"Your business will impact people’s lives far beyond your own. People will read what you write and change their minds. They use your products to feel happier and more connected to their lives and the world around them."
- The Conquer Kit, page 40
"Mindset mastery is something most successful trailblazers do and it’s vital for you to bring your dreams to life"- The Conquer Kit, page 9
Becoming clear about your goals and having personal awareness are the central principles of The Conquer Kit. To “get in the flow” MacNeil emphasises the importance of taking a step back (from wherever you are on your entrepreneurial journey) and purposefully reminding yourself of the core goals you set out to achieve, and the reasons you want to be in business.
Knowing your personal archetype or ‘type’ is a useful way to recognise the challenges that are most common for certain personalities and the ways these issues are most likely to detract from your success. The Conquer Kit introduces eight female entrepreneur archetypes inspired by the original ‘ego’ and ‘self’ types used by psychologist Carl Jung in the early twentieth century. MacNeil’s modern business woman types are:
The Queen
Attributes: Fearless leader
Challenges: Commands respect, egocentric mindset
The Revolutionary
Attributes: Clear vision
Challenges: Reinventing process; prefers originality
The Dreamer
Attributes: Big picture thinker
Challenges: Daydreamer; follow-through
The Builder
Attributes: Results oriented
Challenges: Perfectionist; detail oriented
The Commander
Attributes: Administrative centric
Challenges: Micromanager, lacks flexibility
The Contributor
Attributes: Big giver, philanthropist
Challenges: Easily discouraged, not profit oriented
The Creator
Attributes: Unconventional thinker
Challenges: Administration, process
The Messenger
Attributes: Five star communicator
Challenges: Brand focused, customer centric
Nothing great lasts with shaky foundations. That’s not to say that what you’ve already started isn’t great. But, addressing areas of your business that just aren’t fun for you, that leave you feeling stressed and deflated can really make a difference in moving positively towards your business goals. Now is your chance.
"No matter what business you are in, having a process for welcoming and supporting new customers is a fundamental necessity to help them feel cared for and totally loyal to you for the long term."- The Conquer Kit, page 87
If you’re already in business you may have data and analytics that tell you who your loyal clients are. When thinking about potential new clients, to match your existing or soon-to-be launched product successfully, MacNeil suggests creating “an insanely detailed picture of your client” first. Defining your ideal customer will help you form a business idea that will be more likely to attract them.
You get the idea. The Conquer Kit takes knowing your customers beyond the traditional marketing concepts of customer segmentation and demographics, into a very personalised customer experience mindset. To get there, think about the products and services you love and why. Why do you keep going back to them? What problem do they solve for you?
"Finding time to plan out the next year, when you are distracted by the dirty dishes and a full Netflix queue, will prove to be challenging."- The Conquer Kit, page 179
The Conquer Kit refers to Napoleon Hill, author of Think and Grow Rich who, like MacNeil, is also a great believer in a person’s positive mindset being the absolutely key to success. You may be familiar with his quote “A goal is just a dream with a deadline.”
Goal setting is not something we usually think positively about, because it sounds and feels like an onerous task, a time waster. Not any more. Month Mapping, a clever business planning alternative from the book, overhauls the boring task of tracking your business progress, your marketing efforts and financials against personal goals and your bottom line in four easy sections:
1. Each month, list your consistent “Balanced Ambitions” which are:
2. Next, write down you “Conscious Creation” (marketing tools) such as:
3. Then, capture your “Big Picture Milestones”. Examples are:
4. Finally, be sure to record “Reflections” from the month. These would be individual and personal but could include reflection on:
After Month Mapping for 3, 6 and 12 months you will have developed a well documented, but more importantly, personalised business record that aligns your business goals with your sense of purpose. Goal setting that’s relevant and maybe even a little bit of fun too.
There is something to be said for writing stuff down. Impossible dreams and moments of inspiration become tangible. The Conquer Kit’s format gives you the opportunity to step away from your everyday “all-business” female entrepreneurial approach and have some honest ‘girlie’, diary-like fun in the process of building your business empire.
Natalie MacNeil is an Emmy Award–winning media producer; the author of (self-published) She Takes On the World: A Guide to Being Your Own Boss, Working Happy, and Living on Purpose; and the creator of SheTakesOnTheWorld.com.
