I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about my eight-year trajectory as a business owner. There’s so much I didn’t know before I took the leap to run my own show – and I’m still learning. Whether you’re currently a business owner or you’re considering striking it out on your own, there’s always a lesson. […]

We’ve noticed that the day seems to get away from us, especially lately. To try to pinpoint where and how this occurs, Rachel asked everyone to track their time this past week. After evaluating how I spend my time, alone, I realize how significant this exercise can be. Here are my top three takeaways from […]

I recently tried to connect two members of my community in hopes they could collaborate. One informed me the other was a competitor and did not wish to connect. My initial reaction was embarrassment. I was trying to be helpful, but I hadn’t considered that they would be competitors. While they served the same industry, […]

How many times have you had a seemingly great prospective customer in the cusp, yet they did not convert? We’ve analyzed this puzzle dozens of times. While there are some challenges unique to our industry, most are specific to service-based businesses. How do you turn prospects into clients? I’ve found the answer is more complicated […]

This is the first in a series of a new category on the blog – The Rice Report – written by #Strella team member, Stephanie Rice.

I have what some would call an infectious personality. In my father’s words, I would talk to a stop sign. Growing up with a teacher as a mother, school was a priority in my house. This meant no extracurricular activities, friends, or even a job that could contribute to a potential drop in grades. As a rebellious middle child, I got my first part-time job at the age of 15. I was a cashier at a local restaurant – and I absolutely loved it! I got to know regulars and perfect my customer service skills.  I’ve always believed in four golden rules of customer service. I’ve followed them from my days at the restaurant to the days on the internet.

Last month, my husband and I took a much-needed vacation to Jamaica. We stayed at a Sandals Resort in Montego Bay. Prior to leaving, we saw a myriad of ads for the resort. They were full of the same – a couple in their 20s with six-pack abs and a rockin’ tan. I laugh, because […]

It's hard to find encouragement for obstacles that occur in life. Simply put, not everything is roses. Sometimes, sh*t just happens. We all face crappy stuff. The car won’t start, we overslept, caught a cold, tripped on the steps… you name it. As a business owner, I encounter dozens of shi**y things all day. Clients […]

My executive coach said recently, “if you don’t have a website you don’t have a business.” I agree, but I would take that a step further to add, “if you don’t have a good website, you don’t have a business.” It’s my goal with this post to define good, because not all websites and web […]

If I had a dollar for every time I have wanted to delete my Facebook profile, I would be a very wealthy woman.  Working in social media has made that impossible, so I suck it up and do very little personal Facebooking. When I see a newsfeed crowded with outrageous political opinions or inaccurate, false […]