We Gave Founders 5 Minutes of PR Advice – Here's What They Needed to Hear

From early-stage startups to seven-figure brands, every founder is asking the same questions: How do I grow? Where is my audience? What actually works in PR today? 

In this SXSW special, we answer those questions in real time – giving founders just 5 minutes each to unlock smarter, more strategic approaches to visibility, storytelling, and growth. From scaling beyond referrals to refining your brand identity and finding the right rooms, these rapid-fire conversations reveal the patterns, mistakes, and opportunities shaping modern business today. 

Whether you’re just starting out or looking to level up, consider this your fast-track guide to modern PR. This episode is packed with actionable insights you can apply immediately. 

New podcast episodes drop every Wednesday, hosted by Cris Gordon, Head of Beauty at MMC.  

🎙️ Subscribe on Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube 

👍 Follow @Brandidly_Speaking on Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok and MMC on Instagram and LinkedIn. 

📲 We'd love to hear from you: hello@hellommc.com 

Transcript

SPEAKER_05 0:00

We actually offered free PR advice for five minutes to every attendee at the Freedom Cultivate Summit. It doesn't really matter what stage that you're at. You could be making soap in your kitchen, you could be exiting to a large conglomerate, or you could be a billion-dollar brand. And a lot of the same questions continue to arise. What does it actually mean to build community?

SPEAKER_07 0:21

We're really only leveraging Instagram, and I would like to leverage more of the platforms and do more collaboration because our clientele is on the higher end. Okay. So you need to find your community where they are at that point.

SPEAKER_06 0:35

We have an artist, I'm a storyteller, and so I'm like, I want to infuse more art and more story into it, and rather than like turning out content.

SPEAKER_05 0:44

Go to them first in order for them to come to you. You're showing that you're everywhere, and people are going to be looking for the things that you're doing in the community, and then they're going to be searching to find you. It's a brand new day, you know what that means. It's time for another episode of Brandedly Speaking with your host, moi, Chris Gordon. Today we do something different because we're on the ground at South by Southwest and we are interviewing not just one, not just two, but many, many founders and executives who are building their business from the ground up. What I love about what we did here was we actually offered free PR advice for five minutes to every attendee of the Create and Cultivate Summit. And it was so much fun to understand what people really needed to know about building their brand, getting more visibility, or how to show up in today's modern world. Because we know that the market has changed. Whether you're in beauty, wellness, healthcare, lifestyle brand, a fashion brand, the consumer is getting smarter. They want to connect with brands in different ways. It doesn't matter if you're a startup brand or you're a big legacy brand, we all have to continue to reshape how we think about visibility. And we had so much fun interviewing people for five minutes, one by one, to really understand what they need to do in their business. What I will say is that the best part about leaving this type of environment was the fact that we also learned. We learned about what the consumer wants to. We learned about the biggest pain points from brands. And at MMC we talk a lot about earn first impact. But what does that actually look like when you're building your brand from the ground up and when you're really in the trenches? It was also really interesting to see how some of the questions are universal. It doesn't really matter what stage that you're at. You could be making soap in your kitchen, you could be exiting to a large conglomerate, or you could be a billion-dollar brand. And a lot of the same questions continue to arise. What does it actually mean to build community? How are we tapping into community in an authentic way? And what are the brands that are winning really doing? This is where you're gonna see us give quick on-the-fly advice so that people can really build their brand today. I'm so excited for you to give it a listen.

SPEAKER_07 2:57

So, tell me your name and tell me the name of your business. Yes, my name is Lindsay Crowell, and our business is called Embody Fitness, and we're located here in Austin, Texas. All right, wonderful.

SPEAKER_05 3:07

Well, I'm Chris Gordon, I'm a PR expert, I'm the head of beauty at MMC and chief brand officer, and I'm gonna give you advice in the next couple of minutes. Tell me some of your biggest challenges in the business. Is it visibility? Is it scale? What are you kind of going through right now?

SPEAKER_07 3:21

Yeah, so right now I would say our biggest struggle in regards to marketing or lead generation, a couple of things. One is like we're really only leveraging Instagram, and I would like to leverage more of the platforms and do more collaboration because our clientele is on the higher end. Um, women, typically like CEOs or C-suite executives, um, business owners who are moms, super busy, who have disposable income and want to do personal training. Okay. So it's a premium service. Uh, and so really we're just doing Instagram, but I'm like, I don't feel like all of those individuals are living there. Yeah. Where do you think that they're living the most? Where do you feel like your community is? You know, it's so interesting. As an entrepreneur and I'm on myself, I don't live on Instagram as much, and I'm just so busy, you know, word of mouth, referrals. Um, that's kind of where I get where I select services. Okay, so you need to find your community where they are, essentially.

SPEAKER_05 4:22

Yeah. And what you can do is you can borrow from community. Obviously, in the world of PR, we talk a lot about the importance of building a community and nurturing that space. You already have your own, obviously, but you want to be able to expand it and broaden it, especially for visibility purposes. So I think there's a lot of opportunity. Do you have one location? You have multiple.

SPEAKER_07 4:40

So we have one location, and I'm actually thinking about like what is that next step as well.

SPEAKER_05 4:46

Okay, great. So this could actually be a natural segue into that next step. So what you'd want to do is continue to do a lot of local events, but also borrow off of local communities. You're here today at Creighton Cultivate. That's a great first step. And then tap into any of the local chambers, any of the local mom groups. I don't know if there's a mom group where they meet. I know that that's earlier, like usually like postpartum ages, but what you can do is try to find the right network pockets in your local area and then nurture that community. So I would offer free fitness classes, free personal training. Go to them first. Okay. Go to them first in order for them to come to you. Okay. And then utilize that for social content. Now you're showing that you're everywhere, and people are going to be looking for the things that you're doing in the community, and then they're going to be searching to find you. So even if they're not necessarily just living on Instagram, they're maybe out in the world going and shopping and doing all the things that these specific women that you're looking for are doing. Yeah. And so I would say once you kind of find those pockets, you go, you pop up. Do you have services that you could do that are like really cool and transformative? Well, with the personal training, yes. So is it like a specific thing that you could maybe like bundle up a package and go and do this and like pop up all over? Is there like a s I would have like a signature thing that you do that you are known for? Yeah. That then people go and then they're calling your location asking for that signature thing. Yeah. So I would say like borrowing visibility from these places, taking all the content, and then partnering with local news stations. Okay. Have them meet you at these pop-ups. Oh, that's right. And then they're talking about what you're doing, talking about the business, talking about the one location, but now it seems like you're everywhere. You're also going to be able to figure out where your community want you next. Right. And so it's like a little case study.

SPEAKER_07 6:29

So that's exactly kind of where like my mind is thinking right now because I don't necessarily want to do a second location. If anything, I would like to stay and get bigger. But I do want to expand our product offering and offer something like online, or maybe like so you test it with the community.

SPEAKER_05 6:45

Exactly. So I would test those little things out with community all over the place and see where people want it and what resonates the most. I would make maybe three special packages that you do and you pop up at each of these places. You leverage that on social, get a content creator to come and make sure that they're taking all the content, putting that on social, putting it in the news, and then just see what your audience wants, right? The best thing that you can do for your growing business is make sure that you're listening to your customer or your potential customer. That's gonna grow your visibility, it's gonna create a really deep connection with them, and it's gonna build your community really authentically, which is so important now. So doing things like you're doing today is really important. Putting yourself out there, coming here, talking to me, um, is all really important because it means that you want to grow your business, and I'm really proud of you for that. Oh, thank you. That's awesome. Um, so again, say the name of your business and your location again for everyone that's watching.

SPEAKER_07 7:36

Of course. Lindsay, I own Embody Fitness in North Austin, Texas. And we specialize in strength and conditioning for women. Wonderful. All right. Well, I am very, very proud of you, and it's so nice to meet you.

SPEAKER_05 7:50

Nice to meet you as well. Amazing. I think we've got oh, that was perfect.

SPEAKER_07 7:55

Look, you practice.

SPEAKER_05 7:58

Okay, say your name and your business.

SPEAKER_02 8:01

My name is Mona Tollison and I own MCT Marketing.

SPEAKER_05 8:04

MCT Marketing, so agency.

SPEAKER_02 8:06

Yes, it's an agency, but we are specialized in social media management and growth and digital ads.

SPEAKER_05 8:12

Okay, so it's service-based industry, that is my specialty. Yes. All right, so where are you at in your business right now?

SPEAKER_02 8:18

What challenges are you facing? Sure. So we are a seven-figure business. Um, we work with all sorts of industries. Um, I would say automotive, health and wellness, um, real estate, those are our big ones. Um, I would say I have a 10 uh 10 all-women team. I would say that. And how long have you been in business? Um, about six, seven years. Okay. Yeah. I did it on the side for a while and then kind of got too big for me. Did it grow from word of mouth? Yes. So we are all referral-based. Okay. Um, so we're kind of looking for that next step of growth, whether that is, you know, PR, um, lead generation company, um, or just kind of expanding our network. That's why we're at Create and Cultivate. Yeah, I love it. Um, so yeah, that's just a little bit about us.

SPEAKER_05 9:03

Okay, wonderful. All right, well, I want to ask you, so you're thinking about your next step, you're thinking about what that means. I think that like whether it's investing, and we always say like the what is it, the shoemakers' kids don't have shoes. Like we have these service-based businesses, and we're so good at doing it for other people, but the second that we have to do it for ourselves, yes, our stuff takes a back seat. So it's very, very normal. But it's good that you're starting to think about it because it's really important to do that work. Are you the only founder?

SPEAKER_02 9:28

Are there other executives in the company? Yes, I'm the only founder, and I have like a small executive team, but most I'm doing most of the decision making right now. Okay, are you doing any speaking gigs, any panels, any visibility opportunities? Um, mostly in northern Colorado. So uh we just got voted best marketing agency in northern Colorado um for 2025. Amazing, congratulations. Thank you. So it's great. Um, we got put on the cover of a magazine last year in Colorado as well. So those are the only types of engagements I've been a part of. And it's only local based, so it's only Colorado based.

SPEAKER_05 10:02

Okay, so we have to pour gasoline on the fire at this point because for you to expand, what needs to happen is you need to understand your leadership team and say, okay, is it gonna be myself where thought leadership is gonna be leveraged? Am I going to maybe have some of my executives also go out and do whether it's networking things like this? So it's great that you're already starting. But your goal should also then be instead of that networking one-to-one, try that one-to-many approach in order to continue to scale your business. I know because I had an agency for a long time, and that scale is like the inflection point. And in order to really scale out of mass, you need to start to sell one-to-many referrals if they're already such a big part of your business. Then you know that that opportunity to get referrals in a bigger way is going to be what's next for your business. For sure. Um are there industries that you love the most that you work with that are kind of like your ideal client?

SPEAKER_02 10:51

Sure. So uh we have a couple ideal clients, but I would say the industries that we love the most are ones that are founded by women and thanks. That are founded by women and um just have like woman-based teams. Um but on the other hand, our biggest clients are automotive dealerships because we crack that market when it comes to marketing. Um, so it's hard because you know, we love working with women-owned businesses, but also we're really good at something.

SPEAKER_05 11:19

Yeah, and like one thing, you know, kind of keeps the ship afloat, and the other thing kind of like gives that like passion. So you have a balance of both, and I think that that's okay. That's always gonna be healthy. Here's what I would do if I were you. I would identify the exact target audiences that you want. I would map out for the next year starting now, what is it, March? March 15th. I want you to look at for the next year, where are these places that we could go, whether it's local, whether it's national. Sure. Can I go to five places, attend them with your team, get to know who's booking the speakers, and then try to get booked for the next thing, but go exactly where your customer is. Okay. And then narrow in on your elevator pitch, your UVP, what makes your agency super different? Practice, practice, practice, and then go on stage and say it consistently every single time. Whether you have one claim to fame, a case study that's super cool, what is making people obsessed with your service, and why are you a thought leader in the space? So, really positioning yourself as a thought leader, take a little of your own medicine because we all need to. You know, we love our clients, so we over-service them and we give them everything and we forget about ourselves. Yes, for sure. Mona, you need to step out, continue to be in front of the camera, continue to grow your presence, have some of your executives divide and conquer. Yes, right? Maybe they can go and they can attend certain things locally and you can do the national stuff, right? Like if you're at Crank and Cultivate today, there's no saying that you can't be speaking at Crank and Cultivate in a few months. Sure. That's why I say map it out and have a very clear picture of where you want to be strategically and tell yourself, okay, you know what? I'm gonna take the next year and I'm gonna go really hard. Yeah, with the goal of scale, sure. In mind, consistently. Yeah. All right. Consistently. Thank you so much. You're welcome. It's so nice meeting you. I'm sure I'll see you again. Yes, I can't wait.

unknown 13:06

All right, let's go.

SPEAKER_03 13:07

All right, Danielle Gertner, and I'm a speaker and MC, and I run Warrior Women ATX. It's the largest workout community led by Women for Women in Austin. Oh, amazing. Okay, so you're local. That's amazing. I am local. Um, yes. So I what I would love to talk about is speaking and MCing because I travel the world right now MCing, but I want to take it to the next level. Okay. So I'm gonna put this out there between me and you. My dream is to MC this conference next year, this summer. All right. Yeah, just putting it out there, planting the seeds, bringing the energy.

SPEAKER_05 13:37

I gotta bring the energy. You know, two years ago I said I'm gonna speak at Creighton Cultivate in Austin, and last year I spoke. Here you are. You gotta put the energy out there, you gotta manifest it.

SPEAKER_03 13:45

So okay, I love it. So I'm just um yeah, I would love to hear your advice on how to elevate my speaking and MCing brand to reach audiences like this on a bigger scale. So I have a couple questions for you. First off, do you have a sizzle reel?

SPEAKER_05 13:59

I do, and I'm in the process of making a new one. Okay, great. So I was gonna say update your sizzle reel, make sure that it really speaks to you. What is the thing that makes you different when you MC? Because I'm a I'm a professional media trainer and I help a lot of women figure out like their body language, their presence, their vibe when they're speaking when they're on stage. But there's always kind of like a uniqueness that everybody brings, especially in an MC role. I just MC'd something two weeks ago, and oh my god, it's a lot of work. It is a lot of work. A lot of work, yeah. So I commend you for that. But what's kind of your vibe? How do you show up? What makes you feel your best when you're on stage?

SPEAKER_03 14:30

So I'm sassy. I'm sassy, and I think something that makes me unique unique. We love some sassy triple fire, baby. Yes. But something I think that makes me unique as an MC is I am really great about bridging the audience to what's happening on stage. So I MC the fastest growing fitness race in the world. It's called Hyrocks. I travel with them all over North America. So I'm hyping up tens of thousands of people in one weekend, and I just have it it's a natural gift to just be able to read a room to kind of read the energy and know when something needs to be taken up a notch, when something needs to be taken down. And bringing that and combining that with the SAS feel like makes me really, really unique. And I am always dancing. I was in that line, dancing.

SPEAKER_05 15:13

Shaking my butt, dancing, just having a good time, good energy. Yep. It's so, so important. And I feel like for you, especially because you have such a vivacious energy, leaning into that whenever you're networking or whenever you're trying to get that next gig that is your dream gig is gonna be your superpower. So here's what I would say. First off, just like you said that I'd want to speak and be the MC at a Create and Cultivate, make a full list of all of your dream opportunities that you would have. I think that the thing that we often forget is like to actually script it, write it down, plan it, and be able to understand okay, when are they actually happening? What time of year? Where are they? Am I traveling? Am I maybe going to one of the high rocks competitions and what one of those things might be in a city? Is there something adjacent? Because how many, how many speaking gigs do you do like a month or a quarter?

SPEAKER_03 16:01

Um probably including high rocks, uh, easily five a month. Okay, wow. Wow. I mean, I've got a lot of experience. I just want to take it up on the side. You want to go to different stages, yes.

SPEAKER_05 16:12

Okay, so what I would do is those big stages, like whether it's like the billion follower summit, they just had a big summit in Dubai or something like a Create and Cultivate, they have their huge festival in September in LA. And so being able to have all of your assets prepared, that sizzle needs to be fired. Basically sizzle. That sizzle needs to be fire because that is literally your portfolio, that is your resume. So I would make sure, first and foremost, that you are sending that around to some of your people that you really can trust to make sure that it hits. Yeah. Because the people that you can trust, they know you the best. They're gonna tell you right away if that sizzle isn't it. That sizzle is going to be everything. How's your social media presence? How like often are you sharing and posting? And very regularly.

SPEAKER_03 16:55

Great. Um, I have a great cadence, got about 22,000 followers. Great micro influencer. Let me ask you a quick question about the sizzle reel. So, should I be going for something that's more hype or something that actually showcases where you hear me speaking? Because I've seen two different sizzle type of sizzle reels. One is more hype where it's just like hype music, you have to see me like interacting with the crowd, you see me on stage, and then I've seen sizzle reels where you actually see clips of the person on stage speaking. Is it a combination of both? Is it one of those? Okay, so I have a question.

SPEAKER_05 17:24

Can you do both? Oh. And have two different sizzles. Because as you audit, so what I would say, as you audit all these places, go back and actually do the research of who was the MC. Okay. Maybe there wasn't even an MC, but there needed to be an MC, and then you're pitching yourself as an MC and then you're showing the vibe that you bring. Totally. Right? Or maybe there was already an MC and now you have to show a little bit of what is your point of difference. Have both ready. Okay. I know that's like a bigger investment, but it's so worth it because at the end of the day, then you can cater your pitch. So I'm all about the pitch, the story. Make sure that your pitch is solid. And when you go and you map out all these places, go to these places and go and talk to them. If you don't get your booty to Jacqueline and Marina today and introduce yourself, then shame on you. Yeah. Because you're here. You took the timeout. Oh, there we go. There was Marina. And so that's what you do. Okay. And get yourself out there. All right. You're good. Thank you. Amazing. Appreciate you.

SPEAKER_07 18:13

Appreciate something.

SPEAKER_08 18:15

Yeah, so my name is Christopher Nunez, and my business, I actually have two. One is a one-person social media agency called Your Brand's Bestie. Okay. And then I also have a nonprofit called i Slay, which empowers plus size individuals to be comfortable and confident in the skin they're in. Oh, I love it. Slay girl slay. Alright, so tell me a little bit about what's going on. So one thing that I've kind of been struggling with with my oh with uh your brand's bestie is wanting to really be I love pink, okay? Pink is my color, but I don't want it to um kind of limit my um clients. They might be, oh, she's too curly. That's not for me. I want to. How long have you had the business? Actually a year. Okay. A year, and I've secured five um client contract clients, and we're still. Okay, and it's you, so team. Okay. Yes, all me. And I really want to change it into just kind of being more of who I am. Okay. But I don't want to limit myself on the clients, you know, because I know first impressions are everything, especially when it comes to it. What is your ideal client? My ideal client is just somebody who really wants to grow their business. It's um, I'm working with a lot of small business owners right now, and so empowering them, helping them, finding their voice, and not kind of giving in to the imposter syndrome that one can feel business-wise on social media.

SPEAKER_05 19:31

Okay, so I would get super, super clear about your ideal, ideal client, the client that would make you the happiest, the most excited. Is there a demographic, is there a type of business that they're in? Maybe it is a little bit more universal, and that's fine too. But in order to understand how to build your brand so that people appeal to it, because at the end of the day, I'm gonna give you some real advice here. Yes, you can't be for everybody, and you won't be for everybody because you're gonna find your people faster if you know exactly who your people are. And guess what? They're gonna find you faster if they think you're for you. And I went through a lot of this in the early days of my career and my business and all the things. We want to be for everyone because we don't want to stop business and we don't want to shut them out. Exactly. Because money is money, honey. You know what I mean? Green is green, green is green. We don't discriminate. Exactly. But at the end of the day, if you are everything to everybody, you're nothing to no one. And that's the reality. So don't be scared to lean into things that might alienate another community. Figure out what that middle ground is. Because your community will find you faster when they know that they're for you. I went through a lot of this, you know, kind of early on in my career, figuring out, okay, am I like just helping women? I am, am I helping executives? And what if I does this look like it's maybe too girly? So I totally hear you. I have been there before. And so I feel for you because that identity of like, I don't want to miss out on an opportunity to connect with somebody. But I will tell you the second that I really leaned into what felt right for me, what branding, what colors, what felt like me, I was able to attract the people that were for me. Okay, because I was so confident in who I was. Okay, right? And so I think when we're in early stages of our business, we get a little bit like self-conscious that maybe like, oh my God, it's like, what if I don't connect with them? It's okay.

SPEAKER_08 21:17

And it's so funny because you know, I tell this to people, but I'm like, it's always like you can't take your own advice. I'm not sure. They never have shoes. You know? Like, you know, I cannot. So I was like, oh my goodness, like this is yeah, I do get afraid to like kind of empower my pink energy because I love it.

SPEAKER_05 21:32

And so listen, your brand is still pretty early, and it's not to say that you have to go through a full rebrand, but I would start to sit and mood board like what actually feels like you. I would ask myself if I were you, all right, when someone's working with me, what is the vision that comes to their mind the second that they meet me? Right? Like, is there like a mood or an aura or something that I represent? Because they have to pick you, yeah, and there is no shortage of options of people to work with and how to spend money and What services that you need to have. And so there is something so unique about you. You look at you, you're in your like sequence. Like, I love it so much. You have such a vibe, right? And the right people will find you. And then guess what's gonna happen? You're gonna be so happy. So, so happy. So I don't know. I you could consider obviously continuing to like tweak and refine your brand. It's still so early that it's like at the stage where it's like, it's okay. We are always in a state of metamorphosis. Yes, yes. We're always growing, we're always but start first with kind of like that mood board of what you want people to feel when they are around. For me, for example, like I just want people to feel joy, yeah, sunshine, energy. So I needed all the colors to bring the energy. I love that, right? And now that might mean that someone's a that's a little bit more reserved or doesn't feel like they can handle that energy might not come to me. But guess what? That's okay. Yeah, it is. And the faster that we accept that, the faster our people flock to us. And by the way, the happier we are doing that work.

SPEAKER_09 23:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 23:05

So you're gonna find that through navigating this and like the world that you're in right now and kind of everything that you're going through, you're gonna be your best self. Ah, I love that.

SPEAKER_08 23:18

Thank you.

SPEAKER_06 23:19

Hit it. Okay, my name is Monica Justison. I'm a photographer and videographer for Legendary Leaders. So I work with a lot of heart-centered, high-powered women in the retreat and coaching wellness space. I shoot a lot of brand photos for them, but also the retreats. Um I'm at a place where, you know, I am at a tipping point where I want to expand more, but I don't necessarily want to move into like an agency model.

SPEAKER_05 23:44

Okay, because currently how many people are in your business? Just you?

SPEAKER_06 23:46

Just me. Okay. And I do it all, and I do it all really well. But there's a limit to put a back end of the business. Yes. And I'm starting to like get a lot more. So I I do a lot getting a lot of that automated and dialed in and forward thinking to like bringing on back-end team members. But yeah, I'm just struggling with like to me, I'm an artist, I'm a storyteller, and so I'm like, I want to infuse more art and more story into it, and rather than like turning out content, you know, like totally.

SPEAKER_05 24:18

And what I always say, the best business owners, the best brands, the best leaders, and the best executives within a company, it's when you can get them in their highest and best. Yeah. So first things first, you already understand your highest and best and the thing that you love. We know that 80% of the time we're gonna hopefully be able to do that, and 20% of the time we're gonna have to do some of the things that we don't really love doing. Yeah. But it's just like a necessary piece of the puzzle. For me, as I guide anybody, a business owner, a founder, a brand executive, through navigating the next step of their business and visibility and all the things that they need in order to grow, it's asking them did they go through a process of understanding their own mission statement very deeply? Yeah. And have you been?

SPEAKER_06 25:00

Yes. I've been doing this for 19 years. So I've got to do that.

SPEAKER_05 25:02

So you know you're dialed on your mission. Okay, great. So that's your true north. And then from there, do you understand the umbrellas of which that true north can live? Right? You have your main business, and if the scale of that business doesn't want to turn into an agency model, then you have to understand how am I gonna grow in scale? Because my assumption is that what you want a higher revenue. Okay, so we want higher revenue. So there has to be some type of scale. Yeah. So let's talk a little bit about what our options might be. Yeah. All right. So, no agency model, you don't necessarily want to have a bunch of photographers, right? Yeah. Okay. So, do we want to maybe assess all the packages and start to have bigger packages that allow you to take on the highest and best, you're in your like this is like my perfect world. You're gonna assess the pricing and make sure that you're actually charging what you're worth. Yeah. Because that's also a level of scale. Right. And then you're gonna systemize that a little bit more because it seems like you've got a secret sauce. You've got this much love for it that makes you super, super different. Yeah. And that's why people love working with you. And also it's why you can charge a premium, right? You have you just told me you have 19 years of experience doing this and you're totally dialed on it. So that comes at a cost. Yeah. And so being able to understand, okay, what do I need to assess maybe some of my offerings? And that can always be theory. Have you when was the last time you've assessed your offerings? At the end of last year.

SPEAKER_06 26:18

So I shared my pricing, and now I feel like what I'm charging actually matches the value that I bring to it. Right. And it's kind of it's crickets. It's crickets. Why do you feel like it's crickets?

SPEAKER_05 26:30

Do you think it's a money thing? You think it's a hand, it's like they're like on the dollar.

SPEAKER_06 26:38

Or I I'll just pay somebody who's got a camera who will like do the thing.

SPEAKER_05 26:42

All right, so I'm gonna give you a visibility tip. Now it's time to get into the rooms with the people that don't blink at those dollars, okay?

SPEAKER_07 26:48

The legendary leaders.

SPEAKER_05 26:50

That means that your business is at an inflection point where you have leveled up and therefore your clientele is at that next level. Yeah. And so you need to be putting yourself in rooms with people that are at that next level. Okay. If you want legendary leaders, seven plus figures, and you gotta be attending things. I mean, you're at Crate and Cultivate today, you gotta be going to the seven figure founder retreat. Yeah. That's where all those legendary leaders are. Okay. Those are the women that are investing in their brands, they're investing in these retreats, they're doing these things, and you're able to build a connection with the right consumer. Yeah. So this is that's what I always say about brands. It's like we're so worried about trying to like figure out how to fit our brand into their budget or make sure that we're not completely siloing out a consumer. The faster you find that person, okay, yeah, the faster they will also find you. Yes. Because you're starting to say goodbye to that old version. It can be a little bit scary. Yeah. And I know sometimes that can impact your bottom line a little bit.

SPEAKER_06 27:43

But in 19 years, it's like I've had different iterations of this evolution, but this is a new, a new level, new devil, right?

SPEAKER_05 27:49

Oh, it is. And it always is, and it's always going to be, and that's okay. That's the exciting part of the challenge. Yeah. Audit the space, understand where you need to be. Go find her or him where they are. Yes. Go meet, go schmooz, go network. Be at the place where they are, find them faster and connect with them deeper, and then bring this pizzazz that you're bringing here today. You've got all the things, you've got it all going on. And so I want you to step into those rooms, know your worth, be able to show that these this is my packages. This is what it costs. Yes. Right? You make exceptions only if it's a PR opportunity. So another piece of advice I'll give you is find PR opportunities to give away things for free when it makes the most sense because you're gonna get some type of return, a connection to someone. You're gonna do it because it's a favor, because you want to get into the right rooms. Yeah. Boom, done. Now you're starting to be smart. That is PRing yourself. Yes. All right?

SPEAKER_09 28:36

Hi, my name is Ellen, and I am a former copywriter, creative director. I work in-house for brands, but I have a passion project called Her Voice AI because I'm really interested as AI being a tool of empowerment and not just productivity. I'm obsessed with brand voice. I started creating a newsletter that provides prompts for women to show up differently in the workplace and at home or with their family or with that ex with boundary setting, essentially giving them the words they wish they could have said, and then they can practice them in their mirror and they'd be that much more stronger and ready to roll. So I guess my question for you would be I've just started this out, and how do I scale in a way that's manageable and that would really work?

SPEAKER_05 29:21

How are you currently getting the information to people? Is it like a software? Is it a downloadable prompt? Like where and how is your customer finding you?

SPEAKER_09 29:27

So essentially, right now, word of mouth. Okay. That's it. So I'm sending out, you know, cold texts, cold DMs. Hey, I have this project called HerBoice AI. I think you would really love this newsletter. Check it out. So it's a newsletter? Yes.

SPEAKER_05 29:40

Okay, so it's a newsletter and then people have to subscribe to it? Correct. Is it on Substack or it's just a regular newsletter? It's like on Webflow or something like that. I've created on Beehive. Okay, so it's on Beehive, and then is it paid or unpaid? Unpaid. Okay, unpaid. Are you gonna shift to the paid model? Oh, I'm sorry.

SPEAKER_09 29:55

I thought you meant my subscription. No, I am paying on the paid model for Beehive. Yes.

SPEAKER_05 29:59

No, no, I meant your subscription for people to sign on. Are they paying for it? Completely free. So completely free. I assume at some point you either want to get advertisers or you want this to be revenue generating in some way, correct? Whether it's the people, the people that are paying for this information or you're getting paid ads so that you can scale the business, correct? And then you can keep it free. Do you know which model that you want to do yet? Do you have any idea of how you'd want to scale and what would feel best to you? Well, I have a plot twist for you.

SPEAKER_09 30:22

Oh, let's hear it. Okay. So um not only do I have this newsletter that I would love to create and promote, but um, because I work in brand voice, I think this would be a really great experience to also open it up to women who are creating brand voice, don't know how to define their brand voice. I can do that with them, and then I can help scale through AI with them.

SPEAKER_05 30:41

Amazing. Okay, so this is easy. Here's what we're gonna do. You have your newsletter. The newsletter will always be free, but it'll stem into some type of offer. Go on something very simple. Go on like a QED or Calendly or some type of link, and then build out an offer on that link where people can actually work with you for a certain fee. So give away certain things for free through your newsletter. Okay. Nurture your community, grow that newsletter by doing things like this, right? Right. Borrowing equity from other communities, being able to build your brand that way. Okay. And then make that offer. Make that offer tomorrow, honey. You can do it, it's so easy. Feel confident about yourself. Obviously, you have this amazing experience that you're bringing to the table, right? And you're able to really guide them. The offer can start small, start with where you feel good, charging, and digestible. I have different offers, my agency has different offers. It's all about, okay, what is going to be accessible for the person that I'm looking to work with. The fact that you're a copywriting expert, you also have these prompts for AI, this is the world that we live in, and people are really hungry for it. So you're in a good spot for it. You just have to really get clear on your offer. Very, very clear. So go through an exercise and maybe take yourself through one of your own exercises on how to get very clear on what the offer actually is. Okay. Right? Because that offer is the one that you can then charge. Are we talking about like a lead magnet? I mean, yes, it'll eventually be. I think your newsletter will be the lead magnet into the offer. But I'm actually talking about narrowing in on what the offer actually is. Is it a consulting hour? Is it a monthly, I don't know, like small retainer or project fee that you're working with a woman and they come in and they're able to work with you and hire you for say, like, oh, this is my package. When I say offer, I mean like what are your packages? How do you want to work with them? So think about how you love to work with people. Right. What would bring all of your highest and best? How you're gonna bring in these prompts and train them because that plot twist is really interesting to me. That is something that you could monetize fast, right? As simply as putting it in calendarly, someone clicks on your calendar link, it hooks up to Stripe, they pay for your time, and they boom, your time is booked with them, and then systemize the back end. You probably already have a lot of it systemized through AI. Girl, I love this. So systemize the back end. And then make sure they're gonna click, they're gonna pay, they're gonna meet with you, you're gonna bring them through their brand voice, you're gonna do all the things with them, then you're gonna give them your AI prompts. They've already paid, and now there's always gonna be an opportunity for them to have another offer in the future. But at the end of the day, now you're also building this community of people that are subscribing to your newsletter, are still word of mouth sharing it with people, and you're making it more accessible to them. So I would think about what you want that time to cost. Okay, in terms of the value that you bring, in terms of what your offer is. Okay. So get super clear on that next step offer.

SPEAKER_09 33:18

Really focus in on that offer instead of thinking about how do I get my newsletter out to more people.

SPEAKER_05 33:22

You're gonna have to do that too, because it's never just one thing. Right. But focus on the offer because it's great to grow your newsletter, but like, how are you gonna make money from that? You need to have an offer where you're making money, right? Like, we can't work for free forever. We can love what we do, but the newsletter doesn't pay the bills unless there's some type of offer. So do both at the same time. At the same time. Beautiful. Thank you. All right. Thank you. All right, go ahead.

SPEAKER_00 33:45

All right, hi, my name is Diego. I am currently working as a medical assistant and in the health space, but I'm getting into the uh content creation uh space, predominantly working with uh wedding content creation as well as personal branding. So my question to you would be um as a man dealing in a very feminine brand, it's a very feminine space. I'm not saying that isn't possible. But how as a man can I exemplify my, you know, very approachable uh personality? I'm good on camera. I could think um how do I come off not as a just a regular guy trying to, hey girls, you know, I want to show off myself to be as a very approachable person for anybody. And if a woman were to see my content and be like, hey, let me tell my husband about this, instead of like, oh, that's just another dude trying to, you know, spit himself into a space that he's not necessarily um not accepted, but very seen. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_05 34:39

Totally. Well, I think first things first, at the end of the day, good content creation is for everybody. I understand that you're going into a very predominantly female audience and that's who you're servicing, but people just want good content and they want to work with people that they like. So it's all about approachability, it's about storytelling, it's about why, right? You have a very interesting history and a very interesting background. I would want you to connect with people by sharing why you're doing it, right? And then of course you'll have your content that will speak for itself. But at the end of the day, understanding why you got into it to begin with and building a bit of a rapport with the people that you're trying to partner with is going to be really important. And so I'd want you to lead into that part of your story and build that connection. And also to build a rapport with women, all it takes is asking them questions. What they need, what they feel will be a win for them, what makes them feel their best, and also just making sure that in every single thing that you do, you're considering the femininity about what they are bringing to the table or bringing to the content, right? Maybe there's an angle that they don't love as much, and you want to get to know those questions up front so that you come off like someone who really cares about the end product. So a lot of women that are going and they're looking at content might be analyzing certain things, how their hair looks in this one shot, making sure that they look a certain way. But what you can do is you can kind of make sure that as you're creating that connection with them, you're also asking them how they feel their best. Because content creation is about showing them at a time where they feel their absolute best. Even if it's like a vulnerable moment at a wedding where they're crying or they're connecting with like a parent, that's okay. But we want to make sure that they're feeling in their element and they're feeling super comfortable around you.

SPEAKER_00 36:16

For sure. And honestly, that's exactly because it's not just myself, it's with my girlfriend as well. But truly, truly, we love going to weddings. We love seeing people happy, seeing people like truly embraced by the people they love, and we love highlighting it. That's truly why we got into it. You know, taking that five-hour video, condensing it to a minute 30, make it postable, but being able to also share it with the you know, the fans and family that weren't able to come. And so, especially echoing off of what you're saying, I I truly agree. You know, I love the idea of the love itself, the beauty, the wonder, the wow, this looks so amazing. Oh, she looks so beautiful. Look at how I love capturing that. So thank you.

SPEAKER_05 36:52

Yeah, so then I would lean into that, right? So obviously, that's a part of the job that you're passionate about. There's this connection in the industry that makes people that work in the wedding industry so passionate about it. So make sure that you're leaning into that passion, that connection, and the fact that you are someone that really believes in love. And I think it could be a part of your story. Like, I don't know if you have a website yet. Do you have a website? We're working on it because in your website, make sure that there's that storytelling. What I would do is I would actually get behind the camera and I would talk about that and put those types of videos up. Talk about why. Right? That way people can get to know you, and before they book you, they're really already feeling like they've gotten to know you, they've understood your point of difference, what you and your girlfriend bring to the table, the connection that they're gonna feel with you. And content creation, even though in the space that you're getting in, it's predominantly female, it's the great equalizer. Everyone loves content, and nowadays it's like they want content of every single thing.

SPEAKER_00 37:46

Yes.

SPEAKER_05 37:46

And being able to have someone that just cares about the quality of content and about helping them tell their story is gonna be key.

SPEAKER_00 37:53

Really, really quick. What do I avoid? As somebody who is obviously a beyond an expert in her field, this is exactly what you do. You love doing it so much that you build a podcast and you're even having these one-on-one conversations with me. Your nightmare to avoid what do I not do?

SPEAKER_05 38:11

Don't try to be someone that you're not. At the end of the day, don't try to be someone that you're not. They will see through it, it will always get old, and at the end of the day, you can't keep up that facade. So figure out who it is that you really are as a content creator and as someone who wants to bring stories to life and just own it. You're not gonna be for everyone, so stop trying to be everything to everybody because then you're nothing to nobody. You know what I mean? I understood. So that's the thing I would lean into the most when it comes to building a brand and building a business. Just find out what makes you authentically you and lean in.

SPEAKER_00 38:41

Thank you so much, Chris. Perfect. On the dot.

SPEAKER_01 38:45

Let's hit it, baby. So I'm Shade. The name of my new brand is Social Shade. And what I intend to do with that is create a creative research lab, and there I'm pivoting out of nonprofit, and I really want to see how mission-driven organizations can use for-profit tactics and create brand discipline. So that's kind of where I am there. But what I definitely need help with is making sure that I make myself visible and not just do the research part of it all, the um the back end of it all, that actually step up into these audiences. Personal brand behaviors.

SPEAKER_05 39:26

Personal brand. All right, one of my favorite topics is building a personal brand. All right, so here's the thing. I say this all the time. The second you step out of your house, the second you pick up your phone, if you have a phone in your pocket, you could do your own PR, okay? You could show your personal brand. The world deserves to know you. Look at you, you're so fabulous. Like, I just like you have just a joy to you, you could tell you have that je ne sais quoi, right? So I want you to figure out what makes you uniquely you. What do you have to say? If people want to be thought leaders in this space or they want to have a personal brand, that personal brand needs to be tied to something the same way it would be tied to like a product, right? So a personal brand really is a brand. It's just what exactly are we, quote unquote, selling, right? And so you want to start to think about yourself as an expert in something. Think about your expertise, narrow in on it, and then also start to identify what makes you very unique. Because consistency is key, right? If someone sees me, for example, they usually know I'm a talker, I've got a loud personality, I usually wear a lot of color. There's certain things about my personal brand that are very, very consistent. What you see is what you get. And that way, if I show up on social, if I show up in a media interview, if I show up on stage, no one is confused about who Chris Gordon is. They consistently see me, I consistently tell the same stories. I have an expertise that I've really honed in on that I'm very passionate about. And even though I have five of the million things that I'm doing, they know exactly who I am, right? Because I'm a mom and I have I'm a certified adaptation counselor and I'm a PR expert, I'm all the things. But it doesn't really matter because at the end of the day, I know what I stand for as a person, and I show up consistently. So what I want you to do is I want you to figure out what is your personal brand. So tell me, what's the best thing that you think that you have to offer the world?

SPEAKER_01 41:06

My energy and I'm hype. You just gave me multi-hype in energy, and I'm really learning about what that means in my life and how to like act on it and be audacious about it. Yeah. So that's kind of where I am in this season of my life. So that part, and just in terms of like, even though I saw some creators here that I follow, right? And you made that dot connection, like that's exactly how I can see them. The same like consistency, the same showing up. So I just need to do that for myself. I need to do it.

SPEAKER_05 41:35

You do, and you know what? So many of the times we don't think to do this for ourselves. But the reality is that there's such a big opportunity nowadays to build a personal brand. So many people are building a personal brand, they're leveraging that, and then ultimately they're growing a huge business because of it. And so they're showing up authentically. So, what I want you to do is take it a step further. I want you to think about the things that people know you for that you're most proud of, okay? How is that showing up in the way that you dress and the way that you act, and the stories that you tell, in the hands that you shake, okay? Start to think about that and really narrow in on it. And I'm talking like have an exercise where you take a spreadsheet or you take a big piece of paper and you start jotting down what do I want the world to know me for? My energy. Okay, multi-hyphen energy, whatever it is, energy, energy, energy. How is that actually showing up? Where are you going that you can show that energy? All right. So now think when I'm in the room, and if I want people to know me for my energy, I can't sit in the corner by myself. I have to go out there, I have to introduce myself to at least 10 people, and I'm gonna do that so that it feels digestible for me, but I can show up in my big, big energy so that people can feel the love and they can get to know me for something. Okay? And so it's just about stepping out of your comfort zone and feeling a little bit more comfortable doing that, and then think, okay, if I want people to feel my energy, what am I gonna wear? Like, look at your outfit today. It's giving, all right? So look at your wardrobe and say, does this speak to my energy that I want to bring out into the world? Okay, and make sure that every single place that you go, everything from what you wear to how you act, to how you show up, to how you shake hands, to how you introduce yourself, feels energetic, okay? Which also means that sometimes if you're feeling low energy, don't go. Don't go. That part. That's the real part. If you're feeling low energy, if something doesn't align with your values, if you're not really sure that it's the place for you, don't go because people need to see you in your highest and best. If you're inconsistent and all of a sudden the girl that wants to be known for energy because that's what she brings to the world doesn't have as much energy, take a beat, take a break, because it's a personal brand. A brand needs to breathe, a brand needs to take a break a little bit, okay? So you also have to know your limits because personal brands and leveraging a personal brand can be really, really exhausting. And as someone who wants to be known for energy, if all of a sudden you don't have energy and you're going out and you're meeting people and people wouldn't know you for that, well, that's inconsistency. And inconsistency is the killer of all brands.

SPEAKER_01 43:49

Ooh. I love that. I love that. Well, there we go. That was perfect. Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_05 43:54

And if this episode sparked your own questions as you're out there building a brand, or perhaps you're working within a legacy brand and you're trying to navigate what's next for the brand, then we have so many resources for you. It's been really exciting as an agency to develop offerings to be able to service a brand at any stage in their life cycle. And that's what we're doing at MMC with brandedly speaking. We have something for everybody, every brand, every executive. We have thought leadership programs and executive visibility programs. We have an amazing digital course that literally teaches you step by step how to get visibility in the early days. We also, of course, service our clients on an ongoing basis. So if you liked what you heard, that's just the tip of the iceberg for what we can do for you as an agency. And what I get really excited about is to be able to bring you all of the knowledge, all of the amazing technology, software, advancements that we have as an agency. And what I'm excited about is that if you're wondering how to take your brand to the next level or you want to continue to build momentum, we have an entire library of courses to support you at every stage. This goes deeper, gets more hands-on, and it's designed to meet you where you're at now. So follow us for more information at brandedly speaking on Instagram and at brandedly speaking.com. If you like what you heard and any of this resonated, and you're curious about ways to work with us, you'll find everything that you need to know in the show notes below. Again, I'm Chris Gordon, and I'm so excited to be a part of your journey. Thanks for listening.