You can already order a pumpkin spice latte at your favorite coffee shop and go apple picking at your local orchard. Labor Day weekend in the U.S. simply seals the deal—the unofficial start of fall is here.

Almost right on cue, National Read a Book Day is Sunday, September 6. What better way to relax and de-stress this time of year than by curling up with a good book?

Whether you’re soaking up the last days of summer or jumping right into fall, you’ll want to add one of these books to your reading list.

Here are a few...and click here to see the entire list: 

• “Doesn't Hurt to Ask: Using the Power of Questions to Communicate, Connect, and Persuade” by Trey Gowdy. Learn how to seize opportunities and make a case for yourself.
• “The Middle Finger Project” by Ash Ambirge. My favorite entrepreneurial journey book. The title says it all!
• "Radical Self Love: A Guide to Loving Yourself and Living Your Dreams" by Gala Darling. Discover how...

As we wrap up the summer, take time to catch up on some of the goofy business things that may be nagging at you day-to-day. #Energydrains

If you're ready to recharge your battery and kick-start your success, this list will help.

These small tasks can make your life less stressful and easier to manage day-to-day. You may even develop a new habit.

1. Clean up your contact lists and database.

2. Sort through your Favorites and Bookmarks. Categorize them and delete the ones that are no longer relevant.

[RELATED: FREE DOWNLOAD: CREATE 30 TOPICS IN 30 MINUTES FOR ANY NICHE! CLICK HERE TO GET THE #30/30 GUIDE.]  

3. Go paperless when possible. Shred or toss old papers you don’t need.

4. Read the magazines you’ve been saving for the past three months.

5. Get rid of the magazines you’ve been saving for the past three months.

6. Contact someone you admire and ask to interview them for a post or video....

Do you feel like you can write or talk about anything and everything, except for your own experience and journey?  

You’re not alone.

You may feel like you need to cram your whole life story into one sentence. Other times you need to hand over a novel.

Writing a professional bio can be challenging because these days, one size does not fit all.

Take the time to prep these four variations of your bio so that you're prepared and confident anytime, anywhere.

Full Bio

Start big! Write (or update) your professional bio similar to a LinkedIn profile. Think 300 words or so.

• Write in first person
• Balance professional with personality
• Focus on results; not tasks
• Use short punchy sentences
• Include keywords for SEO but don’t force them

Use the full bio as a baseline for the next few.

Short Paragraphs for Speaking Engagements + Interviews

You’ll probably find yourself using this one most often. I recommend pulling 8-10 short sentences from your full bio. They don’t...

I used to say that business cards weren’t going out of style anytime soon. With COVID-19, we're clearly not handing them out at meetings like we were pre-pandemic.

No worries. There are still plenty of meaningful ways to network in a virtual environment. The best news — no extra Zoom meetings required!

You can build a quality network to grow your business with the platforms right at your fingertips.

Consider Facebook.

These days there’s a Facebook group for just about everything.

Here's the key to finding the right one to grow your business. Join the groups and chats where your ideal client spends time.Know where they are...and GO THERE.  In my brilliance, I call this the "Know and Go " strategy.

Then, jump into discussions to connect with others who have pain points around your expertise. Build rapport and a connection...and Be the Solution. More brilliance: This is the B.S. strategy. 

When networking online: 

• Don’t go in "sales-first"
• Be...

The other day I got an email from author and entrepreneur Mike Michalowicz with the shortest marketing lesson ever: Be different. 

Easy, right?

 Not quite.

Michalowicz  shared a video explaining an offer he got in the mail from a company specializing in replacement windows and doors. It wasn’t typical junk mail. It was a handwritten letter on heavy stock paper.

It was different.

{NEW! HOW TO COMMUNICATE IN SOUND BITES SO YOU CAN BE A CONFIDENT LEADER - CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE GUIDE}

According to Michalowicz, once you stand out by doing something different, you need to take it two steps further. Your content or marketing must be attractive with a strong call-to-action. 

The mailer looked enticing...at first.

But as Michalowicz  took a deeper dive, things didn’t add up.

First, the sender identified himself as Larry, yet the letter was written in bubbly cursive handwriting.  Michalowicz says the writing was more feminine than what he's...

Posting valuable content consistently can quickly attract a community of followers and build your credibility.

Trust me, planning out your posts, Instagram stories and videos is much better than treating your calendar as a crapshoot. Showing up for your audience with solid content helps build relationships, trust, and business.

{RELATED: COMMUNICATE WITH CONFIDENCE IN 2020. SIGN UP FOR PRIVATE 1:1  COACHING WITH SUSAN AND GET OUT OF YOUR OWN WAY} 

As your online visibility increases, let's be intentional about your media visibility, too.

In a new webinar, I share the four kinds of content you can create to fill your content calendar (also called an "editorial calendar.")

Let's go day-by-day, week-by-week so it is manageable and actually...fun! It's easier than you may imagine because you're talking about your passion and niche while helping others overcome a challenge. 

Inside the webinar, (19:00 on the video counter), you'll get right to the part where I teach about...

This is taken from today's Facebook Live in my  FB group, Communication Nation. Join the group to watch the full video training. https://www.facebook.com/groups/communicationnation/

What happens when an empath hires a badass for coaching?

It’s not every day that deep and revealing moments happen in our businesses and lives. Often, we work to “move the needle” and “plant the seed” and all the other clichés. We wait to see if our efforts bear fruit. We grow impatient. But we grow because we want to live our life’s purpose and share our gifts with others so they can be better, stronger. We all want to discover—and live—with purpose and make meaningful contributions to the world.

[FREE DOWNLOAD: THE VISIBILITY ROADMAP TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS & MAKE A GREATER IMPACT]

When the stars align and we can answer Simon Sinek’s “Start with Why” and the “why you do what you do” makes sense deep within our souls and not our heads, we’re on the right path. It’s our calling, our purpose for being here in this moment called life.     

So, here’s the truth....

Most entrepreneurs enjoy a flood of ideas, creativity and a-ha moments.

How do you explain your idea to someone else, especially a busy reporter or online influencer who receives irrelevant email and phone pitches daily?

Here’s the secret: Take out your business card. Write your idea on the back of your card. If it doesn’t fit, rip it up and throw it out. Nobody is going to understand it if it’s not clear, concise and compelling.

[Join Communication Nation, our Facebook Group for Professionals Who Want to Communicate with Confidence and Clarity]

The “business card” approach is how you have to think of your pitches to reporters and online influencers. When emailing a pitch, for example, all you have is a few words in the subject line to grab someone’s attention.

The subject line must be a magical combination of just the right words…and in the right order. You’ll have to practice and edit. Being clear—and brief...