It was a brisk Fall morning as I rounded the corner, heading home from my daily run.

As I slowed my pace, approaching my house, I noticed a white sheet of paper on the doorstep. I fully expected to see some flyer for a landscaping company (listen, my roses are #handled.) But what I found instead was surprisingly delightful.

The headline: “Dog Treat Time” was scribbled in bright, bold blue & green marker by two young female entrepreneurs in my neighborhood. The flyer, which was actually a multi-page brochure, clearly outlined their pricing, shared dog-friendly ingredients, and let me know that proceeds would be donated to the humane society. This piece of marketing made up of looseleaf paper, colorful markers, and young dreams made me tear up and shout: “take all my money!”

If you find yourself struggling with sales, take a cue from these girls. What did they do right? First, they definitely understood their ideal client. These kids watch me trotting my dogs Mork and Mindy (and sometimes my son Ryan’s pup) around the neighborhood. They know that I live for my dogs. They know that writing “there will always be peanut butter” will have me opening my wallet and forking over all my cash. 

More than that, these bright kids weren’t afraid to take a risk and ASK. Many of us start quaking in our boots when it comes to asking for a sale or asking for what we want. We fear being seen as “greedy” or “too much” or “needy.” 

But by not asking for what we want, we are doing a disservice to ourselves and our clients. You’re in business to help and serve people, just like these young entrepreneurs were able to help me by making my pups extremely happy, saving me a trip to the pet store, and putting a smile on my face. It’s even more important to ask for what you want when you have kids—role modeling and normalizing “asking.” 

So the next time you want something – a sale, an opportunity, more clients – I challenge you to ask for it. Don’t wait until your website is perfect. Don’t ruminate over every single word of copy. Don’t waffle endlessly over the “what if’s.”

Just whip out a fresh piece of paper and some markers to create your own “neighborhood flyer.” You may not be selling dog treats, but you can describe whatever you are selling just as easily. 

If it were me, I’d say: “Get more of what you want! I’m Susan, and I love helping women create what they crave. Want more money, more confidence, more energy, more joy, more free time? I’ve got you, boo. Hit me up! You can catch me jogging in the neighborhood every morning or playing in my garden at night. xo.”

It’s that simple. You don’t need to have it all figured out. You don’t need to spend thousands on fancy marketing. You don’t need to pour over every word. Just scribble your neighborhood flyer, hand it out, let people know what you are offering, make the ask. 

Start there. Get inspired by these young, fearless entrepreneurs. 

Feel like a kid again and watch your success grow.