— Run Your Business Like a Magazine —   

Create Your Own Content Strategy. Connect with Your Right People. Get More Clients.

A self-paced course on content strategy and the editorial mindset by The Voice Bureau

You’ve already heard that blogging is the best way to connect with potential clients.

It’s a way to be of service before your Right People have ever invested a dime with you. It’s a way to give people a taste of what you do, and how you do it, to help them make a buying decision.

And yet blogging can be so hard.

So, let’s say it’s time to write a blog post.

You want to connect with your readers. They’re the ones who keep you in business, who buy what you’re selling, who tell other people how great you are. You’d love to have a chat over coffee or meet up some weekend for brunch. You love to share what you know with them, because you know you can help them. These are your Right People.

Then why is your mind as blank as that empty Word doc?

Maybe you need to light your special aromatherapy candle. (Crisp bamboo or spiced citrus?) Soak in the tub and let the inspiration shake loose in the water. Go for a long walk. Eat some chocolate. (Extra dark or milk chocolate with salted caramel?) Meditate. Dim the lights, cue up the ambient music, put on that special outfit. (Red lipstick? Chenille bathrobe? Power suit?) Romance that blog post out of you.

Great, one sentence down.

Aaaaaannnnnnd about a million more to go . . .

And when you finally hit that beautiful “Publish” button, what happens?

Sales?

Comments?

Crickets?

          But wait: it doesn’t have to be this hard. Honest.

Imagine if you didn’t have to dread blogging — if you were able to use that space to have all the conversations you really want to be having. And imagine, even more, that your Right People readers were right there with you — engaged, interested, connected. That writing a blog post — or recording a podcast, or penning a social media update — was more like sitting down for coffee with a friend than standing on a stage giving a presentation (no pressure!). That, when your Right People read what you had to say, it lit a fire in them to connect with you even more, to seek out your advice, to buy what you’re selling. What if you could sit down at your computer and just write — and know you were saying just the right thing?

Hey, there.

I’m KATIE MEHAS, Creative Director of The Voice Bureau. In a past life, I was a magazine editor. Not just any magazines, though — I edited classic car magazines. But I have a secret. I don’t like cars. At almost-36 years old, I don’t even have a driver’s license. And yet, for three years, I managed to edit at least 15 issues a year. And they were good. At a time when the magazine publishing industry was in crisis, collapsing in on itself, my magazines actually increased in circulation. Significantly. I even got real, hand-written fan mail.

I’ll be honest, it wasn’t always easy getting excited about another story on engines. But you know what I do love? Really awesome, intuitive, flexible systems. And when you put a great system in place, you can do just about anything. If I could put out well over a thousand pages a year of interesting, well-received content on a subject that practically put me in a coma, imagine what YOU could do with your business — you know, the one that really lights you up.

         

It’s time to Run Your Business Like a Magazine.

It’s not easy to maintain an online business. It takes a whole lot of love, a whole lot of attention, a whole lot of connection. And if you’re an introvert (as Abby and I — and so many of our clients — are), that can be downright painful. You know when you’re talking to someone new and there’s that semi-awkward silence, and all of a sudden you panic and find yourself filling it with your life story and they’re backing away slowly? When you’re writing a blog post and it feels like you’re talking to yourself, that can happen. But it doesn’t have to.

You don’t have to be an award-winning writer to write a great blog post that meets your Right People right where they’re at AND makes you feel good while writing it, and after publishing it. And you don’t have to just write to fill the space, without any expectation of results.

A GREAT PIECE OF CONTENT CAN:

• Help you clarify your own perspective on a topic important to you
• Earn you new and repeat business (more money)
• Carve out your unique position in the marketplace
• Stake a claim for the big idea you want to be known for
• Introduce you to new markets and subsets of markets
• Establish you as a thought leader or trailblazer in your industry or niche
• Generate new product and service ideas
• Kindle connections between you and potential collaborative partners
• Inspire advocates to support you and share your work
• Remind you of your own innate genius (i.e. create more momentum)
• Encourage your Right People in their own life and work — make them feel seen, witnessed, understood, affirmed, and supported

Let’s be realistic: there ARE many potential roadblocks on the way to having a great blog. (You know this or else you wouldn’t be reading this page.)

Are you writing what your readers want to read about? Can you catch their attention with a great title, and keep it with really valuable material that’s more than just fluff (without giving it all away for free)? Is it interesting enough to you that you can keep it up — consistently — without feeling burned out? How about variety? Are you writing the same post over and over or mixing it up and keeping it fresh?

Crafting consistently compelling content — it’s not just fun alliteration. It’s sort of the holy grail, isn’t it?

 

When you connect with your readers again and again, when they recognize you as an expert in your field and look forward to hearing what you have to say each and every time, when your emails are opened and your blog sees regular traffic, your business will see the difference.

It really is possible to do it all — without going crazy. And it doesn’t even have to be painful. It just takes a little planning.

Run Your Business Like a Magazine is a solution to the problem of what to write, why to write it, where, & when for your business brand.

In this 8-lesson online course, Abby (our Founder) and I will help you set up an editorial calendar that works for you — whether your style is more of a Xeroxed ‘zine or a high-gloss monthly with full-color inserts. This is NOT a one-size-fits-all prescription that’s doomed to fail because it’s all wrong for how you work. It’s not a system you need to cram yourself into to Get Stuff Done. This is a living, breathing, dynamic road map to consistent, inspired content creation. It’s a guide to connecting with your readers in a way that feels right to you, that gives them what THEY want while staying true to who YOU are and what really lights you up.

Here’s what you get:

After purchasing, you’ll receive 8 Audio Classes (Mp3s) with attractive and easy-to-print written transcripts and helpful worksheets, available for immediate download, to be completed at your own pace. 

How the learning will flow:

Lesson 1 – Reader Profile

You’ll figure out exactly who your ideal readers are — tapping into some of our signature Voice Bureau methodology for Right Person Profiling — and what they’ll LOVE hearing from you. With our guidance, you’ll create a robust Right Person profile that you’ll refer to again and again, long after this course is over.

BRAND VOICE TIDBIT from Abby: What YOUR Voice Values Can Already Tell You About Your Ideal Client

Lesson 2 – Choosing your Rack

You’ll reflect on your own interests and begin to understand them in a new way — as part of a larger cultural conversation. You’ll also get fresh insight into how you naturally connect with your readers. Not sure of your USP? You will be.

BRAND VOICE TIDBIT from Abby: What Texture Is YOUR Brand Voice?

Lesson 3 – Crafting Columns

Now you’re ready to create overarching categories for blog columns and subjects that cover what you want to write and what your readers most want to hear from you. This is where the intuitive structure for your content strategy begins to emerge.

BRAND VOICE TIDBIT from Abby: How To Make Sure Every Voice Value Gets Its Due

Lesson 4 – Save the Dates

Once content is conceptualized, it’s time to build a balanced schedule of topics and key dates central to your business conversation — and to how your Right People live their lives. This is where you put knowing your reader into overdrive — taking it from ‘wow, that’s timely,’ to ‘ohmygosh, how did she know I was interested in THAT?’

BRAND VOICE TIDBIT from Abby: Taking a Strong Stance

Lesson 5 – Market Research

Time to act like a magpie. In this lesson, you’ll develop a personal, easy-to-use system for collecting shiny bits of inspiration for the types of content you would enjoy creating.

BRAND VOICE TIDBIT from Abby: Curating Your Brand’s Visual Vibe

Lesson 6 – Brainstorming Central

Here, you’ll gather ideas for blog posts you would love to write — and your readers will love to read. Step into the shoes of a dynamic creative pro and pretend you get paid big bucks just for your ideas. This is your time to shine.

BRAND VOICE TIDBIT from Abby: Voice Values Mad Libs

Lesson 7 – The Editorial Calendar

Finally, you’re ready to plan your schedule. Be sure to eat your greens and get enough protein — you’ll need the stamina! But unlike high profile creative pros at actual magazines, you won’t have to burn the midnight oil. Our process takes the ouch right out of planning.

BRAND VOICE TIDBIT from Abby: Minding the Rhythm of Your Brand Voice

Lesson 8 – Making It to Press (Again and Again)

Keep it up! We’ll give you resources, support, and guidance for staying the course you crafted and set.

BRAND VOICE TIDBIT from Abby: Leaning On Your Voice Values

NOTE: While the focus of this course is blog content creation, many of the principles — and schedules — you’ll work with here can easily translate to your social media, e-letters, podcasts, or other channels. Consistently great content is consistently great content, whether it’s delivered in 1000 words, 20 minutes, or 140 characters.

So, to recap, your course experience includes:

• 8 Audio Class Mp3s with attractively formatted, easy-to-print written transcripts
• 8 helpful worksheets to support and personalize your learning
• Content strategy training with a focus on implementing now, not someday in the future
• Brand voice exploration and insights based in our signature methodology, The Voice Values paradigm for branding, which has been described as “the Myers-Briggs for creative entrepreneurs”        

Note: Run Your Business Like a Magazine was co-created collaboratively by Katie and Abby, and each lesson contains audio and written segments from both of us.

Run Your Business Like a Magazine is ideal for YOU if you …

• are a values-based business solo or small business owner, meaning, your clients’ and customers’ experience is every bit as important to you as their results and your bottom line
• plan to produce content — especially blog posts — regularly, as a way to connect with your readers and potential clients
• consider yourself a pretty decent writer to begin with; you don’t need to be a pro content writer, but this isn’t a course on how to improve your writing or even how to write a blog post
• have lots of ideas but need help organizing them — or — love structure because it helps you generate ideas, but you don’t yet have a structure to follow

– Cost – $385

View Your Cart Below

Stop the Presses — Who This Course Is NOT For:

We love clarity and think it’s important to manage expectations. Here’s what is NOT included in Run Your Business Like a Magazine:

• Extensive personal recommendations for the direction of your own blog or the content of your posts. We’ll provide you the tools you need, but you’ll need to get a little ink on your hands to get there.
• Help with laying out and designing your blog posts, or a tutorial of content management systems such as WordPress or Squarespace.
• Any tech or design elements, really — we’re focusing on content, not presentation.

In other words, this course helps you conceptualize, plan, and create your ongoing blog content, but we won’t be focusing on writing, tech, or design stuff.

FAQs

// HOW MANY HOURS A WEEK SHOULD I EXPECT TO SPEND ON THIS COURSE?

It depends on how fast of a processor you are. Some people like to listen to the audios multiple times each lesson, lingering over the transcripts, and luxuriating in the worksheets. Others primarily listen or read, maybe not both, and they move quickly through the worksheets. Most people are somewhere in between.

On average, a good time estimate is 2-3 hours per lesson (1 hour or less listening/reading, plus an additional hour or two on worksheets, including thinking/processing time). Some people will spend a lot less time to work through the course material, others will take longer.

// I REALLY WANT THIS MATERIAL BUT I’M NOT SURE WHEN I’LL HAVE TIME TO WORK THROUGH IT. HOW LONG WILL I HAVE ACCESS TO THE COURSE MATERIALS?

Forever! Once downloaded to your own computer or online storage, your course materials are yours to keep, use, and engage with forever — no expiration date.

After purchasing, you’ll have five attempts to download the course materials via web link. More details on that after you enroll.

// I’M A SOLO BUSINESS OWNER. DOES THE COURSE MATERIAL APPLY TO ME?

Absolutely! The Voice Bureau (our biz) is solo-owned and specializes in brand voice development for values-based solo-owned businesses and small businesses. If this is you, you are definitely in the right place!

// MY BUSINESS IS STILL IN THE DREAMING/PLANNING PHASE. IS IT TOO SOON FOR ME TO ENROLL THIS COURSE?

Maybe. As a business owner (or an aspiring one) with a web presence, it’s NEVER too soon to start learning the skill sets and mindsets that will make you a stronger business owner, content creator, and marketer. However, when it comes to investments in learning, timing is everything. If you’re not already launched or within 6 months of launching your business or website, I would probably recommend that you hold off and wait.

// I’M NOT SO TECH SAVVY. WHAT DO I NEED TO BE ABLE TO USE THE COURSE MATERIALS, & WHAT IF I RUN INTO A TECH SNAFU?

If you can click links, open files, and press PLAY on an Mp3, you have what you need to use the course materials. And if you get stuck or run into a snafu, we’re just a message away at  

// DO YOU HAVE A REFUND POLICY OR A GUARANTEE?

We guarantee that you will be getting the best of our teaching, and we do not offer refunds. We offer a rich learning experience but we do not guarantee specific results, as participants will come to this course in all different seasons of life, phases of business, and levels of self-awareness. You are responsible for integrating and implementing the course material in your own way and in your own time.

// AFTER I PURCHASE, WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Watch your Inbox for a confirmation email. Click the link in the email to Complete Your Purchase. After clicking, check your inbox for an email to download your course materials. (You may also be redirected to this link after clicking Complete your Purchase — it depends on your browser.) The download page is password-protected — you’ll receive your password in an email after you’ve completed your purchase.

Have a question we haven’t addressed? Email us at Concierge@TheVoiceBureau. We will get back to you ASAP.

– Cost – $385

View Your Cart Below

ABOUT the COURSE CREATORS & FACILITATORS

                        // KATIE MEHAS

Katie is the Creative Director and owner of The Voice Bureau. She’s been part of the Voice Bureau team, working side by side with Abby and firsthand with clients since 2012.

Her specialties include content strategy and flexible, intuitive systems. Around here, she owns the process of helping business owners become clients and getting a project underway. Katie previously worked as a magazine editor for print publications with an annual circulation of nearly 2 million before finding her niche in self-employment, and has served as an online arts and culture magazine editor and as a freelance writer. She “gets” creatives and loves helping them organize their ideas and produce them in a consistent, authentic way that doesn’t cause the sort of stress that derails the whole creative process.

Katie is an Enneagram Type 1 INTJ Cancer whose Voice Values are Accuracy, Clarity, Excellence and Power. (And if you know what all of this means, you will surely love working with her.)

Outside of The Voice Bureau, Katie can be found curled up with a bowl of olives and a good novel (or a Netflix binge) in St. Petersburg, Florida, where she lives with her husband and their two daughters.

                        // ABBY KERR 

Abby is Founder of The Voice Bureau and Creator of the Voice Values paradigm for branding.

She’s a brand voice specialist and in former professional lives was the founder and proprietor of a nationally award-winning indie retail boutique called THE BLISSFUL, and before that, a high school English teacher.

Abby is an Enneagram Type 4 INFJ Pisces whose Voice Values are Excellence, Power, Depth, Clarity, and Intimacy/Legacy.

When she’s not developing teaching and learning materials for The Voice Bureau, she’s experimenting with recipes, reading fiction, watching dark-and-stormy detective dramas on Netflix, playing with her two French Bulldog-Boston Terrier mix dogs, and exploring moody Seattle, where she currently resides.

________________________________________________________________________________________________

How to help spread the word  . . .

If you feel so moved, we’d be honored if you’d share Run Your Business Like a Magazine with your community or readership. 

HERE ARE SOME COPY-&-PASTE-ABLE POSTS TO GET YOU GOING. OUR HASHTAG IS #ryblam.

Want to learn to Run Your Business Like a Magazine? Check out @TheVoiceBureau’s course! bit.do/ryblam

Ready to get some ink on my fingers with @TheVoiceBureau’s new course, Run Your Business Like a Magazine! bit.do/ryblam

I’m excited to Run My Business Like a Magazine with @TheVoiceBureau. Join me? bit.do/ryblam

My red pen is ready. Start the presses! I’m joining @TheVoiceBureau’s new course, Run Your Business Like a Magazine. bit.do/ryblam

Ever dreamed of working at a magazine? Now you can run your business like one w/ @TheVoiceBureau’s new course. bit.do/ryblam

Checking out @TheVoiceBureau’s new course, Run Your Business Like a Magazine. Whose biz couldn’t use an editor? bit.do/ryblam

I’m looking forward to an editor’s touch in @TheVoiceBureau’s course, Run Your Business Like a Magazine. Join me? bit.do/ryblam

Check out @TheVoiceBureau’s NEW course, Run Your Business Like a Magazine! It’s bigger than the September issue. bit.do/ryblam

Left-brained structure & right-brained creativity meet @TheVoiceBureau’s course, Run Your Business Like a Magazine. bit.do/ryblam

Run Your Business Like a Magazine with @TheVoiceBureau is co-taught by an #INTJ & an #INFJ. Love it. bit.do/ryblam

Getting ready to flex my #content #strategy muscles in @TheVoiceBureau’s NEW online course. bit.do/ryblam