WEBVTT 00:00:17.800 --> 00:00:21.379 Okay, welcome back to Networking Unleashed, Building 00:00:21.379 --> 00:00:24.359 Profitable Connections. I'm your host, Michael 00:00:24.359 --> 00:00:27.760 Foreman, speaker, strategist, and champion for 00:00:27.760 --> 00:00:30.000 those who build brands with heart and purpose. 00:00:30.539 --> 00:00:33.399 Today's guest is someone who doesn't just help 00:00:33.399 --> 00:00:37.159 entrepreneurs build a brand. She helps them uncover 00:00:37.159 --> 00:00:41.100 it. Her message is powerful. Stop searching outside 00:00:41.100 --> 00:00:44.719 of yourself. The clarity, purpose, and passion 00:00:44.719 --> 00:00:49.390 you're chasing. It's already within you. We'll 00:00:49.390 --> 00:00:52.710 talk about her signature iridescent slipper method, 00:00:52.890 --> 00:00:55.530 how to bring your brand to life authentically, 00:00:55.609 --> 00:00:58.030 and what it really takes to balance business 00:00:58.030 --> 00:01:02.049 and family as a mompreneur. If you've ever felt 00:01:02.049 --> 00:01:06.609 like you're losing your voice, your vision, or 00:01:06.609 --> 00:01:10.409 your spark, this episode is a reminder that your 00:01:10.409 --> 00:01:16.250 greatest brand asset is your true self. Beverly, 00:01:16.250 --> 00:01:19.469 welcome to the podcast. I'm so glad to have you 00:01:19.469 --> 00:01:24.079 on. Tell me a little bit about your Oh, Michael, 00:01:24.180 --> 00:01:25.739 thank you so much. What a nice introduction. 00:01:26.180 --> 00:01:28.540 I appreciate it. It's always out of body when 00:01:28.540 --> 00:01:30.459 someone introduces you for some reason. I'm not 00:01:30.459 --> 00:01:33.280 sure why, but it is. My name is Beverly Cornell, 00:01:33.459 --> 00:01:36.140 and I am the founder of a company called Wickedly 00:01:36.140 --> 00:01:39.239 Branded. We are a boutique branding and digital 00:01:39.239 --> 00:01:42.939 marketing agency where we help solopreneurs step 00:01:42.939 --> 00:01:46.219 out of the tornado of marketing, overwhelm, and 00:01:46.219 --> 00:01:49.840 chaos to awaken your brand magic and boldly bring 00:01:49.840 --> 00:01:56.230 it to life. 30 years in marketing. I've worked 00:01:56.230 --> 00:01:58.730 with hundreds of service -based entrepreneurs 00:01:58.730 --> 00:02:01.069 to help them simplify their message, attract 00:02:01.069 --> 00:02:04.230 their dream clients, and step in front of their 00:02:04.230 --> 00:02:08.009 brand. I'm also lovingly known as the fairy godmother 00:02:08.009 --> 00:02:10.969 of brand clarity because I really do believe 00:02:10.969 --> 00:02:12.770 that brand magic isn't just about a strategy. 00:02:13.030 --> 00:02:16.050 It's about embracing your purpose, skill set, 00:02:16.229 --> 00:02:19.550 systems, and truly step into your business with 00:02:19.550 --> 00:02:23.590 confidence. Wow. Outstanding. You have me sold. 00:02:24.490 --> 00:02:27.930 Okay. All right. So let's delve right into the 00:02:27.930 --> 00:02:30.870 questions. Let's start with your journey. How 00:02:30.870 --> 00:02:34.469 did you discover that the real magic of brand 00:02:34.469 --> 00:02:38.129 starts from within rather than outside trends 00:02:38.129 --> 00:02:44.650 or tactics? Oh, well, I never intended to be 00:02:44.650 --> 00:02:47.870 an entrepreneur, Michael. Had a very successful 00:02:47.870 --> 00:02:50.009 career in marketing and I worked myself up the 00:02:50.009 --> 00:02:52.830 corporate ladder to like the VP level. I worked 00:02:52.830 --> 00:02:55.069 for Chrysler's advertising agency. I worked for 00:02:55.069 --> 00:02:58.669 tech startups, mom and pops. But when I married 00:02:58.669 --> 00:03:02.469 my active duty army husband in 2012, my career 00:03:02.469 --> 00:03:05.689 didn't really fit the mobile life that we had 00:03:05.689 --> 00:03:08.090 ahead of us. Remote work wasn't really a thing 00:03:08.090 --> 00:03:12.009 then. So I started freelancing and consulting 00:03:12.009 --> 00:03:14.110 and thinking it probably would be temporary until 00:03:14.110 --> 00:03:16.849 we got settled or whatever. But before I knew 00:03:16.849 --> 00:03:20.050 it, I had a legitimately full blown business. 00:03:20.550 --> 00:03:22.490 And I realized that I had everything that I needed 00:03:22.490 --> 00:03:25.069 to build something really special. But I was 00:03:25.069 --> 00:03:29.009 really overwhelmed. I was stressed out and completely 00:03:29.009 --> 00:03:30.669 burned out. And I remember it was like a Tuesday 00:03:30.669 --> 00:03:33.669 evening and my family was all asleep. And there 00:03:33.669 --> 00:03:36.560 I was burning the midnight oil. thinking, is 00:03:36.560 --> 00:03:38.740 this what being a business owner is all about? 00:03:39.659 --> 00:03:43.000 And what I had to do was take some time away 00:03:43.000 --> 00:03:45.360 from my business. I actually lost a couple key 00:03:45.360 --> 00:03:48.939 clients, which really stung, but it was exactly 00:03:48.939 --> 00:03:51.199 what needed to happen. Sometimes those moments 00:03:51.199 --> 00:03:55.060 of being unsuccessful for whatever reason it 00:03:55.060 --> 00:03:57.879 is, kicks you in the pants and you realize, okay, 00:03:58.000 --> 00:04:00.620 this is not okay. We should not be living. Because 00:04:00.620 --> 00:04:03.400 I really loved those clients and I gave them 00:04:03.400 --> 00:04:06.300 everything. But what I learned along the way 00:04:06.300 --> 00:04:10.379 was that I wasn't very clear. And I realized 00:04:10.379 --> 00:04:13.280 that clarity isn't something that you find. It's 00:04:13.280 --> 00:04:17.500 something that you have to create. That is when 00:04:17.500 --> 00:04:19.939 everything shifted for me. And that is when I 00:04:19.939 --> 00:04:23.160 created the method. that you talked about. I 00:04:23.160 --> 00:04:24.779 actually have changed the name of it, Michael. 00:04:24.879 --> 00:04:27.680 It's the brand magic method instead of the iridescent 00:04:27.680 --> 00:04:29.439 slipper. But I will talk about the slippers in 00:04:29.439 --> 00:04:32.160 a second, which helps entrepreneurs who feel 00:04:32.160 --> 00:04:34.000 like they're overwhelmed and stressed out like 00:04:34.000 --> 00:04:38.620 I did, step out of the chaos and into their brand 00:04:38.620 --> 00:04:41.720 with clarity, confidence, and momentum. And it 00:04:41.720 --> 00:04:44.399 changed everything for me and it changes everything 00:04:44.399 --> 00:04:48.560 for my clients. It's true that the more clear 00:04:48.560 --> 00:04:52.509 you are, for your clients, the better they'll 00:04:52.509 --> 00:04:56.250 understand how you can help them. And if they 00:04:56.250 --> 00:04:59.069 understand that you can help them in such a way, 00:04:59.149 --> 00:05:02.069 that's what they've been looking for. So by you 00:05:02.069 --> 00:05:06.389 articulating that and by you focusing in on how 00:05:06.389 --> 00:05:08.629 you can help them, then they really appreciate 00:05:08.629 --> 00:05:12.149 it. I use this analogy all the time about, and 00:05:12.149 --> 00:05:14.170 I say the tornado of overwhelm, it's very much 00:05:14.170 --> 00:05:16.589 the Wizard of Oz. When you're in the tornado, 00:05:16.769 --> 00:05:19.029 you can't see where you're going or what you're 00:05:19.029 --> 00:05:21.149 doing or anything. You're just trying to like 00:05:21.149 --> 00:05:23.949 manage. Like even trying to get your perspective, 00:05:24.149 --> 00:05:26.250 right? Because you're just spinning in this chaos 00:05:26.250 --> 00:05:28.709 of work. And so many entrepreneurs spin in this 00:05:28.709 --> 00:05:31.350 chaos of work. They have to do financials. They 00:05:31.350 --> 00:05:33.029 have to do marketing. They have to do the HR 00:05:33.029 --> 00:05:34.550 stuff. They have to do the systems. They have 00:05:34.550 --> 00:05:38.069 to do the processes. It's so much spinning around 00:05:38.069 --> 00:05:42.029 that it's hard to get your bearings. Some people 00:05:42.029 --> 00:05:43.750 say you're in the weeds as opposed to see the 00:05:43.750 --> 00:05:45.490 forest for the trees, all the kind of things. 00:05:46.079 --> 00:05:49.819 But what ultimately I realized is that no magical 00:05:49.819 --> 00:05:52.160 man behind the curtain was going to fix anything. 00:05:52.360 --> 00:05:56.319 And my daily work was full of the flying monkeys 00:05:56.319 --> 00:06:01.060 of distractions every day. And what I had to 00:06:01.060 --> 00:06:04.000 do was really lean into my heart and my brains 00:06:04.000 --> 00:06:08.560 and my courage to fully step into my version 00:06:08.560 --> 00:06:10.839 of the ruby red slippers, which is the iridescent 00:06:10.839 --> 00:06:13.459 slippers. I actually literally have like sparkly 00:06:13.459 --> 00:06:17.569 shoes that I wear. But it's like when I did that, 00:06:17.649 --> 00:06:19.689 when I did that, when I got clear and when I 00:06:19.689 --> 00:06:22.470 really became intentional and I step into those 00:06:22.470 --> 00:06:26.069 shoes, it is it's changed everything for me. 00:06:26.170 --> 00:06:29.790 No more chaos. Easy yes and nos. Yes and nos. 00:06:30.170 --> 00:06:34.610 Very clear focus and simplified systems and processes 00:06:34.610 --> 00:06:38.750 and marketing. And that for me was the moment 00:06:38.750 --> 00:06:42.110 where I almost gave up my business because I 00:06:42.110 --> 00:06:45.910 was like, I can't do this to. I love like I would 00:06:45.910 --> 00:06:48.370 be up at 3 a .m., Michael, totally stressed out 00:06:48.370 --> 00:06:50.670 about something I had to do to the moment of 00:06:50.670 --> 00:06:52.649 3 a .m. where I can't wait to go do the thing 00:06:52.649 --> 00:06:56.589 I want to do. Absolutely. That just means that 00:06:56.589 --> 00:07:00.430 you listen, you look from to within before you 00:07:00.430 --> 00:07:04.089 can get that sense of happiness. But once you 00:07:04.089 --> 00:07:07.769 have found it and you found the passion to do 00:07:07.769 --> 00:07:10.629 what you do, then you look forward to getting 00:07:10.629 --> 00:07:13.000 up in the morning and doing the work. Yes. But 00:07:13.000 --> 00:07:15.720 because you're so passionate, it's not work for 00:07:15.720 --> 00:07:18.420 you. And that's really, I think, the main difference. 00:07:18.620 --> 00:07:20.699 And I get to hang out with some really cool clients, 00:07:20.819 --> 00:07:23.160 like people who are genuine rock stars in the 00:07:23.160 --> 00:07:26.379 world of serving others. And just walking beside 00:07:26.379 --> 00:07:29.680 them is an honor, to be honest. And networking 00:07:29.680 --> 00:07:33.699 is having a servant's heart. Okay. You're always 00:07:33.699 --> 00:07:37.279 looking to. Always looking to give rather than 00:07:37.279 --> 00:07:41.180 receive. Yes. Now I'm going to use the iridescent 00:07:41.180 --> 00:07:44.420 slipper. Okay. Tell us about the iridescent slipper 00:07:44.420 --> 00:07:48.040 method. What is it and how does it help entrepreneurs 00:07:48.040 --> 00:07:51.699 step in their true brand identity? So I mentioned 00:07:51.699 --> 00:07:54.339 it, right? So we are all this tornado. We always 00:07:54.339 --> 00:07:56.060 get these distractions. We're always looking 00:07:56.060 --> 00:07:58.600 for that extra certification, the extra class 00:07:58.600 --> 00:08:01.360 to somehow validate our experience and who we 00:08:01.360 --> 00:08:03.240 are and all those things that man behind the 00:08:03.240 --> 00:08:07.420 curtain, right? But what I really discerned from 00:08:07.420 --> 00:08:10.579 all of that was just like Dorothy did, she always 00:08:10.579 --> 00:08:14.029 had the power inside of her to get home. she 00:08:14.029 --> 00:08:16.089 didn't need anybody else to help her she didn't 00:08:16.089 --> 00:08:18.209 need this even the slippers really to help her 00:08:18.209 --> 00:08:20.810 get home but what was it was inside of her was 00:08:20.810 --> 00:08:24.550 her heart the things so the people who went with 00:08:24.550 --> 00:08:26.850 her on that journey so the scarecrow had a lot 00:08:26.850 --> 00:08:30.990 of heart what why did you get into business who 00:08:30.990 --> 00:08:33.730 do you really want to help and how do you help 00:08:33.730 --> 00:08:37.169 them what is your unique background that means 00:08:37.629 --> 00:08:39.370 That doesn't just mean I have a master's in communication 00:08:39.370 --> 00:08:41.929 and I worked for Chrysler and whatever. That 00:08:41.929 --> 00:08:44.730 doesn't mean that does is important, but it means 00:08:44.730 --> 00:08:50.700 I come from. A lot of trauma, to be honest. I 00:08:50.700 --> 00:08:53.440 come from a lot of life experience. I've moved 00:08:53.440 --> 00:08:56.720 28 times in my life. I have lived in foreign 00:08:56.720 --> 00:08:59.700 countries. I have been in places that are really 00:08:59.700 --> 00:09:01.980 uncomfortable. I have stepped outside of my comfort 00:09:01.980 --> 00:09:05.639 zone so many times. And because of all of that 00:09:05.639 --> 00:09:09.720 makes me uniquely me, I have experiences and 00:09:09.720 --> 00:09:12.460 wisdom no one else has. And there are people 00:09:12.460 --> 00:09:15.419 in the world that are looking for me to show 00:09:15.419 --> 00:09:20.240 up as me. to guide them on their journey. And 00:09:20.240 --> 00:09:22.080 that is when I think that's the moment where 00:09:22.080 --> 00:09:24.740 I realized, okay, my heart, my passion, who I 00:09:24.740 --> 00:09:27.940 am, how I got here, my level of empathy, my servant's 00:09:27.940 --> 00:09:30.240 heart, all the things that have informed who 00:09:30.240 --> 00:09:33.240 I am. My dad was a teacher. My mom was a nurse. 00:09:33.320 --> 00:09:35.639 My husband's in the military. Talk about serving. 00:09:35.820 --> 00:09:38.559 That's all we do is serve. I'm also a Stevens 00:09:38.559 --> 00:09:41.960 minister. And so that's all about serving as 00:09:41.960 --> 00:09:45.679 well. So you look at what makes me uniquely me. 00:09:46.019 --> 00:09:49.700 I'm a mom. I'm a stepmom. I'm a foster mom. I'm 00:09:49.700 --> 00:09:55.080 an adopted mom. I'm even a dog mom. But that 00:09:55.080 --> 00:09:57.419 between that military life and all the kinds 00:09:57.419 --> 00:09:59.440 of things that I've been through, I've been adopted. 00:09:59.740 --> 00:10:02.899 I found my biological father. There's so many 00:10:02.899 --> 00:10:05.799 things in my life that have really helped me 00:10:05.799 --> 00:10:10.360 trust myself. Intentionally live with people 00:10:10.360 --> 00:10:13.480 I love as opposed to people who are just blood 00:10:13.480 --> 00:10:16.600 or just brought to you. Intentionality has been 00:10:16.600 --> 00:10:18.639 the thing I've learned through my life. When 00:10:18.639 --> 00:10:20.639 you move every three years, you have to intentionally 00:10:20.639 --> 00:10:24.600 go make friends. You have to get outside your 00:10:24.600 --> 00:10:28.179 comfort zone on a regular basis. All of those 00:10:28.179 --> 00:10:30.500 things have helped me create my heart and my 00:10:30.500 --> 00:10:33.870 unique perspective. the skill set and the system. 00:10:33.970 --> 00:10:36.710 So the skill set is obviously the education I've 00:10:36.710 --> 00:10:39.210 had, the jobs that I've had, the work I've done, 00:10:39.250 --> 00:10:41.730 the 30, almost 30 plus years of experience in 00:10:41.730 --> 00:10:43.909 marketing. And that's been a little scary too, 00:10:43.970 --> 00:10:46.230 because like literally when I went to school, 00:10:46.289 --> 00:10:50.909 we didn't have the internet. Like that was just 00:10:50.909 --> 00:10:53.289 like starting things. So I've learned a lot by 00:10:53.289 --> 00:10:57.129 doing as well, but that skill set leaning into 00:10:57.129 --> 00:10:59.250 that, like having all that experience, your unique 00:10:59.250 --> 00:11:02.220 experience. helps inform you to have a unique 00:11:02.220 --> 00:11:04.720 perspective and don't feel like you have to be 00:11:04.720 --> 00:11:07.820 someone else and their experience because your 00:11:07.820 --> 00:11:11.220 journey has gotten you to where you are and you're 00:11:11.220 --> 00:11:14.889 successful. By all definitions, you're successfully 00:11:14.889 --> 00:11:17.950 doing the thing. So you're successful. But then 00:11:17.950 --> 00:11:20.629 the systems, I am a systems queen. I love a good 00:11:20.629 --> 00:11:23.149 checklist. I love a good project management system. 00:11:23.350 --> 00:11:27.029 I have a very scalable system. I have videos 00:11:27.029 --> 00:11:31.529 on how to do things, SOPs, standard operating 00:11:31.529 --> 00:11:35.210 procedures. That's easy for me to say. And I 00:11:35.210 --> 00:11:39.769 love systems and training so that I can not have 00:11:39.769 --> 00:11:42.809 to do everything myself. I can literally clone 00:11:42.809 --> 00:11:46.129 myself with my team and encourage them and mentor 00:11:46.129 --> 00:11:49.330 them to grow as well. And then the last thing 00:11:49.330 --> 00:11:51.669 is the courage part, that courage part. So you 00:11:51.669 --> 00:11:54.149 have your heart from the tin man, the brains 00:11:54.149 --> 00:11:57.110 from the scarecrow and the courage. And the thing 00:11:57.110 --> 00:11:59.929 about the lion that's always got me was that 00:11:59.929 --> 00:12:01.970 he was the one that was the most courageous the 00:12:01.970 --> 00:12:04.149 whole time. He was the one that was ready to 00:12:04.149 --> 00:12:06.649 fight anybody who needed to. And he was the one 00:12:06.649 --> 00:12:08.909 that, but he always was seeking this courage 00:12:08.909 --> 00:12:12.389 outside of himself. And that, I think, So many, 00:12:12.429 --> 00:12:14.789 I know so many of our clients and so many entrepreneurs 00:12:14.789 --> 00:12:17.929 I've talked to has been the thing. They're afraid 00:12:17.929 --> 00:12:20.750 to show up in front of their brand. They don't 00:12:20.750 --> 00:12:22.990 know what to say. They don't have a good elevator. 00:12:23.519 --> 00:12:25.399 pitch. They don't have a good one -liner. They 00:12:25.399 --> 00:12:28.279 don't know how to serve. They don't know what 00:12:28.279 --> 00:12:31.080 to say to let people know this is who I'm looking 00:12:31.080 --> 00:12:34.980 for to meet. They don't know. In my first sentence, 00:12:35.100 --> 00:12:37.879 Michael, I said I help solopreneurs, service 00:12:37.879 --> 00:12:41.139 -based businesses who are purpose -driven, who 00:12:41.139 --> 00:12:43.539 feel like they're stuck in this chaos, right? 00:12:43.700 --> 00:12:46.179 So immediately you have an idea of who I serve. 00:12:46.419 --> 00:12:50.120 But I didn't say I help business people who are, 00:12:50.299 --> 00:12:53.259 like, I didn't say it that way. I said it with 00:12:53.259 --> 00:12:55.240 a little bit more creativity, a little bit more 00:12:55.240 --> 00:12:58.899 connection. I want to empower people to talk 00:12:58.899 --> 00:13:00.820 about things the way that actually would talk 00:13:00.820 --> 00:13:04.080 about them to a friend over coffee. And so I 00:13:04.080 --> 00:13:07.200 think that creating these systems and this process 00:13:07.200 --> 00:13:10.100 and all of this helps them step more visible 00:13:10.100 --> 00:13:12.759 in front of their brand. I used to think, and 00:13:12.759 --> 00:13:15.240 I know I'm not alone. I used to think that if 00:13:15.240 --> 00:13:17.039 I just did the work, it would speak for itself. 00:13:18.720 --> 00:13:22.370 Yeah. People will just talk about it. They'll 00:13:22.370 --> 00:13:25.289 just go and talk about it. Sure. But if you don't 00:13:25.289 --> 00:13:28.529 give them the tools to talk about or ask or all 00:13:28.529 --> 00:13:29.649 those things, they're not going to necessarily 00:13:29.649 --> 00:13:32.049 talk about you. If you don't really tell them 00:13:32.049 --> 00:13:35.009 who you serve, if you don't really ask for the 00:13:35.009 --> 00:13:37.490 review or the social media, the social proof, 00:13:37.610 --> 00:13:40.009 if you don't ask for the testimonial, I'm all 00:13:40.009 --> 00:13:42.169 about intentionality. So I'll actually write 00:13:42.169 --> 00:13:44.389 the testimonial for them, send them a link to 00:13:44.389 --> 00:13:48.110 my Google page. I make it as easy as possible 00:13:48.110 --> 00:13:51.220 for people to talk about me and help me. So I 00:13:51.220 --> 00:13:53.720 think when you step in front of the brand, when 00:13:53.720 --> 00:13:57.240 you really own it, everything will change for 00:13:57.240 --> 00:13:59.480 you too. That is just so that all those things 00:13:59.480 --> 00:14:02.179 can have to be in place. And then you really 00:14:02.179 --> 00:14:04.799 can step out and have the courage and the confidence 00:14:04.799 --> 00:14:07.159 to be more visible. You even talked about it 00:14:07.159 --> 00:14:09.580 today a little bit. Like you have, before we 00:14:09.580 --> 00:14:11.639 got on this recording, you have to practice, 00:14:11.799 --> 00:14:13.960 you have to stumble, you have to figure it out 00:14:13.960 --> 00:14:15.600 and have it leave your mouth a couple of times 00:14:15.600 --> 00:14:18.960 and all the things. Everybody started there. 00:14:19.559 --> 00:14:22.320 You don't have to be perfect. I have a sticky 00:14:22.320 --> 00:14:24.259 note on my computer that says, I am the permission. 00:14:24.879 --> 00:14:28.500 Meaning I give myself permission to have progress 00:14:28.500 --> 00:14:32.360 over perfection. I give myself permission to 00:14:32.360 --> 00:14:36.740 maybe make a mistake, but that's tuition. I give 00:14:36.740 --> 00:14:39.840 myself permission and we're all doing that. We're 00:14:39.840 --> 00:14:43.139 all figuring it out. That is the most human part 00:14:43.139 --> 00:14:47.230 of all of this is there's no... The only measurement 00:14:47.230 --> 00:14:50.690 I have for myself now is how have I grown? Where 00:14:50.690 --> 00:14:53.549 have I gotten to? And that's the only one that 00:14:53.549 --> 00:14:56.110 matters. If I've developed, if I've grown, if 00:14:56.110 --> 00:14:59.830 I've gotten better at what I do, then I know 00:14:59.830 --> 00:15:01.730 I'm in the right spot doing the thing that I 00:15:01.730 --> 00:15:03.610 love to do. And at the end of the day, if I'm 00:15:03.610 --> 00:15:05.769 helping my clients and I see their transformations 00:15:05.769 --> 00:15:09.490 and I actually see them in tears and crying and 00:15:09.490 --> 00:15:11.809 saying, oh my gosh, this changed my life, this 00:15:11.809 --> 00:15:14.450 changed my business, then I know that's exactly. 00:15:15.159 --> 00:15:18.039 where I'm supposed to be. And that gives me loads 00:15:18.039 --> 00:15:22.179 of confidence to step in front of my brand. Although 00:15:22.179 --> 00:15:26.120 you're focused, you're intentional, and really 00:15:26.120 --> 00:15:29.360 the entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, mompreneurs 00:15:29.360 --> 00:15:33.200 all have to have that in mind for them to go 00:15:33.200 --> 00:15:36.860 ahead. So that's very good. So let's get to a 00:15:36.860 --> 00:15:39.360 little bit of the hustle part. So many people 00:15:39.360 --> 00:15:44.759 chase clarity through hustle. Yeah. How can someone 00:15:44.759 --> 00:15:48.620 slow down and actually listen to what their brand 00:15:48.620 --> 00:15:54.740 is trying to say? I think you have, I know what 00:15:54.740 --> 00:15:56.620 you have to do is you have to listen to your 00:15:56.620 --> 00:15:59.519 clients and what they say about you. Absolutely. 00:16:00.120 --> 00:16:02.120 We've done an exercise where we took all the 00:16:02.120 --> 00:16:03.779 things that people have said, whether it's emails 00:16:03.779 --> 00:16:05.779 or testimonials or whatever, and we've thrown 00:16:05.779 --> 00:16:09.179 them through chat GPT and asked it to tell us 00:16:09.179 --> 00:16:13.000 what we do really well. Because sometimes, again, 00:16:13.100 --> 00:16:15.120 you're in the chaos and you're in the weeds and 00:16:15.120 --> 00:16:17.620 you're not able to really get there. So here's 00:16:17.620 --> 00:16:20.460 a great tip. Take your testimonials, take that 00:16:20.460 --> 00:16:22.940 feedback you've been given and throw it into 00:16:22.940 --> 00:16:26.100 ChatGP and say, what do we really do well? And 00:16:26.100 --> 00:16:28.460 then use those words. Use your client's words. 00:16:28.559 --> 00:16:31.769 Use those words to talk about what you do. I 00:16:31.769 --> 00:16:35.730 really don't think the hustle is like some contrived 00:16:35.730 --> 00:16:39.210 thing from the internet or whatever of what you 00:16:39.210 --> 00:16:42.049 should do. And before you know it, if you're 00:16:42.049 --> 00:16:43.809 doing all the things that your competitor is 00:16:43.809 --> 00:16:45.529 doing because you're seeing this and that and 00:16:45.529 --> 00:16:47.610 everything, before you know it, Michael, you 00:16:47.610 --> 00:16:49.429 are shitting all over yourself and you have no 00:16:49.429 --> 00:16:50.809 time for the things you're supposed to be doing. 00:16:51.269 --> 00:16:54.850 So you have to be really careful about the flying 00:16:54.850 --> 00:16:57.950 monkeys and distractions of the hustle and shitting 00:16:57.950 --> 00:16:59.909 all over yourself because before you know it, 00:17:00.110 --> 00:17:02.809 My business wasn't even my business anymore because 00:17:02.809 --> 00:17:05.390 I was hustling so hard. It was my client's business 00:17:05.390 --> 00:17:07.930 because I said yes to everything. I said yes 00:17:07.930 --> 00:17:11.390 to everyone. And I wasn't supposed to do that. 00:17:11.490 --> 00:17:12.970 That's one of the reasons why the clients left 00:17:12.970 --> 00:17:16.009 was I wasn't supposed, they should never have 00:17:16.009 --> 00:17:17.569 been clients in the first place probably. I should 00:17:17.569 --> 00:17:22.230 have said no far sooner than I did. And had I 00:17:22.230 --> 00:17:25.009 done that for myself, I would have known that 00:17:25.009 --> 00:17:26.990 you cannot drag people across the finish line. 00:17:28.299 --> 00:17:31.099 Like I now know the kind of people that I want 00:17:31.099 --> 00:17:33.460 to work with that we can be great partners and 00:17:33.460 --> 00:17:36.980 I can help them move the needle. But there are 00:17:36.980 --> 00:17:39.680 some people who just don't. want to do the thing 00:17:39.680 --> 00:17:41.460 you need them to do because it's uncomfortable 00:17:41.460 --> 00:17:44.140 or it's out, it's something they haven't never 00:17:44.140 --> 00:17:47.799 done before or whatever. So that's why like bold 00:17:47.799 --> 00:17:50.539 people are my favorites, purpose -driven people, 00:17:50.619 --> 00:17:52.599 because they want to make a change in the world. 00:17:52.640 --> 00:17:54.700 They want to make a difference. And I guess something 00:17:54.700 --> 00:17:57.400 you talked about too, you serve the purpose -driven 00:17:57.400 --> 00:18:01.000 heart of people. And that is so important, but 00:18:01.000 --> 00:18:06.700 the hustle, it's a mirage. The hustle. I'm really 00:18:06.700 --> 00:18:09.259 intentional about how I chunk and stack my time, 00:18:09.420 --> 00:18:12.740 how I do my work, the systems and processes and 00:18:12.740 --> 00:18:16.059 how I train. It doesn't have to be a hustle. 00:18:16.160 --> 00:18:17.859 I still work really hard. Don't get me wrong. 00:18:18.059 --> 00:18:20.099 I love the work and I dig in and all the things, 00:18:20.180 --> 00:18:23.880 but I do more of the things that drive me and 00:18:23.880 --> 00:18:26.880 less of the things that drain me now. I've either 00:18:26.880 --> 00:18:30.700 offloaded it or I've automated it or I'm in a 00:18:30.700 --> 00:18:32.779 process of getting somebody to do the thing, 00:18:32.900 --> 00:18:36.230 whatever it is. I lean into the things that drive 00:18:36.230 --> 00:18:39.890 me and make that time intentional on my, my, 00:18:39.890 --> 00:18:43.589 my camera does that. It's like automatic that 00:18:43.589 --> 00:18:46.849 I do the things that are intentional that I know 00:18:46.849 --> 00:18:49.789 that I need to do and not the distractions and 00:18:49.789 --> 00:18:53.269 not the hustle kind of culture that may work 00:18:53.269 --> 00:18:56.049 for some people that does not work for me. I, 00:18:56.150 --> 00:18:59.650 when I was a business owner outside of a solopreneur, 00:18:59.650 --> 00:19:04.559 when I had. a foundational store, pizzerias, 00:19:04.599 --> 00:19:07.539 restaurants, things like that. I realized that 00:19:07.539 --> 00:19:10.079 if I did the things I enjoyed, that's great. 00:19:10.160 --> 00:19:12.700 But the things that I don't enjoy, let me form 00:19:12.700 --> 00:19:15.400 out to somebody else. Let them do the hard work 00:19:15.400 --> 00:19:18.079 or the work that I don't enjoy. And let me go 00:19:18.079 --> 00:19:21.460 on and create the business that I do enjoy doing. 00:19:21.660 --> 00:19:25.680 So I think that really much. So, okay. So let 00:19:25.680 --> 00:19:28.980 me just change a little bit as a mompreneur. 00:19:29.000 --> 00:19:32.220 Okay. How do you stay grounded in your vision 00:19:32.220 --> 00:19:35.119 while juggling the very real demands of business 00:19:35.119 --> 00:19:40.359 and family? So I created my business in the messy 00:19:40.359 --> 00:19:44.700 middle of life, Michael. I remember my, there's 00:19:44.700 --> 00:19:48.380 no parental leave for an entrepreneur. So I remember 00:19:48.380 --> 00:19:52.299 having my son, he was two days old and I was 00:19:52.299 --> 00:19:55.880 on calls with him. And I, that's just who I am. 00:19:55.940 --> 00:19:58.740 Now, most of my clients are women. Most of them 00:19:58.740 --> 00:20:01.900 are moms. So they totally got it and understood 00:20:01.900 --> 00:20:05.079 it. And there was also times where like Zeke, 00:20:05.160 --> 00:20:08.019 my son never slept. Like he, sleep was a magical 00:20:08.019 --> 00:20:10.920 thing for him. It just was not, it was very elusive. 00:20:11.220 --> 00:20:14.000 He didn't sleep very often. And I remember my 00:20:14.000 --> 00:20:17.400 husband's deployed and I am the only one that 00:20:17.400 --> 00:20:18.900 can get up in the middle of the night and all 00:20:18.900 --> 00:20:21.519 the things. So I literally slept around his schedule 00:20:21.519 --> 00:20:25.549 and when he was awake or whatever, or asleep, 00:20:25.670 --> 00:20:28.910 I would be working. So I worked at 2 a .m., I 00:20:28.910 --> 00:20:31.710 worked at 11 a .m., I worked at 1 p .m., I worked 00:20:31.710 --> 00:20:34.470 at 6 p .m., whatever worked for his schedule. 00:20:34.950 --> 00:20:37.650 And that's the thing that I have found is you 00:20:37.650 --> 00:20:42.250 can create the exact business for you that fits 00:20:42.250 --> 00:20:46.630 your life if you are intentional and clear about 00:20:46.630 --> 00:20:49.140 what that looks like. And that was really what 00:20:49.140 --> 00:20:50.759 happened. I just said, you know what, if they 00:20:50.759 --> 00:20:52.819 don't like it, that seeks on my call while I'm 00:20:52.819 --> 00:20:55.240 feeding him or whatever, then you know what, 00:20:55.299 --> 00:20:56.940 they're not probably the best client for me. 00:20:57.839 --> 00:21:01.259 Because they aren't in that mindset. If they're 00:21:01.259 --> 00:21:04.019 not understanding that I won't answer till two 00:21:04.019 --> 00:21:05.940 o 'clock in the morning, because I have a kid 00:21:05.940 --> 00:21:08.779 who won't sleep, then they're probably not the 00:21:08.779 --> 00:21:10.579 client for me. But I was really honest about, 00:21:10.640 --> 00:21:12.559 hey, I'm entering this next phase of my life. 00:21:12.619 --> 00:21:15.009 This is what it's going to look like. It doesn't 00:21:15.009 --> 00:21:16.809 mean that I don't care or I won't be here. I 00:21:16.809 --> 00:21:19.210 just might be at different times and different 00:21:19.210 --> 00:21:21.369 places and different things. And now that my 00:21:21.369 --> 00:21:25.150 kids are older, my oldest is 19 in college and 00:21:25.150 --> 00:21:28.450 my youngest is going to be 10 next month. I'm 00:21:28.450 --> 00:21:30.450 actually more protective of my evening time and 00:21:30.450 --> 00:21:32.630 my weekend time. So I'm like, hey, I don't want 00:21:32.630 --> 00:21:34.589 any. And I am intentional. I don't want any meetings 00:21:34.589 --> 00:21:37.450 after 3 .30. So I can wrap up and I can get dinner 00:21:37.450 --> 00:21:39.190 on the table and I can do the things that I want 00:21:39.190 --> 00:21:43.039 to do. So I think. Even more, and this is what 00:21:43.039 --> 00:21:46.859 makes moms awesome, is you have to, when you're 00:21:46.859 --> 00:21:49.960 really busy, you have to be so intentional with 00:21:49.960 --> 00:21:52.359 how you plan your day, how you protect your day, 00:21:52.400 --> 00:21:56.079 and what you do. And time is the one thing we 00:21:56.079 --> 00:21:59.299 cannot get back or buy back or anything. So being 00:21:59.299 --> 00:22:02.539 really intentional with your time and focus. 00:22:02.700 --> 00:22:05.680 I have on my calendar, like nothing after 3 .30. 00:22:05.740 --> 00:22:07.460 Like honestly, that doesn't happen. I have on 00:22:07.460 --> 00:22:09.319 my calendar when I want to go take a walk. I 00:22:09.319 --> 00:22:11.789 have on my calendar. On Fridays, I typically 00:22:11.789 --> 00:22:13.589 don't have meetings because that's when I schedule 00:22:13.589 --> 00:22:15.650 my son's appointments or things like that. Like 00:22:15.650 --> 00:22:20.450 I live my life the way that I want to live my 00:22:20.450 --> 00:22:22.509 life. And I'm also in a season right now where 00:22:22.509 --> 00:22:24.509 my husband is deployed. So my husband or my son 00:22:24.509 --> 00:22:27.309 needs me more because he's deployed. It's just 00:22:27.309 --> 00:22:29.970 the way kids are. They need you more. So I have 00:22:29.970 --> 00:22:33.210 had to adjust around this military life thing 00:22:33.210 --> 00:22:37.039 is no joke. And I have to constantly adjust when 00:22:37.039 --> 00:22:38.619 my husband comes home, when my husband leaves, 00:22:38.779 --> 00:22:40.720 what is that going to look like, how much I have 00:22:40.720 --> 00:22:42.759 to show up for my children versus having my husband 00:22:42.759 --> 00:22:45.039 here who can take on some of those responsibilities. 00:22:45.900 --> 00:22:48.700 But I think the thing that I know the thing that 00:22:48.700 --> 00:22:52.140 has made help keep me sane is this intentionality 00:22:52.140 --> 00:22:56.799 and the idea of being really clear about where 00:22:56.799 --> 00:23:00.799 my time is best spent and not saying yes to everyone 00:23:00.799 --> 00:23:02.539 and everything. Because when you do the things 00:23:02.539 --> 00:23:04.730 that you're not really good at. Like you're like, 00:23:04.809 --> 00:23:06.769 okay, I can do that thing. Like, for example, 00:23:06.930 --> 00:23:10.210 Google ads. I do marketing, but I don't do Google 00:23:10.210 --> 00:23:12.690 ads. I can help with some of the copy maybe and 00:23:12.690 --> 00:23:15.190 things like that. But the back behind the scenes 00:23:15.190 --> 00:23:19.150 is a little bit mad scientist -y. And I have 00:23:19.150 --> 00:23:22.309 a person who I refer to for that because they 00:23:22.309 --> 00:23:24.410 do it really well and they're in it all the time. 00:23:24.430 --> 00:23:26.329 And those algorithms are changing and tweaking. 00:23:26.509 --> 00:23:29.029 And she literally is a mad scientist. And I love 00:23:29.029 --> 00:23:33.019 that about her. That's not me. My thing. is branding 00:23:33.019 --> 00:23:36.400 and digital development. So your website, your 00:23:36.400 --> 00:23:39.180 messaging, how it plays out into the world. That's 00:23:39.180 --> 00:23:42.200 the thing that I do really well. And so I now 00:23:42.200 --> 00:23:44.799 have a real right and left limit of nope, yes, 00:23:44.960 --> 00:23:47.279 nope, yes. And that goes for people who are gonna 00:23:47.279 --> 00:23:49.140 be on my team. That goes for the kind of clients 00:23:49.140 --> 00:23:51.160 I wanna work with. That goes for the kind of 00:23:51.160 --> 00:23:53.500 work I wanna do. That goes for the partnerships 00:23:53.500 --> 00:23:56.460 I wanna make. I know very clearly, yes or no, 00:23:56.559 --> 00:23:58.960 that that's gonna work for me. So intentionality 00:23:58.960 --> 00:24:00.599 and clarity. I'm going to say clarity probably 00:24:00.599 --> 00:24:05.660 the whole conversation, Michael. I have two things 00:24:05.660 --> 00:24:08.980 to say about everything you just said. One, when 00:24:08.980 --> 00:24:12.000 I was deployed, I saw it from the other side. 00:24:12.099 --> 00:24:15.160 Yeah. And my wife had to handle everything. When, 00:24:15.160 --> 00:24:19.619 first of all, my son, who is now 33 years old. 00:24:19.740 --> 00:24:22.380 Okay. Didn't sleep through the night until he 00:24:22.380 --> 00:24:26.410 was three years old. So that was three years 00:24:26.410 --> 00:24:29.210 of not sleeping. We actually, it was a tag team. 00:24:29.519 --> 00:24:31.259 You sleep one night, I'll sleep the next night. 00:24:31.339 --> 00:24:34.279 Yep. That was that. But enough about me. Let 00:24:34.279 --> 00:24:36.000 me go on to the next question. Before you go, 00:24:36.059 --> 00:24:37.640 though, thank you for your service and thank 00:24:37.640 --> 00:24:39.559 your wife and your son for their service because 00:24:39.559 --> 00:24:43.240 it is very much a mutual thing. You thank your 00:24:43.240 --> 00:24:46.940 husband very much for his service. I will. Because 00:24:46.940 --> 00:24:49.480 from one vet to another, it's a lot. It is a 00:24:49.480 --> 00:24:51.200 lot, for sure. My husband would tell you, thank 00:24:51.200 --> 00:24:52.839 you for your taxes because that pays us back. 00:24:52.980 --> 00:24:57.880 Okay, so. What advice do you have for someone 00:24:57.880 --> 00:25:01.579 who's struggling to stand out in a crowded space 00:25:01.579 --> 00:25:05.200 yet doesn't want to lose their authenticity trying 00:25:05.200 --> 00:25:11.980 to fit in? I would say do a BrandSpark interview 00:25:11.980 --> 00:25:17.660 with us. But in reality, really to help you, 00:25:17.680 --> 00:25:20.779 on our website at wickedlybranded .com, there 00:25:20.779 --> 00:25:23.940 is a brand clarity quiz. And it takes about three 00:25:23.940 --> 00:25:25.759 minutes. And it lets you know where your weak 00:25:25.759 --> 00:25:28.539 spots are. And it also gives you a few insights 00:25:28.539 --> 00:25:32.359 and tips on how to overcome some of those things 00:25:32.359 --> 00:25:34.039 that you might be struggling with. So that's 00:25:34.039 --> 00:25:35.640 a free tool. There's lots of free tools in our 00:25:35.640 --> 00:25:37.920 marketing, on our resources tab, on wickedlybranded 00:25:37.920 --> 00:25:39.980 .com, including a podcast, which you've been 00:25:39.980 --> 00:25:43.500 on. But I guess the biggest thing is to really 00:25:43.500 --> 00:25:48.440 lean into what makes you uniquely you. And don't 00:25:48.440 --> 00:25:52.450 compromise on that. What I was afraid of before, 00:25:52.670 --> 00:25:55.910 before I was clear on my mission and how I wanted 00:25:55.910 --> 00:25:57.769 to serve and the transformation that we offered, 00:25:57.930 --> 00:26:02.490 I was afraid to share some really vulnerable 00:26:02.490 --> 00:26:08.430 things. But now that I know how I can help people 00:26:08.430 --> 00:26:12.170 with those things, I've been able to share more. 00:26:12.309 --> 00:26:15.549 For example, a couple weeks ago, I was at a soccer 00:26:15.549 --> 00:26:18.789 game with my child, and some parents were really 00:26:18.789 --> 00:26:22.660 rude. Really rude. And it's very disappointing. 00:26:22.819 --> 00:26:24.660 Even their coach was really rude. You could tell 00:26:24.660 --> 00:26:27.579 that is where it's coming from. And one of the 00:26:27.579 --> 00:26:31.059 children pushed my son. Not just in a soccer 00:26:31.059 --> 00:26:33.500 or whatever, but like legitimately just pushed 00:26:33.500 --> 00:26:36.519 him when the play stopped. And the ref saw it 00:26:36.519 --> 00:26:38.759 and all of a sudden, but my son did not respond. 00:26:39.039 --> 00:26:41.460 And that's something we've taught him. The way 00:26:41.460 --> 00:26:44.980 you win is you get a goal, not by pushing. So 00:26:44.980 --> 00:26:47.079 let them do that nonsense. As soon as you get 00:26:47.079 --> 00:26:50.480 the ball back, score. That's what you do. Really 00:26:50.480 --> 00:26:54.420 channel your energy into that thing. And I feel 00:26:54.420 --> 00:27:01.000 like that experience showed, really talked a 00:27:01.000 --> 00:27:02.980 lot about how we parent and the kind of people 00:27:02.980 --> 00:27:06.799 we are. And I shared the story on LinkedIn talking 00:27:06.799 --> 00:27:09.539 about that because to me, I've never been prouder 00:27:09.539 --> 00:27:12.519 of my child. Not because he shouldn't fight for 00:27:12.519 --> 00:27:14.319 who he is and all those things. Like he knows 00:27:14.319 --> 00:27:15.940 that there's certain times where you might have 00:27:15.940 --> 00:27:18.450 to push back. But in the sense of I'm just going 00:27:18.450 --> 00:27:21.190 to channel this in a really positive way and 00:27:21.190 --> 00:27:23.910 I'm going to win the way you're supposed to win. 00:27:25.190 --> 00:27:29.769 And that story says a lot about who I am. As 00:27:29.769 --> 00:27:34.630 a leader, as a boss, as a partner of how I want 00:27:34.630 --> 00:27:36.390 to win. I want to win the right way. I don't 00:27:36.390 --> 00:27:38.490 want to win because we pushed or whatever. I 00:27:38.490 --> 00:27:40.190 want to win because we worked freaking hard and 00:27:40.190 --> 00:27:42.970 we did the thing we were supposed to do. And 00:27:42.970 --> 00:27:46.450 so I've used those stories. I get really personal 00:27:46.450 --> 00:27:48.609 about some of those stories because that is the 00:27:48.609 --> 00:27:51.890 essence. Those are all examples of how I show 00:27:51.890 --> 00:27:56.109 up in the world. And I even, so I'm Catholic 00:27:56.109 --> 00:27:59.150 and Pope Francis died on Monday. We're recording 00:27:59.150 --> 00:28:01.349 this the week of April 21st. So for those that 00:28:01.349 --> 00:28:04.009 are, for those listeners that are probably seeing 00:28:04.009 --> 00:28:06.069 this in a month or whenever you actually publish 00:28:06.069 --> 00:28:09.579 the episode. I'm Catholic, and I don't really 00:28:09.579 --> 00:28:11.880 talk about being Catholic or even much about 00:28:11.880 --> 00:28:14.140 my religion often, except for that I am a Stevens 00:28:14.140 --> 00:28:17.019 minister. And really, the Stevens ministry is 00:28:17.019 --> 00:28:18.819 all about helping others, and so they don't feel 00:28:18.819 --> 00:28:20.759 like they're alone is really what it's about. 00:28:20.880 --> 00:28:24.539 So if the pastor is too full, is too busy, we 00:28:24.539 --> 00:28:27.579 can go and sit with them as they grieve or as 00:28:27.579 --> 00:28:29.539 they struggle with cancer or whatever it is, 00:28:29.579 --> 00:28:32.180 but just knowing they're not alone. And that's 00:28:32.180 --> 00:28:34.779 how I feel about business owners. You don't have 00:28:34.779 --> 00:28:38.440 to do this alone. Like you can do this with other 00:28:38.440 --> 00:28:41.500 people. So when Pope Francis passed away, I said, 00:28:41.539 --> 00:28:43.920 I'm going to talk about him because I feel like 00:28:43.920 --> 00:28:46.559 he's the kind of leader. I actually converted 00:28:46.559 --> 00:28:50.400 to Catholicism in 2015. He became Pope in 2013. 00:28:50.720 --> 00:28:53.819 He was a major reason why I converted because 00:28:53.819 --> 00:28:57.059 I wanted to lead my life the way he led, serving 00:28:57.059 --> 00:29:00.650 others. putting others first, even some of the 00:29:00.650 --> 00:29:04.329 disadvantaged people. My entire team is all across 00:29:04.329 --> 00:29:06.990 the world. And one of the reasons that I do that 00:29:06.990 --> 00:29:09.910 is because if I can empower them to start a business 00:29:09.910 --> 00:29:12.930 in a third world country, they can change their 00:29:12.930 --> 00:29:15.609 family's trajectory. They can influence their 00:29:15.609 --> 00:29:18.190 community's trajectory. One of the requirements 00:29:18.190 --> 00:29:20.589 I have is they have to do a community project 00:29:20.589 --> 00:29:22.730 every quarter, meaning they have to give away 00:29:22.730 --> 00:29:26.390 marketing services to a business every quarter 00:29:26.390 --> 00:29:30.579 so that They're building their community. So 00:29:30.579 --> 00:29:33.559 I do this very intentionally. Again, intentionality 00:29:33.559 --> 00:29:36.940 is huge. So I feel like that's the thing. When 00:29:36.940 --> 00:29:39.259 you're talking about being unique, I'm not talking 00:29:39.259 --> 00:29:41.680 about, oh, we all do websites because every branding 00:29:41.680 --> 00:29:43.339 and marketer does websites. I'm talking about 00:29:43.339 --> 00:29:47.079 how I lead, my focus, what I do, how we build, 00:29:47.140 --> 00:29:50.960 and the kind of person I am. That's what makes 00:29:50.960 --> 00:29:54.500 me unique and how indifferent. So I really challenge 00:29:54.500 --> 00:29:58.619 people who are listening today to look at, the 00:29:58.619 --> 00:30:01.380 things that are important to you the people who 00:30:01.380 --> 00:30:04.720 have impacted you the experiences that have changed 00:30:04.720 --> 00:30:09.180 you and how can that relate to what you do I'm 00:30:09.180 --> 00:30:11.759 sure Michael there's a story about and I think 00:30:11.759 --> 00:30:13.839 even on the podcast I asked you like your origin 00:30:13.839 --> 00:30:16.400 story and like one of the testimonials of people 00:30:16.400 --> 00:30:19.200 who you've affected and looking and leaning into 00:30:19.200 --> 00:30:22.339 your story of how you developed your origin story, 00:30:22.559 --> 00:30:25.039 but also all the little stories along the way 00:30:25.039 --> 00:30:28.099 and how it plays into your journey as a person 00:30:28.099 --> 00:30:32.960 and as an entrepreneur. Very good. Very good. 00:30:33.119 --> 00:30:36.200 There are so many points that I wanted to comment 00:30:36.200 --> 00:30:38.799 on, but I didn't want to stop you. So I'm just 00:30:38.799 --> 00:30:41.680 going to leave it alone as it is. You help people 00:30:41.680 --> 00:30:45.519 find their brand voice. What role does networking 00:30:45.519 --> 00:30:49.269 play in that process? especially when building 00:30:49.269 --> 00:30:52.750 it from the inside out. I'm going to go back 00:30:52.750 --> 00:30:56.950 to intentionality and clarity. When I have done 00:30:56.950 --> 00:30:59.509 networking that's been really successful, it 00:30:59.509 --> 00:31:02.670 always starts from this idea of serving others. 00:31:02.809 --> 00:31:05.990 How can I serve the networking group? How can 00:31:05.990 --> 00:31:09.250 I volunteer? How can I get involved? And I know 00:31:09.250 --> 00:31:11.750 like even here at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, 00:31:12.109 --> 00:31:15.859 the Fayetteville Chamber. that I'm a member of, 00:31:15.980 --> 00:31:19.119 if my community that I live in is successful, 00:31:19.299 --> 00:31:21.680 then my business will probably be successful. 00:31:22.299 --> 00:31:26.319 So by supporting the community itself, you are 00:31:26.319 --> 00:31:28.960 essentially supporting yourself. Now, I have 00:31:28.960 --> 00:31:32.059 no expectations of anything in return. However, 00:31:32.319 --> 00:31:34.359 I do know there'll probably be some unexpected 00:31:34.359 --> 00:31:37.940 opportunities that will come my way based on 00:31:37.940 --> 00:31:41.220 who I meet, how I help, and how I just show up 00:31:41.220 --> 00:31:45.500 for. the organization. So I went, recently I 00:31:45.500 --> 00:31:47.920 went to a Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce event 00:31:47.920 --> 00:31:51.059 and I was talking to the president of the chamber 00:31:51.059 --> 00:31:54.299 who I'd never met before. And I was introduced 00:31:54.299 --> 00:31:56.839 to him by the person who does a lot of the community 00:31:56.839 --> 00:31:59.599 outreach. And she had asked me to write a couple 00:31:59.599 --> 00:32:03.339 articles for their magazine on business for them. 00:32:03.359 --> 00:32:05.859 And I just finished, wrapped up an article on 00:32:05.859 --> 00:32:07.579 internships and the power of them. And we do 00:32:07.579 --> 00:32:09.720 them a lot at Wickedly Branded. So I had a whole 00:32:09.720 --> 00:32:12.880 different perspective. Anyway. She introduced 00:32:12.880 --> 00:32:15.119 her and said, she's great. She writes for us. 00:32:15.200 --> 00:32:18.519 She's always ready to help. She's always, okay. 00:32:18.599 --> 00:32:20.859 So now the way that I'm being introduced is like 00:32:20.859 --> 00:32:23.099 this really nice person who's done all these 00:32:23.099 --> 00:32:26.440 things. And so immediately he wants to say hi 00:32:26.440 --> 00:32:29.359 and see me. Well, I had suggested that the chamber 00:32:29.359 --> 00:32:31.380 do a podcast. I said, I feel like it's a missed 00:32:31.380 --> 00:32:33.200 opportunity. I feel like you should do a podcast. 00:32:33.400 --> 00:32:36.039 I do a podcast. I would be happy to share my 00:32:36.039 --> 00:32:39.519 tools, what it might look like, some ideas that 00:32:39.519 --> 00:32:41.910 I have. And the next thing you know, he's saying, 00:32:42.009 --> 00:32:43.930 hey, our big event and our big event that we 00:32:43.930 --> 00:32:46.670 have 500 people, let's put you on the stage. 00:32:48.670 --> 00:32:51.589 And you call out for like people's feedback so 00:32:51.589 --> 00:32:54.230 they can stop by. You can interview them, whatever. 00:32:55.210 --> 00:32:58.029 500 people, Michael, I would never have gotten 00:32:58.029 --> 00:33:03.269 in front of 500 people that opportunity had all 00:33:03.269 --> 00:33:06.730 those other things not happened. So it really 00:33:06.730 --> 00:33:10.640 is about. showing up as yourself. I don't want 00:33:10.640 --> 00:33:12.299 you to be fake about this. This is not going 00:33:12.299 --> 00:33:14.180 to work if you're fake. Showing up as yourself, 00:33:14.299 --> 00:33:16.119 the things that you're good at, how can you help? 00:33:16.400 --> 00:33:18.420 Maybe you're a systems person. Maybe you just 00:33:18.420 --> 00:33:21.039 are process driven, whatever. How can you help 00:33:21.039 --> 00:33:23.500 them with a system or a process that could benefit? 00:33:24.259 --> 00:33:26.920 Maybe you're a really good filer or organizer. 00:33:27.140 --> 00:33:29.400 Like, how can you do that? Whatever it is, the 00:33:29.400 --> 00:33:32.799 thing that you do the best, do it. I worked for 00:33:32.799 --> 00:33:35.380 an organization in Michigan called Automation 00:33:35.380 --> 00:33:38.599 Alley. I was the chair of their marketing committee, 00:33:38.819 --> 00:33:42.000 volunteered. We ended up building an entire marketing 00:33:42.000 --> 00:33:44.359 toolkit for everybody in the organization. So 00:33:44.359 --> 00:33:47.740 I had sample press releases, sample bios, sample, 00:33:47.920 --> 00:33:49.779 I mean, everything in there to build out your 00:33:49.779 --> 00:33:52.839 marketing strategy. And I had my name all over 00:33:52.839 --> 00:33:55.180 it. So guess who they call when they need marketing 00:33:55.180 --> 00:33:59.960 help? So you just never know what the thing will 00:33:59.960 --> 00:34:04.519 be that will lead you to. your opportunities 00:34:04.519 --> 00:34:07.099 be you I remember I was part of the marketing 00:34:07.099 --> 00:34:09.179 and sales executives of Detroit I was a member 00:34:09.179 --> 00:34:12.460 and I gave a talk on LinkedIn about how you can 00:34:12.460 --> 00:34:15.000 use LinkedIn to network and to build your business 00:34:15.000 --> 00:34:18.500 to all the marketing and sales executives and 00:34:18.500 --> 00:34:20.739 after that event they asked me to be on the board 00:34:20.739 --> 00:34:26.849 so you just just show up as you give freely Be 00:34:26.849 --> 00:34:29.110 genuine. And what I have found is I've found 00:34:29.110 --> 00:34:31.869 speaking opportunities. I've gotten some business 00:34:31.869 --> 00:34:35.090 for sure, but I've also gotten lifelong friendships. 00:34:36.150 --> 00:34:39.289 People who I just admire and respect and really 00:34:39.289 --> 00:34:43.010 enjoy being around. And that to me is worth everything 00:34:43.010 --> 00:34:47.789 too. So it's not just about work, but it's actually 00:34:47.789 --> 00:34:49.469 doing things with people that you really enjoy 00:34:49.469 --> 00:34:51.750 doing them with. Absolutely. And it all falls 00:34:51.750 --> 00:34:54.860 back to your servant's heart. to how you can 00:34:54.860 --> 00:34:58.079 help somebody else without thinking about how 00:34:58.079 --> 00:35:02.239 it can help you. Because as Zig Ziglar would 00:35:02.239 --> 00:35:05.440 say, if what goes around does come around, because 00:35:05.440 --> 00:35:08.519 if you look to help, then others will help you. 00:35:08.559 --> 00:35:12.079 So let's bring this full circle. And if someone 00:35:12.079 --> 00:35:14.880 listening feels like they've lost their spark 00:35:14.880 --> 00:35:18.320 or identity in their business, what's the first 00:35:18.320 --> 00:35:21.599 small step they can take to reconnect with their 00:35:21.599 --> 00:35:26.639 brand? And their why. So that clarity, that elusive 00:35:26.639 --> 00:35:28.659 clarity thing that you don't just stumble upon, 00:35:28.800 --> 00:35:31.219 but you create. This is the little tip I'm going 00:35:31.219 --> 00:35:34.739 to give today to help you start that ball rolling. 00:35:35.000 --> 00:35:36.820 So if you're feeling overwhelmed in your business, 00:35:36.920 --> 00:35:40.559 it's probably because your message or your mission 00:35:40.559 --> 00:35:44.119 is just not as clear as it should be. So let's 00:35:44.119 --> 00:35:46.539 fix it. That's the first step. So just take. 00:35:46.920 --> 00:35:50.480 five, 10 minutes today to jot down one thing 00:35:50.480 --> 00:35:53.300 that makes your brand truly unique, you truly 00:35:53.300 --> 00:35:56.780 unique. Maybe it's a story. Maybe it's how you 00:35:56.780 --> 00:35:59.340 got started. Maybe it's how someone talked about 00:35:59.340 --> 00:36:02.639 you. But think of all your lived experiences 00:36:02.639 --> 00:36:05.139 that give you insights or certain things like 00:36:05.139 --> 00:36:07.960 maybe it gives you the skill of empathy or gives 00:36:07.960 --> 00:36:10.670 you the skill of listening. because of your life 00:36:10.670 --> 00:36:12.829 experience, or maybe you're really observant 00:36:12.829 --> 00:36:16.150 because of your experience in life. But think 00:36:16.150 --> 00:36:18.250 of all the things that you've experienced, and 00:36:18.250 --> 00:36:20.590 then think of all the things that light you up, 00:36:20.630 --> 00:36:24.110 that speak to your heart, that speak to your 00:36:24.110 --> 00:36:27.230 purpose, to your why, why you want to help people, 00:36:27.349 --> 00:36:30.530 how you help people. That little nugget of clarity 00:36:30.530 --> 00:36:33.329 is going to be a foundation for everything else 00:36:33.329 --> 00:36:36.090 that you do. You want to build out from that. 00:36:36.829 --> 00:36:39.429 It's really magical. Once you've got that, the 00:36:39.429 --> 00:36:42.829 overwhelm just starts to melt away because now 00:36:42.829 --> 00:36:45.550 you know. And I would say just like with core 00:36:45.550 --> 00:36:47.809 values, they don't just sit on a wall. It becomes 00:36:47.809 --> 00:36:50.789 infused in everything you do. This five -minute 00:36:50.789 --> 00:36:53.369 exercise of the thing that makes you truly unique, 00:36:53.590 --> 00:36:55.590 the thing that makes your lived experiences and 00:36:55.590 --> 00:36:57.210 your passion and everything correlate together, 00:36:57.369 --> 00:37:00.429 becomes a decision of does it feed that or does 00:37:00.429 --> 00:37:05.359 it take away from it? Yes or no? That's... Easy 00:37:05.359 --> 00:37:07.239 decisions. So when you're thinking like, oh, 00:37:07.239 --> 00:37:09.420 I have to do this thing. Does it feed it? Yep. 00:37:09.480 --> 00:37:12.119 Does it not? Probably don't need to do it. Or 00:37:12.119 --> 00:37:13.739 you need to figure out somebody else or some 00:37:13.739 --> 00:37:17.559 way else to do it. And I love automation. I love 00:37:17.559 --> 00:37:20.340 offloading. I love scaling. I love systems. And 00:37:20.340 --> 00:37:22.519 I've just figured out that's the best thing for 00:37:22.519 --> 00:37:26.719 it. So does it speak to it? Yes or no. And that 00:37:26.719 --> 00:37:30.019 will help clear the fog, clear the overwhelm. 00:37:30.699 --> 00:37:33.920 and really help you prioritize what you need 00:37:33.920 --> 00:37:36.679 to do next for your business. Really, this was 00:37:36.679 --> 00:37:40.139 absolutely wonderful. You were a sensational 00:37:40.139 --> 00:37:45.179 guest. And listen, if somebody wants to be coached 00:37:45.179 --> 00:37:48.099 or they wanted you to teach them or anything, 00:37:48.260 --> 00:37:51.300 how can they possibly get hold of you? So they 00:37:51.300 --> 00:37:53.320 can always go to the website, wickedlybranded 00:37:53.320 --> 00:37:56.139 .com. Check out that quiz. That's great. But 00:37:56.139 --> 00:37:59.380 you can Google Beverly Cornell or Wickedly Branded. 00:37:59.380 --> 00:38:01.260 And we are on all the social media platforms. 00:38:01.420 --> 00:38:04.119 I'm on LinkedIn. I would love to connect. I am 00:38:04.119 --> 00:38:07.659 a connector, as you can tell. And then just really, 00:38:07.760 --> 00:38:09.619 but don't just connect with me. Reach out to 00:38:09.619 --> 00:38:11.820 me. Let's talk. Like actually have a conversation 00:38:11.820 --> 00:38:14.539 and see how we can help each other. Because that's 00:38:14.539 --> 00:38:17.420 where the magic is. In the relationship, in the 00:38:17.420 --> 00:38:20.579 actual connecting. So I would love for a DM or 00:38:20.579 --> 00:38:23.260 like just take it offline a little bit and let's 00:38:23.260 --> 00:38:25.219 try to connect and have a 15 minute conversation 00:38:25.219 --> 00:38:28.760 or whatever. And if there's no intersections 00:38:28.760 --> 00:38:30.960 or whatever, totally fine too. We got to have 00:38:30.960 --> 00:38:34.260 a chat. So I really welcome more than just a 00:38:34.260 --> 00:38:37.760 connection if possible. But yeah, I just, we 00:38:37.760 --> 00:38:40.820 are everywhere. So you can't miss us. Beverly 00:38:40.820 --> 00:38:44.789 Cornell and Wickedly Branded. Normally, I can't 00:38:44.789 --> 00:38:46.769 tell you enough. I thank you so much for coming 00:38:46.769 --> 00:38:49.090 on to the podcast. Michael, thank you so much 00:38:49.090 --> 00:38:50.590 for having me on the show. It was an absolute 00:38:50.590 --> 00:38:53.590 pleasure to connect again and share insights 00:38:53.590 --> 00:38:56.130 with you and your audience. I love the conversation 00:38:56.130 --> 00:38:58.210 and I really hope the tips and stories we talked 00:38:58.210 --> 00:39:00.690 about today are helpful and inspiring for your 00:39:00.690 --> 00:39:05.250 listeners. Well, hold on, folks. Don't go anywhere. 00:39:05.690 --> 00:39:08.090 Let me just read a few of our sponsors that we 00:39:08.090 --> 00:39:11.510 have. Struggling to reach success? Maybe it's 00:39:11.510 --> 00:39:15.280 time to quit. In Quit Your Way to Success by 00:39:15.280 --> 00:39:19.380 Rodney Davis, this reveals 27 steps to breaking 00:39:19.380 --> 00:39:22.340 bad habits that hold you back. This powerful 00:39:22.340 --> 00:39:26.059 book helps you rewire your mindset, take control 00:39:26.059 --> 00:39:29.199 of your actions, and turn setbacks into stepping 00:39:29.199 --> 00:39:32.340 stones. With real -life examples, motivational 00:39:32.340 --> 00:39:36.480 quotes, and actionable lessons, especially for 00:39:36.480 --> 00:39:38.719 sales professionals. You'll gain the tools to 00:39:38.719 --> 00:39:41.099 quit, what's stopping you, and start winning. 00:39:41.360 --> 00:39:44.840 Transform your future today. So Quit Your Way 00:39:44.840 --> 00:39:48.380 to Success by Rodney Davis, available now on 00:39:48.380 --> 00:39:52.460 Amazon. And this is a nonprofit called Revved 00:39:52.460 --> 00:39:55.960 Up Kids. This is something I believe in wholeheartedly. 00:39:56.420 --> 00:39:59.860 Revved Up Kids is on a mission to protect children 00:39:59.860 --> 00:40:03.739 and teens from sexual abuse. exploitation, and 00:40:03.739 --> 00:40:06.079 trafficking. They provide prevention training 00:40:06.079 --> 00:40:09.559 programs for children, teens, and adults. To 00:40:09.559 --> 00:40:13.519 learn more, go to revvedupkids .org. That's R 00:40:13.519 --> 00:40:20.480 -E -V -V -E -D -U -P -K -I -D -S .org. A huge 00:40:20.480 --> 00:40:22.780 thank you to our guests for sharing such incredible 00:40:22.780 --> 00:40:26.280 insights today. And of course, a big shout out 00:40:26.280 --> 00:40:29.590 to you. our amazing listeners, for tuning in 00:40:29.590 --> 00:40:32.510 and spending your time with us. If you're interested 00:40:32.510 --> 00:40:35.849 in my digital courses, being coached or having 00:40:35.849 --> 00:40:38.989 me come and talk to your company, just go to 00:40:38.989 --> 00:40:42.210 Michael and fill out the request form. Remember, 00:40:42.530 --> 00:40:45.869 networking isn't about being perfect. It's about 00:40:45.869 --> 00:40:48.769 being present. So take what you've learned today, 00:40:48.949 --> 00:40:51.570 get out there and make some meaningful connections. 00:40:52.170 --> 00:40:55.170 If you've enjoyed this episode, please don't 00:40:55.170 --> 00:40:58.559 forget to subscribe. Leave us a review and share 00:40:58.559 --> 00:41:00.739 it with someone who could use a little networking 00:41:00.739 --> 00:41:03.780 inspiration. Let's keep the conversation going. 00:41:03.940 --> 00:41:08.500 You can find me on Apple, Spotify, Pandora, YouTube, 00:41:08.639 --> 00:41:13.300 or my website, foreman .com slash podcasts.