Claire Paniccia. Online entrepreneurship for brains that work differently
doing business differently

You're ready to start doing business in the way that works for YOU — even if that goes against the "usual" advice in the online business world

Say no more - I'm ready to apply to do business differently!

Right now, you're fired up and ready to start doing things in your business in a way that works for YOU — but you'd still like some support and guidance to make it happen.

 

You're an online entrepreneur, so you're super used to figuring things out and making it work — but when it comes to going against what everyone else says you “should” be doing, it's a little nerve wracking.

It'd be nice to have some guidance from someone who's brain is also neurodivergent, also doesn't work the way everyone else's seem to, and has more than a few badges on their online entrepreneur scout sash.

You know what doesn't work for you, but it would just be so nice to have some community and guidance as you experiment to figure out what does works for you instead.

 

So I created a container to do just that

Introducing... Doing Business Differently

Here's the gist:

🌟 6 weeks, from Aug 21 – Sep 30

(the perfect amount of time to dig in and really implement something from start to finish!)

🌟 Access to my brain on all the business things for making your business work for you

(Whether that's content marketing related or biz backend related or strategy stuff or offer structure or whatever you're taking action on right now. Me. My brain. On your Business.)

🌟 No curriculum. This group program will be able to be whatever you need right now, offering support around whatever you're working on right now

(instead of shoehorning in a project at the wrong time just because that's when you can get support on that specific thing)

🌟 Structured support and compassionate accountability to implement changes/new things to make your business work for you and your brain/energy/values

🌟 Community with fellow not-the-usual-way-ers. Because you're not alone, you're not weird, and it's totally okay to do things differently in your business.

No cookie cutter formulas.

No just teaching you to do what I did.

Actual, personalized guidance on whatever it is you're working on in your business, in a community of fellow online entrepreneurs who've also found that “the usual” advice doesn't work for them either.

🔎 Sneak peek! 👀

Since the program is “content light” and heavy on the coaching aspect, here's a little something to give you an idea of what it's like to get my guidance and advice (in this case, on your content marketing)

This is a recording of the Q&A session from when I ran a live workshop, How to Build a Content System That Protects & Fuels Your Energy

(and don't worry, this is shared with the full consent of everyone in the video 🤗)

Toggle Content

00:31 Podcast Show Notes & SEO
02:14 My Approach to Personal Task Management
03:38 Weaving the three parts of the Content Ecosystem together
06:56 Content strategy for 1:1 coaching business
11:23 Content when trying to pivot
15:39 What would I do if I was starting entirely from scratch?
18:29 Thoughts on the IG 9-Grid
19:56 Thoughts on how to build relationship/engagement via email, and other ways to engage with community/audience

To view or hide the transcript, click the double caret (<< or >>) in the upper right corner of the video

(Also, apologies for the terrible lighting 😆 The sunlight changes SO FAST in my office and part of the world, and ring lights give me migraines 🙃)

Here's what I think about online business (and how I came to think that)​

Running an online business is like coffee.

Everyone has their preferred coffee shop order.

Some people’s orders are more involved (dirty chai with soy milk but keep the whipped cream, thank you). Some just take a black coffee to go. Some people might even prefer tea! And then there’s always those new seasonal shenanigans that the coffee shop is marketing like crazy (PSL season, anyone?)

But just because your order is different from someone else’s, or different from what’s being marketed to you, doesn’t mean it won’t get you caffeinated and be super tasty in the process.

A lot of people teaching business in the online business world say that you have to do this strategy, or you have to do that other thing, or you have to be on xyz social media platform, blah blah blah.

They’re all using finite, ultimate language, as if the thing they’re teaching (and selling) is the only path to success.

But over the last 7ish years of being an online entrepreneur working on my own and clients’ businesses – in that time also figuring out I had ADHD, chronic depression, anxiety, autism, and fluctuating energy levels – I learned that that is suuuuuuper not the case.

Hi! I'm Claire Paniccia (she/they)

my shirt says “I'm not procrastinating, I'm doing side quests” 🤣

Over the years, my business has evolved a lot and many times. 

First I was a freelancer and blogger (the blogging didn’t last long).

Then I pivoted from freelance writing to SEO, and then later again pivoted from SEO to content strategy.

I’ve created courses, done project based client work, done consultation calls, written proposals, done retainers, live trainings, ebooks, affiliate marketing, run a summit…

I’ve tried social media marketing, email marketing, SEO, blog posts, a coworking community, content repurposing, and helped clients with even more types of content marketing.

Basically, I’ve tried (or been involved with) buttloads of different ways to run a business online (though I admit not all of them).

Through all that, I also got my depression under control, figured out I had ADHD, went a year and a half before I could get meds for it, built my business to be able to support me, at a pace that worked for me, and most recently I’m realizing that I’m also on the autism spectrum.

Basically what I’m saying is that I’ve been learning online business and tweaking it to make it work for my whacky brain for a long time, and also helping my clients do that with their content marketing too.

We’re constantly being told what we “should” do in our businesses.

But what if we try doing business differently? In a way that works for you.

What past clients and students are saying...​

(since this is a new program, these are students/clients from other programs/offers)

Here's how we'll make the sausage:

⚡️ 1:1 onboarding strategy call with me in the first week, to get an idea of where you and your business are at now, what's working and not working for you, and what to prioritize during the program

🌈 Weekly coaching (alternating between live group calls and Voxer Office Hours)

👥 Bi-weekly coworking on Butter (not Zoom)

🎧 A private podcast of all calls

💖 Community and support in a private Slack

🗓 Program starts on Aug 21

enrollment closed

for the moment

sign up to know when it opens again!

Sounds amazing — I’m so in!

⚠️ VALUES REQUIREMENT:

Black lives matter; all love deserves equal protection and rights by the law; trans women are women and trans men are men and all genders beyond the binary (including mine) are valid and beautiful; no one is illegal on stolen land; COVID is real; climate change is real; and Trump is a flaming dog turd cosplaying as a human.

Those who disagree with any of the above, and those unwilling to engage in the personal work of unlearning internalized white supremacy and cis-hetero patriarchy, need not apply.

My work and energy aren't for you.

This might be right for you if...

The usual business advice tends to not work for you – maybe because you’re neurodivergent, or low-energy/spoonie, or just want to do things your own way.

Hearing someone say “Be consistent!” is the bane of your existence – what does that even mean?!?! What does it look like to “be consistent”??? What if you don’t want to post 300x per week on Instagram???

You want to run & market your business ethically and without the gross manipulative tactics that all the Chad Bros and Boss Babes use.

You're open to experimenting and trying new things that other people haven't done. A lot of “figuring out what works for you” means we have to fuck around first in order to find out. That means you've got to be willing to try things that aren't “proven” or that other people haven't necessarily done before. It's okay to have feelings about doing those things, as long as you're willing to work through those feelings (in a healthy way) and still try anyway.

On the other hand, it’s not a great fit for you if…

Your business isn’t a personal brand in some capacity and/or doesn’t really have room for your personality (eg. if your work is super corporate-y). Nothing against that style of business, it’s just how I teach and what I teach won’t really work for you.

Your business is almost entirely an IRL physical storefront, is a non-profit, or you’re a content creator (i.e. your business is creating content). This program is for online entrepreneurs selling services, coaching, online courses/programs, digital products, etc, for whom content marketing is one way they sell their offers.

You’re looking for a mad-libs style formula, step-by-step roadmap, or fast cash silver bullet. This is super not that.

You’re offended by swear words; talk of the white supremacist, capitalist patriarchy; or gender play/queerness. I swear like a sailor, talk about the harms of the white capitalist patriarchy openly, and am genderfluid and queer AF. So you probably wouldn’t enjoy learning from me.

Your business is selling physical products. This one's an “it depends.” I don't have any experience with businesses selling physical products, so I'm not 100% sure I'd be much help. But it's entirely possible that I might be able to help with *some* areas of your business. So it's really up to you.

What past clients and students are saying...​

(since this is a new program, these are past students/clients from other programs/offers)

I need this - let's do it 🎉

FAOHAQs (Frequently And/Or Hypothetically Asked Questions)

What types of projects would be a good fit to focus on for the six weeks?

It totally depends on you! Here are a few things that come to mind as hypothetical good fits:

  • Maybe you've been super not into Instagram and want to come up with and test a new way of getting in front of new eyeballs
  • Or you want to come up with a new offer or new way to serve your clients that better fits how your brain works.
  • Or a collection of small changes to the systems and backend of your business to collectively make a big impact on saving you energy/working better for you.
When will the group coaching calls/coworking be?

The group coaching calls/office hours will always be on Tuesdays.

On the weeks where we're doing the calls live on video, you'll pre-submit your questions so that I have time to really think about it and prepare answers (rather than hopping on and asking your questions right on the call). I find that that's how I give the best advice 👍

On the weeks when we're doing Voxer Office Hours: instead of a group call, you'll have the opportunity to send me private messages on Voxer (a texting/walkie-talkie app), so it's a great chance for you to get more personal/private coaching from me. In order to be time-zone friendly, these office hours will be open from 10am ET to 10pm ET.

The coworking calls will be on Thursdays, alternating between 10am ET and 4pm ET (for time-zone friendliness). 

How many people do you anticipate being in the program, roughly? Is there a cap on enrollment?

Because it’s the first time I’ve offered something like this, I have no way of predicting how many people will sign up.

There’s no cap on enrollment.

My vision is in the 12ish ballpark, but again, I have no way of knowing for sure. It could be more, it could be less. We'll see!

How long will enrollment be open?

Enrollment will be open through Aug 18th (the Friday before the program starts on Monday Aug 21).

But also, the sooner you enroll, the better! The first week of the program is all about talking to me 1:1 to strategize individually, and scheduling those will be first come, first serve. Depending on how many people sign up, it might get competitive for certain time slots.

Also, just full disclosure, it'll also make planning the program easier for me if I have an idea of how many people will sign up sooner rather than later 

I just started my business! Is this for me?

As long as you know what you actually do in your business (i.e. what you're selling), and who you want to work with/sell to, I can help! 

As long as you already have the basics down, like a website, an email list (no matter how small), and are able to take payments online (even if you don't like those things, as long as you have them, we'll be able to figure out how to change them to work for you).

How much time/energy will this require from me?

It really depends on you and what you want to be working on during this time!

Plus, since this is the first time I’m running a program like this, I can’t say for sure exactly how much time you’ll need to engage with the program. Just know that I’ll be keeping your energy levels and the constraints of real life in mind as we work together.

And, since it’s the first time running it, you’re kind of co-creating it with me! So I’m primed to take your feedback about time and energy requirements throughout the program and modify my plans as we go to make it work for you.

I’ve done my best to design the program to be spoonie-friendly (aka low-energy friendly). I’ve never been a fan of those programs that have trainings week after week and require you to be super engaged in it all the time.

I mean, we’ve got businesses to run and lives to live! Sometimes shit comes up! And that’s how it’s always going to be in your business, too.

I’m really not a live calls person / I’m a lurker in groups/communities. Will I still be able to achieve my goals/get what I want out of the program?

Tooootally valid. I’m right there with you, to be honest.

 

I’m trying to structure the program so that no matter what your preferred style of engagement is, there’s some way for you to engage with the program in a way that works for you.

 

There will be live calls, but there will always be replays in multiple formats, asynchronous engagement in the Slack channel, both group and 1:1, Voxer office hours, hot seat coaching, a private podcast of the replays – and if I come up with other ideas of ways to engage with the program, I might add those in too!

Do you offer a payment plan?

Heck yes. The total price is $500, and there’s a 4-month, no-interest payment plan available for anyone who needs/wants it – it’s the same total as the pay-in-full price, just split into 4 chunks.

Heads up, if I ever offer a program like this again, it'll probably be (significantly) higher priced. Just to be transparent.

Will you be using Zoom?

Hell no. I deleted my Zoom account the day that I heard about their egregious Terms of Service updates (for more info, read this blog post from my friend Menekşe Stewart).

All live calls will be hosted using Butter, a video call app with significantly better privacy than Zoom (they're a Danish company, and they store their data in France, so it's all EU-based, which compared to any other part of the world, has the best digital privacy laws).

I have a different question.

Cool beans! Feel free to email me at claire@clairepaniccia.com or DM me on Instagram at @conqueryourcontent, and I’m happy to answer any questions or concerns you might have about if the program is right for you!

 

I’m super not about that manipulative, get-as-many-sales-as-you-can-even-if-it’s-not-the-right-fit-for-them approach to business. I want you to be super confident in your choice to sign up for anything I offer!

Enrollment for Doing Business Differently is currently closed

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