Introduction and Weekly Recap

[00:00:00] Welcome back to the simple and smart SEO show and follow through Friday. 

[00:00:04] Whew. 

[00:00:04] This week has been crazy in the midst of launching our founders group for the SEO squad. I've also been juggling client work, some interviews. 

[00:00:15] What else? Oh, fulfilling orders for my Shopify store. 

[00:00:18] So this is a very busy and fun time. 

[00:00:22] This week on follow through Fridays. 

Reflections on LinkedIn Live with SEO for Hire

[00:00:23] I have something a little different because I did a LinkedIn live with a company called SEO for hire, and there were some questions that I answered live that after I watched it, of course, I thought, oh man. I wish I would have said this or that. 

[00:00:36] Because I have the podcast and it's followed through Fridays. I can do that. Woo. 

[00:00:40] I will link to the SEO for hire show. 

[00:00:42] So that you can watch it if you'd like it was a really fun episode to do. With Shreya and Daris. 

The Importance of Onboarding and Employee Expectations

[00:00:49] One of the things that we were talking about was things that are vital for onboarding an employee. 

[00:00:55] And I have come to realize that honestly, most of my onboarding problems have been because of me. 

[00:01:02] Because I didn't have a SOP in place. I didn't have a system in place. 

[00:01:07] For onboarding. So I would say if you're looking to hire someone. 

[00:01:11] Make sure that you list out all of the tasks that you expect them to do. 

[00:01:14] And then for each task list out the steps of the task. 

[00:01:18] Because there's nothing worse than hiring someone and paying them to follow you around. 

[00:01:22] Especially follow you around online. As you try to figure out what they should be doing to help your business. 

[00:01:27] There's a certain quality of person that goes above and beyond, just because. 

[00:01:31] No matter what the day's no matter what's going on in their job. 

[00:01:34] This job may not be their dream job. 

[00:01:36] They just bring a dynamic quality to work with them. 

[00:01:39] They look happy to help. They do the best job that they can to help you with the problem that you have. And that's what I would want in an employee. 

[00:01:47] I bring an intensity to everything I do, so I'm looking for that quality. 

[00:01:51] And I'm looking for that same spark and you see it when you go into a store and everybody hates their job. 

[00:01:56] And then there's the one that sparkles. 

[00:01:59] They're kind, they're efficient, they're hardworking. 

[00:02:01] And so if you find a person like that on your team. 

[00:02:04] You build them up right. 

[00:02:06] And then another thing that I would want to look for and talk about is if you've got a culture of people that have bought in. 

[00:02:14] This reminds me of the volleyball team that I coached. 

[00:02:17] If you've got a culture that people buy into, then you've also laid out the ground rules. 

[00:02:21] So the expectations are clear. 

[00:02:23] And when you have to do some form of discipline, it's like we're checking things off. 

[00:02:28] By this list. And we're assessing your work and your performance by this list of expectations. 

[00:02:35] And so when you have the conversation with someone. 

[00:02:37] There's already a consensus where people know, okay, I did not meet this standard. 

[00:02:42] The conversation just is easier.

[00:02:44] An example would be like, Hey, you remember what we agreed to about being late? 

[00:02:49] That you wouldn't be late.

[00:02:50] We had this conversation when you're hired and this is the expectation we need you to meet it. And then if they don't meet it, Then that you should also know what happens next. 

[00:02:57] And I think that having that conversation is important. 

The Role of Empathy and Trust in Leadership

[00:03:00] Because even though there are boundaries between business and life, sometimes as a leader, you have to understand where they overlap and it gets a little messy. 

[00:03:10] And in those particular situations, a little empathy goes a long way. 

[00:03:14] And one of the best pieces of advice that I heard on our podcast. 

[00:03:18] Was that you have to give people the dignity of their own choices. 

[00:03:22] And so as a leader, I think that's really important because we've been there done that. 

[00:03:25] And so we want to solve problems for everybody else. 

[00:03:28] I think it's like that with parenting too. 

[00:03:29] If you see your kid making choices that, are not going to have the best outcome for them. 

[00:03:34] We want to solve it for them. We want to do their homework problem for them or whatever. But sometimes we have to allow them the dignity of their own choices so that they can also have the dignity of their own consequences. 

[00:03:44] So we got to give people room to breathe and grow. 

[00:03:46] If they're on our team, we've got to trust them. 

[00:03:49] We've got to have things in place so that we can check in with them.

[00:03:52] And then maybe even buddy them up, because especially in this world of virtual working. 

[00:03:58] If you have more than two employees, then you can buddy them up so that they always have somebody they feel connected to. 

[00:04:05] And I think that discouragement grows in isolation. 

[00:04:09] So it's either an isolation or in a toxic environment. 

[00:04:12] Or a combination of both.

[00:04:13] And one of the last things I wanted to say about this is that you can't control everything. 

[00:04:17] But you can control whether you do what you say you're going to do. 

[00:04:20] And that's where trust is built. 

[00:04:22] And I think one of the things that has helped me as a leader. 

[00:04:25] Is my my experience in teaching and coaching. 

[00:04:28] Because when you're a teacher, you learn very quickly that you have to build relationships with those that you teach. 

[00:04:33] If there's no relationship there, there's no learning there. 

[00:04:36] So taking time as a leader, getting to know people beyond just like the job that they do for you is so critical. 

[00:04:42] And I believe that empathy above all else is the most important quality of a great leader. 

[00:04:47] And that commitment to a standard. Because people are going to match your energy. 

[00:04:52] Or at least strive towards it. 

[00:04:53] And not every day will be perfect. Not every day is going to be a hundred percent energy. 

[00:04:57] But if you're committed, passionate, consistent, and empathetic. 

[00:05:01] Those are the qualities of a great leader. 

Maintaining Consistency and Celebrating Wins

[00:05:03] And that consistency is going to make up for the days where maybe you're off. 

[00:05:07] But because you're so consistent on every other day. Your team knows what to expect from you. 

[00:05:13] Another thing is remember the wins. 

[00:05:15] I write a lot and I have journal upon journal of ideas where I've written down different thoughts, and it's fun to go back and read. 

[00:05:23] And I would encourage my team to do the same thing, especially wins. 

[00:05:26] Because when times get hard, it's easy to get bogged down with doubt and insecurity and maybe even imposter syndrome. 

[00:05:33] But if you have a list of things where you have successfully done a job. 

[00:05:38] To go back and read those things is like affirming to yourself that you in fact know what you're doing. 

[00:05:44] So I'd encourage that process of self-reflection for any leader.

[00:05:49] And their team members. 

[00:05:50] So having said all that, I appreciate you listening to this reflection of my conversation with SEO For Hire. 

[00:05:57] And just some of the thoughts and ideas that I had regarding leadership. 

[00:06:01] After I watched the video and I thought, huh. 

[00:06:03] What else could I add to that? Or what else would I've added? 

Conclusion and Invitation to SEO Challenge

[00:06:06] And I want to invite you to the upcoming SEO challenge that we're having.

[00:06:10] It's a three-day, Supercharge Your SEO Challenge. 

[00:06:13] It starts at the end of February and you can sign up now. 

[00:06:17] You just have to go to three-day challenge.com forward slash SEO, and three is written out T-H-R-E-E. 

[00:06:25] So that's three-day challenge.com forward slash SEO. 

[00:06:29] And if you haven't left a review for the podcast, would you do that for me? And even if it's just a simple rating, That's perfect too. 

[00:06:36] And I'll see you next time for another awesome episode of the Simple and Smart SEO Show Podcast. 

[00:06:40] And remember, keep moving forward. 

[00:06:43] Every day's a new day to get a win.