Imperfect Marketing
Imperfect Marketing
330: How Do You Build Visibility When You Hate Being on Camera?
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In this episode of Imperfect Marketing, I’m joined by Ed Troxell, visibility strategist and organic marketing expert, for a real, practical conversation about showing up online—without overwhelm, perfectionism, or burning yourself out.
Ed shares his unexpected journey from stage fright (yes, literal panic attacks) to becoming a trusted guide for business owners who want to increase visibility, attract the right audience, and build a sustainable personal brand. Together, we unpack what visibility really means in today’s noisy digital world.
From Fear to Visibility
Ed opens up about:
- His early fear of being seen and heard—and how that shaped his approach to marketing
- Why visibility doesn’t require perfection, polish, or confidence on day one
- How consistency and repetition help you “get over yourself” and show up as you truly are
Where to Show Up (and Where Not To)
We dive into the overwhelm many entrepreneurs feel around social media and discuss:
- Why being “everywhere” is the fastest path to burnout
- How to choose platforms based on business goals, not trends or pressure
- The importance of understanding where your audience is actively looking for solutions
Creating a Visibility System That Fits Your Life
Ed introduces his GPS framework—Goal, Plan, System—and explains:
- What a visibility “system” actually is (and why it doesn’t need to be complicated)
- How to break marketing into bite-sized, manageable pieces
- Why 15 minutes a day can be enough when you have the right structure
- How content creation, repurposing, and email marketing work together
The Role of Video, AI, and Authenticity
We also explore:
- Why video remains one of the most powerful tools for building trust
- How AI can support your content without replacing you
- Why AI-generated avatars and videos can hurt credibility if overused
- How to use tools like ChatGPT as a creative partner—not a replacement
Common Content Mistakes (and How to Fix Them)
Ed highlights one of the biggest mistakes entrepreneurs make:
- Posting content without a clear call to action
- Why storytelling matters more than ever
- How to guide your audience instead of leaving them hanging
Key Takeaways
- Visibility isn’t about doing more—it’s about doing what matters
- Your personal brand grows when you show up, not just your content
- Messy action beats perfect silence every time
- Systems create freedom, not rigidity
Whether you’re relying on referrals that have slowed down, struggling with social media overwhelm, or trying to figure out how to be visible without it taking over your life, this episode offers grounded, honest guidance you can actually use.
Ready to stop hiding behind the screen and build visibility that works for your business?
Connect with Ed:
Website: https://edtroxell.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edtroxell/
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Hi, I'm Kendra Corman. If you're a coach, consultant, or marketer, you know marketing is far from a perfect science. And that's why this show is called Imperfect Marketing. Join me and my guests as we explore how to grow your business with marketing tips and, of course, lessons learned along the way. Hello, everybody, and welcome back to another episode of Imperfect Marketing. I'm your host, Kendra Corman, and I am really, really excited today to be joined by Ed. Um, Ed is going to be talking to us about visibility, right? Managing organic marketing and personal branding, which is super exciting stuff. Welcome. Thank you so much for joining me. And tell us a little bit about how you got into this visibility game here.
SPEAKER_01:Yes, thank you so much for having me on the show. And it's funny that I'm in this position because when I was growing up, I can still remember back in third grade, believe it or not, getting pulled up on stage in front of everyone in that cafeteria. I don't know why, but I got pulled up on stage and I went kicking and screaming because I did not want to be in front of people. I literally ran off stage, had a panic attack in the bathroom on the cold tile floors, hyperventilating, and just could not breathe. And yet now I'm here talking about visibility and being in front of people constantly, both on video and in person speaking. And it's just been a whirlwind. And so I started with my business back in 2015 with website and tech support because that was my world. But I realized quickly I had to market myself. And I looked around to see like, what can I do to market myself differently? You know, and I came from Apple, where, you know, the whole thing is think differently. So I was like, how can I market differently? And that's when video showed up in my research. And I thought, great, but I don't want to be in front of the camera. I don't want to be in front of, you know, the camera recording my my voice, my face. Like, I didn't want to be in the center of the star, star center of attention, right? But I also realized that it was either that or I go back to a nine to five. And I literally had that conversation with myself in my backyard one day that you either get good at being on video, do it messy, do it imperfectly, and show up, or you close up this business and you go back to a nine to five and you deal with it. And I'm still here in 2025 slash 2026. And I am so excited to still be here sharing my story and being able to help others show up, deliver their amazing expertise, and engage with the right audience because not everyone is gonna be your client. And when it comes to marketing, I know it's heavy, but that's what we're here to do to break it down into bite-sized pieces that makes it manageable in just 15 minutes a day. So that's kind of my story in a quick nutshell.
SPEAKER_00:I love it. And I don't know anybody that does not have a traumatic story from third grade. Personally, I moved from New York to Texas in third grade and started third grade fresh. So I have plenty of communication-related issues and nightmares that like had me having panic attacks at my desk. So I very clearly remember all of that myself. And then I did also did not start this podcast on video until episode 101 because I didn't want to do my hair. Yes. I was like, I want to just be able to have it up and not have to worry about how I look. And sometimes I don't care how I look anymore now that we're on episode 300 and something. But it's yeah, it I got over it. I got over myself.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. And you bring up such great points. So I just want to tap in on that for a second because majority of my clients are women. And even though I'm helping them with the visibility plan and really figuring out what makes the most sense of where they show up, I'm always encouraging them to get on video, right? I mean, that that's the ultimate goal is to get us on video. And that comes up a lot. I mean, even as a guy, I've always not wanted to hear the sound of my voice or to see myself on camera. But you bring up a good point. You get over it. After so many reps that you put in, you get over it and you don't even care anymore. So you will show up whether your hair is a mess or you know, you're not wearing the blazer that you thought you were gonna wear because you're now comfortable. Like all the things that we worry about in the early days, we don't care. We start showing up as ourselves, and that's a good thing. So just keep that in mind, listeners, that it's important to put in the reps. They're gonna be uncomfortable. But if you stick with it and you're consistent, you will find what works for you and what feels comfortable. And then that's what's gonna help you stand out.
SPEAKER_00:I love that. I, by the way, I do get my hair done. Uh several days usually before my recordings, but whatever. Um, because it's like I don't want to do it. Um, there's a lot of it. So um, but yeah, no, I think that that's so true because we do get over it. I still remember running from the room. I was on the news and my husband was playing it for some other people to say, look how good she did. And I was like, Oh my God, I can't listen to myself. And I ran literally ran out of the room and said, Let me know when you're done, because I can't, I can't do it. And now I listen to myself repeatedly as I edit and do things, and you do get over it. And I think one of the biggest things to keep in mind, and I went to um, I was on a webinar a long time ago, and I tell this to everybody is that there was a guest speaker, and her thing was you're just not that important to people. They really don't care. They really don't care. If you say some or you say so sometimes, it's okay. They don't care. You like that doesn't matter to them. Your message and what they're learning from you is what matters. And I think that that's really important.
SPEAKER_01:Absolutely. And on top of that, real quick too, is that the fact that you showed up because others aren't doing that. They're staying behind the screens, they're not getting in front of the camera, they're not getting on stages, you know. So when you do that, you are inspiring so many people, even if they're not liking or commenting on your post, because I know we get so caught up in social media world. Understand that you will get those messages probably through inst uh email or a direct message on Instagram every once in a great while. And you're like, what? Where have you been that whole life? Like, why haven't you talked to me about this before? So just keep showing up. It's so important, both for you and your audience.
SPEAKER_00:Uh, I think that that is so true. And again, that consistency shows people that you matter. There's just so much there. Okay. So let's jump in because we just talked about social media, right? So I want to jump in and ask, okay, people are overwhelmed by social media. There are too many things, there are too many places. I don't want to be all the places because I'm tired. Um, where's the best place to start when you're looking at being overwhelmed and trying to be all things everywhere?
SPEAKER_01:Such a great question. So, first, I should also preface that majority of my clients are established business owners. So they have built their business on referrals. They have been playing that word of mouth game, which is great. However, times have changed. So you're not broken. The system has just changed over time. And while word of mouth is great and we love those, it has been drying up for a majority of businesses. Now, why we are paying attention to that is because we want to make sure we're using online platforms like social media to help increase our visibility and to get those connections. That's when we have to figure out what are our goals and where are our audience hanging out. For example, a lot of people will jump to Instagram because they the coach, the consultant, the business owner, like Instagram because they hate Facebook. Now I get it. We have a love-hate relationship with social media in general, let alone the whole Facebook versus Instagram debate. However, what happens oftentimes more than not is Instagram, while you like it and your audience may be on it, they're not actively looking for your services on Instagram. Chances are they're doing that on Facebook, LinkedIn, Threads, and a few other places. So where you need to start when you start feeling overwhelmed with social media is go offline, get pen and paper, and write down what you are trying to do. Where's your audience? What are they looking for? Really get clear on that piece before you tie in the tech so that then you can start to follow up with which platform will serve you best and understand that video, no matter what platform we're talking about, is going to be a key player no matter where you show up.
SPEAKER_00:Okay. So I want to point something out here that I think is really important. You said start with your goals. I feel like I'm a broken record. I have had so many conversations with people, and I'm like, so what are your goals? And they're like, My marketing goals. And I was like, no, your business goals, because there's no such thing as a marketing goal. Marketing goals, like, if they're not your business goals, then we got problems. Um, and so, right? Because, but people don't always think that way, right? They're like, oh, this is cool and new. And someone told me I needed to do it, so I'm gonna do it. And it's like, does that really support your goal of what you're trying to do or where your audience is or how they're gonna interact and how they're gonna find you? And I think that that's that's so important. Let me ask you a question here. So we're talking about referrals drawing up, and referrals ebb ebb and flow and have all the time, right? So again, you're just not that important to everybody, which I think is really important to remember. So you're not always top of mind when they when someone's asking for something. And that's why a lot of business networking groups meet regularly, right? Keeps you top of mind with them. And I think that that's so important. But and that's part of what social does on reach is it keeps you top of mind with people and gets you that reach so that you can engage with them. One of the things, though, that I usually tell people is usually whatever social media you like to be on is the one that you should start with because or or focus on, because odds are it's one of the big ones and your audience is there. And then it doesn't feel as much as work, much like work. But I 100% agree with you because my channels are are mostly LinkedIn and and YouTube. But my question for you is so if I really, really, really don't like LinkedIn and Facebook and I really only like Instagram and that the rest of it's gonna feel like work, is there a way around that?
SPEAKER_01:Absolutely. So when I'm working with my clients, I always help them come up with what I call a GPS. So we look at what's the goal, what's the plan, and what's the system that we're gonna be using. And like you said, you start with one platform so you get really good at it and feel comfortable with it. And that can be as little as 15 minutes a day or 15 minutes a week, depending on how your your um system is set up. And it's all about getting comfortable with that platform and then repurposing that information into another platform, whether it's another social media channel or your email list. Let's not forget about that email newsletter, people, because that is such a hidden gem for so many. They either don't have a list set up or they don't talk to their list um ever or as often as they should. So keep that in mind that it's all about coming up with a system. You know, we think about the part about being visible. It's not just being visible, because you could post all day long and and quote, be visible, but it's uh setting up a visibility system that allows you to make marketing doable so that it doesn't feel like a chore, you're not burnt out, and you know you can spare 15 minutes, no matter how busy your schedule is, to be able to put your content out there. That's what we're looking at here.
SPEAKER_00:So let me ask you a question. Can you give me an example or define system? People all talk about systems and and I think that there's a lot of disconnect in how other people, certain people use it and stuff like that. So what do you mean by by system?
SPEAKER_01:Basically looking at your schedule for the week. Let's let's start there and look at Monday through Friday.
SPEAKER_00:Mine looks like Tetris, by the way. Yes. Gone wrong and I lost. I'm just saying.
SPEAKER_01:Exactly. Yes. So, you know, look at Monday through Friday. Typically, we're all working on the weekends. I get it, but I always try to condense it to Monday through Friday. And then you're gonna start to plan things out. So when we think about Monday, for example, Monday could be our content creation day. So, what is it that your audience needs to hear from you? So you write that down. Maybe you create a blog post out of that. Then on Tuesday, you're creating a social media post, let's say an Instagram post. And then on Wednesday, you're creating a newsletter from that blog post and that social media post, right? So you're breaking down what seems overwhelming and this big arching, gloomy cloud up here into bite-sized pieces so that that's part of your system. Now, a system also can be what tools are you using, right? You're gonna use your social media scheduling tool, you're gonna use Instagram, you're gonna use uh Riverside for for your edits and recordings. Maybe you're gonna use Cap Cut for video editing as well. You know, you can write all those things down under your system as well. So that's how you can kind of break it down for how you're gonna move forward with it.
SPEAKER_00:I love that. And one thing I want to add about what you're talking about when looking at the calendar and like your content creation day and things like that. So I follow the full focus planner. And this is definitely not sponsored. I just I live by my planner. And when I don't take it out of my backpack, or if I if I miss a few days of it, I am a hot mess. Like I totally lose focus. But anyway, my full focus planner, I love it. They have something in there called the ideal week. And I never filled it out. Like for years and years, I never filled this thing out because I was like, I don't have an ideal week. Like I can't make this work and blah, blah, blah. And my weeks aren't perfect. Okay, so just get over it. Like it's not gonna be perfect. I think that's one of the really best things to think about is yes, Mondays are your content creation day. You gotta work in a client meeting, you gotta work in a client meeting. You've got to, you know, oh, you know, you've got an opportunity to speak at a conference. So you speak at a conference. Like it's not hard and fat, like none of this is in concrete. And that took me a long time to realize. And my ideal week has been amazing all through um recently. And then my I've got a whole brand new schedule coming up in 2026. And I did not take the time um here um to to really work out what I'm what this year's looking like. And I probably should have spent more time on that. Uh, that'll be a 2027 problem. But I'll see what I can make happen from what I've what I've created so far. And it, but it really is about, it is just so much, I think, really due to um being cognizant of the fact that it's not in concrete, right? You're you're coming up with ideas and outlines of when you'll do that type of stuff and blocking time and space for it on the calendar, but it's not in concrete. And that took me a long time to adjust to that because my calendar is concrete. Like I don't reschedule, I don't miss, I don't, and that's really hard.
SPEAKER_01:Also, I was just working on my 2026 calendar, making some adjustments to it. I love starting, I should say, I hate spreadsheets, but I love starting out with a spreadsheet for my ideal week. And I break it down into things from content creation to client meetings to networking times to days off. Like all of that gets put on there. Gym, lunch, breakfast. It doesn't matter. Put everything on that schedule so that you can see where your gaps are. So that gives you more flexibility for saying yes to things or no to things. And it also really, really helps if you can start to prioritize your call days, whether that's with clients and or networking, because I promise you, it makes your life so much easier if you have specific days for the most part dedicated to those things versus I'm open 24-7, book whenever, all week long, because that creates so much chaos and you're just a chicken running with your head cut off and it's it's not fun.
SPEAKER_00:If people could find spots, my like bookable time was Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday back in 25 and 24, and that was it. And there were certain time, like I think it was 10 to four, maybe. So I definitely had like get ready in the morning time or have a meeting, you know, and I had that wrap-up time at the end of the day, because the end of the day wrap-up is probably my most important because that's when I get really set up for the next day. But again, I just such great tips. So thank you, thank you, thank you. And I can reiterate that they are all amazing because I use them and I think it's fantastic. So let's get into mistakes because everybody always wants to know all right, how can I do this better? Right. And so, what's one mistake that you're seeing entrepreneurs make um with their content and how can they fix it?
SPEAKER_01:Not having a call to action. Like there's so many different mistakes out there, but that's the first one that comes to mind is that you put so much effort, some maybe more than others, into creating, let's say, your your posts for social media. And then you just leave people hanging. It's not a good cliffhanger like from your favorite TV show where you can't wait for the next episode. It's literally you just left them hanging. There's no call to action. And so I want people to start thinking about two things when it comes to their content that they're creating. One, does it have a call to action? And two, can you start to add more storytelling to your posts? This is gonna be a big one, especially for this year. And if you don't know how to uh do the storytelling thing, because let's face it, unless that's your business, uh you might not. And that's okay. That's where you can leverage AI and have AI like ChatGBT help support you in creating storytelling posts for your special social media channel. Notice some keywords in there. I was kind of hinting without giving you guys all the details at what to piece together.
SPEAKER_00:No, I think that that's great. And yes, you have to give it the information, you have to tell it your story, or it'll make up its own. I remember we were using it to help um brainstorm this is like years ago now, um, my niece's college essays because they had to be in this storytelling format, and that's what everybody was doing. And I was like, oh my gosh, my essays look nothing like this. But it starts writing that as the light shines in on the floor from, and it was like a stained glass window, and it's like, she has no stained glass window. Like, you know, it was like the floor was not tile. Like, I don't know what the what it was making up, but it was it was a good story. Um, it just wasn't hurt. So we had to rewrite, but it gave us some good ideas.
SPEAKER_01:And that's the thing I want uh listeners to also understand is that ChatGPT, for example, it could be any AI, we'll just use it's ChatGPT for example, is a great creative partner. And I want you to still think for yourself, create your content, but when you get stuck or when you need that extra help, then you go over and use something like ChatGPT. So a real example for you is I will create, take my thoughts, write them out like I normally would, and then I will go over to Chat GPT into my chat for storytelling and ask it to reformat it in a storytelling way. It still takes my exact thoughts, my words, just reorganizes it, maybe adds a couple different words in there, but for the most part, it's exactly what I was thinking and what I wanted to communicate. It's just presented in a better format that is going to engage the reader. So that's what you want to start thinking about is how you can start applying today's tech with your efforts for being more visible online.
SPEAKER_00:And I know I'm totally like derailing like our outlined questions, but things happen sometimes. So thank you very much for rolling with me. Okay, so we're talking about AI right now. And so I do want to get your opinion on something that is AI generated video and AI avatars. What are your thoughts?
SPEAKER_01:I don't like them and I don't use them.
SPEAKER_00:Me neither, which is totally fine. And I I'm like, I love AI. I wrote a book on AI. I like, I live for AI. It saves me so much time. Um, but I don't really use it either. But go ahead. Like, what are why why not?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I love that you bring this up because especially when it comes to the videos, that's an easy out for those who don't want to be on video, right? And you might be thinking, great, I can do that. I can just go create some AI videos and just call it a day. Yeah, but it's not going to be a good look, especially in the long run. Um, when we look at AI videos, for example, sure, they they can be real good, by the way. Like these days they're getting better and better. But when somebody sees constant AI generated content, they question your expertise. They question, are you real or is this just spam? Like, what are you really selling to me? And and it's almost like, no offense to anybody who does Bitcoin, but it's almost like back when Bitcoin came around, right? Anyone that had Bitcoin in their bio or had posted about Bitcoin, automatic was scam. Like, don't talk to me, scam. Same thing with AI. And we also have to remember that we are building what we call our personal brand. And it's so important, especially in today's world of AI, to be the face of your business, to show you every so often, because that is what makes you different. That is what makes you stand out from your competitors. That's what's going to make people want to talk to you and invest in you and be able to learn from you. So don't hide behind the camera, don't hide behind AI. Leverage it for sure, but remember that it you still matter and you still need to show up. And it's going to perform better as well on social media platforms when you have your own user-generated content versus AI generated content.
SPEAKER_00:I think that that is so important. So, all right, we're not going to get through all our questions. All right, we're going to have to have you back because we're going to have to more questions because there's more important ones coming up. And and I don't want to keep you longer for those listening and watching who stop listening and watching at the 30-minute mic. Because I watch my, I watch my my data and it says you stop listening.
SPEAKER_01:And maybe today will be different. Maybe they're like, oh, we like this. Let's peak.
SPEAKER_00:Exactly. So we'll definitely have to have you back on so that we can finish talking more about this. Cause I think there's so much to share and so much information that we need to have out there because people are just not, they get overwhelmed and it doesn't take as much time as we think it does. We're actually freaking out longer than it would take us to do it. And I think that's important to know. So before I let you go, I do need to ask you the question that I ask all of my guests. And that is that this show is called Imperfect Marketing because marketing is anything but a perfect science. What has been your biggest marketing lesson learned along the way?
SPEAKER_01:One, just show up, even if it's messy. And two, if it's comes down to an offer or a product that you're selling, pre-sell it and see what comes from it, right? If we show up, we do it messy, we put it out there, and we see what that response is. Because oftentimes that's going to help us move the needle quicker than if we just sit behind the screen and do all the work. So show up, test it out, see what your reactions are, and then make your decisions from there.
SPEAKER_00:So good. Thank you so much again for joining me. I appreciate it. For those of you listening and watching, if you would rate and subscribe wherever you're at, that would really help me out. And it would help add out too. If you want to get in contact with him, be sure to check the show notes or the video description down below this. And I look forward to seeing you for another episode of Imperfect Marketing. Thanks so much and have a great rest of your day.
