eye on- we have some really fun things that are going to be happening inside of the Hennapreneur Community. So if you haven't already joined, be sure that you join the Facebook group because that's where all of the magic happens. And we have a lot of fun in there and we'd love to see you there. Also when you join- if you're new to the community, now there's a number of questions that you answer before you come in. We vet everybody because it's a very safe space. So we really do vet everyone before approving you into the group. But one of those questions asks, you know, "What can I help you with in your business right now?" and it asks for your email address. If you answer that question and give your email address, I will send you some goodies to help get you like, started in the right direction, in whatever stage of business you're in right now. So, um, that's something. Don't overlook that, okay? So if you're not a member of the Facebook group, be sure to join. Alright, I'm going to jump off of here. I love you guys and I will see you very soon. Alright, bye!