About Andrea Isaacs

Andrea Isaacs is called a Master of Change and a Spiritual Teacher Extraordinaire. She has a passion to bring more joy to motivated, conscious, hard-working leaders who are changing the world. She is an international speaker, empowering facilitator and transformational coach.

After transforming her own painful shyness into confidence, she recognized that change CAN be easy. From shy and speechless, she became the host of her own radio show, and is now a magnetic, engaging and inspiring speaker, on stages in front of hundreds of people. Her own personal transformation taught her that she can guide others through their transformations. She has uncanny insight into what will aid each unique shift with the greatest ease for the greatest outcome. She has now changed the lives of thousands of people in over 25 countries.

Key Takeaways

Discover the Enneagram in Action – Learn how this ancient personality system can help you identify emotional patterns and unlock new strengths.

Master Your Mindset – Understand how your emotions shape your mindset—and how shifting both can improve relationships, business success, and overall life satisfaction.

Uncover Your Emotional Blueprint – Find out how Andrea’s EQ quiz reveals your personal gifts and challenges—and why knowing these can change how you show up every day.

Build Unshakeable Confidence – Learn why confidence isn’t about trying harder, but about healing old messages and rewiring your emotional responses.

The First Domino Effect – Discover how changing one key emotional habit can create a ripple effect that transforms everything from decision-making to productivity.

Embodiment Tools You Can Use – Hear how Andrea combines movement, language, and neuroscience to help clients embody their goals and purpose.

Quote

"Confidence is essential in our lives. No matter who you are, no matter what you do, you're a human being on planet Earth. If you don't believe in yourself, if you don't have the confidence to speak up for yourself, you won't have the relationships, the business, the life that you want."- Andrea Isaacs

Mentioned in This Episode

Emotional Mastery Toolkit & EQ Quiz https://andrea-isaacs.com/eqtoolkit/

Masterclass: 3 Keys to Unshakeable Confidence: Stop Shrinking and Start Shining – Saturday, June 28th - https://go.andrea-isaacs.com/event-optin-unshakeable

Connect with Andrea Isaacs

https://andrea-isaacs.com/

Connect with Victoria Bennion

Learn more about us: https://thebestpodcastguest.co.uk/

Download our Podcast Guest Starter Kit: The Podcast Guest Starter Kit gives you a proven plan to find the right shows, craft a winning pitch, and maximise every interview. https://thebestpodcastguest.co.uk/podcast-guest-starter-kit/

Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thebestpodcastguest

Join the Best Podcast Guest Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebestpodcastguest

Subscribe to our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@victoriabennion

Connect with Victoria on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoriabennion/

Transcript

Victoria Bennion: [00:00:00] Hello and welcome. I'm your host, Victoria

Bennion, and the founder of the best podcast guest booking agency. And you're

listening to the best guest, the podcast for business owners, creatives, and

entrepreneurs who want to harness the power of podcasts to grow their platforms

and increase their visibility.

Victoria Bennion:

Hello and welcome to the podcast. Andrea, how are you today?

Andrea Isaacs: Hi,

Victoria. I'm great, thanks. How are you?

Victoria Bennion: I'm

well, thank you. It's lovely to have the chance to chat with you again. You are

the founder of the Isaacs Method of Emotional and Life Mastery. I wondered if

you could talk a little bit about your method to begin with.

Andrea Isaacs: Yeah.

Well, thank you. So I. Was a professional dancer for 25 years, and one of the

things I loved to do was to choreograph dances about people and their emotions.

And I, um, I wanted my dancers to be authentic and powerful on stage, and when

they could embody these range of [00:01:00]

emotions they were, and fast forward many years, I came across a personality

system called the Enneagram, and I wanted to learn it experientially because I

am an experiential learner.

Andrea Isaacs: And I

learned I'm not the only one. And so I used my background of embodying emotion

in order to learn the system. But what happened next really surprised me

because I had been painfully shy for my whole life, and suddenly confidence

became a part of me. And confidence is essential in our lives. No matter who

you are, no matter what you do, you're a human being.

Andrea Isaacs: I'm

planet Earth. If you don't believe in yourself, if you don't have the

confidence to speak up for yourself, you won't have the relationships, the

business, the life that you want. And my journey, the, the journey I offer

people when they wanna work with me is we'd start with emotional mastery and

then relational mastery, and then life mastery.

Andrea Isaacs: But I

realized, you know what it is about emotions. Yes. But our emotions determine

our mindset. And our mindset determines everything from the mood we're in when

we wake up in the morning. The decisions we [00:02:00]

make throughout the day and the ones we don't make, the actions we take. And

the ones we don't take the quality of everything and the mood we're in when we

put our head down at the pillow on our pillow at the end of the day.

Andrea Isaacs: And so

the work really is about having the life that you want and that is life

mastery.

Victoria Bennion: I

love that. Terms of your journey, so you were a dancer, did you become injured?

Did I read?

Andrea Isaacs: Yes. I

had a career ending injury. I fell really hard. I was, I had, I was up in the

air and I landed really hard on my tailbone and I could hardly walk for three

months and that was pretty much the end of my career. I hung in there, uh,

teaching. I couldn't perform anymore, and I realized I've gotta do something

different.

Andrea Isaacs: And,

you know, I know what it's like. Not to have a life purpose, because what had

been my purpose was taken away. It was gone. The friends I had were all in that

world. My world was all designed around the fact that I was a professional

dancer and went to every dance concert and I've traveled to see dance concerts.

Andrea Isaacs: My [00:03:00] friends were in that world. I mean, it was

my world and. It. There's just, it's not, I mean, it is hard to describe, but

anyone who's gone through it knows it's not just depressing. It's like, well,

what am I here for? What's the meaning of life? And I know what that's like. So

when I came across the Enneagram and this change happened for me, I realized,

oh.

Andrea Isaacs: It, it

didn't dawn on me. It took a while for me to realize that this is my new

purpose. It's like I want people to have, uh, to speak up for themselves, to

take a stand for who they are. To know that what you want, what you need

matters. Your gifts matter, and I believe everyone. Has a purpose no matter

what you do, who you are, what stage of life you're in.

Andrea Isaacs: Even

people who are retired, I believe they have a purpose, whether it's to be with

their grandchildren, to speak up for who they are and what they want to have

that kind of confidence. We talked about a moment ago, the way, who do you

wanna be in your day? What's your intention for how you wanna be throughout

your day?

Andrea Isaacs: That

is a good purpose. That's sufficient. So I like to say there's no judgment.

About how big or small your [00:04:00] purpose

is. Sometimes someone who has a big dream, this was told to me, oh, that's too

much. You can't do that. Who do you think you are? Boy, that deflated me. Or

there's no judgment about how small your dream is.

Andrea Isaacs: It's

like, if that's...]]>In this week's episode of The Best Guest Victoria Bennion chats with Andrea Isaacs, founder of the Isaacs Method of Emotional and Life Mastery. They explore ways to embody confidence, master emotions, and live purposefully.

About Andrea Isaacs

Andrea Isaacs is called a Master of Change and a Spiritual Teacher Extraordinaire. She has a passion to bring more joy to motivated, conscious, hard-working leaders who are changing the world. She is an international speaker, empowering facilitator and transformational coach.

After transforming her own painful shyness into confidence, she recognized that change CAN be easy. From shy and speechless, she became the host of her own radio show, and is now a magnetic, engaging and inspiring speaker, on stages in front of hundreds of people. Her own personal transformation taught her that she can guide others through their transformations. She has uncanny insight into what will aid each unique shift with the greatest ease for the greatest outcome. She has now changed the lives of thousands of people in over 25 countries.

Key Takeaways

Discover the Enneagram in Action – Learn how this ancient personality system can help you identify emotional patterns and unlock new strengths.

Master Your Mindset – Understand how your emotions shape your mindset—and how shifting both can improve relationships, business success, and overall life satisfaction.

Uncover Your Emotional Blueprint – Find out how Andrea’s EQ quiz reveals your personal gifts and challenges—and why knowing these can change how you show up every day.

Build Unshakeable Confidence – Learn why confidence isn’t about trying harder, but about healing old messages and rewiring your emotional responses.

The First Domino Effect – Discover how changing one key emotional habit can create a ripple effect that transforms everything from decision-making to productivity.

Embodiment Tools You Can Use – Hear how Andrea combines movement, language, and neuroscience to help clients embody their goals and purpose.

Quote

"Confidence is essential in our lives. No matter who you are, no matter what you do, you're a human being on planet Earth. If you don't believe in yourself, if you don't have the confidence to speak up for yourself, you won't have the relationships, the business, the life that you want."- Andrea Isaacs

Mentioned in This Episode

Emotional Mastery Toolkit & EQ Quiz https://andrea-isaacs.com/eqtoolkit/

Masterclass: 3 Keys to Unshakeable Confidence: Stop Shrinking and Start Shining – Saturday, June 28th - https://go.andrea-isaacs.com/event-optin-unshakeable

Connect with Andrea Isaacs

https://andrea-isaacs.com/

Connect with Victoria Bennion

Learn more about us: https://thebestpodcastguest.co.uk/

Download our Podcast Guest Starter Kit: The Podcast Guest Starter Kit gives you a proven plan to find the right shows, craft a winning pitch, and maximise every interview. https://thebestpodcastguest.co.uk/podcast-guest-starter-kit/

Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thebestpodcastguest

Join the Best Podcast Guest Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebestpodcastguest

Subscribe to our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@victoriabennion

Connect with Victoria on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoriabennion/

Transcript

Victoria Bennion: [00:00:00] Hello and welcome. I'm your host, Victoria

Bennion, and the founder of the best podcast guest booking agency. And you're

listening to the best guest, the podcast for business owners, creatives, and

entrepreneurs who want to harness the power of podcasts to grow their platforms

and increase their visibility.

Victoria Bennion:

Hello and welcome to the podcast. Andrea, how are you today?

Andrea Isaacs: Hi,

Victoria. I'm great, thanks. How are you?

Victoria Bennion: I'm

well, thank you. It's lovely to have the chance to chat with you again. You are

the founder of the Isaacs Method of Emotional and Life Mastery. I wondered if

you could talk a little bit about your method to begin with.

Andrea Isaacs: Yeah.

Well, thank you. So I. Was a professional dancer for 25 years, and one of the

things I loved to do was to choreograph dances about people and their emotions.

And I, um, I wanted my dancers to be authentic and powerful on stage, and when

they could embody these range of [00:01:00]

emotions they were, and fast forward many years, I came across a personality

system called the Enneagram, and I wanted to learn it experientially because I

am an experiential learner.

Andrea Isaacs: And I

learned I'm not the only one. And so I used my background of embodying emotion

in order to learn the system. But what happened next really surprised me

because I had been painfully shy for my whole life, and suddenly confidence

became a part of me. And confidence is essential in our lives. No matter who

you are, no matter what you do, you're a human being.

Andrea Isaacs: I'm

planet Earth. If you don't believe in yourself, if you don't have the

confidence to speak up for yourself, you won't have the relationships, the

business, the life that you want. And my journey, the, the journey I offer

people when they wanna work with me is we'd start with emotional mastery and

then relational mastery, and then life mastery.

Andrea Isaacs: But I

realized, you know what it is about emotions. Yes. But our emotions determine

our mindset. And our mindset determines everything from the mood we're in when

we wake up in the morning. The decisions we [00:02:00]

make throughout the day and the ones we don't make, the actions we take. And

the ones we don't take the quality of everything and the mood we're in when we

put our head down at the pillow on our pillow at the end of the day.

Andrea Isaacs: And so

the work really is about having the life that you want and that is life

mastery.

Victoria Bennion: I

love that. Terms of your journey, so you were a dancer, did you become injured?

Did I read?

Andrea Isaacs: Yes. I

had a career ending injury. I fell really hard. I was, I had, I was up in the

air and I landed really hard on my tailbone and I could hardly walk for three

months and that was pretty much the end of my career. I hung in there, uh,

teaching. I couldn't perform anymore, and I realized I've gotta do something

different.

Andrea Isaacs: And,

you know, I know what it's like. Not to have a life purpose, because what had

been my purpose was taken away. It was gone. The friends I had were all in that

world. My world was all designed around the fact that I was a professional

dancer and went to every dance concert and I've traveled to see dance concerts.

Andrea Isaacs: My [00:03:00] friends were in that world. I mean, it was

my world and. It. There's just, it's not, I mean, it is hard to describe, but

anyone who's gone through it knows it's not just depressing. It's like, well,

what am I here for? What's the meaning of life? And I know what that's like. So

when I came across the Enneagram and this change happened for me, I realized,

oh.

Andrea Isaacs: It, it

didn't dawn on me. It took a while for me to realize that this is my new

purpose. It's like I want people to have, uh, to speak up for themselves, to

take a stand for who they are. To know that what you want, what you need

matters. Your gifts matter, and I believe everyone. Has a purpose no matter

what you do, who you are, what stage of life you're in.

Andrea Isaacs: Even

people who are retired, I believe they have a purpose, whether it's to be with

their grandchildren, to speak up for who they are and what they want to have

that kind of confidence. We talked about a moment ago, the way, who do you

wanna be in your day? What's your intention for how you wanna be throughout

your day?

Andrea Isaacs: That

is a good purpose. That's sufficient. So I like to say there's no judgment.

About how big or small your [00:04:00] purpose

is. Sometimes someone who has a big dream, this was told to me, oh, that's too

much. You can't do that. Who do you think you are? Boy, that deflated me. Or

there's no judgment about how small your dream is.

Andrea Isaacs: It's

like, if that's what you want, let's make that happen.

Victoria Bennion:

Brilliant. Can you talk a little bit about the Enneagram?

Andrea Isaacs: Yes.

Uh, any means nine in Greek and Gram is a diagram or, or drawing, and it is a

diagram that has three symbols, a circle, a triangle, and a six pointed star.

And each point on that star, it has a personality system associated, a

personality style associated with it, and each one has predictable gifts.

Andrea Isaacs: And

challenges, and so it's useful to know your core type, which is, which really

determines your motivation for why you are the way you are, and it determines

the way what comes easily and naturally to you and the challenges that you

have. When I discovered, especially when I created my EQ quiz, which is part of

the emotional mastery toolkit that we'll talk about later when I created my

quiz though, I realized, you know what?

Andrea Isaacs: It's [00:05:00] not just about your type because we can

see your gifts and challenges in all these nine areas. Gifts and challenges is

two, nine types is nine times two 18 areas of emotion. I can see how you show

up in this whole realm of emotion and you know, we were never taught the

language of emotion and our education.

Andrea Isaacs: And

the Enneagram, I believe, is a great introduction to the language of emotion.

And because of my background as a dancer and how I brought embodiment to the

Enneagram, there's something about the language of the body. When it's brought

together with a language of emotion, you start to know how to choose your

emotions, which as I said earlier, determines your mindset and that really

brings you to emotional mastery.

Andrea Isaacs: But

anyway, so with, um, the Enneagram. We, in my work, we embody the gifts of each

type and that gives you an expanded emotional range, expanded capacity so that

you don't have to just be a confident, decisive. You can also be the peacemaker

who takes in all points of view. You can also be a real [00:06:00] powerful caregiver.

Andrea Isaacs: And

being here of service, I could go on around, uh, the gifts and challenges of

all the types, but, uh, let me put it this way. We all need all of it. And when

we have our core type, that's not the end of learning. Because to be our best

and highest selves, which is my personal goal in life, to be my best and

highest self, no matter what happens, we need it all.

Andrea Isaacs: And to

have more of the gifts. So we expand our possible options of how we respond

when life throws us, throws us a curve ball or someone pushes our buttons. And

also to know under to understand, know, and experience the shadow. Side of each

type and there's value in the shadow because we all have one.

Andrea Isaacs: And

when we do, when we step into our shadow deliberately, and then we step out of

it, we learned that what next time it arises, oh, I have the flexibility. I

don't have to live like this. I don't have to suffer. We learned that we have

the flexibility to shift out of it, and it also applies [00:07:00] to other people when we have stepped into their shadow.

Andrea Isaacs: What I

like to call a ritual container where there are no real life consequences. When

other people are in their shadow, we know that it's their shadow. It's not

about me, it's about them being their shadow. We have a, we have better tools

for responding to other people when their shadows arise. So in terms of what

the Enneagram is, it's a great tool for understanding ourselves and others, and

it also is a doorway to our emotional mastery.

Victoria Bennion:

Hmm. Do you see more of one type of number than another with clients you work

with? Or is it like an even spread? I.

Andrea Isaacs: Uh,

not, well, it depends. Uh, when I go to the, uh, international Enneagram

conferences, I've had programs worth of 65 to a hundred people attend, and the

numbers are pretty evenly. Spread because sometimes I'll put them into type

groups and we have exercises that we do in the type groups. So sometimes the

numbers are evenly spread.

Andrea Isaacs: In

smaller programs, there are some types that don't show up as often. I could say

that sometimes types type [00:08:00] three,

which is called the achiever, they have, one of their challenges is they're

really focused on their image, how they come across. So they wanna be seen as

successful. Why do I need, why do I need to work on myself?

Andrea Isaacs: I'm

already done. Growing. I'm like, a, I've got this. And they do, they are

successful, but I believe we all have some room for growth. So sometimes they

don't show up as much. Um, some people, some types are more withdrawn, although

I would say type nine, those who know the Enneagram, know what I mean? Type

nine, who's the peacemaker?

Andrea Isaacs: They

can get along with all kind types of people. They want inner peace no matter

what. And so they'll put aside. Any conflict, any differences, any any wants or

needs because what if I, what I want or need is different than what you want or

what if you don't wanna be, do that for me. So they put it all aside, which

helps the peace between them and the other person.

Andrea Isaacs: And it

also helps going with the flow. So there's a benefit to that and they

compromise to go with the flow, and there's a benefit to that. But when they

compromise again and again, and again, and again, and again and again, they

start to feel like no one cares what I [00:09:00]

want. It's like no one even cares what I think or what I feel, and no one cares

what I want or need.

Andrea Isaacs: And

it's like I'm invisible. Like I'm not even here. So their challenge is to, um,

to learn how to embody the truth of who they are, which is that you want and

your needs matter.

Andrea Isaacs: So

actually I get a lot of them showing up in my program.

Andrea Isaacs: And

also at the end of it, when working with me, they know that their needs matter.

They can take a stand. I, I have kind of a lot of energy. Maybe you've seen

that already. Um, sometimes they're intimidated by that.

Andrea Isaacs: They

start to back off because I come across maybe like strong or powerful. I don't

know. I don't always feel that inside, but it intimidates them because they're

afraid of it. know, that brings to mind an interesting topic, which is about

power. A lot of people don't step into their power. Because they had been

exposed to power, used in a wrong or bad way, maybe even an abusive use of

power.

Andrea Isaacs: In

fact, I remember being around a lot of anger. Anger when I was young and [00:10:00] power used for the wrong way. And I

remember saying, I'll never be like that. And we have this saying, you know, we

throw the baby out with the bath water. What does that mean? It's like, well, I

threw out my confidence in favor of not being angry ever.

Andrea Isaacs: Well,

did I ever get angry? You bet I did. But I kept it down. And anybody who's ever

done that, you felt anger and you just pushed it down. I can't feel angry or

I'm a spiritual person. I don't get angry. I'm peaceful inside. Deep inside

there is anger, and the challenge of anger and power is we have to experience

it.

Andrea Isaacs: The

wrong use of it in order to know the energy of it so that we can learn how to

choose to use it in a healthy way, which is what I like to call unshakeable

confidence. And that is powerful. It's not power over, it's the power to be all

that you are. The power to be you, to be all you. That like lights me up and

that is, uh, it, it lights up your life and that is a beautiful and a right [00:11:00] use of power.

Victoria Bennion: How

can we get to the point where we have unshakeable confidence?

Andrea Isaacs: Oh, I

love that. I love that question. I love talking about it. In fact, I'm doing a

masterclass about it called the Three Keys to Unshakeable Confidence, stop

Shrinking and Start Shining. So when I look at someone's blueprint, which is

the result of your EQ quiz, I can see a combination, a unique combination of

gifts that points to your life purpose, and also a unique combination of

challenges.

Andrea Isaacs: That

have held you back from clarity about it or living it. And when we see those

blocks, we can unblock them and we there, I can talk more about that. We can

unblock them and then unshakeable confidence arises. You can't just start with,

oh, just be confident. When I was a kid, my mom said, I can't tell you how many

times.

Andrea Isaacs: Just

be confident, Andy. Just be confident. I knew in my head I wanted to be, I

certainly knew in my heart I wanted to be. But I couldn't, I didn't know how I

tried, but I just, I grew [00:12:00] tall

really early and I, people looked at me because I stood out. I was heads...]]>e55cd2d9-ee23-4e70-b4ff-a51fba856b5aTue, 24 Jun 2025 01:00:00 +010027:38falsefull127127How to Build and Exit a Profitable Business with Ciara StockelandIn this episode, Victoria Bennion welcomes Ciara Stockeland, speaker, author, Ironman athlete, and fractional CFO for inventory-based businesses. Ciara shares the story of how she launched her first business at 13, built and sold a subscription box company in under two years, and now empowers entrepreneurs to make sense of their numbers and reclaim financial freedom. She breaks down the most common mistakes inventory-based business owners make, how to prepare your business for exit, and why understanding your finances is the real path to freedom.

About Ciara

Ciara Stockeland, is a speaker, author, 4x Ironman and Fractional CFO for inventory based businesses.

Ciara has owned and operated a business since her early teens. As a serial entrepreneur, her business mindset and tenacity led her to opening her first store in 2006 which she then franchised. Her vast experience in both retail and wholesale industries led her to launch the first to market wholesale subscription box for boutique retailers, which she built and sold within 18 months. Most recently Ciara has launched the Inventory Genius, a consulting program for inventory-based business owners.

She has twice had the opportunity to testify before two U.S. Senate Committees regarding the “joint employer” standard for businesses and its effect on small businesses and franchises. Additionally, in 2015 she represented small businesses at a White House Summit on Worker Voice and again in 2018 for a Summit on Economics.

Ciara has been recognized as a Small Business Champion through SCORE, has held a seat on the United States Chamber of Commerce Small Business Council and is a Profit First Certified Coach. Through her consulting program, Ciara gives business owners the confidence and tools to build profitability and peace of mind in their inventory-based businesses.

In her free time Ciara enjoys training for endurance races and most recently completed her fourth Ironman at the Ironman World Championships in Kona, 2023.

She currently resides in Tennessee with her husband Jim and her Great Pyrenees Bentley.

Key Takeaways

Profit is the Priority

Building a big business doesn’t mean you’re building a profitable one. Entrepreneurs should focus on margins and cash flow not just top-line sales.

Know Your Five Numbers

Success hinges on understanding five core areas: sales, cost of goods sold, gross margin, expenses, and net profit. Mastering these leads to control and confidence.

Adaptability is Strength

Listening to your customers and pivoting from your original business idea can open unexpected doors to scalable success.

Plan to Exit Before You Want Out

The time to prepare your business for sale is not when you're ready to leave but well before, while you still have the clarity and control to make it valuable to someone else.

Tell Your Story Loudly

Whether testifying before Congress or launching a business, Ciara emphasizes the power of sharing your personal experience to drive change and connect with others.

Quote

“It's not super attractive to fill out your spreadsheet and to look at your financials. It's very attractive when you have financial freedom, you write yourself a paycheck… That is what we can all get up in the morning for.” — Ciara Stockeland

Mentioned in This Episode

Inventory Genius Book

Ciara Stockeland's Inventory Genius Method has helped hundreds of inventory based business owners create more profit and keep more cash. Get your free copy here

Connect with Ciara

Website

LinkedIn

Instagram

Facebook

YouTube

Podcast

Connect with Victoria Bennion

Learn more about us: https://thebestpodcastguest.co.uk/

Download our Podcast Guest Starter Kit: The Podcast Guest Starter Kit gives you a proven plan to find the right shows, craft a winning pitch, and maximise every interview. https://thebestpodcastguest.co.uk/podcast-guest-starter-kit/

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebestpodcastguest

Join the Best Podcast Guest Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebestpodcastguest

Subscribe to our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@victoriabennion

Connect with Victoria on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoriabennion/

Transcript

Victoria Bennion:

Hello and welcome. I'm your host, Victoria Bennion, and the founder of the best

podcast guest booking agency. And you're listening to the best guest, the

podcast for business owners, creatives, and entrepreneurs who want to harness

the power of podcasts to grow their platforms and increase their visibility.

Today, we welcome to the podcast Ciara Stockeland who is a

speaker, author, full-time Iron Man and fractional CFO for inventory based

businesses. Sierra has owned and operated a business since her early teens as a

serial entrepreneur. Her business mindset and tenacity led her to opening her

first store in 2006, which she then franchised.

Her vast experience in both retail and wholesale industries led

her to launch the first to market wholesale subscription box for boutique

retailers, which he built and [00:01:00] sold

within 18 months.

Most recently, Ciara's launched the Inventory Genius, a

consulting program for inventory based business owners.

Welcome to the podcast, Ciara. It's really great to have the

chance to chat with you today.

You started your first business as a teenager? I believe. I.

And you opened your first store in 2006, which you then franchised. Could you

talk about what attracted you to working in this space and, the lessons you

learned,

Ciara Stockeland:

Yeah, so I started my first. Formal business, if you will, when I was 13, I

hadn't set out to start a business with it, but I was from a small business

family, so it was very common in our family to find value in things or solve

problems create solutions through business. And so I. Built a theater company

for homeschool students.

I was homeschooled at the time just for fun at first, but then

started having other people come and ask if their children could be involved.

And so I built that and grew it into a formal theater [00:02:00]

acting company. We put on full length productions all through my time of.

Elementary, junior high school, college, and even into being married.

So I did that for over a decade. It was great. Learning

experience, how to balance a checkbook and how to market things and how to

provide a service. And then after I decided I was done with that business I got

married, had a couple kids, and was ready to move on. I decided that I would

like to start a retail store, so I had never worked any retail in my life but I

thought it would be a great idea to open a store, and I wanted to build a

brand.

I knew from the beginning that my idea was not to build myself

a hobby or to create a job for myself, but I really wanted to build a brand.

And so my first concept was a high-end maternity baby boutique. It was when it

was getting very popular to dress really cute when you're pregnant. The

celebrities were all buying beautiful things and so we had nothing available in

North Dakota, which is where I was from for that.

And so I opened this boutique and then, as typically happens to

small [00:03:00] business and entrepreneurs,

you start one way, but then you find your journey really weaving and winding.

And that's what happened with me as well. I opened that store six months later,

had the opportunity to open a second concept to help someone that I knew sell a

bunch of off, overpriced and off price product.

And that concept took off. Everybody loved getting a deal, and

it appealed to the masses where I was finding my maternity store, something I

hadn't thought of. That customer was a very short term customer. Because once

they had their baby, they were gone. They move on. And so I decided to merge

the two ideas and bring the outlet store into a boutique environment.

And then that's the concept that I franchised. The first lesson

I always love to share with entrepreneurs is to really listen to your customers

and don't get so set on. What you dreamed this concept or this business would

look like. 'cause often what we think is going to work is not what resonates

with the customer.

And if we stay very stubborn in like wanting it to be exactly

how we had planned, we can miss out on a lot of opportunity. [00:04:00] I.

Victoria Bennion:

That's good...]]>In this episode, Victoria Bennion welcomes Ciara Stockeland, speaker, author, Ironman athlete, and fractional CFO for inventory-based businesses. Ciara shares the story of how she launched her first business at 13, built and sold a subscription box company in under two years, and now empowers entrepreneurs to make sense of their numbers and reclaim financial freedom. She breaks down the most common mistakes inventory-based business owners make, how to prepare your business for exit, and why understanding your finances is the real path to freedom.

About Ciara

Ciara Stockeland, is a speaker, author, 4x Ironman and Fractional CFO for inventory based businesses.

Ciara has owned and operated a business since her early teens. As a serial entrepreneur, her business mindset and tenacity led her to opening her first store in 2006 which she then franchised. Her vast experience in both retail and wholesale industries led her to launch the first to market wholesale subscription box for boutique retailers, which she built and sold within 18 months. Most recently Ciara has launched the Inventory Genius, a consulting program for inventory-based business owners.

She has twice had the opportunity to testify before two U.S. Senate Committees regarding the “joint employer” standard for businesses and its effect on small businesses and franchises. Additionally, in 2015 she represented small businesses at a White House Summit on Worker Voice and again in 2018 for a Summit on Economics.

Ciara has been recognized as a Small Business Champion through SCORE, has held a seat on the United States Chamber of Commerce Small Business Council and is a Profit First Certified Coach. Through her consulting program, Ciara gives business owners the confidence and tools to build profitability and peace of mind in their inventory-based businesses.

In her free time Ciara enjoys training for endurance races and most recently completed her fourth Ironman at the Ironman World Championships in Kona, 2023.

She currently resides in Tennessee with her husband Jim and her Great Pyrenees Bentley.

Key Takeaways

Profit is the Priority

Building a big business doesn’t mean you’re building a profitable one. Entrepreneurs should focus on margins and cash flow not just top-line sales.

Know Your Five Numbers

Success hinges on understanding five core areas: sales, cost of goods sold, gross margin, expenses, and net profit. Mastering these leads to control and confidence.

Adaptability is Strength

Listening to your customers and pivoting from your original business idea can open unexpected doors to scalable success.

Plan to Exit Before You Want Out

The time to prepare your business for sale is not when you're ready to leave but well before, while you still have the clarity and control to make it valuable to someone else.

Tell Your Story Loudly

Whether testifying before Congress or launching a business, Ciara emphasizes the power of sharing your personal experience to drive change and connect with others.

Quote

“It's not super attractive to fill out your spreadsheet and to look at your financials. It's very attractive when you have financial freedom, you write yourself a paycheck… That is what we can all get up in the morning for.” — Ciara Stockeland

Mentioned in This Episode

Inventory Genius Book

Ciara Stockeland's Inventory Genius Method has helped hundreds of inventory based business owners create more profit and keep more cash. Get your free copy here

Connect with Ciara

Website

LinkedIn

Instagram

Facebook

YouTube

Podcast

Connect with Victoria Bennion

Learn more about us: https://thebestpodcastguest.co.uk/

Download our Podcast Guest Starter Kit: The Podcast Guest Starter Kit gives you a proven plan to find the right shows, craft a winning pitch, and maximise every interview. https://thebestpodcastguest.co.uk/podcast-guest-starter-kit/

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Join the Best Podcast Guest Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebestpodcastguest

Subscribe to our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@victoriabennion

Connect with Victoria on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoriabennion/

Transcript

Victoria Bennion:

Hello and welcome. I'm your host, Victoria Bennion, and the founder of the best

podcast guest booking agency. And you're listening to the best guest, the

podcast for business owners, creatives, and entrepreneurs who want to harness

the power of podcasts to grow their platforms and increase their visibility.

Today, we welcome to the podcast Ciara Stockeland who is a

speaker, author, full-time Iron Man and fractional CFO for inventory based

businesses. Sierra has owned and operated a business since her early teens as a

serial entrepreneur. Her business mindset and tenacity led her to opening her

first store in 2006, which she then franchised.

Her vast experience in both retail and wholesale industries led

her to launch the first to market wholesale subscription box for boutique

retailers, which he built and [00:01:00] sold

within 18 months.

Most recently, Ciara's launched the Inventory Genius, a

consulting program for inventory based business owners.

Welcome to the podcast, Ciara. It's really great to have the

chance to chat with you today.

You started your first business as a teenager? I believe. I.

And you opened your first store in 2006, which you then franchised. Could you

talk about what attracted you to working in this space and, the lessons you

learned,

Ciara Stockeland:

Yeah, so I started my first. Formal business, if you will, when I was 13, I

hadn't set out to start a business with it, but I was from a small business

family, so it was very common in our family to find value in things or solve

problems create solutions through business. And so I. Built a theater company

for homeschool students.

I was homeschooled at the time just for fun at first, but then

started having other people come and ask if their children could be involved.

And so I built that and grew it into a formal theater [00:02:00]

acting company. We put on full length productions all through my time of.

Elementary, junior high school, college, and even into being married.

So I did that for over a decade. It was great. Learning

experience, how to balance a checkbook and how to market things and how to

provide a service. And then after I decided I was done with that business I got

married, had a couple kids, and was ready to move on. I decided that I would

like to start a retail store, so I had never worked any retail in my life but I

thought it would be a great idea to open a store, and I wanted to build a

brand.

I knew from the beginning that my idea was not to build myself

a hobby or to create a job for myself, but I really wanted to build a brand.

And so my first concept was a high-end maternity baby boutique. It was when it

was getting very popular to dress really cute when you're pregnant. The

celebrities were all buying beautiful things and so we had nothing available in

North Dakota, which is where I was from for that.

And so I opened this boutique and then, as typically happens to

small [00:03:00] business and entrepreneurs,

you start one way, but then you find your journey really weaving and winding.

And that's what happened with me as well. I opened that store six months later,

had the opportunity to open a second concept to help someone that I knew sell a

bunch of off, overpriced and off price product.

And that concept took off. Everybody loved getting a deal, and

it appealed to the masses where I was finding my maternity store, something I

hadn't thought of. That customer was a very short term customer. Because once

they had their baby, they were gone. They move on. And so I decided to merge

the two ideas and bring the outlet store into a boutique environment.

And then that's the concept that I franchised. The first lesson

I always love to share with entrepreneurs is to really listen to your customers

and don't get so set on. What you dreamed this concept or this business would

look like. 'cause often what we think is going to work is not what resonates

with the customer.

And if we stay very stubborn in like wanting it to be exactly

how we had planned, we can miss out on a lot of opportunity. [00:04:00] I.

Victoria Bennion:

That's good advice. You've also run a subscription box business, and you scaled

that very quickly and sold it.

Ciara Stockeland: So,

had the retail concept franchise that, so I had touched a lot of inventory. And

I, because I was a boutique owner, I had often gone to market. As is very

typical. You go to market as a boutique owner you shop, you buy ahead. But the

landscape of how people were buying for their small retail stores was really

changing because the internet was very popular.

Social media was coming about, everyone had online stores. And

so when I sold the franchise concept, I sold my brand to one of my franchisees

and I decided, okay, I'm going to start a new business. I'm going to do it

differently this time. There's some really hard lessons that I learned with

that first business, some of which I use all the time for my clients now,

focusing on profit, really defining your own success.

So there was these lessons I had learned, and I wanted to try

to build a new business with those lessons and build it more successfully. [00:05:00] Solve a problem, but I knew that I wanted

to sell it. I didn't want to, own and operate and build a seven figure

subscription box. I just wanted to solve a problem.

And because buying was changing and subscription box like Fab,

fit, fun, and Stitch Fix were really coming into play. I thought, what if I

could create a subscription box where I would match together wholesalers and

retailers so wholesalers could send samples to a boutique owner's doorstep. And

so instead of having to travel to market, you could find new products.

And so that's the subscription box I built. Grew that

profitably from day one built it and grew it and sold it within 18 months.

Victoria Bennion: So

with all your experience, I know you've touched on this a little bit, but what

mistakes do you see inventory based business owners making?

Ciara Stockeland:

Yeah, I think really the mistakes that I made I see happen over and over in

inventory based businesses, and the main ones being there's no focus on the

numbers. We hear a lot that we should know your numbers as a business [00:06:00] owner, but what does that actually mean?

So most business owners are very creative, right?

We can cast a vision, we can solve a problem, we can probably

sell to anyone, right? We're good at sales, but we're often not good at the

science part of our business, which is numbers, data, facts, and a lot of it's

very intimidating, right? It doesn't come naturally to us most often, and we

don't find it enjoyable.

And so what we tend to do when something is intimidating,

confusing, or not enjoyable, is we push it aside. And so what small business

owners do, which is what I did. We just keep focusing on selling and growing.

'cause that's where we're comfortable. And we think if we can sell more, we'll

solve our problems.

And then we find ourselves in debt or cashflow overwhelm,

financial stress. And so our solution to that is sell more stuff. And so we

just keep selling more and adding complexity instead of focusing on what the

numbers are actually telling us. So for all business owners, this tends to be,

a main, issue. And then for inventory based businesses in particular, if you [00:07:00] don't focus on the numbers, you really can

run into cash flow issues quickly because your inventory is such a big part of

your business. So if you don't know the numbers and you don't know how to buy

accurately and watch those inventory numbers, you can really fall into a lot of

financial stress very quickly.

I

Victoria Bennion: can

imagine. What's the biggest transformation that you see when somebody decides

to take charge of their numbers?

Ciara Stockeland:

Yeah. Oh, it's so exciting. I just love what I do. I have so many amazing

success stories, people that have worked with me. I've created a framework that

we really, we walk through with everyone, whether they make $10,000 a year or

$10 million a year.

The framework is the same, and it's to really start with

focusing on five main areas in your business. Of course the sales, but then

also our cost of goods sold. The gross margin, of course, we watch our expenses

and then we really keep an eye on our net profit. And when business owners say,

okay, I'm willing to commit to understanding what's happening with the sales, [00:08:00] to really get a handle on my margin, to

understand my expenses, and to really build for profitability, it just opens a

wide world to them.

So they might come to me with a lot of debt. And if we can get

those five things. Figured out under control and really put together in a very

simple and cohesive way, we can start to make progress going forward because

now we have something to focus on.

Victoria Bennion: And

having control of your numbers is really important if you are building a

business that you want to sell.

Ciara Stockeland:

Yes, absolutely.

Victoria Bennion: How

do you determine when is the right time to exit a business?

Ciara Stockeland:

Yeah. It's funny 'cause a lot of people, most people that come are very

financially stressed. And so if I could just close my business, if I could just

walk away, like they're just tired of their business, they're overwhelmed,

they're very resentful, they haven't been taking a paycheck.

And so the idea is I just wanna close shop and walk away, but

I'm stuck. I can't. And so as we look at those five areas our sales are, gross

margin, cost of goods sold, all of those things I just talked through [00:09:00] and start to create a plan for

profitability. It gives us the opportunity then to say maybe we will grow and

scale.

Maybe we will close some of our locations, or maybe we will

sell. I think if you're interested in selling your business you want to make

sure that your numbers are in order, that you have good clean financials, and

that you're as profitable as can be starting today. So if you're looking at,

Hey, five years from now I'd love to be able to sell this, then start working

on the financials today.

If you're feeling like you're really overwhelmed, in fact, I

had a client I just talked to yesterday. She said, I'd love to just be done.

I'm so stressed, I wanna just be done. And so she put her business up for sale.

No one's interested, no one's been biting. So she's I'm stuck now. I wanna sell

it.

There's no one interested. I can't just walk away 'cause I have

a lease. What should I do? I don't know the numbers. Should I even invest in

that? And I said, here's the thing, whether you sell it or whether you keep it,

we still need to get that foundation correct. So I said, let's start today. [00:10:00] Focusing on getting those numbers cleaned

up.

And if someone comes along and is ready to and willing to buy

it, your business is gonna look even better. Or you might find that once your

finances are under control, it's actually not as burdensome as you're thinking

it is, and you might wanna just keep it. And so either way, we wanna focus on

the financials.

Victoria Bennion: Are

there clients that you tend to work with? Do they have physical stores on the

whole, ?

Ciara Stockeland:

Yeah, so when I started this work, it was really with a lot of physical stores

and a lot of boutiques. But now I work with all inventory based businesses. I

just had someone sign up that has a pet store.

I have a food retailer and wholesaler a jewelry maker, a

skincare distributor and then a lot of brick and mortar. So it's really all

over. There's makers, there's designers, wholesalers, e-comm stores, and

there's brick and mortars. It's just a vast array of anyone and everyone that

sells items.

, It's

Victoria Bennion: the

same kind of principles that. You are applying with either what kind of stage

are business owners at usually [00:11:00] when

they come to you? You mentioned some are done.

Ciara Stockeland:

Yes. Ready to be done. Or feeling like that's their only option?

I really work with. Businesses typically that are doing between

500 and let's say 1.5 million in top line revenue. That tends to be the sweet

spot for when they are ready to really dig in and do the work. A lot of times

before we hit that proof of concept we're just trying a lot of things, but when

you get to that place where, okay, I'm making half a million a year. I have a

couple loans. I have a lease. This is serious. I have to figure it out.

Typically, someone of that size might have one or two people working for them.

So you're starting to build a, build your team. But I have worked before with

people that are just starting out, and I have one client that's been in

business for 29 years.

So she doesn't have any debt. She just wants to understand her

numbers better, right? Because business is getting more and more expensive to

run and operate. Payroll costs are crazy. The cost of inventory's crazy. And so

she said,...]]>12f029c5-985a-4183-91c3-97769365c4c4Tue, 10 Jun 2025 01:00:00 +010018:56falsefull126126Master the Art of Confident Presenting with Andrea PaciniIn this week's episode of The Best Guest podcast we welcome presentation coach and Head of Ideas on Stage UK, Andrea Pacini.

We talk about:

• The #1 communication mistake
• The SCORE method for creating memorable presentations
• Simple design tips to avoid “Death by PowerPoint”
• How to use AI without losing your authentic voice

About Andrea Pacini

Andrea Pacini is the author of the highly commended book ‘Confident Presenter’, a presentation coach and Head of Ideas on Stage UK. He specialises in working with business owners, leaders and their teams who want to become more confident presenters. Since 2010 Ideas on Stage has worked with thousands of clients around the world, including organisations like Microsoft, Spotify, eBay, The World Bank and over 500 TEDx speakers. In 2024 Ideas on Stage was named Best Presentation Skills Training Specialist in the UK by Corporate Vision. Andrea himself has also been awarded Best Virtual Speaker 2024 in The Speaker Awards. Andrea is on a mission to stop great ideas from failing just because of the way they are presented. His vision is to help hundreds of thousands of business leaders inspire their audiences, increase their influence, and make a positive impact in the world.

Key Takeaways

• The best presenters rehearse out loud not just in their heads
• Effective communication is all about your audience, not you
• Slides should support your message, not be your message
• Use simple language to increase credibility and connection
• The goal isn’t to eliminate nerves, it’s to get comfortable with them
• Aim for the best authentic version of yourself not for perfection
• Use AI as a support tool, not a replacement for human connection

Quote

“Your journey towards becoming the most comfortable and most confident presenter you can be is a journey of a thousand presentations.” – Andrea Pacini

Connect with Andrea Pacini

Website

LinkedIn

Learn more about the Confident Presenter book: https://amzn.eu/d/bKswMEe

To make the most of the book, take the Confident Presenter Scorecard to assess you presentation skills in less than 3 minutes, for free: https://ideasonstage.com/score

Attend the next Ideas on Stage web class here: https://www.ideasonstage.com/uk/masterclass

Connect with Victoria Bennion

Learn more about us: https://thebestpodcastguest.co.uk/

Download our checklist: How to be an Excellent Podcast Guest https://thebestpodcastguest.co.uk/checklist/

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebestpodcastguest

Join the Best Podcast Guest Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebestpodcastguest

Subscribe to our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@victoriabennion

Connect with Victoria on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoriabennion/

We talk about:

• The importance of having clear business contracts and avoiding common legal pitfalls
• How AI is impacting business operations and the legal risks you need to be aware of
• Key legal considerations when hiring freelancers and protecting intellectual property

This episode will equip you with essential legal knowledge to protect your business.

About Ryan Lisk

At just 21 years old Ryan Lisk took the leap and founded his own law firm, determined to make legal services more accessible, transparent, and business-friendly. Now, as the founder of Hybrid Legal, he helps UK businesses navigate complex legal challenges with practical, cost-effective solutions.

As a law student helping a startup with legal issues Ryan quickly realised how inaccessible legal support was for small businesses. Instead of following the traditional law firm model, he founded Hybrid Legal to focus on clear, fixed-fee pricing and straightforward legal advice - no jargon, no hidden costs with a flexible subscription model.

Ryan has worked with startups, growing businesses, and well-known brands to protect their interests and simplify legal complexities. Through founding his own law firm, Ryan has experienced the highs and lows of running a business and knows what it takes to start a business from scratch and scale it to 7 figures.

When he’s not at work, Ryan can be found running around after his 1 year old daughter and crazy Hungarian Vizsla. He’s also learning the martial art of 8 limbs, Muay Thai, where he is constantly humbled by teenagers in the class.

Key Takeaways

• A handshake isn’t enough - formal contracts protect both parties and prevent costly disputes.
• AI is transforming business, but it also brings legal risks - understand how your data is being used.
• Subscription-based legal services provide cost-effective and transparent solutions for businesses.
• Website compliance matters - ensure your privacy policies and terms of use align with GDPR.
• Hiring freelancers? Secure intellectual property rights and confidentiality agreements in writing.
• Shareholders’ agreements are essential for business stability - plan for future challenges now.

Quote

"Go careful with putting intellectual property into AI and relying on what comes out of it to be your own IP. That’s murky ground at the moment."

Connect with Ryan Lisk

Learn more about Hybrid Legal: https://www.hybridlegal.co.uk

Connect with Ryan Lisk on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanlisk

Sign up to the Hybrid Legal Loop for free legal insights.

Connect with Victoria Bennion

Learn more about us: https://thebestpodcastguest.co.uk/

Download our checklist: How to be an Excellent Podcast Guest https://thebestpodcastguest.co.uk/checklist/

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebestpodcastguest

Join the Best Podcast Guest Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebestpodcastguest

Subscribe to our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@victoriabennion

Connect with Victoria on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoriabennion/

We talk about:

• The doors a book can open—media, speaking, TEDx, and more
• The confidence gap and how it holds women back financially
• How visibility and thought leadership are shifting in 2025—and what you need to do now

About Sara

Sara Connell is a 5x Bestselling author and the founder of Thought Leader Academy where she helps coaches, experts and entrepreneurs scale impact + create 6-7 figures by becoming bestselling authors and in demand/TEDx speakers. 

She has been featured on/in Oprah, The New York Times, Good Morning America, TODAY, Forbes, Entrepreneur and TEDx. Her books have been nominated for a National Book Award and Elle Magazine book of the year.

Key Takeaways

• A book isn’t just about book sales—it’s a credibility multiplier that makes you the go-to expert in your field.
• Trust is the currency of 2025—and writing a book builds instant authority in just 1.8 seconds.
• Podcast hosts and event organizers prioritize authors—having a book increases your chances of being booked by 80%.
• High-ticket offers (coaching, courses, speaking) are the key to turning a book into a profitable business.
• Visibility is more important than ever—showing up in multiple places consistently builds trust and drives business growth.
• If you don’t already have the financial success you want, there’s likely a subconscious money block—and you can rewrite that mindset.

Quote

"The desire to write a book is the permission slip—you don’t need anyone to tell you you’re allowed. That book will open doors, build trust, and change lives—including your own."

Mentioned in This Episode

Holy Hunger by Margaret Bullitt-Jonas – the book that changed Sara’s life

Simon Sinek’s TED Talk: Start with Why

The concept of ZMOT (Zero Moment of Truth) – why people buy from those they see consistently

Connect with Sara

Website: https://www.saraconnell.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/saraconnellauthorspeakercoach/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saraconnell/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/saracconnellauthor

Connect with Victoria Bennion

Learn more about us: https://thebestpodcastguest.co.uk/

Download our checklist: How to be an Excellent Podcast Guest https://thebestpodcastguest.co.uk/checklist/

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebestpodcastguest

Join the Best Podcast Guest Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebestpodcastguest

Subscribe to our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@victoriabennion

Connect with Victoria on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoriabennion/

We talk about:

• The five phases every prospect goes through in sales.
• How to build trust and create a buying atmosphere.
• Why mastering sales is essential for entrepreneurs.

About Becky Davidson

Becky Davidson is a seasoned sales strategist with over 40 years and 80,000+ hours of experience in the art of selling. As the creator of the K.I.S.S. Strategy (Keep It Simple Sales), she has distilled her expertise into a powerful system that doubles close rates.

A graduate of the Dale Carnegie Course, where she was selected as a Graduate Assistant Trainer, Becky has honed her skills in leading conversations towards decisions.

With two decades of coaching experience, Becky has developed a comprehensive roadmap for taking prospects from cold to sold. Her approach focuses on creating genuine interest, qualifying opportunities, building trust, and facilitating natural, resistance-free closes. Becky's training philosophy emphasizes simplicity and equips professionals with tactical skills for unshakable confidence.

Through private coaching and group intensives, Becky partners with solopreneurs and sales professionals to shatter income plateaus. Her clients consistently report surges in close rates and increased sales confidence. Becky's K.I.S.S. method has led to remarkable success stories, including a struggling rep who achieved a 100% close rate after implementation.

Key Takeaways

• The Five Phases of Sales: Awareness, Interest, Conviction, Desire, and Decision—understanding these helps guide prospects from cold to sold.
• Building Trust: Establishing credibility through stories, experience, and showcasing expertise helps prospects feel confident in their decision.
• Creating a Buying Atmosphere: Setting expectations at the start of a conversation can make closing a deal much smoother.
• Sales is a Learnable Skill: Many entrepreneurs struggle with sales because they’ve never been formally trained—investing in sales training can transform results.
• Selling is Serving: If you can’t sell, you can’t serve—developing strong sales skills helps you help more people.
• The Power of Questions: Asking the right questions at the right time helps guide prospects to their own decision.
• Marketing vs. Sales: Marketing generates leads, but it's the sales process that converts them into paying clients.
• Entrepreneurs Need Sales Skills: Even if you’re great at what you do, without sales skills, your business won’t thrive.

Quote

"If you can't sell, you can't serve." – Becky Davidson

Connect with Becky Davidson

Website

Connect on LinkedIn

Free Resource: Becky offers a free guide with 50+ ways to attract leads, plus a complimentary 45-minute sales strategy session Join Becky's Facebook Group to access the resource.

Connect with Victoria Bennion

Learn more about us: https://thebestpodcastguest.co.uk/

Download our checklist: How to be an Excellent Podcast Guest https://thebestpodcastguest.co.uk/checklist/

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Join the Best Podcast Guest Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebestpodcastguest

Subscribe to our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@victoriabennion

Connect with Victoria on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoriabennion/

• Building a Coaching Business with Honesty and Focus
• The Role of Podcasting in Business Growth
• Effective Marketing Strategies for Coaches

About Joanna Lott

Joanna Lott is a business coach who helps qualified coaches attract clients with honesty, not hype. As the host of The Women in the Coaching Arena podcast, a top 2.5% globally ranked show, she shares actionable insights to help coaches build thriving, integrity-driven businesses that reflect their unique brilliance.

With over 20 years in HR and an ILM Level 7 Certificate in Executive Coaching & Mentoring, Joanna transitioned into Executive Coaching to balance her career with motherhood. She successfully sold both executive and career coaching services to organisations and individuals, a rare achievement among business coaches. Facing the challenges of building a coaching business firsthand, she developed the Reliable Results Path - a proven system that has helped hundreds of coaches secure consistent clients and create profitable, purpose-driven businesses.

Joanna is an ICF Associate Certified Coach and brings a wealth of formal training and practical experience. Outside of coaching, she finds joy in yoga, connecting with her two children, Imogen and Max, and enjoying a glass of prosecco. Her mission is to help others build businesses that bring joy, freedom, and fulfillment.

Key Takeaways

• Find a specific niche to make coaching success easier for clients to understand.
• Use "deep marketing" strategies like podcasts and blogs to build genuine connections, alongside social media.
• Transform a coaching business with podcasting by creating trust and connection with the audience.
• Set deadlines and work with accountability partners to achieve goals like launching a podcast.
• Delegate tasks like editing and admin to focus on creating content and growing the business.
• Launch a podcast with an audience to promote it and use strategies like email lists and guest appearances.
• Create systems that work for personal schedules, such as flexible solo podcast recordings.
• Use tools like Descript for editing and Captivate for hosting to simplify podcast production.

Mentioned in This Episode

The Women in the Coaching Arena Podcast

The Ultimate 2025 Success Planner for Coaches

Connect with Joanna Lott

Website

LinkedIn

Instagram

Facebook

Connect with Victoria Bennion

Learn more about us: https://thebestpodcastguest.co.uk/

Download our checklist: How to be an Excellent Podcast Guest https://thebestpodcastguest.co.uk/checklist/

Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thebestpodcastguest

Join the Best Podcast Guest Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebestpodcastguest

Subscribe to our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@victoriabennion

Connect with Victoria on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoriabennion/

We talk about:

• The Importance of Brand Strategy
• Marketing Challenges for Law Firms
• Community Engagement as a Marketing Tool

About Eric Morgan

Eric is an accomplished marketing strategist with over 28 years of experience, currently serving as the President/CEO of Roux Advertising. (Roux is an advertising agency built for law firms. Roux provides strategy, media buying, creative, digital & analytics to grow law firms.)

His remarkable journey began with a Bachelor's degree in Advertising Communications and a minor in Marketing from Loyola University. Eric's insatiable curiosity and passion for the industry led him to earn an MBA at Tulane University, further honing his expertise.

Throughout his illustrious career, Eric has consistently applied his strategic prowess to drive success for a diverse array of clients, ranging from prominent law firms like Morris Bart, LLC and Frank D. Azar & Associates to esteemed brands such as Harrah's Casino and the Louisiana Office of Tourism. 

His commitment to delivering clarity, accountability, and impressive returns on marketing investments has earned him accolades, including the title of Top Executive of the Year by the Advertising Club of New Orleans in 2009.

Eric's impact extends beyond the boardroom, as he generously shares his knowledge as an educator and speaker at industry conferences. His dedication to fostering the next generation of advertising professionals is evident through his teaching experience at Loyola University's Communications Department. Additionally, Eric actively contributes to community initiatives, serving on the Board of Directors of Go.Be., which supports entrepreneurial minority small business owners.

With an unwavering commitment to innovation and a track record of excellence, Eric is a visionary leader in the world of advertising, leaving an indelible mark on the industry and inspiring those fortunate enough to work alongside him.

Key Takeaways

• Define your brand's unique purpose, audience, and positioning before implementing specific marketing tactics.
• Identify what makes your brand distinct to stand out in a competitive market.
• Ensure your Google Business Profile is up-to-date, with client reviews and accurate information, as it’s an easy and impactful way to enhance visibility.
• Participating in local events and supporting community causes strengthens brand trust and aligns with meaningful values.
• Avoid spreading resources thin by focusing on a few marketing strategies and executing them exceptionally well.
• Improving operational elements like call intake and client follow-ups can significantly increase conversion rates.
• Consider traditional methods like broadcast TV and billboards for brand-building, alongside digital efforts, depending on your market and goals.
• Develop a tailored approach that aligns with your specific strengths and goals instead of mimicking others' strategies.

Quote

When brands want to go to market, we start with what strategy is and what’s unique and different about their brand.

Connect with Eric Morgan

Website

LinkedIn

Facebook

Connect with Victoria Bennion

Learn more about us: https://thebestpodcastguest.co.uk/

Download our checklist: How to be an Excellent Podcast Guest https://thebestpodcastguest.co.uk/checklist/

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebestpodcastguest

Join the Best Podcast Guest Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebestpodcastguest

Subscribe to our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@victoriabennion

Connect with Victoria on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoriabennion/

We talk about:

• Building a Real Personal Brand
• Leveraging Social Media for Connection
• The Power of Community and Networking

About Lauren V. Davis

Lauren V. Davis is the CEO of Lauren Davis Creative, a hands-on personal branding consultancy that helps superstar entrepreneurs, authors, speakers, and passion-driven individuals tell their stories on their own terms, develop personal brands that form real relationships, and increase their visibility + revenue.

The skills Lauren acquired while building a successful brick-and-mortar record store for 15+ years taught her how to see through manipulative “one-hit-wonder” marketing tactics and instead grow a personal brand that drives meaningful relationships and profits. Today, she offers that same entrepreneurial support (and of course, great music recommendations) to experts worldwide.

Lauren is a featured marketing expert in Reader’s Digest, Huffington Post, and on global top-rated podcasts. She also hosts The Real Personal Branding Podcast, a bi-weekly podcast where she uncovers the secrets of personal brand building from some of the top thought-leaders, speakers, authors, and coaches in the world.

When she’s not working, find her touring the country in her van with her partner, searching for a great cup of coffee or glass of red wine.

Key Takeaways

• Personal branding is about community building, storytelling, and fostering engagement.
• Promoting your speaking engagements before events shows excitement and approachability.
• Setting aside time before and after events to engage with your audience can boost your connection and impact.
• Following up on social media with a thank-you post after your presentation reinforces the relationship with new followers.
• Even introverts can set boundaries while effectively engaging with an audience after speaking.
• Regularly audit your brand by Googling yourself and ensuring your content reflects your current work.
• Your content should be authentic and go beyond just providing value—allow people to connect with you personally.
• It’s essential to have a simple, efficient system for proposals, contracts, and payments.
• Don’t forget to ask for testimonials and reviews; they play a vital role in building trust and credibility.

Quote

Promoting or sharing the event before you come shows your approachability and gets the audience excited about engaging with you. It’s about building relationships that last beyond your talk.

Connect with Lauren V. Davis

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ldaviscreative/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ldaviscreative/
• LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/ldaviscreative
• Podcast: https://linktr.ee/realpersonalbrandingpodcast
• Grow Your Public Speaking Business Workbook

Gifts

• Download Lauren's 100+ Social Media & Content Prompts for Professional Speakers
• Download 100 prompts for social media

Connect with Victoria Bennion

Learn more about us: https://thebestpodcastguest.co.uk/

Download our checklist: How to be an Excellent Podcast Guest https://thebestpodcastguest.co.uk/checklist/

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebestpodcastguest

Join the Best Podcast Guest Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebestpodcastguest

Subscribe to our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@victoriabennion

Connect with Victoria on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoriabennion/

We talk about:

• Writing "anti-boring" books
• Overcoming self-doubt and writer’s block
• Common pitfalls to avoid
• The power of books to build personal brands

About Deborah

Deborah Ager is a book writing coach who helps leaders publish anti-boring, high-quality books. Whether her clients want to build their credibility, get speaking engagements at the largest conferences, or see their book on the shelves at airports, she helps them get there.

In her business career, she developed a viral book marketing campaign for the U.S. National Institutes of Health’s Keep the Beat cookbook, built digital marketing programs that generated millions for a good cause, and founded an international literary magazine that’s carried in libraries at Yale and Harvard.

Key Takeaways

• Writing should have an audience-first approach to avoid being boring; know what your readers care about.
• Address feelings of self-doubt by focusing on what makes your perspective unique in the marketplace.
• Overcoming writer’s block requires practical mindset shifts, such as accepting that a first draft doesn’t need to be perfect.
• Carving out dedicated time and accountability through writing partners can help you balance writing your own books with client projects.
• Books are a powerful form of communication and content marketing that can open up new opportunities, such as speaking engagements or corporate partnerships.

Quote

"A book can be a great way to allow another avenue or breadcrumb for people to find you." — Deborah Ager

Mentioned in This Episode

The Guide to Choosing Whether to Self-Publish Your Book

Free "How to Publish Your Book" class

Get next steps to launch your nonfiction book.

Connect with Deborah Ager

LinkedIn

Self-Publishing Success Website

Connect with Victoria Bennion

Learn more about us: https://thebestpodcastguest.co.uk/

Download our checklist: How to be an Excellent Podcast Guest https://thebestpodcastguest.co.uk/checklist/

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebestpodcastguest

Join the Best Podcast Guest Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebestpodcastguest

Subscribe to our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@victoriabennion

Connect with Victoria on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoriabennion/

We talk about:

• Shifts in the B2B marketing landscape
• The importance of strategy
• Common pitfalls in authority marketing

Key Takeaways

• Showing the human side of a business is crucial, especially through video content that can emotionally engage and connect with the audience.
• Leveraging UGC and testimonials in social media marketing is highly effective, as they can build trust and authenticity.
• Using storytelling is a powerful strategy in video content, allowing a brand to resonate more deeply with its audience.
• Businesses should focus on maximizing ROI by understanding and catering to customer needs, driving engagement and conversions.
• Embracing innovation is essential for staying relevant, with short-form video content being a key area for creative growth.
• Podcasting can serve as core content, offering an opportunity to dive deep into topics, establish authority, and engage listeners on a personal level.

Quote

When you put the human side of your business out there, it’s not just about selling a product or service; it’s about creating a real connection with your audience

Connect with Frank Husmann

Website

YouTube

Linkedin

Connect with Victoria Bennion

Learn more about us: https://thebestpodcastguest.co.uk/

Download our checklist: How to be an Excellent Podcast Guest https://thebestpodcastguest.co.uk/checklist/

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebestpodcastguest

Join the Best Podcast Guest Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebestpodcastguest

Subscribe to our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@victoriabennion

Connect with Victoria on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoriabennion/

Key Takeaways

• Consistent Engagement: Instead of focusing solely on appearing on the largest podcasts with the most downloads, prioritize being a guest on podcasts regularly. Consistent appearances help build momentum and increase visibility over time.
• Long-Term Strategy: Podcast interviews have a long shelf life, meaning they can generate leads long after they are initially published. Regularly participating in podcast interviews creates a lasting digital footprint that can continue to attract clients in the future.
• Wider Reach Potential: Many shows also share their episodes on platforms like YouTube, social media, and newsletters, which can significantly expand the audience.
• Unexpected Opportunities: Additional opportunities can arise from podcast appearances, such as collaborations, guest appearances on social media platforms, or writing articles for publications associated with the host. Engaging with smaller, niche podcasts can also lead to significant business opportunities, as illustrated by the example of a client securing a $10,000 course sale.
• Host Connections: Developing strong relationships with podcast hosts can be as valuable as the audience itself. Hosts can offer further opportunities, such as magazine articles and speaking engagements.
• Collaborative Potential: Engaging with hosts can lead to collaborations beyond the podcast episode itself. Maintain contact with hosts and explore potential collaborations that could benefit both parties.
• Direct Engagement: When appearing on podcasts, ensure there is a clear and compelling call to action for listeners. This could be a unique URL, a webinar, or a specific offer tailored to the audience.
• Value Addition: As a podcast guest, focus on adding value to the audience, which increases the likelihood of listener engagement and lead generation.
• Audience Overlap: Look for shows with audiences that have some overlap with your target market.

Connect with Victoria Bennion

To learn more about working with us visit https://thebestpodcastguest.co.uk/

We talk about:

• The importance of building connection with consumers
• Putting your customers first
• Personal brands and AI

About Vladimer Botsvadze

Ranked as the No. 1 Global Marketing, Social Media, and Retail Thought Leader by Thinkers360 in 2023 with over 130,000 followers across his social media platforms, Vladimer Botsvadze is a world-renowned digital transformation and social media influencer, keynote speaker, start-up advisor and internet personality who drives growth and positions brands as market leaders in their industries. He has more than 15 years of international experience with a proven track record and has enjoyed an outstanding career at the top of the technology industry. Vladimer has been described as "a pioneer across the globe" by Exeleon Magazine.

Key Takeaways

00:28 Welcoming Back Vladimir: Achievements and Milestones

01:49 Building Emotional Connections in the Digital Age

04:45 The Power of Personal Branding

07:53 Community Building and Social Media Strategies

18:10 The Role of AI in Marketing and Content Creation

19:54 The Importance of Patience and Long-Term Thinking

Quote

The personal brand has become the brand, because consumers trust entrepreneurs who show their face, who show their smile, so no excuses.

Mentioned in This Episode

Emily Weiss - Glossier

Tesla

Connect with Vladimer Botsvadze

Website

LinkedIn

X/Twitter

Instagram

Connect with Victoria Bennion

To learn more about working with us visit https://www.thebestpodcastguest.co.uk/

Key Takeaways

Prepare Your Digital Presence:

• Before pitching, ensure your online footprint is polished. This includes having an updated biography, professional headshot, and relevant social media links. Create a one sheet and a digital media kit to present yourself professionally.

Research and Personalize:

• Take time to research each podcast you pitch to. Understand the show's format, audience, and previous episodes. Personalise your pitch by mentioning specific episodes or topics that resonated with you, and avoid generic, templated pitches.
• Your pitch should include a brief introduction about you, relevant experience or achievements, and suggested topics you can discuss. Highlight any gaps in the podcast's previous content that you can fill and explain how you'll promote the episode if selected.
• After sending your pitch, follow up a week later. Hosts are often busy, and a gentle reminder can significantly increase your chances of getting a reply. Mention any new achievements or relevant updates in your follow-up.
• Consider adding value to your pitch by offering something unique to the podcast’s audience, like an exclusive webinar or a special resource. This can make your pitch more attractive and demonstrate your commitment to contributing to the show's success.

Resources

What you Need in Place Before Getting Started With a Podcast Interview Strategy

Get More Podcast Bookings With a One Sheet That Wows

Connect with Victoria Bennion

To learn more about working with us visit www.victoriabennion.com

We talk about:

• Course creation
• What it means to have a comfy business
• The importance of staying true to what you want from your business

About Laura Robinson

Laura is an online marketing mentor and experienced digital copywriter. Over the last 10 years, she has helped hundreds of business owners create and sell 1-1 services, courses, memberships, and group programs. She’s taught thousands of people around the world, through the copywriting training she created for international business organizations including Female Entrepreneur Association, Enterprise Nation, and Membership Academy. She is also the author of the Comfy Business Playbook, and the creator of the Comfy Business Newsletter for people who want a business that flexes around their other life challenges, priorities, and adventures. She champions a Suit Yourself First approach to marketing, where decisions are based on what the business owner wants, rather than guessing the preferences of a hypothetical ideal client.

Key Takeaways

• Deadlines can be useful as a tool to enhance your productivity.
• Use writing as a way to clarify your thoughts and express yourself effectively, especially if public speaking is intimidating.
• It can help to overcome the fear of public speaking by starting with smaller, familiar platforms. Gradually build your confidence through consistent practice and exposure, such as guest appearances on podcasts or webinars.
• Personalized guidance can accelerate your growth and provide specific feedback for improvement.
• Use tools like Notion to manage your ideas and prioritize content that delivers substantial value.
• Valuable and actionable content is likely to resonate more with your audience than overly polished but less useful material.

Mentioned in This Episode

The Worditude Newsletter

Connect with Laura Robinson

Website

Facebook

Instagram

Connect with Victoria Bennion

To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

We talk about:

• Why storytelling is so important
• The three most important stories for business owners to share
• If you're new to speaking, how to find your voice

About Stacia Keogh

Stacia began working with businesses writing corporate training videos that were as entertaining as they were informative. She is an actor and performance storyteller appearing on world stages, public venues and small screens everywhere. 

As a resting actor in London Stacia learned the dark arts of advertising and how to use her story and acting skills to enliven pitches and presentations, notably J Walter Thompson, The Really Useful Group, Imagination and as an Education Officer at Kew Gardens.

She currently works with professional service providers helping them to step into their own story to share their wisdom on panels, podcasts, and signature talks, 1:1 or Group Training programs

She hosts the podcast ‘Finding My Voice’ where she interviews people who are speaking their truth and giving voice to others.

If you play video games or listen to audiobooks chances are you’ve heard her voice guiding you through adventures.

Key Takeaways

• Storytelling is not just about reciting mission statements or listing features and benefits. Instead, it's about sharing genuine stories that have characters, specific events, and emotions attached to them. These stories help build trust and connection with customers and teams, allowing them to see themselves in the narrative and align with the company's values and purpose.
• Three Essential Stories for Business Owners: the origin story, the purpose story, and the value story. The origin story delves into how the company started and the founder's journey, providing a sense of connection and belonging for employees and customers. The purpose story articulates what the company stands for and its larger mission, uniting teams and attracting like-minded customers. Finally, the value story focuses on the transformation that the company brings to its customers' lives, going beyond product features to highlight the tangible benefits and outcomes.
• Tips for New Speakers: Rather than rushing through a speech or presentation, take a moment to breathe out, relax, and engage with the audience. By speaking to one person at a time, using facial expressions and hand gestures, and maintaining a steady pace, speakers can effectively convey their message and connect with their audience on a deeper level.

Quote

When you tell your story, you give people permission to tell theirs.

Connect with Stacia Keogh

LinkedIn

Instagram

Twitter/X

Website

Connect with Victoria Bennion

To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

We talk about:

• The 19,000 on call firefighters in the UK
• Weaving in different elements in your writing
• The journey to publication

About Les Jones

Les Jones got involved in firefighting in 1980 at 20 years old, and worked at a large chemical company. Due to its risk and hazards, the company had its own internal fire service. This continued into another chemical industrial role until 1996. He attended external training courses including attending the Fire Service College in Gloucestershire.

He became a member of the IFE (Institute of Fire Engineers) and sat their examination at Crewe Fire Station in 1994. He became assistant team leader of the eight-person crew on his shift and focused on training and fire drill events.

In 1996 he became a police officer and found himself torn between Policing and the Fire Service as he had opportunities with both organisations. He spent 20 years in both uniform and plain clothes duties.

About Twelve Doors

Twelve ordinary men and women, frontline protectors, bound by duty. Whenever the call comes, they drop everything and risk their lives to save others.

But beyond the raging infernos, a string of crimes emerges that threatens to engulf them all. As their fire station faces closure, Leah Walsh, their fearless leader, embarks on a solitary quest to uncover a web of corruption that threatens her life and shakes the foundations of everything she holds dear.

In a faded seaside town on the brink of chaos, her brave crew must also navigate a precarious path to ensure that justice prevails. Will they extinguish the flames of criminality before they are all consumed?

Mentioned in This Episode

Twelve Doors

Bells The Fire Dog

Hummingbird Motion Pictures

Connect with Les Jones

Facebook

Website

Connect with Victoria Bennion

To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

• Why it's important to complete the form
• Ways to streamline the process to save time

Key Takeaways

• Completing podcast guest forms is necessary for maximising this strategy and building positive relationships with hosts.
• Allocate sufficient time for filling out forms, as the complexity can vary.
• Creating a digital media kit can streamline the process.
• Consolidating commonly requested information in a document with URLs for easy sharing and reference can save time.

Mentioned in This Episode

Get More Podcast Bookings with a One Sheet That Wows

Connect with Victoria Bennion

To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/ or contact us here

We talk about:

• Pricing high ticket services
• Content marketing and selling
• How to overcome a fear of visibility

About Janine Coombes

Janine Coombes is an offer positioning and messaging expert who helps coaches and consultants to earn drastically more from their 1:1 services without slogging their guts out or moving to a more complicated business model. She has an extensive background in business and marketing including working with big brands like EE, Orange and Europcar. She has a business degree, a post-graduate marketing diploma (CIM Dip) and regularly speaks on stages like Atomicon, You Are The Media and MarketEd.Live.

Key Takeaways

• Many coaches and consultants tend to jump into marketing tactics like social media and funnels before defining their target audience and refining their offerings.
• Pricing high-ticket services requires finding the right balance. Janine's advice? Find a price that feels slightly uncomfortable but still aligns with the value you provide.
• One-to-one services offer simplicity and depth. They allow you to focus on helping clients without spreading yourself too thin.
• Crafting high-ticket service packages involves understanding your audience and tailoring your offerings to meet their specific needs.
• Being visible in your business can be daunting, but it's essential for success. Showing your face and sharing your voice is crucial for making an impact in a crowded market.
• Confidence in being visible takes time to develop. It's a gradual process of stepping out of your comfort zone and seeing the positive outcomes that result.

Quote

Who knows who you are already? Who's already in the market for what you're selling right now? Get in front of them first.

Mentioned in This Episode

Download Janine's workbook, 6 Steps to Charging More with 100% Confidence, here

Access The Ultimate Guide to Creating and Selling Service Offers here

Connect with Janine Coombes

LinkedIn

Website

Connect with Victoria Bennion

To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

Key Takeaways

• Pen names can be utilised to protect identity, maintain anonymity, or address legal and safety concerns during podcast appearances.
• Throughout history, well-known authors like JK Rowling, Agatha Christie, Stephen King, and Mark Twain have used pen names
• It is indeed feasible to implement a podcast interview strategy while using a pen name. Make sure to clearly communicate the desired level of anonymity required to your marketing team and/or podcast booking agency.
• Practical considerations for authors using pen names in podcasts include the likelihood of hosts requesting a headshot and the increasing use of video elements. Authors are encouraged to choose podcasts aligning with their privacy preferences or discuss with hosts possible methods, such as using avatars or turning the camera off, to conceal identity during interviews.
• Despite potential privacy concerns, using a pen name is not a barrier to leveraging podcast interviews for various benefits. Authors can still grow their platform, increase website traffic, boost book sales, improve SEO, and build a personal brand through podcast appearances.

Connect with Victoria Bennion

To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

We talk about:

• Sabrina's journey from abuse survivor to TEDx Speaker
• How to effectively manage your time as a business owner
• The personal development programs that transformed Sabrina's life
• Factors to consider before starting a new business venture

About Sabrina Victoria

Sabrina Victoria is a seasoned entrepreneur and TEDx speaker with a background in door-to-door sales. She brings over two decades of experience of building and co-building multiple 6 and 7-figure businesses to Her Nation, a dynamic media platform showcasing business owners through engaging podcasts, virtual magazine features, and empowering events. Her charismatic leadership style centers on community building, education, and strategic networking as the core of success for women in business. She is the host of Her Talk Show and leads several networking, business workshops and masterminds per week to help female business owners thrive!

Key Takeaways

• Don't be afraid to pivot. Be curious
• Always think of the long game when it comes to business opportunities
• Pay attention to where your energy peaks and lulls so you can maximise this in your day
• Investing in personal development programs such as Landmark Forum and Tony Robbins were very important in helping Sabrina Victoria achieve the success she has. They help you to think about life differently, your story differently, your journey and your challenges
• To achieve her dream of becoming a speaker, Sabrina Victoria set goals and took action. She showed up with intention and let people know what she did

Quote

The universe, I believe, always gets what it needs. And if you're not ready to step up for what it needs, it moves to somebody else.

Mentioned in This Episode

Her Nation

Her Talk Show

Sabrina Victoria's TEDx Talk

Connect with Sabrina Victoria

YouTube

Facebook

Connect with Victoria Bennion

To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

Key Takeaways

• Brand Identity is so much more than fonts and logos
• Podcasts lend themselves well to story telling and this builds connection
• People will connect with you for things you share about yourself
• You can show lots of different aspects about yourself when you're a podcast guest
• Through appearing on podcasts you can demonstrate your expertise
• Podcast guesting is a great way to build your network
• Review your online presence before pitching so that you make the best impression possible

Mentioned in This Episode

Episode 101 - The Power of Brand Identity with Jessica Wikingellis

The Golden Egg Academy

Connect with Victoria Bennion

To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

We talk about:

• Business Travel and Benefitting from Airline Schemes
• What Podcast Hosts Look for in Guests
• The Pros and Cons of Creating a Live Show vs a Recorded Show

About Tim Lewis

Tim has been self-employed since 2014, first writing science fiction and fantasy books, then the book Social Media Networking in 2018. After that Tim was been more concentrated on social media training and helping people self-publish their books. Tim was the host of the Begin Self-Publishing Podcast between 2016-2019 and run the #indieAuthorChat Twitter chat for the Alliance of Independent Authors between 2019-2022.

Tim is the co-host of the Oh No! Not Another Live Show!, a general interest interview show and runs the Book Chat Live show on Amazon Live and YouTube where he talks to authors and book lovers about their favourite books.

He is also the creator of the Tim Lewis TCF YouTube channel where Tim talks about his efforts to visit every state in the US (currently at 49 states - one to go!) and general travel advice from a serial US traveller.

Key Takeaways

1. Airline Loyalty Program Tips: It's important to understand different airline schemes and the nuances in earning points and tier statuses. Tim's strategy involves taking specific flights and understanding the value of tier points, especially for business and first-class travellers.
2. Podcasting and Guest Selection: Tim emphasizes the importance of tailored pitches and how lack of research into the show's context can impact guest selection.
3. Challenges in Guest Coordination: Lewis emphasizes the effort required from potential guests when pitching for shows. Many fail to follow through with requirements, such as providing book lists for "Book Chat Live," causing difficulties in scheduling and creating episodes. His advice is for potential guests to understand the show's format and fulfil necessary tasks when pitching.
4. Unscripted Podcasts: Podcasts come in diverse formats. Some shows follow structured scripts and predetermined questions, others prefer a more unscripted and spontaneous approach, allowing for more natural conversations.
5. Podcasting Challenges: The time-consuming nature of editing, learning curves associated with audio/video editing, and the need for consistent quality and skills to maintain audience engagement.
6. Podcasting Strategy and Audience Growth: Podcasting might not be the top-of-funnel solution to gain a massive audience immediately, but it's an intimate medium that, when used strategically, can contribute to audience growth and retention further down the funnel. Also, being a guest on podcasts is a beneficial strategy for networking and reaching new audiences.

Connect with Tim Lewis

Website

Instagram

Facebook

Threads

Twitter/X

LinkedIn

YouTube Channels

Oh No! Not Another Live Show! 

Book Chat Live

Tim Lewis TCF

Connect with Victoria Bennion

To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

We talk about:

• The importance of establishing an online presence
• Effective strategies for building your brand
• Utilising LinkedIn

About Paige Arnof-Fenn

Paige Arnof-Fenn is the founder & CEO of global marketing and branding firm Mavens & Moguls based in Cambridge, MA. Her clients include Microsoft, Virgin, The New York Times Company, Colgate, venture-backed startups as well as non profit organizations. She graduated from Stanford University and Harvard Business School. Paige serves on several Boards, is a popular speaker and columnist who has written for Entrepreneur and Forbes. 

Key Takeaways

1. Significance of Online Visibility: Being invisible online is a detrimental strategy. In today's digital age, people use online presence, particularly on platforms like LinkedIn, as a measure of credibility and trustworthiness.
2. Everyone is a Brand: Regardless of status, everyone has become a brand in the digital space due to social media platforms. Consistency and authenticity are crucial in shaping and maintaining this personal brand.
3. Strategic Approach to Online Presence: Rather than spreading yourself thin across multiple platforms, focus on one or two that align with your strengths and where your target audience engages the most.
4. Authenticity and Professionalism in Online Engagement: Remain true to yourself while maintaining professionalism in your online presence. Inconsistencies across different platforms can lead to confusion and a lack of trust among your audience.
5. The Power of Consistency: Reinforce one or two key messages consistently across all touchpoints to build a strong brand identity that resonates with your audience.
6. Harvard Business School Case Study Experience: Harvard created two case studies on Paige's entrepreneurial journey, illustrating the shift from corporate to entrepreneurship, reflecting the growing interest in students wanting to start their own businesses.
7. Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs: Conduct thorough market research to validate your business idea, focusing on the target audience's needs. Additionally, stay adaptable and consistently evaluate and update your marketing strategies to align with changing environments and audience preferences.

Quote

If you don't exist online, you really don't exist anymore

Connect with Paige Arnof-Fenn

Website

LinkedIn

Connect with Victoria Bennion

To learn more about working with us visit www.victoriabennion.com

Key Takeaways

1. Podcast Guesting and Client Attraction: Being a guest on podcasts offers an opportunity to tap into an engaged audience and establish trust and credibility. Sharing expertise and stories on podcasts helps in positioning yourself as an authority in the field, attracting potential clients seeking solutions.
2. Showcasing Expertise and Building Relationships: Podcast appearances allow showcasing expertise, providing tangible value to the audience, which solidifies the guest's position as an expert. Personal connections made during podcast appearances often lead to listeners feeling more inclined to work with the guest due to increased likability and connection beyond mere expertise.
3. Lead Generation and Strategic Calls to Action: Podcast guesting is a powerful lead generation tool. Guests can leverage the opportunity to share a call to action, such as offering free resources, webinars, or consultations, engaging and nurturing listeners into potential clients.
4. Networking and Collaborations: Being a podcast guest enables you to expand your network within the industry, building relationships with hosts and their audiences. These connections often lead to collaborations, partnerships, and referrals, opening doors to new client opportunities.
5. Strategic Approach to Securing Guest Spots: Securing guest spots on podcasts requires thorough research, identifying relevant shows aligned with the guest's niche or target audience. Crafting personalized pitches that highlight unique value, understanding the audience's pain points, and providing solutions are crucial for landing sought-after guest spots. Additionally, maximizing impact by promoting podcast appearances across various platforms reinforces credibility and extends reach beyond the podcast audience.

Connect with Victoria Bennion

To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

We talk about:

• The essential equipment you need to get started with podcasts
• What a sound check with Zack involves
• The key elements to a successful podcast

About

When Zack David, The Podcast Man, bought his first guitar at 13 years old for $27, little did he know this would be the start of his audio editing career. 

Zack played in a heavy metal band at high school, a folk trio in college and big Latin bands in Peru when he was in the Peace Corps. These experiences gave him a wide range of audio expertise.  

Since 2016 Zack and his team have been producing and editing podcasts. And Zack is also our trusted audio consultant at the Victoria Bennion Podcast Booking Agency., so it gives me great pleasure to welcome him to the podcast today.

Key Takeaways

• A podcast can be beneficial for entrepreneurs by driving leads to their services or products and creating brand awareness.
• Podcasting fosters a strong "know, like, and trust" factor among listeners, helping entrepreneurs connect with their audience on a more personal level.
• Networking through podcasts allows individuals to build meaningful connections and engage in knowledge sharing within their industry.
• Basic podcasting equipment includes a quality USB microphone, a desktop stand or scissor arm, and a pop filter to reduce unwanted sounds.
• Microphone technique, especially for dynamic microphones, involves maintaining a consistent distance of about a fist's length and speaking at a 45-degree angle to the microphone.
• Conducting sound checks is crucial for ensuring that both podcast hosts and guests sound good. Providing personalized advice during sound checks can help improve the overall quality of the podcast.
• Investing in high-quality audio equipment, such as USB or XLR microphones, and using headphones during recordings can significantly enhance the sound quality and prevent issues like echoes and feedback loops.
• Maintaining a reliable internet connection is essential for uninterrupted recording sessions. Using an ethernet cable can help minimize wireless interference and ensure a stable connection, particularly during long-distance recordings.
• Podcast success is not just about audio quality but also depends on having engaging content and a well-thought-out strategy to reach the right audience. Making time for growth and staying updated on industry trends and tools can contribute to the podcast's success.
• Building organic connections with listeners and utilizing paid marketing tools, such as overcast.fm and mowPod, can help increase a podcast's reach and attract the right audience. However, it's crucial to be cautious of potentially spammy marketing tactics that may harm the podcast's reputation.

Quote

What's even more important oftentimes in the audio quality is having amazing content and having strategy behind it to make sure that it's getting into the right ear balls.

Mentioned in This Episode

mowPod

Overcast.fm

Connect with Zack David

Website

Instagram

Connect with Victoria Bennion

To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

We talk about:

• What we mean by brand and brand identity
• Why your brand identity is so important
• The importance of tailoring your brand message to your target audience

About Jessica

Jessica Wikingellis has 10 years' of marketing experience. She helps small serviced based businesses attract and land their ideal clients through online marketing by helping them identify and refine their brand message, creating content frameworks and strategy so they can connect with their audience and show up with clarity and confidence. 

Key Takeaways

1. Brand identity is more than just logos and colours: It encompasses messaging, tone of voice, and overall brand personality.
2. Tailoring brand messages to the target audience is crucial: Understanding the audience's journey, desires, and pain points helps in making them feel seen, heard, and understood.
3. Confusing brand messaging can hinder audience engagement: Simplifying and clarifying the brand message is vital for effective communication.
4. Humanising the brand through vulnerability and authentic storytelling builds trust and connection with the audience.
5. Focusing on one social media platform initially helps in avoiding dilution of efforts and confusion.
6. Structured storytelling can deeply resonate with the audience and create lasting connections.
7. Embracing vulnerability in personal branding can lead to genuine connections with the audience.
8. Professional support in marketing can provide a customized approach tailored to specific brand needs, leading to improved marketing outcomes.

Quote

"Humanising your brand is really about finding your own voice... It's something that can grow with time." - Jessica Wikingellis

Connect with Jessica Wikingellis

Instagram

Tiktok

LinkedIn

Website

Connect with Victoria Bennion

To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

Key Takeaways

1. Highlight Positive Outcomes from Past Appearances: Use any previous podcast guest appearances by your boss as evidence of the positive outcomes and exposure gained from such opportunities.
2. Emphasize the Multifaceted Benefits: Podcast interviews offer more than just wide audience reach; they can help establish thought leadership, increase brand visibility, attract new clients, and build connections with target audiences.
3. Highlight Timeless Assets: Podcast interviews are timeless assets that continue to bring benefits long after their release, as they can be found by potential clients searching online.
4. Fresh Content for Marketing: Podcast interviews provide fresh content that can be repurposed across marketing platforms, aiding SEO and generating backlinks.
5. Explain Niche Audiences: Mention that podcast interviews allow you to connect with niche audiences, helping you build a genuine connection with your target audience.
6. Define Clear Objectives: Clearly define measurable objectives for the podcast interview strategy that align with broader marketing and business goals.
7. ROI Projection: Provide a projection of the return on investment (ROI) based on realistic expectations, focusing on metrics such as increased website traffic, lead generation, and conversion rates.
8. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): Outline the KPIs that will be used to measure the success of the podcast interview strategy and explain how they will be tracked and reported.
9. Competitor Analysis: Conduct a competitor analysis to showcase how other companies in your industry are benefiting from podcast guesting, emphasizing engagement metrics, topics discussed, and brand promotion.
10. Long-Term Strategy: Stress that podcast guesting is a long-term strategy that builds brand authority and credibility over time, leading to increased consulting work, speaking opportunities, website traffic, and more.

These takeaways can serve as a foundation for your pitch to convince your boss to invest in a podcast interview strategy.

Connect with Victoria Bennion

To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

We talk about:

• Mastering the Basics of ClickUp
• Establishing Processes in Your Business
• The Different Seasons of Running a Business

About Yvonne Heimann

Yvonne Heimann is the CEO & founder of AskYvi.com and the leading ClickUp evangelist, as well as a passionate Business Efficiency & Scalability Consultant, Mindset Coach, NLP Master Practitioner, & Speaker.

Using her knowledge of over 15 years running multiple businesses, she helps her clients organize, strengthen, and streamline their businesses into profitability and success.

Yvonne is a force to be reckoned with. When her husband died, she was determined to not only resume her passion for building “bulletproof businesses” but also to make sure that those who go through something similar can find the same solace and excitement in entrepreneurship that she did.

Her work is driven by a vision of a world where digital entrepreneurs not only make a living doing what they are passionate about but thrive and wear their passions as badges of honor.

Key Takeaways

1. Yvonne's upcoming book, "The Basics of Mastering ClickUp," targets a diverse audience, including beginners, teams using ClickUp daily, and existing users seeking to strengthen their foundational knowledge. The book's objective is to help users streamline processes and workflows effectively without becoming overwhelmed by the tool's complexity.
2. The Versatility of ClickUp: ClickUp is a versatile project management tool that allows for high levels of customization. Understanding your processes well is essential to making informed decisions when setting up ClickUp.
3. Starting with Your "Moneymaker" Process: Yvonne recommends initiating your ClickUp setup by focusing on your most critical process, often referred to as the "moneymaker" process. Identify its key steps and gradually build and optimize it within ClickUp. This approach ensures efficiency and automation where possible.
4. Balancing Work and Personal Life: Achieving a perfect work-life balance can be challenging. Instead, consider it as a series of seasons in your life and business. There will be times when work takes precedence and others when personal life and self-care are the priority.
5. Being Mindful of Consumed Content: Being mindful of the content you consume, whether news or entertainment, is vital. Negative or dramatic content can significantly impact your mood and overall well-being. Be selective in your content choices.
6. Consistency in Promises to Yourself: There's value in making and keeping promises to yourself. Start small and gradually increase commitments to avoid self-criticism. Consistency in self-commitments can lead to positive habits and self-improvement.
7. Learning and Adapting: Yvonne's journey to write her book involved facing unexpected challenges and setbacks. Learning from these experiences and adapting to overcome obstacles is essential. Surrounding yourself with the right people and resources can make a significant difference.
8. Customizing Your Morning Routine: When establishing a morning routine, tailor it to suit your preferences and energy levels. Allow flexibility in your routine to adapt to how you feel each day. The key is to prioritize "me time" during the first hours of the day and do what feels right for you, whether it's enjoying a leisurely coffee or hitting the ground running.
9. Energy Level Awareness: Recognize that your energy levels fluctuate throughout the week. It's essential to listen to your body and not expect the same level of productivity every day. Understand when you may need more time for recovery and rest. Don't feel pressured to conform to a rigid schedule, such as the "5am club."
10. Tracking Sleep Patterns and Habits: Embrace technology to gain insights into your sleep patterns and how your habits affect your rest. Tools like the Oura Ring can help you understand when you sleep best, the impact of alcohol on your sleep quality, and more. Use data to make informed decisions about your health and well-being.
11. Optimizing Work and Creativity: Align your work schedule with your natural rhythm. If your creative phase occurs in the afternoon, capitalize on that time for generating ideas. For tasks requiring focus and attention to detail, tackle them first thing in the morning to prevent procrastination. Consider changing your work environment to stimulate creativity.

Quote

Where I start with is first of all, your moneymaker process. So there's a lot of processes and workflows happening in your business, right? The most important one is what I call your moneymaker. Meaning. That's your client process. How are you making money in your business? That's the first process you are taking care of.

Mentioned in This Episode

Yvonne's new book, Mastering the Basics of ClickUp

Access Yvonne's freebie, The Ultimate Guide to Streamline Your Customer Journey

Oura Ring

ClickUp

Connect with Yvonne Heimann

Website

YouTube

Facebook

LinkedIn

Instagram

Twitter

Podcast

Connect with Victoria Bennion

To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

We talk about:

• The mindset and habits essential for success
• Overcoming rejection as a writer
• Balancing writing with running a business

About DaVon and Greene

DaVon and Greene (the pen name of Jonathan Greene) always knew writing was in his blood. He grew up as the son of author and composer BB Johnson AKA Joseph Greene who wrote Together Brothers and Across the Alley from the Alamo. Drawn towards cartels, crime, and drugs DaVon and Greene completed his first serious undertaking in his early teens. After an underwhelming critique from his father’s friend, Saul David (Director of Logan’s Run and Fantastic Voyage) DaVon and Greene put down the pen and entered the world that he wrote about in an endless cycle that there was no escape from, ultimately leading to incarceration.

Key Takeaways

1. Persistence in Writing: It's important to be persistent in your writing journey. Even after facing discouragement, it's crucial to keep writing every day and not give up on the craft.
2. Overcoming Rejection: When faced with rejection, taking a break from writing may happen, but it's vital to eventually overcome setbacks and start writing again, focusing on writing for yourself before writing for others.
3. Daily Writing Habits: Developing the habit of writing every day is essential. Aim to complete at least one page a day. Consistent daily writing helps you stay engaged with your work and overcome writer's block.
4. Writing Process: Writing more than you need and then refining your work is a valuable approach. Typically, about 4 pages of writing for Davon and Greene may be required to produce 1 final page of text. This highlights the importance of editing and revision in the writing process.
5. Balancing Writing with Other Work: If you have other commitments, find ways to manage your time effectively. For example, if you're a truck driver, start early in the morning and use your time on the road to work on your novels.
6. Inspiration from Real Life: Draw inspiration for your characters from real people you know or meet. This personal touch can bring depth and authenticity to fictional characters.
7. Adaptability in Career: Be adaptable in your career endeavours. Explore different opportunities and be open to change when pursuing entrepreneurial success.
8. Maintaining a Healthy Lifestyle: It's important to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Eating well and staying active can help you stay fit and focused, even in demanding jobs like truck driving.

Quote

You have to have some kind of drive. You have to find, whatever that drive is that drives you., Everybody's different. You have to find something that gets you up every day. I get up every day 4 o'clock in the morning.

Mentioned in This Episode

Download your free chapter of Paladin - Briscoe De Valls - Defender of House Le Fleur

Connect with DaVon and Greene

Website

Instagram

TikTok

Connect with Victoria Bennion

To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

• The importance of using the right keywords in your content
• The mistakes people are making with their SEO
• What reputation management involves

Key Takeaways

1. Importance of Keywords: Using the right keywords is crucial for effective SEO. Keyword research helps identify high-search-volume keywords that are relevant to your business and have buyer intent. Long-tail keywords are valuable for targeting specific audiences.
2. Mistakes in SEO: Common mistakes in SEO include neglecting backlink building. Backlinks, especially from relevant and authoritative websites, are essential for building trust and credibility with search engines.
3. Reputation Management: Reputation management involves managing and improving a company's online image. It includes strategies to push down negative search results, build positive online content, and optimize social media profiles.
4. Press Releases and SEO: Press releases can be useful for branding and exposure but may not have a significant impact on SEO. They used to be more effective in the past for building backlinks, but now quality and relevancy of backlinks matter more.
5. Backlink Building Strategies: Backlink building should focus on quality and relevancy. Analysing competitors' backlinks can provide insights into effective strategies. It's important to build diverse backlinks from different sources and related websites.

Connect with Brandon Leibowitz

Website

Connect with Victoria Bennion

Book your free podcast guesting strategy session today.

To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

Key Takeaways

1. Established Business Identity: Before diving into podcast interview strategies, it's crucial to have a clear business identity, including a business name, mission, brand, and target audience. These elements provide a solid foundation for delivering a compelling message during podcast appearances.
2. Differentiation: Identify what sets you apart from others in your industry and how your product or service addresses specific problems for your target audience. This unique value proposition will be key to conveying your message effectively in podcast interviews.
3. Online Presence: Having a professional website is essential before reaching out to podcasts. Your website should be well-designed, engaging, and showcase your expertise. A strong online presence demonstrates credibility to potential podcast hosts.
4. Social Media Profile: It's recommended to have at least one active social media profile. This helps hosts find more information about you and your expertise, enhancing your credibility as a guest.
5. Prepared Assets: Consider having relevant assets like case studies, downloadable resources, or other valuable content that you can share during your podcast appearances. These assets can be used as effective call-to-action options to drive engagement after the interview.
6. Expertise Demonstration: Showcasing your expertise through content on your website or LinkedIn helps back up your pitches and shows hosts that you have the knowledge to contribute meaningfully to their show.
7. Lead Capture Strategy: Plan how you'll capture leads generated from podcast interviews. This might involve a newsletter subscription, quizzes, Facebook groups, or other means to engage and retain listeners who become interested in your offerings.
8. Time Commitment: Ensure you have the time available for podcast interviews. While agencies can assist with scheduling and other tasks, you still need to dedicate time to participate actively in the interviews and follow through with commitments.
9. Early-stage Business Opportunities: Even if you're in the early stages of your business, podcast interviews can provide growth and exposure opportunities. Having a clear message, target audience, and web presence can help you get started effectively.
10. Preparation and Flexibility: While advanced questions might not always be provided, having a deep understanding of your subject matter and being able to engage in conversational flow is crucial. Adaptability and enthusiasm for sharing value are essential.
11. Speech Coaching and Stories: Consider investing in speech coaching to improve articulation and message delivery. Develop compelling stories around your journey, client successes, and pivotal moments to enrich your interviews.
12. Media Kit and Assets: Creating a digital media kit with your biography, headshots, book cover (if applicable), and other relevant information can streamline the booking process and enhance your professional presentation.
13. Building Authority: Podcast interviews contribute to authority building and expanding your industry reach. Every interview is an opportunity to connect with potential customers and partners, so approach each with enthusiasm and a willingness to provide value.
14. Continuous Improvement: As your business grows, podcast interviews can have an even greater impact. Continuous practice and honing your interview skills will contribute to improved performance and audience engagement.

Connect with Victoria Bennion

To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

Key Takeaways

1. Podcasts have become more mainstream and continue to grow in popularity, with a dedicated and engaged audience.
2. Traditional media outlets have a massive reach, attracting millions of viewers and readers, while podcasts usually cater to smaller niche audiences.
3. Podcast interviews provide more extended and in-depth opportunities for guests to showcase their expertise and connect with the audience compared to TV segments.
4. Both podcasts and traditional media can enhance credibility and authority for a brand or individual.
5. Traditional media provides third-party validation, building trust among potential customers, while podcasts offer an unspoken endorsement from hosts and a chance to connect with their engaged audience.
6. The tone of podcasts tends to be more conversational, allowing guests to showcase their personality and authenticity.
7. Podcasts offer networking opportunities with hosts, who may be potential clients, open doors for other speaking engagements or collaborations.
8. Podcasts are accessible worldwide and offer the convenience of on-demand consumption, increasing the reach of a guest's message to different time zones and locations.
9. Both traditional media and podcasts are conducive to storytelling, which helps build a stronger connection with the audience.
10. Podcast appearances can provide SEO benefits by increasing website traffic through links in show notes and social media mentions.

Connect with Victoria Bennion

To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

We talk about:

• The Best Ways to Batch Content
• How to Repurpose Podcast Interviews
• What it Means to Agilify our Social Media Calendars
• Evergreen Content Ideas To Reignite our Social Media Conversations

About

Dorien Morin-van Dam is a social media strategist, organic social media specialist, trainer, community manager, and keynote speaker.She has been a social media professional for 10 years and has experience in a multitude of industries. Dorien started out as a local specialist working with both B2C and B2B clients and is currently working with national and international brands. She is a certified Social Media Professional and Agile Marketer. 

You'll recognize Dorien by her signature orange glasses, a nod to her Dutch heritage.

Key Takeaways

• Benefits of Batching Content: Batching social media content, such as videos, blog articles, and graphics, can save time and streamline the content creation process. It allows you to focus on one type of task at a time, reducing the need to switch between different creative mindsets. Batching also helps in better planning and scheduling content in advance, ensuring consistent and timely postings.
• Repurposing Podcast Episodes: Repurposing podcast episodes is an effective strategy to reach a broader audience and maximize content value. Different ways to repurpose include creating audiograms, turning episodes into blog posts or LinkedIn articles, and using various types of graphics and quotes from the podcast. Repetition is essential since not everyone sees content the first time it's posted.
• Finding Evergreen Content Ideas: To keep social media conversations engaging and relevant, focus on evergreen content. Share behind-the-scenes stories, business highlights, staff events, and community involvements. Highlighting customer success stories and problem-solving content can also be effective. Consume more content to get inspired and generate new ideas for your own posts.
• Efficient Content Creation for Clients: To efficiently create content for clients, create timestamps during interviews to mark salient points. Use these timestamps to assist your virtual assistant in repurposing content. Remember to find a balance between posting expert guests and guests with a substantial online audience to tap into their followers as well.

Quote

Every single time you talk about the podcast or the episode, you try to highlight something else that they said, right? So it's not the same, but the link goes back to the same podcast each time, because when people, they don't realize they're seeing the same content. They're just realizing you're talking about the same topic.

Mentioned in This Episode

Strategy Talks Podcast

Olive Kitteridge

They Ask, You Answer

Connect with Dorien Morin-van Dam

Website

LinkedIn

Instagram

Twitter

Pinterest

Connect with Victoria Bennion

To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

• How can I make sure that I'm effectively promoting myself or my business when I'm a podcast guest?
• Should I send a thank you note or follow up after the podcast interview?
• Should I provide any promotional materials or assets to the podcast host?

Key Takeaways

• Tailor your message: Understand the podcast's audience by checking the show's description and reviews. This will help you tailor your message and talking points to effectively connect with the listeners.
• When you're a podcast guest, position yourself as an authority: Share valuable tips, insights, and advice during the interview to showcase your expertise and add value to the listeners' experience.
• During your podcast interviews use compelling stories: Prepare anecdotes or case studies that illustrate how your business has helped clients or solved problems. Stories are memorable and bring the interview to life.
• Show gratitude: Send a thank-you note within 24 to 48 hours to the host, expressing appreciation for the opportunity to be a guest on the show. Personalize the message and mention enjoyable aspects of the interview.
• Share additional resources: Consider sharing articles, tools, or relevant links that could benefit the host or the listeners. This demonstrates your commitment to adding value and makes it easier for the host to share those resources.
• Prepare promotional materials: Have a high-quality headshot and biographies of different lengths (short and slightly longer) ready for the host to use. Also, provide relevant links such as your website, social media profiles, and any lead magnets or resources you mentioned during the interview.
• Make a great impression as a podcast guest: Providing these materials shows your professionalism and helps the host easily access the necessary information.

Connect with Victoria Bennion

To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

We talk about:

• How to build a marketing team
• What marketing strategies are working right now
• Performance media buying and the level required to perform it well

About Nathan Yeung

Nathan Yeung is an experienced marketing strategist with over 10+ years of expertise in advising B2B businesses. Throughout his career, Nathan has helped numerous companies build their marketing teams from scratch, delivering successful go-to-market deployments, and launching new products into the market.

Nathan's diverse background brings a unique perspective to the marketing world. Trained in marketing, he has also worked in finance and management consulting, providing him with a comprehensive understanding of business operations and strategy. Nathan's multifaceted approach to marketing has enabled him to create innovative, data driven campaigns that have driven significant business growth for his clients.

With a passion for driving results, Nathan is dedicated to delivering measurable impact for every project he takes on. He is a natural problem-solver who excels at developing creative solutions to complex marketing challenges. Nathan's ability to think outside the box has helped his clients to stand out in their industries, and his expertise has been recognized by numerous organizations over the years.

Key Takeaways

• Building a marketing team: Start with the lowest hanging fruit and focus on practical and sustainable marketing methods that you can execute. Develop sales enablement tools and showcase your successes in a digestible format.
• Marketing strategies: All marketing strategies can work depending on the maturity of your organization. Focus on SEO, sales enablement tools, email marketing, and retargeting. Customize your strategies based on your specific business needs.
• SEO tactics: Optimize your website's content, structure, and on-site tagging for better search engine rankings. Off-site SEO involves building quality backlinks, but be cautious of using unreliable vendors or shortcuts.
• Performance media buying: Performance media buying is a highly skillful task that requires deep knowledge and experience. It involves optimizing ad platforms, manipulating data, and understanding the nuances of different platforms. Media arbitrage, a form of performance media buying, focuses on generating a profit by acquiring and selling customers.
• Paying for creative: Investing in creative elements is essential as aesthetics play a significant role in influencing value. Aesthetically appealing websites and first impressions leave a lasting impact on potential clients. Creative skills can be honed and developed, so consider working with professionals to enhance your brand's creative assets.
• Paying for operations: If you lack the experience and expertise to execute marketing operations effectively, it is wise to invest in professionals. Paying for operations increases the likelihood of success and ensures a high level of expertise in executing marketing strategies.
• Aesthetics and usability: Aesthetically appealing designs enhance user experience and positively impact brand perception. First and last impressions are particularly important for creating memorable experiences.
• Media buying complexity: Media buying platforms may appear user-friendly, but true expertise lies in understanding the intricacies and nuances that lead to successful campaigns. Manipulating platforms to buy exactly what you need requires in-depth knowledge and experience.
• Importance of creative process: The creative process is an art and skill set that not everyone possesses naturally. It involves iteration, thoughtfulness, and honing of ideas. Working with professionals who follow a meticulous creative process can yield better results.
• Paying for operations for a higher probability of success: Paying for operations provides a higher chance of achieving successful outcomes due to the experience, expertise, and track record of professionals. This can be especially valuable for entrepreneurs with limited time and resources or high-stakes ventures.

Quote

Building out your sales decks, building out your proposal decks, building out your one pagers, building out your case studies, I think are incredibly important in the first part of your business and really recommend every, every company to really try their best to showcase their successes, in a digestible format.

Connect with Nathan Yeung

LinkedIn

Instagram

Website

Connect with Victoria Bennion

To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

We talk about:

• Do's and don'ts for creating branding
• Common mistakes people make with Canva
• How Canva can help you repurpose your podcast interviews

About

Marie-Louise specialises in branding, design and Canva for SMEs. She offers a range of logo and design 121 services, Canva group training and is an official Canva Creator.

With 20 years industry experience and a degree in branding and packaging, she's created everything from logo designs, social media templates and website design in the digital space, to printed brochures, book covers, adverts, banners and packaging.

She loves to work with entrepreneurs, coaches, marketing experts and virtual assistants to create consistent content that's on brand but with the flexibility to evolve over time.

Her design process is focussed on collaboration, meeting on Zoom and using great tools like Canva to bounce ideas and bring the design to life before her clients' eyes.

Key Takeaways

• Understand the difference between a logo and a brand. A brand encompasses colours, fonts, and the overall feeling you want to convey.
• When choosing colours for your branding, consider your ideal client and what will appeal to them. Ensure there is enough contrast for readability.
• Many small businesses use Canva, but some may feel overwhelmed or unsure about using it. It's important to learn how to use the programme effectively and take advantage of its features.
• One common mistake is not making enough changes to Canva templates. Customize colours, fonts, and other elements to make the design unique and aligned with your brand.
• Streamline your content creation process by creating templates for different types of posts. This reduces the need to start from scratch each time and ensures consistency in branding.
• Repurpose podcast interviews by creating audiograms, quote posts, and resizing content for different platforms using Canva's tools and templates.
• If you're a podcast host, consider providing guests with Canva templates they can easily customize. Share templates as copies to avoid linking and overwrite issues.
• When designing social media headers, check how they appear on both mobile and desktop views. Don't assume that Canva templates will automatically fit all platforms, as sizes and layouts can change.

Mentioned in This Episode

Canva

Connect with Marie-Louise O'Neill

Website

Instagram

LinkedIn

YouTube

Facebook page

Facebook group Lovely Canva Crew

Lovely Little Thoughts Journal

Learn to design with Canva with my Lovely Canva Circle programme

Let's chat – book a 121 in Calendly

Connect with Victoria Bennion

To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

We talk about:

• Ways to communicate to engage a team
• How to move through difficult situations calmly and with less stress
• If it's possible to re-learn how to relate to others

About Nicolas Rion

Nicolas Rion is a relationship coach who supports individuals to build strong, healthy and sustainable relationships in both their professional and personal lives.

His knowledge of relationships was, in many ways, learnt the hard way. After losing his mother as a teenager and experiencing a challenging start to his professional life in the corporate world, where he often felt like a fish out of water, Nicolas embarked on a journey of self-discovery, which ultimately led him to coaching.

Nicolas started coaching in 2017, and has trained with one of the world’s leading coaching schools,the Co-Active Training Institute, accredited by the International Coaching Foundation (ICF). Nicolas is also trained in Nonviolent Communication, a framework for resolving conflict through empathy, honesty, strength and compassion.

Nicolas helps his clients build relationships based on honesty, self-respect and equality and works with them to improve their communication and self-confidence so they can build strong, healthy relationships which lead to fulfilling personal lives and professional success.

Nicolas grew up in Burgundy, France. He currently lives in East London, but loves to spend his free time travelling or kitesurfing in Sussex, or further afield.

Key Takeaways

• Conflict avoidance and constant fighting can both lead to unhealthy relationships.
• Difficult conversations can be managed calmly and with less stress. Nicolas emphasizes the importance of self-awareness, self-management, and mindset when approaching challenging discussions. Understanding your emotions, needs, and values while maintaining control over emotions is crucial.
• Adopting a mindset of transparency, curiosity, vulnerability, and assertiveness can contribute to more effective communication during difficult conversations.
• Personal growth and improvement in relationships start with individual actions. While you cannot change the other person in a relationship, you can focus on improving yourself. By aligning your behaviors with your values and practicing the habits developed through coaching, you can inspire positive changes in your relationships over time.

Mentioned in This Episode

Download the 10 Habits of Successful Relationships here

Connect with Nicolas Rion

Website

LinkedIn

Connect with Victoria Bennion

To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

Connect with Victoria Bennion

To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

We talk about:

• The ways spirituality can support you with your career challenge
• How can aligning with your true self help can help you
• If fear is stopping you from making a career change what you should do

About

Rebecca Kirk is the go-to career coach for people on a spiritual path and author of You’re Here For A Reason, a practical and spiritual guidebook for readers who are at a career crossroads. Following a 14-year corporate career, Rebecca embarked on a life-changing career break to Australia which led her to retrain as a Life Coach in 2016. With Rebecca’s unique approach to career coaching and spirituality, she has enabled hundreds of clients from around the world to discover the clarity and confidence to navigate their career crossroads and awaken to a working life of greater purpose, peace and prosperity. 

Key Takeaways

• Spirituality can support individuals in understanding their purpose on a deeper level, recognizing their gifts and talents, and gaining confidence and courage to navigate career challenges. It provides guidance, clarity, and solutions, and helps ground individuals, bringing peace and calm during uncertain times.
• Grasping for answers and being overly eager negatively impacts your energy and takes you out of a state of presence.
• The true self consists of tangible aspects like values, gifts, talents, and passions, as well as intangible aspects like the higher self or deepest essence. Connecting with the true self allows individuals to show up authentically, impacting relationships, creativity, and overall work experience. Meditation, nature walks, and connecting with higher self help align with the true self.
• Career changes often require courage and involve confronting fears and beliefs ingrained by the ego self. Fear of what others think, staying in a safe job, or limiting beliefs can hold you back. By recognizing and acknowledging these fears and consciously connecting with the higher self, you can take leaps of faith and overcome limitations, allowing for growth, abundance, and a more fulfilling career.

Quote

Spirituality can help you in terms of guidance. It can feel very lonely when you are going through a career challenge, but when you call on that spiritual connection, clarity and solutions can begin to open up for you that perhaps wouldn't have been there otherwise.

Connect with Rebecca Kirk

Website

Facebook

Instagram

LinkedIn

Connect with Victoria Bennion

Book your free podcast guesting strategy session today.

To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

We talk about:

• How social media helps with SEO
• Why SEO is important for small businesses
• How to generate leads with LinkedIn

About Kaylene Grieve

Kaylene Grieve is the Managing Director of Sales, SEO and Social Media, (SSSM) a marketing services agency based in Sydney Australia. With over 25+ years in Sales and 10+ years of marketing experience SSSM has helped numerous companies achieve tremendous results in sales and marketing. Knowing the right volumes and using a blend of inbound and outbound strategies always delivers sales and marketing qualified leads to a business with consistency.

Key Takeaways

• Social media and SEO: While social media doesn't directly impact SEO, it indirectly affects it through various ways. Optimizing social media profiles with keywords and descriptions can improve visibility within social platforms and search engines. Social traffic and engagement also indirectly influence search engine rankings. Platforms like Twitter and Google My Business allow search-friendly social content.
• Importance of SEO for small businesses: SEO is crucial for small businesses because a significant percentage of purchases start with online searches. Google's ability to find and display a business online is essential for attracting customers. Conducting keyword research and optimizing website pages with relevant keywords can improve visibility and search rankings.
• Podcasts and SEO: Uploading podcast transcripts can benefit SEO as it adds textual content for search engines to crawl. Additionally, podcasts align well with the growing trend of voice search, making them valuable in the future. Podcasting also offers marketing benefits through access to a large audience and the potential for increased traffic to a website.
• Having a well-optimized website with keyword-rich content, utilizing social media platforms effectively, and incorporating podcasting can greatly benefit a business's online visibility, brand awareness, and overall search engine optimization (SEO) efforts. The combination of these strategies helps drive traffic to the website, improves search rankings, and attracts potential customers or clients. Additionally, as voice search becomes more prevalent, being active in the podcast space can provide a significant advantage in reaching a broader audience and capitalizing on the power of voice search.

Quote

If Google can't find your business, neither can your clients. So just having that in mind makes it clear why SEO is critical.

Connect with Kaylene Grieve

Website

Facebook

LinkedIn

Instagram

Connect with Victoria Bennion

To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

Key Takeaways

• Ian's chapter offers practical tips, mindset strategies, and creative approaches to leverage the power of live streaming for content creation and audience engagement.
• Unique perspective on live streaming: Readers can expect some surprising tips from Ian's chapter on live streaming. He mentions the concept of creating content as if it were live, even when not going live. He also emphasizes the mindset shift that live streaming brings, helping content creators overcome perfectionism and achieve consistency.
• Repurposing and use cases: Ian discusses the importance of repurposing live-streamed content and explores various use cases of live streaming beyond the basics. These insights can benefit content marketing and visibility efforts, even for those who may feel nervous in front of the camera.
• Readers can expect practical tips on delivery techniques, video creation, and YouTube optimization in Laura's chapter, providing valuable insights for leveraging videos and YouTube channels effectively in marketing efforts.
• Laura shares tips for feeling comfortable and appearing more effective on camera. These include loosening up the body, making funny faces to open up, and doing breathing exercises. She also suggests engaging in physical activity, such as cardio, before going on camera to help feel more comfortable.
• Laura states that 80% of content marketing is currently in video format. She highlights the need for compelling and easily digestible video content, as attention spans have become extremely short.
• Laura's delivery techniques for videos: She advises speaking as if talking to one person, creating an authentic and personal connection. She also explains the concept of framing and the importance of being mindful of movements and gestures to maintain a focused and non-distracting presentation.
• Laura's YouTube optimization tips: YouTube is a search engine so utilize SEO techniques, proper titling, and keywords to enhance discoverability.
• By reading Lisa's chapter, readers can gain a deeper understanding of the significance of customer experience and learn practical strategies for improving it in both digital and human contexts.
• Customer experience: Lisa emphasizes the importance of considering customer experience not only in a digital context but also in a human-centered way. She encourages readers to leverage customer experience to build trust, establish relationships, and incorporate their brand story into conversations. The goal is to create a sense of humanity and accessibility rather than being perceived as an impersonal company behind a glass wall.
• Personal perspective: Lisa draws from her own experiences with customer service over the past three years to inform her chapter. She reflects on instances where she felt companies had dropped the ball or missed opportunities, and uses those insights to provide guidance on improving customer experience.

Mentioned in This Episode

The Most Amazing Marketing Book... Ever by Mark Schaefer and Friends

Connect with our Guests

Ian Anderson Gray - Author of Chapter 12 - The Extraordinary Power of Live Streaming

Ian is the founder of the Confident Live Marketing Academy and is the host of the Confident Live Podcast. He helps entrepreneurs level up their impact, authority, and profits by using live video confidently.

Confident Live Podcast

Confident Live Toolkit

Website

Laura Doman - Author of Chapter 11 - Leveraging Your Videos and YouTube Channel

Laura Doman is a former IT sales exec turned film/TV & voice actor, coaching entrepreneurs to become more comfortable and effective on camera themselves.

Website

YouTube

Lisa Apolinski - Author of Chapter 6 - Moving Customer Experience To The Digital Front

Lisa is a digital growth expert, author and speaker and founder of 3 Dog Write. She has been dubbed by Forbes as America's Digital Content Futurist.

Website

Email: lisa@threedogwright.com

Connect with Victoria Bennion

To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

Key Takeaways

1. Connect with the host before the interview: Building rapport and a relationship with the host through social media engagement helps create a positive impression and boosts your confidence during the recording. It also positions you favorably for sharing posts about the episode when the host tags you.
2. Share pre-interview posts: Prior to the interview, create posts on platforms like Twitter or Instagram to announce your upcoming appearance on the podcast. By tagging the host and showcasing your preparation, you demonstrate active promotion of your appearance, which can lead to additional exposure when the host shares your posts.
3. Create teasers and previews: With permission, generate interest and anticipation for the episode by hinting at topics discussed or sharing snippets of the conversation. These teasers can be shared on social media to encourage the audience to tune in and engage with the upcoming episode.
4. Engage with the host's posts when the episode goes live: By actively engaging with the host's social media posts, you express gratitude for the opportunity, strengthen your relationship, and increase the visibility of the episode. Engaging with the host's audience and sparking conversations further expands networking opportunities and showcases your expertise, contributing to your personal branding as a thought leader.
5. Repurpose podcast content: Utilize the podcast interview as a source of content for your social media. Break up the interview into snippets, highlight key moments or quotes, create quote graphics, share behind-the-scenes photos or anecdotes, and consider hosting a post-interview Q&A session. Repurposing content maximizes the value of the interview, provides diverse content formats, and engages your audience in different ways. Collaborating with the host on cross-promotion amplifies exposure to both audiences and encourages joint content creation such as videos or live streams.
6. Bonus: Encourage audience reviews and testimonials: Request your audience to leave reviews or testimonials about the episode and share them on social media. This not only increases exposure and attracts more listeners but also enhances your credibility and strengthens your relationship with the host.

Connect with Victoria Bennion

Book your free podcast guesting strategy session today.

To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

About Vladimer Botsvadze

Ranked as the No. 1 Global Marketing, Social Media and Retail Thought Leader by Thinkers360 in 2023 with over 130,000 followers across his social media platforms, Vladimer Botsvadze is a world-renowned digital transformation and social media influencer and keynote speaker who initiates change, drives growth, and positions brands as market leaders in their industries. He has more than 15 years of international experience with a proven track record and has enjoyed an outstanding career at the top of the technology industry. Vladimer has been described as ''a pioneer across the globe'' by the Exeleon Magazine.

Vladimer has become one of the world's top-rated speakers on technology and he has been booked by Startup Grind, Digital Talk Forum, AI Conversational Summit, and Global Marketing Summit. His performance at the Global Marketing Summit has been watched by 50,000+ participants from 143 countries, 6 continents, and 922 cities. His keynote speeches center around his social media career and his marketing strategies provide a foundation for success. He helps high-performers achieve their growth and prepares organizations to think with a new perspective on the future of marketing. His expertise is trusted by the American Marketing Association.

Always ahead of the curve, Vladimer is an Advisory Board Member of the United States Artificial Intelligence Institute and the United States Data Science Institute. He has been elected as a jury member at the Digital Revolution Awards and the Prolific North Marketing Awards in the UK. In addition, he is a member of the Marketing Judging Committee of the American Business Awards and he has recently been invited as a judge to the Gartner Marketing and Communication Awards in London. He has been featured in Forbes, Bloomberg, and Yahoo Finance. Moreover, Vladimer is a career mentor at the University of Westminster and a marketing mentor at global start-up accelerators including UCL Hatchery Startup Incubator, Abu Dhabi SME Hub, Seedstars, Take Off Istanbul, Hype Sports Innovation, FasterCapital and APX VC. He has recently started mentoring start-ups at the UCLA Anderson School of Management.

One of the world's most recognized marketing personalities, Vladimer has contributed to the European Business Review. He has been interviewed by World Biz Magazine, Natfluence, Billion Success, Thought Leader Magazine, Irish Tech News, and Emerging Europe. He sets the highest standards for marketing and delivers extraordinary results. With many successful projects to his name, he provides the matchless opportunity to global clients in navigating the ever-changing modern business world. Vladimer is equipped with a plethora of game-changing strategies tailored to give his clients a competitive advantage that guarantees long-term success and sustainability.

Vladimer has been recognized as a Transformative Leader of the Year by Exeleon Magazine, Enterprise World Magazine has listed him among the Top 5 Successful Entrepreneurs to Watch in 2022 and Insights Success Magazine has named him among the Top 10 Inspiring Business Leaders Making a Difference. The CIO Today Magazine has recognized him among the Luminaries The Most Iconic Leaders You Must Follow For Inspiration. Vladimer is among the Top 25 Digital Transformation Influencers by Sparity and the Top 100 Global Retail Influencers by RETHINK Retail.

Key Takeaways

• Your online reputation matters more than ever. You will be inspired to build a powerful online personal brand using social networks including Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Instagram, and more. Sharpen your instincts to ensure you stay one step ahead of the competition.
• Be strategic about crafting and positioning your personal brand. Build a powerful reputation, which is vital to your success. Explore how to manage a personal brand and attract opportunities to you. Discover top strategies on how to break through the noise, stand out from the competition and build your online presence.
• Develop a pragmatic visibility and profile strategy. Build trust and credibility. Create a culture of authenticity and trust. Use the force of social media to connect with others. Discover new ways to stand out in a crowded global marketplace.

Quote

We need to leave our comfort zone if we want to win, because nothing great happens in comfort zone. It is very destructive.

Connect with Vladimer Botsvadze

Website

LinkedIn

Twitter

Instagram

Connect with Victoria Bennion

To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

• Techniques to use when networking
• The benefits of networking
• Saying Yes to opportunities

About Barry

Barry is the President of Prairie multimedia productions and author of Make Quality Connections - How to up your networking game and was given the title The Master Networker-The Connector. He produces the Connected Networker a global podcast on which he interviews authors, CEOs, influencers, speakers and coaches, and Ready Set Action Live where he interviews directors, producers, writers, actors and animal trainers.

Barry has been a background actor in over 30 films including Capote and Quarantine.

Barry received two Certificates of Appreciation awards for his talk on networking at the Biznet Sparks networking organization. He also received a Guinness World Record Certificate for participating in a global Pod fest Expo with 5816 attendees over 5 days.

Barry gives back to his community by volunteering for non-profits, charities and cultural events. He enjoys traveling around the world, attending musical events and summer outdoor events. He enjoys photography and videography.

Key Takeaways

• Use the acronym "FORM" to guide you when networking. F is for family, O is for occupation, R is for recreation, and M is for message.
• Start by talking about family, heritage, genealogy, and occupation to break the ice.
• Mention recreation and hobbies to find common interests and topics to discuss.
• End the conversation by conveying a clear message of what you can offer or what you want to achieve.
• You never know when a lucrative opportunity might be just around the corner.

Quote

You have to step outside your comfort zone. You have to think outside your box and try new things and challenges, and you'll go far in life. Barry Kopulos

Mentioned in This Episode

IMDb: Michael O'Sullivan (II) in The Paper Nazis (2011)

Disasters Of The Century | Season 4 | Episode 47 | Dryden Air Crash | Reupload

(Glimpse Barry at 9:50)

Connect with Barry Kopulos

LinkedIn

YouTube

Website

The Connected Networker Podcast

Ready Set Action Podcast

Connect with Victoria Bennion

To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

• How do I promote my appearance on a podcast to my followers or audience?
• Can I use the podcast recording for my own marketing or content purposes?
• What equipment do I need to ensure a high-quality audio recording?
• Will I be able to see the questions/topics beforehand or will they be a surprise?
• What should I do if I have technical difficulties during the recording?

Key Takeaways

• There are several ways to promote your appearance on a podcast, including sharing posts about the episode on your social media platforms, letting your newsletter subscribers know about the episode, creating a podcast page on your website with links to the shows, and asking the host for graphics, quote graphics, audiograms, and video clips that you can schedule to go out across your platforms periodically.
• The use of the podcast recording for your own marketing or content purposes will depend on the specific podcast and the terms under which it was recorded. The host or podcast owner owns the copyright. So ask permission before using the recording.
• It's essential to have good equipment before starting podcast interviews, as some hosts may ask for confirmation about the equipment before booking you on their show. At a minimum, you need headphones or earbuds, an external microphone, and ideally a webcam. You can get reasonably priced podcasting bundles that include all of these, and it's important to wear headphones for good sound quality.
• It's crucial to get an external microphone rather than relying on the inbuilt microphone in your computer, as it won't be good enough. There are lots of choices, such as condenser microphones and dynamic microphones, but it depends on your environment and the noise around you. USB microphones are simple to use, but if you're setting up a home studio, an XLR microphone may give you more flexibility.
• Some accessories you might want to consider include an arm and a shock mount for your microphone, as well as pop filters and mic covers to reduce plosive sounds. It's also worth investing in a webcam, as many podcasts have a video element, and good lighting can make you look and feel much better on camera. A ring light is a good option for this, but you don't have to spend a fortune.
• Before recording your podcast, make sure to test all your equipment and do a sound check. This will help you avoid any technical difficulties during recording and ensure that you have a high-quality recording.
• Technical difficulties will happen from time to time and most people understand this. Just communicate with the host as soon as possible to rearrange the interview.

Connect with Victoria Bennion

Book your free podcast guesting strategy session today.

To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

We talk about:

• How to warm up for a podcast interview
• Nerves, breathing and umms and ahs
• Nic's set up for podcasting and voice overs

About Nic Redman

Nic helps professional voice users explore their vocal potential so they can reach their speaking, recording and performance goals. She’s taught voice, voiceover & accents at some of the top drama schools & theatres across the UK and has carried out voice overs for clients including the BBC and Tesco. She is the author of On the Mic, the ultimate book for Voiceover Artists, Podcasters, Speakers and Presenters.

Key Takeaways

• Humans get in the way of themselves when it comes to breathing. Breathing can be affected by nerves and tension in the vocal tract but there are things you can do to control it.
• When preparing for a podcast appearance or voiceover focus on releasing breath and tension
• Nic's preparation process for speaking on the mic involves four steps: body awareness, release of tension, breath exercises, and exercises for sound and speech.
• Nic also works on getting mobility of the vocal folds and the larynx and just working on range expression and variety to avoid sounding monotone.
• Before an interview make sure the mic is in a useful position, and ensure that you're comfortable
• You shouldn't worry too much about using filler words like "umms" and "ahs" because flawed communication is a natural part of human communication, and people are used to processing flawed communication in their everyday lives.
• If someone is using too many filler words to the point where it becomes distracting or impedes their ability to communicate effectively, it could be a sign that they need to reflect on their level of preparedness or comfort with the topic at hand.
• One way to deal with filler words is to replace them with another sound or phrase or to simply pause and take a breath to gather one's thoughts before speaking.

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There's this weird idea that if you're on a show... you have to like be perfect and your speech has to come out in this really perfect informed way. The reason you're being brought on to speak about something is because you're passionate and informed about something, right? When you're passionate about something, sometimes you trip up over your words.

Mentioned in This Episode

On the Mic Book

Free Warm Up for Podcasting

The Vocal Empowerment Programme

Descript Tutorials

Connect with Nic Redman

Instagram

Website

Connect with Victoria Bennion

To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

• What do I need to prepare before appearing on a podcast as a guest?
• How do I find podcasts that are relevant to my industry or expertise?
• What should I wear during the podcast recording?
• How long does a typical podcast recording session last?
• What are some tips for being an engaging and interesting guest on a podcast?

Key Takeaways

• Preparation is key to being a great podcast guest. Before appearing on a podcast, it's important to research the show, prepare any necessary materials, and ensure that your online presence looks professional.
• It's important to be mindful of your environment and technology when recording a podcast interview. Make sure you have the right equipment and check the acoustics of the room, minimise background noise, and turning off notifications on your computer and phone to ensure a good recording.
• To find relevant podcasts you need to understand who your target audience is and then research shows that align with their interests.
• Smaller shows with niche audiences can offer great opportunities for guest appearances. It's important to focus on being on the right show with the right listeners, rather than trying to be on the biggest show possible with the wrong audience.
• It's important to know if the show is video as well as audio so you know what to wear
• Lengths of shows vary hugely. Look at previous episodes to get an idea of what to expect
• Sharing stories helps listeners to remember you and increases their chances of connecting with you. Additionally, being prepared, listening to the host's questions, using their name, and relaxing and enjoying the conversation can all contribute to a successful guest appearance.

Mentioned in this Episode

How to be a Great Guest Checklist

Connect with Victoria Bennion

Book your free podcast guesting strategy session today.

To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

• The common mistakes people make with their email marketing
• Ways to grow your email list
• The typical ways people leave money on the table with their email marketing

About

Hillel Berg is an Email Marketing Expert. His self-titled company provides email marketing services to e-commerce companies to help them get the most from their email marketing efforts. He's also the host of Inboxing, the podcast about email marketing.

Key Takeaways

• The biggest mistake with email marketing is not doing any
• Think content, content, sales with your email marketing
• Segment your list and send relevant emails which will improve engagement
• Everyone loves to receive a Happy Birthday message from brands with a coupon
• You want to send as many emails as you can without getting annoying
• Lead magnets are important for every single business
• It's essential to have a good welcome sequence. Automations are way more effective than campaigns
• Once you have a lead magnet, let everyone know about it
• Webinars are a great way to get people on your list
• Permission isn't permanent so always have an unsubscribe option
• it's a good idea to purge, especially if you are active and you send emails and people are not engaging sunset, flow, let 'em go.
• A little personalisation can go along way

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Another thing a lot of brands aren't doing which is huge, is to realize that email is a one-to-one. One of the biggest mistakes people make is that they think of email as one to many. Like they're putting up a billboard but if you write your emails like you're writing to one person, you're writing to a friend, and you just say it out loud, that could be such a difference maker and engaging your audience. And it could be a small audience. It could be 50 people. But a customer could be worth, half your livelihood.

Mentioned in This Episode

Chad White Email Marketing Rules

Connect with Hillel Berg

Link Tree

Website

Inboxing Podcast

Connect with Victoria Bennion

Book your free podcast guesting strategy session today.

To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

Key Takeaways

1. Criticism is inevitable when you are a business owner and is a sign of growth.
2. It is important to stay calm and objective when receiving criticism, as it is feedback about your business and not a personal attack on you.
3. Refund requests are a rite of passage and are going to happen. Do not let this criticism derail you.
4. Criticism can be a learning opportunity to identify areas where you can improve your business.
5. Try not to take criticism to heart and remember the positive feedback you have received.

Mentioned in This Episode

Travis Brown on Instagram

Travis Brown on The Best Guest: How to Get a Million Views on Reels

Connect with Victoria Bennion

Book your free podcast guesting strategy session today.

To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

• The nine types of the enneagram
• How the enneagram can help you understand yourself and others
• Using the enneagram with individuals and teams

About Ali Dunn

Ali Dunn is a San Francisco Bay Area facilitator, speaker, and leadership coach for creative and ambitious professionals and entrepreneurs. Mother of two and former sales executive turned ICF certified coach, Enneagram practitioner, and graduate of the Berkeley Executive Training Institute, Ali’s highest intention is to empower individuals and teams to connect to their why and overcome self-doubt, perfectionism, and burnout by stepping out of their comfort zone and into their power. 

Ali works with a range of clients seeking career growth and transitions from tech to higher education, whether they are launching a business or up-leveling their current role. She also works with creatives, from retailers to photographers, helping them align their work and life while they grow a profitable business. In addition to having her own private practice, Ali has also served as a mentor coach for female founders at The Hivery, The Huddle and the non-profit Women for Change.

Key Takeaways

• The Enneagram is a personality tool made up of nine different archetypes that help understand people's motivations behind their decision making. Each type is based on a specific motivation, and the Enneagram is a way to understand how people work and how to relate to them based on their motivation.
• The Enneagram can provide a greater understanding of the reason why people do certain things, and it is a place for communication and connection.
• The Enneagram can bring incredible transformations by providing awareness and insight into an individual's habits, strengths, and blind spots.
• The enneagram can be used to unpack team dynamics and identify dominant and missing traits. It can also be used to understand communication and feedback within a team, which is essential for trust and progress.
• Ali's advice for someone feeling stuck in their life or business is to know yourself on a deeper level and strip away external expectations and limiting beliefs that may not be true. This can be achieved through self-reflection, spending time alone, and exploring tools like the Enneagram.
• Building a relationship with oneself is important for holding onto personal truths and beliefs, especially in the face of opinions and feedback from others. It is also important to be okay with failing and to use failures as opportunities for growth.

Quote

The greater the relationship you can build with yourself, then the easier it is to hold onto your truths and your beliefs and just simply say, thank you, I appreciate this, but I'm gonna try it this way.

Mentioned in This Episode

Enneagram Assessment

Connect with Ali Dunn

Website

Instagram

LinkedIn

Connect with Victoria Bennion

Book your free podcast guesting strategy session today.

To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

Key Takeaways

• Attending events can be beneficial for learning about industry trends and best practices, networking, and personal development.
• AI was a hugely popular topic at the Social Media Marketing World conference, which indicates how popular and embraced it is right now.
• Jade Beason recommended nurturing your audience on Instagram using engagement stickers, such as quantity stickers, q & a, and quizzes, before converting them.
• According to LinkedIn expert, Judi Fox, 30 to 40 touchpoints are needed before someone is ready to buy from you so clear instructions and consistent posting are necessary to nurture your audience on this platform.
• Growing a brand hashtag on LinkedIn for sustainable visibility in the future is a good strategy, and don't be afraid to use it repeatedly on your profile.
• If you want to get started with video but you are tight for time and feel stuck because of how long editing can take opt for doing live streams, where the format doesn't have to be as polished.
• Long form content such as videos and podcasts are really great for thought leadership.
• Don't overlook the networking opportunities at events. They're our favourite part.

Mentioned in This Episode

Judi Fox

Latasha James

Roberto Blake

Jade Beason

Social Media Marketing World

Connect with Victoria Bennion

Book your free podcast guesting strategy session today.

To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

• The importance of nature
• The power of making a real connection
• The Best Guest Programme
• Being a Great Guest on Podcasts
• Chat GPT

Mentioned in This Episode

Jammy Digital

Connect with Elen Sentier

Website

Connect with Victoria Bennion

Book your free podcast guesting strategy session today.

To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

Key Takeaways

• Consistent podcast interviews can establish you as an expert in your field, help increase brand awareness, and build trust with your audience.
• Podcast interviews are timeless, so they can be discovered by potential clients or customers months after the initial airing.
• Being a guest on podcasts offers a great opportunity to benefit from the host's established audience and build trust with listeners. The more you'll do the more opportunity you have to reach a wider audience and grow your own
• Consistent podcast interviews can help improve search engine optimization (SEO) by providing fresh and relevant content for search engines to index.
• Participating in podcast interviews can help you refine your speaking skills and messaging over time. The more you do, the better you'll get.
• Regular guest appearances on podcasts can provide a variety of content to engage your followers and fans on social media platforms. When you're consistent you have a constant source of fresh content.

Quote

"Consistent podcast interviews can help you establish yourself as an expert in your field by consistently sharing your knowledge and insights with your audience." - Victoria Bennion

Connect with Victoria Bennion

Book your free podcast guesting strategy session today.

To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

• While radio is traditionally broadcast over the airwaves and distributed at specific times, podcasts are typically distributed through the internet and can be listened to on demand.
• Radio programs are more structured, whereas podcasts are more flexible with their structure and content.
• Radio shows are often produced by large broadcasting organizations, whereas podcasts can easily be produced by individuals or small teams with little to no budget.
• While radio stations rely on advertising revenue to support their operations, podcasts can generate revenue through sponsorships, merchandise sales, or paid subscriptions.
• Overall, the main differences between radio and podcasts are in distribution, timing, length, content, format production, and revenue models. The episode ends with an invitation to visit the host's website to book a free podcast guesting strategy session.

Connect with Victoria Bennion

Book your free podcast guesting strategy session today.

To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

Key Takeaways

• Poor audio quality can negatively impact your interview, so using an external microphone and wearing headphones can improve sound quality. It is also important to avoid echo in the room and turn off any disruptive sounds from devices, fans, or air conditioning.
• Being unprepared can affect the quality of your interview. You should know the platform that the host is using, be confident about the topics you are discussing, and avoid showing up unprepared with a script.
• Over-preparation can also be detrimental to your interview. While it's useful to prepare beforehand, it's important not to show up with a script, as it may sound unnatural and disengage the audience.
• Stories are important in engaging listeners and building emotional connections, as stories make information more memorable and relatable.
• Instead of being a pushy salesperson, focus on adding value to your interview by sharing your knowledge, experiences, and expertise, to grow your brand.
• Poor rapport with hosts. Use the hosts name and engage with them during your conversation.
• Not being enthusiastic or sounding enthusiastic about the topics you're talking about.
• Not being a guest on the right shows. Periodically evaluate which podcasts are the most successful for you and go on more of these kinds of shows.
• Not having a call-to-action that's resonating with listeners. You may need to experiment.

Quote

The problem is rarely the number of listeners of the podcast

Connect with Victoria Bennion

Book your free podcast guesting strategy session today.

To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/

• How ChatGPT can support you with preparation for your conversations on podcasts
• The ways ChatGPT can help you with repurposing your podcast interviews
• ChatGPT's limitations

Key Takeaways

1. ChatGPT is a chatbot developed by OpenAI that can provide information and answer questions
2. If you need to think through your talking points for an interview ChatGPT can help provide information about different topics
3. ChatGPT can generate questions based on the topics guests want to discuss on podcasts but you only want to use them as a starting point.
4. ChatGPT's usefulness may vary depending on the depth of information required, and the ease with which it can be found elsewhere.
5. While ChatGPT has the potential to be a secret weapon for podcast guests in that it can save you a lot of time you should use it as a basis for your research and then make sure that you take what it gives you to the next level.

Quote

"Everywhere you turn there’s talk of ChatGPT. So what exactly is ChatGPT and is it really the secret weapon of podcast guests?"

Mentioned in This Episode

ChatGPT

Nurturing Nurodiversity

Online Marketing Made Easy

The Pen Podcast

Beyond the Basics: 20 Non-Obvious Uses of ChatGPT for Marketing

Joeri Billast CMO Stories

Lindsay Cambridge - Jammy Digital

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• The importance of setting clear goals
• Having a good call to action
• Making your interviews work hard for you

Key Takeaways

• Before you begin booking podcast interviews be clear on your goals as a guest
• Consider the different ways you could see a return on your investment
• Think of your podcast interview as the beginning of your relationship with the listener
• If you’re consistently showing up on podcasts the listener has several opportunities to hear you on different shows and get to know you, increasing those touch points that will help them decide to buy from you
• It’s really important to have a good call to action at the end of the podcast. 
• Your call to action will align with your goals for being a guest
• You'll get the exposure to the host's wider community - on social media and to their newsletter subscribers - when you're a guest
• Make your podcast interviews work hard for you by repurposing them across your different channels

Quote

View your podcast interview as the start of a beautiful relationship with a listener rather than a wham bam transaction.

Mentioned in This Episode

Rupal Patel from CIA to CEO

Dave McKeown The Self-Evolved Leader

Adam Robarts - Nineteen

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• How to use poetry for team building
• Why poets don't need to be starving artists
• Poet Life's work to help young people express themselves

Key Takeaways

• Keynote poets can engage your audience with word play
• Poetry has taught all of us to read
• We can use poetry as a tool to flush out your emotions and express yourself
• You can have a career as a poet
• Don't ask your children what they want to be when they grow up. Ask what they want to create right now
• Open mic is a great way to team build
• It's effective to give your employees a platform to express themselves creatively
• Poetry can help employees find common ground

Quote

It's not about just giving [our children] examples. It's about becoming one.

Mentioned in This Episode

Obie West

Connect with Christoph Jenkins

Website

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

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• How to create a one sheet that stands out
• Why a strong one sheet is helpful to a podcast host
• Setting up a media kit

Key Takeaways

• Your one sheet will give hosts a picture of what an interview with you could sound like
• Your one sheet is the place to show what's unique about you, how you're different from others in your niche
• A one sheet should not be selly. It should not be all about your product or service
• Your one sheet should include your biography (written in third person), suggested topics and questions, your head shot, your contact details
• It's a nice touch to match the fonts and colours of your one sheet to your branding. It helps hosts make that connection when they look you up and know they have the right person
• A good one sheet builds trust with a host and creates the right impression of you
• To make sure you stand out from the crowd question, what makes you you, what sets you on fire? What have you helped your clients achieve? Why do they come to you? How is your approach different from others in your industry?
• Create a media kit folder. You could do this on Google Drive. Add everything a host is likely to ask for such as your headshot, different length biographies, and one sheet. If you're an author add your book blurb and different renderings of your book cover

Mentioned in This Episode

Get your free professionally-designed One Sheet template here.

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• Finding title inspiration from other industries
• The difference between writing titles for Google and YouTube
• Split testing your titles
• How to create curiosity
• The importance of modelling titles that work

Key Takeaways

• If you don't have a good title no one is going to click your video
• Google likes positivity - desire and curiosity rather than negativity
• Give the audience what they want and how they want it. Think about why they're searching.
• It's a mistake making content that's not for your audience eg if you have a channel about running, your audience aren't coming to you for nutrition tips
• If people follow you for your personality you have more flexibility on topics
• Don't write long and complicated titles
• It's worth split testing titles and thumbnails but not at the same time
• Open loops to build curiosity
• Taking things to the extreme can work well eg The best camera

Quote

If you don't have a good title no one is going to click your video

Mentioned in This Episode

Jake asked some of the best YouTubers, "How do you write such great titles?"

And they all say the same thing: "I just model what's proven to work on YouTube."

They're not better than you.

They're not smarter than you.

They just model successful videos.

The Creator Hooks email shows you 5 videos worth modelling to help you write great titles and save time.

Subscribe to the Creator Hooks Newsletter here

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Twitter

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• The witch wound
• The importance of self-belief
• How to reframe the idea of self-promotion
• Why you should show your face
• Not worrying about bothering people by emailing them

Mentioned in This Episode

Episode 41 - Kelly Weekes

Episode 40 - Rupal Patel

Episode 33 - Catherine Berry

Episode 6 - Teresa Heath-Wareing

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• The most important part of video creation (not what you think)
• How to make videos 5 times as fast
• How to get viewers with the sound off to engage!

About Travis Brown

Travis Brown is a 100k+ Creator, Keynote Speaker & Coach taking hundreds of creators to 10,000+ Followers, Millions of Views, and 5 Figure Months FAST. He’s the co-founder of Social Boom where he teaches creators how to grow a massive following and monetize it. After starting several successful side hustles, he’s now helping others build their own empire so they can fire their boss! 

Travis has over 10 million reels views in the last 6 months by creating high value no BS videos for his audience (and none of the videos are trendy). His goal is to share this method so more creators can beat the ALGO and share their message and impact with the world regardless of their niche.

Key Takeaways

• You do not need a fancy camera to get started with Reels. Your phone is more than enough.
• Nobody doing more than you will ever criticise you.
• If someone criticises you remember someone has probably done that to them and they're trying to pass the hurt on to you.
• If you compare yourself to your favourite creator today, and you're at your beginning point, that's not a fair comparison.
• You do Zoom calls and Facetimes all day so you're used to video.
• Carry out research on YouTube and TikTok before you create your video.
• It's important to have a hook so that you can capture attention in the first three seconds so that people stop and look.
• Don't try to memorise the whole script. You can film line by line and piece it together.
• It's important to use captions so people without sound can follow along and for accessibility.
• You have to make your own process that fits your life whether that's creating videos every day or batching content.
• Don't let any gurus tell you that you have to post three times a day and you have to put a cover and you have to use trending audio. None of that is true. You have to show up with a good idea that you're talking about something people are interested in and deliver it in the best way possible.
• You should make the content you wish existed or something you'd enjoy watching.
• When you find something that works, do it again.
• You need to be somewhat predictable so people know what to expect.

Quote

Video isn't the future, it's the present

Mentioned in This Episode

Final Cut Pro

Cap Cut

Sony ZV1 Camera

Canva

10x Video Challenge

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Instagram

Join Travis and Dan's video challenge here

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• Auditing your Online Presence
• Putting Together a one sheet
• Making a List of Potential Podcasts
• Evaluating the Podcasts you find
• How to Pitch a Podcast

Mentioned in This Episode

Free One Sheet Canva Template

Connect with Victoria Bennion

Book your free podcast guesting strategy session today.

To learn more about working with us visit https://victoriabennion.com/