Credit where credit is due, Darren Shaw (founder of leading SEO firm, Whitespark)  recently shared some eye-opening insights about how AI-driven search (like ChatGPT) is changing the game for local businesses. And listen up notaries, we’re not immune to this shift.

We all know the basics of local SEO: Optimizing your Google Business Profile, getting reviews, and making sure your website doesn’t look like it was built in 1999. But AI search engines like ChatGPT are playing by slightly different rules.

A study by Semrush found that only 30% of searches on ChatGPT mirror traditional Google searches. The other 70% are using AI in brand-new ways.

For example, if someone needs a mobile notary, their Google search might look like this:

“notary near me”

But if they ask ChatGPT, they’re more likely to say:

• “Can you recommend a reliable mobile notary in my area?”

•  “Who’s the best traveling notary in [city]?”

•  “I need a notary who specializes in estate documents. Any recommend...

Your Next Big Apostille Client Could Be Right in Your Community.

If you’re in the apostille business, you already know the value of steady, reliable work.

One of the fastest ways to achieve this is by forging strong partnerships with local agencies that frequently require document authentication services. Law firms, adoption agencies, travel companies, and even educational institutions are often in need of someone who can navigate the complexities of international documentation.

By becoming their trusted partner, you position yourself at the center of a network that can fuel your business growth with repeat clients and consistent referrals.

Why Local Agencies Matter

Local agencies are the lifeblood of many apostille businesses because they regularly handle sensitive or complex international affairs. Documents like adoption records, legal contracts, diplomas, and travel documentation often require authentication before they can be used abroad.

If you can establish yourself as the ...

Ever feel like a human vending machine? 

A prospect calls, asks for a price, and before you can say "oath or affirmation," they’re off the phone, probably shopping for the cheapest notary in town.

Frustrating, right?

But it happens. Yes, it’s true that some prospects really are price conscious and they don’t care about anything else but getting the cheapest, rock bottom price. But I’m willing to bet MY bottom dollar those people are not YOUR ideal customers. 

Your ideal customers probably care about the quality of the work and service they’re about to receive. Your ideal customers care that you’ll be notarizing the document correctly so it doesn’t get rejected or challenged in the future. Your ideal customers will appreciate the steps you take to go the extra mile for their convenience and support. 

Yes, they’ll appreciate these things, but they don’t necessarily know how to ask for it yet. 

As notaries, we take it for granted that the public knows mobile or online services are a...

If the thought of tax season makes you sweat, you’re not alone. Many notaries find themselves scrambling to pull together receipts, invoices, and mileage logs come April.

But what if I told you that a simple bookkeeping system could make your tax season feel like a breeze (or at least not like a full-blown hurricane)?

Welcome to Challenge #3 from my book, The Notary Business Building Challenge, where we tackle the beast that is bookkeeping head-on.

Why Bookkeeping Matters (More Than You Think)

Bookkeeping is one of the foundational pieces of running a thriving, profitable notary business. Why?

Because knowing your numbers = knowing your business.

Tracking income and expenses properly:

• Saves time during tax season

• Keeps you compliant with state and federal laws

• Uncovers profit leaks you didn’t even know existed

• Gives you peace of mind, which is priceless!

The Dread of Doing It Alone

Most notaries fall into the trap of thinking they’ll keep up with bookkee...

The most successful notaries have one thing in common: They follow the formula.

And, somewhat obviously, I suppose, those who struggle the most, don’t. 

This struck me as I was reading Mel Robbins’ new book, “The Let Them Theory,” during a hot bath, as I tried to shake the January blues (I’m writing this in the last week of February and I STILL haven’t shaken them-but it is better. Anyone else relate?)

Here’s what Mel said on page 82, in regards to being afraid of people thinking poorly of you:

“Every business has a formula. Follow it. I say that because one of the things I see people get hung up on all the time is this belief that, ‘I need to be different.’ That is a fancy way to say that you're afraid other people will think that you copied them. This is an example of how your fear of what other people think holds you back from following the most obvious, easiest, and most proven path to success. Let them think you copied them. Because you did. And they copied the formula from so...

Want More Clients? Get Specific!

In the apostille business, trying to appeal to everyone often means appealing to no one.

Casting a wide net may feel like the best way to bring in more business, but in reality, specificity sells. By narrowing your focus and marketing to targeted niches, you can establish yourself as the trusted, go-to expert for industries that need repeat apostille services.

The result? A steady stream of clients who see you not as an option, but as the solution.

Why Niche Marketing Works (and Why It Matters for Apostille Agents)

Clients are more likely to trust an apostille agent who understands their specific needs. A law firm managing international contracts, an adoption agency finalizing foreign adoptions, or a corporation with global hires isn’t looking for a jack-of-all-trades. They want someone who knows the nuances of their documents and the urgency of their timelines.

By honing in on industries that require frequent apostille services, you create a repu...

Continuing the conversation about my Top of Mind Method and the SMILE framework, let’s look at the next step of a successful service/sales call. 

Let me catch you up again: Answering your phone is step one. Answering it professionally is step two. In step three, you take gentle control so you can do step four- demonstrate your expertise by asking probing questions. 

If you fumble through the call, let the caller steer the conversation, or fail to ask the right questions, you could end up on a wild goose chase to notarize a will that doesn’t even need notarization. (Yes, that happens…all the time)

I want to help you avoid wasted time, under-quoting, and awkward "Oops, I can't do this" moments by giving you a simple, repeatable framework for every general notary work (GNW) call you take.

Say hello to “SIGN IT”, your new best friend for asking the right questions and showing up prepared like the pro you are.

The SIGN IT Framework for Notary Calls

A repeatable process for getting the...

Want to build a notary business that keeps clients coming back and referring you to others? It starts with mastering four essential pillars: Competence, Confidence, Integrity, and Likeability. These aren’t just buzzwords, they’re the foundation of a thriving, relationship-based notary business.

If you want to learn how to leverage these pillars to the max, I lay it all out step by step in Supercharge Your Notary Business With LinkedIn, written with the incredible, Sandra Long . Trust me, this isn’t theory, this is the blueprint I used to build solid professional relationships and a multiple six-figure income.

Pillar 1: Competence – The Backbone of Your Reputation

Clients hire notaries they trust to get the job done right the first time. Competence isn’t just about stamping documents, it’s about becoming the total package. You have to know what you're doing, and your clients have to be able to count on you for it all- printing, scheduling, client management, and even tricky situation...

There are three tenets that helped me flourish in this business as a notary entrepreneur:

One, being a mobile notary gave me a flexible schedule, unchained from any desk or cubicle, so I could be free to do more of the things I enjoy with the people I love. 

Second, it provides a truly unlimited opportunity to earn revenue in seemingly endless ways. 

And third, providing an essential service that helps people is something we can be proud of. 

We are, in fact, the last line of defense against fraud and identity theft. 

Especially in today’s marketplace. 

Consumer protection is eroding. The safety nets that once existed are vanishing faster than  free pens at a notary networking event.

Recent cuts to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the agency that was supposed to crack down on predatory lenders and shady financial dealings after the whole 2008 debacle, have left a gaping hole in the fight against fraud. 

And guess who’s standing right at the edge of that hole, pr...