117: 4 Ways to Create Interactive Maps for Squarespace

Recently, I had a prospective client ask me about an important feature they wanted to add on their website. Their business offers domestic and commercial cleaning services but only for postal codes within London, UK.

In Squarespace, there’s no in-build way of doing that except of placing a Google map. So I did some research and there’s a ton of information out there. I sorted through it all and here are my three suggestions on how to add an interactive map to your Squarespace website.

1 | Create A Clickable Map

This is something I saw Pat Flynn show in a YouTube Video. This tool allows you to create a map of the world or different regions of the world. You can add different titles and links for each sub-region and set it to change color when one hovers over a selected region.

The pro is that you can easily create lovely colorful maps with titles and colors. Although, I didn’t see a way to add multiple listings for the same region, say for example if you had three shops in London, you can only add one title.

Also keep in mind that on the World Map, some smaller countries are missing such as Barbados and Saint Lucia in the Carribbean and Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. The tool solves it when you go to the Carribbean Islands sub-region and there you can see those countries but still it doesn’t show up on the World Map. And we just can’t have a world map with the island nations of Barbados and Mauritius and Saint Lucia missing from it, now can we? (No, we cannot!)

Check it out for yourself here:
https://www.createaclickablemap.com/

2| Store Mapper

Here’s a tool where you can upload shop names, addresses and website links and then pull an embed code from the tool to place on your Squarespace website.

You can have a list of multiple shop show up on a map as a database. People can even type in zip code and see what stores are available nearby. It looks very professional and easy on the eyes. There’s no freemium version of this tool nor is there a one-off payment feature which is an important consideration for new small businesses. Instead, there’s a monthly cost which is worthwhile as the tool is pretty impressive. They do have a free-trial.

A special thanks to my colleague, Emma of Queenie Creative over in the UK for informing me of this tool. Emma is a web designer on Squarespace and Wix and a digital marketer. She is also part of the Millionaire Web Designer Directory, a listing of talented designers from across the world. Thanks, Emma!

Check it out here:
https://www.storemapper.com/platforms/squarespace-store-locator/

3| Map Hub

This is a really fun tool to customize your maps. There is a free and paid version of this tool so you can test it out and add more features of the tool as needed.

As the site describes their tool in their own words:

”You can easily make your own map by adding points, lines, polygons, or labels.
Add photos, organize items into groups.
Import and export data in GeoJSON, Shapefile, KML, GPX, or CSV formats.
Embed interactive maps on your website.”

Check out the Explore Maps feature to see examples and then go and build your own.

Check it out here:
https://maphub.net/

4. Good old Google Maps

You can also create interactive maps on Google Maps. You can add multiple points of interest, you can add website links and address, you can then easily embed it on your Squarespace site. It’s free. I have done this for a client before which you can see an example of here: https://www.supervisedparentingtime.org/providers

Customize a map on Google Maps:
https://www.google.com/maps/about/mymaps/

I customized this Map on Google Maps for SupervisedParentingTime.org, a non-profit organization in Minnesota helping parents.

Your Turn:

Have you used any of these tools? Do you have a tool that you like? Let me know in the comments.

Cheers to you and your abundant creativity,
🦄🦄🦄 Sophia

---

Create Interactive Maps On Squarespace

---

116: Becoming Like A Tree - How I am working through my content creation block

I feel like I have been censoring myself. Recently, when I got inspired to write a blog post or make video, I told myself that I already talk about it in my coaching program, so why post about it. When I got an idea on how web designers can raise their pricing, the thought arose, “I teach that within my coaching program”. Or when I came up with a perspective to share on how to handle the workflow of a design project, again my mind said, “Don’t you share that in-depth in the coaching program curriculum? Why give it away for free?”.

My Program Is Substantial. But That Shouldn’t Be A Reason Why I Don’t Blog On Those Same Topics

Yes, it’s true that I have laid out everything inside my group coaching program which is an exclusive program I created to help web designers build a thriving business - not just a six figure business but grow to a Million $ Net Worth. I share everything I know, share my emails, my processes, my strategies, and my game-plans. I show actual screenshots from within my business. It’s my way to pass on everything to other designers. It’s a fantastic program, my best work - if I may say so myself.

Because I have all my gems inside this program, when it comes to creating new blog and video content, I’ve censored myself. And this is exactly what I want to work through and break free from because I have been feeling suffocated. As if I can only talk about certain things and not others and my mind was not free to share and explore with my audience new ideas and perspectives.

My Wise Husband Speaks

So I asked my very wise husband for some guidance. Cristof, who is also the finance coach inside the program and an overall genius when it comes to finance, business and online marketing, shared an exercise with me. And I want to share it with you, in case, you too have some kind of a content creation block, or some kind of a block in your business.

He said, “Journal a response to this question, “Why is it worth blogging freely about what I know?” and then do this for a month every day.”

Why Is It Worth Doing …?

There are two key things to note about this exercise:
1. The question is very purposefully presented in a positive action oriented format. The question asks why is it worth blogging freely, instead of why is it worth letting go of this block. Both ways of posing this question will work for different people in different moods. For me, the former is easier to grasp because “blogging freely” is an action I can do, “letting go” is an action that feels abstract and intangible.

2. Cristof asked me to do this exercise every day. It can be a quick one minute journaling. And it’s okay if I come up with the same answers as the previous day. The key here is repetition. Clearly, this block is a result of some way of thinking, a belief that is deep in my subconscious. And just one time writing it may not be very effective (it can be sometimes, of course). We often need repetition for things to settle into the trenches of our brain and to replace old subconscious beliefs! So writing this out every day for a month will help me highlight the positive reasons and benefits of blogging freely and break free of the block.

So phrase the question in a way that it is tangible and action-oriented (blogging freely, in this case) and journal every day for a month.

Answers That Came Up For Me

I want to share some of the realizations of this simple exercise that are helping me breakthrough my content creation block:

Why is it worth blogging freely about what I know?

Because Nathan Barry (founder of ConvertKit) said to me, “Teach Everything You Know”. (He actually wrote this when he signed his book at his Craft & Commerce conference some years ago).
Because I have benefitted from others sharing freely.
Because I want to have a positive domino effect in the world.
Because knowledge is power only when it is shared and not when it goes to the grave with the knowledge-holder.
Because I can save years and years of time for a fellow web designer and that time saved is priceless for us as humanity.
Because I can help another designer be independent and stand on their feet and not have to kill their dreams before they had a chance to sprout and bloom fully.
Because I can show other designers how to earn $5-$10K monthly with web design services with ease and this kind of revenue can mean a world of difference for most web designers.
Because I believe that if an action can help even just 1 person in a small way, then it is an action worth taking.
Because there is no guarantee that I will have another day to share my experience meaningfully (because tomorrow is not guaranteed to any one of us.)
Because there are many avenues through which abundance finds its way to me, and the coaching program is just one of them.
Because sharing is what trees do; they share all that they have and in doing so they prosper naturally.
Because I am a creative being and restrictions on what I blog about is like putting a candle inside a vacuum.

Becoming like a Tree

The two key take aways from this exercise. One is that I must become like the tree. Trees share all they have. For example, they share their fruits which are eaten by birds who then pass those seeds in some other area and in this way new trees grow. That’s how they prosper. They let down hundreds and hundreds of acorns which the squirrels put away for their use but only use 20% of what they “plant" away! That’s wisdom! Share freely and simply in doing so we prosper and thrive. I just love trees!

Abundance Has Multiple Avenues

The other key realization for me is to remember that abundance has multiple channels to find me. I have been narrow-minded in thinking that just one program will be the main source of growing my business. But abundance has found so many different avenues to come into my life already and I know that there’s more than one channel that it uses to get to us. The ocean has rivers flowing into it from all directions. And as self-employed web designers, we are like the ocean; not dependent on any single source for our income. It is freeing to think this way and to remember the vast and infinite possibilities that exist.

Now, It’s Your Turn

So my dear, web designer, if you find yourself in a situation where something feels suffocated, or you are inadvertently stifling your creativity or sense of ease and peace, journal to receive some breakthroughs. Ask yourself a positive action-oriented question starting with, “Why is it worth doing …xyz?” And see what comes up as insights and inspirations. Share in the comments for us all, if you feel inspired!

Cheers to you and your abundant creativity,
🦄🦄🦄 Sophia

---

One needs an abundant mindset for creating content!

---

115: What is Your Biggest Business Challenge Right Now?

Hello Hello. Sophia here.

First I want to thank you for having signed up to the Abundant Creative Newsletter, formerly Squarespace Tips. It means so much to me that you welcome me in your prime digital real estate which is your inbox. That shows me that my blogs, videos, course and programs and services are useful for you and you are receiving value from what I am creating.

Free Workshop Coming Up
Speaking of creating, I am working on a brand new free workshop and I want to make sure it is most relevant to you. So I am asking you to help me by sharing what’s the biggest challenge you are facing in your business right now. Or think of this question: What one thing do you need to solve in your business that will make everything start working as you envisioned it.

What can the questions be about?
It can be question regarding your website, it could be about running your web design business, or online marketing. It can be about Squarespace or ConvertKit or some other app you are using right now in your business. The more specific you can get, the better. The more context and details you can share, the better.

I will collect all of your ideas and see what the most common or urgent topic emerges and then help you out in a free virtual workshop very soon. That's why I'm asking your response by 8 PM ET/New York Time on Friday, Feb 18th.

It’s a Win-Win when you help me!
If I don’t use your topic for my free training, I may end by writing a blog or creating a video tutorial for you or email you with my thoughts. So it’s only a win-win.

So go ahead and share with me by filling out the form below and let me know.

Thank you so much for taking the time and I am so excited to create content that’s relevant to you. And remember that no matter what challenge you are facing, there’s a gift within it and the answers you are looking for, are also looking for you.

Much love from the Blue Ridge Mountains. Bye for now! 🐬🐬

Click image below to watch 3 min 22 sec video

What is Your Biggest Business Challenge Right Now?

What one thing do you need to resolve in your business that will make everything easier, that will help you achieve the goals you set out to achieve in your business. Please add as much detail and context as you can.

Please send in your response by 8 PM ET/New York Time on Friday, Feb 18th, 2022

114: How to Integrate Zoom with Squarespace Scheduling

Zoom is now a part of every day life! When you use Squarespace Scheduling for your online booking system, it’s really helpful that one can integrate with Zoom. This way, when a new client books an appointment with you, a zoom event is automatically generated. All you then have to do is go into your Zoom account and start the meeting at the appointed time!

Watch this quick step-by-step video where I show you how to integrated your Zoom account with your Squarespace Scheduling or Acuity Scheduling account.

113: Four Books from January 2022

This month, I wanted to read two books. I managed to read four This was only possible because I scheduled 25 minutes for reading every day and entire Sunday mornings for reading. This month, I also read on a couple of Sunday afternoons , one Saturday evening and another Saturday full day for reading!

This is all in an effort to get a lot more reading done this year. In the past, reading has fell through the cracks of my calendar as other urgent things have taken up my time. But I love reading books and feel a great sense of happiness and satisfaction when I can read a book without feeling that I “should be doing work in my business”. And so I have scheduled time in my calendar so I can “officially” read and not have a voice of guilt nagging my conscience!

Here are the three books I read:

1 | Mahamudra by Lama Yeshe

This is book that is a compilation of teachings given by the Tibetan Monk, Lama Yeshe, during a retreat in Australia in the early 1980s. The Australian Buddhist Nun, Venerable Robina Courtin has edited this book. And I found many insightful things about the nature of the mind and about meditation. I highly recommend it.

2| Tax-free Wealth by Tom Wheelwright

This book is one of the books in the Rich Dad Poor Dad series and was written by Robert Kiyosaki’s tax advisor. There are many ideas in here that a self-employed business person in the US can benefit from and the concepts can be used by anyone worldwide. A couple of concepts didn’t sit well for me such as showing your less income on your taxes so you can get the poverty tax credit; that just felt ethically inappropriate. But the author gives context to why he suggests that strategy. Many interesting ideas and strategies in this book which definitely have made me think. This is my first book about taxes and the author made it quite an interesting and fascinating read.

3| Financial Freedom by Grant Sabatier

This has been a very enlightening book about creating financial freedom and giving yourself the choice to retire early and not wait till you are 65 to retire. I learnt many new ideas about building wealth from this easy-to-read book which confirmed some of the things I am already doing and encouraged me to think strategically about creating financial freedom in my life. Very inspiring and I highly recommend it. My last blog #112 was a result of reading this book.

4| The Money Tree by Chris Guillebeau

I finally had one of those days where I did nothing but read. I read this book from start to finish last Saturday. How delightful it is to do nothing but read. I haven’t had days like this in a while so it was a very special treat. Designing my life so I can have many more of those days. In fact, this book is all about finding alternate ways to build wealth other than the 9 to 5 full-time job. In fact, it shows the precarious situation we put ourselves when we only have the job to support our family and our life. What we think, or what he have been taught to think as secure, is actually among the most un-secure thing! Create multiple revenue avenues and help fellow beings along the way! Another takeaway of this book for me was - When creating your content, product pages, products, marketing and so on, speak only to your target audience and to NO ONE ELSE. Big takeaway!

Well, that’s it for the January 2022 books. See the 25 books on 2021 book list here and the 20 books on my 2020 book list here.

112: What I need to feel successful

One month of 2022 has come to an end. January, goodbye. Hello, February!

Financially, this was again a record month. I got to build Websites In A Day and serve clients with a variety of website related needs. I am grateful.

As I step into the next month, I remind myself of what’s important in my life and business. At the moment, I run my web design business and although I have some leveraged products and offers, majority of my revenue does come from one to one services. That means I am exchanging my time for dollars. And even though I enjoy my work designing websites and solving website related problems, I know that at a certain point, I will need to find other ways to grow my business so I have a greater sense of time and ease.

What I need to feel successful?

So I am asking myself, what do I need to feel successful? Is it x amount of money in the bank? Is it x amount of time during the day, week and the year? Is it praise and appreciation from my clients and students of my programs?

I think what it comes down to is this: I want to feel financially free.

I want to feel and be financially free. I want to know that if I want to read all morning sitting in my hammock, I can do that. Or if I wanted to make videos all day of streams and waterfalls or of birds and the sky then that would be fine.

I am clearly not there yet. I am working on creating a life where I can experience that level of freedom. I am not interested in fancy cars or precious jewelry or big mansions. I don’t yearn to be famous or be celebrated. What I want is to simply have the choice to sit in my hammock and read an inspiring book all morning. Or take my video camera on a hike and watch droplets fly into the air as the sunlight hits them creating a rainbow of glistening colors. These videos would help people feel a moment of peace in their lives, a quick escape to nature even when they live in concrete city jungles. And I want to do all that knowing that my family of husband and cats will be provided for and I can support animal shelters that take care of all the animals in our area. And then I can also design websites or do coaching calls from time to time.

So in essence it is not so much the money but the freedom of choice and freedom of how I use my time that the money can offer that I am wanting to create for myself.

I believe & I know that this is possible!

I know that this dream is possible as many others have done it. That level of financial freedom is what will make me feel successful. Until I get there, I will make my plans and strategize my way so I can become financially free and help others do the same. And in the meantime, I am grateful for all that I do have and all that I get to create through my web design business. That’s a true blessing.

It feels vulnerable to write this all out in a public post. I’d love to know in the comments what would make you feel successful right now.

Peace,

Sophia

111: How to enable comment box on Squarespace 7.1 (why is it not showing and how to fix it)

I ran into this issue recently and wondered why is the comment box not showing up on my Squarespace site. It turns out that there’s a simple fix. Watch the short video tutorial or the steps listed below the video.

How to enable comment box on Squarespace 7.1

1. Go to Settings Panel

2. Then Blogging

3. Then Comment Settings

4. Then enable Allow Anonymous Comment

That’s it. No need for CSS or other extraneous steps! Hope this was helpful. Thank you for watching!

110: Squarespace Website for Mental Health Counselor in Philadelphia

Type of Project: New Website Build - Website In A Day
Client Site: CarlyEllman.com
Platform: Squarespace 7.1
Niche: Mental Health Counselor
Location: Philadelphia Area, Pennsylvania, USA

Website for a mental health counselor built in a day!

This month, I had the pleasure of being hired to create a Website In A Day for a Mental Health Counselor and Professor in the Philadelphia area. Below you can see the pages that were created:
Home, About, Services, Contact and Intake Form.

Color Scheme:
The colors palette includes light tan and light green along with the foundational white and black. The client wanted warm colors that didn’t overwhelm anyone visiting the site looking for mental health resources or counseling.

Fonts Used:
The fonts are simple and easy to read and two of my favorites.
For Headings: Raleway
For Paragraph text: Proxima Nova

---

Home Page

My client wanted to have as little scroll on the home page as possible to make it easy for the site visitor to see all the info they needed at a glance. To meet this preference, you’ll see that there are only three sections on the home page. The first one has a warm photograph of the counselor, a bit of introductory text and three buttons that lead to the Services, About and Contact pages.

Carly has also presented a talk for a Tedx event so along with her other presentation, I laid those videos out in the second section.

Finally, the third section leads the visitor straight to the contact page to start the process of working with Carly.

My client loved this presentation and the choice of photograph. They can always switch out the images later for a quick site refresh down the road.

Home Page

---

Services

Services page features an accordion tab to list multiple pieces of information in an elegant and attractive manner. There’s also a listing of all services offered by the counselor in the at-a-glance list. A quote from the counselor to ease the visitor’s concerns and finally a call-to-action button linking to the contact page.

Services Page

---

About Page

Clean and personable, the main job of the about page was to give a warm and welcoming feeling to the site visitor. Four images of the client’s family add to that feeling.

About

---

Contact

A contact form notifies the client via email anytime someone wants to reach her. Also added a warm and smiling photo of her on this page to make it complete. We actually created the Contact page during the one hour training and handover call so the client got and additional page!

Contact

---

In-Take Form

Finally, a quick presentation of the two download forms on an un-linked page. This was not part of the Website In A Day, but since the client had already connected their domain, it left me with some extra time to deliver this second extra page (Contact page being the first extra page).

In-Take Forms Download

---

109: How I am simplifying my web design business in 2022

In the course of this year, I will be simplifying my business even further with the aim of streamlining my work, getting more focused on the main priority and being effective during my 4-day work-week. Here are some more details on each so that you know what’s coming up in 2022 and how it will effect you as the participant of the Abundant Creative community, client of my design services or as students of the MWD program.

1| Merge sophiaojha.com and millionairewebdesigner.com websites into one site
You may know my web design services from sophiaojha.com which I have been running since 2016. In November of 2020, I launched my coaching program for web designers along with a new website millionairewebdesigner.com. This is also the website on which I launched the Millionaire Web Designer Directory in 2021 to showcase 25 web designers with various skills such as graphic design, branding, copy writing.

But I continued the blog and offering web design services on sophiaojha.com.

When I created blogs and video tutorials on sophiaojha.com for the coaching program, it seemed more fitting to have those blogs on the millionairewebdesigner.com website. However, the idea of running two blogs was not appealing so I continued to have all articles and videos on the sophiaojha.com site. I started thinking, instead of running two blogs on two sites, how about one blog on one unified site? That’s how I came to the idea of merging the two sites.

So, I’ve now decided to merge the two sites to double the impact of my marketing efforts. I will have both domains go to the same site and I will promote different domains depending on whether I am talking about the Directory or the Coaching Program or my web design services. This way, all traffic comes to one place and I can further benefit the web designers who are on my directory so that clients can find them easily. It will also help me focus my content creation efforts to be all on one site.

Also, I’ve decided to move everything to the new millionairewebdesigner.com site which is built on 7.1 platform while the other was built on 7.0. This is a tall order as I will be moving a blog of 108 articles from the sophiaojha.com site to millionairewebdesigner.com site along with all my supporting pages, service pages and so on. But since 7.1 is where Squarespace, Inc is putting all it’s focus in terms of development, it will be worthwhile to make this switch. I’m carving out three months for this project, as I don’t want to stop all my other client-serving activities to do this. This will be done on afternoons, during my days off.

2| Continue third year of my 4-day work-week but with a different rhythm
Two years ago (Jan 2020), my husband and I chose to follow a 4 day work-week because we wanted to make time for volunteering in our community. This schedule has worked really well for us as we’ve gotten more done in less time, had more time for things outside of our work and also grew our businesses as a result. We would work Monday-Tuesday, take Wednesdays off and then work Thursday-Friday. Looking back, especially in the last six months, I noticed that although it was nice to have a break in the middle of the week, it kinda interrupted the momentum we were creating in our work.

Starting 2022, we will work Monday through Thursday and take Fridays off. It’s an experiment just like the 4 day work-week has been and I am eager to see how this unfolds. Fridays have now been committed to volunteer for the High Country Meditators group where we hold weekly events to help people practice meditation and cultivate positive mind states. Any other free time on Fridays, I will use for merging my websites.

Setting-up the 4-day work-week has not been without its own challenges. There certainly have been weeks when I worked all 5 days or worked into the evenings and weekends as I tried to manage a 4-day schedule. But I have become much better with respecting my own boundaries, being less distracted and more focused. For 2022, we’ve also put into place a hard 5 PM cut-off for ending our work. That’s when we begin taking care of the house and prepping dinner and I am looking forward to seeing how this unfolds as well.

3| 25 minutes for 24 books in 2022
If you are book lover, you need no convincing that books are life-changing. I owe my life to books! But in the hustle-bustle of running my web design business, reading has not been a daily priority. In the last two years, I have made an intentional effort to read 2 books a month but have done it in an irregular manner - squeezing long reading blocks during weekends or on volunteering days.

Now I want to make it a real daily habit. So, I’ve carved out 25 minutes in my morning routine to read. My annual goal is 24 books once again (see the 2021 book list here and for 2020 here), averaging 2 books a month and I think this plan will help me do that.

4| Stick to My Streamlined Offers

As a web designer and and a coach to web designers, I have in the last few years streamlined my service offers. They are:

a. build websites for online entrepreneurs via Website in a Day package or the Two Week Website Package
b. help web designers grow their business through my coaching program
c. teach online entrepreneurs how to build a website in a 90-minute workshop, Squarespace Fundamentals
d. help entrepreneurs migrate their email marketing set up into ConvertKit and help with segmenting, funnels and launch sequences.

I am brimming with tons of ideas for workshops and other focussed offers. So, the challenge will be to stick to my main offers and use all my creative energy to create more resources inside the Millionaire Web Designer program for my web designers. That program is my signature offer for web designers and there's so much I want to share and teach. So I will channel all my efforts into that program.

5| Focus on 1 Social Media Platform Only

You may have read in this blog post how I quit all social media in 2020 and still grew my business. I quit everything but YouTube. Well, later in 2020, I started getting active on Instagram again because a platform (99Designs) wanted to feature my business on their Instagram and then link to mine. So I set one up. Since then I’ve struggled to really maintain a presence there and it’s always a nagging voice in my head that I should publish something for Instagram. It’s simply taking precious brain power and peace of mind so in 2022, I will no longer publish on Instagram.

Instead, I will focus creating content for my website in the form of blogs and videos. The videos will continue to publish on YouTube. This will be my simplified approach to content marketing and keeping my focus on one social media platform. If your social media presence is working for you and your business, I congratulate you. In sharing this, I am in no way preaching that you should do this too. It’s simply what works for me and is a choice I am making for my business. But if it inspires you to reassess your own social media activity, I highly recommend doing so.

6| Focus on the main focus
In 2022, this is what I will be focusing on doing:

a) publishing one video/blog a week
b) serving clients with Web Design and ConvertKit services
c) coaching web designer students

Anything that supports these, I will do. Anything that takes away from these, I will not do.

——

These are the six things I am doing to keep my business and life simplified in 2022. There a handful of other things that will support these six and I am so eager to make that effort this year.

How are you simplifying your life and business? Is simplifying a matter at all for you or do you have other aims you are working on? Please share in the comments and enlighten us all in the process. :)

Peace,
Sophia

---

108: 25 Books from 2021

2021 was a really full year. A lot got done. But one of the things that I am most happy about is that I made time for reading - one of my priorities which in the past would get sidelined by money-generating projects. I love to read and the challenge was to make time for it and get it done.

So when I sat down to review all the books I read in 2021, I was delighted that I kept up an average of 2 books a month and have a total of 25 books read during the year. Here they are listed in hopes that you may be inspired to pick one or two of these titles from your local library:

1. Atomic Habits by James Clear

2. Profit First by Michael M.

3. Failing Up by Leslie Odom Jr.

4. This is Marketing by Seth Godin

5. Show Your Work by Austin Kleon

6. Chillpreneur Audiobook by Denise Duffield Thomas

7. Hello Habits Audiobook by Fumio Sasaki

8. Thought Vibration or the Law of Attraction in the Thought World by Willian Walker Atkinson (1906)

9. Your Invisible Power by Genevieve Behrend (1921)

10. Law & Promise by Neville Goddard

11. The Creative Use of Imagination by Neville Goddard

12. The Bank on Yourself Revolution by Pamela Yellen

13. Playing the Matrix by Mike Dooley

14. How to Win At the Sport of Biz by Mark Cuban

15. If Trees Could Talk by Holly Worton

16. Why not me? by Mindy Kaling

17. We Should All Be Millionaires by Rachel Rodgers

18. The Leveraged Business by Fabienne Fredrickson

19. Cashflow Quadrant by Robert Kiyosaki

20. The Last Black Unicorn by Tiffany Haddish

21. The Magic of Believing by Claude M. Bristol

22. You Are So Money by Farnoosh Torabi

23. The Next Millionaire Next Door by Thomas Stanley and his daughter

24. Deep Work by Cal Newport

25. Ladies Power Up Your Brand by Faith James & Stacey Graiko

Want to know the 20 books I read in 2020? Check this blog for the book list.

112: Realizing I don't need x$ to feel successful

As we embark on the final week of 2021, I'd like to wish you a wonderful time with your loved ones. May you have time to celebrate the year, enjoy the company of your beloveds and give thanks for all that has been - for the challenges as well as triumphs and everything in between. 🎉
​
I certainly have a lot to be grateful for. The biggest one is a reminder that I don't need to earn x dollars or serve x number of clients to be and feel successful. I am realizing that feeling successful just like being content, satisfied and happy comes from within. It is from realizing that I have made an honest effort every day to the best of my capability to add value and be of service in all that I do with integrity and kindness - both in my business and in my personal life. It's the recognition of that effort fuels my sense of contentment and abundance. And I have reminded myself of my personal and business values of Simplicity, Naturality and Kindness as I interacted with people and crafted plans in my work.
​
What else fuels my feeling content with my year is that I persevered through the moments of challenges in 2021 and I focused on solutions. What fuels my sense of satisfaction this year are the many authentic conversations with clients and fellow web designers that I've had. The real connections with real people has added meaning and joy into my life.
​
And lastly, my wonderful husband, our five cats and our life together basking in the breathtaking beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains has been priceless. I am feeling grateful for 2021 and I am grateful you've allowed me into your inbox and into your life this year. Thank you! ❤️

Wishing you a peaceful holiday time,
Sophia

107: Inside the Circle Platform for my group coaching program

Recently, I made the switch from Member Areas to Circle for my group coaching program, Millionaire Web Designer. I share the many reasons why I love Circle in the video below and I also give you a walkthrough of what my students will see inside the MWD platform (built on Circle).

You can see Blog 106 for what Member Areas used to look like for my course materials.

Watch the short video below:

Like to try Circle? Get a free trial: https://www.sophiaojha.com/circle (my referral link).

If you have any questions, just reach out to me at so@sophiaojha.com.

106: Walkthrough of Student Experience of Member Areas in Squarespace

In this video, I’d like to show you how a student experiences your course materials inside Member Areas.

Member Areas is where I used to house all my video course materials for my group coaching program, Millionaire Web Designer. However, due to some specific needs, I have since migrated to Circle.

If you’d like to know more about the Circle experience and how the platform looks from the inside, check out my video walkthrough in Blog 107.

But for now, a view of Member Areas from the student’s point of view.

Watch the video below:

105: How to deal with scope creep on web design projects?

In November, we re-opened doors to the Millionaire Web Designer, my group coaching program for helping web designers build a thriving web design business. And I created three live events as part of the promotion for it. Here’s the first one where I share some tips and actual email conversations on how to turn situations when clients want to add more tasks to your list into profitable interactions.

Watch the video below:

104: What to do when a client starts negotiating your prices?

In November, we re-opened doors to the Millionaire Web Designer, my group coaching program for helping web designers build a thriving web design business. And I created three live events as part of the promotion for it. Here’s the first one where I share how to handle price negotiations from a client.

Watch the video below:

103: How do I find my next web design client?

In November, we re-opened doors to the Millionaire Web Designer, my group coaching program for helping web designers build a thriving web design business. And I created three live events as part of the promotion for it. Here’s the first one where I share how I find my web design clients or rather how they find me!

Watch the video below:

102: One Big Reason To Create Content

Recently, I hired a web designer + graphic designer, Anna Roszak, regarding creating a logo for Millionaire Web Designer, my exclusive group coaching program. And we had a great chat about that. But at one point she mentioned how she loves my YouTube videos and that recently a client emailed her asking her about something and she sent her my video tutorial as it explained exactly what she needed.

And this made me so happy. Now, of course, I know that designers share links and resources with their clients. But to hear her share with me how my video helped her solve the client’s problem filled me with utter happiness and satisfaction. This one video that I created saved people time and helped solve a problem! Wow. I am myself amazed at how happy that make me feel. Like super happy.

Watch the short video below:

It’s probably because I create these videos and tutorials and then it’s out in the world. I have to let go of any expectations of how well the video will be perceived, whether it really solves a problem, or whether it will be really helpful and viewed by people. That’s not something I can influence. I know my intention is to solve a question that I have faced or seen my clients face. But whether it has a benefit to others is often not obvious or clear. Plus, right after the video is published there’s no instant data on how many people see it or clicked like and that kind of information remains to be seen until a future date. And so, my mindset around creating content is more like - create it and let it free.

That’s why when Anna shared that very specific instance of how she sent off a link to my video to her client, it filled me with an unexpected delight and it gave me such a high. It’s true satisfaction of knowing that your time creating that content was not wasted. It made a difference! That’s an incomparable feeling.

So there you go - if you were looking for a reason to start or to continue your content creation journey, here’s one more reason: the joy of knowing your content makes a difference.

That’s all for today’s blog! I’m always open to hearing more stories of how my videos, blogs, webinars, etc. have helped you in any way - so send them my way via email or in the comments below.

Have an abundantly creative day!

Sophia

101: Learn Squarespace CSS Tricks From These Six Experts

Now, it’s a given that you can build a decent website using the pre-designed layouts and templates from Squarespace. But from time to time, you will want to add a design element to your Squarespace Website that will requires a some CSS code.

I’m self-taught when it comes to CSS and I have many of my talented colleagues to thank for showing me their tips and tricks when it comes to adding that special look to any Squarespace website.

And today, I’d like to share 6 of them with you so that you can tap into the wealth of resources they have created. Let’s get started.

And oh, none of them have paid me to promote them. I am genuinely grateful for these experts for sharing and teaching what they know.

Uplevel Your Squarespace Website with CSS

Click the image below to watch video:

Here are six of the CSS experts that have paved the way for my own learning.

1. Carl Johnson
Not only do I love his accent, Carl teaches CSS specifically for the Squarespace platform and his YouTube channel is fantastic. Check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/c/MrJohnoCP

2. Inside the Square with Becca Harpain
You may have already seen Becca’s videos on using CSS for Squarespace. I’ve found them easy to follow and very helpful. Check her YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/c/InsideTheSquare

3. Beatriz Caraballo
Beatriz’s videos are very helpful as well and her blogs have very in-depth screenshots and step-by-step descriptions of how to use code. Check her YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwDJktnCURFGiJdINrDwRcg and her website here: https://beatrizcaraballo.com/

4. Chris Schwartz-Edmisten
Chris not only teaches CSS tips and tricks but also has many videos on the many features of Squarespace. Check his YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/c/SEWebDesign

5. Will Myers
Will creates fun and engaging videos all about Squarespace. I found him when looking for how to build a Mega Menu on Squarespace. Check out his YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2pYFwXEwVolfeDumbNAUyQ

6. Rebecca Grace Designs
Rebecca’s channel is very helpful and not just for CSS. Check out here videos on all things Squarespace as well as about running a web design business. Her YouTube channel is: https://www.youtube.com/c/RebeccaGraceDesigns

Let me know in the comments if you have checked these experts out. And also let me know who else you would recommend so we can continue the trajectory of learning and growing together.

To your success,

Sophia

100: Turbo-Charge Your Email Marketing with Evergreen Lead Magnets

Hello my Abundant Creative,

I am celebrating. 🎉 My article just got published on Honeybook's website!!
​
The article is called 7 Evergreen Lead Magnets to Grow Your Email List (link will bring you to the Honeybook/Rising Tide website). And to celebrate, I am sharing an in-depth 45 minute video presentation in which I show you how to implement one of these lead magnets (a digital library) using ConvertKit.

It's called, Turbo-Charge Your Email Marketing with Evergreen Lead Magnets (Within An Afternoon) and I cover:

You’ll learn:
1. why you should go evergreen with email list building?
2. seven types of evergreen lead magnets you can use (many of them without creating new content)
3. 10 examples of these lead magnets in action
4. how to figure out which one is right for your business (my four steps will help)
5. a live demo of me setting up a lead magnet on my website (I show you how l set up Lead Magnet example 5)

Sign up below for instant access:

Do you have a way to build your email list currently set up on your website? In other words, an opt-in form that folks can sign up and then receive a free gift (lead magnets) in return? If not, then I've got a juicy presentation where I show you how to do just that. If creating an opt-in on your website has been on your to-do list, watch this presentation and check it off today!

To your success,

Sophia

099: How to Add Social Media Icons to Default ConvertKit Templates

Hello my Abundant Creative,

In today's video + blog, I am showing how you can customize the default email templates of ConvertKit using some code in the HTML block. Follow my step-by-step guide so you can format the template specifically to add custom branded social media icons and better serve your email marketing clients.

See code below video.

Copy but Customize the Following Code

This code will not work if you do not customize the url source of the image (see bolded text) and if you don’t change up the link of your social media

Table to be added in the HTML block inside the CK default template:

<table>

<tr>

<td><a href="https://instagram.com/sophiaojha"> <img src="put the url of the image here" alt="Instagram" width="150" ></a></td>

<td><a href="https://www.youtube.com/sophiaojha"><img src="put the url of the image here" alt="YouTube" width="150" > </a></td>

</tr>

</table>

To your success,

Sophia