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    <loc>https://www.vervestrategy.com/blog/building-an-execution-muscle</loc>
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    <lastmod>2022-05-22</lastmod>
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      <image:title>Blog - Building An Execution Muscle - Make it stand out</image:title>
      <image:caption>Photo Credit: Jonas Svidras</image:caption>
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    <loc>https://www.vervestrategy.com/blog/0a9vnit0qt2itith72hdxc5shn8eu9-tbal4-aen5t</loc>
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    <lastmod>2022-03-16</lastmod>
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      <image:title>Blog - HOW ENTREPRENEURS CAN CREATE PRODUCTS THAT SELL THEMSELVES - There are telltale signs of when a product hasn’t attained fit:  No one is buying it. It solves a problem, but you can’t find a way to monetize it despite trying different business models.  It’s selling, but you can’t price it high enough to support operations or growth.  It doesn’t meet customers’ basic expectations (launched too soon). Enough headwinds (e.g., competing solutions, changing market conditions) have formed to make the product non-viable in the market (launched too late).</image:title>
      <image:caption>Lack of product-market fit among leading causes of business failure</image:caption>
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      <image:loc>https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/618d566deead4c799b1b0645/ac94e0de-caad-4f42-ac1c-5577561acf09/Famous+Product+Failures+.png</image:loc>
      <image:title>Blog - HOW ENTREPRENEURS CAN CREATE PRODUCTS THAT SELL THEMSELVES - Starting with the problem means asking yourself the following questions before you start considering a particular product or service: What’s something that’s not working, unwelcome, or harmful? What’s the impact? Is someone suffering from the problem? Or losing something valuable to them like their time, money, or health? How prevalent is the problem? How many people have this problem? How often do they face the problem? Is it something that can be solved?</image:title>
      <image:caption>Famous product failures from 1975 to today</image:caption>
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      <image:title>Blog - HOW ENTREPRENEURS CAN CREATE PRODUCTS THAT SELL THEMSELVES - Make it stand out</image:title>
      <image:caption>Powerful questions entrepreneurs can ask at each phase of the product development process</image:caption>
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    <loc>https://www.vervestrategy.com/blog/startingup</loc>
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    <lastmod>2022-03-16</lastmod>
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      <image:title>Blog - 3 MAJOR CHALLENGES FACING WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS</image:title>
      <image:caption>It turns out I had good reasons for my concern. According to the US Census Bureau, approximately half a million businesses are started each month. In 2020, 10% of white women and 17% of black women launched a company compared to 15% of white men. However, the Small Business Administration (SBA) reports that about 20% of business startups fail in the first year. 50% fail within five years and only 33% survive to year 10.</image:caption>
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    <loc>https://www.vervestrategy.com/blog/tag/starting+a+business</loc>
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    <loc>https://www.vervestrategy.com/blog/tag/women+entrepreneurs</loc>
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    <loc>https://www.vervestrategy.com/home</loc>
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    <lastmod>2022-03-15</lastmod>
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      <image:title>Home - We partner with you to help you:</image:title>
      <image:caption>Get clear on your goals and the vision for your business. Identify and overcome limiting beliefs that are holding you back. Create a plan to transition from full time employment to business ownership. Design products and services your target customers want. Create lean business plans and effective strategies to launch and grow a business that you love.</image:caption>
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    <loc>https://www.vervestrategy.com/about</loc>
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    <lastmod>2021-12-08</lastmod>
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      <image:title>About</image:title>
      <image:caption>Raena Akin-Deko, MHSA, Certified Executive Coach</image:caption>
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    <loc>https://www.vervestrategy.com/coaching</loc>
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    <lastmod>2022-06-24</lastmod>
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      <image:title>Coaching Services - 90-Day Strategic StartUp™ Bootcamp</image:title>
      <image:caption>12-week group coaching program Are you ready to take control of your time and increase your income potential by starting your own business but keep getting stuck or losing focus?  Apply to join a supportive group of like-minded female entrepreneurs in the next cohort of the 90-day Strategic StartUp™ Bootcamp. This program is specifically designed for women entrepreneurs who are just getting started or have been in business for less than 2 years.  What’s included? A 1-hour initial coaching call to do a deep dive into who you are, where you want to take your business and what’s holding you back. Three additional 1:1 coaching calls where I will guide you through the 5-Step Strategic StartUp™ method - a process to help you quickly develop a lean business plan and strategy focused on the most important elements of your business. Homework between calls to help you do the work of stepping out of your comfort zone, ditch limiting beliefs, and developing your Strategic StartUp™ business plan.   Weekly 60-minute group calls with a “hot seat” so you can get feedback from the coach and other participants on the previous week’s homework and your business plan. 1:1 access via Voxer between calls for additional support. Lifetime access to resources, tools, and a growing community of likeminded women. Next session starts July 2022!</image:caption>
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      <image:title>Coaching Services - Ongoing 1:1 Coaching</image:title>
      <image:caption>Ongoing 1:1 coaching for emerging entrepreneurs You have an idea for a business but need guidance for how to successfully launch it to market. You think you have an idea for a business that will make a difference but need a sounding board and strategic advisor to help you flesh it out. You launched your business less than 2 years ago, without a plan, and need help pivoting because you haven’t gotten traction. You have been side hustling for a while and are ready to make that your main gig, but you need help creating a plan to transition into full time entrepreneurship and advice on how to create a model for your business that supports your income desires. If any of this sounds like you, let’s work together to move your business forward.  What’s included: Initial assessment to identify your goals and vision for your business. 1:1 coaching calls tailored to your business needs on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. Sounding board and strategic advice to help you flesh out your plans. Achievable action steps, follow-up, and homework to move you closer to your goals. 1:1 access via Voxer between calls for additional support.</image:caption>
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      <image:title>Coaching Services - Get Unstuck: Clarity Call</image:title>
      <image:caption>90-minute, 1:1 coaching call Are you thinking about making the leap to entrepreneurship but don’t know if you’re ready? Have you been stumped on how to move forward with improving your business– whether it’s choosing a niche, what to include in a new offer, or making another change? Do you have an idea, but you don’t know if it can be turned into a profitable business and don’t know what to do to find out? If you have an issue that is keeping you from pursuing your entrepreneurial dreams, we can help you get you unstuck so you can move forward with clarity and confidence. What’s included: A pre-call assessment to identify where you need clarity and pinpoint your roadblocks - both mindset and real-world. 90-minute coaching call tailored to you and your business needs. We will focus on the issue you want clarity on and identify action steps to move you forward with confidence. 1:1 access via Voxer for 30 days post call to address any additional questions. A 30-minute call after 30 days check progress and adjust your action steps</image:caption>
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      <image:title>Coaching Services - The Strategic Startup™</image:title>
      <image:caption>Self-paced, 17-sesssion, 1:1 coaching program If you are ready to add the title “entrepreneur” to your list of accomplishments but are juggling so many commitments you don’t know when you will be able to find the time to work on your business, we can help. The Strategic Startup™ package is a self-paced program for busy professionals who want to transition into entrepreneurship. What’s included? Over the course of 4-6 months, you will have: A 1-hour initial coaching call to do a deep dive into who you are, where you want to take your business and what’s holding you back. Sixteen, 60-minute, 1:1 coaching calls, designed to fit your schedule where I will guide you through the 5-Step Strategic StartUp™ method - a process to help you quickly develop a lean business plan and strategy focused on the most important elements of your business - and act as a sounding board and strategic advisor to help you flesh out the details. Homework between calls to help you do the work of stepping out of your comfort zone, ditch limiting beliefs, and develop your career transition and business plans.   Unlimited 1:1 access via Voxer between calls. Lifetime access to resources, tools, and a growing community of likeminded women.</image:caption>
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    <loc>https://www.vervestrategy.com/contact</loc>
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    <lastmod>2022-06-24</lastmod>
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    <lastmod>2025-06-10</lastmod>
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      <image:title>Home - Improve your relationship with others</image:title>
      <image:caption>Be your best self, alone and with others, and cultivate deep and lasting friendships and relationships.</image:caption>
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      <image:title>Home - Invest in your relationship with yourself</image:title>
      <image:caption>We all have a tendency to put others first, but in doing so, we can sometimes neglect our relationship with ourselves. Let me be your advocate and show you a kinder, gentler way to treat the most important person in your life.</image:caption>
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