The other day, I was chatting with a client who hired me because she wanted a dose of my PR expertise.

But just between us? She was equally excited to swap a lil’ gossip about our shared obsession: pop culture.

“I love how you talk about celebrities and TV shows and stuff. It’s so fun!” she said.

I responded: “Um, I have to do that, because I need to have FUN in my business.”

If you’re dragging your booty to your desk chair every morning, only to stare at your to-do list in shame … then running your business probably isn’t feelin’ very fun.

And your customers can smell lack-of-fun from fifteen miles away.

The easiest way to have FUN with your business? Simple: take your hobbies, passions + guilty pleasures and swirl ‘em right into your business model.

Take me, for example.

I’m obsessed with Hollywood + pop culture, so I created a whole brand around turning business owners into business celebrities.

I regularly work pop culture references into my blog posts (sparkly vampires, anyone?) and I give my products + services E! Entertainment-worthy names — like Make Headlines, Center of Attention and The Starmaker Session.

Sometimes, I even write my sales copy in the style of a Hollywood screenplay!

Here are a few more examples:

My mentor Marie Forleo is a former Nike dance instructor who loves hip hop music, so her brand is laced with swank + swagger — including promotional videos that belong on the MTV Top-40 countdown! Hot.

Alexandra Franzen is the hottest wordsmith you’ll ever meet, and she swirls in her passion for yoga, Tarot + improvised performances into her live writing workshops.

Tonya Leigh is a certified life coach with a flair for French living + the finer things in life.  (Don’t you just want to lick her site? I bet it tastes like pink champagne.) Tonya’s passion for all things Parisian is reflected in her tagline (“French Kiss Life”) and in her luxurious travel adventures for women.

These ladies are having an absolute BLAST running their businesses — and it shows.

So: how can YOU have more fun in your business?

First thing’s first — what does FUN mean, for you? Maybe you love competing in gritty mud runs, or consider yourself a connoisseur of spas + steam rooms. Or maybe you have a not-so-guilty obsession with watching back-to-back (to-back-to-back) episodes of Gossip Girl on Netflix streaming (OK, maybe that’s just me.)

Right this second: make a list of all the things that feel like the exact opposite of “work.”

Now — it’s time to get a little creative. How can you weave all that fuuuuun into your business?

A couple ideas:

:: Share your all-time favorite activities in your bio (check out my “10 Things You Don’t Know About Me.”)

:: Create programs + classes anchored around your hobbies + guilty pleasures.

:: Design special promotions around your obsessions (ahem, I mean, “strong interests.”)

:: Weave your “non-business” hobbies into your blog posts (for example: “What Running A 5K Taught Me About Running A Business,” or “The Tipsy Wine-Lover’s Guide to Makin’ Friends On Facebook.”)

:: Reveal tidbits about your hobbies + passions on social media (it’s wayyy more interesting than babbling on about business all day.)

:: Think of words + phrases that relate to your hobbies, and weave them into your copy (for example: if you’re running a finance business — but you’re a closeted fashionista — tell us how a high-interest savings account can feel like a sexy little black dress.

What’s the point of all this FUN, you ask?

Well, besides the obvious (keeping you engaged + excited about your work) …

:: People will be wayyy more attracted to your brand because it’s interesting, exciting and human.

:: Customers will be delighted about working with you (having fun is infectious!)

:: You’ll wake up every day super excited to get to work, because it’ll feel more like playing hooky.

:: You’ll attract unbelievably perfect customers who have fun the same way you do! (I have no shame in the fact that several people have hired me simply because I’m a True Blood fanatic.)

Bottom line: show me an irresistible business, and I’ll show you a business owner who knows how to have FUN.

TAKE ACTION: How do YOU like to have fun? Share it in a comment below, along with one way you plan to weave mo’ fun into your business.

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I love guilty pleasures. Dark and sexy HBO original series. Scrumptious dark chocolate. Watching (and re-watching) epic movie trailers. Reading gossip sites.

It took me a few years to figure out how to run my entire business like a guilty pleasure. Now, whenever I’m taking up “work” time to read E! Online (to research celebrity trends for media pitches) or treating my Irresistible Business Challengers to yummy chocolate or decadent spa gifts, I deviously smile and giggle with glee.

Today I want to share with you a list of fresh + playful ways you can inject more ‘guilty pleasure-ness’ into mundane, everyday tasks. Enjoy!

1. Stay on top of trends.

Want to read trashy tabloids, watch a Game of Thrones marathon, or bite your lip through the latest juicy novel? In my book, there’s nothing better than having a hot + trendy business and the ONLY way to do it is to stay on point with what’s hot n’ trendy and work those trends into your business through content, offers, or special promotions.

2. Make a business soundtrack.

You know those songs that get you completely pumped + inspired to get stuff done? Yup, those need to go on your business soundtrack – your personal playlist of songs that help you plow through tasks quicker than your favorite superhero.

3. Shake up business meetings.

Tired of business meetings stuck in a conference room or at some stuffy lunch joint? Grab some fresh air during a hike-meeting, rent out a room at a spa or museum for a change in atmosphere, or kick-off a meeting with a fun game.

4. Mix your hobbies into your biz.

My specialty is helping business owners mix all of their seemingly disjointed passions into one exciting business that feels like a 24/7 guilty pleasure. I’ve personally swirled my love of pop culture + PR together into a biz I love. You can do the same!

Dig this article? Tweet it to your posse!

I’m runnin’ my business like a guilty pleasure thanks to @casseracomm. Wanna join me? http://wp.me/p1vGtt-AB

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It’s an epidemic.

I see it every single day among even the savviest of business owners.

I’ve even been guilty of it myself (gulp.)

What the heck am I talking about?

Asking for opinions about your business. From the wrong people. Or, in the wrong way.

Take a gander at the following scenarios and see if one (or more) resonate with you:

:: You think of a brand spankin’ new name for your business, program, product, or service and then run it by everyone to get their opinion…family, friends, posting random polls on Facebook that not only reach your current posse but also reach your old high school boyfriend, your grandma’s neighbor, and a slew of people you just accepted as friends but have no clue who the heck they are. Then you end up with a trillion different opinions and are left more confused than when you started.

:: You freaking LOVE your business, but every time you share how it’s goin with family + friends they start to prod. Is this really the right decision? Do you really think you can make money doing this? Now you’re left in a sea of doubt and second guessing the reason you even started this biz.

:: You have an idea that gets you SO PUMPED and you start sharing it with your mom, dad, partner, grandma, best friend, tarot card reader, favorite client, and dog walker – only to get 47 different opinions ranging from “awesome idea” to “that idea is the shittiest thing I’ve ever heard.”

So, what’s the deal here?

Gathering information + reactions is important…even crucial…in business.

The problem? If you fit any of the scenarios above, you’re gathering opinions from a lot of the wrong people. And, when it comes time to do something with the information you gather, you start doubting your instincts. Heck, you may even begin doubting your entire business.

This is a vicious cycle I like to call over-polling. It’s something we do when our confidence begins to dip. We immediately start to poll for opinions and seek validation, which is really just a sign of insecurity. Then we’re left with a million hands in the cookie jar and feeling stressed and depressed that nothing is moving forward.

But, not all polling is bad. Here’s how you can “poll” for success:

Poll the Right People

When it comes to business, you should only poll people that are your ideal customers. (hint: not just the people that will give you money, but the people that you live + breathe + feel inspired by.) If you’ve been in business for awhile, you’ll know who these people are. If you’re just starting out, daydream a bit about what your ideal customer is like and create a little character sketch (think of it like writing a character for a novel or screenplay.) Then, work to find a real-life match to this character and ask them your question(s).

While it can be fun to let family + friends know what you’re up to, don’t let their opinions trump your ideal customer’s answers and your own instincts.

Ask the Right Questions

Keep your poll short, simple + easy to answer and avoid strange questions like “how much money would you give me for ______.” Instead, ask your ideal customers what their biggest struggle is and work to solve that struggle in your business.

Trust your Gut

Bottom line? You’ve got to have the confidence to own your instincts. And insecurity leads to muddled, weak-sauce offerings and a repellant business. Trust your gut…it’s a powerful business tool.

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