Brand You Personal Branding

Andy Storch is a talent development coach, the host of two podcasts, and the founder of the Talent Development Think Tank. He’s built a career in the corporate world by using a personal brand, proving it’s very possible to succeed in a niche outside of the norm. If you don’t want to work with other entrepreneurs and want to go into the corporate space, you’ll want to listen to Andy share what he’s done and how he’s done it.   Specifically, he talks about: 1. How he got into the talent development space 2. What first step he took to land clients in his niche 3. How podcasting boosted his success 4. Experiential learning 5. What he thinks about the future of corporate consulting in our changing world   This is a topic we don’t talk a lot about on the podcast, but we do know the riches are in the niches. Andy has built a unique niche and can help us do the same.    Resources: Andy’s LinkedIn Talent Development Hot Seat podcast Starve Your Fears: The Andy Storch Show   Connect with Mike: https://mikekim.com/

Dana Malstaff is an author and the founder of Boss-Mom.com. She’s built a multiple 7-figure business by focusing on the one niche of moms. We really connected at an Agents of Change conference where we were both speakers and I soon found out how she was using Facebook groups for her brand. When she showed me I wasn’t doing them the right way, I knew I needed to bring her on to teach all of us how to use them correctly.   In the episode, we talk about: 1. How Dana built her business 2. The amazing success Boss Mom has had and the strategies Dana implemented to get it to that point 3. The importance of going from teacher mode to facilitator mode 4. Setting boundaries for your Facebook group 5. Establishing brand congruency in your posts 6. Visualizing your group as a city 7. What kinds of questions to ask in the group 8. How to use prompts 9. Facebook groups for paid programs 10. How and when to promote your products in your group 11. The Pie of Engagement   There is a ton of great information shared in this ep

In today’s episode, I’m kicking off a series on niches. That can be an unnerving word for a lot of entrepreneurs, so I want to break it down in this episode and the weeks to come. I truly believe that the riches are in the niches. The more we clarify and clean up our marketing, the more successful we will be.   To tee this idea up, in this episode I talk about: 1. The only 3 markets we are ever really in and examples of entrepreneurs in each of those markets 2. Taking our focus off the word niche and onto the word focus 3. The 2 types of focuses we can have 4. Accuracy in marketing 5. The danger of subjective language in marketing 6. The 3 things we need to focus on selling   The next few episodes are going to be full of great information on niches. Make sure to take the time to soak in everything the guests will share. They prove that we can make our greatest impact by focusing on niches.   Resources: Brand You Bootcamp   Connect with Mike: https://mikekim.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mikekim

Geoff Kullman is an amazing copywriter who helps his clients connect to their audience. He is one of the few writers I completely trust and have even worked with on my own client projects. In this episode, we talk about some of the mistakes entrepreneurs make in connecting with their audience. Being clear isn’t enough. At some point, each of us has to learn to tap into emotion to genuinely connect with people. Some of the things we discuss that keep entrepreneurs from doing so are: 1. Talking about themselves way too much without making connection points to their customers 2. Not identifying their client’s hopes, values, dream, and goals 3. Being afraid to ask for a sale, even if they truly believe in their offer 4. Not knowing their purpose 5. Failing to build credibility until a crisis occurs   I’ve matured in this space over time and have realized the importance of consistently honing in my marketing skills. If you have a personal brand business but struggle to put words to your values and connect with you

Lindsay Hotmire is a messaging coach and copy expert. She helps her clients push pause on the one-size-fits-all formulas so they can present their brands authentically. I know it’s hard to find the balance between authenticity and sharing too much, so I wanted to bring Lindsay on to teach us all about it.   In this episode, we discuss: 1. How to get in touch with your core identity 2. Worldviews 3. 3 basic questions that help you find your brand’s message 4. The Johari window tool 5. The “unbranding” process 6. An authenticity inventory you can take for self-awareness 7. How Lindsay used this information to grow her business 8. Phenomenology 9. What it looks like to differentiate yourself   I like frameworks, but authenticity is key to staying in the personal branding game. Listen in to hear all of what Lindsay had to share.   Resources: Download Lindsay’s Brand Authenticity Guide Lindsay’s Instagram Lindsay’s LinkedIn   Connect with Mike: https://mikekim.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mikekimtv

There will always be too much to do and not enough time to do it. That is why we need people like Belinda Weaver. She is not only founder of the site Copywrite Matters and host of the Hot Copy Podcast, but an expert at time management, too. We met at The Copywriter’s Club IRL conference and began a conversation on how she built a business while raising a family, forcing her to learn how to be the boss of her time.   In this episode, we talk about: 1. Belinda’s leap to full-time online work 2. Her transition from client work to a strategist role 3. How to repurpose content to free up time 4. The surprising success of her daily email 5. The Pomodoro Technique 6. Making the brain space to delight clients   I am definitely going to be putting Belinda’s techniques into practice and getting my time management under control. Tune in to win back your time, too.   Resources: Sign up for Belinda’s daily email Hot Copy podcast Copywrite Matters website   Connect with Mike: https://mikekim.com/ Instagram - https://www

I want to be someone who tells human stories. Doing so is a way to humanize this otherwise idealized industry. That’s why I wanted to bring my good friend Ray Edwards onto the show. I have known him my whole professional career, as he was the most instrumental person in helping me start and grow my business. His friendship goes far beyond business, though. In today’s episode, we just have a normal conversation about life.   We discuss: 1. This strange season of reset we’re in 2. How little we really know 3. The power of challenging ideas 4. Why we admire people, but have no heroes   Be sure to hop on Instagram and let me know what you thought of conversations like these.   Resources: The “Only Rookies Write From Scratch” Sales Page Bundle Ray’s website   Connect with Mike: https://mikekim.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mikekimtv/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikekimtv Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/mikekimtv/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/mikekimtv   *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you li

A lot of us want to build online courses, but we don’t know what it actually takes to make them successful. I’m always looking for a way I can make my courses better because I care about the people who take them. So, in today’s episode, Dr. Carrie Rose will be explaining the ins and outs of creating a successful online course. When she first got into the online marketing world, she realized that online courses weren’t following the best practices she knew from the world of education and set out to change that conversation. As someone with a PhD and over a decade of experience in public education, she knows what she’s talking about. In the episode, she shares:   1. How the human brain does and does not connect to content 2. The cognitive dissonance dance 3. The extremely low completion rate for online courses and how she helps her clients raise it 4. How we can get our students to think critically 5. The importance of creating clearly defined objectives and focus questions 6. The general progression of caring

During this pandemic, I’ve had a lot more time to listen to podcasts. It’s a great way to fill the time while giving your eyes a break from screens. I certainly don’t have a corner on the market and there are people out there who you can learn a lot about marketing from. These are probably podcasts you haven’t heard of, but they will help your business incredibly. Here they are:   1. The Copywriter Club Podcast by Kira Hug and Rob Marsh 2. The Amazing Seller Podcast by Scott Voelker 3. Podcast Strategies for Growing Your Business by Danny Ozment 4. The Business Event Playbook by Lauren Davis 5. Brand on Brands on Brands with Brandon Birkmeyer 6. Pricing is Positioning with Paul Klein 7. The Marketing Your Movement Show with Duane Zingale 8. The Gayla Scrivener Show 9. Creative Chats with Mike Brennan 10. Live Life Rich with Marissa Nehlsen Honorable mention: Fundraising Freedom Podcast with Mary Valloni   Make sure to check out of each of these podcasts by clicking the links above. You won’t regret

Scott Voelker is the founder and host of The Amazing Seller, a top-ranked podcast that helps everyday people start and grow online e-commerce businesses. I met Scott about a year ago at the Puerto Rico masterminds and we talked for hours about life and business. He’s in a different internet marketing space than I am, but what he talked about piqued my interest. I’ve thought about diversifying my income streams in the past, and now more than ever us entrepreneurs need to be considering these things. So, in this episode, Scott explains how to diversify and future proof our businesses. He talks about:   1. The cornerstone that is your email list 2. Evergreen assets and the importance of getting traffic 3. Monetizing our chosen database 4. Starting other brands to diversify your revenue 5. The difference between personal brands and e-commerce 6. How uncomfortable moments show us who we really are and what we really want   Resources: The Amazing Seller podcast The Take Action Effect: Proven Steps to Build a Futu

Marissa Nehlsen is the founder of a 7-figure financial firm who knows what she’s doing with money and mindset. When I met her a couple of years ago while doing consulting work with the John Maxwell team, something struck me about her right away. We worked on some projects together and I came to understand her amazing mindset about money. She knows things about how to get the most out of life and give the most to life that will help us navigate the season we’re in.   In this episode, we discuss:  • How people can shift their mindset about money • Marissa’s story and the two pieces of advice that changed her life • The 4 pillars of wealth • The 5 things all entrepreneurs must know • What Olaf teaches us about taking the next right step   This is a time when all of us need to be sharing our gifts, not hoarding them. Marissa teaches us just how to do that. Listen in to benefit from all her insight.   Resources: Brand You Bootcamp Live Life Rich podcast   Connect with Mike: https://mikekim.com/ Instagram - https

As with all of life, it’s so important right now to get good at the art of reframing the situation. We need to keep asking, “What does this make possible?” For personal brand businesses, the answer is, “A lot.” I’ve been asked over and over if businesses should sell, market, and run ads at this time. So, I’ve compiled the things I’ve said in various outlets over the last couple weeks into 5 business and marketing tips to navigate the age of coronavirus:   1. In your marketing, change your language from survival and frustration to the language of adjusting and adapting 2. Jerry McGuire yourself 3. Don’t stop selling 4. Don’t be afraid to downshift back into what you did before 5. Tater-tots and sawdust   Resources: Free 3-Session Brand You Bootcamp   Connect with Mike: https://mikekim.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mikekimtv/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikekimtv Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/mikekimtv/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/mikekimtv   *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like th

Steve Kosch is a former broadcaster who now provides professional media training for speakers who want to get into the field. He has had an entrepreneurial spirit his entire life, as well as a lot of experience in the personal branding world. This has equipped him to help others communicate most effectively. Some of the things he shares in this episode include: The importance of considering the audience: know what’s in it for them and use their language Why it’s best to keep your message short and get to the point The power of the executive presence How to convey energy and credibility Avoiding the overuse of common phrases   Steve is a storehouse of knowledge and has helped countless people through his media training. If you’ve ever wondered how to communicate in a way that draws people in, listen to what he has to say in this episode.   Resources: Media Training Network Lost Interview with Zig Ziglar  Steve’s number: (949) 720-2080   Connect with Mike: https://mikekim.com/ Instagram - https://www.instag

Duane Zingale is a digital ad specialist who spends most of his time crafting relationship-based marketing funnels. He helps consultants and coaches build out these systems, loving tech so we don’t have to. Duane did this for me by helping me incorporate touchpoints within the automations I already had in place without losing that personal touch. In this episode, he takes us through the LISTEN funnel framework he’s developed and seen play out again and again.   L: Locate the audience Find out where your customers are hanging out, and go there. Start conversations, ask them questions, and invite them in. I: Invite them to take action Offer to solve a simple problem, and invite your audience to opt-in to receive that solution. S: Survey them Ask your customers where they are struggling the most, and how you can help with that. Their words can become your greatest copy! T: Teach them Pull your customers into your teaching. Demonstrate your methodology and show them why your solution is the way to solve t

Wendi Schenkel is a master at e-commerce, having sold over 7 figures worth of merchandise. She has owned her e-commerce business since 2014 and performed tons of research on women’s shopping patterns. When she did, she saw the huge opportunity and impact in the market. The 10 commandments of selling to women are what emerged: 1. Women love to buy things... when we think it’s our idea 2. Secrets do not make friends 3. Do not let their girlfriends find out that you gave one of them a better deal than you gave her 4. Put it all on the table 5. Communicate early and often and impeccably 6. Women do not want a one night stand 7. Women want to be proud to be seen with you 8. Women want to be heard 9. You guys might think of it as a reputation review, but women call it the backchannel 10. We want to refer our girlfriends to you When Wendi shared this with me my mind was absolutely blown. It completely reframed the way I saw my business and a lot of my clientele. It is completely research-driven, proven, I believe it

Rich Brooks is the founder of both an incredible marketing conference and agency: Agents of Change and Take Flight Media. We got to know each other at Social Media Marketing World and really hit it off. I love attending and speaking at live events, but struggle with hosting them, so I asked Rich to come on the show and share his best advice for putting them on successfully. In the episode, he goes through: The importance of starting small Focus on the 3 S’s: speakers, sponsors, and seats How to create a digital marketing plan for a live event The power of personally reaching out and inviting people How to market smaller live events that happen more frequently The BARE essentials of building a digital marketing campaign: build, attract, retain, evaluate Check out Rich’s new book and all he does with Agents of Change for tons of useful information on SEO and digital marketing. Resources: The Lead Machine: The Small Business Guide to Digital Marketing The Agents of Change podcast Connect with Mike: https://

Kira Hug is the co-founder of The Copywriter Club and host of The Copywriter Club podcast. She helps small business owners sell their ideas, products, services, and programs through copy that creates meaningful conversation. I was personally blown away with how she branded herself and approached personality-based business in such a special way. In this episode, Kira talks about: How she got into copywriting The steps she took to put herself out there and show her personality The process she goes through when she starts working with a client What it looks like for her to write with a client’s voice   Kira’s goal is to help her clients understand themselves and run their businesses through that lens. She also wants to figure out how to best help other copywriters share their voices and get out in their own way, so take the time to listen in and absorb all that she shares.   Resources: Kira’s website The Copywriter Club Brand You Course videos on preview   Connect with Mike: https://mikekim.com/ Instagram - 

In the past, I worked hard, but I wasn't working smart. In my time in the personal branding world, I've learned a lot about working most efficiently, as well as what keeps many online business owners from generating the income they want. Here are 7 of those things:   1. They've got the wrong things on their calendars. 2. They haven't learned the next critical skill. 3. They're not clear on their anchor offer. 4. They're not getting paid for the same product or service more than once. 5. They're creating the wrong content for the wrong people. 6. They don't know their numbers. 7. They don't have a true product suite.   To address these issues, I've come up with a social media strategy that combats them and allows me to create a lot less original content. I follow these steps:   1. Tweet several quotes over 2 weeks. 2. Review which quotes got the greatest engagement. 3. Create an Instagram graphic of that quote. 4. Create a Facebook post of that quote. 5. Write a blog post that features that quote. 6. Send my e

Most business owners don’t know the difference between a copyright, trademark, and patent, and therefore have no protection over their intellectual property. The cliché is true: we don’t know what we don’t know. So, I invited my attorney and fellow entrepreneur Steven Thrasher onto the show today to walk through all of this for us. He explains:   • What intellectual property in general, and trademarks and copyrights specifically, are. • Why and when we would want to call an intellectual property attorney. • The key differences between planners, procrastinators, and panickers. • The best plan to follow in protecting our intellectual property.   If you’ve ever wondered if you’re doing something that might make you liable or if someone could steal your stuff, listen up.   Resources mentioned in the episode: US Patent and Trademark Office: https://www.uspto.gov/ Domain name checker: https://www.namecheckr.com/ Steven’s “7 Deadly Sins” that online business owners commit: http://www.youronlinecastle.com   Connect w

I met Zach Benson at a Puerto Rico Mastermind hosted by Mark Wade last year and we hit it off immediately. He’s not only an incredible entrepreneur, but a really likeable guy, too. He uses social media to build and cultivate relationships with people and has truly mastered the art of outreach. In this episode, Zach shares with us some his past, including his history as a break dancer and the injury that eventually led him to Instagram. He also goes into his tactics for cultivating relationships and building a social media following, including:   #1. The importance of creating and reposting great content. #2. The power of shout outs and connecting with people on social media. #3. What expressing genuine interest in others, complimenting them, and making them feel valued can do.   Throughout the past year of traveling and speaking with Zach, I’ve learned so much about the art of outreach and the beauty of connection. Listen in for a transformation in your business and life.   Link to Zach’s Instagram: https://w