Updated AF Collective
Welcome to the "Updated AF Collective," podcast where we celebrate the power and resilience of women.
Join me as we dive into inspiring stories, engage in meaningful conversations, and explore topics that empower women from all walks of life.
We believe that every woman has a unique strength within her, waiting to be unleashed.
Whether you're an entrepreneur, a leader, a creative, a caregiver, or simply on your own personal journey, this podcast is for you.
Updated AF Collective
Your Story Isn’t Broken, It’s Just Unedited With Special Guest Dhara Singh
The fastest way to lose an audience is to make them wait for the point. That’s why we brought on Dhara Singh—a former financial journalist who has helped 200+ entrepreneurs turn lived experience into magnetic brands—to show exactly how to craft a hook, shape a plot twist, and guide listeners toward action without feeling salesy. Dhara’s gift is part newsroom rigor, part human intuition: she listens like a reporter, then distills your story into repeatable assets that sell, heal, and connect.
We dig into the moments that matter most: the first 60 seconds that tell people why they should care; the emotional turning points that travel beyond biography; and the difference between a viral reel and a story that actually builds a business. Dhara breaks down her storytelling intensive—from a no-prep interview to a detective-style analysis that becomes a keynote outline, website copy, and a plug-and-play content plan. She also opens the black box on media pitching, with practical ways to land quotes in major outlets using HARO and similar platforms, even if you don’t have a big following.
If you’ve ever wondered how to balance multiple parts of your brand—author, speaker, founder, service pro—Dhara explains why people can track a multidimensional path when the narrative thread is clear. We talk borrowed stages, podcast swaps, and why the quiet power tool is your email list. Most of all, we spotlight the missing link in so much content: a strong call to action that shows people how to experience the transformation you share on stage or in a story.
Subscribe for more candid, practical conversations with builders who lead with story. If this episode gave you a new hook or a braver headline for your life, share it with a friend, leave a review, and tell us the one moment you’d use to open your next talk.
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https://www.instagram.com/itsdharasingh/
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Hey guys, welcome back to Updated AF Collective, the podcast. Today I have such a freaking special guest that we have been trying to make this happen now for like a week, I think longer, and just schedules were just like crazy. And then I got sick. And yeah, but I am so excited to have Dara Singh on. She is a former financial journalist, turned storytelling strategist and coach who has helped over 200 entrepreneurs and professionals turn their lived experiences into magnetic brands through her signature stories to sell framework. Blending her background in data-driven content, strategy, and journalism with an intuitive understanding of human emotion, Dara empowers her clients to clarify their niche, share their story, and build authentic narratives that convert. A graduate of Columbia University, so fancy journalism program. Her work has been featured in top media outlets, including Yahoo Financing, which is incredible, CNET, and Bankrate. Today, Dara helps founders and coaches craft stories not that not only sell but heal, connect, and inspire. Thank you so much for coming on update today of I appreciate you, girl.
SPEAKER_00:Well, thank you for having me. I mean, honestly, with your magnetic presence and your energy, who wouldn't want to be on your podcast? So it's just the ADHD, but thanks.
SPEAKER_01:Um no, so you and I met because you were putting on this incredible freaking workshop. And I in the the crazy thing is like the workshop that we met was through this incredible other girl that um I paid to be a part of her like network. And unfortunately, I don't always get to like join those workshops. But when I saw yours, of course, because I am in an entrepreneurial space, like I feel like every woman needs to have access to you. And so let's let's talk about stories to sales, right? And that's what your that's what your brand is called. Oh my freaking gosh, like this is incredible. Like, let's let's talk about it first. Like, how um, let's talk about you for a second. Let's go back. How did you get into journalism?
SPEAKER_00:Everything has been a series of serendipitous accidents, I would say, where I I studied finance in undergrad. I want to go work for a bank, but the people that were my role models for Oprah were Lisa Lang, like the storytellers. And I'm like, but what they do is so cool. So on one hand, you know, we all get fed the practical path, but my heart, no matter how often you try to drift away from what you truly want to do, it finds you. And so when I was sitting there, my first time at JP, the first time around, I would look at the Excel screen, I would look at the access database, and I would all I would dream about is Oprah, Lisa Ling. What would it be like to have your story on the internet? And so I quit that job after a year and a month. I became a financial journalist, had no backup, unemployed for eight months, started from scratch. Normally people go to grad school to get like an MBA, med school, like all these stable traditional paths. Yep. I came from um, like I'm a first generation American, and I came and told and was like, I'm going to masters for journalism to do this career change. And I'm sure a lot of people are like, that makes no sense. But long story short, so I became this journalist at Yahoo Finance. I honestly started living out my dreams, met super interesting people that are still part of my network till date. But, you know, as with you, as with me, we're like multi-passionate. We like to do multiple things. And I was like, but is this enough for me? Is there something else I can do? And uh so then I found a client on Upwork and slowly became the building blocks of stories to sales, where uh in other Facebook groups I met like other women who needed help with their story. Everyone was selling the same thing and no one was, you know, yeah, making the actual money. So then here I come in as a journalist. Let me help you brand yourself differently.
SPEAKER_01:Does branding come naturally to you? Because I feel like if you don't have like this like long background with all this training, I mean, at least this is what I tell myself because I'm struggling. I've been self-employed now for three years, and I'm still struggling branding myself. Like, does it just come natural to you? Is that how your brain operates where you could just like fall right into it and be like, okay, like this is what you need to do?
SPEAKER_00:I think I honestly don't think we need to try as hard. I think our story brands us ourselves. Like, it's great to have these titles and like what you do, and that's part of what I help people with too. But for me, it's like, let's dig into everything you've been through in your life. And so, in a way, because I'm sure like you you go out into the street, you meet someone, it's very easy to have a conversation, it's very easy to build a relationship for people like us. And so I would say storytelling and connecting are easy to me. And branding is just a side product of all that, yeah.
SPEAKER_01:So you you just have this like natural talent, honestly, girl. Like, I think about it and I'm like, I know storytelling is an art. Um, I know that because I was the naive girl that volunteered to go to a women's conference and speak for the first time, having no plan, thinking in my head, oh, I'm just gonna tell my story and that's that, and like everybody's gonna love it and resonate, and I'm just gonna keep getting speaking opportunities. But no, it there is an art to telling a story properly and making it like driving it home. So I feel like that's where I struggle. That's is that where you help people, like just piecing it together and crafting it, right?
SPEAKER_00:It's all about it's like you everyone, it's like you know, when you like go to the library, there's so many books, or you go to a bookstore, there's so many books. And let's be honest, it is a bit surface level where the cover kind of catches your attention. So, with like your story, it's almost like it's kind of the packaging of the story that does make a difference. At the end of the day, the people that are listening, like, are we inspiring them to do something? Are we hitting the right emotional buttons where people are really moved instead of saying, I I grew up in this town, this state, this was my career, this and that. It, you know, it's more so like tell me your the plot twist, right? Like, let me let me know. Like, did you just did you start a career, then just throw everything away when it was all perfect? And like, and then you're like, you had no backup plan, like, you know, those type of things. Except people, yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. So, but like, what is like step number one? So, like, for example, like if I'm telling you, like, okay, like I was in the military and then I was law enforcement for 10 years, and then I did just that, I like threw the whole thing away, sold my house, moved to a state, and completely started over and became self-employed. I mean, but like, I guess, like, what would be if if I was, if you were going to help me kind of craft this keynote or pitch myself for journalists, because that is a service that you also offer clients, which we will get into that too, because I want all of my listeners, a majority of my listeners are entrepreneurs, and I want them to hear what you have to offer because I wanna I want women to access you because obviously, like there is an art behind this. And if we're gonna be pitching ourselves to the media outlets, like a lot of people don't know you can do that. Um, I want to get into that, but like, what would be step number one? Would you come in with like the plot twist and then kind of unpack it?
SPEAKER_00:The beautiful thing about the storytelling intensive, which is kind of the uh number one offer I really have, and it's actually the most bite-sized one, is you come into the interview completely unprepared, nothing, because it's supposed to be an easy experience between two friends, like a coffee chat. And the way I do it is instead of diving into your story to begin with, I ask everyone who do they really want to inspire? But without forcing them, I kind of bring people in this like five to 10 minute, um not like hypnotherapy type thing, but more so like this imaginative exercise. And through that, I interview them and we work backwards in your life. And through that 90 minutes to two hours, I have that interview. And then it's almost like me being a detective now. Then I dig for the key sound bites, and then I shape it, and then I give you actional things you can copy and paste, take away, and I'm in your corner for some time. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:That's insane. Like, I feel like again, like that is such a gift and it's such an art because like I don't think my brain operates like that. I thought I could just get up there and just like rattle off an entire story, but like you actually sit there and do you um, because I know you you take on clients, like I know you help pitch clients' stories, but do you also help write? So if somebody wanted to become a speaker, and um, do you help write those keynote speeches kind of thing, just by utilizing um the story that the person tells you during the interview?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I can do that. I've done it for workshops, but I've done it for workshops, podcasts, um, like big clients too. Like, are you allowed to like talk about your bigger clients? I'm just keeping it. Um, so I can't, but um, but all like on like we're talking like huge CEOs, we're talking someone, someone who just started their business, we're talking big CEOs. The process is the same. No one gets special treatment, no one gets discriminated. It's the process framework is exactly the same.
SPEAKER_01:Are you allowed to share like what that process is? Like I said, like is there, I'm I guess I'm trying to like figure out like I guess what is like how do stories usually start when you're when you're either helping somebody write their their keynote, like how do you come in? Like, is it like the the plot twist first, or like are we I guess like yeah, the perfect storyteller tells an emotional roller coaster of a story, right? Okay.
SPEAKER_00:So the number one thing is the hook of a story. The hook ideally is not diving into the story, but we live in a time where everyone has such a short attention span. Yes. I need to know if the story is worth reading, right? Or the story is worth hearing within honestly, like the first minute. I need to know that, otherwise, I'm gonna go on my phone. Other and the only way to capture anyone's attention that first minute is usually to say some type of hook where someone can see themselves immediately in your story, even if it's not identical. Like I know you're a mom, like I'm not a mom, I'm a cat mom. But like the point the point being is that for me to be like, or you too, vice versa, like for us to be moved by each other, even though our life experiences are different. We don't need to overcomplicate it. It's just more that first minute really counts. Like, why um it could be posed as a question have you ever done this? Imagine like framing it before you like imagine you imagine you had um the shiny title, all the money in the bank, and then one day you just decide to burn it all. Would you do that? But like, you know, something to kind of frame and then you come in. Okay.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. Okay. So you're really just trying to hook the audience in with something that is going to either kind of like shock them or make them feel a certain way, like you just said, like have you ever had this incredible career or whatever, and you decided to just say fuck it and start completely over? Um, that's yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, it's a little dramatic, but if we think of like your life or my life in a Wall Street Journal article, that these headlines, the newspaper, I mean, even I know traditional media is kind of phasing out now, but if you read an uh article, the headlines are pretty like sensationalistic, right? And we look at which article we want to read based off the headline. And so if your life had a headline, would it be like built X million dollar business, lost everything to 2008 financial crisis? Like, um, these are examples of ways I frame people's stories that have gotten to speaking events that have, yeah.
SPEAKER_01:I read this one thing, and you can like tell me if it's like true or not, but like obviously I'm trying to get more involved in the speaking space. And I I remember reading this like thing, it was like on this article, and and he was like trying to teach the art of TEDx talks. And he said he was like, if you want to go viral in TEDx, like nobody's gonna really remember what you said, they're just going to remember how you felt with your words. And what is your opinion on that? Is that kind of how you base structuring your um keynotes off of? Is just trying to get like the feel versus so you said like specific words, right? That are going to yeah, kind of like make somebody feel something.
SPEAKER_00:There are many ways, yeah. The number one thing is how can I hit the right emotional buttons for the for the person's audience? Like, and sometimes it depends on the medium, right? Like, obviously, when you're doing a keynote, it's what we hear, unless you have something going on in the background. If you're on social media and you're doing like even a caption, or if you're doing something in a reel, in those moments, sometimes numbers even help. Like, for instance, I think, okay, one of my clients, her her her story pitch, and this is someone who went from zero to like winning an award for a speaking event. No, the quietest person ever in the world versus, you know. Yeah. And her thing was that she lost her, um, she suffered childhood abuse and lost her voice for 15 years. So we kind of framed it as discovering my fo voice 15 years after abuse or something like that. And um I'm not saying that everyone needs to have an equally sad story to start, but it's just how can you convey the emotions without in some ways or another with the least amount of effort? Because people have short attention spans. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:So don't over don't overthink it. Don't add too much detail. Like, are you saying just like keep it very, very basic, keep it simple, but use certain words that are going to activate certain emotions. Like it's going to trigger somebody. Whether is there any word that you would say is like completely off limits? Like, I feel like if you as long as you're getting some sort of emotion, um, you're kind of like winning, right? When you're up there speaking. But what if it's like, what if you're pissing off your audience? I don't know. Like, I feel as is that is that also a good thing?
SPEAKER_00:I mean, let's I mean, let's say you're in the I've never honestly, you know what I realized? Even let's say when I was making speeches, or if you ever like ran for a position or ran for something. When you go tell your friend a story, when you speak to an audience, it's not I I truly feel you don't have to have every single line prepared as much as kind of the outline and that guides you because that comes out naturally and that moves people. And so, yeah, if someone is Republican speaking in a crowd full of Democrats or vice versa, like some values, I could see people like, you know, depending on your audience, there may be some mismatch. But I also feel storytelling is a way to break barriers in the audience. So yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Oh my gosh. Um, okay, so really quick, like you kind of gave a little bit of a backstory, but like if somebody wanted to sign up for you, um, like what is that process like? You said you jump on a call, but like, and I know you offer different services, but oh, that's right. I, you know what I wanted to talk about was how to pitch yourself to the news outlets or reporters and stuff like that. That is what how I discovered you like through that workshop. And I was like so interested because I personally didn't know that you could do something like that. But I wouldn't do it on my own. I tried to do it on my own. I ended up DMing you like four or five times, and I'm like, I'm so freaking lost. And you're like, just book a call with me, we'll we'll figure this out. So uh let's talk about that. I don't think a lot of people know that you can actually pitch your own story.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, guys, if you ever go and read an article and you see someone with a quote there, that quote could easily come from you. And a lot of people don't realize it because I've worked in the newsrooms, hectic newsrooms, and you're juggling so many different stories at the same time. Journalists look for credible experts in a matter of convenience, right? And there's credible experts like yourself. Literally, there's these platforms you could sign for free. If you're listening to this, you may have heard of Help a Reporter Out. But because Help a Reporter Out had this brief moment where it kind of went a little dysfunctional, no offense. Now it's back, it led to many different competitors coming out of the blue. So now you have a couple different options quoted as we discussed, but there's even more. And all you guys need to do, you sign up for free, you put your email in there every day, different times of the day, depending on which what niche you check the box off, like maybe business, finance, entrepreneurship, self-care, whatever. Journalists in those categories are sending out queries. Hey, looking for expert to speak about the economy, looking for expert to speak about beauty health secrets. But the thing is, some experts have time. So, like they'll, I mean, some journalists have time, so they'll put you on an interview. Some journalists don't have time. They're just looking for someone to give some bulleted, you know, things with a small story of theirs, who they are, emailed. Yeah. Something small like that could get you into Yahoo! Finance, could get you into Wall Street Journal.
SPEAKER_01:That's insane. Like, and that's one of the services you offer, right? Like you will actively pitch your clients to these reporters, right?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. So that is included in the storytelling intensive. It all depends on the client. Some of my clients are in the very beginning stages. So for me, what I like to do, like I'm with this guy with one of my clients right now, what he's doing is we're in the very beginning of the process. He's like a three-month. Um, so he we he wrote a book, believe it or not. So he had he knows his story, but it's such a big book, right?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:And so now we're infusing that book into his branding. Like we're positioning him so by the time he does email someone, someone can look at his Instagram and see, like he is who he says he is, basically. Right. Um, but yeah, for clients who are super busy, I do it for them. That's crazy.
SPEAKER_01:So do you do you feel like um, I don't mean I attempted to try, I did it one time and I felt like it was like so complicated and confusing. Do you just recommend just having somebody help you at least for the first year till you kind of get used to talking to these reporters and reaching out and perfecting your story? I mean, I don't know what the hell I'm doing.
SPEAKER_00:I yeah, so I'm a firm believer in empowering someone. Like, okay, I know I'm a business owner and it would be like amazing if people could pay me every month for this. But for me, the way my coaching works is I'll hold your hand for like a month or so. But part of what coaching really is, right? Is you give people the tools, then you fly. And so I do hold someone's hand, but in my coaching, what I'm doing for the storytelling intensive, I'll do it for you. For the longer term coaching, you're gonna do it, and I'm gonna do it alongside you. So it's like you have double the chance.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. So it's like you're the training wheels, like you're guiding the client into being able to eventually become self-sufficient, like fly away, little birdie, like you said.
SPEAKER_00:And that's like, and so, and then obviously if people are super busy, like CEOs, you know, like who just don't have 20 that much time in a day, just the service they're looking for is can I just delegate this? Then I'll do it. But it depends on what someone is looking for.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. Yeah. That makes a lot of sense. So it's like if they need somebody that's just going to be their person, like their go-to person that's gonna be actively doing that. That that makes a lot of sense. But for somebody like me, um, how would that work if I had a book that was up and coming and I wanted to start speaking on stages? I mean, because I'm selfishly also, guys, listen to my listeners, like I'm I'm actually like hopefully, like hoping to work with you. So I'm selfishly like gonna ask you questions for my own health. And then if any other listeners have their own questions, you guys can slide into her DMs. But like, how I guess like if I told you, I was like, hey girl, like I really want to start speaking on more stages. Can you help me write this this keynote and pitch me to some reporters? I guess. I don't know. How does all that work?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, so for someone like you, I would kind of do 30 days, I think. I don't, I think you have enough tools in your toolkit and with the brand you already have. I don't think you need three months, but I also don't think just a one or two week experience is gonna cut it. Yeah. Um, but for someone like you, honestly, it wouldn't be one of the longer term things. It would be I'm I need to read your book, right? I'm gonna read your book, but before I read your book, I'm gonna interview myself. Complete blank slate. And then what's gonna happen is I'm gonna combine the insights for our interview and your book, and then I'll write your keynote that way, and then I'll pitch you. But this way, so it's like unbiased, where I don't know anything about you besides like military veteran and speaker and real estate and like the things that I've picked up on and being a mom, but I with all my clients, I purposely don't dig too much into them. Yeah, because there's magic in an unbiased slate. Absolutely.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah is it important to have like a good uh presence on social media if somebody was going to start doing things like this or working with you, I guess. Um, is it important to be seen on Instagram and LinkedIn?
SPEAKER_00:You know what's funny? People will tell you otherwise. I think it's important to have somewhat of a presence. And obviously, the more followers you have, great. But I don't have the hugest following. And I got selected to speak at the UN affiliated org. I got nj.com, um, and like some other things here and there. But like the truth is, like, you never know who's watching. Like I have celebrities from like India, like influencing I don't even know where these people came from and who's watching. I was just doing my thing. But when I look at all the clients, some people have big followings, but some people who actually won the awards and created the most impact, no one they had like less than 500 followers. Because if we keep like, I think everyone should do what they want in terms of growing their platform, but I don't think that in per that perfectionism should stop us from throwing ourselves into these opportunities.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. So just because you don't have like a hundred thousand followers, like it doesn't mean that you don't have a good story to tell. It doesn't mean that you're not doing well in your business. I don't think it correlates with your success either. Like I feel like it took me a long time to just even get to the 7,000 number. And you know, it's crazy is I have a writing coach and I have people helping me with a book and everything. And and I hate to say it, but like all those women that are helping me, like some of them are 10 times best-selling authors and they have like a million followers and things like that. But they always say, like, and I'm hearing it from them that it does require like this entire following for your book to do well and for you know, literary agents to be reaching out to you if you wanted to go traditional publishing. And I'm just like, and and then I hear women like you, I have coaches that are saying, like, no, it doesn't matter. And like, you know, the the girl that you and I met through, um, she doesn't have yeah, she doesn't have a huge following, but she's fucking killing it. I don't think there's a correlation between a huge following and your success.
SPEAKER_00:Like, you can build a multi-six-figure business with less than even 5,000 followers. Yeah. Um, I I obviously like I'm speaking from experience, but here's a hack. A hack is you can borrow someone else's stage too, right? You can create partnerships. That's what I did starting out. I was kind of blessed that I was really blessed that when I re I restarted my brand, actually. I was trying to do life coaching, it didn't take off.
SPEAKER_01:But well, this you found your niche, girl. You found it. Yeah, you found your passion.
SPEAKER_00:So 20 posts in, this influencer, 100k followers, just sees me and she's like, wait, I wanna be your client. I want to learn what you do so I could teach my audience. So we try that, but then obviously she's super busy. So she's like, you know what? I I don't have a lot of time right now. I'm just gonna send everyone to you. So it's like you can or you can go on a physical stage, you can sell clothes and room so many different ways.
SPEAKER_01:So yeah, I mean, going on other people's podcasts, like you said, borrowing other people's stages. I I look at other people's podcasts as a stage. I feel like all the girls, I I know women all around the world. I I am so blessed to even have my podcast because that's how I've met women from literally all the continents and countries. Um, and they sometimes have podcasts too. And so, like, we're just exchanging stages. And, you know, like I get to showcase how amazing that woman is, like you, and then I go on their podcast and they kind of do the same thing. It's like there's no excuse, I feel like, for the woman who is like wanting to start a business or wanting to speak or pitch themselves to to news outlets and things like that. I mean, get on people's podcasts, get on other people's platforms and stages. I feel like it's so easy. I feel like that's I mean, that's the probably the easiest way to grow your audience, right?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, to honestly referrals to get a shout out, um, to be on someone's podcast. And I like what you said because the way you said it, it's like everyone can win together.
unknown:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:We literally can all win together.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. I don't believe in the competition thing. Like it's so crazy. Like, because I work in real estate because that's literally what pays the bills up until until I get picked up with a network one day uh for the podcast.
SPEAKER_00:But or when you said that, I was like picturing those real estate shows on TV.
SPEAKER_01:Oh my god, everybody says they're like, You're gonna eventually get on HD TV. And I'm like, but I just want to be on stages. I want it my ultimate goals to get paid to network. I want to get paid to network, I want to speak at women's conferences, I want, I want to be a writer. And so, but it but real estate is like my primary. And you know what's so crazy is I collaborate with women in my own market. I don't believe in scarcity. I don't believe that there's not enough to go around. I will literally send business to a girl who sells real estate in the town over because one, I don't have, I don't, sometimes I don't have the time. Um, and then two, like I don't, I don't believe in that. Like, there's not enough to go around. And I mean, I've showcased other real estate agents in my listing videos on my Instagram. Like, I don't fucking care. I want everybody to win and I want people to come with me.
SPEAKER_00:Um, your energy, like when I met you for the first time, your energy does say that. And I truly think, like, I truly think if you embody that it will come to you too. And it's just like I love that. And I also got chills because forget, like, yeah, you can pitch yourself to stages, but I could see I I did a networking membership before I've done these things, but I can see you creating a conference, yeah. Oh gosh, I no, I'm like, yeah, I can see you speaking, but I'm like, you could be the one to just create something.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. I got a speaking coach and I love her. Like, she's absolutely amazing. And she said the same thing. She was like, because my book is called Failure to Stop. And she was like, oh my gosh, she's like, say that again. And I was like, okay. And she's like, okay, what do you want to do with this outside of the book? And I was like, I guess I haven't thought about that. She was like, This is a fucking conference. She's like, this is a woman's conference. She was like, when you said that, she was like, I can see you bringing women from all over the world together and labeling it failure to stop. And I'm like, I never thought about that. But like, this is why we have amazing women like you in our lives. Because like, I would have never thought that would ever be a thing outside of just being a freaking book. So yeah.
SPEAKER_00:You had two people randomly just tell you that. Yeah. That's bananas.
SPEAKER_01:The sign. I know. I do believe in signs. Um, I've been having like incredible signs like the last couple of weeks. So like I do believe in science. So um, yeah, no, that's freaking crazy. That's incredible. Like, I'm trying to think, like, so do you have like different pricing? Because again, I want I want everybody to have access to you. And so, like, is there different pricing packages? So, if if I if I decided on like girl, I personally need you for three months or whatever. Um, because I'm sure you personalize these packages per client.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, let's talk about that. Exactly. So honestly, some people I am pretty transparent about my pricing. Um sometimes like I think it's on the website, but if it's not, I'm happy to share here. So the storytelling intensive is the two-week package. Okay. Is uh it's just under$2,000. Um honestly, depending on what someone's going through in life, I honor that. So I even start at$1,500. Um, in this uh the smallest package, you get the life interview. You get that analysis of me being that investigative journalist into your life. Love it. Yeah. And then you literally get so many notes divided by categories of this analysis where it's like, all right, here's your 14-day storytelling content plan, not just ideas, but here are the actual stories. Here's a copy and paste story you can put on your website. This is what you're gonna say in emails to pitches. And you can obviously tweak anything because you're the CEO, but you don't you walk away with a good amount of value. Um, it's organized. And then I don't just abandon you there, even in my smallest package because I'm like, no more, you're good.
SPEAKER_01:Fly away.
SPEAKER_00:Once you're once you get all that, I am there if you have questions. Basically, it's not like all right, here you go, and whatever. If you have questions, let's talk about it. I love that. And then things things go up after that. Like you want to do 30 days. I mean, yeah, a month. It's just, you know, you can do the math there. And then three months, it's longer term. It starts at six.
SPEAKER_01:I love it. So, regardless of like even if you got the like two-week, which is like the smallest amount of time, you're still walking away with an entire skeletal outline of um things to post. I mean, branding material. Yeah, you're not like, I feel like the last three years before I met you and before I had like my coaches and stuff that are helping me with the different like things that I have going on. I feel like it's just been shooting darts in the dark. Like, I don't know what the hell I'm doing. Like when I tell you I thought I was just gonna go into this and jump on a stage, tell my story, and that would be that. That doesn't, it's not a thing, guys. Like, if you're listening, get some fucking help. Like, that is not a thing. You're going to embarrass yourself, you're gonna have blank stares in the audience. Like, it was so bad, girl. Like, when I tell you, like I look back and I'm like, I should have fucking got help.
SPEAKER_00:Um it's not you did, but hey, you did something most people are scared of doing, right? So you're I know, but like I was so confident when I went up there and I was like, oh, this isn't going well. Like the who knows? Some people also have poker faces, but I know someone like me, like when I'm out in public, sometimes if I'm focused, I look a lot like serious, but then inside I'll be thinking things like, oh my god, you know, like the it'll be so I mean this is so inspiring, right? Like to everyone listening, and like obviously this is inspiring to me as well, which honestly just taking that raw action just puts you ahead of so many people, and so um, but yeah, I you know what what I tell some of my clients in this I've had people a lot of my clients have way more followers than me, and the one thing they it makes me I'm just kind of like when they get so many viral reels, I'm like, but why is there no CTA on here? Why is there no like let's you know monetize the call to action?
SPEAKER_01:Oh, we gotta unpack that for a second because a lot of people don't do that, including me.
SPEAKER_00:Well, okay, yeah, it's like, yeah, through curiosity, someone can click on your link. But um I want to bring this point home to speaking at the event. When I coach, when I do speaking, like when I do workshops, whatever, it's the what is the end goal for all of us to create like a connection, to create influence, to as business owners. Yeah, do we wish that our aligned clients can come out of this room we're speaking in? Yeah, we do. But if we say this story and we don't say if you want my transformation, this is how you can get it. Like, yeah, some people come, okay, like how can work with you, but some people are very silent observers, and you need to guide them from your story to how they can get some of that success for themselves.
SPEAKER_01:So for me, oh I didn't mean to cut you off, girl. I'm so sorry. So, like, what would somebody like me like who doesn't I'm not I'm not a coach or anything? And I guess like when the book does come out, I guess I could, you know, make that my call to action is like buy my book or whatever. But like what what would be my like how do you find your call to action if you are not a coach or anything else?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, exactly. I think if you're a business owner, you obviously need an email list. I put a lot of emphasis on my email list. Um your book is you're in such an amazing spot because you haven't officially published your book. Is that correct? You're right. Yeah, it's still in the works, yeah. Yeah, please obviously link your social, because I'm saying it like I wrote a book. Um, obviously it was just for fun. But when I look back and something with my client who he wrote a book, some mistakes are like you want to include your social media. But I think one of the most wonderful things you can do at these speaking events, it's like, hey guys, uh you can buy my book. I also have an empowering newsletter that I'm gonna send out once a month, once a week, whatever. Get their emails because then it doesn't matter what like you can decide what you want to sell bigger package, why whatever you're gonna end up doing, maybe you're gonna write another book, whatever you want, or you're gonna speak at a conference in their area, you're gonna have a book tour. Um, that comes later, but the email list is just it's amazing.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, there's like gold in your email list. Like I know that just from selling real estate. Yeah, I have a CRM for real estate, and I do understand like you need to be working that list. Like, you know, like the first couple of years that I jumped into real estate, like I left law enforcement, went right into it. And the one thing that every real estate agent, like every successful real estate agent was saying is like, there's gold in your CRM. Like you need to be going through that every day, if not like a couple times a week, going through that and touching like digitally or virtually touching every single person, like as much as you can, sending out the newsletters and emails. And I think that's actually like a freaking brilliant idea because even though I'm not the book isn't out yet, I still need to create buzz around it, is what you're saying, as well as having access to these people for future um ticket sales, I mean, at conferences. I mean, isn't that people that's why people hire speakers is because they think they're going to have a big enough audience to bring in uh more people to buy tickets, right? So wow.
SPEAKER_00:And if if you if real estate is gonna be growing alongside your, I'm sure it's already an amazing spot, but like if real estate is gonna be for the remainder of your life, if that's also gonna be such an important part, I think this is amazing. Where maybe you don't need to reinvent the wheel now. Maybe it's like even at the bottom of every real estate email, it's like meet your meet your, you know, yeah, like meet meet Megan.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:That's crazy. Cause like everybody is like, when I first started doing the podcast and everything, like I branded myself as real estate agent. And I mean, eventually I do want it to phase out. Like, I really do want to go all in. And this year, 2025 has been the year I went all in with the book and the speaking. That's why I got coaches to help me because I was like, you know what, I'm gonna slow down because as much I love doing real estate stuff, but I love this other stuff more. And I'm like, that's the direction I want my life to go. But everybody said, especially when I started the podcast, all these like top-producing agents were like, you are gonna confuse your clients because I have a lot of clients that follow me on social media, and they're like, You're gonna confuse them. Like, who are you? What are you doing? Now all of a sudden you're a podcaster, now all of a sudden you're an author. And so, like, I took it as gospel and I like cleansed my Instagram of like, I don't do this anymore, but I was not cross promoting the podcast or like my book. Now, you know what? Like, as of May of this year, I was like, fuck it, like I don't care. Like, I'm multidimensional, eventually I will phase away from real estate, and my clients will fucking figure out. They're adults, they're gonna figure it out, all will be fine.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, people are smarter than we give them credit for. Yeah, like I think, yeah, because you know, we go through the school system and it's almost a funny thing that happens where when we get older, it's like we hear an opposite message of like dumb it down, dumb it down. And it's like, no, we're smart people, like yeah, people are smart, yeah. Um some people have two, three niches, like you know, like they make it work.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Um, but obviously, you know, trusting your gut, but yeah, like for someone who has a book, or someone who doesn't have a book, if you're listening to this, the fundamental block is a storytelling intensive. It's the number one, like best-selling thing. It started late November 2019. Every like nothing that will never go away because that's the one thing that gives, I think, the most it's a foundational. Yeah. Perfect.
SPEAKER_01:And for anybody listening that wants to like have access to you, and don't and I will have like all of your links in this in the show notes and everything too, but like it what is the best way for somebody to get a hold of you? DM you through Instagram, email me, email you what what is what is the best route?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, honestly, I'm pretty person like personal, like in the sense that if you message me, we'll be like friends. I a lot of people go on my Instagram. It's Dara Singh, I-T-S-D-H-A-R-A-S-I-N-G-H. You could DM me. I also have a calendar link. You can or you can do my email, which is info at story by thara.com. But I find that the most effective thing is just shoot me a DM. We'll talk. If you just want to cut to the chase, just schedule, schedule um a free discovery call so we can see each other and we could, you know, it's it's another level of connection that way. So yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. Anybody that's listening, like I said, like primarily most of my listeners are entrepreneurs, and we're all just kind of figuring it out together. So, like, you guys, like she put on this workshop through Liz Roberta. A lot of people obviously know she has a very successful podcast. Like, you it it was incredible. Like, do you do you have anything that you send to the listeners about like I guess like do you do all these workshops if somebody wanted to like jump on one of the workshops, like how I met you? Like, is that even an option? Because that was that was incredible. That was such a great class.
SPEAKER_00:The beautiful thing is I got a recording from Liz of the workshop. Oh, that's perfect. And I I'm gonna sell it uh very low ticket just to my email list, just for everyone to get anything that was discussed there. It's actionable things too. It's not a whole bunch of fluff. You some of the websites we discussed today are in there and how you can get started. Um and that so honestly, if you join my email list, like you'll that's coming out this month. Okay, that's a good way.
SPEAKER_01:Um great, that was a great workshop, and I'm so glad that she gave you the recording of that so that you could utilize it. And I mean, you girl, like make some content with it. I mean be seen. What's literally what we've been talking about being seen on social media, and yeah, no, it just it was so good because again, like I learned a lot. Like I did not know that you could pitch yourself to reporters, and that was incredible.
SPEAKER_00:So yeah, I um yeah, this is a season where I'm like I'm actually launching my own video like podcast in January. So I've been just batch recording all the episodes with former clients with connections, and I would love for you to be on there too. And then um, once it launches in January, it isn't stopping and just checking off some other goals per each month. So, but um, I know next year it'll be more smooth sailing.
SPEAKER_01:Yay! Oh girl, I cannot wait. Are you allowed to share the title of it or is everything just like tight-lipped right now?
SPEAKER_00:No, it's literally the brand, it's the stories to sales podcast. That's my like brand name. And so I've been coaching for a long time, but I never put like that formal packaging on everything. So I think the podcast will be great to marry the elements and yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Well, it also offers some free resources for people who are either they can't quite yet go all in on what they want to do, or they're curious, or they still haven't taken the step forward to, you know, start branding themselves and their in their upcoming businesses. Like, I feel like having some sort of free resource and access to you is like perfect for a lot of people who are still on the fence or are just trying to learn more about you and your personality, you know what I mean?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I think yeah, that's why I was like, I the podcast this year there was like so much going on, but then I was like, you know what? I need to at least get started with recording the episodes. And so because I realized something, it's like all the storytelling intensives, like what happens behind the scenes, if people can even get a glimpse of that through the podcast and the way questions are asked. I think it'll just it's the most, it's the best window into what's actually done. So yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Well, I appreciate you girls so so much. And thank you for finally being able to come on updated AF because like you and I have been playing phone tag forever, but like I got sick and then your schedule got busy. So I finally like I'm just so happy that I that I got you here. And I can't thank you enough so much. And like I feel like you put out so much information in just the short period of time, and I really do hope that like people who are listening to this just find their way to you because you guys like you are an incredible resource, Dara. Like, I feel like everybody needs to at least try to just DM you, see how they can work with you, and I feel like yeah I don't know, you can help so many people because yeah, I learned a lot just by watching your workshop.
SPEAKER_00:No, I I really appreciate that. Thank you honestly for having me on. It just felt like talking to a friend and like I know just you know, just relaxing that way. Um, one thing I'll just leave the listeners with is in a sea of millions of storytelling coaches, don't think of me as a marketer as much as a journalist because I'm interested in your life first, and then we use it as a tool for marketing. So yeah. I love it.
SPEAKER_01:I absolutely love it. You're incredible. I just I just like being next to you, like even if it's virtual.
SPEAKER_00:So I get sometimes that or like oh different places.
SPEAKER_01:I know. So all right, girl. Well, thank you so much for coming on. I appreciate you so much. And we definitely need to have you back on. Like, I feel like this is gonna be one of a couple others, especially after your podcast launches. I feel like that's gonna be a whole nother topic later on. We're gonna have to come back on and have you talk about the podcast.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, that it's a lot of stuff happening behind the scenes. And today is actually gonna be it's supposed to be the last recording of season one, but just gonna launch, but we'll squeeze you in too. Awesome.
SPEAKER_01:I appreciate you, girl. Thank you so much.
unknown:Thank you.
