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Episode 188 - How to Show Up in Your Business
1.3k Plays1 year ago
"Action creates clarity. The more action you take the clearer things become. If you take anything out of our time together, I want you to take that sentiment with you. Action creates clarity."
Today's guest is Candice Coppola, a business coach who helps wedding pros build profitable and recognized businesses. Today's discussion is different from many discussions you've heard on this podcast. We're talking about showing up in your business and not giving into the temptation to hide.
We have sort of a mindset theme going on in the podcast this year in 2023. This episode was inspired by a recent Instagram reel that Candice posted that got a ton of engagement. It seemed like the theme of showing up really resonated with a lot of people, which led to the next practical question, how? That's what we dive into in today's episode.
Also, I recently recorded an episode for Candice's podcast which I believe will be released around the same time this episode airs, so be sure to check that out. It's been one of my favorite conversations around advertising and content marketing that I've had this year.
As always, links and resources can be found in the show notes. Check 'em out at https://daveyandkrista.com/ And if you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review over at Apple Podcasts.
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Transcript
Taking Action for Clarity
00:00:05
Speaker
Action creates clarity. The more action you take, the clearer things become. If you take anything out of our time together today, I want you to take that sentiment with you. Action creates clarity.
Podcast Introduction
00:00:16
Speaker
Welcome to The Brands That Book Show, where we help creative, service-based businesses build their brands and find more clients.
Guest Introduction: Candice Coppola
00:00:23
Speaker
I'm your host, Davy Jones.
00:00:25
Speaker
Today's guest is Candice Coppola, a business coach who helps wedding pros build profitable and recognized businesses.
The Power of Showing Up in Business
00:00:32
Speaker
Today's discussion is different from many discussions you've heard on this podcast. We're talking about showing up in your business and not getting into the temptation to hide. We have sort of a mindset theme going on in the podcast this year in 2023.
00:00:45
Speaker
This episode was inspired by a recent Instagram reel that Candace posted that it got a ton of engagement. It seemed like the theme is showing up really resonated with a lot of people, which led to the next practical question, how?
Advertising and Content Marketing Insights
00:00:57
Speaker
That's what we dive into in today's episode. Also, I recently recorded an episode for Candace's podcast, which I believe will be released around the same time this episode airs. So be sure to check that out. It's been one of my favorite conversations around advertising and content marketing that I've had this year.
00:01:13
Speaker
As always, links and resources can be found in the show notes. Check them out at davianchrista.com. And if you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review over at Apple Podcast. Now,
Christmas Traditions: Connecticut vs. Caribbean
00:01:24
Speaker
on to the episode. So, living where you live, do you have a favorite season of the year? It's always summer. Yeah, it's always summer. So, I mean, I'm presuming that you like the warm weather though.
00:01:40
Speaker
I do. I didn't used to though. I'm from Connecticut, right? So I love seasons and I love fall, but I've gotten used to it.
00:01:47
Speaker
Yeah. So like when Christmastime rolls around, for instance, do you sort of lament that there's no snow or that it's not cold or you kind of over that as well? No, I miss going to the Christmas tree farm and doing those things for sure. Having a Caribbean Christmas with palm trees and Santa coming in on a jet ski is just, it's not the same. Sure, sure. But I, but also one of those things that you could probably easily get used to.
00:02:12
Speaker
Yeah, you get used to it. You appreciate it for what it is. And I think it helps the memories you have growing up. And also when you get to experience a New England Christmas or an American Christmas, you really appreciate it more.
Moving Decisions and Lifestyle Changes
00:02:24
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, absolutely. I mean, for me, I feel like, you know, around Christmas time, I kind of want it to be cold. But then as soon as Christmas New Year's is over, like in January, now I'm just looking forward to summer. Yeah, of course.
00:02:36
Speaker
We could have moved anywhere we wanted pretty much. I mean, we're not connected to like a specific location with work at least. And you know, some of my friends that are like, why'd you move to Virginia? Just cold. You know, it's like, anyways, I'm so excited to have you on the podcast. I really enjoyed our conversation on your podcast.
00:02:54
Speaker
I did too, yeah. Yeah, just one of my favorite conversations probably of last year. I'm going to definitely link to that in the show notes for anybody who's interested in checking that out.
Candice's Viral Instagram Reel
00:03:01
Speaker
We had the opportunity to talk about a paid ad strategy versus more of an organic content marketing strategy, and I just thought it was a fun conversation. And there are so many topics that we talked about that you could share with us on today's podcast.
00:03:14
Speaker
So I'm excited to dive into your expertise a bit here, but ultimately we decided to talk about a Instagram reel that you recently did. And we'll get to that in a minute, but basically just today's conversation is about showing up and not hiding your business.
Candice's Career Transition
00:03:27
Speaker
And I think just such an important reminder, you know, ongoing for business owners, but first Candice, can you tell us a little bit about yourself? You know, what is that you do, who you serve and how you got into it?
00:03:38
Speaker
Oh gosh, this is such a fun story. I'll keep it brief, but I'm a business coach for wedding pros and I love supporting women, especially in the wedding industry. I used to be a wedding planner and designer. I did that for 12 years until I got totally burnt out.
00:03:54
Speaker
And in 2019, I decided to make a bold move and sell my wedding planning and design business and go full time into coaching. And while I was building that business, I was simultaneously supporting wedding pros. You know, people would come to me and want my opinion on something or want my advice. And I soon realized that I could make money doing that. And I really enjoyed doing that. And there was a tipping point in my career where I recognized I loved that more than I loved being a wedding planner.
Challenges in Wedding Planning
00:04:24
Speaker
That's interesting. Yeah. What burnt you out about wedding planning? Everything. It's everything. I know for us, it was just the ongoing, there's a weekend work basically. You know, it's just so many, I don't know, missed friend opportunities or we missed friend's weddings, you know, because we were booked and yeah, I mean, that was tough.
00:04:46
Speaker
Oh yeah, everything. Definitely the time constraints. Being, for lack of a better word, married to somebody for a year and a half, the weekends. I mean, I don't know how many Fourth of July picnics I missed and barbecues that I missed, but also too, I just
00:05:04
Speaker
felt like the stress and the pressure of it was really beginning to get to me. Throughout most of my career, I wasn't very stressed out. As a wedding planner, you would never know if I was stressed. I'd never show it. I was always calm, cool, collected, and very action-driven.
00:05:21
Speaker
But there was a client or two who really shook me and knocked me off balance in ways that I don't even know if I could describe. And it contributed to me then becoming almost anxiety-ridden about weddings.
Importance of Community Support
00:05:34
Speaker
I mean, I was responsible for some really big productions and the stress of it was beginning to weigh me down and it was almost debilitating in some instances. And I knew I couldn't, I didn't want to live like that. You know, stress is a killer.
00:05:49
Speaker
And I don't want to be that stressed out by work, for sure.
00:05:53
Speaker
Yeah, no, that makes a lot of sense. What have you learned in sort of dealing with that stress? I mean, I feel like for businesses that serve clients, to a certain extent, it's really easy to let a bad client sort of knock you off balance. And I think what you said about it, just maybe not even understanding exactly how or why is so interesting. Because I've experienced that too. I think anybody who's worked in a service-based business long enough has experienced that.
00:06:19
Speaker
So, you know, how do you coach current wedding clients or those running wedding businesses, you know, in sort of dealing with that stress? It's true. And I think for me, what I wish I had at that time was a place to talk about it. I held it in, you know, I was trying to be perfect all the time and present this perfect image. And I didn't even want to tell friends or
00:06:41
Speaker
Colleagues that were I was close to about some of the anxieties I was experiencing because I was embarrassed by it and I didn't want people to see me a weakness I felt I had but if I had been given a space or a community where I could just talk about my anxieties.
00:06:58
Speaker
I think that I would have been able to overcome them in ways that I wasn't able to because I don't feel like I had an outlet. My husband was such a great supporter and towards the end of my career, we would sit down and he'd be like, all right, tell me what you're scared of. And I would say it out loud and it would sound so silly that I wasn't scared of it anymore. I needed more of that in my life. I needed a community. So for anybody listening here,
00:07:21
Speaker
If you're doing business alone, I encourage you to go find a community of people who in your industry who understand where you can feel safe to share some of these things and to talk them out with other people. Yeah, I think that's such an important point.
00:07:36
Speaker
And I think it ties so well into some of the things that we're going to talk about today. But having some sort of outside perspective that can speak into your business and just give you that room and space to chat about your business. And I think, you know, I guess some of your fears around sharing that kind of stuff totally resonate with me as well. And Krista has been a great resource. You know, I mean, it's nice to work with a spouse. You know, you're in it together. It's easy to chat with her about some of these things as well.
00:08:02
Speaker
but it's also been helpful to have a coach throughout our business as well and somebody who's totally out of it. But
Common Marketing Mistakes
00:08:09
Speaker
there is something interesting, right? Like whatever that moment is going from it just being in your head to then you actually having to identify it and speak it out loud and sometimes saying, oh,
00:08:20
Speaker
That sounds so silly. And maybe even in that moment, the tension is released a little bit. It's just such an interesting phenomenon. And I'm excited to chat more with you about that as well. Real quick though, just kind of as a side, because I feel like everybody's question is about marketing.
00:08:37
Speaker
I think the most common questions I get from wedding pros, I mean really from business owners in general, but there's a few recently, they were all wedding pros talking about basically how to market your business. So interested in sort of what you see as the most common marketing mistakes people make, especially in the wedding industry.
00:08:54
Speaker
Oh gosh, I feel like there's so many, but I would say the most common mistake that I see really centers around not understanding what marketing is. Marketing is simply sharing your message so that it attracts the right people. That's all it is. It's nothing more and nothing less. Marketing isn't posting on Instagram twice a week. Marketing isn't writing a blog post. Marketing isn't going on TikTok or creating reels per se.
00:09:18
Speaker
Marketing is sharing your message so that it attracts the right people. So that leads me to believe that I think people don't have a strong message or even understand what that message that they should be disseminating across all the channels and all the platforms using their voice. They don't know what that message is. And if they could find that message and understand how they serve people and the transformation they provide their clients,
00:09:45
Speaker
the end result of what it's like working with you, then all of these platforms that we've been given access to, whether we like it or not, you would be able then to clearly share your message over and over and over again, very clearly, very easily to attract the right people.
00:10:02
Speaker
Yeah, and that's so interesting what you say about just the focus on the message, right? And I think that people don't spend enough time figuring out exactly what that is. You know, what is really like the core of what I'm sharing? And I think people think that maybe it has to be, they have to say something different every time they speak, you know, which I think is a marketing mistake.
00:10:20
Speaker
And, you know, you look at people like, I always use Dave Ramsey as an example, you know, it's like, you listen to Dave Ramsey once, you've listened to him a thousand times, he's saying the exact same thing, he's just speaking into different situations, you know, but at the end of the day, it comes back to, you know, he has the exact same message, right? And he really focuses on staying on message as well.
00:10:40
Speaker
Well, today what we're talking about is a little bit more of sharing your message, you know, basically showing up, which is the first step here is, you know, I guess maybe having the courage to show up. And
Showing Up vs. Hiding in Business
00:10:50
Speaker
you recently recorded a reel that got a lot of feedback, a lot of engagement, and I think really struck a chord with people. And so what I want to do is I want to play that audio from that reel for people. If people want to see it, they can go to the show notes, click on it, watch it there.
00:11:04
Speaker
And then I wanna just chat with you about it and talk about how people can start really showing up in their business, why you think that people sort of hide, and we'll take it from there. Sounds good. All right, awesome. Let's listen to that. You need to stop hiding.
00:11:19
Speaker
If you want to build a brand that is recognized, if you want to be sought after, if you want all the clients and all the leads, if you need more money in your business to grow, I need you to start showing up and to stop hiding. Because if you're not going to talk about your business, who's going to do it for you?
00:11:38
Speaker
This is one of the most frustrating things that I see as a business coach. I know you're working hard. You're probably thinking, Candace, I am showing up. I'm working 24 hours every single day. I get it. You are working hard. But unless you are willing to show up in all the spaces, in all the places, in every chair, at every table, and in every room where you, by the way, belong, you are going to stay stuck exactly where you are right now.
00:12:07
Speaker
Let me put it to you another way. You know that new girl who just rolled into town? She literally just started her business and she is everywhere.
00:12:14
Speaker
PS, she's crushing it. I can guarantee you one thing, she is not hiding. She is taking advantage of every opportunity and every space and every place where she feels she belongs. Bring some of that new girl energy to your business and start showing up in your marketing, in relationships, and in networking. Until you are ready to do this, you will continue to get the same results.
00:12:43
Speaker
All right, awesome. So tell me a little bit about like, why did you decide to record the reel to begin with?
00:12:48
Speaker
Oh gosh, it was something that was really weighing on me over the last couple of days prior to that. I think I just got so tired of people asking me, Candace, why am I not getting enough leads? What am I doing wrong? Why is this happening and why is that happening? And I just had this moment where I was like, but you're not showing up. You're hiding. You're not doing the work you need to do to build a brand that gets recognized. And if you want to be,
00:13:16
Speaker
somebody that's known in your industry, in your field, then you need to make it a point to put yourself out there so people know who you are.
Fear of Judgment and Rejection
00:13:24
Speaker
I was talking about this in my mastermind and I said, here's a little litmus test that you can do. If I was scrolling on Instagram and I heard your voice, would I know it was your voice?
00:13:34
Speaker
Would I be able to recognize that it was you? If the answer is no, then that should tell you that you have a little work to do in raising your voice and starting to show up in your business. Because I think most of the problems that small business owners and creative entrepreneurs face is their lack of showing up is what's contributing to the lack of inquiries, leads, cash flow, bookings, if they just showed up more in their marketing, if they just raised their voice more, if they showed their face, if they got active,
00:14:03
Speaker
people would recognize them and they would associate what it is they do with the problem they have and they would go to you to solve that problem.
00:14:10
Speaker
Yeah, I'm excited to dive into some practical ways that people can show up in their business. I think first though, what do you feel like are the reasons that people hide in their business to begin with? And I just looking at my experience across a few different businesses, right? I think one, this is just a good reminder, right? Because I've definitely fallen into this as well. And for various reasons, I mean, I'm thinking about new businesses that I've started and thinking that somehow the success of an old business would just kind of carry over to a new business, right?
00:14:37
Speaker
And you kind of forgot, I kind of forgot, how much hustle is involved, especially in getting things going, right? You know, so I know personally that's one way in which, you know, for new businesses that have started, I've really had to step into that and realize, yeah, you know, maybe I'm not hiding on purpose, but I'm certainly not showing up, you know? So anybody listening to this, I don't feel like they should feel any shame necessarily in coming to that realization of, oh, have I, you know, have I been really showing up?
00:15:05
Speaker
But I do think it's a good reminder regardless of where you're at in business. But maybe we can go through some of the reasons why business owners hide. Yeah. Listen, these reasons that I'm going to give you, I think they are applicable to everybody. And at different phases in our career, one of these reasons is going to resonate with you. I can tell you that I speak from personal experience and also after coaching wedding pros for almost 12 years now, I see these fears manifest as being the reason
00:15:33
Speaker
why people are holding themselves back from showing up. The first is fear of judgment. I think this is so obvious because we all have a fear of being judged by other people. What are people going to think? What are they going to say? What if I say something that's stupid, that people are going to call me out on? What if they disagree?
00:15:54
Speaker
I don't like the way I look. I don't like the way I sound, which is a big one. I mean, we are now in an era where we need to show our faces and we need to talk. We can't just get by with a static picture on Instagram or a nondescript blog post, you know? We got to put ourselves out there. And so that fear of judgment of what are people going to think of me? I don't look a certain way. I don't talk a certain way is definitely a reason why people don't put themselves out there.
00:16:22
Speaker
Yeah, it's so interesting figuring out how to get over something like that. I know I've certainly, you know, that fear specifically I think resonates with me on a few different levels. I can think back to moments, you know, especially in, you know, within my career where maybe I've let a fear of judgment prevent me from going and doing something, right?
Overcoming Fear: Strategies and Mindset Shifts
00:16:41
Speaker
You know, I think something that really helped me was somebody being like, you know,
00:16:44
Speaker
are these people, even if someone were to judge you, and I think shifting a mindset to realizing that not everybody's out to judge you or everybody's out to get you right, thinking the best out of people. But even those people, if you do come across a hater, if you do come across somebody who's judging you, why do you care? You know what I'm saying? Were they gonna work with you anyways? It's true. And so why do you let them in your jury box, right? So that was really helpful for me in getting over that. Do you have anything else to say on that or do you wanna move on to the next fear?
00:17:11
Speaker
Yeah, no, I think that you wrap that up really well. I just don't want somebody listening to let the fear of judgment hold them back because people are going to judge you. We can't stop that. I mean, the internet, you know, as soon as Al Gore press the live button on the internet is, you know, there was judgments were happening everywhere.
00:17:27
Speaker
for better or worse. Yes, but do it in spite of judgment because people are they've been judging you since the day you were born and they'll judge you for the date from the day that you die. So why let them get in your way of doing what you've been called to do and finding the success that you deserve. So outside of fear of judgment, I think fear of rejection is next.
00:17:47
Speaker
And they're sort of similar, right? They're kind of like cousins or twins even. Rejection is so hard. We're all scared of being – nobody likes being rejected, whether it's in relationships or it's in business or it's just people not liking your post or not paying attention to it.
00:18:06
Speaker
So fear of rejection I think definitely holds people back and you know you go back to school days and being rejected in middle school or being rejected on the playground like those wounds they really stay with you as an adult and they may manifest in certain areas of your business that you didn't expect.
00:18:22
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. I wonder too, you know, just in terms of like not feeling like you know enough, right? I mean, does that fall into this category of fear of rejection where, you know, you might feel like, Oh, I have to take this. I've taken one more course before I can, you know, before I can do this because I'm just not, you know, I just don't know enough. Yeah, exactly. Right. And that's a never ending game because you never know enough or rather there's always things that you don't know. That's probably a better way to put it. What are some things that people can do to kind of get over this, this fear of rejection?
00:18:52
Speaker
I don't know if you ever get over the fear of being rejected because we all want to protect ourselves from being hurt. But I think that you can understand that by putting yourself out there, it's not about people rejecting you. Think about all the people that you could bless with the work that you do and all the people who are out there right now searching for someone like you.
00:19:15
Speaker
to help them in whatever way you help people. The disservice that you're doing to those people by not showing up for your business, I like to frame it like this even for myself because it gets me fired up. I don't want to leave people high and dry. I don't want somebody to hire someone else who wouldn't give them the same level of service or attention to detail or care that I would get. In spite of my fear of being rejected or rebuked by nobody buying my stuff or nobody wanting to work with me,
00:19:45
Speaker
I know that there are people out there who need me and I owe it to them to show up so they can find me. Yeah. Yeah. I like what you said, you know, so it's not so much like, Oh, ever not fearing that you're going to reject it or you're going to get rejected, but more of that mental switch of like, you know, really focusing on what is that you do and how you can potentially bless people or how it is that you can serve people well in what you do. What's the third fear here?
00:20:10
Speaker
The last two are fear of failure and fear of success. And I feel like they go hand in hand. Everybody's familiar with fear of failure. I think this is something that plays in people's heads when they need to put themselves on camera or really step up their marketing in a big way or go to a networking event alone or do something in person or just take things to the next level. What if I fail? And that old saying like failure is not an option. Failure is always an option.
00:20:41
Speaker
It's always on the table. It's always knocking around. It's always possible. But in failure is opportunity. And if you start to look at failure differently as not like some character flaw of yours that you failed at something, but more so that you now have an opportunity to learn how to get better or by taking action, you have a clear understanding of what your next move is, then you don't see failure as something bad, but just as something as a part of the process.
00:21:08
Speaker
Yeah, and again, another really good mental switch, something that comes to mind recently is I've been working on our SEO course.
Action as a Tool for Clarity and Progress
00:21:15
Speaker
And it's something that we've had published for years now, but it gets updates every year. And I was thinking, just this week, as I was working on a client's SEO project, I've learned so much about SEO from trying something that didn't work.
00:21:29
Speaker
I mean, it's insane really to think about. And in part, I came to that realization because I'm taking all this experience, right? And I'm putting it in course format. And I'm thinking about the easiest way I can get people from zero to competent proficient in search engine optimization. And I was just thinking about my journey, trying to string together that straight line between what was so up and down.
00:21:55
Speaker
But again, I know it sounds cliche, but I feel like most of what I've learned in search engine optimization in other areas has been because I tried something and it didn't work out. Yeah, totally. Action creates clarity. The more action you take, the clearer things become. If you take anything out of our time together today, I want you to take that sentiment with you. Action creates clarity.
00:22:15
Speaker
And so the more action you take in your business on anything that might be new to you or hard to you, the clearer your next step will be. Where we get stuck is we are afraid to take action because we don't know what step we should take. So to Davey's point, we research endlessly. We buy every course on the planet.
00:22:36
Speaker
Then that course sends us to another course. And then we wanted to do one thing, which was learn SEO. And now we're launching YouTube channels and starting a conference. You just go from one place to the next. But if you were to take action, as Davey did, and just try something without fear of failure, you would then understand what your next move is. And also, too, we think so far ahead sometimes. And I like thinking ahead. I like planning ahead. I'm a planner.
00:23:05
Speaker
But we do it to our detriment and so we go too far ahead and then it becomes hard for us to take action because we're two years down the road. If you can keep things focused on where you are today, know that the next step will be clearer once you take the next step. So action creates clarity and it's so important to know that. Last though, fear of success is something that I think most people don't think they suffer from because we all want to be successful, right?
Understanding and Overcoming Business Fears
00:23:34
Speaker
Well, yes, we do. But I think there's a part of us that gets really nervous.
00:23:40
Speaker
And we wonder like, okay, it could fail for sure, but like, holy crap. Like what if this actually works? What if people buy my stuff? What if people actually pay attention? What if people actually start listening to me, then what? And the pressure of that. And then we start to think, well, what will that mean for me? Who will I become? What will I be responsible for? And that too is just a pathway that sometimes we take that keeps us stuck where we are.
00:24:10
Speaker
Yeah, and I think in that fear of success too, some of those other fears come back. The fear of judgment, the fear of rejection, what if people are starting to pay attention to me? Well, when people start to pay attention to you, oftentimes there'll be a few people who voice their complaints, I guess to put it lightly, right? Opinions. That's just what comes sometimes with success. And so I could totally see how that might not be something until maybe you're right on the verge of it that you realize, oh yeah, I am kind of worried about that.
00:24:39
Speaker
So we have these fears, judgment, rejection, failure, success. I think as you said, I think a few things to point out, one, that these are things that could affect you throughout your career. So whether you're just getting started or whether you're starting another business or you're somewhere in between, I think these are things that we just need to be aware of. And just so interesting, I mean, one of the things that I've been thinking about a lot lately is mindset. And I feel like it's one of those things where I've always treated it sort of like a woo woo.
00:25:06
Speaker
subject. How important is it really to think through these things? Reading a great book, Michael Hyatt, Megan Hyatt, his daughter, mind your mindset, I think is what it's called. And it's just been so insightful. So I'm excited to sort of turn the corner here, talk about what it looks like to show up in your business. And one of the things that you talk about in the real is bringing that new girl energy
00:25:29
Speaker
Right? Of course, like as far as people who are qualified to talk about new girl energy, I am not one. I'll try my best to bring maybe more of a guy's perspective into it as well. But talk to us about what that means practically. And I think that's a lot of people, you know, it seemed like when they commented on the reel were like, yes, I needed to hear this. Now what? You know, now what does this look like? So maybe we can get into that.
00:25:54
Speaker
This is a great question. So let me define what I believe new girl energy to be and I did in the real and you heard a little bit of that, but let's talk about that for a second because I think it's really important. No matter what industry you're in, when a new girl arrives on the scene, new girl, new guy, new person, when they arrive on the scene and you notice them, it's not by accident. They have a level, an energy, a vibe about them where they seem to be everywhere you look.
00:26:23
Speaker
You're standing up and taking notice as an established business owner, as somebody who's been around whether it's a month, a year, a decade, when a new person arrives on the scene and you notice them and maybe you feel even slightly threatened by them, that means they're doing their job correctly and they're definitely not hiding and they're showing up in their business. When we start our business, there's this energy that, gosh, I wish I could just bottle that energy up and sell it because I feel like it's like, it's magic.
00:26:52
Speaker
There's these magical late nights of working, these magical connections, this magical time of growth and learning and putting yourself out there. And that tends to wane over time. You know, as all good things in life, you get used to it. You get accustomed to it. You might even get lazy with your marketing and with your business. And so that new girl energy fades.
00:27:15
Speaker
And I'm going to challenge you to bring that new girl energy back to your business. That energy that you had when you started, I think it's required right now. You need an injection of that so that you can stop hiding and start showing up in your business. The new girl, she's everywhere. She's at every industry event. She is reaching out to people. She's making it a point to be seen, to be known, to be heard.
00:27:40
Speaker
She's networking. She's creating opportunities. She might even be dabbling in marketing experiments that you're scared to do, like putting yourself out there fearlessly, maybe starting a podcast or a YouTube channel or just recording reels and being on camera. Regardless of that, she's everywhere.
00:28:01
Speaker
and people are taking notice of her. And I want the same to be said for your business. I want you to bring some of that new girl energy into your business. Liven things up and start showing up like a new girl.
Seeking Opportunities and Networking
00:28:12
Speaker
Yeah, I think what you're saying, especially about someone who's new to an area, is interesting to think about because I think when people start their business too, especially if they experience a lot of success in the short term, right when they start because maybe they have a lot of connections already, maybe they grew up in that area. So they already have sort of a network and then they have a good word of mouth start to their business. But then what happens when that sort of fizzles? And then you're left kind of like, well,
00:28:38
Speaker
This was just sort of happening to start and now I don't feel like inquiries are coming in as consistently, but really starting to think through like, well, what have I actually done to put myself out there beyond what came naturally with just maybe starting this business in this area where I already knew people? Whereas if you look at somebody who's moving to a new area and they don't know anyone,
00:29:01
Speaker
they have to put in all of that work to get out there and create those connections. There's no, well, people are just gonna show up. I think that's just an interesting way to think about getting started and just showing up in a given area.
00:29:14
Speaker
I agree. I think something a new girl would do would be to understand that people don't know who she is so that she needs to go out and introduce herself to people. This is where a lot of times we as entrepreneurs who have been working for a while, we really get lazy here. We expect people to know who we are to find us. Granted, we've built systems and have built a brand where there is some awareness there, but we get a little lazy sometimes and we expect people to continue to come to us.
00:29:44
Speaker
keep filling up that well. You can't just let it run dry. You can't just not introduce yourself to new people or to put yourself out there. So like a new girl to me would seek out opportunities. She wouldn't sit there and wait for people to call her. She wouldn't sit there and wait for people to email her or to inquire. She has to say, okay,
00:30:04
Speaker
Who do I need to connect with in order to find my next client? Who do I need to introduce myself to? Who do I need to collaborate with? Where do I need to be? What circles? What tables? What chairs do I need to sit in so that I can be next to my next customer or my ideal customer?
00:30:24
Speaker
So one way that you can practically begin to start incorporating this new girl energy into your business is to start seeking out opportunities and creating them for yourself. Don't wait for people to call you. Don't think that people know you, even though they should. Expect that nobody knows who you are and nobody's going to call you. Create opportunities for yourself.
00:30:46
Speaker
Yeah, and I think no matter how long you've been in an area, there's still people who don't know who you are. One of the things that became evident to me, especially over the course of the last few years as conferences shut down was one, how much I enjoyed getting out there and networking and just in general, I think that's just personality wise, something that I've really enjoyed, but also on a business level too. I think it wasn't until 2021
00:31:07
Speaker
you know, in 2022 where I realized, oh, I'm really seeing the effect of not getting out there to all these conferences that I used to go to on a yearly basis and just meeting people, you know, and that's been, and to a certain extent, I think that there was something in there where as conferences came back, I was like, uh, you know, I don't know. I kind of like being at home, right? But then, but realizing going to this year, okay, that has to be a part of my strategy going into this year.
00:31:32
Speaker
As far as seeking out opportunities to go, especially for wedding pros, what sorts of opportunities do you feel like people should be seeking out? Is it mostly wedding shows? Do you have any top of mind? I think it depends on where your ideal client is. Please always keep that in mind. Do you want to be in the spaces and places where your ideal customer is? When we think about seeking out opportunities, if bridal shows are something that your ideal customer is going to be at, that's great.
00:31:57
Speaker
But also think about the vendors that you should be establishing and nurturing relationships with one of the quickest ways for you to just supercharge your business, whether you're starting out or been in business a while and get good leads and bring in cash and money is to align yourself with people who are already in front of your customer.
00:32:16
Speaker
This is one of the things that I did early on in my business. It was one of the first things I ever did when I had my new girl, Energy. I researched every vendor in my state and I read their website. I mean, I really got to know them and I reached out to them. I had coffee with them. We went out to lunch. We started to build relationships. That has been so lost during COVID. And even before COVID, you started to see a shift away from community and away from connection.
00:32:44
Speaker
because we digitally can talk and we're all so busy that we don't make time for it. But I'm here to tell you, and I think Davey will agree, it is so worth your time to get in front of people in person and get to know people, not just what they do and who they serve and what their goals are and work, but what's your family like? Who's your favorite housewife? I don't know. What TV shows do you like? Insert the blank.
00:33:12
Speaker
But getting to know people on a human level and creating real relationships will help your business go the distance. Yeah, 100%. So I absolutely agree with that. I think I may have talked about this on your podcast as well. We talk a lot about content, but I think the other piece of growing a business is relationships. There's a million different ways to dissect that, but I do 100% agree. All right, so what's another practical way that people can show up?
00:33:39
Speaker
I think this also relates to networking, but it's collaborating. As you're building these relationships, find ways to do things together. This can be styled shoots, creating a networking event to bring more people together. Start collaborating and start being a leader locally in your industry.
00:34:00
Speaker
Don't wait for somebody to anoint you as the top, insert the blank, photographer planner. Don't wait for somebody to call you out as the leader of your community. Become that leader that people look up to, that people want to be associated with, that people want to connect with, and also collaborate with. Creative collaboration is a beautiful thing, and it's definitely something that in my career helped me write two books. It's what helped me to land all different types of opportunities.
00:34:29
Speaker
So I think collaboration is just like another segment of that networking and relationship building. Don't just go out to lunch. What can you guys do together to raise each other's businesses up, to collaborate, to create, to even just have some fun?
00:34:45
Speaker
Yeah, one thing you said in that, that maybe you're going to get to as well, so if you are, you can stop me, but was, you know, not waiting for someone to annoy you, you know, the best of whatever in your area.
Embracing New Marketing Trends
00:34:54
Speaker
Like I think too, when we first get started, we think that there's some sort of line and I have to wait in the back of the line until it's my turn to be in the front of the line and the line doesn't exist. And so you're going to be waiting in the, you know, quote unquote, back of the line for a whole heck of a lot of time before maybe realizing, oh, wait,
00:35:10
Speaker
this line or this whatever doesn't exist. And what I mean, just going back to what we were saying about courses, this idea that you have to learn or do or prove a certain amount in order to show up, right? In order to play the game, so to speak. And I think that's just such a struggle for people, feeling like, ah, well, I really can't do this because I haven't earned it yet or whatever. And I think it's just such a, it's just like this mental block that doesn't actually exist.
00:35:38
Speaker
Yeah, another fear or another mindset that we might have. I wonder what we would call that. Is this like, I don't deserve it. I'm not deserving of it. I haven't earned it yet. Or waiting on the approval of others in order to do something that you know you need to do for your business, for sure holds us back. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. As far as, you know, other practical ways that you can show up, are there a few more that you wanted to discuss?
00:36:02
Speaker
Yeah, I just want to make sure that we also, as relationships are so important, and I honestly believe that they're number one, and starting there is really important and you can start there. And I also feel like that is an easy place for people to begin. But we also have to talk about this online space and how things are really changing.
00:36:22
Speaker
and how we cannot wait for the right time to start marketing your business and using the tools and the resources that you've been given access to. We'll use Instagram as an example. There's been this back and forth with creators on Instagram fighting with Adam about images and video. The truth of the matter is that we as a society are really leaning towards short form video content, not images.
00:36:51
Speaker
And what does that mean for your business? I think it means that you really need to start adapting what people are using and what they're expecting from you, unless you want to be left behind. You know, when I started my planning business, there was like the group of established older planners. And I'm sure Davey, when you started your photography business, there was like the established group of photographers, right? You know, they had their society and, you know, it was like very specific.
00:37:19
Speaker
And they saw you and they were like, who's this guy? He's young. He doesn't know what he's doing. Well, see, you know, my I was just so ignorant of all that going on. It was funny. I mean, like, you know, I didn't really know they existed or that they were upset about, you know, whatever they were upset about. But Krista, I think, was more aware of this thing. So I feel like she took more of the brunt of that than I did. I was just like, hey, you know,
00:37:41
Speaker
I just was out there. But not because, again, I think in other ways, I guess all that say it was more of just out of ignorance. I didn't know that this cool kid club existed in the area that we are trying to start this business. This business, yeah. But we all come across that in our industries. There is the folks who came before us, our elders in the industry who we obviously want to be respectful of.
00:38:04
Speaker
But what I find is there's a small group of folks who've been around a while who are willing to adapt to a changing industry and there's a larger chunk of people who aren't willing to adapt. And so I use that example because I think that's really what's happening in the wedding industry at large marketing wise and also on Instagram specifically where all of us are, right?
00:38:25
Speaker
there's this resistance to the change of how the platform is changing and how consumption of marketing and content is changing. And I'm here to tell you, and listen, I am resisting it like crazy, okay? I've resisted it for too long, but I'm even having to change how I do things because I don't want to get left behind. So one thing that's really helped me to overcome my fears of being on camera
00:38:51
Speaker
and talking and judgment and rejection is recognizing that there are people out there who I can bless with my knowledge, with my expertise, with what I do, and they're not expecting me to show up in any other way than the way I am. Yeah. And if you can recognize in yourself that nobody's expecting you to be anything but yourself,
Continuous Improvement and Overcoming Boundaries
00:39:17
Speaker
Hopefully that can take any pressure you feel in how you sound, how you look, what you have to say, and you can just show up and authentically be you with your audience and talk about your business and connect with people and share your message on marketing platforms using video because we have to do it.
00:39:37
Speaker
Yeah, one thing that comes to mind as you're talking here is one of our other topic ideas for this podcast. I know something that you're passionate about, which is why your marketing needs to repel people, you know, and I think the flip side of that is just realizing, you know, I guess in getting over a fear like that is realizing like you're not going to be for everybody, you know, and that's okay.
00:39:55
Speaker
And it's not so much that you don't want people to feel indifferent when they hear about you. You want people to either feel like, oh yeah, this person is for me or can help me, or I like what this person is about, or I don't, and that's okay too. And I think that's such an important thing to remember.
00:40:13
Speaker
And I admit like, you know, it's been hard for me to get over having my face on video, right? I never really liked video. Even podcasting, I think has been a challenge for me. I mean, I've been podcasting now since 2018. So I've been doing it a long time. I don't always feel like I do it well, you know? But the thing is, is that even after an episode where I'm like, oh man,
00:40:32
Speaker
I just rambled through those questions or I said this and it just sounded silly or whatever. It's like, well, I said it, I put it out there and nine times out of 10 helped me clarify my thoughts for whatever it is that I'm doing next. So it might've taken me a minute and a half to get to a 10 second clip of, and that was really the actual thing I wanted to say. But now I'm aware of that 10 seconds and that 10 seconds turns into a blog post or it turns into a YouTube video or it turns into
00:40:59
Speaker
you know, a keynote or whatever it is, but it takes, you know, for me personally, sometimes that I just had to get to that point where I realized sometimes it takes me two minutes to get to my point, you know, but at least I get to it, you know, at some point, you know, and it turns into better content down the road.
00:41:17
Speaker
Yeah i think that's a great example and it just goes to show that we're always learning when i started my podcast i had no public speaking experience really and also i didn't realize that podcasting was so performative in the sense that you're performing using your voice.
00:41:34
Speaker
So my first couple of episodes sound a little flat until it dawned on me that I needed to bring energy into my voice and perform as I spoke because that's engaging. That's what people want to hear. It taught me a lesson, but I would have never ever learned that if I never recorded a podcast episode. So that all goes back down to action creates clarity.
00:41:56
Speaker
Davie and I, we want you to have the most successful business you desire, whatever that looks like for you. And we've been around long enough to know that in order for you to get there, you need to build a brand that's recognized, that's associated with whatever it is that you do. And in today's marketing ecosystem, that's going to require that you push yourself outside of your comfort zone, raise your voice,
00:42:22
Speaker
and do things that maybe you never thought you would do, like do TikTok or create a YouTube channel. I don't know. There's so many possibilities. But you're going to need to start showing your face and your business. You're going to have to come out from the shadows, stop hiding, and start putting yourself out there. It's required of you. So if you can recognize that action creates clarity. Every time you take one step, the next step becomes clearer.
00:42:49
Speaker
It takes the pressure off. It's not going to be perfect. It'll never be perfect. But if you do it long enough, you'll learn how to do it. You'll become good at it.
00:42:58
Speaker
I feel like such a good summary of everything that we chatted about, and I think just a good exhortation for people. This feels like a good place to wrap up. Well, thank you, Candace, so much for sharing your expertise with us. I'm curious though, just because we did allude to that topic, why your marketing needs to repel, do you have a podcast episode on your own podcast that you've recorded that potentially we could link to on that topic? I think it's just such an important...
00:43:22
Speaker
All right, well, you know, one for you to record or one for you to come back on the podcast, on the transit book podcast to record as well. But I think it's a topic that would go well with this topic, but I'm glad we got to explore this. I think it is, you know, one of those things where, you know, I guess, and maybe I'm projecting here. I always feel like at the outset, you know,
00:43:43
Speaker
are these topics sort of woo-woo, but it's just so, it's one of those things that really can hold you up. And, you know, I think like being able to take ownership over some of these fears, you know, and getting over them really can make the difference in a business. So I appreciate you coming on, sharing your expertise with us. Where can people follow along?
00:44:01
Speaker
Well, I would love to connect with anybody listening who this episode resonated with. You can follow me on Instagram at Candace.Cobla. Please feel free to DM me. I love to follow people back and get to know your business. So feel free to DM me. And if you want to chat about this, we can chat about it in the DMs. I'm happy to offer a little support and guidance. I also wanted to mention a book that I think is really great related to mindset. So you had mentioned Michael Hyatt and Megan Hyatt. I think it's their new book, Minding Your Mindset, right? That's right.
00:44:30
Speaker
There's also a great book by one of my favorite authors john a cuff and it's called soundtracks if you've never read any of john's books by the way you're gonna love john he is so funny and this book talks about the soundtracks that play over and over in our heads.
00:44:48
Speaker
i.e. the mindsets that we have around things and they hold us back in life. It's a great read, it's funny, it's self-deprecating, but it gives you tools to start maybe peeling away the fear of success or failure or rejection or judgment so that you can start showing up in your business.
00:45:06
Speaker
Yeah, I love that book. If I remember correctly, it's a great audio book as well. I think John might actually read, I think it might actually be the guy who recorded it for Audible as well, but he's hilarious and it's just such a enjoyable listen. You know, it's not only great content, but it's such an enjoyable listen too. So I'll make sure I link to that in the show notes. Well, thank you so much and until next time. Until next time.
00:45:32
Speaker
Thanks for tuning into the Brands That Book Show. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving a review in iTunes. For show notes and other resources, head on over to dvandchrista.com.