Building a Business: From Your Phone

A little back story....

When I signed up to be a coach, I had a laptop and a Blackberry. I loved my MacBook, something that I bought with my own money while working my way through Grad School years prior. I never owned an Apple product other than an iPod before that, so this was my big "I am tech savvy" step into adulthood.

Shortly after signing up to be a coach, my computer kicked the bucket. I took it to the store, and said many prayers to baby Jesus to save it, or at least not let this cost me a month's worth of paychecks.

It would cost $1200 to have it fixed, and about that much to get a new one. Goodbye laptop. Goodbye connection to the outside world. Hello doing everything from my little Blackberry.
Soon after that I joined 2013 and decided to get a touch screen Samsung phone... probably the best decision ever, even though I resisted leaving my comfort zone of the Blackberry and keyboard. But I soon learned that the apps available on my Samsung would be what saved me with my business.

Now I barely worked my business for a full year, because I was certain that it was too hard from my phone, and with my full time retail job, and two little girls at home. I convinced myself that I did not have the resources and slacked, a lot.

After Summit 2014 my attitude changed a lot. I was surrounded by a lot of people who turned their can'ts into CANS and changed their circumstances. So why not me? If a laptop and phone were all that held me back... what the heck was my problem? That is nothing compared to what others went through and they managed to build million dollar businesses!

So with a new attitude I really dove into bettering my approach and scheduling things so that I could be more effective. My biggest piece of advice..... schedule your time and use it wisely, because things take a lot longer on a phone, especially tackling that inbox! So delete all of those games and extras from your phone NOW!

• I would type up posts at night, along with creating the graphics using apps, while I watched tv and my kids were in bed.
• I typed up emails and saved them to my Google Drive so I could quickly edit or copy and paste them when I needed it.
• I got very good at saving photos and organizing them in my picture folder, I upgraded my phone to have the max amount of memory.
• I learned shortcuts to everything, and had shortcut icons on my phone to all of my challenge groups and important team pages on Facebook, so I wouldn't have to search and waste time looking for the group. Plus it helped in the morning to have them listed on a screen on my phone so I knew to check in first thing everyday.
• YouTube became my go-to for information. If a phone is great for anything, it is plugging in headphones, playing a video, and listening or watching during down time. Lunch breaks at work were usually my 30 mins of pd!
• I bought a phone with a pen that can convert the writing into text, this helped when I was in a hurry and wanted to write a note really fast as the ideas came to me. Or when I got someone's number and could easily add it to my contacts with one click.
• SCREENSHOTS. I literally took a screen shot of everything. That way I had quick references on my phone and I filed them in my picture buckets according to what they were... post ideas, training, or just a fun graphic I wanted to remember.

• SNote: Note taking app for the Samsung Note. Allows you to type or write with the pen and convert to text.
• Zoom: Video conferencing app. I do all of my team calls from here!
• Adobe Reader: You need this to read most of the documents they share on the TeamBeachbody website. Or items that fellow coaches share on your team pages.
• Docs: Opens Microsoft Word documents
• Slides: Opens Microsoft Power Point documents
• Sheets: Opens Microsoft Excel documents. I used this a lot for keeping track of my inviting and customers!
• Audible: I use this to listen to a lot of my personal development, I love reading but sometimes a book it really great to listen to! And this app is great, gives your a free book every month!
• Photofy: Picture editing tool.
• PhotoGrid: Picture editing tool.
• PicPlayPost: Video editing, I used this a lot when posting my workout to my Facebook page. You can add music and edit the video, as well as play multiple videos at once.
• VivavideoPro: Video editing. But a little more professional that picplaypost! I used this for my YouTube training videos!
• TBB Coach: Quick link to the teambeachbody mobile site.... really great for signing up NEW customers and coaches! Allows you to shop for them, and have the order sent to their email to finish with payment.
• Drive: Where I store all of my documents and where I can open other people's documents and make myself a copy.
• FitSimple Links: Quick links for items in the teambeachbody shop with your coach ID attached. There is now a COACHING CODES app! 

Even though I was really good at using my phone for my business, I knew I eventually had to get a computer. 

I was moving up in my business, and really wanted to blog again. Also I wanted to be able to reach out more effectively and not rely on the cut and paste method with my emails as much. I felt more like a robot than a coach. I spent a lot of time typing up emails and messages to people, and probably wasted valuable INVITING time.

Another side effect, I got really bad carpel tunnel in my right hand and had to wear a brace on my wrist to keep it from hurting so bad!

However, I was able to build a business that is Diamond rank, and replace my retail salary with my Beachbody paycheck every week. I am not at home with my girls, with a laptop, and working my business full time. 

I would never change those days of working from my phone. It caused my to get creative and really think outside the box. I wanted this business to work for me, and it did. Because I was consistent and went after it, and stopped letting my excuses take over!!!