I don’t have to be perfect. I just need to take the next step. Action replaces fear.
Angel Tuccy is the CEO of Vedette Global, a Media Influencer Training Company. Angel is a best selling author who was in the top 1% of women radio hosts. For a decade, she hosted two prime time radio programs, hosting more than 2500 broadcasts and interviewing over 4,000 guests. She is passionate about empowering people to clearly define their media strategy to attract more publicity & increase their influence.
Where did the idea for your company come from?
I was looking for a name that wasn’t already taken online – I studied French in school and decided to look up a word that described influencer and came across the word Vedette. It means “star of the show” in French. Since I help people create more media exposure for their brands, it seemed perfect.
What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?
I live by my calendar, and I always have since I was first introduced to the Franklin Covey system over 25 years ago. I had the hardest time letting go of my paper day planner and switching over to using the online Google calendar. It took me about a year to fully convert. Now, I love my online calendar. I color-code my schedule and it makes it so easy to see at a glance, how much time I’m spending in all areas of my life (personal time, work time, etc). I confirm my appointments the day before, and I work my day around my schedule. I use an automated calendaring system for my clients to schedule their time with me. Because I travel so much, the appointment app keeps me on the right time zone. At home, I spend a lot of time on the phone or in front of my computer. When I’m working, I struggle to remind myself to eat, or get some exercise, so I even have to put that on my calendar, too. I even put reminders (send out media pitches, follow up from speaking events, facebook live) all on my calendar so that I’m sure I find time to get it all done.
How do you bring ideas to life?
I’m a doodler. I make lists. I let my ideas sink in overnight, or even a few days. I have some great mentors and friends that I can bounce ideas off of. Some of the best things I’ve ever done – write a book, start a radio show, become a public speaker – were actually someone else’s ideas that I was open to listening to.
What’s one trend that excites you?
A trend that excites me right now is the opportunities to building online communities. Thanks to groups and sharing, we can find groups that fuel us and connect with like-minded people or even people that are interested in learning the same new things together. I can be in a community with people all over the world. It’s a great new trend.
What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?
Keeping track of everything on my calendar. I like to make to-do lists, but for the high priority items, I put them directly on my calendar. I keep a giant wall calendar of all my travel, so my entire family can see at a glance when I’m home or not. By color-coding my activities, I can see at-a-glance if I’m doing too much or not enough of certain activities, for example, marketing and attracting new clients needs to be present on my calendar every week.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Take the step. I was often worried about making mistakes, not having the expertise or education to step into new roles. Yet, as I get older, I realize that I don’t have to know it all. I don’t have to be perfect. I just need to take the next step. Action replaces fear.
Tell us something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on.
Taking time off really does create more productivity. Stepping away from a project can re-energize you, give you new perspectives, and give you more answers rather than sitting at your desk “working” on it too long. Whenever I feel stuck, or lacking in creativity, I step away from my desk and go outdoors for at least a few minutes. Also, scheduling a week-long check-out every quarter as a reward and an incentive to hit quarterly goals.
As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?
Reach out to people directly. Personal texts, messages and phone calls are the best way to stay top-of-mind. It’s so easy for people to get busy and forget to respond to us, or get back to us. As an entrepreneur, the responsibility to keep in touch falls to us, so if you’ve been waiting to hear back from someone, go ahead and reach out to them. A simple “I thought of you” is a great way to reconnect. Sending articles of interest, making introductions or even inviting people to events are great ways to say “I thought of you”.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business?
Responding to media queries, using speaking and publishing to create excitement and energy. When others see that you’re being featured on other people’s platforms, it elevates your brand and attracts more people to you.
What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?
A big failure was having ONE big client, and not enough others, so when we lost that one big client, most of my revenue immediately left, too, and almost bankrupt our company. I learned to balance out my clients, and not have all my revenue tied to one client. More clients is almost always the answer to most business struggles.
What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?
It seems like I think of new business ideas all the time, but of course, right now, one isn’t coming to mind. As you go about your day, there’s probably a gap that you could find a business idea to fill it. Even if it’s already being done by someone else, you bring your own energy to the mix, so go ahead, and create!
What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?
An external backup for my lap top.
What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive? How do you use it?
Acuity for scheduling. Mile IQ for tracking my business miles. Teachable for hosting my online courses. AllProWeb tools for my all-in-one CRM tool. Google tools – email, calendar.
What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?
Lisa Nichols, Abundance Now. I loved reading her stories of building up something from nothing, and getting out of our own way. There is abundance everywhere, but you have to be open and you have to pay attention.
What is your favorite quote?
Love is all you need. The Beatles.
Key learnings:
- Be clear about what’s most important to you.
- Use the color-code feature on your calendar to keep you on track.
- Create opportunities to speak and share. Respond to media queries. Put yourself out there.
- Take regular breaks.
- Add value to online communities. Don’t just focus on getting, focus on giving value.
Connect:
www.VedetteGlobal.com
www.angeltuccy360.com
Mario Schulzke is the Founder of ideamensch, which he started a decade ago to learn from entrepreneurs and give them a platform for their ideas.