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Leading By Example.. and a Huge Heart
14 Plays5 years ago
Brooke Berndt… went from owning a successful brick-and-mortar business... to almost losing everything… to ultimately finding her passion in coaching and mentoring others... leading by example.
Her success was driven by her huge heart and her willingness to try new things. She shares how to determine what to focus on and how to set your intention in the right direction to get what you want. She opens up about social media… using it the right way after initially doing it wrong. You’re going to love this.
Sending Love + Light !!
xo Shari
📌 PS... Links mentioned in the show are no longer available... effective 2024
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Shari and her brilliant guests… go beyond the surface... sharing decades of Organizing, Lifestyle + Business Brilliance... and the reality of living in the REAL WORLD. ✨
Brilliantista ® podcast is like having coffee or tea with your BESTIES… the ones who understand you, cheer you on… and aren't afraid to offer tough love when needed.
Real-life conversations and practical tips on everything from… organizing your home (hello, less clutter, more joy!), lifestyle (developing healthy habits), and business tips (work-life balance)… to navigating life's challenges. We laugh, we cry, we learn... and we embrace imperfection.
Are you ready to create the life you want to live… and elevate your brilliance?✨
Press play… make some new BESTIES… and let's make it happen... together!
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xo Shari Kuster 🤍
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Transcript
Introduction to Brooke Burns & Podcast Purpose
00:00:00
Speaker
Welcome, Brilliantistas, to another episode of the Brilliantista podcast where we have another incredible woman who we have an opportunity to share her story, to go a little bit deeper, to learn a little bit more about how she did what she did and what motivates her, as well as a lot of other great insights that she openly shares with us here on this episode. Her name is Brooke Burns. I met Brooke a little over a year ago
00:00:29
Speaker
And after having the opportunity to sit down with her in Starbucks to get to know her a little bit better, it was as if I was sitting across from somebody who had a lot of the same beliefs that I did. And I knew from that moment that this Brilliantista podcast was going to be something that she needed to be a part of.
00:00:48
Speaker
I was so grateful when she was willing to open up and join us. So let's go ahead and dive in. We're going to learn a little bit about Brooke, as well as her passion for helping women step up as leaders and learning the social media world and doing it a little bit messy at first, but be willing to figure it out. So she's going to talk about that in her journey.
00:01:10
Speaker
And hopefully you're going to find some incredible value in this podcast that's going to help to propel you in creating success in business and life. So looking forward to it.
00:01:24
Speaker
You're listening to the Brilliantista podcast, where women elevate women who desire success in business and life. Each week, I'll share valuable insights, actionable steps, and powerful interviews with brilliant women who open up to share the wisdom, tips, and strategies behind their success, helping you to elevate your own. I'm your host, Sherri Custer, a stay-at-home mom who built a seven-figure business with zero experience, but the willingness to figure it out.
Brooke's Passion for Empowering Women
00:01:55
Speaker
So today I am one of the luckiest girls in the world because today I get to introduce one of my greatest friends that the universe brought to me. I would say we're out there sometimes in the world and there's something that we're seeking or there's somebody that we're looking for and that they just show up. And I knew the minute her and I began to talk,
00:02:19
Speaker
that this dream of brilliantista, I wanted her to be a part of. I wanted her to be able to share her story. Brooke is an entrepreneur. She is a person involved in network marketing, one of my favorite, favorite, favorite professions ever. And she has taken the position, has stepped up as a leader. I've attended a few of the events that she has put on for her team, and I absolutely love her passion for helping other women.
00:02:48
Speaker
really be able to live an incredible life, the life that she has created for herself. But I want Brooke to share more about her and introduce herself to our audience here on the Brilliantista podcast.
00:03:03
Speaker
So thank you, Sherry. Thank you. That was such a wonderful introduction. And I am so blessed and honored to be here. And I knew the moment that I met you, that you were someone that needed to be in my life. And I just am so honored that and to be aligned with Brilliantista and to help women just see the best parts of themselves through other women's eyes, right?
Brooke's Love for Animals & Philanthropy
00:03:27
Speaker
The truth is Brooke, I know you to have a humongous heart. I want our audience to know that it doesn't ever have to be just one thing and you seem to have found ways to put your heart and energy into a lot of things. Do you want to share a little bit about that?
00:03:47
Speaker
Well, you know, my first word, Sherry, out of my mouth as a baby was dog. Where's the dog? So I've always loved dogs. And I did about six years ago want to go back to school to be a vet tech.
00:04:03
Speaker
But I found that my entrepreneurial pool was just there and I felt I could serve the dog community a lot better if I had the monies to do so because it's just an underpaid industry. So I have a heart for animals. And if you're ever with me and we're having a conversation, if a dog is walking by, I will stop mid conversation and say hello to the dog.
00:04:29
Speaker
But I truly believe that dogs are healers and my dogs have helped me through some of the hardest periods of my life. I just feel like they need a voice and so it's been put on my heart and my husband's heart. We eventually want to have an animal sanctuary. We want to partner with nonprofits. We want to have land out here in Colorado and just be a safe harbor for animals who are mistreated and abused and neglected.
00:04:59
Speaker
And yeah, I just, I love dogs so very much. They just, you know, fill my hearts. They just give you love unconditionally. And it's just, it's pretty amazing, God's creatures and how He created them.
00:05:15
Speaker
So I know it all ties into this, which I love about the story that you shared with me about your desire to create this sanctuary for animals. When we start in any business, no matter what it is, we usually have kind of like, I call it the beacon light. And a lot of people call it their why. It's more of the what. There's the what you want and then the why you want that.
00:05:42
Speaker
When, as you were saying before, you had walked dogs, you were a dog walker, you had this passion on your heart, the funding is really hard to take care of the beautiful creatures you want to take care of. And I know you have found a way, obviously, because of your success,
00:06:02
Speaker
to help to facilitate that? Was that in your thoughts from the get-go when you first started in network marketing? Was that in your thoughts right away? And if it was, what picture did you have and did it continue to pull at you? Oh my gosh, I love this. And I go back to this memory so fondly. So when I was in pet care, I was aligned with a nonprofit here
00:06:24
Speaker
called the Meishime Foundation. And she was a one-woman show. And running a nonprofit is a full-time job. You are asking for money constantly and sharing the vision of your cause. And I just saw her struggle so hard through that. And she would take dogs in her home. I mean, she went down to Katrina with a trailer and rescued over like 23 dogs.
00:06:51
Speaker
So her story, she just left an impression. You know, these people who are true servants, I just want to walk alongside them. So when I did have, you know, the vision of like, where could I give back? Because I knew in my heart that it couldn't be all about my why. It had to be about a bigger why.
00:07:09
Speaker
And so the big why is like, I want to write a check to this nonprofit for $1,000. And I said, that's one of my goals. I'm putting it out there. That's one of my driving forces. And I was able to do that, Sherry.
Financial Success & Giving Back
00:07:21
Speaker
And I will tell you, I balled my face off. And I was like,
00:07:25
Speaker
here you go Lorraine and she was like no one's ever and I just I got her flowers and I just wanted her to know because you know in the industry I'm you know network marketing people are constantly encouraging you I didn't have that in my bar business you know women are constantly pouring into you and she didn't she doesn't have that it's a very cutthroat world the nonprofit world and that sector so I wrote her a card I told her how incredible she was how she mentored me and she just left a lasting impression on on my
00:07:52
Speaker
heart. So that was one of the driving forces for me to work so hard and to be able to give back. I'm on, I give back every month to the foundation. So yeah, that was really the catalyst for, you know, dreaming bigger. Like what can we do as vehicle and how can we take part of it as almost like a social enterprise, right? To make our business part of, of giving back to dogs and animals.
Setting Non-Negotiables for Success
00:08:16
Speaker
So the saying goes, right. Those who have can give. Yeah.
00:08:22
Speaker
I'm just addressing the whole conversation around money right now, which is it's kind of in our house. We have a balance. I'm on this side. I have zero problem with making money. I grew up without
00:08:38
Speaker
I'm kind of in my own little balance. I grew up in one house with my mother without and one house with my father with. And it was hard for me to kind of ever walk away and say that it was, oh, it was so easy without no way. It was not easier without. Money does make a difference and it made a difference in my life to have the ability to have things that I needed versus not.
00:09:05
Speaker
And for women who, one of the reasons why this whole brilliantista exists is my goal is really to help women put the money in their pockets, to be able to help them, to encourage them to build businesses.
00:09:20
Speaker
in network marketing, out of network marketing, follow their passion, find their dream and make it profitable. Because I believe anyone has the ability to have a heart and you definitely have a heart. But we can only give from that heart so much. And so having these beautiful income streams that allow people to have a giving heart. Now, you invited me one night
00:09:46
Speaker
the last minute event, a friend of yours who has something called Kinsey's Causes. Just to give an example for sure of, and you obviously know the mother better than I do, is here is a woman who in the worst state of her life,
00:10:06
Speaker
decided to do something and impact other people's lives, but she couldn't do it by herself. She had to find other people with bigger wallets that could help serve the people that she wanted to serve. So I just think it's such a beautiful thing when people really do make a decision to go after what they want in order to serve others.
00:10:31
Speaker
Yeah, my friend Jessica did that. And she actually, our organization, our network marketing business and team is very committed to helping her in her vision. I've watched her build her nonprofit.
00:10:47
Speaker
from her garage, three dolls that she was giving away to massively serving the Denver community. She served over 35,000 families. So it just goes to show that through tragedy, there's triumph. And I just really agree with you so much that I believe in earn to give more. And that's something that my husband and I have been
00:11:12
Speaker
committed to from day one is once we started earning more we would give more and so that's just part of our you know non-negotiables every month is where we can give more work we can tithe more and that's always been our driving force and in our business too.
00:11:28
Speaker
So when we started this podcast before we even began, I said, I would let the conversation decide where we're going to go. I want to talk about what you just said, non-negotiables. I know we're like jumping all over the place. Talk to me. Non-negotiables. I think that is such a big deal. I think that's such a big grounding force to live your life. Non-negotiables have completely changed my life.
00:11:55
Speaker
because I think that we're in a world of yes, and non-negotiables create boundaries, non-negotiables create habits, and that is really what's gonna get you moving forward. So for instance, I used to just wake up and let the day take over. I would be reactive, I would, okay, like get on social media and see what was going on there before I really got grounded.
00:12:19
Speaker
And so now one of my non-negotiables is that, you know, I'm a woman of faith. So of course I'm in my Bible in the morning and I'm reading my devotional. I'm doing affirmations and I'm taking that hour for myself and really getting intentional. I think so many people are just not intentional about what they want, you know, what their dreams are, what they want their day to look like. So then their day runs them.
00:12:44
Speaker
And that is something that I just sent home to my team and any woman in business because we wear so many hats, so many hats to a point where these non-negotiables have to be a part of our core. And another non-negotiable for me is working out. And it's not necessarily to look good, but it's to feel good. And I know that if I don't work out, I'm not a good wife.
00:13:07
Speaker
I'm not good for my team. I'm not good for my friends. I'm just an irritable person and I really need to get my body moving so I can be my best self. So non-negotiables, you have to really
00:13:21
Speaker
And people are like, well, how do I figure out my non-negotiables? I surely believe you do that through figuring out your values and what's important to you. Is God important to you? Is family time important to you? Is spouse like your relationship with your spouse? My husband and I, we have a date night every single week. It is written into our calendar, Sherry. And if we, you know, if something else comes up, if we get invited to a party or
00:13:44
Speaker
We say no to that and we're very careful as to who we surround ourselves with so they understand that these values are important to us. And that has just made the biggest difference in our life, for sure. Wow, I love that. Values. So for those of you who are wanting to go in and discover this, like you probably have heard things like this, maybe through other sources, through social media.
00:14:09
Speaker
And you're trying to figure out, like, how do I figure out what my non-negotiables are? And I love how Brooke led into, what are your values? One of the things that I would recommend, and I used to do this with my team, is I actually had a list. And I Googled the words, Values List. So I literally Googled that. And up came several different links. And I clicked on them. And then I just kind of copied and paste those words into a document.
00:14:36
Speaker
And then I tried to condense it down a little bit because it could be very overwhelming depending on the size of the list. But I went through and I said, the first thing we always have to do is identify ourselves, right? So what are your traits? So knowing your traits, but then what are your values? To highlight a few, I would recommend just highlight, like what are your values? And like Brooke was saying, they are your foundation. A wise old soul, and I believe she was probably 23 at the time.
00:15:05
Speaker
sat down and explained to me what she called the pillars. And tell me what you think about this, Brooke. And she did this with her team, is she says, if you're going to build anything, never build it on an unstable surface, which all makes sense. And years ago, I knew someone who was actually, they were a foreman, but that's not like a foreman. They created the forms for the foundations of buildings.
00:15:33
Speaker
And the first thing that they had to do is shove these huge rods down into the ground to stabilize. And they had to have them strategically placed. So when my girlfriend was explaining this to me, she says, we're starting with pillars. And my immediate thought was those rods, those huge rods that were going down into the ground, that then they were going to pour the cement into those tubes with those rods to make them even stronger.
00:15:59
Speaker
Yeah, so how do you move forward, right? You move forward because those are your pillars. Those are your grounding forces and your non-negotiables, whatever those might be. Yeah, and I can always tell when I'm not
00:16:15
Speaker
You know, self-care is a value to me and it used to not be. And I can always feel because I'm so self-aware now, whereas before, again, I was just reactionary and going through the day. And I think so many people are that way, especially with how fast and quickly the world is moving in business and in social media and whatnot, that, you know, people don't take time for themselves and they find themselves depleted.
Leadership & Personal Growth Strategies
00:16:38
Speaker
and they find themselves just completely drained. So I tell my team, I'm like, take inventory where you don't feel your garden is being watered. So if it's your family, if it's, you know, where your relationships are in conflict or maybe where your bank accounts in conflict, like I always say, go there, go to the trouble and pain points. And that's where you'll find where you'll establish those non-negotiables. And that's what was huge. Because I think a lot of people ignore those things.
00:17:06
Speaker
And then they start popping up and people can't have success and they can't move forward because they're not acknowledging the fires that are burning in their homes. So I just, yeah, these non-negotiables have been huge for us because it really led us to look at what we needed to give more attention to. And that has completely changed everything for us.
00:17:26
Speaker
That's powerful. Very, very, very powerful. You have, and I love that analogy, you know, everything that you just said, you know, the fires in your house. So guys, if you're a visual like me, visualize the fire, right? And we don't put out that big, huge fire, it's going to burn down the house, the little fires, right? So if you're visual, that's what I need. I always need the visuals. So if you're visual,
00:17:47
Speaker
Grab ahold of that visual. We all wish we had the sprinkler system. We could just put it all out, but sometimes we only have that one hose and we can only do so much. You've obviously built a team off of a lot of great morals with a huge heart because to me, one of the clearest things about you meeting you from the get-go is
00:18:09
Speaker
You have such a huge heart. And building a team that you and I both know, not everybody does what you tell them to do. I never did what my parents told me to do. And adults don't listen. But you've done such an incredible job of being an example that is inspiring.
00:18:29
Speaker
to people to want to be more like you. And I just want to give a huge shout out to you for being that person because it's not always easy. It's not always easy just to keep choosing to be this incredible example because I know some days we probably just want to go F it.
00:18:49
Speaker
I love that you laughed. Because do you or do you not burn inside that you want people to step up? What does that feel like to you? When you see people who you know can be so much more and they're not, what does that do to you? What do you do?
00:19:12
Speaker
Great question. So in my brick and mortar business, leadership was important, but you know, you, you come from a management perspective, like, okay, you need to be at work at this time to this time. I'm going to pay you for these, you know, the duties that you have to accomplish on this shift or, you know, it's very defined and clear.
00:19:32
Speaker
But in this profession, it's a volunteer-based profession, right? So you have people come in, they get really excited, they see the vision for themselves. And they identify with the vision, so they're very excited and they start to get into some action, but it's the rejection, the objections, the judgment that starts to just take and dim the light every single day.
00:19:56
Speaker
But that's the hardest thing for me to watch is when people catch the vision and then they let the outside world dim it. So what I do is that, you know, again, it goes back to my non-negotiables and getting rooted in who I am, what God is calling me to do. And then I say, Brooke, you know, it's a wall kicking moment of a day, like maybe someone's left my team or
00:20:19
Speaker
you know, maybe someone sent out their products or, you know, there's just something that tries to take me off course. I just, again, get rooted in why I'm doing this and praying to God to show me who I just need to help and serve. Because again, what you think about expands, right? Where you put your energy, that's what expands. So I lead by example. I've worked on my leadership. I have just immersed myself in leadership skills because I knew
00:20:42
Speaker
that I would lead a team, right? Because you can't be successful in most anything without leading. And you have to be an influence. And I knew that I had somewhat of an influence, but not enough of an influence to create the organization I've created. So I knew I had to get to work. And anytime those things come up for me, Cheria, I hold up the mirror to myself.
00:21:06
Speaker
When I look at other people and I'm like, you could be so good at this. And why are you doing this? I'm like, you know, how can I be a better leader for them? Because I think a lot of times, you know, we, we get down on people, we look at them from afar and we want them to be doing all the things. And it's like, no, the only thing that's in your control is what you do in your actions and actions negate any type of, you know, being stuck or negativity for me. So I get an action.
00:21:30
Speaker
and I just get excited again and I changed my state. Everybody talks about Tony Robbins and changing the state. It's very true and it's very real. I changed my state, I put on music, I get excited if something is coming at me and I just always lead from the front. I never asked my team to do anything that I wouldn't do.
00:21:49
Speaker
I never tell them to do anything because I don't believe in that. I don't think that's true leadership. I think going first and showing the way and going the way is very different than telling someone to do something. So that's how I feel about that. You are awesome. Awesome, awesome, awesome. Here's something I also want to share that I know about you is we've talked about this before about you really wanting to help
00:22:16
Speaker
people to better understand this industry and what it truly means to be a leader, which first and foremost, like you just said, you have to be that person, which I would say, yes, check that box. You have been and are an incredible leader.
00:22:33
Speaker
You also said right now about, you found things. Like you knew you only had so much. It's like, we're not equipped. Like we're not fully equipped with what's to come in our lives. And you made the conscious decision to be aware that you weren't and then went to finding things. What are some of the things that you found to better equip you as a leader?
Social Media & Personal Branding
00:22:59
Speaker
Books, podcasts, what are they?
00:23:03
Speaker
Several things that are so important that I would tell your listeners is that, again, who you surround yourself with and who you're taking advice from is so important. Your mentorship and who is pouring into you. If they have the things that you want, you definitely want to be listening to them. If they don't, that is a red flag.
00:23:23
Speaker
For me, I was just very careful as to who was in my life and I took inventory. Do they have the same values? Do they align? And then, of course, books. I would ask, I'm constantly reading books. I just finished another book, the Rachel Hollis book, Girl Wash Her Face. We've talked about that. Amazing. Took so much from it. And going to conferences outside of my profession. I think that's really important. I think a lot of us put blinders on.
00:23:47
Speaker
in this profession and that we're like, just network marketing. But no, there's so much growth that can happen at an event that is not network marketing. So I've committed to doing that. I'm constantly growing in those arenas because I know that I'm not just my company, right?
00:24:02
Speaker
Then I know that if my company went away tomorrow that I would have so many other skill sets that I could apply to something else. So I love, I love just, you know, I did Shaleen Johnson. I love Shaleen Johnson. She's a huge proponent of network marketing, but she's also a huge proponent of online business.
00:24:20
Speaker
And so I took one of her courses just to educate myself on social media, or if I did want to come up with something to market or share my expertise in, you know, even a brick and mortar business, I could do it through these methodologies. So we're in a time, Sherry, of so much amazing
00:24:38
Speaker
opportunity. Wouldn't you say I just, I get so excited for millennials and people who are just coming out of college or not going to college per se. I think there's so much out there because we didn't have what we have now at our fingertips when you and I were just thinking about what we're going to do in life. And now we can go online and just like take personality tests. I never had been introduced to a personality test until five years ago.
00:25:05
Speaker
And I was blown away by that. And I was kind of saddened that I had never had that tool to be like, Brooke, what are your true strengths? And how can you apply them to your life? I suck up the personal development to an extent though. I feel like some people get stuck in the book and they're like, I'm going to read another book and that's going to give me the answer. What I feel that's given me the answer is action.
00:25:29
Speaker
action, action, action, and failing, failing, failing. I've done over probably 300 live videos. When I knew that the live video platform was available, I was like, I'm going to utilize this because
00:25:44
Speaker
I go back to when I own my bar and just to get my message out that we were even around in a Westward magazine and that type of publication cost thousands of dollars. And I tell my team this all the time. I'm like, if you guys are not using these platforms, oh my goodness, like what are you doing? Because it's going to happen where the shift in social media, we're going to start paying for things soon.
00:26:04
Speaker
sooner than later. But I just get really amped about all the different tools at our fingertips that I can utilize in my business and how I can grow myself and just be a better human overall. And I'm constantly evolving. So that's just really kind of my short of the long answer.
00:26:25
Speaker
I don't think either one of us has said. What's the phrase? Oh, a real quick story. You know, it's like we're not saying the real quick story. There's no such thing. From the get-go of when you were speaking, I wrote the word social media down because
00:26:40
Speaker
Let's talk about that. I want to talk about social media because one, I know you're doing it and two, you're doing it well. And like you just said, this is free marketing and you do have that perspective, like you just said, which I think is phenomenal. The fact that you understand that the way it used to be meant you paid big dollars to get this advertising.
00:27:01
Speaker
Now, we jump onto social media, and we scroll our feeds. And it seems as if every feed is, we're either seeing a baby, we're seeing kiddos, somebody's traveling somewhere, or somebody's selling us something. And
00:27:18
Speaker
And I'm not being mean by any means when I say any of this, but there are people that are doing that selling so well. I'm just in love. Like, all of a sudden, next thing you know, I'm like listening. I'm listening to what they have to say. And there's other people I'm scrolling.
00:27:34
Speaker
Now, you talk to this audience because these are women who are building businesses. Social media is one of the greatest platforms to market on. What have you seen? And even what did you do wrong? Like, this is where we go. Like, hello, I screwed up royally. But what did you do that you would tell everybody else, I did this. And what are you doing now? And what is it that you're seeing that other people are doing that you say, man, that was awesome.
00:28:04
Speaker
Great. Um, great question. So five years ago when I first started my business, I came in, like I said, ignorance on fire. And I was posting about my products almost every day and I lost a lot of followers that way. And I was posting a lot about network marketing, network marketing, network marketing. Um, look at me, look at me, look at me.
00:28:22
Speaker
And I would just, my advice to someone starting out is not do that. Facebook was created. Facebook is your life, right? So people want to hear about your life. They want to know what you're doing. They want to know what you're up to. They want to know the authentic part of you.
00:28:39
Speaker
And being real with people is one of the best ways that you're going to have engagement, have people asking you questions, have people interested in what's going on for you. Because where I see I can help people is where my pain points were five years ago. So I tend to go back to those because still, I still have those problematic hours. Whereas they used to be days, but now they're like maybe an hour.
00:29:05
Speaker
kind of in a funk, but now I can shift it because I've worked on myself. But social media, you have to come at it as I'm providing a solution to someone's problem always constantly and not with your products per se, but with your life experiences. What have you overcome in your life that you can add value? Because again, I think people start a business or they start a company or even real estate person. I've seen it happen with real estate and people's real estate, real estate. I'm selling this house. I'm selling this house.
00:29:30
Speaker
People want to know who you are. They want to know what makes you tick. They want to know what makes you happy, what gets you excited. They want to know the food you love, if you have allergies, how you've overcome. Maybe you're a great person. You organize well. That is you, Sherry. You organize. You can come into a room and organize it like a boss. That is not my strength.
00:29:51
Speaker
I would love to take some tips from you, so that's going to pull me to you because that's a pain point for me, right? So I think a lot of people need to start looking at how can they provide solutions to all areas for people to increase engagement because the people who have the most engagement wins. Always, always.
00:30:11
Speaker
That's the shift that I did that I made in my social media and my branding is like, you know what? How can I show people who I am to my core, but also provide value? So going live for me, I rarely talk about my products. I just give people solutions that has helped my business a ton.
00:30:28
Speaker
I know we're doing these not in person, which I know that would be fun. You do, you are solving people's problems, which, which I love that. And so like check her out guys. If you, if you go on social media, I'm going to let, I'm going to let Brooke tell you how to find herself on, on social media, but follower, I know you're, you're using Instagram, Instagram, Instagram, Instagram, Instagram, Instagram.
00:30:53
Speaker
You're adorable, all of those things. Here's what I want everyone to know. This is the truth, and I do know this for myself personally. Social media, as I see Brooke on there, you have intention. You definitely set an intention.
00:31:09
Speaker
with your post. And there's a message that you're trying to convey. And it's not always where we see this laptop lifestyle, which by the way, I am next time I'm on a beach. I'm going to take a computer that does not work anymore. And I'm going to take a picture of me on the beach with sand all over my computer.
00:31:32
Speaker
and the headline that's gonna read, like, this is not somewhere you wanna work. Sand ends up where it never should. So guys, like stuff like that, like you set such great intention with, you know, so that's a humor, right? So they tell, they say, you know, make people laugh, inspire them, right? But you do, you've set intention and it doesn't all have to be laptop lifestyle or be your own boss. Like you're really telling people a bigger story.
00:32:02
Speaker
What are some of the things, because I know you have such a, such a great mind, give, give some people some ideas of what are some of the things that they can think about that they could be sharing other than laptop lifestyle? Well, you know, we, how I coach my team is we have some of the formula because again, habits create consistency. If you're not consistent on social media,
00:32:25
Speaker
people will not follow you and the algorithm will take you out of the game. So consistency is king. And so I really am very intentional about planning my posts out on Sunday. And I take pictures and filters are amazing. You must use filters to catch people's eye, but and take good quality pictures. And I tell my team, I was like, you know, go around wherever you live and take some good pictures and just have them on your phone.
00:32:50
Speaker
quotes or outdated, too many quotes on social media will, you know, people will mute out. They will just totally tune out of what you're doing. But if you put a quote with your lifestyle and what you're doing in that picture, people will tune in like, Oh, cool. That that relates with your lifestyle in that moment. I post about my dogs. I post about my husband and I's relationship and our quirkiness. Um, really just,
00:33:14
Speaker
I love Insta stories right now because, you know, again, in my industry, in our industry, it's all about exposure. Right. And so the more that you are in people's faces quickly, the more apps you're going to have a conversion. Right. So for instance, on Insta stories, you can be more who you are in a 10 second little video. And I've seen so much more engagement on my Insta stories versus my Facebook platform, because it's it's truly me. Like you're seeing so much more of me than a static post.
00:33:44
Speaker
And so I really love that platform. If your listeners aren't using it, use it, go in there and just, just share everything about your life, your favorite vacuum. Um, I was asking people about a vacuum other day and I got so much feedback and we were looking for a mattress. So we were asking people to give us their favorite mattress. And like, I just got a message today that sleep numbers on sale. So it's just funny because you, you want to build, it's all about relationship building, correct? And any business.
00:34:11
Speaker
it's all about relationship building. And so social media has just given us a way to connect with people all over in such a great way. And I just, I love the platform so, so much. And I love teaching people how to utilize social media. And that's something that I've been pulled to do. And I eventually will create something to help people just engage better with their audience. Cause I see so many people
00:34:33
Speaker
either a getting lazy with it or not spending enough time understanding it. But yeah, it really is just like saying, okay, today it's motivational Monday or my life Monday. What can I write about something that happened in my life today? Tuesday is like timeout Tuesday, Wednesday for me and my
00:34:49
Speaker
profession or in my business, I'm a wellness advocate. So Wellness Wednesday, and then Thankful Thursday. And I really try to fit it under that type of structure. And it just helps me so much, right? So if you have some kind of layout, you're like, Okay, on Thursday, I'm gonna post about someone in my life, I'm really thankful for and highlight them. And there's so many ways to go about it. But that's really the foundation that I go about.
00:35:14
Speaker
Okay, so I want to dig a little bit because since I'm new, and I say that I am new to this whole social media world, but you can teach an old dog new tricks, I hear a lot. I hear this person's version and this person's version, and it just sounds like, oh my gosh, this world is swimming with some of the most creative people on the planet.
00:35:36
Speaker
And I will feel like I am the furthest thing from being creative. How do these people come up with all of these cool ideas? So don't answer the question yet, but I know, going back to even something you said before, action.
00:35:52
Speaker
action. We figure a lot out through action. Was the light bulb on from the get-go or you talked about how you were first like blasting all your stuff all over social media. Here's my company. Here's my products. Here's my company. Here's my products. Like what was the moment where you became creative, where you came up with the mindful Monday or my life Monday and my wealthy living Wednesday or whatever? Like what made you think of these things or did you learn them from somebody else? Because
00:36:22
Speaker
where you are in dean i'm an rnd girl i go i find things that resonate with me and then i go i like that but this is how i'll do it what do you do i want to know i love that so a lot of it was i have wonderful leadership in my company and so i just started following people that i felt like.
00:36:43
Speaker
And so as they were growing and evolving, I was growing and evolving with them. But also, like I said before, I took a social media class and I was constantly on webinars and learning about, oh, okay, so I could take that and make it my own. And, oh, that aligns with me. And, oh, you know, of course, everybody laughs. Like Instagram husband, I was like, husband, you have to take some fun pictures of me. Well, how can we have more fun in our life? Right? And he, yes. Yes. I love the story.
00:37:12
Speaker
I love the story. I don't remember who I was with, but they were talking about how they were showing a picture. They said, you would not believe what I had to go through to get him to stand and pose for this picture. It did not look like this at all.
00:37:29
Speaker
It doesn't. It drives my husband crazy at times. And I've hired photographers to do some lifestyle photos because if you do really want to step it up and brand yourself in a way that's going to be attraction, you do have to have some good quality photos to slip in there from time to time. But for me, like I said, I just was immersing myself in it because I think social media, I'm blown away by it.
00:37:53
Speaker
I'm blown away by the reach. I'm blown away by who I've been able to connect with, having a global team. And on Instagram, you're able to hashtag something and find someone somewhere else. But again, I found in my values and what I, in my likes and what I aligned with, if
00:38:11
Speaker
know, I love kombucha. So of course, you know, I'm on a kombucha Instagram page, and I love clean eats. And so I would get a lot of ideas like there's inspiration everywhere, everywhere. And some people are like, you know, don't look to your side, don't look over here, just do you. But I think it's important for people who do it really well to kind of take from them.
00:38:33
Speaker
And I think that's okay. I think there's inspiration happening all over and we're just sharing and collaborating. So I get inspired by people all the time. I'm like, oh my gosh, that's such a great angle. I'm going to take that. Or I really like when she took that picture or even just in my life, I'm like, oh my gosh, can you take a picture of me? I just want to speak to what I was feeling in this moment. And speaking to the picture, I don't think people do that enough. They don't go back through their arsenal of pictures and get in tune with the moment.
00:39:02
Speaker
Because people want to hear about the moment, how you were feeling, what was going on for you. And I really try to identify with that when I'm sharing my words, that I'm speaking to someone specifically. And, you know, you can go into deeper if you want to, but with your avatar and who that person that you're really speaking to, that once you hone in and get super clear on who you want to bless, it becomes very clear how to brand yourself on social media for
Brooke's Mission of Service & Fulfillment
00:39:32
Speaker
sure.
00:39:32
Speaker
for sure. You are awesome. When you said about getting inspiration, getting inspiration from other people, and then I also heard something else, so I'm gonna kind of ping-pong for just a second. People say, these people, these authority people that are out there in the world, and there's a couple things that those people say, and one is like, you know, stay in your zone.
00:39:55
Speaker
You know, be known for one thing. If I have a soapbox that I will stand on and I'll stand on for the rest of my life, it will be the soapbox that says you are not one thing and you never will be one thing. You are multidimensional.
00:40:14
Speaker
you better be taking care of all of who you are. So with that said, I loved how you referenced different things that you were interested in. And so I just want to encourage every single person that ever listens to any one of our Brilliantista podcasts is treat yourself as a whole person. And
00:40:38
Speaker
Maybe your industry has nothing to do with wellness. Maybe your business, the products and services that you provide have nothing to do with wellness, but you take care of yourself.
00:40:49
Speaker
talk about that. I think that the CEO of Apple Computer, which has nothing to do with wellness, should be taking care of themselves. So anyway, just wanted to give that little shout out. But the other thing that you were talking about, which I love, love, love that you said, which is that R&D concept where you see something and it inspires you.
00:41:13
Speaker
My husband and I say this all the time. There really isn't a new thought or a new idea. What Tony Robbins is saying are things that we have been listening to long before Tony Robbins, from people who were born long before Tony Robbins was born.
00:41:29
Speaker
But the concepts and the ideas are being, call them translated through the filters of the individual who's sharing the information, through their experiences and how they can connect. But I love what you said. It's like, I have found pictures, like you said, I find pictures of something. But that's a picture that in my mind instantly, a story comes up and I go, ah, but I don't want to take that person's picture because that's of them. I need that picture for me.
00:41:56
Speaker
Is that what you do? Yeah, well said. And it's so true because when you said about Tony Robbins has been saying things that people have been saying forever, I go back to The Strangest Secret. Have you heard that? Listen to that recording. Gosh, it was from the 1920s.
00:42:11
Speaker
And it's basically all what Tony Robbins is saying. Just different energy. And it is a different delivery. And that's all this is. And I tell people, like, go to Pinterest. Pinterest is a world, like, don't get sucked in. But go to Pinterest and get inspired. And I know, and I say it's the scroll hole. I'm like, don't get stuck in the scroll hole. Be so
00:42:30
Speaker
intentional about when you're online because you will waste so much time. I sit at home to my team, my husband, my friends. I was like, you guys have to get off social media if it's not serving you and the way that you can serve others. I love that. That's why I start my day with not getting on social media right away because I think the problem becomes comparison.
00:42:52
Speaker
So I have to get in a good space. I have to get firm in my beliefs, rooted in who I'm going to serve. And then I go and receive that information. Because if you go the other way, then you're receiving all this information. You're like, I have to be like that person. And then you get in comparison mode. And then it becomes overwhelming and becomes depressing for people. And then they don't get into action.
00:43:15
Speaker
And so for me, I think that is so important for me to, I can always tell if I don't start my day that way, I can always tell I'm grumpy, I'm irritable, I become judgmental and no, no, no. So again, you just have to get rooted in who you are and then go on social media, find the things that inspire you that you identify with and make sure that the people who are coming up in your feed
00:43:35
Speaker
Again, it goes back to do they have what you want? Are you inspired with who they are? Do they align with your values? Do they like the same things? And that really helps. It really helps a ton. A ton. I love it. I love it. I love it. Going to this whole conversation through all that we talked about, and I know when you and I, before we even started this, we really were talking a lot about a lot of different things, kind of those bigger global pictures of who we are and what we want to do with our lives.
00:44:04
Speaker
as this is the Brilliantista podcast, I know what my vision is for women, for sure, through this Brilliantista podcast, which really has to do with helping women to become friends and to become better. And this is, I was telling Brooke that I hope this is friends. I hope we are all friends. And for those of you, some of us are sitting on the couches and some of us are flies on the wall. And we always want
00:44:30
Speaker
you to come down and sit on the couches with us and to see your brilliance and that's what this whole brilliantista movement is all about. But Brooke, I know you, you know, you have a big mission that outside of, you know, caring for animals and everything else. What could you say to your bigger mission, which is you really do want to help change the face of network marketing and help people better understand it. What message do you want to help people to understand?
00:44:56
Speaker
I want people to understand that you're not defined by your circumstances and that you must look within to find your deeper sense of self and purpose.
Brilliantista Community Vision
00:45:08
Speaker
For so long, I was taking the world's acceptance. Like, do they accept me because I'm saying, do I look the certain way or am I providing this to them? And I really feel that you have to honor
00:45:23
Speaker
yourself to just serve and give more. And I truly believe what you give on earth is what you're going to take to heaven. I want to serve as many women, as many people to be their highest and best self.
00:45:38
Speaker
And whatever channel I can do that in, if it's praying for someone, if it's being listening in listening ear, if it's being a mentor, if it's just sharing an opportunity with them, whatever it is that I can help bless their life. I want to do that. And I want people to know that that is the biggest and the best gift. And I think that's true success is when you feel that you have blessed someone else's life.
00:46:05
Speaker
And there's nothing like it. It's the best reward walking this earth for me because you can acquire so many things, so many material things. But the best gift for me is just seeing other people thrive and find their true calling and help others and help others up to a place of being brilliant. And that's how I feel about Brilliantista.
00:46:31
Speaker
Well, when I think about people that I want to bring on here, of course, in the beginnings of this whole, this whole journey, which the whole initial thought was I want to illuminate the brilliance of women. And you said it before, like there's never been a better time to be able to step into everything that you've ever wanted to be. And I think one of the biggest problems is
00:46:57
Speaker
What do you want to be when you grow up kind of a thing but stepping in in any way and the whole concept was to illuminate the women who desire to help other women do well and You for sure are doing just that
00:47:12
Speaker
And I am so, so, so, so thankful that you have entered into my life and now entered into our Brilliantista podcast listeners world as well, and looking forward to so much more that can come from all of this. And you and I know have talked about maybe doing an event, however that might look, would love that.
00:47:35
Speaker
But I want to support you and we want to continue to support you. And I want people to know like, where do they find you on social media since it's our world's biggest connector. I am on Facebook at Brooke Burnt. And then I am also on Instagram, BrookeBurnt313. Those are the greatest ways to find me and just see my content and
00:47:59
Speaker
I'll just hear my stories and find my quirkiness and just connect with me. But I'm here for anyone. And I just thank you again, Cherie, for having me on. And I'm just so blessed to be aligned with you. And I can't wait for what we create together because that is the true magic. It's their strength in numbers. And you don't have to do this all alone. And I think that's truly what you want your women to know is that I think a lot of women think they have to do this by themselves. And they don't.
00:48:28
Speaker
No, never, never, ever, ever, ever, ever. That's a choice. That's definitely a choice we make when we don't reach out and ask for help. So definitely reach out and ask for help because I don't know of anyone yet who's a mind reader and even as intuitive as I might be, I get it wrong.
00:48:47
Speaker
Well, I'm going to close this out by thanking you a thousand times over again for just sharing from your heart and willing to be raw with us here on our Brilliantista podcast because I don't think that anybody really wants to hear anything but God's honest truth. So I appreciate that from you. So we're going to end this and bye for now.
00:49:13
Speaker
Thanks for listening to the Brilliantista podcast. If you love the show and have a moment, please let us know by leaving a review or subscribe to the podcast. Truly, this would mean the world to me and my team. And remember, ladies, share this with your friends because that's what friends do. If you want to stay connected, go to brilliantista.com and join our Facebook group. You can also find me on social media at Sherry Custer or Brilliantista on all platforms.
00:49:39
Speaker
Most importantly, I hope you heard something today that inspires you to elevate your brilliance. Bye for now, Brilliantista. We'll be back next week.