Build a Brand & Grow a Thriving Business with Danielle Stead Blanton

Danielle Stead Blanton
https://www.daniellesteadblanton.com/
Instagram: @Danielle.stead

Hosts
Stephanie - @giveasweat
Bradley - @Bradley.Rancourt
@giveStrength

Transcript

spk_0:   0:00
a lot of businesses don't know who they are. A lot of people don't know who they are, and it's really working with them to understand. OK, do you just want to go follow money and it's so cool. Let's that's totally great with me to a big fan of money. But if you want to stand for something, if you want to be known for something, if you want to get a reputation for more than just like I see you're really good hit workout, then what does that mean? Who is that person and then from there, every action that you take, whether it is finally building a website or having a logo, every social media post, every blawg post, every newsletter, every event, every partnership, everything you do has to come back to that brand. And I think people find that when they have a better idea of who they are and what their brand is, their business organically

spk_2:   0:45
grows. After spending years growing, a business rooted in a mission of giving back, Brad and Stephanie are here to give strength Teoh, all areas of your life, get ready to hear from experts in every field from finance and fitness to mindset, relationships and entrepreneurship. This is the give strength podcast way are

spk_1:   1:12
here with Daniel Stead super excited have on the podcast. She is one of the kind ist most value giving humans I've ever met in the entire world. So I can't wait to pick her brain. And Danielle, we

spk_2:   1:27
want to

spk_1:   1:27
jump into this by asking you three quick questions to the The very first question I have for you is what do you do? Oh,

spk_2:   1:35
my gosh. Hi, guys. Thank you for having things is that's quite an intro. I think I'm gonna hire you to be a personal high person. Every

spk_0:   1:45
everywhere I go, I'm gonna have that tape of introductions. Happy? Thank you. Thank you. What's up, guys? My name's Daniel instead. I am a fitness business coach, and I'm an attorney, and I worked with fitness brands to make sure they're operationally and legally compliant and successful. So what that means is I go into your business and I do a dive with you and we identify where the holes are in your business that are creating roadblocks in your day with respect to time. With respect to efficiency money clients. All of that. And we streamline your business so that you are able to automate things. You're able to work less, you're able to make more. You have more clients that are happier, and you're basically able to have that business that you've been dreaming of then. Also, therefore, have the life that you want from

spk_1:   2:31
that who's so valuable? I cannot wait to dig into what that all actually looks like, But first we have to finish our questions. So question number two Is there a favorite podcast book, TV show off their something that's brought you a lot of value recently. Or maybe it's something that's stuck with you for a long time.

spk_0:   2:51
Definitely. I think I, along with every 30 something year old woman out there, loves Janet culture and her gold digger podcast. She was probably my first business hype girl Boss made podcast. I listened to you and I I just like her because I always know what I'm gonna get from her. Like I know that she's gonna be articulate and smart and resourceful, and she's somebody who did what we all hope to dio, you know, she started from where she was and she built it up organically. And there's a lot of value to that. When I'm in a really feisty mood. I actually love Barbara Corcoran. She's one of the judges on Shark Tank. She has to podcasts, and you have to Doesn't be wearing your big girl pants toe. Listen to it because she is no non signs like. But sometimes she gives you that, like kick in the face that you kind of need Teoh get out of your own way to keep going and then opposite Lee. I would say that if if I'm in one of those, like I need to be soused or a need that reassurance, I go to burn a brown and anything that she does, whether it's her book, her podcast, her Netflix special. Like all of that, she is like a warm cup of soup on a rainy

spk_1:   4:01
day. Um, I love that you have that balance of getting that kick in the pants and then also knowing that sometimes you need to be spoken to softly and way all need a little bit of each of those. Definitely. Then our final question. Because this is the give strength podcast I'd love to know a time in recent memory when you gave strength, either to yourself or to someone else. Oh my

spk_0:   4:26
gosh. Wow, What a relevant question right now because of the situation we're in and the circumstances were in, I think it's been just a daily thing. I don't know if that's okay to say that, but it's a daily thing of getting out of bed and giving yourself Grace to pivot from where your are and to show up every day for your people and to keep giving them that encouragement and that support when you

spk_2:   4:50
have no idea. That's the hottest ticket in this answer. Like, we have no idea what's gonna

spk_0:   4:54
happen from this. We have no idea what's gonna be like on the other side, and people look to us as leaders in our community to be that, like flagpole, even when we're not feeling it, you know, and I definitely know that a lot. In the past few weeks, I have not been wanting to show up, and you show up anyways because you know it's not just showing up for you. It's showing up for all the people that look to you and that's cool. It's really cool to be in that position.

spk_1:   5:18
E. Love that you consider that cool like it doesn't feel like a burden. Maybe are

spk_2:   5:23
I'm sure sometimes

spk_1:   5:24
it's tougher, more difficult than other days. But the fact that you know that that's kind of a blessing, that you have an audience and that people look to you. So I love that perspective.

spk_3:   5:36
Yeah, it would be so easy to just, you know, shrink and now and that's no, there's nothing wrong with that. Either. Someone needed that space to shrink, but it is amazing that you kind of still that area to help support people when they're in this time of uncertainty.

spk_0:   5:51
I mean, don't get me wrong. There's been a lot of doughnut orders in our house. You know, there are mornings that I just lay in bed and I like, look at the emails that come in and the requests and the instagram messages of Will you go live with me and will you do this? And it's like it's very, very overwhelming. And then you think of like who I was five years ago, maybe who you were five years ago, like you would kill to be in that position, you would do anything to be there. And so it's that moment that you check your privilege. It's weird to say that you check your privilege anything like, wow, like I'm here. I worked really hard to be here, and, you know, you don't get to choose the circumstances. You don't get to choose the road necessarily. And like what gets thrown at you, you just get to choose, like how you react. And so I don't know. I know that at the end of this, I want to come out of it to be, like, really proud of my people. I'm proud of myself. And so So sometimes it is showing up when you are, like, dead tired or you have nothing left to give. But you're just you just know

spk_1:   6:44
you have to do that for someone else. Yeah, and I think that's something that you are so good at speaking to, like you're so consistent with your brand. You're so consistent with your post. But you also tap into you know what my brand is that sometimes I'm having a hard day, and sometimes I'm still processing and your allow people. I think I d m to the other takes he posted something about like if you don't come out of this writing, you know, the next whatever great novel. If you don't come out of this doing all these things, that's OK too. And I needed that that day. I needed to hear that. I need to know whatever happens at the end of all this is fine. So thank you for showing up in that way as well for being consistent but also giving permission to yourself and others to take a deep breath and to chill. Thank

spk_0:   7:30
you. That means a lot. I know that, like, I've always been really open about my mental health and like I've always dealt with anxiety and I struggle with depression, and I think that if you don't show up 100% like you can't show up 70% and pretend that you don't struggle with that. You can't show up Susie Sunshine every day and hide that. And I think that, like the day that I decided, like I wasn't embarrassed about anxiety, it was embarrassed about the pressure. Like you become a better version of yourself, you know, And so like showing up during this. A lot is also just saying, like I'm in a dark place today or had a sad day today, and I think that more than anything, people need to hear that you know that permission that, like somebody called this a traumatic experience and I said, That's 100% true Like it's a traumatic experience. We're all grieving what life is right now. And so for me, it's just really important that people feel safe to feel how they feel, you

spk_1:   8:24
know, so, so good.

spk_3:   8:26
I feel super connected when you said privilege like I had never thought of it that way. Like of you know, we've been in the industry a lot longer than some. So there's comes with a that comes with a little privilege of, like, No way things. And Steffy. I did the same thing. Like when this all happened. We're life. Okay? We used to you know where leaders in the fitness and work out round. But our audience needs more than fitness and workouts right now. That's why we try to expand and kind of give some of that guidance to people through this this crazy time.

spk_1:   9:00
Yeah, We've been posting about finances and we've been posting up mental held that manifesting because it all goes into the wellness bucket, and I know you do the same thing to you. Tap into all those things.

spk_0:   9:13
Broad put out a really good post the other day about financial assistance, and I loved it, and I was so grateful for it because I'm somebody who writes and reads legalese, and I still don't understand what's going on necessarily with the stimulus package and so broad you made this post. I was just so eloquent and concise and colloquial, and it was something like I could read and be like, Oh, now I get it And there's so much value to just breaking it down so that your audience gets it. And can I just it and I thought that was, like, Amazing, because everyone is out there with the like, It's OK to feel how you feel or here's another workout, but nobody's like Here's

spk_2:   9:51
how to really help yourself for some money, way

spk_3:   9:55
money to pay the rent like that. Sure, like if you want to work out, go run or do sit ups. But like at the end of the day. Right now, we need to focus on what's really important not to say that help, is it really important? But like people need to, they need to survive

spk_1:   10:11
No one money, security and people need to feel secure right now. So basically, they just need another options I want to dig into. You talked about legalese in all of that. So with your lawyer background, I know that that provides a ton of value to your clients. And I'd love to break down like, what exactly it is you do for people. Because as someone who opened a fitness studio and negotiated my own lease and contracts and my, you know, safety weavers and all of those things Oh, my gosh, if I had you in the beginning, that would have been amusing, because I think you take care of all of that, right? Plus,

spk_0:   10:47
Absolutely, absolutely. And so I always found law to be a really hard industry because you have these people literally in these high rises, charging these insane amounts for things that you were like, But I don't even know what you're doing. So I can't do this on my own, and I'm so reliant on you and I was working for, like, a multi $1,000,000,000 telecom company. And so, like what we were doing was so beyond what, like a small business does. And when I started working insulin businesses, I realized, like actually, no, like, they're very similarly, we have the same needs just in a different way. And so I started specifically working with gyms here in Los Angeles because I was like, Wow, there's a real need for gym owner studio owners to take this, like, really great hobby of theirs. It's really great skill of them as being trainers, but actually make them good business people. And that's where they have this disconnect. And I feel like that's where a lot of successful versus unsuccessful business owners kind of differentiate. And so what I like to do is on the legal side of it. You're absolutely right. Everything that you legally need in a business, whether it's forming an entity and understanding what that means. And entities meeting LLCs corporations partnerships, Why do you need that? And you know, fun Little fact right now, if you're an LLC or an escort, you are eligible to receive different financial packages than individual trainers. And so all of this, this talk of like why these were important to do and people kind of say, like yes or no or it's not that important. It actually is. And so I love getting Teoh educate more than anything. And then from there, it's It's working with you to say, What's the right option for you and then from that, like, what does that mean for your business? What deductions are you eligible for? How do you write off your equipment? How do you buy equipment, or do you lease it or do you rent it and how do you get financing for it? And how do you communicate with your insurance now to say, I'm opening a studio and I need liability protection? And I could literally just sit here and bore your audience for for hours. But it's kind of like the head, shoulders, knees and toes. It's everything that you dio. It's not just doing it. It's not a simple just boarding something online. There's always thought behind it. There's always process behind it, and in that respect, it's really fun because you got to teach people who have this amazing skill is being a fitness instructor in a leader and just a great human. And I you get to help them be great business people.

spk_1:   13:10
Yes, because those don't go hand in hand very

spk_2:   13:14
often. I feel like saying

spk_3:   13:16
that right now, like people are in a panic, especially these people who have been working for themselves but never went through getting incorporated, never got their tax. I D number never got anything, and now they're saying they're going like I don't have a job because I can't work But I don't have an employer And the second was like Weird Middle. I haven't been firing the right taxes and people don't realize like that kind of stuff saves you in the long run because a lot of people that think like the lawyer, the business consultant, that's all just cost because it is upfront costs. But like when we hit things like this that cost, it's made up really, really quickly.

spk_0:   13:56
Yes, and I always tell people and I've always been very transparent with my rates and what I charge, and I say it's the equivalent of a couple training sessions. If this stability and security for business isn't worth a couple of training sessions. You really need to reassess your priorities. You really need to reassess what you're doing because then just co train people in the park like you have always done, you know. But if it's not worth a small investment, then nothing will be, you know, when it's not just forming entities right now, it's like liability waivers. That's like such a hot topic and so many of these brands that are now training online. They're not protected at all. I can tell you that, like I'd say, like 75% of people in brands that are doing all in treating right now are protected. Andi, all it's gonna take is one stupid a person who has no heart and soul. Teoh hurt themselves, and then they're gonna go sue whoever and then the insurance. And so you know it's frustrating cause you see it and you just think like if you guys, which is pause for a second and go through the steps and do the right thing like you can really protect yourself huge or set yourself up for so much success in the long run. But sometimes it does take, like touching the hot stove. So,

spk_1:   15:05
uh, we got sued our first week, opening our fitness studio years ago, our area. First week, we got sued, and it was kind of that situation. Like someone did get mine early. Hurt. It was a sprained ankle situation. And basically, mother came after us and tried to sue us for thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars for a sprained ankle. And eventually our insurance had to pay out. I think 10,000 or nine McAuliffe, Yeah, And then our rates went up and it's a whole thing. So no, this stuffs this

spk_2:   15:36
deaths crucial. This stuff is important. I was so

spk_1:   15:39
grateful that I had clicked the right buttons on

spk_2:   15:42
the insurance I but I was like I had

spk_1:   15:45
no idea what I was doing so but beyond all of that, in the the necessity of it, you also talk about branding and you talk about the company as a whole and especially like fitness professionals. Do you understand that world? And I love to talk about what other things you do to help people's businesses?

spk_0:   16:03
Absolutely. And so branding is a really fun topic because you hear branding and your first instinct is like Oh my gosh, I'm going to go make a logo and it's gonna be pretty And then I'm gonna build a website. I'm gonna pay all this

spk_2:   16:14
money and then I'm gonna have a business. And on I say it like that because I've

spk_0:   16:19
seen it so many times and it is probably one of, like my biggest pet peeves, but also like my biggest like face poems with people. I ordered a lot with businesses so they can identify who they really are. So almost like a therapeutic sense of, like, who are you and who do you want to be? So I would say you stuff and broad. You guys have a phenomenal understanding of what gives string is and the pure pillars and what you stand for and what you believe in and therefore everything you to dio is based on that. And I think that a lot of businesses don't know who they are. A lot of people don't know who they are, and it's really working with them to understand. OK, do you just want to go follow money and if so, cool, let's. That's totally great with me to a big fan of money. But if you want Teoh, stand for something. If you want to be known for something, if you want to get a reputation for more than just like I teach a really good hit workout, then what does that mean? Who is that person and then from there, every action that you take, whether it is finally building a website or having a logo, every social media post, every blawg post, every newsletter, every event, every partnership, everything you do has to come back to that brand. And I think people find that when they have a better idea of who they are and what their brand is, their business organically grows and it therefore becomes easier to make decisions. And you're not kind of just throwing things at the kitchen sink, hoping these stick. Instead, you're actually acting with integrity and purpose, and you're able to make those decisions a little bit firmer and a little bit better.

spk_1:   17:50
Yes, I know that with our brand, we've always known from Day one, when we wanted to create our fitness studio. Initially we created those five colors, and we knew that those were super crucial. It wasn't until very recently that we decided to share them publicly and we realized like that's actually a step. We probably should have taken a long time of go because we every decision we've made a stemmed from those. But it doesn't always translate when you're, you know, selling things to people. So now we're like, You know what? Let's be very honest about what we stand for and hopefully we continue to track people that want exactly that and be very consistent across everything with it. So I wish again we talk to you

spk_2:   18:31
very early on about it because we knew

spk_1:   18:34
what we stood for. But having other people understand what that is is a totally different thing. I

spk_2:   18:39
think I

spk_0:   18:40
would say, though, that just knowing you guys, I always knew the type of people you were. I always knew that you were compassionate and giving and thoughtful, and I knew you were in fitness. But I knew that it was more than just fitness to you. And so even though you're has never said like, this is exactly who we are, I knew I was like

spk_2:   18:58
these people have

spk_0:   18:58
literally based or profit model on giving to charities like Like my goodness, Come on, you know. So you have always acted from now, even if you've never broadcasted

spk_1:   19:09
it. Well, that's good to know. Some of it translated. I do

spk_3:   19:13
like the point of, like the logo on Steph because it is super common. People think like the brand is like the colors and logo and, like what T shirt you have to sell and like your brand is what is like. The living thing, like your brand is should always be on display. It should be your actions. It should be how you show up. Your logo is just something cool that you probably hired someone that make.

spk_1:   19:37
Do you have any tips for people like how to create that brand have stayed consistent with it. Any ideas? They're

spk_0:   19:43
definitely So my first thing I always tell new business owners is I asked to see who is your ideal client. Who are you selling to marketing to talking Teoh everything because it all stems from that right? Like ultimately, we think we have great ideas. I think I have great idea

spk_2:   20:00
CEO and you think that

spk_0:   20:03
something is going to work and this is the funny thing about branding and kind of going back to like the website in the logo is like, you think you know what you're going to sell? You think you know what you're gonna do, right? And you're just kind of talking out of like what you think works or what you want to do. And you don't take that moment to step back and like doing exercises like, who do I want buying my services? Who is my ideal client? What are they doing today? How are they spending their quarantine? How did they pivot when we all went online? And I think one of the best exercises any business owner can do is either having that discussion with someone. So you help figure that out or just being really honest with yourself. And I would call your ideal client avatar like if you were to draw this person right there, Day right there, Business, All of that. This is what they would dio and then from there. You now know who you're talking, Teoh. And so, instead of just kind of spewing based on what you want to talk about, you're now talking to your ideal client. And so all of your poster now gonna be in that voice like you're trying to talk to that, you know, like you can mean you're person like Cheryl, You know, like I always have to. Cheryl, I'm always

spk_1:   21:08
my mom's name

spk_2:   21:10
is your mom, Cheryl, That's perfect. Talking to my mom talking exactly to your mom. I hope she owns a gym because otherwise I'm really messed up Lives in Utah does. No, no, no. There's another Cheryl Cheryl who owns a gym anywhere in the world. I'm good. I'm good with that, you know? And so I think

spk_0:   21:34
one of the biggest things you can do is find your Cheryl and every post you write, I want you to write it like it was meant to be for her, like it was meant to be for this person. And I think when you find that you start talking to your clients and you don't just start talking based on like what you want to say, people read your post, and that's when you get those replies that are just like, Yes, I feel like this was written just for me or like, yes, I feel this so hard or you know, when you send out a newsletter and somebody writes back and says, like I needed this today, it's because you took the time to pull back and say, like, What do my people need to hear today? What would benefit them and then that starts becoming your brand is what they need. It's not what you want to dio necessarily or you you want to put out there. It's what do your people need and how do you serve

spk_1:   22:20
that? I love that consistency and finding that avatar because you do in your post captions. They're always so consistent you like, sign off the same way every time you speak the same way and it shows. And I love that you committed to Cheryl to my mom. I'm

spk_2:   22:37
glad you're talking to my mom, but it shows and it is interesting, too, because I

spk_1:   22:43
think people are afraid to do that because what if Rebecca, you know you're afraid of saying no to Rebecca? Are noticed Steve or whatever, and that's scary. And as a business owner, I still run into that fear of like am I shutting people out? Is that gonna limit my scope? But honestly, hearing from everyone that successful in business, I feel like you do have to like big damage. Yeah, you got to get down and dirty about who you're actually talking to, and you are gonna limit your audience, but the ones you talk to, the ones that hear that message, they hear it deep. They really feel you.

spk_0:   23:15
Yeah, exactly. Like you can't be afraid that, like Rebecca is not going to resonate or not gonna hire you. I think it goes to a bigger issue of, like, I want everyone to like me. I want everyone to want to hire me. But what I realized is that, like, if I want to be really, really good at what I dio, I can't try to make Rebecca happy if she's not in wellness and she has a coffee shop, you know, you have to really be authentic to that. Because also, you know, what is that? Freeze. It's just like Jack of all trades, Master of none. Like, I would rather be like, really, really good at talking about fitness and wellness and know nothing about anything else. Then to just be

spk_2:   23:54
like I

spk_0:   23:55
could talk about it but I'm not great at it. So if you're not great at it, why would you hire me? You

spk_1:   24:01
know? Yeah. And then that's gonna be so much more effort on your ends to try and learn this new industry to try to use this new person rather than just sticking to what you know so well and they're so good at that's That's cool. It's interesting. How did you evolve to where you are now helping other people with their brands? You started out in fitness a long time ago and you've had, like, many evolutions within the fitness world. And now you're here being an expert in the realm. You understand business. You understand business. You understand law. What was that journey? I

spk_0:   24:34
hope everyone at home conceived

spk_2:   24:36
way be hand. There's a lot of Yeah, they have a talk with my hands. Todo

spk_0:   24:42
something. Yes. Wow. So I definitely took a very, very wavy road. I was a corporate attorney for years, burned out, hated the industry, hated what it stood for. I got absolutely zero satisfaction out of what I did. But I knew I liked being smart. I was always like intellectual kid, like I would like to read and learn. And I also was always an athlete. And so I spent about a year being unemployed, thanks to my wonderful husband, who was, like, go out there and figure out what you want to do with your life's like you're gonna see being an attorney. So how about you go find something that makes you happy instead? Eso cheers to supportive spouses and partners and everyone who who helps make that possible.

spk_1:   25:22
Side note. Brad did the same thing for me. I was miserable. And he's like, Okay, quit all buy groceries. Its Yeah, Yeah. Get yourself a pattern, Brad. Yep. Yeah. All right. So you quit your quit. No job.

spk_0:   25:37
Quit. I was unemployed, and I did what we all do. And we have a lot of time. I went to the gym for for like, hours a day. I went to the gym here in L. A. They ended up saying, like, Wow, you're really you're really into this. Do you want to, you know, get trained by us and like, work here, And so I kind of went through their training program and realize, like, wow, they're super corporate, and I don't want to work in the corporate gym. I went to these small boutiques studios thing like, You know, I loved being a coach. I wonder if I could translate that skill into being a fitness instructor, and it was really, really natural for me. But I like I said earlier in the podcast, I saw that these small studios were kind of a well, between you, me and all of us, listening or kind of a hot mess, you know, like they just they didn't know what to do. They opened a space. It wasn't well maintained, like clients were on 17 different payment plans. And so I remember the first boss I had said like, Hey, you know, there's this long California don't really understand it. Can you explain it to me? And it was directly related Teoh Fitness Studios. And this is actually a national law, not fitness studios that have client agreements. Membership contracts have to have certain language in it that give clients cancellation rights, and that's actually nationwide, saying funks act for everyone out there on Guy was like, You don't know

spk_2:   26:48
about this, and he's like, Well, how do you know

spk_0:   26:49
about this and I was like, Well caused,

spk_2:   26:50
uh, you know, like, it was really

spk_0:   26:53
obvious to me that if you didn't know, a lot of people didn't know. And so I found this, like this, Like a light bulb moment of like, Oh, my gosh, this is what I want to dio. Obviously there are not a lot of sickness attorneys out there, And so people were like, What you're doing is weird and we don't need it because we're all type A and we're all perfect. You know how to do everything

spk_1:   27:13
the way

spk_2:   27:14
that we don't need your

spk_0:   27:15
help. And that was cool. And I ended up becoming a partner in a gym here in Los Angeles, decided that was not the route for me invested in a couple other small studios, and so have been the investor side of it. So having a really deep understanding of the financials behind things about how to make things profitable, how to help people, like I said, make more money and work less and have happier clients. And as the started snowballing, I realized like, Wow, you kind of know what you're talking about and it's gonna be a really slow build by you might as well try it. You know, like the time's gonna pass. You can always go back to hating your life, being a new attorney and big firm.

spk_2:   27:55
Always an option, Always an option. Your and

spk_0:   28:01
so I just started and like I started from, like, absolutely nothing and zero and like one client and one client and one client. And then, you know, they told their coworkers colleagues because the Finnish industry is so tight knit and it just kind of didn't explodes by any means. But it just started organically growing and people would say like, Oh, I didn't know about that sack about. Remember, agreement? Can you help me write one? Oh, I don't know. The liability were Can you help me write one? I have no idea about the sciences. And so it just became like, one person told one person, told one person. And it became big enough that I realized like it was worth sticking around for. And it wasn't something that I should just quit on because, like, people really do need this on DSO. I'm just gonna keep trying and let it keep growing and we'll

spk_1:   28:46
see. That's what's interesting about what you do. Is it something that people within the industry definitely need? But there's probably a challenge to convince people they need it. They think they've got it figured out. They think, you know, like Brad was saying, You're trying to keep overhead costs down and it's not till maybe it's too late or they've wasted a lot of time and energy. So it has your best marketing, been word of mouth, like doing it successfully for one person, and they tell someone else, Is that how it's working? Right now?

spk_0:   29:16
It has been insane. What referral businesses, retreats or big in our industry fork shops or bigger industry. So you put together a workshop, agree? Med. Somebody actually gets paid for the workshop They taught on time. They don't have to fight with someone about it. They're happy that they had an agreement place, they tell their friend, who tells their friend, And so I would say that 85% of my business is referral or word of mouth. Very few of it is just like random stranger off the Internet. And so for me, that's like a huge testament that it keeps it very close like somebody is literally forced four degrees from somebody else, you know? And so in that it definitely also creates a community because everyone knows each other. And so you also want to do right by, you know, this person because they're friends with that person and that person referred that person, and so that's cool.

spk_2:   30:06
This is the

spk_1:   30:06
thing that's come up a few times of people on the podcast. The fact of just being good to people like you said when back in the day when you were just, you know, dipping toes into the fitness industry, you probably need some contacts. Then I think I met you years ago. Years ago, a Reebok

spk_2:   30:24
event or thing was our first time

spk_1:   30:27
meeting and you came up to me and you said something really nice. I think about our studio. You're like, I really like ethos like this. And I like I like that girl, Period. The end. I like

spk_2:   30:35
that girl. So, like some

spk_3:   30:36
undercover cop,

spk_1:   30:37
you

spk_2:   30:37
just have to be nice, Teoh. But now I'm like, Yes,

spk_1:   30:42
Danielle, I I love her. I want to see everything she does want to see a successful. She can be so I feel like and we kind of touched on this and other episodes, like just showing up to people's things being good to them, not because you want to get anything out of them. But you'll realize that years down the road it might pan out for something with money or with opportunity or just some sort of chance that you wouldn't have had if you weren't showing up. And if you weren't being kind and we weren't being good to people,

spk_0:   31:12
I mean, I would definitely would not be on this podcast. How do not complemented your outfit?

spk_2:   31:16
So go me t o tell all the girls how good they look in there. No, but it's It's so sure

spk_1:   31:25
you are someone that I've noticed. Even right now during this Kobe 19 outbreak, you are constantly tugging instructors. Like a lot of instructors, like you said they weren't set up with their LoC. They weren't set up to be protected during this time, so they're struggling like there's a lot of struggle within the fitness industry right now, and you have made sure to post about people's workouts to do the workouts to Venmo them. A donation for their workouts and you showed up to different events are studio. You came to our closing day festivities. You brought me some above which I always appreciate. You are just someone that shows up in people's lives, and I'm curious if that's always been the case or that's really intentional. Where does that come from?

spk_0:   32:09
Well, that's super cool to hear. Thank you way we notice notice. I've just, like, honestly, always want to be a like, a good friend of people. I always want to treat people how I hope to be treated back. And so I think that that that means that like you have to give 110%. And I think our town, especially people, are afraid. Teoh be vulnerable and be like You look great. I like you. Your smartly people are so and I hate to make this generalization cause I'm an Angeleno. I love Los Angeles, but I definitely feel like this town lacks that like ability to go outside ourselves. And I knowing that, like, want to give people more in the hope that they can then give it either back or to somebody else. I think now, more than ever really. People need to support each other. And, you know, it takes me a minute to repost a workout that somebody is doing that. Maybe they get like, four more people. And that's gonna be what helps some paid for groceries that month, or I don't know, I I feel very helpless right on personally. And I don't know what else I can do other than promote people give to people, support each other Right now, I went through this thing where once a week, I try to find all my friends, were hosted workouts and Venmo them. Even if I don't do the work out just cause it's like, you know, 5 to $10 adds up. If everyone were just a Venmo $5 billion everyone who does the work our job and I think it's just really important that I don't know, I was just raised that way. Like you give people what you hope to get back. And if they do it great and if they don't, then well, you know, that's their

spk_1:   33:43
karma. So true.

spk_3:   33:46
Yeah, we definitely signed up for classes this last couple of weeks and didn't do them, but just to support the person and then we like we put it on and like they can't see us. But we're over here working on our laptops lately,

spk_1:   33:59
but it shows up as a viewer and they get just and that's like Grandma even talk about. You know, we have clients that invite us to concerts. They have bands, and the last thing we want to on the we calm school nights on the school night is to go to someone's band in a see them perform in a small bar, and it's really

spk_3:   34:22
sort of

spk_1:   34:23
70 s. But we've done it because those are the people. I mean, they asked us that they took the time if they thought we might come like shoot. Yeah, we're going. And

spk_2:   34:33
then, of course, we always

spk_1:   34:34
enjoy it. We're super excited just to see people doing things. But like you said, in this town, particularly, there is a little bit of almost like people don't want to give too much because they almost have to build up their own presence or something. It's like so if they show that they're willing to give to other people, it's almost as if people think that comes off like their disempowering themselves, which is in my book. Totally. Yes, totally. Yes. But you do see that a lot in this town and in this industry. So when people do show up, it's I I noticed I

spk_0:   35:09
I feel like honesty and one of those people where if you're in my circle like, I will show up for you out support you I will do anything. I'm very black and white, but like, if you're, like, not a good person or you wrong one of my friends, I'm like you're out forever. Like unfriend You like. I'm totally that person. Like I am very protective of my people and, you know, and so just to be nice, nice, nice. But don't wrong because, you

spk_1:   35:34
know, And that's only fair and like is that I noticed who shows up, and I notice he doesn't show up. So I'm making that mental note as well. Try and focus on the people that show up. But I remember the one. Hold on. Holy. Okay, so you show up, you help people build our business. You help people grow their business. You help make it more efficient. Is there anything else you do

spk_2:   36:00
you feel like

spk_1:   36:00
you're always just doing things. You're always busy. You're like a do are

spk_3:   36:04
keeping up along your instagram Like what's the next? What you're doing now?

spk_1:   36:10
Always just doing things like Do you stop? Do you slow down? Do you chill specially this time? Like do take depressed. You watch trashy TV. I need to know, you know, Are

spk_2:   36:22
we all just trying

spk_1:   36:23
to keep up with misstep? No,

spk_2:   36:25
no, no. I, um So I have to tell

spk_0:   36:27
you, this is a really bad thing I have. I don't know if it's like 80 dear. I can't just sit still Like Pat makes this joke that when we watch TV at night, I have been laps up on my lap, my phone in one hand, and I'm doing three things. And then I'll be like, what did they just say

spk_2:   36:42
on TV? And he's like, focused lady, Uh, and so I have

spk_0:   36:46
always been the type that, like I cannot sit still and I can't do nothing like I remember growing up isn't so terrible. My mom said that when I'm bored, I'm like a caged lion,

spk_2:   36:58
and that is

spk_0:   36:59
like stuck with me forever because I was like, Wow, that's really cool. But

spk_2:   37:03
also I know it's a little double edged sword.

spk_0:   37:07
It's yes, yes, but no. I actually have taken a lot of time during this period to sleep. Fun fact about me. I can out sleep, all of you, and love to sleep. I on the weekend sleep for 12 hours. Yes, and like this morning, for example, I slept until nine. It's a Monday. I slept until nine. Like who cares? You know, And so for me, it has been letting myself sweet and enjoy. This time I just like to go because I am one of those people who feels like I'm gonna miss something. If I stop and that's not a good thing or bad thing, it just it just is like I feel like I always just like I want to go to this event. But then I want to get this thing published and posted, and then I want to go do this and like, I don't want to leave anyone hanging and I don't want to miss out on anything. And that's Hollywood. I'm so tired and sleeping so much now

spk_1:   37:57
your body is asking for it right now. Totally. And it's loving it, too. Good. Good for you. You and I are both ambassadors for Ah, fitness clothing brand. And those air always like weekday events all over Los Angeles. If you don't live in Los Angeles, then this won't make sense. But there have been events in Pasadena, in Pacific Palisades, in Santa Monica city, over city, everywhere. So they're everywhere, and I feel like anyone I'm at Danielle is there

spk_2:   38:24
like this? Just just like, how are you here? You're a busy human. So she's you text me. You're saying are you going? And I'm like, Well, now I have to go. I'm going. And then we see each other for five minutes, okay? Yeah. Best of luck

spk_1:   38:39
with everything. Daniel is out there doing stuff with that. You touched on posting and publishing things. How do you stay so consistent with your social? How do you plan that out? You schedule it. What do you dio?

spk_0:   38:53
I feel like I am not good at social. Say thank you for saying that it is. It's funny because I said earlier, like, probably like, 15% of my client's conference social media, and so I spend probably way too much time on it. But I also think it's really good toe have social proof for your business, and I have, like, a Web presence. And so I do. I schedule everything. You guys were gonna laugh. I don't know if you can see this at home. Will. Probably not listening, actually, calendar everything right. I have a full calendar of paper printed calendar. I've your number and also counter. I have write everything down my hand. And so this is a great tip for you guys if you're struggling with content in general, not just social media content, but, like I take a day and every day corresponds to something. So my Monday poster always like my name, motivation, pose my Tuesdays or when I published my blog's My Wednesdays were work Outpost, Thursday's Your newsletters Fridays. Or just like who knows that Friday's even are, you know, and so I try really hard to kind of keep a consistent theme and then, if that way, I have a really good idea for something. I hold onto it until look kind of fits into one of those boxes. So it's not just like random, like things that are just like thrown up there for engagement. I try really hard to keep, like, a consistent calendar. And then what I also do is I counter social for the week. So I write my bog close to meet before, so I know exactly and be talking about the next week So I can also kind of tease It may be in our Monday Post and then my social on Tuesday corresponds to the blogged. You know, I have my newsletter that's coming down and because I already know what my whole week is gonna look look like. Like I can have a newsletter that kind of talks about the previous week. And so for me, like one, I'm just like crazy Taipei. So I like to be organized and two, I think it makes it easier toe be writing. And one of the things that is so so important to your brand in general is to keep showing up for your people consistently, and a really good way to do that is having the gun online presence with your blawg having your newsletter list, and it doesn't have to be like life changing stuff. It just has to be you communicating with them, You serving them, talking to them, helping them, and you do it regularly. And it kind of starts to resonate with people.

spk_1:   41:05
Yes, it's so funny, cause that when you first started talking like Oh, my gosh, are you kidding me?

spk_2:   41:10
Because so much. But I think you're

spk_1:   41:13
right. The consistency and the themes. That's interesting, the fames like Monday motivation and knowing that you always are gonna fit within this box because we're big fans of pairing things down. Like if you give yourself unlimited opportunity on the minute options, it's so overwhelming. But repair things down, then you all of a sudden the option to have the post or to talk or toe blogged about are so much smaller. And that's an easier decision to make like that. I also love that your social like you were saying close so well into your newsletter. I am a subscriber of your newsletter. So it does. Everything feels really linear, and it all correlates to each other, and it's I feel like I subscribe to some people's things and it feels a little scattered, so yours feels very much like, yeah, you reference your instagram Post you reference Oh, my new look newsletter Coming up o the block I just dropped. So it all goes together and you help businesses Bill, bat consistency as well. Do you help build out that consistency across platforms?

spk_0:   42:18
Absolutely, Absolutely. It's such a huge thing with branding Teoh, you know, not just identify like who you are and what you do. But how do you express it? One of the things I'm working on right now is I do free guides for people so they can go to my website, Donald Trigger are the next one is actually gonna be all about your email list in your newsletter and how you can integrate that into your brand because I think how we communicate is so important and teaching people just even that concept of communicate with your clients like that has so much value. And I think a lot of a lot of business owners miss that opportunity. It's not even like you miss the markets. You miss this chance to bond with your clients more into connection people. I have people all over the world who subscribe to this newsletter, and I'm like, really like your in Canada and you're in England and you're in Australia like that used still find relevant. And so that's cool. There's value to that. And so I definitely love working with businesses, taking a step back and saying like, Well, maybe your clients aren't coming back in the door because I don't feel connected to you half. We make them feel more connected. I know it's just one more thing to do, but it's actually not. It's actually really easy. Once you kind of get into a groove of you taken our once a week toe, get this all organized, you taking a couple hours once a month to plan everything out. And I think when you as a business owner, see how possible it is, and then you see the returning get from it. That's where that like Oh, my gosh, this is missing, comes from

spk_1:   43:39
You're so right. We talk a lot about to, you know, people crave humanity in connection. They're not just looking for like you, said acute logo and like cute colors that they respond to. Of course, that catches someone's eye, but they want to feel connected, or I'm way more willing to give money to someone that I feel connected to you. And I'm like Who? Hell, yes, I see their messaging. Yep.

spk_3:   43:59
So that you mentioned earlier You said it really quickly said, Well, I love money, So I'm just curious. Like, what's your money mindset? Like how this money play in tow? How you run your business. How do you make decision things like that?

spk_0:   44:13
All right. You know what I do? I love money, and I love talking about it. So thanks for asking, Brad. I think that money especially So I grew up in an agent household and we don't talk about it. And I always make this joke to people that I thought we were poor growing up because my parents would not talk about it, would not talk about it. Took me a really long time to realize that, like, that was just their mentality. And they were also kind of cheap. But it wasn't It wasn't that and that, you know, it was just like we don't talk about how much would make well, we have. And it creates this really weird mindset where you're almost afraid of money and it's just uncomfortable like, Well, I don't want to look at me bank accounts, I don't know. And I've been there when I sort of, you know, on my own and my first apartment, my first real job. Like I remember being afraid of money and a heated it. And I also I remember thinking like, Why do I feel this way? And maybe I'm the only one who feels this way. And I would try to talk to my friends about how much are you guys making? How do you make your budgets work? And people were just like, No, no, no, you don't talk about that. And so I started this business years ago, and I realized, like one of people's biggest things is like they're like,

spk_1:   45:19
Oh my

spk_0:   45:19
gosh, until much help raise my child. I don't know how much money making, and they whisper it like it's like a dirt re secret, and it kind of became really clear to me that we needed to normalize this discussion of money because it literally makes the world go round. It literally helps us parent and eat our food and drive our cars. And it is not a value of are worth. It is not a value of, you know. Are you a better person or not? It is just this currency literally that, like, runs the world. And so for me, I have made it a point. Teoh. So have that talk with people and to kind of say, like, how much were you making at the studio? How much do you make per hour? What is your hourly rate? How much we charging a monthly thing for your clients and normalizing the discussion so that we realized that if we can take

spk_2:   46:05
away that

spk_0:   46:05
weird stigma, just like with mental health I was talking about earlier. If we can take away this weird stigma that, like we don't talk about it, then maybe we can be more comfortable working in it. Then maybe we can make more money because we know what we're actually worth and our value. And I think it's this roadblock that people have. And I find that the the people who are most financially successful, however you want to qualify that they're the richest. They are the most whatever. They're the people that aren't afraid to say that this is how much it costs to work with me. This is my price per head. This is my price of acquisition. This is my churn ary. This is my monthly overhead expenses. These

spk_2:   46:39
are people that have, like

spk_0:   46:40
a really deep understanding of not just their worth but their businesses worth. And I think that if we were to stop being afraid of that and like, I love making money, guys like I was so funny. I was in the shower the other day and I was like, Should I share this on the podcast? And I was like, Yeah, you're going to But like, nothing brings me more joy than sending out and getting a paid invoice like nothing as it means. I did good work for my client. They're happy. I don't invoice until my clients are happy. It means I did a good job. It means that's probably one person is going to send me a new client. And so I don't know. Overall, I just It's a fun topic to talk about it, and I hope that people stop being afraid of it.

spk_1:   47:17
Yeah, we we try and talk with everyone about money because we've had our own journey to about not talking about it and Even as a couple, Brad was a little more hesitant to talk about it or look at it. We've mentioned before that when we were first living together, our power got shut because for happened. Never knew what

spk_2:   47:38
Bill was being paid. Like he had the money. The money was there. You could, but our power got shut up between C missed multiple bills

spk_3:   47:45
day on for the problems in the letter. It's in an envelope.

spk_2:   47:49
You know, Brad, there's a lot of barriers. It happened. It happened a patio when we first moved into our new house. It's not just you love hearing that that's so good. So you're not the only one past, But it is like people, just kind of a boy. That

spk_1:   48:03
or they're agreed to look at it. And I've had some people tell me well, like it's kind of gross to talk about money and I get where they're coming from. I think it's it's not true. I think I was there in the past two. But I think that people that don't have quote unquote enough money where they feel like they don't have enough. They think about money more than people with money Dio Absolutely. On still another mom they constantly thinking about. There's not enough that you count. They're constantly freaked out. Can I afford this? It's so empowering to know. Yeah, I can afford that. Yes, I can pay that bill. So I feel like that visibility that checking in on your bank account that deciding that you are going to earn more you're going to save more. You're gonna take control of your finances is huge. And like you said, you have the ability toe every one of your friends. And Daniel has a lot of friends. Teoh. A lot of

spk_2:   48:54
fitness classes. You're able to send them Venmo for classes you're not

spk_1:   48:59
taking because you have taken care of your finances and that's powerful. And that is a tool to just be show up a little bigger in the world. It doesn't have to be wealthy. It doesn't have to be graduate. Just means taking control of it allows you to show up a little stronger, I think in the world.

spk_0:   49:15
Oh, my gosh, there's so much value to that sentence now more than ever, because I know so many friends who have no idea of their finances look like And this Kogan 19 hit and they just said, Well, I'm screwed. And I said, Well, why? Like, you know what your monthly expenses in there like? I don't know. And I'm like, now

spk_2:   49:33
is a great time to figure that out because, you know, you really

spk_0:   49:36
need to know those things, but it is so empowering for me. At least it waas when this whole situation hit on. I teach it a studio also. And so I have that steady income that comes in and knowing that I'm not gonna have that income for month. Two months, three months, whatever this is, I took a second and I pause. And I thought, How much do you make of this studio? Okay, you're not gonna make that. You're gonna be OK. And I was ableto literally just do that mental mass to say, Like, how much are you losing? How much do you have? How much is coming in? You're gonna be fine. And I think that the reason that I didn't Absolutely Philip my You know what? The first week that this all happened was I was able to say you're going to pay your bills. You're gonna pay yourself. You're gonna be fine in that sense. And so to go back to just what you said stuff like there's power to that. There's so much like empowerment in that feeling.

spk_1:   50:23
Yeah, and I think just being careful, I have to be careful myself that there's no shame and not knowing what your monthly expend totally notion because we aren't taught this. And like you said, you were up in a household word. We don't talk about it, so there's no shame in it. It's just recognising that maybe that's where you're at and deciding to change. It is starting to have that conversation and looking into it. I

spk_3:   50:44
also grew up in a household where we didn't talk about money. We avoided it. But it is so empowered when she kind of like three program yourself cause we did the same math like when? Because when everything shut down like a month ago, Stephanie, I like we thought they were like, Okay, how many months do we have? Not me anything before we run into a problem. We, like, calculated out like we got like, four or five months before, like we're really going to start having an issue. And like once you have that, then we have, like, this empowering of life. Okay, let's create something. Let's do something with this time. That's because we're not afraid we're not stressed. Were not like Onley thinking about what my next paycheck is gonna be.

spk_1:   51:25
Yeah, and we lost 90% of our income

spk_2:   51:28
overnight because our business model is in person. So that was a little bit of like a okay, Like, took a depressed And we both just looked at

spk_1:   51:36
each other. And then we looked at our spreadsheet and we went, you know what? We're OK for Fine. So that's so empowering, So empowering

spk_0:   51:45
The fact that you guys are able Teoh, say this is like smiles on your face and like, you're not like sweating bullets right now like that just is a testament to, like, one like who you two are as people, but also to like the value of it, the empowerment of it to say like, you know, the fact that even you guys on the savings account like Bravo to that I I have found a lot of businesses don't even have reserves or savings to roll. And so I hate toe ever say like I told you so or this is why you need to do this. But this isn't a massive wake up call that so many people that, like if you've never saved before, like now is a great time to take $5 a week and put it somewhere if you're a business and you've never seen before, like this is what reserves therefore and I think that thank you said Nobody talked about it, and there's no shame in that. There's no shame and not knowing. There's no shame and no anything. I think this is a really painful learning opportunity, but like, let's make it an opportunity. And let's not just keep putting her head in the sand and hoping that, like it'll magically get better.

spk_1:   52:45
Oh, yeah, this had been five years ago. Brad and I would have been panicking

spk_2:   52:49
a lot. I think this would have been a

spk_1:   52:50
different story. So I think that's the message genuine out there. That is like shoe. I don't know what to my count. I don't know what my monthly expenditures are. That's fine, but this is your opportunity to take that stuff and like you said Danielle. The first step is the hardest. So putting that $5 literally $5 into a savings account or people talk come to us all the time for some reason about investing like how do you invest? Were not investment experts,

spk_2:   53:15
like, which is

spk_3:   53:16
read books.

spk_2:   53:17
You just read a

spk_1:   53:18
book and I don't know, we lost a lot of money when the market crashed, but saying, But we're also like the first thing we did was we just opened up an investment account just like a very broad like the the first step you can dio I always so people goto Ella best. I'm not, like, sponsored by them or anything, but l a vest. You can literally, literally invest a dollar. So if you are afraid of investing, go to L. A vest. If you're don't have a savings account, open the scenes counted Today. Most things will let you do it online, and you're starting that journey, and the more you start to own it and talk about it and just contribute to yourself. The easier this money conversation gets, huh?

spk_3:   53:57
And let's be honest, like if you're in a bad situation out there like this next few months is gonna suck like there's no way out of it anymore. But like, you just have to start planning for the next situation, because it will happen. These things not exact like this that things happen. What is it? Every, like, 8 to 12 years. There's something that happens. So now is the time.

spk_1:   54:19
Yeah. This is not the first recession people have seen, so yeah,

spk_0:   54:24
unfortunately not know. Well, I waited in the 20. She hasn't eight recession. And so I was like, OK, here we go

spk_2:   54:31
again. Let's do this. Oh, my

spk_1:   54:33
gosh. Graduating during that time when you think you're just going out into the world and gonna start your whole new abundant life, that's that had to have been a little challenging, but we're

spk_2:   54:43
here now, but we really So that's the

spk_1:   54:45
thing. And you set yourself up to be here successfully? Yep. Well, thank you so much, Danielle. I always loved chatting with you. I love how transparent you are. I love that you're open about mental health, about money, about business, and just also how giving you are if you sign up for her newsletter or follow around Instagram she gives away so much information, So many tips, so much actual advice. So definitely check her out. Where the best ways for people to find you

spk_0:   55:13
to best ways, just like you said Social media on Instagram It's just at Danielle dot stead, and my website is Danielle stead Blanton dot com. Blanton Like the bourbon Like that? Yeah, And feel free. Sign up for my newsletter. If you are a gift string podcaster, I'm to send something extra your way just because we can. And I love these two great people something a hook you guys up. Otherwise, I really can't wait to connect with all of you.

spk_2:   55:39
Thank you. Thank you so much.

spk_3:   55:41
Is there anything else that you wanted to add that we didn't ask you?

spk_0:   55:45
I mean, I think it's just really exciting to get to be asked to be on a podcast. So I'm stoked. And for everyone listening to this, you guys were in really great hands with Stephan, Brad. So just keep staying to state stain tune. Is that how you say station So sure. Don't edit that part. I'm really excited to hear what you guys have to say and do with this podcast. So yeah, Thank you for having me. And I can't wait to keep listening.

spk_1:   56:10
Well, we had because we like you, but also way like a lot of people, but we didn't invite them on. Thanks for all the value. And hopefully we get to see you in real life suits.

spk_2:   56:24
You know, you guys thank you for listening to the gives strength podcast. You can give strength to our cause by rating reviewing and subscribing, and we'll continue bringing interesting and valuable episodes to you.