Today, I have something really special for you.
As you know, I'm always looking to pick the brains of Part Time Marketers who are hugely successful at what they do. I interview them and post them here on this blog, so that we can all learn and meet some amazing new people.
In the past, I've had the pleasure of interviewing such superstars as Jane Sheeba and Kristi Hines.
Today, I'd like you to meet Natasha Nassar Hazlett.
For many of you, Natasha needs no introduction. She is a top notch internet and network marketer, an expert blogger and a highly sought after speaker.
In addition, she and her husband Rich Hazlett have built a large and very successful home based business.
But what you may not know about Natasha is that she is also a very successful full-time lawyer!
How's that for a balancing act?
When I discovered this, I knew I had to interview Natasha, to understand how she balances her work and her business and the secrets behind her success.
I give you the amazing Natasha Nassar Hazlett…
1. Tell us a little about Natasha Nassar Hazlett the person.
Let’s see….I was born in Greenwood, Mississippi and raised in Memphis, Tennessee. I went to Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX for undergraduate and law school.
At SMU, I was the recipient of the prestigious Hunt Leadership Scholarship, which was only awarded to 20 students out of around 700 applicants.
I am very blessed to have my husband, Rich, as my business partner for the past 5 ½ years.
We live in Boise in the beautiful foothills of the Rocky Mountains with our Newfoundland, Dakota and our Shepard Mix, Dixie Lou. God and charity are two very important parts of my life and I infuse both into all that I do (including my online business!)
Currently, Rich and I are in the process of launching our newest online venture, The Savvy Entrepreneur™
Our mission is to educate, embolden and equip aspiring solo entrepreneurs with the insight, training and tools to transform their gifts and life experiences into a profitable online business so that they can make a meaningful impact in the lives of others.
Our new website is http://BuildASavvyBusiness.com.
2. You’re a pretty busy lady — lawyer, blogger and online marketer. How do you balance it all?
Over the years people have always asked me this question because for as long as I can remember, I’ve been very involved with several different things simultaneously. It wasn’t until about a year ago, that I finally started beginning to “deconstruct” my process for multi-tasking.
What I realized is that I use a process that I call “focused energy” in everything I do. “Focused Energy” means that once I set time aside to do something in my mind, I do that task during that time.
I do not allow myself the option of not completing the task during that designated time frame.
I think that being regimented is critical to the success of using “focused energy”. Everything else that is running through my mind melts away and I’m laser focused on the task at hand. Coming out of a “focused energy” session is very rewarding because I get to “check” something off of my to-do list.
I use this strategy to balance my obligations at work, church, my business, my non-profit work, my family life and my social life. It helps you do things 110% because you’re 100% laser focused on the task at hand.
3. You and your husband, Rich work together to build your business. How does that work? Do you divide up the responsibilities of the business?
We do divide our responsibilities. Rich works full-time in our business. He is a Pay Per Click master (although he’s super-modest about his talent!) and he’s our “techy” guy. I would be lost without him!
I am the copywriter, blogger, and relationship-builder…oh, and of course, the attorney!
I was also our graphic designer, but we’ve recently started outsourcing this to save time!
4. As a Part Time blogger and marketer, can you share with us your top time management or productivity tips?
My “focused energy” plan is my secret weapon!
I also use “To- Do” lists to keep me on task.
5. What has been your biggest business challenge so far and how did you overcome it?
My biggest business challenge was back in mid-2008, when my networking opportunity decided to change the company’s policy on blogging about the company.
At that point, I had been consistently blogging about the company with quality, no-hype content for well over a year. As a result of my consistent hard work, I had top rankings on every keyword imaginable and had built a sizable income from these efforts.
The company contacted me one day and gave me 48 hours to delete all of my blogging content!
Suffice it to say, I was crushed. All of my hard work was flushed down the toilet. : (
I wish I could say that I had a better reaction, but I didn’t.
I quit.
Luckily, my husband Rich didn’t quit, and after we moved from Memphis to Idaho (to fulfill our dream of living out West) I decided that it was time to stop throwing myself a “pity party” and I decided to get back in the saddle again.
Six months later, my blog was ranked #13 in the Top 50 MLM Blogs and started getting joint ventures with industry leaders.
6. Why do you think your blog is so popular and gets a lot of traffic? Any secrets you’d care to divulge?
I think my blog is popular because I provide “killer content.”
I really know my audience, what they are looking for and the struggles they are facing currently. So, I build my content around those things.
***********************************
Bob here —> Natasha is also one our Expert Bloggers in our Experts Speak collaboration. To learn how Natasha and over a dozen other blogging and marketing experts “stood out from the competition and built their brand“, check out our latest Experts Speak post.
Now back to Natasha….
***********************************
My readers always tell me that they like my no-hype, tell-it-like-it- is style and the fact that I infuse humor with my training.
They’ve also mentioned that knowing that I operate with a high level of integrity gives them comfort when they are learning a marketing strategy from me, because they know that what I teach won’t lead them astray.
Another reason I get lots of traffic to my blog is that my husband runs PPC traffic to my blog!
It goes against traditional PPC wisdom, but you know what? It works! We may be putting a product together on this in the future. : )
7. As a successful part-time blogger, you are a role model for many of our readers. For those that are not yet successful, can you tell them the 1 or 2 most important things you did on a daily basis that helped you achieve success?
I created content regularly. Even when I wasn’t getting immediate results, I kept the content cranking.
Consistency is key. Don’t expect to see results overnight.
I consistently blogged for 3 months (almost daily!) before I started seeing some money coming in!
But once the money started coming in, it was awesome!
I also became very active in the Better Networker forum (www.BetterNetworker.com). I was able to develop powerful relationships and showcase my expertise on blogging and building and branding You, Inc. online.
If you’re not in the network marketing space, find a forum in your niche and get active. Make sure you have a “forum signature” set up, so every comment you make has a link at the bottom to your blog!
8. Monetizing a blog can be a difficult hurdle for many bloggers. How have you monetized your blog and where is the best place to start for those that are struggling making any money with their blog?
First, think of your existing skill set. Do you have graphic design skills? writing skills? technical skills? If so, consider placing a Services page on your blog.
Decide on a fair price for your services, and then head over the PayPal and go to “Merchant Services” and create a “Buy Now” button.
It’s that easy!
This is how some of my students made their very first online dollar!
Second, think of the resources that you use that you would recommend to others and put your affiliate links to those products (along with a description of them) on a Recommended Resources page.
Just make sure to disclose on that page that you will be compensated if they purchase those recommended resources (also known as a “material disclosure”).
If no products come to mind, look to Amazon.com and sign up as an affiliate and list your favorite books on the topic of your blog.
You can also use ClickBank (www.ClickBank.com) to find other products on your topic to sell. You just sign up as a Click Bank affiliate, and you can then sell products!
A word of caution, though…. before you recommend a Click Bank product, you should purchase the product for yourself. You should only recommend products that you think will be helpful to your readers (otherwise you lose your credibility and their trust!)
9. Anything else you’d like to add?
When the going gets tough (and it will) always remember this:
“You have a DUTY to succeed.”
Over the past few years, I have had countless people tell me that I’ve changed their life. Had I stayed on the sidelines after I was forced to start over online, I now see that other people would have suffered as a result of my decision.
No matter how difficult things get, I know that quitting is not an option.
Other people’s lives depend on my success…and yours!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WOW! What an incredible lady!
I hope you learned as much about balancing, focus and building a business part time as I did.
Thank you Natasha for spilling the beans and sharing the secrets to your success.
Have a Question for Natasha?
Natasha has graciously agreed to answer any questions you may have, so LEAVE A COMMENT below and ask away!
And if you haven't answered our latest Anonymous, 30-second survey, you're missing out on a really cool thank-you gift.
13 replies to "An Interview with the Amazing Natasha Nassar Hazlett"
So fun to see this!!! So glad you shared it Bob Clarke! Timeless strategies that I would still give to those building part-time!
Oh dear! It is so inspiring! I have always thought that time management is the half of everything. “focused energy” like Ms. Nassar says, is what makes multitasking possible. Thank you for this great interview!
You had a successor interview Natasha How I wish I could meet you in personal..Sound like your a great woman..A lot of blogger inspire in your interview..
Sheila… be sure to head over to Natasha’s blog so you can learn from her. http://NatashaNassar.com
Hello Natasha; Thanks for the generous offer of your time. I have heard from you and other successful bloggers about the need to produce content as often as possible. But what do you do, when your subject isn’t lending itself to a post every day. I’m currently waiting on a sale to post, so i can write about the process that got me there; but right now I just don’t have anything to say. any advice? thanks again, max
Hi Max!
I don’t believe that when people say “as often as possible” that they mean every day. I think that 3-4 blog posts per week is solid consistency. On the days “off” from posting, take time to interact with your blog readers (I admittedly haven’t been as good as I should be with this!). You could also go out and “research” something new.
Your blog posts don’t have to necessarily be what you already know…if you have a topic that you know your audience is interested in, go research it and report back! Your audience will love you for it!
For example, I’ve been hearing things here and there about Pinterest, and I know that my audience is seeking some guidance on this, so I spent like 9 hours researching it, and put together a 5 part video course on it!
Hope this helps! Best of Luck!
Natasha
Hi Natasha; That is good advice. I guess we are all guilty of tunnel vision at one time or another. So, now on my to do list is to come up with a list of topics to research that might be of interest to my target audience and write one post a week on a researched subject. That is the goal of course. Maybe I should give it a title and invite my readers to submit their own questions. Thanks again, Max
Wow, Natasha is definitely a go getter Bob. I had some things resonate with me as well.
I do the 50/10 rule where I concentrate for 50 minutes on one specific task and don’t have anything that will distract me. Then I take a 10 minute breaks and it definitely helps. I see that a lot of people fall down with the consistency part and if they aren’t getting results rather quickly they either give up or move on to something else. Things take time, that’s just part of life.
Like Cat, I loved that she shared that we have a duty to succeed. I hear too many people use the words “I’ll try this” but if it doesn’t work then I’ll “try” something else. Man how I hate those words. You’re either in this to win or you aren’t. There is no other option in my book.
Loved this interview and you chose a great candidate for this one Bob. Thank you for sharing more of Natasha with us.
Hope you both have an exceptional week.
~Adrienne
Hi Bob,
Another great interview from you!
So much of what Natasha said resonates for me. I think that her simple tips of sticking to a To-Do list and focusing her energy are so key. The simplicity in the statement speaks volumes!
I also love what she said about how you have a DUTY to succeed once you start.
So many people start with a 1/2 notion that it “might not work out” or something along those lines. This is a silent killer of many. We have to commit and inject enough emotional leverage into all that we are doing so that failure is not an option. 🙂
Awesome insights, thanks so much for bringing this forward, Bob!
Hope you had a stellar weekend!!
Cat 😉
Wow, what an inspiring interview! I wish Natasha was local, I’d love to sit down and have a cup of coffee with her 🙂
She is obviously committed to some of the advice we all hear so many times but have so much trouble sticking to – set your priorities, create great content, be patient and persistent, have a to-do list that you absolutely commit to completing – oh, and be a personal powerhouse! No whining allowed (ok, well, a little whining, but then get over it and go again!)
Since she’s taking questions… I saw that “I do a lot of guest blogging” was noticeably absent from her list of success drivers. This is something that has been beaten into every blogger’s skull at every turn. If you are anyone who wants to be anyone you’d better guest blog your way to success. I was wondering what Natasha’s take is on this, and whether it’s something she has ever done to drive traffic to her own blog.
Thanks again for sharing – great interview!
Oooh Carol…you caught me. How could I forget that?!?
It’s true, guest blogging did wonders for my blogging career.
I was a guest blogger on a top blog in my niche. I refer to “Guest Blogging” as making “Strategic Alliances”.
Finding the go-to resources and providing meaningful content IS the best way to start getting traffic to your blog (behind Pay Per Click Advertising).
If you’re on a budget, do what you can to really research the top blogs in your niche and then start shmoozing with the author to try to score a guest blogger gig.
Providing meaningful comments to their articles is always a great “foot-in-the-door”
Happy Blogging!
Natasha
Thanks, Natasha, I was just wondering if you had the same experience with it that we hear so much about. On the plus side, it’s “free”, which means time and not money, as opposed to PPC which is more money than time. I’m sure it comes down to a good balance between the two, after all there are only so many hours in a day and so many dollars in a budget. Thanks for sharing!
My pleasure, Carol!
One thing I wanted to add….since most bloggers are pretty Anti-PPC (I woudn’t know anything about it except for the fact that my hubby is a PPC guru)
Yes, PPC costs money. But there’s this whole “money down the toilet” view that bloggers (myself included in the past) have about PPC. Here’s the real scoop….if you have a highly converting marketing funnel (you’re selling products that allow you to re-coup the price of your advertising) then PPC can be “free” traffic.
I doesn’t matter the lead cost, if you re-coup your money through product sales. So, let’s say you pay $10 per lead…if each lead is worth $20 (based on averaging your product sales) then would you pay $10 to get $20 and grow your list? Hope so!
We are generating leads at a profit…so I guess what I’m saying is don’t totally dismiss PPC even if you’re on a limited budget. Start small and build from there. We all had to start from somewhere! : )