Surviving BSchool A Strategy Guide to Successfully Complete Marie Forleo’s BSchool by Carlton Taylor of The Taylored Motivation Podcast and 35+ other BSchool Alumni (Full list of names & links in the contributors section)
Disclaimer
The information provided in this guide is for informational purposes only and is NOT produced in any part by Marie Forleo, Team Forleo, or Marie Forleo International. This information is provided with the knowledge that the publisher and author(s) do not offer any legal or other professional advice. Every effort has been made to make this book as accurate as possible. However, there may be typographical and or content errors. Therefore, this book should serve only as a general guide and not as the ultimate source of subject information. No part of this publication shall be reproduced, transmitted, or sold in whole or in part in any form, without the prior written consent of the publisher. All trademarks and registered trademarks appearing in this guide are the property of their respective owners. Users of this guide are advised to do their own research when it comes to making business decisions and all information, products, services that have been provided should be independently verified by your own qualified professionals. The author(s) and publisher shall have no liability or responsibility to any person or entity regarding any loss or damage incurred, or alleged to have incurred, directly or indirectly, by the information contained in this book.
Welcome to BSchool. If you’re anything like I was my first time around you’re excited, nervous, curious, and anxious to start learning and building your business.
Photo Credit: Eric Michael Pearson Photography
With the help of 35 of our fellow BSchoolers, I put this guide together to help you temper that excitement with some insight on what to expect over the 8 weeks of BSchool and how to get the most from your BSchool experience.
The worse mistakes to make are the ones that you don’t have to.
Have you ever said “I wish I would have known then, what I know now”? Well here’s your chance to do live without that regret.
Even if this is your 2nd, 3rd or 4th time around in BSchool, the information found in this guide can serve as a great reminder for you to make sure you take full advantage of this opportunity to take your business to the next level. In this guide we'll cover: ● Time Management ● Accountability ● Friends and Family ● Networking and Sharing in the BSchool group; and ● Life After BSchool If at any point you have any questions, please, feel free to reach out to me and ask. You can find me on Twitter (@CTmotiv8s) or on my Facebook page. But even if you don’t have a question, it would be awesome to meet ya. Come by and say hello. You could also reach me privately by email carlton@tayloredmotivation.com. Without further ado... Surviving BSchool
Time Management We all have 24 hours in a day. Allocating that time wisely can be a daily challenge. Being new to the BSchool program, it can be easy to underestimate the amount of time you’ll need to set aside to get through each module and do the work. Here are a few time management tips that have worked for some of us that you may want to consider.
Carla Golden Schedule ahead (ie: NOW!) one full hour each day during the 8 weeks to devote solely to BSchool: watching the videos, doing the work. Group calls can be listened to on an mp3 player while driving, exercising, folding clothes, cleaning house. Commit to the work daily. Don't plan to use the implementation weeks to get all of the work done. There will be enough loose ends and random details to address during the implementation weeks. Carry printouts of the fun sheets and any other info with you so that if you have 15 minutes in the PO line, commute time, or in carpool line, you can get a bit of work done. Commit, carve, and concentrate. TiVo your favorite shows for 8 weeks.
Cydney Mar Set up a work note book to jot down ALL the great pages, links , names etc, or you will forget and not circle back to tackle them in an orderly fashion. Schedule your time, allocate time, diarize forward if you don't get it all done. Do your best, don't make yourself crazy, don't beat yourself up. We are here to help and support each other, don't be afraid to ask for help. Eat, sleep, exercise, playtime... that still all needs to be scheduled in too.
Dave Conrey I find it important to schedule everything. Google Calendar has been essential to my success because I am terrible at keeping myself on task without the schedule. I also find it useful to make sure the scheduled tasks are short and detailed. Larger, most abstract goals and tasks can be vague and intimidating. Smaller, more easily accomplished tasks help me feel like I'm making progress regardless of the speed.
Tova Payne Set aside in your calendar to actually watch the video, and Implement
through doing the fun sheets. That needs to take precedent over trolling on facebook. Then add in 1 more hour to integrate the info even more. You're better off spending an hour "working" than getting caught up looking at what everyone else is doing. Basically manage your precious time by actually Doing The Work.
Hélène Scott Ditto to a lot of the above around carving out time and making it sacred AND doing it before school starts. ● Allow for 2 hours every day to watch lessons, process + begin to implement. ● Block out the above time BEFORE school starts and treat that block like a paying client (because it basically is) ● If possible get into subgroup quickly and find people that will support with accountability on getting it done. ● Reach out + help when you can. ● Don't beat yourself up if you fall behind a little, those implementation weeks are your friend. ● The main feed is like the matrix pop in a little bit, but don't get sucked in and know that you'll have time to really take advantage post school. ● If you can listen live to the calls awesome. If time is hard, then download and listen on walks, drives, whatever but DO LISTEN to those calls. AND have a pen/paper handy. You will have ahhas!
Tania Hayek Mercer Treat BSchool like you would going to an in person school. When you have classes from 7am to 9am (for example), show up at that time. Commit to that time, and don't allow other tasks to take you away from that commitment. With BSchool being an online school, you MUST schedule that time. At least two hours to start,
per week, and that time is nonnegotiable. If your home is not dead silent for those two hours then go to a library. You wouldn't sit in a college class with chatter, music or people talking to you, would you? Respect that time. Honor that time. Focus.
Ashlee Thurlow Pomodoro Technique! Hands down! Works well for pretty much anything, but BSchool especially.
Hannah Kallio One of the most important ways to leverage your time AND make really valuable connections is to carefully select which Bschool subgroups you'll engage in. The main forum is fine for general questions, but with so many of us here, you may get lost. Find a couple of subgroups you identify with strongly, and commit to really contributing in those communities. You'll get more support, more pertinent feedback, and you'll form friendships more easily. Plus you'll spend less time scrolling through an endless stream of posts that don't pertain to you.
Shannon Confair If you have kiddos at home: Hire a sitter for a few hours each week and dedicate that time to completing your BSchool work. While going through the course, you may be tempted to let things at home slide, but don't! You don't want your business to become a source of contention within your household. Wake up before your kids to get things done, keep a notebook around to take notes when inspiration strikes then come back to your notes after they've gone to bed.
Keeping Up & Accountability (AKA dealing with frustration & overwhelm) Even with your best effort to manage your time, you may find yourself on what seems to be the losing end of the battle... that can be frustrating. As the weeks go by, that frustration can turn into overwhelm with the mounting workload. Most of us have gone through this ourselves. Here are some conclusions we’ve come to on the subject.
Sophie Chantal Boselly [You] DO NOT need to do every module and finish it every week (yes, DO all the modules, just don't feel you need to get them halfassed complete). Find a local bschooler as an accountability partner and take your time getting them good, rather than trying to cross a finish line.
Lana Shlafer Establish a clear intention for what you want and how you want to feel during and after BSchool you will avoid a lot of unnecessary frustration. When you focus on yourself and not what everyone else is doing and stay clear on your intentions, you will be able to pick and choose what is relevant to you from each module.
Simone Rattigan Allow yourself times of ease and naps. Seriously. I burned myself out last year trying to do everything. This year I have more ease and not surprisingly the creative downloads just keep coming. Good luck!
Limitless Megan There's nowhere you need to be. There's nothing you need to do. Dive in where you are. Do what you can. Do what keeps catching your attention. It's totally ok to skip around. It's totally ok to do something later. It's not a race or a competition, it's about making your biz the best it can be and that takes time. Give yourself permission to invest the time you need.
Tova Payne Overwhelm is a feeling in your physical body, and the Best way to get rid of it is to exercise. Seriously, do 10 pushups and a bunch of squats, or take a walk and get some fresh air or dance for a few minutes. The idea is to get out of your head, physically release the overwhelm from your body which will help you clear your mind. Then Get Back to work! Maintaining momentum is the most important thing!
Shannon Confair Step back, take a deep breath, and realize this is not a race. Focus on why you want to do this, and take small baby steps towards your goal each day. Working in small 25 minute bursts throughout the day is better than sitting idly in front of a computer for hours on end hoping inspiration will come to you.
Marianne Mullen Go at your own pace.
Maureen Muldoon Even if you think you might fail at one of the tasks, do it anyway. The attempt is where the magic lives. Remember you learned to crawl before you learned to walk. Get off your own back... it makes the transition from crawling to walking that much easier.
Karen Taggart I was sooo gungho (sp?) last year and really hated hearing from the alums that "you don't have to do it all now, it may take a year or more" etc. I wanted to go NOW!!! But, here I am a year later and they were totally right. You don't have to do it all now.
Sugandha Bhargava Chapman Have some MEtime! Selfcare is a huge part of being able to clear space in your mind especially when things start to get a bit pearshaped. Self care also includes obvious things like nourishing your body with good food and water and also making some time to get away from the computer and go outside!
Pernille Nørregaard Breathe! Take it easy on yourself. Don't punish yourself for feeling overwhelmed or stressed out by the amount of work you have yet to do, or the decisions you have not yet made. Remember to take some time off, take care of yourself, and let all your ideas and thoughts gestate. This is not an eight week hit and run this is building not only a new business, but a new life. It takes time. And that's okay. Actually, it's not just okay that's the way it is supposed to be. So breathe. Everything is as it should be. You are doing fine.
Farideh Danger Trying to get it "right" the first time will kill your progress. You don't have to get it right, or perfect. The lessons will continue to unfold.
Cynthia Ragusin Roden I highly suggest keeping a brain dump journal or idea log. Just jot them down, get it out of your brain, and know that no idea is lost because you have it written down. It could be a great resource during or even a year or two after bschool.
Karen Yankovich The live Q and A is only available when the course is live, and if you're struggling with perfection from a previous module, you'll miss out on that great opportunity.
Shana LaFore Join a small mastermind or pair up with an accountability partner...and don't be afraid to initiate the "ask", as in putting yourself out there to ask someone to be your accountability partner. It makes a WORLD of difference.
Lina Sandén Drop the guilt as fast as possible and do the work because it's fun even if you're not clear on your business. Do the work that resonates and know that you WILL go through it all again and again. Also remember that doing just a little, everyday, imperfectly, will help create something fantastic very soon.
Friends and Family A funny thing happens when you set out to do something different and take control of your life. Not funny, ha ha, but funny as in, odd. You’d think that people would be overjoyed at the prospect of this new and exciting life that you’re building. And if not the public at large, at the very least, your friends and family would. Sadly, that’s not always the case. We hope you never have to experience it, but there’s a pretty good chance that you’re gonna be disappointed at how the people you love react to the entrepreneur inside of you trying to get out. For some of us, it’ll be downright opposition. They’ll question what you’re doing; why you’re doing it; why can’t you just be happy with what you have, and the way things are? For others it’ll be less aggressive, but still cutting none the less.
● They won’t show any public signs of support ● They’ll be super critical of everything you do for your business ● They’ll try and make you feel bad about the amount of time you’re spending in your pursuits ● Make you feel guilty for neglecting them ● Not follow you on social media ● And if they do, NEVER comment or even give a thumbs up. ● And if they do comment, it’s somewhat sarcastic. Sometimes it’s hard to understand why it's so hard to get friends and family on board with a project you're working on, or at the very least, to give you a little support. There’s a long list of possibilities; fear of change, fear of failure, fear of success, jealousy, etc. But sometimes it all boils down to one thing... Because you're... You!! Sometimes we mortals have a hard time accepting someone we know has become a superhero. Even the most educated, eloquent, and professional of us have a hard time breaking through because to them, we'll always be "little ole..." or "the girl that got drunk that one time and..." Think of it this way, have you ever given a friend or family member advice and they ignore it, only to have someone else tell them the same thing, and they actually do it? It's the same thing here. There was nothing wrong with the advice, and there's nothing wrong with you. Some people like to remember you the way you were as opposed to
seeing you for the person you've become. Don't waste your time trying to convince them otherwise. Invest it cultivating meaningful relationships with people who appreciate you for who you are now!! None of this is said to scare you. If anything, it’s meant to prepare you for what we hope may never come to be, but may. Just know, in the event that you don’t feel like you’re getting the support you need from friends and family, you can find it here in the BSchoolers group. Any and everything that you may be going through, there is someone in the group that can relate. This is the time speak up. Don’t suffer in silence.
Networking & Sharing within BSchool As you may well know, life is a balancing act. As soon as you think you have things figured out, it’s time to readjust. Kind of like a plate spinner.
During your time in BSchool, especially during the 8 weeks of the course, another balancing act needs to be considered. Where you spend your time.
The private Facebook group The private group is a great place to meet people with similar backgrounds, aspirations, and goals. You can also find people to hold you accountable to do the work and help you understand how to do it if you’re having a tough time. But you can easily get caught up trying to build your “friends” list or promoting your latest blog post to build your subscriber list. Let’s be clear, there’s nothing wrong with doing either. But none of that will really benefit you, if you don’t have a viable business. Here are a few tips about networking in the BSchool group.
Dave Conrey Ok, first the DOs: ● DO ask questions, but DO make sure you use the search function first because someone might have asked your question before, even recently. ● DO participate in conversations, even if you feel the chat is out of your league. Ain't no party like a BSchool chat party. ● DO offer help whenever you can. Be an invaluable resource and people will love you for it. ● DO join a few of the subgroups, especially the one that includes your locale. ● DO go to meetups if you can. Online if great, but face to face is essential ● DO hang out, get some knowledge, make some connections, but then go back and get to work. ● DO give praise and share other's successes. A very popular meme here is Pay it Forward Friday. DO lots of that!
Now, the DON'Ts: ● DON'T be scared of anyone in this group. There may be a lot of folks who are further along than you, and that may be intimidating, but from my own experience, they're all pretty damn friendly. ● DON'T be a pitch machine. You can share your stuff, get some feedback, enjoy some accolades, but don't make it a habit to constantly be pushing your work onto the group. ● DON'T be a hater, and avoid negativity. It's easy to do, especially when you start mingling with like minded folks. We're all prone to it, but it really doesn't get us anything but angst. It's better to take the high road and be a shining light for others. ● DON'T be a wallflower. The best way to learn and grow is through engagement. The more people you mix and mingle with, the more you will pick up along the way.
Silvia Bianco Don't be afraid to ask a "dumb" techy question (after you tried google and still don't get it). We all have different strengths and we're all venturing into unknown territory.
Katie Geddes Know that you will see, experience and get just what you need, that with so much valuable information, don't worry about how there's no way you could ever get it all. You'll get just what's meant for you, the perfect connections, the perfect tips, the perfect timing. Divine timing is on your side.
Sophie Chantal Boselly Do email and connect with one another! Not just liking their
statuses once you're friends. Make genuine connections through phone or Skype! ASK for advice from seasoned schoolers (this was one of the BEST things I did)
Sigrun Gudjonsdottir Think about setting up your own sub group if you see a topic or a region that is not represented this gives you the opportunity to practice leadership and foster a community.
Marsha Shandur Make sure you sign up to a few mailing lists, and comment on blogs you love, but if you get a bit listhappy (as I did!) at first, using filters on your email to have subscription emails go automatically into a separate folder.
Krayl Funch Set a time limit for yourself on how long to be on this page. In the beginning you could spend an entire day reading & connecting but also getting overwhelmed. Pace your self.
Marthe Hagen Don't get lost in the forums. It's so easy to get sucked in and spend your Bschool time in the facebook group instead of doing the work. Instead, set aside a set number of minutes a day (for example 10 minutes in the morning/10 minutes in the evening) and be focused with your interaction in the group. Be helpful, connect, respond, followup and/or ask for help – then when your time is out go back to work.
Sarah Michelle Brown be helpful
Gargi Jonathan Akonni Take the time to get know other BSchoolers before going
crazy friending every other person you see in the forum. I like to get to know people a little more, develop a relationship (other than having just a common forum where everyone chats) and then we can be friends on each other's personal page. Also receiving a request from someone I don't know without a message really annoys me.
Wendy Reese Find a balance. There are so many amazing resources in the community, you could spend your whole day here...every day...seriously. Your business is your main focus. Use the group during bschool a bit like tutors. Oh, and one more thing. There are over 6000 of us in here. Your post can get lost. Don't take it personal. If you see a bunch of post all came it at the same time as yours, it may be lost. Wait a bit and repost.
Jessica Kupferman You have this amazing opportunity to get to know so many fabulous people, but if you’re only there to sell to them, they’ll tune you out. Plain and simple. Offer your advice, your feedback, and do it as often as possible for the questions that are really in your area of expertise. Don't offer advice if you don't know the answer, don't pretend to know the answer. It's important that you give if you're going to take in the group and you can build up sort of a bank of "favors" so that when you are really in a pickle, people will jump at the chance to assist you.
Life after BSchool Keeping the momentum going. Once BSchool is done, the real work begins. You’ll have all the tools you need to know your customer, connect with them on a visceral level, offer them something they need that you’re proud of, and network your way to the top of your field. What’s next? Do the work! You might not feel like you’re ready. You might even be scared. That’s okay, it’s human. But you’ll have to face those fears because if you’re not living your dreams, you’re living your fears. And that would defeat the whole purpose of going to BSchool in the first place.
If you really feel like you’re not ready, remember: ● You’re a lifetime BSchooler now. You can always go back to review the material and strengthen the areas that you feel that you’re weak in. ● There are networking opportunities within the Facebook group with people to help you, inspire you, and hold you accountable.
If nothing else, you can always look at Marie TV for more advice on the business matters that concern you most. You can also listen to The Taylored Motivation Podcast (my podcast) where you can learn how to navigate or completely remove the obstacles that prevent you from living the lives of your dreams by hearing from amongst other people, BSchool graduates who not too long ago were in the exact same place you’re in. Hearing how they stuck it out through the hard times and where they are today might be just the very thing you need to keep going. This guide was put together with love in the spirit of sharing, if you know another BSchooler, new or returning that could benefit from this, please, send them a copy. Remember, you can download a free PDF version of this eGuide by clicking the download button below. See you on the other side of BSchool!!
Contributors Carla Golden Her website / Facebook / Twitter
Cydney Mar Her website / Facebook / Twitter
Dave Conrey His website / Facebook / Twitter
Tova Payne Her website / Facebook
Hélène Scott Her website / Facebook / Twitter
Tania Hayek Mercer Her website / Facebook / Twitter
Ashlee Thurlow Her website / Facebook / Twitter
Hannah Kallio Her website / Facebook / Twitter
Shannon Confair Her website / Facebook / Twitter
Sophie Chantal Boselly Her website / Facebook / Twitter
Lana Shlafer Her website / Facebook / Twitter
Simone Rattigan Her website / Facebook
Limitless Megan Her website / Facebook / Twitter
Marianne Mullen Her website / Facebook / Twitter
Wendy Reese Her website / Facebook / Twitter
Maureen Muldoon Her website / Facebook / Twitter
Karen Taggart Her website / Facebook / Twitter
Sugandha Bhargava Chapman Her website / Facebook / Twitter
Pernille Nørregaard Her website / Facebook / Twitter
Farideh Danger Her website / Facebook / Twitter
Cynthia Ragusin Roden Her website / Facebook / Twitter
Karen Yankovich Her website / Facebook
Shana LaFore Her website / Facebook / Twitter
Lina Sandén Her website / Facebook / Twitter
Silvia Bianco Her website / Facebook / Twitter
Katie Geddes Her website / Facebook / Twitter
Sigrun Gudjonsdottir Her website / Facebook / Twitter
Marsha Shandur Her website / Facebook / Twitter
Krayl Funch Her website / Facebook / Twitter
Marthe Hagen Her website / Facebook / Twitter
Sarah Michelle Brown Her website / Facebook / Twitter
Gargi Jonathan Akonni Her Twitter
Jessica Kupferman Her website / Facebook / Twitter
Carlton Taylor (Author) My website / Facebook / Twitter
Anne Hayman (Publisher) Her website / Facebook