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The Nugget with Michelle Martello

can you double-check this for me?

Published 4 months ago • 2 min read

For a hot minute last week I considered shutting everything down.
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I ever-so-briefly dreamed about quitting tech and opening a trampoline dance studio called tramp stamp.
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​I can already feel all the studio owners on my list shaking their head at me at that really bad idea.​
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What got me in a tizzy?
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Dealing with a technical grouch who didn't want to give control of a website back to a friend.​
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This comes up more than you'd think.​
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Are you the owner on your accounts?
Or is your web designer?
Your IT person?
That agency you hired four years ago?
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A well-meaning developer sets everything up under their own login "just to make it easier." You get busy. Life happens. And then one day you want to make a change, switch hosts, or (heaven forbid) they expire on you (I've seen the case of the dead web designer at least 3x in my career) — and you realize you don't actually have access to any of it.
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I've seen clients held hostage by this situation. Not because anyone was being malicious (ok, there's at least 2 cases that were grossly contentious), but because nobody thought to set it up correctly from the start.
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Your name. Your email address. Your credit card on file. Your accounts.​
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A good web designer, developer, business manager or virtual assistant should always set things up in your name and then request access as a collaborator or admin — not the other way around.
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If someone has been resistant to that or vaguely talks about where things "live," that's worth paying attention to.
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You should be able to walk away from any vendor relationship and still have full control of your website, your domain, and your hosting.
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​So do me a solid this week and make sure you've got access to everything. ​
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Verify that you're the primary owner (and billing contact) for:

  • your domain(s)
  • your email account(s)
  • your ManyChat account
  • your social accounts
  • your web host
  • your newsletter
  • and any other tool your business relies on
    ​

you've got this,
Michelle

p.s. pro tip: I use 1password to securely store my passwords and keep track of all the things I need access to. No more sticky notes with passwords!

upcoming + work with me ​
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​Minima Sessions: Need to talk to someone who gets it? From detailed website reviews to program launch planning to getting started online, book a Minima Session and get in-the-trenches knowledge and actionable strategies. Perfect for anyone who wants to sell their knowledge, services or goods online. Inquire here.




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​tech I love​
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​WisprFlow​* - capture every thought quickly​
​Kit* - my favorite easy-to-use email tool (you're reading it right now!)
​Kajabi* - what I use to host courses and digital products.
​ManyChat* - what I use to automate messages on social media
​Hello Audio* - what I use to create private podcasts

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*denotes affiliate link. I only promote and recommend products and services I use for myself or my clients.

People who read the fine print are my kind of people. You rock Reader. ​
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The Nugget with Michelle Martello

Digital Product Design + Online Business Strategy

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