Welcome to the Bea Bold in Business podcast. My name's Samantha Hearn and I'm the host of this amazing channel. I wanted to bring you a place where you hear from myself and other amazing inspirational business people on their journey to the success they've created. I wanted to bring you the online journeys to the online successes we see on social media.
I want to create a place where you hear the struggles people have been through, the challenges, the lessons they've learned, the mistakes they've made so that you know that ordinary people can create extraordinary things every single day and that it's totally possible for you to. The Bea Bold in Business podcast is a place where you are going to hear real, genuine, what's in all stories from some of the most exceptional people in business and how they've succeeded anyway. If you are ready to show up in your business, you are ready to be bold. If you are ready to learn from your mistakes, you are ready to bounce back and become more resilient, this is a podcast for you.
And me, Samantha Hearn, I cannot wait to welcome you, support you, empower and inspire you and share with you the stories that sometimes don't get shared online and give you this real refreshing approach on how building a business sometimes can be hard, sometimes involves failing, sometimes involves struggle but you can still succeed anyway. So welcome to the Bea Bold in Business podcast and I cannot wait for you to take your invitation to be bold in your business too. So welcome to another episode of our The Experience Series. I'm really excited.
I think it's important, which is why I created this series to talk more from people that are doing what you potentially, what your clients are doing, which is invest or get a mentor or be it a joint group program, whatever it might be and actually hear from other people what their experiences are like because for all of us in the service space, that's a huge part of what we're trying to create, understanding our audience, understanding how we can help them but also understanding what they need. So yeah, we're going to be highlighting another amazing woman. I've had the pleasure of working with her for years now, which is exciting. And also just hear her experiences.
So you might take things from this and think, how could you turn this into something in your messaging or reconnect with your audience and look at why there is a value in this. So anyway, it will just all kind of keep happen. So hello, Katie. Welcome.
Hello, Santa. Thank you so much for having me. I'd be like, it's such a privilege to be asked to be, you know, in your space once again. Oh, I love it.
And well, tell everyone about you, if I haven't met you or listened to my amazing podcast episode. Okay. Hello, I'm Katie. I have a business called Business Wonderland and I help service-based business owners with their content.
So it could be for their blog. It could be for social media. So I'm basically focused on social media just because that is more the experience and background that I've had. So this isn't my first business.
I think it's my third business. So I'm just taking what I have learned and I'm teaching it to service-based business owners. So they can feel like really confident and not overthink content and showing up on social media. Yeah, which is so important.
And why do you think being on social media or having content is important? Why is this the work that you do? Why are you passionate about it? So for me, I've been able to create the most amazing communities by being on social media.
And actually, by being part of a community, you are actually part of something bigger. It allows you to grow with the community as well. It allows you to feel supported. It also gives you, I think, a little bit of accountability.
But the best of all, it just connects you with the most amazing people and people who might never even come across on a day-to-day basis. But someone's kind of told someone and they're like, oh, you should join in there. So you should check out this person. And that, for me, is amazing.
I absolutely love connecting people with other people. I love that. And have you found, because I know we can be talking about our experience together, but I think it's useful, I should hear. Do you find that some people struggle with how to relay a message or bring to life their offers in their content?
Why someone should work with them or why they should join a programme or why they might be the mentor for them, etc? Do you find people struggle with those types of elements with their content? Yeah, I think there's a lot of overthinking involved with this. And I think so many people are worried about coming across in a certain way, like they're coming across annoying or they're coming across a cell Z.
But actually, when we think of businesses that we probably use on a day-to-day basis, I don't know, let's go to Starbucks, because everyone knows Starbucks. Starbucks are open seven days a week. They have their menu up with all of their prices. So you can go to Starbucks, you know what you can get, you know the price to compare.
And are they apologetic? Do they think they're annoying? No. So I think we just overthink so much when we're on our own.
For sure, I think that's so true. And also they also use online marketing. Yeah. Physical stores use online marketing.
So online digital age is only going to continue to ramp up. Yeah, absolutely. And they do pay advertising as well. Like, should you know what I mean?
They do sponsorships, they do pay ads, they are everywhere. So this is really useful for people because, yeah, like I said at the start, I wanted to create these conversations because I think sometimes when people are thinking about how do I get people to work with me, they forget so many of the key ingredients. So it could be useful when doing what you do, obviously, this is your third business, you know how to use social media, you know how to market yourself online, you have huge success in the online space since way before Instagram existed. And that was even like the new latest ad, all of these things.
What made you want to have a mentor or support? What were some of the things that you were looking for or needing, even though you had all of this experience yourself? What do they say? A new level, a new devil.
Yeah. So that was it. I needed someone who could support me when I was growing, so growing not just in my business, but also on a personal level as well. That for me, I think was what I needed the most support with.
And what did that, and what did you want that to look like, or what did you need it to look like for you? I think it was someone to be able to like bounce different thoughts and strategies between or like having someone to come in and like say in, well, actually, instead of this, could you do this or have you thought about doing this? And sometimes we're so in our business. It's very hard to see outside.
So actually having that person on the outside looking in gives completely different perspectives and views and opinions, which is invaluable, in my opinion. I completely agree. Okay. This is a good one for people as well.
What made you then want to work with me? What were the actual things? Well, I think sometimes, and you will know this, we can get wrapped up. And again, like you said, we can, I think what we need to tell people or what we need to include and all of these things.
But what would be some of the main things that you made you make that decision? For me, it was just the way you showed up. So it was your energy, like how I could resonate and relate to you. You weren't over-complicating anything.
You were like allowing us in your audience to be able to be like, wow, like it's not just me who can do this. Anyone can do this. Yeah. And I think I had come to one of your events and I think this was, it must have been your 2018 event.
Was that your first one? Yeah, one of your 2018. And I just thought, oh my goodness, this person is just so much fun. I was like, I just need her energy around me.
And did you think there's a lot of people now, there's so much around, you know, don't pay to work because I have energy, obviously. But did you find that what then, the energy was the thing that drew you in, but what made you stay? It was obviously we've worked together on offer years now, what things that made you come back or renew or resign. I knew that you were able to support me, keep me accountable.
You were also like, you weren't going to take like any nonsense from me. Like you were going to call me out when I needed it. And I definitely needed that. I didn't need someone to be like, all right, well, in your own time, I didn't need that gentle coach in.
I needed like a bit more like, I needed you to call me out as I went and needed. And you did that in the best way, the kindest way like possible. And I also knew that like nothing was off the table. Like if I wanted to come and speak to you about like something on a personal level, rather than business, I knew you were able to help me.
I love that. And I know you put that in your content now, like, you know, how you support, you know, the women in your world is not just with business, but it's like, you know, I knew you listed all out. It's, you know, it's all the things that we go through as human beings in life. Yeah, for sure.
I think as well, it is so important to touch on that because so many people do, yeah, get wrapped up in how many calls or how long are the calls or is it on Zoom? Do we get slack when actually the experience is so much more than the logistics, you know? Yeah, I wasn't really worried about like, how many calls I got with you? Or are we on Slack or are we on Vauxir or like, it was just like, it's a lot, like, as long as I had some form of access to you, like, that's, that's really all that matter to me.
And what do you think has changed for you as an individual, like a woman in business, also in your business, in our time working together? I think you've made me have a lot more self-confidence. I think, like, I took quite a hit and became like, quite burnt out and was second-guessing myself. And you were there, like, reminded me and be like, well, and then it was also like, realizing what was working, what was not working, and be okay to do things in a way that I want to do them and not in a way that, you know, a ton of like, you know, industry leaders I do in.
It was like, you were like, if you want to do that, that's okay. Let's go with this. Let's work on this. And yeah, I think that made such a huge difference to me.
Do you think it's changed the way you run your business? Yeah, definitely. Without, without, yeah. I kind of have that checking with myself, like, do I, do I really want to do this, or am I doing it?
Because I think I should be doing it. And if the answer is, oh, I think I should be doing it, then I pretty much put like a line underneath it and go, right, let's not do this. And do you think things like that have affected your, like, efficiency, your results, like, how do you make progress? Well, how do you feel the impact on having self-confidence, not doing things you don't want to do and having that kind of self-efficacy has changed the business that you're running?
I think it's allowed me to, like, be able to use my own voice and be able to stand out in a way that I feel comfortable and confident with, rather than just kind of like, ticking things off. Oh, like, you know, like, oh, I have to do like start a YouTube channel tick, you know, and it was just like, I don't want to start a YouTube channel. Like, I would find that really overwhelming. So it's being, being able to have that confidence and go like, it's okay for me, not to have that because I know that's not the best way that I can show up.
Actually, what is a really good way for me to show up in a way that I feel really comfortable and confident is actually a podcast. So I'm going to do a podcast and said, yeah, I love that. Yeah, the confidence to decide. And what do you love most about your business now?
You know, when you look back over the years and all the iterations, how do you feel about the business you're running now? What do I love most about? I guess I just love that I'm running it in a way that feels really good for me. And I've created my business that fits around my life and my lifestyle and not running a business and then trying to squeeze my life in between it.
Yeah, that's a huge trap that people fall into, you know, like the working, but then they don't get to enjoy what they're doing. Yeah. And I definitely had that with my business as well. Like, it was like, I had like no, like personal life, it was work, work, work, work, work.
And when you think about like being the receiving end and obviously you work with clients, so being the client, so being the recipient of the coaching or the mentoring, how do you feel as a business woman, it allowed you to show up better? I think it led me to show up better because I guess, like I had like confidence and capability in my decisions. And I think like I wasn't second guessing myself, I wasn't doubting myself. I was like, I've made this decision, I've made this decision with Sam on on a call.
I know exactly what I'm doing and how to pull it into practice. And like, I was all in, I was like, right, I'm not going to half ass this. It was like, I know exactly step by step how I'm going to play the same. You know, I know exactly what I need to do.
And yeah, I just think it gave me that energy in that vibe where I was like, right, I'm all in, I'm all in on this. This is my focus. And do you think you were became a better coach because you also were having your own support? Yes, I think, I think every coach needs to have that sounding board, whether it is a coach or a mentor.
I think it's really important that you have someone to be able to communicate with about your business. And I think having business friends is all well and good, but actually, you know, they've got their own shit going on. Whereas like having a coach yourself, that's a place where like, you've got your space, it's, it's all about you for, for 60 minutes or 45 minutes, you know, whatever it is. And when you think about like, if you were to give advice to other people around this, like I said, it's about me, it's about us talking about work together, but it's also to give people things that they can take away.
So being on the receiving end of investing in, having a one-time mentor, what would you say to someone that did want to think about using their content and their copy are things that they should incorporate or bring into their content, if they are looking to attract in clients that want to work with them, you know, one-to-one or in their groups? Yeah. So I think what is missing from a lot of people's content is actually their own story and their own experience. And I think people really connect with stories and other people's opinions and experiences.
It makes you like, you know, be remembered as well. And don't be afraid to share it again and again and again, because the people who have heard it before be like, oh, yeah, I really enjoy this story or I love this story. Like, oh, I can't wait to like, she gets for this part. And then the people who haven't heard it before be like, oh, I didn't know that.
That's super interesting. Yeah, that's true. I definitely don't do that enough. I think like, really tell the story.
Yeah. And then do you think there are, for you, for example, what made you feel safe when it came to taking that next step? Were there things that you thought, yeah, I'm really ready to say, yeah, so I'm really ready to continue with it, elements that you felt safer with making that decision? Um, I think for me, I had in mind what I wanted to achieve.
And I then was like, okay, because as well, I think like we can't put everything onto our own coach, like we need to know like what we want to achieve or maybe like even that we want to grow. And then it's going in be like, right, this is, this is what I need help with. So I think if I went in and I was like, I don't know what I want to do, I don't know what I want to achieve, I think that would have made me like, I kind of think, actually, am I ready for a coach or do I really need someone? But knowing exactly what I wanted to achieve and wanting to grow my business, I knew that I could then use our time together in the most efficient way.
Yeah, and I think for sure, I would advocate for that. I think someone that comes knowing what they want is definitely more likely to get it, it comes to calls with plans or agendas or bullet points or notes, definitely makes a little difference to their own experience. I would really attest to that as well. I think that's important.
Yeah, because I think the worst thing is as well is like, come in, come to a call and not having any sense of what you want help with or anything prepared. And I think that's whether it's group coaching or one-to-one coaching. I'm very much that person who, if I'm on a program and we have calls with the person who's leading it, you bet I'm going to ask a question on every single session. I'm not wasting that opportunity in no way.
I think that's good though. Yeah, I love these conversations. I think it's just a different way to talk about things. I've done a couple of these and on them, I said this, when it first came about and had the idea, I remember specifically saying, I don't want this to be leading questions.
I didn't want to lead it so that it created this amazing opportunity for me to talk about myself, obviously. I did want it to be an organic conversation because I think so much of what we see online is just a snippet and it is just a very, very short highlighted version of the experience. And I did want the podcast, all these sessions to become that. Okay, tell me the one biggest wins.
Tell me the one, I did want to lead the conversation that way. I did want it to be more about the experience and also the individual, you know, and for you in the line of work that you're in and you're definitely experiencing this. I thought it's really good to speak to someone that also uses content to build their own business and for people to hear different perspectives, for example, what made you say, yes, what drew you in, what made you stay, what made you feel safe, what did you enjoy? Because so much of that, again, when we go down the route of the kind of leading conversations to make it look the best it can, people as a listener miss that, they miss the kind of intricacies of but why, you know, how did you get the clients out or how did you know it was going to be a good fit?
You know, that's the stuff that people, I think not only can learn more about me, for example, but also more about themselves and their own businesses and that's really what I want from these conversations. So I love the answers that you've given around what you wanted, how you came to the sessions. Do you know what I mean? Like your perception and experience of that process, I think is really important for people to be exposed to.
Yeah, because I think you can, you can say, like continuously, when we work together, you'll be able to, you know, you'll feel X, Y and Z and you'll be able to achieve ABC. But actually, it's kind of, it's coming from my perspective of actually what I want to achieve and what I wanted to get from it. I think it's really important. Yeah, absolutely.
And yeah, you're so right. It's not fair either to project other people's successes as the only win. You know, there's so much more to an experience. Yeah.
And everyone's success is completely different. And 100% I definitely, I'm going to link our actual episode that we did, which was Katie did a mini masterclass on a social media, the power of it, how you can use it to get yourself more seen. So if you haven't listened to that, I'll link that in the show notes. Is there anything you want to end with or share with the listeners, Katie?
I know I hate the opening this bit. I would just say, know what you want. Know where you want to go. Don't ever think it.
I love that. How's that? So good. And that is the truth.
So many people, know where they want to go, know what they need and then stop themselves, they're everything here. And then they're just going this spiral. So yeah, go on Katie. Thanks, Sam.
Thank you for being here though. And kind of talking through this experience. I loved it. Oh, I always loved talking to you anytime.
See you next week. Yeah. Yeah. And I will link the episode to people can listen to like, you know, more about your design of genius and what you do.
Amazing. Thank you so much. Oh, thanks. See you soon.
Bye.