Voicemails with Rachel: Recent Episodes
Share Your Genius
Rachel Downey is the millennial founder, executive producer, and CEO of production company, Share Your Genius. And she has lots of questions.
Join Rachel as she sets out to ask her toughest questions about leadership, life, and honing her craft to some of the most inspirational people she knows.
Imagine trying to raise money in instrument science during the Elizabeth Holmes scandal.
That’s exactly what happened to Ellen Williams.
She’s the VP of Business Development at Exum Instruments, who developed an actual mass spectrometer box that can give you the full periodic table of anything you test in a matter of minutes, without using a full lab’s worth of equipment and a staff full of PhD chemists. So when her company was trying to raise funds, they ran into a few stumbling blocks along the way because people couldn't get Theranos out of their brains.
How do you navigate that? What can you do when there’s a scandal in the media related to what you’re trying to do? Ellen says it comes down to being able to listen and adapt. Listen to the episode for her full story.
Link up with Ellen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellen-scott-williams/
Check out Exum Instruments: https://www.exuminstruments.com/
Link up with Rachel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelelstsdowney/
Have a question for Rachel? https://www.speakpipe.com/vmswithrachel
Want more from Rachel and her crew of brand content experts? Sign up for Genius Cuts. https://www.shareyourgenius.com/genius-cuts
In this replay episode, As Rachel is investigating what makes the best brands the best as she grows her own company and brand. What makes brands stand the test of time?
Enter Kristin Hillery, Head of Brand and Content at Voiceflow. She’s been crafting and strategizing brand-defining content for over a decade.
Her answer? Take inspiration from what left an impression on you as a kid. Even (or especially?) if that impression is left by a talking toaster. Tune in to the episode to find out what she means.
Link up with Kristin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinhillery/
Have a question for Rachel? https://www.speakpipe.com/vmswithrachel
Want more from Rachel and her crew of brand content experts? Sign up for Genius Cuts. https://www.shareyourgenius.com/genius-cuts
Welcome to another episode of Voicemails with Rachel: Creator Edition. As we're all exploring and redefining what it means to build a brand with a media-led strategy, Rachel asks the most innovative people she knows for their thoughts and questions to help us all create better, human, intentional content. (This is a special series part of the TACK Network. For more about that, click here.)
Devin Reed, content creator, author, founder of The Reeder, and Head of Content at Clari, left Rachel a message: what are the most common mistakes B2B brands make when launching a media strategy? And why do people always forget that these marketing efforts actually have the end goal of making sales?
Rachel says the answer is simple: we need to stop thinking about “making a big splash” and settling for gimmicks + entertainment. Authenticity, consistency, and depth in relation to your key audience are actually what drives impact (re: sales, to Devin’s point).
Link up with Devin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devinreed/
Check out The Reeder: https://thereeder.co/
This is a special episode of Voicemails with Rachel: Creator Edition. Check out more as a part of the TACK Network here: https://tacknetwork.com/voicemail-with-rachel-creator-s-edition
Link up with Rachel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelelstsdowney/
Have a question for Rachel? https://www.speakpipe.com/vmswithrachel
Want more from Rachel and her crew of brand content experts? Sign up for Genius Cuts. https://www.shareyourgenius.com/genius-cuts
Welcome to another episode of Voicemails with Rachel: Creator Edition. As we're all exploring and redefining what it means to build a brand with a media-led strategy, Rachel is asking the most innovative people she knows for their thoughts and questions to help us all create better, human, intentional content. (This is a special series part of the TACK Network. For more about that, click here.)
Devin Bramhall, Growth Advisor, former CEO, and podcast host, left Rachel a message: what can a media-led content strategy solve for the busy, not-involved-enough-in-marketing CEO or Founder? Why should they start a podcast or something similar?
Rachel says the answer is simple: communication with your buyer and with your team is made easier with this type of strategy. And doesn’t every leader want to communicate with both their buyer and their teams more often and more clearly? Press play for her full breakdown.
Link up with Devin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devinbramhall/ Listen to Don’t Say Content: https://www.dontsaycontent.com/
This is a special episode of Voicemails with Rachel: Creator Edition. Check out more as a part of the TACK Network here: https://tacknetwork.com/voicemail-with-rachel-creator-s-edition
Link up with Rachel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelelstsdowney/ Have a question for Rachel? https://www.speakpipe.com/vmswithrachel
Want more from Rachel and her crew of brand content experts? Sign up for Genius Cuts. https://www.shareyourgenius.com/genius-cuts
Welcome to the first episode of Voicemails with Rachel: Creator Edition. As we're all exploring and redefining what it means to build a brand with a media-led strategy, Rachel is asking the most innovative people she knows for their thoughts and questions to help us all create better, human, intentional content. (This is a special series part of the TACK Network. For more about that, click here.)
So to kick us off, CEO and Founder of People Forward Network, Nikki Lewallen Gregory left Rachel a message about how the power of podcasting can do two major things for your business: accelerate growth and fuel culture. As a founder of a podcasting business herself, she’s got so many strategies to share when it comes to how podcasting can achieve those outcomes. And Rachel leaves us with a question—how are you thinking about audio in a media-rich world? Because it’s never just a podcast.
Link up with Nikki: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikkilewallen/ Check out People Forward Network: https://peopleforwardnetwork.com/
This is a special episode of Voicemails with Rachel: Creator Edition. Check out more as a part of the TACK Network here: https://tacknetwork.com/voicemail-with-rachel-creator-s-edition
Link up with Rachel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelelstsdowney/ Have a question for Rachel? https://www.speakpipe.com/vmswithrachel
Want more from Rachel and her crew of brand content experts? Sign up for Genius Cuts. https://www.shareyourgenius.com/genius-cuts
How do you maintain motivation when you’re bored? What can you do to help stay engaged in working towards your goals?
Rachel turns to Joe Mills, sales leader at Element Three, for his strategies for keeping his motivation and drive for progress in high gear.
Rachel and Joe dive into the topic of maintaining motivation and finding the drive to keep growing, even after achieving goals. Joe shares his insightful perspective, emphasizing the importance of balance and variety in activities. He explains that mixing performance, training, and recovery is crucial for staying interested and fulfilled. Too much time spent on one aspect can lead to burnout or boredom. Joe draws parallels between his professional life, where he sees sales calls as performances, and his personal life as a fitness enthusiast.
Press play to discover how to keep the wheel of motivation spinning smoothly by finding the right mix of practice, performance, and recovery.
Link up with Joe: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joemillse3/
Listen to 1,000 Stories: https://elementthree.com/resource_types/podcast/
Listen to Double Shot: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/double-shot/id1662370657
Have a question for Rachel? https://www.speakpipe.com/vmswithrachel
Want more from Rachel and her crew of brand content experts? Sign up for Genius Cuts. https://www.shareyourgenius.com/genius-cuts
While nothing is perfect, how close can you get? In your work product or in life.
Rachel turns to Reid Morris, Sr. Marketing Manager at Element Three to answer this question. His high standard for video and podcasting content alone inspired her to ask this question (check those out below).
But what seems like an inquiry into how perfectionistic we should be turned into how we can constantly be working toward leveling each other up, not just our work product. Tune in for some thought-provoking reflections on creative excellence.
Link up with Reid: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reidmorris/
Listen to 1,000 Stories: https://elementthree.com/resource_types/podcast/
Listen to Double Shot: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/double-shot/id1662370657
Have a question for Rachel? https://www.speakpipe.com/vmswithrachel
Want more from Rachel and her crew of brand content experts? Sign up for Genius Cuts. https://www.shareyourgenius.com/genius-cuts
Are you team choose-your-own-adventure? Or team go where life takes you?
Jackie Yafremava, Head of Delivery Services at Share Your Genius, left Rachel a voicemail seeking advice on transitioning from a mindset from the latter to the former. So how does Rachel choose her own adventure? She shares her insights on prioritizing personal goals and emphasizes regularly revisiting and refining them in this episode.
One important takeaway? It's not selfish to set goals and map out where you want your life to go. It's your's, after all! Tune in to gain valuable insights on intentional living and goal setting from Rachel's advice and Jackie's candid questions.
Link up with Jackie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacqueline-yafremava-58825a236/
Have a question for Rachel? https://www.speakpipe.com/vmswithrachel
Want more from Rachel and her crew of brand content experts? Sign up for Genius Cuts. https://www.shareyourgenius.com/genius-cuts
Founders’ stories captivate us. We love hearing about bringing a new idea to life. But it’s not always easy.
As Rachel was reflecting on her own founder’s journey, she called up her friend, co-founder and CEO of Qualifi, Darrian Mikell, and asked:
What traits do successful founders have in common? And how do those traits shape your thought leadership strategy?
His unique POV on what to do with the lessons you learn from leading and growing is simple but impactful: share it.
Link up with Darrian: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrianmikell/
Listen to Rachel’s founder story (Part 1 of 3) here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rachel-downey-and-the-first-million-part-1/id1555762235?i=1000588299274
Have a question for Rachel? https://www.speakpipe.com/vmswithrachel
Want more from Rachel and her crew of brand content experts? Sign up for Genius Cuts. https://www.shareyourgenius.com/genius-cuts
If you listen to this podcast, you’re probably a high performer. You’re working towards something. You have goals. You work hard. (You probably play hard too.)
But we can’t do the big things without discipline. And we can’t invest in what matters most if we can’t figure out how to put our phones down and put work away.
So what can we do?
Rachel turns to COO of Amplify Logistics, Matthew Zarzycki to answer this question for us. He’s a dad, a COO, a board member, and more. Tune in for his tips on sustainably being attached AND detached from your devices.
Link up with Matthew: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewzarzycki/
Rachel’s performance coach, David Gorsage: https://campdavidllc.com/
Have a question for Rachel? https://www.speakpipe.com/vmswithrachel
Want more from Rachel and her crew of brand content experts? Sign up for Genius Cuts. https://www.shareyourgenius.com/genius-cuts
As Rachel grows her own company and brand, she’s often investigating what makes the best brands the best. What makes brands stand the test of time?
Enter Kristin Hillery, Head of Brand and Content at Voiceflow. She’s been crafting and strategizing brand-defining content for over a decade.
Her answer? Take inspiration from what left an impression on you as a kid. Even (or especially?) if that impression is left by a talking toaster. Tune in to the episode to find out what she means.
Link up with Kristin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinhillery/
Have a question for Rachel? https://www.speakpipe.com/vmswithrachel
Want more from Rachel and her crew of brand content experts? Sign up for Genius Cuts. https://www.shareyourgenius.com/genius-cuts
Brandi Starr is COO of Tegrita, who hosts the Revenue Rehab podcast. She met up with Rachel at a recent event, and left her a voicemail—how do you define your thought leadership strategy? And how do I bring my own thought leadership to the table when I’m the interviewer on my show to help my expertise shine?
Rachel has 5 steps to help hone in on your thought leadership strategy, and some solid tips for bringing that into your podcast. It starts with asking really good questions.
Listen to Revenue Rehab: https://www.revenuerehab.live/
Link up with Brandi: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandistarr/
Have a question for Rachel? https://www.speakpipe.com/vmswithrachel
Want more from Rachel and her crew of brand content experts? Sign up for Genius Cuts. https://www.shareyourgenius.com/genius-cuts
Are downloads a sign of podcast success? Or is the attention we give them driven by ego?
Rachel turns to Jillian Hoefer, Share Your Genius’ Strategic Lead and Creative Director to set the record straight: downloads are a metric of performance, but not necessarily an indicator of success. So what do we mean by that? What constitutes true success for your B2B podcast? Tune in to hear her answer.
And if you want more of the discussion around this topic, Rachel and Jillian recorded their phone call discussing podcast success. It's the episode right before this one, titled You Shouldn't Care About Downloads.
Link up with Jillian: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillianmacnulty/
Have a question for Rachel? https://www.speakpipe.com/vmswithrachel
Want more from Rachel and her crew of brand content experts? Sign up for Genius Cuts. https://www.shareyourgenius.com/genius-cuts
Spurred on by an article spouting that downloads are the best metric to track when it comes to podcast success, Rachel Downey turns to Jillian Hoefer, Strategic Lead at Share Your Genius for not only a voicemail, but an entire phone call (that she recorded) to dive into this discussion.
And spoiler—they believe downloads are vanity metrics.
Rachel and Jillian explore the importance of understanding your existing audience, tracking valuable interactions, and focusing on specific call-to-actions to promote your podcast. Plus, a successful content experience is all about creating connection with your audience—which is key in any business.
Whether your preferred medium is podcasting or not, their discussion on what real success looks like can be useful for any content strategy. Press play to go beyond the vanity metric and dig into what we base our Share Your Genius strategy on.
Link up with Jillian: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillianmacnulty/
Have a question for Rachel? https://www.speakpipe.com/vmswithrachel
Want more from Rachel and her crew of brand content experts? Sign up for Genius Cuts. https://www.shareyourgenius.com/genius-cuts
What happens when a brand has a really good culture and a really good brand? What kind of impact can they have? What’s the intersection there?
Rachel turns to content strategy expert, Alex George. Alex has led brand and digital marketing strategy for powerhouse brands—think Meta, PayPal, Huffington Post, and Tech Crunch in collaboration with global consumer brands like General Mills, Unilever and Coca-Cola. He currently looks after brand strategy and growth for Cast & Crew, a leading payroll-, accounting- and HR solutions partner for the film, tv, streaming, and live entertainment industries.
His answer? The sky is the limit. Corporate brands may get a bad rap, but they can influence culture at scale for the better. Press play to hear his take.
Link up with Alex: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexjgeorge/
Have a question for Rachel? https://www.speakpipe.com/vmswithrachel
Want more from Rachel and her crew of brand content experts? Sign up for Genius Cuts. https://www.shareyourgenius.com/genius-cuts
What are the core tenets of a successful, long-term brand strategy?
Rachel turns to content strategy expert, Anum Hussain. Anum is a content leader with 12+ years of experience at the intersection of marketing, media, and entrepreneurship. From building HubSpot's early content playbooks to running an AI news startup to becoming the first content marketing leader at Reforge, she’s an expert at developing content strategy, understanding audiences across multimedia formats, and leading cross-functional teams through change seasons.
Her answer to the question? It comes down to focus and simplicity. If your brand leaves people with more questions than answers, you’re doing it wrong. Press play for Anum’s real life examples from her time at Hubspot and her own startup, Below the Fold.
Link up with Anum: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anumhussain/
Have a question for Rachel? https://www.speakpipe.com/vmswithrachel
Want more from Rachel and her crew of brand content experts? Sign up for Genius Cuts. https://www.shareyourgenius.com/genius-cuts
What do you do when your creative juices have pretty much dried up?
When you need a jolt of creativity and new ideas, what do you turn to? Share Your Genius’s own Sarah Duvendack and Kassidy Zurbuch left Rachel a voicemail to get her opinion. Rachel’s shortlist:
- Reading fiction books
- Consuming content in different forms than where you create
- Seeking out conversations with other creatives
Press play to hear why and how these became Rachel’s go-to creativity-inducing activities.
Link up with Kassidy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kassidy-zurbuch-167926245/
Link up with Sarah: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-duvendack-b897751b8/
Have a question for Rachel? https://www.speakpipe.com/vmswithrachel
Want more from Rachel and her crew of brand content experts? Sign up for Genius Cuts. https://www.shareyourgenius.com/genius-cuts
This might be one of the hardest questions we’ve posed on this podcast, and none other than our host, Rachel Downey, is here to answer it.
Kassidy Zurbuch, Show Manager at Share Your Genius, reached out to ask how do you define success in your career, and to dig deeper—how does that relate to the career ladder?
It’s not always about titles and money, but what creates a career you’re really proud of? And at what level do you find that? Rachel finds meaning in the skills she learns and the people she works with and for. Now press play to hear why.
Link up with Kassidy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kassidy-zurbuch-167926245/
Read Forming Storming Norming Performing by Donald B. Egolf
Have a question for Rachel? https://www.speakpipe.com/vmswithrachel
Want more from Rachel and her crew of brand content experts? Sign up for Genius Cuts. https://www.shareyourgenius.com/genius-cuts
AI is taking the world by storm—increasing efficiencies, speeding up processes, and so much more. So how is it impacting creatives, customers, and the market overall? Where do we go from here?
So Rachel reached out to Lindsay Tjepkema to ask just that. Lindsay is the Co-Founder and CEO of Casted—the first Amplified Marketing Platform and only podcast solution for B2B marketers—so she knows a thing or two about leveraging tech to create connections.
Lindsay says the brands that are more human are the ones who will win. Tune in to hear how she thinks AI fits into that winning lineup.
Link up with Lindsay: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsaytjepkema/ Check out The Casted Podcast: https://podcast.casted.us/public/5/The-Casted-Podcast-52134
Have a question for Rachel? https://www.speakpipe.com/vmswithrachel
Want more from Rachel and her crew of brand content experts? Sign up for Genius Cuts. https://www.shareyourgenius.com/genius-cuts
Our host, Rachel Downey, deals in podcasts every day. If you follow her, you’ve heard her say “it’s never just a podcast”. It’s a call to think bigger about your media strategy. But what does that mean to others? And is Rachel correct in her thinking?
So she asked Devin Bramhall, marketing advisor and host of Don’t Say Content. And she says that media-first strategies are the future of brand-building.
Devin has spent over 15 years growing B2B Saas companies through community-led strategy. She is the former CEO of Animalz, the leading content marketing agency for B2B Saas companies, where she 3x’d revenue in 2 years to nearly $12M, and the co-host of Don't Say Content, a popular podcast for marketing leaders. She is also the former Executive Director of Boston Content, the largest community for content marketers in Boston, where she 2x’d membership in 2 years, and founder of The Master Slam, a poetry slam-style debate about startups and tech.
Now press play to hear her full answer.
Link up with Devin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devinbramhall/ Listen to Don’t Say Content here: https://www.dontsaycontent.com/
Have a question for Rachel? https://www.speakpipe.com/vmswithrachel
Want more from Rachel and her crew of brand content experts? Sign up for Genius Cuts. https://www.shareyourgenius.com/genius-cuts
If you've been around our host, Rachel Downey, you’ve heard her say “it’s never just a podcast”. It’s a call to think bigger about your media strategy. But what does that mean to others outside of Share Your Genius? And is Rachel correct in her thinking?
Enter Margaret Kelsey, a marketing industry vet.
She’s spent a decade building scalable, effective marketing programs—and teams—for B2B SaaS companies like OpenView and Appcues. She now advises founders on how to do the same.
So what’s her take on “it’s never just a podcast”? It starts with the fact every business needs to focus on brand and distribution, and the fact that podcasts help do both of those things extremely well and extremely authentically.
Link up with Margaret: https://www.linkedin.com/in/margaret-kelsey-104abba/ Her website: http://www.margaretkelsey.com/ Listen to Don’t Say Content here: https://www.dontsaycontent.com/
Have a question for Rachel? https://www.speakpipe.com/vmswithrachel
Want more from Rachel and her crew of brand content experts? Sign up for Genius Cuts. https://www.shareyourgenius.com/genius-cuts
”Movement is fuel.” - Lara Heimann, LYT Yoga Founder and CEO
As a high performer, incorporating movement into your day can be a struggle sometimes. We’re balancing lots of goals, lots of daily tasks—how can we make sure our health is still an important piece of our day?
Rachel turns to Lara Heimann, creator of the LYT Yoga Method to answer the question.
Listen to LYT here: https://lytyoga.com/blog/category/podcasts/
Link up with Lara: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lara-heimann-8a556b13/
Follow Lara: https://www.instagram.com/lara.heimann
Check out LYT Yoga: https://lytyoga.com/
Have a question for Rachel? https://www.speakpipe.com/vmswithrachel
Want more from Rachel and her crew of brand content experts? Sign up for Genius Cuts. https://www.shareyourgenius.com/genius-cuts
It’s one thing to create great content, it’s a whole other thing to create great content with mass appeal. We’re talking about pitching to the big brands (think Netflix, Hulu, etc).
So what takes a pitch to that next level? Rachel turns to Co-Founder of Flow Studios, Matt Naylor. He’s pitched and sold series to both of those big brands we mentioned and co-founded an Emmy-nominated and Clio-winning creative studio. His answer to this question will have you thinking about how to bring your content to life.
Listen to Milkless: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/milkless-dads-investigating-legendary-fatherhood/id1681137694
Link up with Matt here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-naylor-96130a4/
Check out Flow Studios here: https://flowstudios.com/
Have a question for Rachel? https://www.speakpipe.com/vmswithrachel
Want more from Rachel and her crew of brand content experts? Sign up for Genius Cuts. https://www.shareyourgenius.com/genius-cuts
[If you haven’t listened to the voicemail pod with Meg Johnson, scroll back (1 episode) and listen to that first.]
Introducing phone calls with Rachel. Because sometimes you just need a full conversation.
After Meg Johnson (Head Producer at OpenView) left Rachel a message on how brands should be thinking about video strategy, they got back together and recorded their entire conversation for us. From metrics of success to brand affinity strategy, Meg deep dives the importance of thinking through the bigger picture (and strategy) behind your video strategy. Or really any marketing effort.
She drops a few Mean Girls quotes, shares some of her favorite resources, and will leave you inspired to create great content.
Link up with Meg here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/redheadmeg/
Subscribe to her newsletter here: https://sorryimissedyou.substack.com/
Check out OpenView’s video content here: https://www.youtube.com/@OpenViewVenture
Have a question for Rachel? https://www.speakpipe.com/vmswithrachel
Want more from Rachel and her crew of brand content experts? Sign up for Genius Cuts. https://www.shareyourgenius.com/genius-cuts
Video content has been and continues to be a powerful tool in the brand and creator’s tool belt, from video podcasts to social media and beyond. But how are big brands thinking about video? And how do you use it strategically to get closer to your goals?
Enter Meg Johnson—head producer at OpenView, an expansion-stage venture capital firm. She’s got her hands in all kinds of media at all times, including her own email (and audio) newsletter. Listen in to hear her POV on video strategy.
Link up with Meg here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/redheadmeg/ Subscribe to her newsletter here: https://sorryimissedyou.substack.com/ Check out OpenView’s video content here: https://www.youtube.com/@OpenViewVenture
Have a question for Rachel? https://www.speakpipe.com/vmswithrachel
Want more from Rachel and her crew of brand content experts? Sign up for Genius Cuts. https://www.shareyourgenius.com/genius-cuts
On this replay episode, we’re throwing it back and flipping the script. Gretchen Schott, CLO of Threefold and Host of Made for Impact, listened to Rachel’s mini-series on Scared Confident called The First Million—an intimate look at how she built Share Your Genius from 0 to $1M. Inspiring Gretchen to ask, how did you learn to bet on yourself?
Press play for Rachel’s answer.
For the podcast that inspired Gretchen’s question - listen here: https://tiffanysauder.com/scared-confident/takeover-rachel-downey-and-the-first-million-part-1/
Link up with Gretchen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gretchenschott/
Listen to Gretchen’s podcast, Made for Impact: https://www.growthreefold.com/made-for-impact
Have a question for Rachel to find the answer to? Leave her a voicemail:
https://www.speakpipe.com/vmswithrachel
Want more from Rachel and her crew of brand content experts? Sign up for Genius Cuts. https://www.shareyourgenius.com/genius-cuts
Next up in our brand storytelling mini-series, Michael Heller. He’s the CRO of PDA, with a background that makes his current role all the more interesting. He’s a lawyer, founder and CEO of iRevü, and brilliant at inciting creativity, change, and community. The work he’s done as part of PDA has led the charge on many of the largest campaigns—the number one dance trend on TikTok as one of them. So Rachel asked him—why should brands be investing in storytelling?
Link up with Michael here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/xhellerx/
Have a question for Rachel? https://www.speakpipe.com/vmswithrachel
Want more from Rachel and her crew of brand content experts? Sign up for Genius Cuts. https://www.shareyourgenius.com/genius-cuts
If you’re here, we imagine you find storytelling just as important, powerful, and useful as we do. So why should brands invest in it? WeTransfer’s WePresent won an Oscar for their short film, The Long Goodbye, so they know a thing or two about how storytelling impacts people AND business. So Tara Goutermout, WeTransfer’s Brand Strategy Director, is here to answer Rachel’s question—why should brands be investing in storytelling?
Link up with Tara here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taragoutermout/
Have a question for Rachel? https://www.speakpipe.com/vmswithrachel
Want more from Rachel and her crew of brand content experts? Sign up for Genius Cuts. https://www.shareyourgenius.com/genius-cuts
Finding the right (and best) talent is a talent all on its own. And Lindsey Groepper knows how to do it—she’s grown her award-winning B2B PR agency (BLASTmedia) exponentially over the past few years. And to her, finding the best talent isn’t always among the people with the most relevant and extensive experience.
Press play to hear her strategy to finding the best and brightest to grow your teams.
Link up with Lindsey here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseygroepper/
Listen to Saas Half Full here: https://saashalffull.com/
Have a question for Rachel? https://www.speakpipe.com/vmswithrachel
Want more from Rachel and her crew of brand content experts? Sign up for Genius Cuts. https://www.shareyourgenius.com/genius-cuts
Ever been busy and felt like you aren’t feeling as creative as you could be?
Share Your Genius’s own Marketing Lead, Katie Mills jumps in to ask Rachel exactly that question. So listen in for Rachel’s 3 practices to boost your creativity when you need it.
Link up with Katie here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katiemills11/
Have a question for Rachel? https://www.speakpipe.com/vmswithrachel
Want more from Rachel and her crew of brand content experts? Sign up for Genius Cuts. https://www.shareyourgenius.com/genius-cuts
Ever received feedback that didn’t really help you? Or the feedback you received wasn’t even really feedback?
We’ve flipped the script this episode—Share Your Genius Strategic Lead and Producer, Jillian Hoefer, asks Rachel to find the answer to the feedback question. She’s got 2 pieces of advice that will help you get better feedback.
Link up with Jillian here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillianmacnulty/
Have a question for Rachel? https://www.speakpipe.com/vmswithrachel
Want more from Rachel and her crew of brand content experts (like Jillian)? Sign up for Genius Cuts. https://www.shareyourgenius.com/genius-cuts
You saw the title, now enter Lindsey Groepper: BlastMedia’s President and, as Rachel calls her, a total baddie. She exudes confidence and clarity—so how does she do it? And yet, there has to have been a time when she felt intimidated. How does she get back to her confident self? In this voicemail, she breaks down her process and gives out her #1 confidence tip.
Link up with Lindsey here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseygroepper/
Listen to Lindsey’s podcast, SaaS Half Full: https://saashalffull.com/
Have a question for Rachel?
https://www.speakpipe.com/vmswithrachel
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We’re flipping the script for this episode. Gretchen Schott, CLO of Threefold and Host of Made for Impact, leaves Rachel a voicemail. She listened to Rachel’s mini-series on Scared Confident called The First Million—an intimate look at how she built Share Your Genius from 0 to $1M. Inspiring Gretchen to ask, how did you learn to bet on yourself?
Hear Rachel’s answer.
And for the podcast that inspired Gretchen’s question - go here. https://tiffanysauder.com/scared-confident/takeover-rachel-downey-and-the-first-million-part-1/
Link up with Gretchen here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gretchenschott/
Listen to Gretchen’s podcast, Made for Impact: https://www.growthreefold.com/made-for-impact
Have a question for Rachel to find the answer to?
https://www.speakpipe.com/vmswithrachel
Want more from Rachel and her crew of brand content experts? Sign up for Genius Cuts. https://www.shareyourgenius.com/genius-cuts
Where does your confidence come from? And how do you get more of it?
Devin Reed is a LinkedIn content creator, content strategy consultant, and Director of Content and Thought Leadership at Clari. The man oozes confidence—as he should—he is slaying his professional goals with gusto. So Rachel is asking, where does his confidence come from? And what tactics help him keep his confidence up? Tune in to find out.
Link up with Devin here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devinreed/
And sign up for The Reeder here: https://thereeder.co/
Have a question? Rachel will find the answer. Ask it here:
https://www.speakpipe.com/vmswithrachel
Want more from Rachel and her crew of content experts? Sign up for Genius Cuts. https://www.shareyourgenius.com/genius-cuts
In balancing her strengths and weaknesses, Rachel has found discipline is something she’s lacking. So what processes can she put into place to help her out? And who can she turn to point her in that direction?
Enter: Jim Brown. Jim is the co-founder and CEO of Uncovered, a software platform used for solving cold cases of murdered and missing people, and someone Rachel categorizes as unapologetically disciplined. So how does he do it?
Jim’s got 3 practices to help you stay focused, get ish done, and spend time where it matters.
Have a question? Rachel will find the answer. Ask it here:
https://www.speakpipe.com/vmswithrachel
Want more from Rachel and her crew of content experts? Sign up for Genius Cuts. https://www.shareyourgenius.com/genius-cuts
Devin Reed wants to make one thing very clear: personal brand > company brand. Devin is the Director of Content and Thought Leadership at Clari and an Advisor and Writer at The Reeder. And it's safe to say that he's a master of merging personal and company brand. Rachel is in awe of the way Devin shows up online—not only for his personal brand, but also seamlessly and authentically for his company brand. So as she reflects on how she can grow both her own brand as a founder, and the Share Your Genius brand in the marketplace, she knew he was the guy to turn to.
Link up with Devin here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devinreed/
And sign up for The Reeder here: https://thereeder.co/
Have a question? Rachel will find the answer. Ask it here:
https://www.speakpipe.com/vmswithrachel
Want more from Rachel and her crew of content experts? Sign up for Genius Cuts. https://www.shareyourgenius.com/genius-cuts
Rachel has noticed something about herself. She lives in the tension of wanting to get sh*t done while also wanting to make people happy along the way. (Relatable, right?) Which leaves her with the burning question: Can both exist?
Enter: Jim Brown. Jim is the co-founder and CEO of Uncovered, a software platform used for solving cold cases of murdered and missing people, and Rachel's first business partner at Share Your Genius. And the one who introduced her to the power of podcasts.
As Rachel suspected, he's got a no-BS answer that will leave you thinking hard about your inner circle.
Have a question? Rachel will find the answer. Ask it here:
https://www.speakpipe.com/vmswithrachel
Want more from Rachel and her crew of content experts? Sign up for Genius Cuts. https://www.shareyourgenius.com/genius-cuts
What is the balance between chasing revenue or profitability for a growing service business? The focus here can determine the trajectory of the company’s ability to grow sustainably.
The opportunities to try new things are endless when it comes to growing and expanding. Well, this is what Tiffany Sauder (CEO of marketing consultancy, Element Three) says. On this voicemail, you’ll learn how to sort through these decisions.
Have a question? Rachel will find the answer. Ask it here: https://www.speakpipe.com/vmswithrachel
As your business is evolving and new ideas flow, how do you incorporate them into your offerings?
Consistently leveling up can be a challenge, especially if it means upending your processes every time. Rachel gives Tiffany Sauder, fellow CEO and owner of Element Three, a top Indianapolis marketing agency, a call for her best advice on how to incorporate your new and valuable ideas into what you deliver.
Have a question? Rachel will find the answer. Ask it here: https://www.speakpipe.com/vmswithrachel
A favorite practice for Rachel and the Share Your Genius team is “imagine if…”—meaning imagine the big things we can do and create together, for our clients and our own teams.
Sometimes this practice can lead to big, fresh ideas that need a little help getting over the finish line. We need leadership’s buy-in.
Enter Jeremy Briggs, Executive Producer at Modern Health, a health and wellness platform creating really exciting things for mental health and wellness in the workplace.
Listen in to hear Jeremy’s best practices for making big ideas come to life.
Have a question? Rachel will find the answer. Ask it here: https://www.speakpipe.com/vmswithrachel
Some weeks are rough. Plain and simple. Kids are sick. Husband out of town. Too many meetings. You can’t keep your head on straight and you don't show up for your business or your family the way you want.
Rachel is having one of those weeks. So, she calls her friend and mentor Tiffany Sauder— founder and CEO of Element Three and the queen of “sustainably living a life of ‘ands’”—to ask the question: how can I build sustainability into my messy weeks?
Have a question? Rachel will find the answer. Ask it here: https://www.speakpipe.com/vmswithrachel
Rachel Downey is a millennial founder, executive producer, and CEO. And she has lots of questions.
Join Rachel as she sets out to ask her toughest questions about leadership, life, and honing her craft to some of the most inspirational people she knows.
Have a question? Rachel will find the answer. Ask it here: https://www.speakpipe.com/vmswithrachel