Bossy Pants: What Feels “Ick” About Business Advice
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Buckle up.
I’ve been exceptionally "bossy" this month.
Here’s what I did:
#1 - Told a highly skilled therapist their new niche might not be specific enough to draw in private pay clients
#2 - Advised a multi-passionate entrepreneur to not add me to their team until they had more admin support
#3 - Said to a client, “Your emails are not accessible to folks with low vision or colorblindness.”
My Libra-rising/Enneagram 2/recovering people-pleaser self balks at the idea of being so direct with folks, but that isn’t the real issue.
The real problem with being “bossy*” is when someone tells you what you’re doing wrong…
…but they don’t tell you what to do instead!
Here’s how it looked with the folks I mentioned:
#1: Instead of saying, “People won’t pay for that.”
We brainstormed what the therapist’s ideal client would likely pay for in an uncertain economy and identified a path for their new home page. Boom.
#2: Instead of saying, “You need more admin support.”
I sent them a website where they could find high-quality, reliable support staff to bring more ease to their business.
→ If you need to hire a VA or other virtual support staff, I highly recommend this site. You can thank me later.
#3: Instead of saying, “Your hyperlink colors are too hard to read.”
I provided a color contrast grid report so the client could choose which brand colors would be the easiest to read for their subscribers.
→ If you want to use a contrast grid to ensure your hyperlink colors provide enough contrast for folks with color blindness or low vision, I use this tool.
See?
Bossy pants just means helping people with direct concerns and suggestions, instead of only criticism.
Keeping concerns to myself, especially in areas where I’m skilled, does a disservice to myself and my clients.
And it doesn’t necessarily need to be scary or overwhelming.
I’m observing this “see something, say something” modeled in Email Stars, a consent-based email marketing program with Tarzan Kay. (Seriously, join T’s newsletter here ← *referral link)
Before any feedback is given, students choose if they want a gentle or direct no-holds-barred approach. At first, my HSP self opted for the most tender of feedback.
Now, halfway through the program, I pretty much always opt for direct, tell-it-to-me-even-if-it-hurts feedback.
The more Tarzan tells me blankly what sucks about my emails, the more I keep coming back for more.
Me: “Please, look at this email – tell me how bad the subject line is! Make me brainstorm four more and then do some A/B testing!”
(Is this a new kink? I dunno.)
Turning the spotlight on you:
If you could use the full power of my bossy pants strategic brain, what would you ask?
A few options:
A) How do you choose a niche more likely to attract private pay clients?
B) What non-ChatGPT tools can you use to enhance you copy?
C) How do you write an engaging, personality-filled About Page?
D) Something else? Ask away!
Please hit “reply” and let me know what burning question you'd want answered.
~Ari
P.S. *Whenever I’m stepping into Bossy Pants Mode™, my friend, Maegan Megginson claims it’s not “bossy”, it’s being strategic. Which seems a lot less sexist. Point taken!
P.P.S. Do you want my bossy strategic brain on retainer? Check out Copywriter On-Demand Packages here.
P.P.P.S. I learned how to be bossy from the best. My dog, Hazel, will demand dinner at 7 pm sharp, or else I get "the look." What fur baby or human child is bossing you around these days? Pics welcome. 😍
My current overlord, Princess Hazel.
