Food 4 Thought!

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Debra Lee | Biz & Life Coach | Author | Keynote Speaker

DLBizServices.com

#foodforthought #lifecoach #confidence

Great Visuals Attract!

 

Graphic Creation by DLBizServices.com

If you are not good at graphic design for your social posts, newsletters, website, and business sales tools, hire one! (Yes, my team and I do that!☺)   Ever wondered why some content stands out more than others? What grabs attention, builds trust, and drives action?   Neuroscience studies show how our brains respond to different types of communication. One of the biggest takeaways? Visual content triggered memory 74% faster and boosted emotional intensity by 26%.   The new language is visual, and businesses today need to design to be remembered. DLBizServices.com Debra Lee | Biz & Life Coach | Author | Keynote Speaker #graphicdesign #neuroscience #visual

Don't give up on cold leads!

 

Those cold leads are GOLD! Don’t give up on them! I have been sending information to some of my cold leads for years, like lots of years! And believe it or not, eventually, some reach out to me, ready to do business. Yes, cold leads go into another category in your CSM, but keep them active until they tell you, ‘no way, no how!’ And they say that THREE times! Here is a link to an article to prove the point!     The $119 million reason you should never give up on a cold lead  DLBizServices.com Debra Lee | Biz & Life Coach | Author | Keynote Speaker #coldleads

Attracting New Customers

 

Debra Lee, Biz Coach & Life Coach

Most small businesses are looking to increase their customer base. If you're one of them, here are 10 tried-and-true tips to help you attract more customers. Strategies to attract new customers to your business: 1. Offer new customers discounts and promotions Consumers today are still looking for value and deals. Lure them into your business by offering introductory discounts, running specials such as buy 2, get 1 at half price, or offering free gift wrapping on the first 3 purchases. Bargains like these can attract new customers who have been considering doing business with you but need an incentive to change their shopping habits. Then track what they buy, and which offers they redeemed, so you can better target them with future marketing messages that will cement their loyalty. 2. Ask for referrals Once you've earned a customer’s loyalty, put it to work by asking for referrals. Current customers are one of the best sources of new customers. But you can’t be passive and wait for them to bring colleagues, friends, and family to your business. Instead, take control and create a systemized approach to actively solicit referrals from your satisfied customers. Build referral-generating activities into the sales process. Send follow-up emails to ensure customers are satisfied with their purchases and then follow up with another email asking for referrals. Consider offering incentives if the sale price warrants it. This approach works well for real estate agents, for example. 3. Recontact old customers Go back to your lapsed customers' contact list and market to those who haven’t done business with you for a while. Create a regular schedule for this, such as quarterly, and select customers you haven’t seen in six months. Reach out to them via email, direct mail, text, or phone with a “We miss you" message, offering a deal or promotion if they’ll come back. 4. Network There’s no better way to raise brand awareness than meeting new people and telling them who you are and what you do. Join your trade association, your local Chamber, and networking organizations. Attend Meetup events. If you own a local business, even attending PTA meetings can be a good networking opportunity. Approach networking with a “How can I help you?” attitude, rather than thinking, “What’s in it for me?” 5. Update your website Online search is the primary way both consumers and B2B buyers find new businesses. That means your website has to do the heavy lifting so customers can find you. Review your search engine marketing and search engine optimization tactics and techniques, including ensuring your site is mobile-friendly. Even your site design makes a difference. Too many graphics can slow your site’s load speed, which is a turnoff for customers. If you don’t have the expertise in-house, hire a website design company and/or an SEO expert to help. 6. Partner with complementary businesses Teaming up with businesses that have a similar customer base but aren’t direct competitors and then strategizing how you can market to one another’s customers to drive new business is a smart way to attract new customers without spending a fortune. For instance, if you sell baby products, working with a business that sells maternity clothes would be a great partnership. 7. Promote your expertise You can generate interest and even create buzz by showcasing your industry expertise, attracting new customers, and driving more business from your existing client base. Volunteering to speak on industry panels, giving a webinar or workshop, speaking at industry events or to groups your target customers belong to, or holding educational sessions are just a few ways you can make a good impression on potential new customers and clients. This technique works particularly well for B2B business owners.   8. Take advantage of online ratings and review sites Consumers in both the B2B and B2C worlds frequently turn to online rating and review sites before doing business with a company they are not familiar with. Make sure you monitor those sites and respond to any complaints. Make the most of positive reviews by linking to them on your website. Post signage in your store, office, restaurant, or other location encouraging customers to share their perspectives. Social proof is powerful, and new customers are more likely to give your business a try if they see others praising it. 9. Participate in community events. Surveys show that most people prefer to support local, independent businesses. Raise your profile in your community by participating in charity events and organizations. Sponsor a local fun run, organize a holiday “toys for kids” drive, or supply a Little League team in your city with equipment. All of this raises your profile and helps attract new customers. 10. Bring a friend This idea is similar to referrals but requires customer participation. Offer 2-for-1, “buy one, get one free,” or “bring a friend” deals to encourage your loyal customers to introduce their friends and colleagues to your business. For instance, a restaurant could offer a “buy one entrée, get a second for free” special to attract more customers. Brainstorm ways to get new customers. Think of these strategies as a starter list. Add your own ideas. The key is to get started now, so when next year rolls around, you’ve expanded your customer base. DLBizServices.com   #customers #newcustomers #bizcoach #lifecoach #strategies Extra Resource: Rieva Lesonsky

Watch the way your outside world starts to shift when...

 Be good to yourself!

Debra Lee | Biz & Life Coach | Author | Keynote Speaker | Blogger

Books: “It Is What It Is…But It Wasn’t A Tragedy” | “Making Wise Choices…the most important life skill to master”

DLBizServices.com

#showup #selfcare #grace #priority

Plastics in Your Home

 I’ve been downsizing and cleaning out the plastic storage tubs and food storage containers from my home for three years now. For one, if I have to buy storage containers to manage my stuff, I have too much stuff. Downsizing is a brain relief!

The second reason is research on microplastics entering our bodies/brains. I read about a study that lasted 4 or 5 years, and in every brain they studied, 100% of the subjects had microplastics.

Yes, even the old Tupperware is dangerous. I’ve replaced storage tubs with sturdy cloth storage boxes with lids I found on Wayfair (stackable, home-fashion, and useful) and have moved to glass storage systems for food. I’m still working on it, but I’m almost done with the task!

Ever touched Tupperware after it’s been stored for a while and it’s sticky? Ever open a plastic storage tub, and it stinks badly? Plastics break down and become unhealthy to be around.

Below are a couple of articles to help you stay informed.

Hidden two-letter code reveals if your plastic containers are toxic

 

4 Items in Your Kitchen That Could Be Leaking Microplastics Into Your Food

Be safe!

Debra Lee | Biz & Life Coach | Author | Keynote Speaker | Blogger

Books: “It Is What It Is…But It Wasn’t A Tragedy” | “Making Wise Choices…the most important life skill to master”

DLBizServices.com

#microplastics #safety #plasticstorage

The Story behind the Story...it's not about me

For Wichita, KS Area Ladies!

I’ve never really told the story behind the story. Most know that I started Ladies Circle Coffee about five years ago, when the pandemic was a big thing.

I remember countless women coming to me through my business (mainly the boutique and art gallery side of the biz) with such sadness. I would minister to them as I could. Many had lost husbands to COVID, family members, jobs, and had to move away, and were dealing with long-haul COVID themselves. It was a difficult time for many people.

Ladies Circle Coffee was born out of God’s calling. It was held at my business, where coffee was always on for anyone who walked in. It was a safe place for ladies to come and make new friends. It was a place of encouragement and support. It was a place where prayer requests were welcomed and prayed over. Many women who came to me for help never joined Ladies Circle, but they knew the invitation was there and where to go for prayer and support. One lady even gave me her tithe for doing what her church wasn’t doing at that time.

Most prayer requests come to me privately. The group never knows about them. They also never know about the life coaching sessions I have had because of Ladies Circle. The group, however, has seen significant results from prayer when we have prayed together for someone. There is power in prayer!

My confession. Ladies Circle is a ministry. It is much bigger than I. God has given me this opportunity, an open door, to minister to many women.  Over the last couple of years, due to many of my own life delios, I have struggled to honor this gift and keep it as God intended. 

In 2026, there will be a new vibe for Ladies Circle as we invite other women to join us in this ministry.  Ladies Circle Coffee & Dining Out is open to any woman who wants to join. Any religion, any belief, in business or not. Wife, mother, grandmother, single, married. All are welcome!

"Therefore, encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing."~ 1 Thessalonians 5:11

It’s easy to join! Please email me at d.lee13@cox.net to get on the list!

You can make new friends at coffee, dinner, or both!

It’s a safe place, and conversation is wholesome!

Debra Lee | Biz & Life Coach | Author | Keynote Speaker | Blogger

Books: “It Is What It Is…But It Wasn’t A Tragedy” | “Making Wise Choices…the most important life skill to master”

DLBizServices.com

#coffee #coffetime #diningout #friends #women

 

Happy New Year! Set good goals!

 

Happy New Year! I hope you all had a blessed holiday season and are ready to move into 2026 with fresh hope! Remember that hope looks at all sides of a situation, the good and the bad. Hope implies confidence or assurance that what one desires will come to pass. It’s an expectation of fulfillment or success. It is with hope that we can make the changes needed in our lives. What are some of your New Year’s Day traditions? When I was growing up, we always had black-eyed peas with collard greens, with a side of cornbread. Sometimes, Mom would throw in sauerkraut to make it even more annoying, I’m sure. But why? Mom always said it would bring good luck and prosperity for the year. It’s a Southern tradition from my Southern roots. Each item represents money—black-eyed peas-coins, greens-paper money, cornbread-gold. Okay, I’m not much into the good luck thing, and I’m glad our family eventually moved away from that tradition! Not my fav meal, at all. Many of you know that New Year’s Eve Day thirty-seven years ago marked a turning point in my life. That was a day that started with the fire department and my mother standing together at my front door at 7 am, bringing me the news that my fiancé, a city firefighter, had perished fighting a house fire. That day was about death and life. Life, you ask. That was the day I returned to God after a thirteen-year run of crazy stuff.  The pain I felt was stifling; I couldn’t catch my breath. I knew that God was the answer if I was going to make it.  Since then, I’ve resolved to be a better person every day. It’s not a New Year’s resolution; it’s a daily walk with God, and He helps me be a better person. God helped me with a LOT of issues to get me back on track. A nicer world starts with each person looking to do better. We can’t rely on someone else or an institution to fix it. Each of us has been made the CEO of our own lives. We are responsible for how we react, how we treat others, and how we live our lives. We are to set the best example we can for others. I hope everyone includes the following in their 2026 resolution; not only set goals for wealth, success, to be top dog, to be the most at anything, but to be kinder, to be gentler- especially with those who annoy you, to offer forgiveness; even when you don’t want to, to be generous with time and money, to use kind words, and treat everyone with dignity and respect, always. I’ll be seventy this year! Woohoo! I’ve learned a lot in this life, like, I don’t have time to waste on pettiness. I don’t need to be right all the time. My opinion doesn’t need to be inserted into every conversation. I don’t have to tell everything I know. And what others think of me is none of my business. Forgiveness is a gift for others and oneself. God is always good, and I also know that chocolate is a major food group! ♥ Here’s to 2026! May you find courage in the challenges that will come, laughter in the little things and your own foibles, belly laugh at least twice a week, hold gratitude for every day, find peace and love in every corner, walk a bright path blessed with joy, and dream dreams you haven’t yet imagined! Debra Lee | Biz & Life Coach | Author | Keynote Speaker | Blogger Books: “It Is What It Is…But It Wasn’t A Tragedy” | “Making Wise Choices…the most important life skill to master” DLBizServices.com #happynewyear #goals #resolutions #hope #foodforthought