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When most business owners think about growth, they usually think about marketing. They think about social media, speaking engagements, email funnels, paid ads, podcasts, partnerships, and networking. Rarely does a book make the top of the list.

But what if a book isn’t just a book? vWhat if it’s a lead-generation tool, a client nurturing tool, a training resource, a credibility builder, and a scalable business asset all rolled into one?

For many educators, coaches, consultants, speakers, and creative entrepreneurs, writing a book feels like a someday project. Some of the most successful entrepreneurs are using books to create leverage, expand their reach, and grow their businesses in ways that simply aren’t possible through one-to-one work alone.

Today, we’re joined by Chandler Bolt of selfpublishing.com to talk about what a book can do for your business! We talk about what makes publishing a book the right choice for a business owner, strategically using your book to bring leads into your business, and the patterns of entrepreneurs who successfully scale their business.

A Book Is More Than a Marketing ToolOne of the biggest mistakes people make is viewing a book as a standalone project.

When approached strategically, a book becomes an asset that supports nearly every area of your business. Instead of creating content that disappears after a few days or weeks, you’re creating something that can continue working for you for years.

A well-positioned business book can help attract leads, nurture prospects, onboard clients, train team members, support speaking opportunities, and establish authority within your industry. Rather than constantly creating from scratch, you have a foundational resource that can be repurposed across multiple platforms and touchpoints.

That’s what makes a book different from many other marketing efforts. The work happens once, but the impact continues long after publication.

Why Self-Publishing Has Changed the Game for EntrepreneursFor years, many aspiring authors assumed traditional publishing was the only legitimate path to getting a book into the world. Today, that simply isn’t true.

Self-publishing has created opportunities for entrepreneurs to maintain control of their content, publish on their own timeline, and integrate their books directly into their businesses. Instead of waiting for permission from a publishing house, business owners can create a resource that serves their audience and supports their long-term goals.

Companies like SelfPublishing.com have helped thousands of authors navigate this process by providing guidance, structure, and support throughout the publishing journey.

For entrepreneurs in particular, self-publishing offers something incredibly valuable: speed and ownership. Rather than trying to fit your message into someone else’s vision, you have the opportunity to create a book that aligns directly with your expertise, audience, and business model.

The Best Business Books Focus on Strategy, Not TacticsOne of the challenges many business owners face when writing a book is worrying that their content will become outdated. The solution is focusing on strategies rather than tactics.

Tactics change constantly, platforms evolve, and algorithms shift. Marketing trends come and go, but the principles behind success tend to remain much more stable over time.

The strongest business books teach readers how to think, not just what buttons to click.

This often means creating frameworks, processes, and repeatable systems that readers can apply to their own situations. Not only does this make the book more valuable for readers, but it also helps clarify your own methodology.

Many entrepreneurs discover that writing a book forces them to articulate ideas they’ve been teaching informally for years. Concepts that once lived only in conversations suddenly become documented systems that can be shared, taught, and scaled.

Stop Saving Your Best Ideas for Paying ClientsA common fear among educators and service providers is that sharing too much in a book will hurt sales. The opposite is usually true.

Readers don’t buy because information is hidden. They buy because they trust the person providing the information.

When a book delivers genuine value, readers get a preview of what it’s like to learn from you. They experience your teaching style, your expertise, and your way of solving problems. Instead of reducing demand, this often increases it.

The goal isn’t to create a glorified sales brochure. The goal is to create something so helpful that readers naturally want to continue learning from you. Generosity builds trust, and trust creates opportunities.

Choosing the Right Book TopicMany entrepreneurs don’t struggle with a lack of ideas. They struggle because they have too many.

They have expertise in multiple areas. They’ve built businesses, developed frameworks, overcome challenges, and accumulated years of experience. Choosing one topic can feel almost impossible.

The key is recognizing that your first book doesn’t have to contain everything.

Instead of trying to cover every area of your expertise, focus on the topic that is most aligned with your current business and easiest for you to teach. Often, the best first book is the subject you could talk about endlessly without preparation.

Ironically, it’s frequently the topic entrepreneurs are most tired of discussing because they’ve been teaching it for years. But that’s exactly what makes it valuable.

The topic that feels obvious to you may be the thing your audience desperately needs help understanding. If other ideas are waiting in the wings, they can become future books.

Writing One Book Often Leads to AnotherOne of the most surprising things about becoming an author is that many people who never imagined writing a book end up writing multiple books.

Before publishing, the process feels overwhelming. The idea of completing a manuscript can seem impossible. After publishing, something shifts.

The mystery disappears. The process becomes familiar. The confidence grows.

Writing a book is much like learning any new skill. The first time requires the most effort because you’re figuring everything out. Once you’ve successfully completed the process, future projects feel much more attainable.

That’s why many authors don’t stop after one book. They realize they have more ideas to share and now have the tools to bring those ideas to life.

Growth Happens When You Create LeverageAt some point, nearly every entrepreneur reaches a crossroads. They’ve built a successful service-based business, but growth starts feeling harder. Their calendar is full. Their income is tied directly to their time. They know they want to scale, but they aren’t sure what the next step looks like.

This is where leverage becomes critical. Leverage allows you to create impact beyond your personal capacity. Instead of helping one person at a time, you begin helping many people at once:

Books create leverage.
Speaking creates leverage.
Courses create leverage.
Systems create leverage.
Processes create leverage.

The entrepreneurs who continue growing are often the ones who intentionally create assets that allow their expertise to reach more people without requiring more hours from them.

A book can become one of those assets.

Maybe Writing a Book Isn’t as Risky as You ThinkFor many aspiring authors, the biggest obstacle isn’t the writing itself. It’s the fear:

Fear of wasting time.
Fear of spending money.
Fear that nobody will read it.
Fear that it won’t lead to business growth.

But what if the real risk isn’t writing the book?

What if the real risk is spending years thinking about writing one and never starting?

Even if a book never generated a single client, the process of organizing your ideas, clarifying your message, and documenting your expertise has value. The skills you develop, the confidence you gain, and the personal accomplishment of completing the project can’t be taken away.

For many people, writing a book is something they’ve wanted to do for years.

Sometimes the biggest return isn’t just financial. Sometimes it’s finally proving to yourself that you can do something you’ve always wanted to do.

The Two Places Most Aspiring Authors Get StuckWhile every writing journey is different, two roadblocks show up again and again.

The first is never starting. Many aspiring authors spend years waiting for the perfect timing, the perfect schedule, or the perfect idea. They continue pushing the dream further into the future.

The second is stopping before the rough draft is finished.cOnce the initial excitement wears off, momentum becomes the challenge. Life gets busy. Other priorities emerge. The draft sits untouched for weeks or months.

But something powerful happens when that first draft is complete. The project starts feeling real, the finish line becomes visible, the momentum shifts.

For many authors, getting the rough draft done is the turning point that transforms an idea into something tangible.

Ready to Turn Your Expertise Into a Book?A book won’t solve every business challenge. It won’t magically replace strategy, marketing, or sales. But when approached intentionally, it can become one of the most valuable assets you create.

If you’ve been thinking about writing a book for years—or even just wondering whether your knowledge, experience, or framework could become something bigger—consider this your sign to stop waiting.

Whether your goal is to build authority, create leverage in your business, reach more people, or finally bring a long-held idea to life, a book can be one of the most powerful assets you create.

If you’re looking for support along the way, the team at SelfPublishing.com has helped thousands of entrepreneurs, educators, coaches, and experts take their ideas from rough concepts to published books. Learn more about their process and resources at SelfPublishing.com and explore what it could look like to finally get your book out into the world.

Connect with Chandler

Website: selfpublishing.com

Instagram: instagram.com/chandler.bolt

Youtube: youtube.com/@ChandlerBoltOfficial

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DOWNLOAD NOWThe post 237: Why Self-Publishing Might Be the Most Underrated Growth Tool in Your Business with Chandler Bolt appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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What if the most effective sales strategy isn’t pitching harder, but building trust first? In this episode, I’m breaking down three different ways speakers and educators can sell from the stage, including the method I personally use to consistently generate strong ROI from speaking engagements without delivering a hard pitch.

I walk through the pros and cons of direct stage selling, explain how to create your own sales-friendly stage, and share why I believe the follow-up offer is often the most powerful conversion tool available to entrepreneurs, educators, and speakers.

If you’ve ever wondered how to monetize speaking opportunities while staying authentic to your values, this episode will give you practical frameworks you can apply immediately.

3 Approaches To Selling From the Stage That Actually WorkFor many educators, speakers, coaches, and creative entrepreneurs, the idea of selling from the stage can feel uncomfortable.

You know your speaking engagements should support your business. You know there should be some kind of return on the time, energy, and expertise you’re bringing to an audience. But if you’ve ever watched a speaker launch into a pitch that felt more like a commercial than a presentation, you’ve probably wondered if there’s a better way.

The good news is that there isn’t just one way to sell from the stage.

In fact, one of the biggest misconceptions in the speaking industry is that every speaker should follow the same formula. The reality is that the best sales strategy is often the one that aligns with your personality, your audience, and the kind of relationship you want to build with the people in the room.

Whether you’re speaking at conferences, hosting workshops, running webinars, or creating educational experiences for your community, understanding the different ways to sell from the stage can help you choose an approach that feels natural and effective.

The Most Important Rule: Build Trust Before You SellBefore talking about specific sales strategies, it’s important to understand one thing: every successful stage sale is built on trust. It doesn’t matter whether you’re making a direct offer, hosting your own event, or following up after the presentation. If the audience doesn’t trust you, the sale won’t happen.

Trust is built through valuable education, thoughtful teaching, and genuine connection. It’s earned when you help people solve problems, see things differently, or gain clarity they didn’t have before they walked into the room.

The timing of the sale may vary, but the foundation remains the same.

The speakers who consistently generate revenue from their speaking opportunities aren’t necessarily the most persuasive salespeople. They’re often the people who do the best job of creating trust before they ever ask someone to take the next step.

Option One: The Hard SellThe first approach is what many people traditionally think of when they hear the phrase “selling from the stage.”

The hard sell is a direct pitch delivered during or immediately after a presentation. The speaker openly shares an offer, explains the investment, presents a clear call to action, and invites attendees to buy.

This approach is especially common when guest speakers have been given explicit permission by the event host to promote their products, programs, or services. For the right speaker, this can work incredibly well. However, the success of a hard sell often comes down to how well the transition is handled.

Don’t Let the Entire Presentation Feel Like a Sales PitchOne of the biggest mistakes speakers make is creating a presentation that feels like it’s simply building toward the sale.

Audiences are incredibly perceptive. If every story, example, and case study feels like a setup for a future offer, people start to disengage. Instead of focusing on the value being delivered, they begin waiting for the inevitable pitch.

The strongest hard-sell presentations lead with education. They give generously. They solve real problems. They leave attendees feeling like they gained value regardless of whether they buy anything.

When the sale finally comes, it feels like a natural extension of the teaching rather than the primary purpose of the presentation.

Be Intentional With Case Studies and Social ProofSuccess stories can be powerful teaching tools, but they can also become disguised sales pitches if they’re not used carefully. There’s a difference between sharing a client story that reinforces a lesson and sharing a client story that exists solely to convince someone to buy. When every example points back to your offer, the audience notices.

The goal should be to use proof in a way that supports the education, not overshadows it.

When done well, attendees leave feeling informed and empowered. When done poorly, they leave feeling like they sat through a commercial.

Option Two: Sell From a Stage You Built YourselfOne of the most overlooked ways to sell from the stage is to create the stage yourself. When people hear this idea, they often imagine hosting a large conference or major event. But your stage can take many forms.

A webinar is a stage.
A virtual workshop is a stage.
A community is a stage.

Even your own event, podcast, or educational platform can become a stage you’ve intentionally built.

The advantage of this approach is that you’re not walking into a room of strangers and trying to establish credibility in a short amount of time. You’ve already spent weeks, months, or even years building trust with the people in that audience.

Because of that, the transition into an offer feels significantly more natural.

Why These Sales Often Feel EasierWhen you’ve built the room yourself, you’re controlling the context. The audience already knows who you are. They’ve likely consumed your content, learned from you before, or interacted with your work in some way. They’re not trying to decide whether they trust you. That decision has largely already been made.

As a result, introducing an offer doesn’t feel like a sudden pivot. Instead, it feels like you’re simply showing people the next step.

The conversation becomes less about convincing someone to work with you and more about helping them decide whether they’re ready for deeper support.

Option Three: The Follow-Up SaleFor many educators and service providers, the most effective sales strategy doesn’t happen on stage at all. It happens afterward.

Rather than spending valuable stage time pitching an offer, this approach focuses entirely on teaching, relationship-building, and creating connection. The presentation itself becomes an opportunity to establish credibility and trust, while the sale happens later through intentional follow-up.

This could look like:

A QR code linking to a free resource
Access to presentation slides
A lead magnet or opt-in
A post-event email sequence
An invitation to continue the conversation

Instead of asking people to buy immediately, you’re inviting them into your ecosystem.

Why the Follow-Up Often Converts BetterMany speakers assume that if they don’t sell in the room, they’ve missed their chance.

In reality, the opposite is often true. When someone hears you speak, they’re processing a lot of information. They’re taking notes, meeting people, thinking about their own business, and absorbing everything they’ve learned throughout the event.

Giving them time to sit with your message can actually make your offer more compelling.

A thoughtful follow-up allows attendees to revisit what they learned, continue building trust, and make a decision from a place of clarity rather than impulse. In many cases, the most powerful pitch isn’t the one delivered from the stage. It’s the one delivered after the audience has had time to fully appreciate the value you provided.

Stop Measuring Speaking ROI by Immediate SalesOne of the reasons many speakers struggle with selling from the stage is that they measure success too narrowly. If they don’t walk off stage with purchases, applications, or clients immediately in hand, they assume the opportunity didn’t work.

But speaking engagements often create momentum that extends far beyond the event itself.

A single presentation can lead to podcast invitations, referral opportunities, future speaking engagements, consulting inquiries, and client relationships that develop weeks or months later.

When you focus exclusively on immediate sales, it’s easy to miss the bigger picture. The goal isn’t simply to monetize a single presentation. The goal is to build relationships that continue creating opportunities long after the event is over.

Choosing the Right Selling Strategy for YouThe best selling strategy isn’t necessarily the one that generates the fastest result. It’s the one that aligns with your strengths Some speakers thrive with a direct offer. They love the energy of a live pitch and feel completely comfortable inviting people to buy on the spot.

Others prefer creating their own stage where the sales process feels more integrated and intentional. And many educators find that follow-up selling allows them to focus entirely on serving the audience while still generating significant business results.

None of these approaches are inherently right or wrong.

What matters most is choosing a strategy that allows you to build trust, serve your audience well, and create opportunities for people to continue working with you.

Sell Through ServingSelling from the stage doesn’t have to feel pushy, awkward, or disconnected from your teaching. Whether you choose a direct pitch, build your own stage, or focus on follow-up sales, the most successful approach will always start with trust.

When people feel seen, supported, and genuinely helped by your content, the sale becomes much easier because it no longer feels like a sales tactic. It feels like the natural next step.

The question isn’t whether you should sell from the stage. The question is how you can do it in a way that feels authentic to you, valuable to your audience, and aligned with the experience you want to create.

Mentioned in this Episode

Creative Educator Conference: layleeemadi.com/conference

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DOWNLOAD NOWThe post 236: Selling From the Stage: How Speakers Build Trust and Increase Conversions appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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It’s no secret that the real magic of a conference doesn’t just happen on stage, but also in the coffee line, late-night lobby chats, and the brave conversations in between. Today, we’re joined by Dawn Richardson to recap the 2026 Creative Educator Conference!

We talk about what felt different this year, why creating safe spaces for high-level business owners matters more than ever, and how courage, connection, and community continue to shape the future of this event.

Why Getting in the Room Still MattersIt’s easy to underestimate the value of being physically present in a room full of people who understand what you’re building.

As business owners, educators, speakers, and leaders, so much of our work happens behind a screen. We spend our days creating content, serving clients, launching offers, and making decisions on our own. Even when things are going well, entrepreneurship can feel surprisingly lonely.

That’s why events and conferences matter so much.

Not because they magically solve all your problems, but because they create space for conversations that wouldn’t happen otherwise. They put you in proximity to people who understand your challenges, celebrate your wins, and can offer a perspective you may never have considered on your own.

Sometimes all it takes is one conversation to spark a new idea, uncover a solution you’ve been searching for, or introduce you to someone who becomes a lasting friend and collaborator.

The Real Magic Happens Between the SessionsThe speakers on stage absolutely matter. Great speakers can challenge the way you think, introduce you to new strategies, and inspire you to take action. That’s why I do put a lot of thought into bringing our Creative Educator Conference attendees fresh ideas and faces that will make an impact.

But often, the most meaningful moments happen after the presentation is over.

They happen when a group gathers in the hallway to continue the conversation. They happen when attendees share their experiences, their struggles, and their wins with one another. They happen when someone casually mentions a challenge they’re facing, and five people immediately jump in to help.

Those are the moments that stick and the conversations that lead to podcast interviews, collaborations, referrals, mastermind groups, and friendships that continue for years.

The best events don’t just create opportunities to learn from the people on stage, but they’re creating opportunities to learn from everyone in the room.

Having the Courage to Be YourselfOne of the themes that continues to come up for entrepreneurs and personal brands is the challenge of standing out. Today, content is the easiest it’s ever been to create, so it can feel tempting to blend in or say what everyone else is saying.

The people who make the biggest impact aren’t usually the ones who sound like everyone else. They’re the ones willing to share their perspective, tell their stories, and show up as themselves.

That doesn’t mean sharing every detail of your life online. It simply means allowing your personality, experiences, and values to become part of the way you lead and communicate.

The things that make you different are often the very things that help people connect with you.

Why Smaller Conversations Create Bigger BreakthroughsThere is something special about gathering in a smaller group, so we’ve created a space for that during the conference. When the room gets smaller, people tend to get more honest. Questions get deeper and conversations become more personal. Challenges that might never be shared in a larger setting suddenly find space to surface.

And that’s where so many breakthroughs happen. Sometimes the biggest lesson comes from hearing someone else’s challenge and realizing you’ve been facing the same thing.

Sometimes it’s hearing how another business owner solved a problem you’ve been struggling with for months. And sometimes it’s simply having people remind you that you’re not the only one figuring things out as you go.

Community Becomes More Important as You GrowThere’s a common assumption that once you’ve reached a certain level in business, you don’t need community anymore. The reality is often the opposite.

As your business grows, the decisions become bigger. The responsibilities increase. The stakes feel higher. And it becomes even more important to have people around you who understand what you’re carrying.

The most successful business owners aren’t doing it alone.

They’re learning from peers. They’re building relationships. They’re surrounding themselves with people who can challenge them, support them, and encourage them when they need it most.

Community isn’t something you outgrow. It’s something you need more of.

Step Into the RoomThe next time you’re considering whether an event is worth attending, don’t just think about the speaker lineup. Think about the conversations you’ll have. Consider the relationships you’ll build.

Think about the people you’ll meet who might change the way you see your business, your goals, or even yourself. While great education is valuable, the right room can give you something even more powerful: connection.

Sometimes, all it takes is getting in the room to find the people, opportunities, and encouragement you’ve been looking for all along.

Mentioned in this Episode

Creative Educator Conference

Sought-After Speaker System

Connect with Dawn

Website: techsavvycreative.com

Instagram: instagram.com/itsdawnrichardson

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DOWNLOAD NOWThe post 235: Recap of the 2026 Creative Educator Conference ft. Dawn Richardson appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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Sometimes the most aligned thing you can do in business is pause. The Creative Educator Conference is just weeks away, and I need to give it my full attention. Instead of stretching myself thin, I’m taking a brief hiatus from new podcast episodes over the next couple of months. Listen in as I share how this decision directly reflects what I teach about preventing burnout and prioritizing what matters most.

If you’re a longtime listener, thank you for being here. If you’re new, welcome—this is a great time to binge some past favorites while we gear up for what’s next.

You could start with our past recaps of The Creative Educator Conference:

198: Recap of the 2025 Creative Educator Conference

121: Recap of The Creative Educator Conference

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DOWNLOAD NOWThe post Taking a Short Podcast Break—Join Me at The Creative Educator Conference appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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How do you make networking not feel gross? In this episode, I chat with my friend and Creative Educator Conference alum Angelica Pompy about the art of intentional relationship building at live events.

If you’ve been at an event with Angelica, you know she has networking down to a science! Angelica shares how she’s used small, intentional moves (like post-event video DMs and setting clear event intentions) to land speaking gigs, workshop collabs, and even sponsorship deals. Her strategies are rooted in genuine connection and service.

If you’ve ever left an event wondering, “Why was I even there?” this conversation will change how you show up next time.

https://youtu.be/wZW5lGWUBt8Why Most Entrepreneurs Leave Events Feeling MehEver leave an event thinking, “Why did I even come?” That feeling usually stems from one key issue: showing up without a plan. Angelica shares how early on in her entrepreneurial journey, she would leave events feeling disappointed—until she started asking herself why she was going in the first place.

Now, every time she steps into a room, she sets at least one clear intention—whether it’s connecting with three aligned entrepreneurs or pitching herself as a podcast guest. When you go in with an intention, you’re more likely to leave the room feeling good about your decision to be there.

The Power of the Follow-UpThe power of the room doesn’t end when you leave. You need to keep the conversation going. Angelica’s secret weapon when it comes to the follow-up is a personalized video DM. The keyword being personalized.

She’ll say, “Hey girl! I loved connecting at [event name]. I’d love to learn more about how you serve and see how I can support you.”

That one message has led to speaking gigs, co-hosted workshops, and deeper friendships for Angelica. Not only is she expanding her relationship with them outside of the room, she’s reminding them of who she is and where they met, but also opening the doors for them to share more with her.

This isn’t about being fake or pushing your services. It’s about creating space to receive and to serve.

Building Long-Term Wins from Real-Time MomentsAt her first Creative Educator Conference, Angelica mentioned to a few attendees that she was looking to be a guest on podcasts. She left with six podcast guest bookings. The best part is that it didn’t feel transactional—it felt aligned.

Later on, her intentionality landed her:

A recurring workshop co-host
Speaking opportunities at new conferences
A full-circle sponsorship moment where an attendee from a past event later joined her retreat
Her highest profit margin yet at her upcoming Galentine’s event (thanks to relationship-based sponsorships)

Mistakes to Avoid at EventsWhile we’re always about keeping things positive, it’s important to know what not to do so that you don’t make these mistakes at networking events or conferences. Angelica didn’t hold back about what not to do:

Showing up with no plan: Know who you want to meet or what you want to get out of the room.
Being glued to your phone or laptop: It makes you unapproachable—and people notice.
Not doing your homework: Reach out to past attendees or the host. Make sure this event is aligned with your goals.

If you’re going to invest the time and money, plant your feet and be present. While we may not be saving lives as creative educators, we can unplug for a day.

From DM to Dollar: How Sponsors Say YesAngelica also broke down how she’s secured sponsorships—from her nail tech to big brands.

Her process is gold:

Keep a list of brands you love or have supported
Ask: “Would their ideal client benefit from being at this event?”
Reach out personally and present the win-win
Show proof of impact through your platform or email list engagement

She had one sponsor sign on two days after meeting her in person. It was a no-brainer because of that face-to-face trust.

Set Your Intention, Then Show UpWhether you’re hosting, attending, or speaking, being intentional with your presence is what unlocks real connections and long-term business growth.

Ask yourself, “What is the purpose of this room for me?” If it doesn’t serve you in this season, give yourself permission to say no.

Mentioned in this Episode

Creative Educator Conference: layleeemadi.com/conference

Connect with Angelica

Website: angelicapompy.com

Business Church: angelicapompy.com/business-church

Instagram: instagram.com/angelicapompy

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As a long-time podcast host (and even longer-time podcast guest), I can respect the work that goes into creating a show and hosting interviews. Recently, the trust in this process was broken by hosts that simply didn’t value my time or honor the systems of podcasting. In today’s episode, I sit down with my own podcast producer, Haylee Gaffin, to explore the responsibilities of podcast hosts and what guests should expect as they prepare for interviews.

Plus, in honor of this conversation, she’s agreed to share the hidden link to her Podcast Guest Research Assistant Custom GPT with our audience before she adds it to her shop!

Why Being a Prepared Host MattersPodcasting is more than a place to share your thoughts and ideas; it’s also a platform, reputation, and community builder. For creators, especially those who speak professionally or run businesses tied to their show, how you show up on other people’s platforms matters. But what happens when the host doesn’t show up the way they should?

In five years of hosting and ten years of guesting I’d never experienced an unprepared host until recently—when it happened twice. I was pitched by their team member, prepared myself for the call, and when I jumped into the interview, both hosts were unprepared and ultimately told me the conversation shouldn’t happen right now.

Each experiences and reasons were different, but in both situations, if the host had been a part of the prep, it could have easily been handled before the interview. If I was a competitor of one of their spokespersons, I should have never been pitched. If my topics didn’t speak to their ideal listener, they should have never invited my topics on.

When hosts don’t know the topic, if the guest fits their audience (or their podcast goals), or how to guide the conversation, the guest is left in an awkward position of being asked to reschedule (or preferably pivot). That’s exactly where responsibility as a host becomes a leadership lesson.

The Missed Leadership Opportunity for Podcast HostsIt’s easy to outsource pitching, scheduling, and even prep to a team member. But if the host isn’t aware of the guest’s topic or alignment, you end up with:

Awkward interviews
Mismatched audiences
Missed value for listeners
Strained professional relationships

As Haylee points out: the host needs to be the one to approve guests and topics before any external communication happens. If the host doesn’t even know why they want the guest before the pitch goes out—there’s a system breakdown.

What Goes Wrong When A Podcast Host Isn’t PreparedAs a podcast host, I know there is a lot that goes into planning and recording content and mistakes can happen. From my perspective as the guest, here’s what happened in those awkward episodes:

My team communicated my topics, but the host didn’t get the memo.
The host showed up unaware of why I was the guest.
Within minutes of being on the call, it was clear the topics did not fit.
Host suggested we not move forward with the interview.

From the guest’s perspective, I’ve gotten camera ready, blocked off the time, and prepared for their audience and podcast, only to have the host say “We might reschedule.”

In all honesty, it feels rude. Podcast conversations are time and energy investments.

How Good Podcast Hosts Leverage Podcast Preparation to Prevent ThisHere’s what responsible hosts should be doing before a guest walks in:

Be the gatekeeper of your guest listHosts should approve the names and topics before pitches go out.
Quarterly system reviewsIf someone else pitches for you (an assistant or team member), check in quarterly to confirm alignment, goals, and quality.
Minimal but intentional prepYou don’t have to write every question, but you should:
Know the intended topic
Understand why it serves your audience
Share a conversational outline

Even a short, automated message from you (not your team) goes a long way in establishing connection and clarity.

How Podcast Guests Can Show Up WellHosts aren’t the only ones responsible—guests should also come prepared to serve the audience by:

Listening to prior episodes
Knowing the host’s rhythm and approach
Setting clear expectations about your topic ahead of time

Research shouldn’t be exhaustive, but instead a focused understanding of the host and their audience is the difference between impactful and awkward.

What to Do When Things Go SidewaysIf the host truly didn’t prep — the professional response isn’t silence or disappear:

A responsible apology takes ownership
It shows awareness of time invested
It protects your brand and theirs

Whether email or DM, owning the experience gracefully keeps doors open without sacrificing dignity.

The Tool that Helps Podcast Hosts Do Better Guest Research During the episode, Haylee shared a game‑changing tool she built—a custom research assistant using AI that:

Summarizes guest expertise
Helps hosts understand topic fit
Generates conversational outlines

This tool exists to prevent mismatched interviews before they happen!

Podcasting isn’t transactional—it’s relational. Whether you’re hosting or guesting, relationships and reputations matter more than the outcome of a single episode.

You can grab Haylee’s Podcast Guest Research Assistant GPT here!

Mentioned in this Episode

Podcast Guest Research Assistant Custom GPT: gaffincreative.com/gptlaylee

Connect with Haylee

Website: gaffincreative.com

Instagram: instagram.com/hayleegaffin

Podcast: gaffincreative.com/clockingin

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Ever wonder what really goes into setting intentional, aligned goals as a creative entrepreneur? In this episode, I’m giving you a transparent look behind the scenes at how I’m approaching 2026. We’ll take through what worked in 2025 and the challenges I’m not dragging into the new year. Listen in as I share my personal reflection process, emotional and data-based audits, and the tangible plans I’m most excited about for the year ahead.

I also share some vulnerable updates: hiring a new coach, my long-time dream of writing a book, and why I’m staying firm in creating original, human-first content without AI writing tools. Whether you’ve set your goals or not, I hope this gives you permission to move at your own pace!

Why I Don’t Believe in “New Year, New Me”Let’s get one thing out of the way: January 1 is an arbitrary date. I always say my real new year begins in March, when the energy of spring kicks in and I’ve had space to rest, reflect, and reset. If you haven’t mapped out your goals yet, you are not behind. There’s no magic in the calendar. There is magic in showing up when you’re actually ready.

That’s why I take time to sit with my year before I try to dream up a new one. I flip through my planner, journal (if I’m in the mood), and ask myself how I really felt, not just what I accomplished.

Two Audits That Changed EverythingI’ve developed a two-part audit system that helps me reflect deeply and set aligned goals:

Emotional Audit: I go quarter by quarter and ask, “How did I feel?” Not what I achieved, but how I felt during that process. Was I energized, drained, excited, bored?
Data-Based Audit: Then I layer on the facts. What were my numbers? Where was my time going? What offers worked? What events filled my cup (or emptied it)?

This year, I realized Q1 was incredible, thanks to the Creative Educator Conference. But Q3? It felt off. I was building a course, onboarding new team members, and trying to juggle too much. The feelings matched the data: I needed more support, more rest, and fewer overlapping projects.

What’s Coming in 2026Once the audits are complete, I start vision casting. This year, I’m moving forward with some big dreams and bold decisions:

The Conference is BackYes, the Creative Educator Conference is returning in 2026. It’s a massive commitment financially, emotionally, and logistically. Seeing creative educators come together is worth every bit of it.

A New Speaker-Focused OfferAfter piloting a new version of my speaker mastermind last year, I’m crafting a fresh offer just for speakers. It’s built from direct feedback and the very real needs I see in our industry. I can’t wait for you to see what’s included!

Continued Community in the Educators LoungeThe Educators Lounge remains one of my favorite spaces. It’s where creative educators come to drop the weight of their work, share the real struggles, and feel supported. We’re always tweaking and improving it based on member feedback, but its purpose is so aligned in my business.

The Book Dream is Officially OnThis is the big one for me. I’ve dreamed of writing a book since I was a teenager, and 2026 is the year I finally make it real. I’ve kept this quiet for so long, mostly out of fear, but not anymore. I’m sharing it with you because I believe in transparency, and because maybe you need to hear that it’s not too late to chase that dream.

I Hired a New CoachAfter years of leading masterminds, hosting events, and coaching others, it was time for me to get back into the client seat. Finding the right fit was hard, but I did it. I can’t wait to see how this new coach impacts not just my business, but my life.

Running Ads (Cautiously)For the first time in five years, we’re experimenting with ads. Not to “scale fast,” but to bring the right people into our community and offers, especially the ones that are self-paced or evergreen. I’m approaching this with curiosity, not pressure.

Still Not Using AI for My VoiceThis one’s a little spicy. I don’t use AI for my marketing copy, and I don’t plan to. I believe my voice, my brain, and my lived experiences are what make my content valuable. That’s the whole point of leadership: it needs to come from you. If AI writes my posts, then what’s the difference between me and a prompt?

That said, no shade to anyone who uses it. You do you. But for me? The extra effort is worth it.

Mentioned in this Episode

Creative Educator Conference

The Educator’s Lounge

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If you’ve ever wondered whether your voice is really valuable enough to be paid for, consider this episode your wake-up call. Tomasha Suber shares a behind-the-scenes insight that most speakers wish they had when starting out. Speaking is not just a visibility play—it’s a revenue strategy and your voice is an asset.

Want to become the kind of speaker event hosts are excited to put on stage? My Sought-After Speaker System shows you how to craft irresistible pitches, build relationships with organizers, and create signature talks that make you the obvious choice.

LEARN MOREThis episode is brought to you by Enji:

You don’t need another complicated content calendar or overwhelming marketing tool.
You need something that actually works with your flow—not against it. That’s why I use Enji.

It’s the only marketing platform built specifically for speakers, coaches, and creatives who want to stay visible—without burning out. Whether you’re planning content, managing campaigns, or just trying to show up consistently, Enji makes it simple, strategic, and actually sustainable.

Ready to stop overthinking your marketing? Try Enji and get a special discount with my link!

TRY ENJIFrom Visibility to Revenue: Rethinking Why You SpeakFor so many speakers, the early days are all about “getting your name out there.” We say yes to unpaid gigs in the name of exposure, we hustle to build authority, and we try to prove our value without ever asking for compensation.

The reality is, exposure doesn’t pay the bills and it doesn’t build a sustainable business.

In our conversation, Tomasha reminds us that if you’re only thinking of speaking as a visibility strategy, you’re already behind. That might sound harsh, but it’s real. Speaking is one of the most direct and powerful ways to generate revenue. The sooner you see it that way, the faster you’ll grow.

Compete Less, Collaborate MoreTomasha believes in the power of collaboration and has an approach that we should all consider: You need to show yourself as compatible, not competition.

We’ve all had those moments when someone on stage before us crushes a talk on the exact same topic we’re about to cover. It’s tempting to spiral into insecurity. But the truth is, even if the topic is the same, your voice isn’t.

Your perspective is different. Your delivery is different. Your energy is different. And more importantly, there’s someone in the room who’s waiting for your message, in your way.

That’s why collaboration matters. Hosts want to work with people who make the experience better, not people who are stuck in comparison. You will be someone people want to work with again and again when you see yourself as an asset.

Owning the Mic (and Your Value)As we wrapped the conversation, Tomasha shared a mindset that every speaker should adopt, “I walk into a room and I know I’m someone everyone in that room needs to know.”

It’s not because of ego or because of bravado. It’s because she’s done the work to understand the unique value of her voice and she’s not afraid to own it. That confidence doesn’t come overnight, but it does come from practice, clarity, and being willing to ask for what you deserve.

So here’s what I want to leave you with: your voice is ready. You don’t need to have a New York Times bestseller. You don’t need a 100k following. You don’t need a perfect script.

You just need to start showing up as someone who knows their voice is valuable. And then? Ask to be paid accordingly.

Mentioned in this Episode

Sought-After Speaker System
Enji

Connect with Tomasha

tomashasuber.com

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Instagram growth without the gimmicks? Yes, please. In this episode, Shannon McKinstrie brings a refreshing perspective to marketing, ditching the “hot take” culture and helping people show up online in ways that feel human, ethical, and effective. We dive into what types of posts convert, how to overcome content paralysis, and why the “rules” of Instagram might be total BS.

This episode is brought to you by Enji:

You don’t need another complicated content calendar or overwhelming marketing tool.
You need something that actually works with your flow—not against it. That’s why I use Enji.

Ready to stop overthinking your marketing? Try Enji and get a special discount with my link!

TRY ENJIMentioned in this Episode

Enji

Connect with Shannon

shannonmckinstrie.com
Reels Lab
The Good Content Podcast

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A safe space is necessary, but a brave space changes everything. In this snack-sized episode, I’m sharing a powerful moment from a conversation I had with Christina Olivarez inside the Sought-After Speaker System.

Christina breaks down why it’s not enough to just create safety, but you have to create courage. Her event goes beyond inspiration and becomes an economic force where women invest in themselves and each other. We talk about reclaiming space, leading unapologetically, and how visibility is the first step to getting on stages and creating change.

LEARN MOREThis episode is brought to you by Enji:

You don’t need another complicated content calendar or overwhelming marketing tool.
You need something that actually works with your flow—not against it. That’s why I use Enji.

Ready to stop overthinking your marketing? Try Enji and get a special discount with my link!

TRY ENJIMentioned in this Episode

Sought-After Speaker System
Enji

Connect with Christina

Christina Olivarez: thesocialbutterflygal.net

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Retreat hosts aren’t just booking a speaker, they’re inviting you into the most intimate room they’ve built. That changes everything.

In this final episode of our speaker selection series, I’m pulling together my favorite clips from interviews with incredible retreat hosts inside my course, the Sought-After Speaker System. This time, we’re zeroing in on retreats: what makes them different, how selection works, and what hosts truly value in a speaker.

Listen in as Tomasha Suber, Frances Ledgewood, and Heather Leicy & Jamie Fischer join us to share what they’re looking for when they select speakers for their intimate experiences.

These clips are part of a larger speaker interview series inside of Sought-After Speaker System, my course for speakers. Check out the full uncut interviews inside the course.

LEARN MOREThis episode is brought to you by Enji:

You don’t need another complicated content calendar or overwhelming marketing tool.
You need something that actually works with your flow—not against it. That’s why I use Enji.

Ready to stop overthinking your marketing? Try Enji and get a special discount with my link!

TRY ENJIThe Unique Energy of RetreatsRetreats are small by design. They’re built to foster connection, depth, and transformation. That also means that who is invited to speak—and how they show up—has an outsized impact on the entire experience.

Unlike conferences where you may deliver a keynote and disappear backstage, retreats require you to be present, invested, and aligned with the energy of the room.

It’s not just about your ability to teach a great topic. It’s about your ability to lead, mentor, and engage in real-time. It’s about being a contributor to the experience, not just a name on a schedule.

What Real Hosts Are SayingInside the Sought After Speaker System, I interviewed three incredible retreat hosts (technically four!)—each with a very different audience and model—but they all said versions of the same thing: they’re not just picking speakers based on resumes.

Tamasha doesn’t take applications. She hand-selects speakers after watching them for a while—online and in community. She’s looking for people who live what they teach, because her attendees don’t just need inspiration—they need real-world alignment and depth.

“I want to watch how you move. I want to see if your content matches your character.” – Tamasha Suber

Frances is hosting her first retreat for wedding stationers, and with only 12 attendees, she’s prioritizing intimacy. Her speakers need to feel like mentors in the room, not just presenters.

She wants women who get the industry-specific challenges and can connect both in front of the group and in quiet conversations over coffee.

“It’s not about who’s the most polished. It’s about who can hold space and be real.” – Frances Ledgewood

While Conquer Live is technically a conference, Heather & Jamie intentionally build it with a retreat feel—high trust, small group energy, and deep interaction.

They invite people who are already present in their community: active in the Facebook group, showing up to conversations, already aligned with the values of the space.

“If you already feel like part of the room, we’re more likely to ask you to speak in it.” – Jamie & Heather

What This Means for YouSo how do you actually get selected to speak at a retreat?

Show Up Before You PitchEngage where the host is already building community. Comment on their posts. Share their content. Show up in their DMs with genuine encouragement—not an ask.

Be Consistent with Your Message and Your PresenceRetreat hosts aren’t just looking at what you say in your speaker one-sheet. They’re watching what you say everywhere else—your stories, your posts, your responses.

Be the Kind of Speaker Who Can Mentor in the MomentThis isn’t about charisma—it’s about character. Are you approachable? Relational? Comfortable with depth? That matters more than your credentials in these spaces.

Why Retreats Are Worth PursuingRetreats can change your business—and your life.

They’re where real relationships are built. Where you’re not just remembered as a speaker, but as someone who helped shift someone’s trajectory in a hallway moment or quiet conversation.

They’re also a unique form of visibility. You walk away with depth of connection that no large event can match. And in a noisy digital world, depth wins.

Mentioned in this Episode

Sought-After Speaker System
Enji

Connect with the Guests

Tomasha Suber: tomashasuber.com
Jamie & Heather: instagram.com/theconquercommunity
Frances Ledgewood: ledgewoodfinestationery.com

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Want to know what really happens after you hit submit on your speaker pitch? It’s easy to feel like your application disappears into a void, but today, we’re pulling back the curtain on the process that Conquer Live hosts take. I sat down with Jamie Fiscer and Heather Leicy to uncover what goes on behind the scenes when hosts choose speakers for their stages.

LEARN MOREMentioned in this Episode

The Sought-After Speaker System

Connect with the Guests

Jamie & Heather: instagram.com/theconquercommunity

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DOWNLOAD NOWThe post 227: The Speaker Selection Process: What Event Organizers Look for in Speaker Applications ft. Jamie Fisher & Heather Leicy appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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What do event hosts actually look for when they book speakers? I sat down with 10 powerhouse event hosts who not only curate stages, but often speak on them too, and asked exactly that.

In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain to bring you their top 10 tips. These aren’t just theories; they’re what real decision-makers are looking for when they choose who gets the mic. If you’ve ever wondered how to make yourself more bookable, this episode is for you.

Listen in as Jordan Gill, Elizabeth Henson, Amber Housely, Kristina Bartold, Jamie Fischer, Heather Leicy, Amanda Smith, Tomasha Suber, Christina Oliveraz, and Frances Ledgewood tell you exactly what makes them select a speaker!

These clips are part of a larger speaker interview series inside of Sought-After Speaker System, my course for speakers. Check out the full uncut interviews inside the course.

LEARN MOREThe Top 10 Speaker Tips from Event HostsEvent hosts are getting more selective and more intentional.

With so many voices out there, the ones getting booked aren’t just the loudest. They’re the most aligned, the most prepared, and the most connected to the audience experience. If you’ve been wondering why your pitch isn’t landing, it might be because you’re skipping the human part.

These 10 tips aren’t just about strategy, they’re about showing up in a way that’s real, resonant, and ready to serve.

Don’t Skip the Video ApplicationHosts want to see the real you. Your energy, your delivery, the way your face lights up when you talk about your topic, all of that matters just as much as your speaker sheet. Jamie and Heather emphasized how a video helps them see the heart behind your message.
Know the Audience You’re Speaking ToYour talk might be amazing, but if it’s not tailored to the specific needs of the event’s audience, it’s not going to land. Amanda Smith curates her speaker lineup based on what her people are actively struggling with and she chooses speakers who reflect those exact needs.
Be Someone the Host Wants to Learn FromThis might sound simple, but it’s huge: hosts often create events they’d want to attend. Joanna Waterfall books speakers she’s personally excited to hear from. If your story resonates with her curiosity and passion, you’re in.
Be Expansive, Not Just ImpressiveYour credentials are great, but how are you making the audience feel? Kristina Bartold looks for speakers who spark possibility. The kind of people who make the audience sit up, feel seen, and imagine what’s possible for themselves.
Skip the Fluff, Bring the HowAmber Housleymade it clear: her audience doesn’t just want to feel good, they want to leave with something they can use. Practical teaching, clear takeaways, and real action steps will always win over vague inspiration.
Help Create a Brave SpaceCreating safety is just the starting point. Christina Olivarez wants speakers who help make the room brave—a space where women of color can be seen, celebrated, and supported in real ways.
Go Deep and Be RelatableForget polished perfection. Jordan Gill is all about speakers who are willing to go there. Vulnerability, depth, and authenticity are what make you memorable and magnetic.
Respect the Process (Even if You’re Invited)Elizabeth Henson might personally invite you, but she still expects you to apply. Why? Because understanding the event’s mission and going through the same steps as everyone else shows respect and alignment.
Live Your MessageIt’s not enough to speak about a topic, you have to embody it. Tomasha Suber shared that her attendees are watching you. Your social content, your offers, your presence—it all needs to reflect what you’re teaching.
Speak to What’s RealFrances curates her events based on the day-to-day challenges her audience is facing. If your talk doesn’t feel real, it won’t connect. Show you understand what they’re going through and offer real solutions.

The Real TakeawayThere’s no formula to becoming a sought-after speaker, but there is a clear through-line in what event hosts value:

Authenticity
Depth
Service
Alignment

These 10 tips prove that getting booked isn’t about shouting the loudest. It’s about showing up with intention, clarity, and a heart to truly serve.

And if you want a step-by-step system to help you do just that—I’ve got you.

LEARN MOREMentioned in this Episode

The Sought-After Speaker System

Connect with the Guests

Elizabeth Henson: elizabethhenson.co
Jordan Gill: systemssavedme.com
Amber Housley: amberhousley.com
Kristina Bartold: highvibewomen.ca
Joanna Waterfall: instagram.com/joannawaterfall
Jamie & Heather: instagram.com/theconquercommunity
Amanda Smith: dallasgirlgang.com
Tomasha Suber: tomashasuber.com
Christina Olivarez: thesocialbutterflygal.net
Frances Ledgewood: ledgewoodfinestationery.com

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It’s not just what you say on stage—it’s how you show up in the room. In this snack sized episode, Joanna Waterfall shares what really makes a speaker memorable from a host’s perspective. Spoiler: it’s not just a killer keynote. Joanna gets real about the importance of showing up authentically before, during, and after your talk.

We talk about how speakers who immerse themselves in the community, rather than just breeze in and out, are the ones that leave the biggest impact. If you’re trying to land speaking gigs or wondering how to get asked back again and again, this one’s for you.

This episode comes from a segment of my interview with Joanna as part of a series with event hosts inside my Sought-After Speaker System course.

LEARN MOREMentioned in this Episode

layleeemadi.com/sought-after-speaker-system-course

Connect with Joanna

instagram.com/joannawaterfall

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DOWNLOAD NOWThe post 225: How to Show Up and Stand Out as a Speaker ft. Joanna Waterfall appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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Are unpaid speaking gigs worth it or a complete waste of your time? In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on a question that every industry educator and speaker eventually asks: “Should I take the stage if I’m not getting paid?”

You’ll hear from powerhouse speakers and event hosts like Jordan Gill, Elizabeth Henson, Amber Housely, Kristina Bartold, Jamie Fischer, Heather Leicy, Amanda Smith, and Tomasha Suber, who share the real stories and strategies behind their decisions to say yes (or no) to unpaid gigs.

These clips are part of a larger speaker interview series inside of Sought-After Speaker System, my course for speakers. Check out the full uncut interviews inside the course.

LEARN MOREAre Unpaid Speaking Gigs Worth It? Here’s How to Know When to Say YesThis is a question every industry educator wrestles with at some point. Whether you’re just starting out or scaling your speaking career, unpaid opportunities can feel like a gamble. But after interviewing some of the smartest speakers and event hosts in the business, one thing became crystal clear: unpaid doesn’t have to mean unprofitable.

The truth is, unpaid speaking gigs can absolutely work in your favor—if you know what to look for, how to prepare, and how to measure their value strategically.

Let’s break it down.

Why Speakers Say Yes to Unpaid Gigs (Strategically)Think of it as a Marketing ExpenseJordan Gill, who completed 11 speaking engagements in a single year, only accepted one completely unpaid opportunity and she’d do it again. Why? Because the audience was perfectly aligned and the event delivered real value beyond compensation.

Instead of viewing unpaid gigs as losses, she budgets for them like she would Facebook ads or other marketing efforts. Her advice: “If I’d pay for ads to reach this audience, I’ll consider paying to be in the room with them instead.”

That’s a powerful mindset shift. It reframes speaking as an investment, not a favor.

You Need a Funnel That ConvertsUnpaid gigs are only worthwhile if they convert. Elizabeth Henson evaluates each event through the lens of whether her funnel is likely to perform.

She’s not pitching from stage—she’s offering a quiz that seamlessly fits into her keynote. From there, she drives attendees into her ecosystem and into her higher-ticket offers.

“If I get one sale from a talk, that usually covers the cost of travel,” she explained. “And that’s all I need.”

The key takeaway here: Exposure without a sales system is just vanity. Don’t say yes to a stage if you don’t have a clear plan to turn attention into action.

Other Forms of Value Beyond a PaycheckThe Real ROI Is in RelationshipsAmber Housely emphasizes what many overlook: the relationships behind the scenes. From networking with other speakers to connecting with attendees and hosts, unpaid gigs often create the kind of opportunities that snowball into future collaborations, invites, and referrals.

If the event puts you in a room with aligned people, decision-makers, or potential collaborators: that’s value.

The Power of Staying PresentKristina Bartold brought up something that might surprise newer speakers: attending the full event matters. She’s seen a significant drop in breakout room attendance when speakers only show up for their time slot and leave.

By sticking around, you deepen connections and maximize visibility. You don’t just show up—you become part of the experience.

How to Decide: A Framework for Evaluating Unpaid GigsIf you’re considering an unpaid speaking gig, here are five questions to ask yourself before you say yes:

Is the audience made up of my ideal clients or buyers? You don’t need thousands in the room—just the right people.
Do I have a clear funnel or follow-up system in place? If you’re not pitching, how are you inviting them into your world?
Will I receive any valuable assets from the event? This includes high-quality video, photography, testimonials, or repurposable content.
Can I build meaningful relationships with speakers or hosts? Think long-term. One connection can lead to countless future opportunities.
Does this opportunity align with my current business goals or season? Sometimes you’re in a growth phase. Sometimes you need revenue now. Your decision should reflect that.

Why Boundaries Matter (And Why You Should Share Them)Tomasha’s perspective is a masterclass in professional clarity. She no longer entertains unpaid gigs that don’t clearly communicate expectations from the start. She encourages other speakers to hold their standards just as firmly.

Her take? If a gig isn’t aligned with your values, goals, or boundaries, say no with confidence. And remember: saying no can still be a way of serving—it creates space for another speaker who might benefit more from the opportunity.

You Can Always Say No. But You Can Also Say Yes (Intentionally)There’s no right or wrong answer when it comes to unpaid speaking. What matters is that your decision is intentional.

Amanda Smith shared how she and another speaker creatively structured a speaking partnership with no paycheck but tons of value: travel as a personal retreat, stage access, aligned audience, and media opportunities. The key? Clear communication and mutual benefit.

Bottom line: There are dozens of ways to create value and dozens of ways to waste your time. Knowing the difference is what sets you apart.

Should You Take That Unpaid Speaking Opportunity?Unpaid speaking gigs aren’t automatically good or bad. But when you understand your goals, have systems in place, and communicate clearly, they can open doors you didn’t even know were there.

So the next time an unpaid opportunity lands in your inbox, don’t dismiss it right away. Use this framework to decide if it’s actually strategic.

And if you’re ready to take your speaking career to the next level with a clear path to pitching, speaking, and selling, I’ve got something just for you.

LEARN MOREMentioned in this Episode

The Sought-After Speaker System

Connect with the Guests

Elizabeth Henson: elizabethhenson.co
Jordan Gill: systemssavedme.com
Amber Housley: amberhousley.com
Kristina Bartold: highvibewomen.ca
Joanna Waterfall: instagram.com/joannawaterfall
Jamie & Heather: instagram.com/theconquercommunity
Amanda Smith: dallasgirlgang.com
Tomasha Suber: tomashasuber.com

Looking for the Transcript?

DOWNLOAD NOWThe post 224: Are Unpaid Speaking Gigs Worth It? appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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Ever wondered why some speakers get paid and others don’t? This episode spills the truth.

In this honest, behind-the-scenes convo with Christina Olivarez, founder of Hustle + Socialize, we dig into what it really takes to build a sustainable event—especially when it comes to speaker pay. This is a raw and real look at how Christina balances value with budget, and what she’s learned the hard way about selecting speakers, funding through sponsorship, and what she expects from those who take her stage.

This episode comes from a segment of my interview with Christina as part of a series with event hosts inside my Sought After Speaker System course.

LEARN MOREMentioned in this Episode

layleeemadi.com/sought-after-speaker-system-course

Connect with Christina

Christina Olivarez: thesocialbutterflygal.net

Looking for the Transcript?

DOWNLOAD NOWThe post 223: How Conference Budgets Impact Who Gets Paid (And Who Doesn’t) ft. Christina Olivarez appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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Money talk is always juicy, especially when it comes to speaker fees. In this behind-the-scenes episode, I’m doing something different: I’ve interviewed multiple event hosts to get their real, unfiltered takes on how they approach speaker compensation. Whether you’ve ever wondered why some gigs are unpaid or what kind of value you can still gain without a check, this is your go-to listen.

As part of my Sought After Speaker System course, these interviews offer a glimpse into the wide range of strategies that event hosts in the creative industry use to compensate their speakers, from full speaker fees to creative bartering (think accommodations, funnels, and coupon codes).

Whether you’re trying to build a profitable speaking strategy or simply deciding which stages are worth your time, this breakdown will help you approach speaker opportunities with clarity and confidence.

LEARN MOREHow Speaker Compensation Actually Works (It’s Not What You Think)First, let’s debunk a common myth: Getting paid to speak doesn’t always mean getting a paycheck.

Elizabeth Henson, a community-driven event host, shared that while she doesn’t pay speakers a fee, she provides opportunities for revenue through funnel-friendly audiences, accommodations, and media support. Her speakers often walk away with more income from post-event sales than she could have paid them outright.

This model is becoming increasingly common—especially in smaller, independently-run creative events where hosts are balancing tight budgets with a desire to deliver value.

So what does “compensation” really look like?

Complimentary event tickets
Covered travel, lodging, and meals
VIP experiences
Access to professional video and photography
A room full of qualified leads, without promotion pressure

The big idea? Smart speakers don’t just count the check. They calculate the return.

Speaker vs. Business Owner Who Speaks: Why It MattersKristina Bartold brought up an important distinction: not all speakers are created equal—and that’s not a bad thing.

Some people are professional speakers. Their fee is their income. Others are business owners who speak—using stages to build brand visibility, grow their list, or convert ideal clients. If you’re in the latter camp (which most of my audience is), the way you approach compensation should be strategic, not emotional.

Kristina is happy to pay professional speakers for keynotes but expects business owners to leverage the stage for visibility and funnel-building. That means she may not offer a speaker fee, but she ensures there’s clear value in the opportunity.

Bottom line: If speaking is part of your marketing strategy, not your main revenue stream, you might find unpaid gigs to be surprisingly profitable when you know how to work them.

Creative Compensation Structures You Should Know AboutWhat I loved most about these interviews was how creative the compensation structures were. Gone are the days of flat-fee-only mindsets. Event hosts are finding ways to add value while staying within realistic budgets.

Jordan Gill’s Tiered Model:* Paid keynote slots with hotel and transport * Moderated panel speakers with partial comp * VIP “lightning talk” slots that speakers paid for to get stage time, speaker coaching, and media assets

Amber Housley’s Coupon Strategy:* $100 discount codes for attendees = $100 paid to the speaker per redemption * Speakers who shared widely earned thousands while the event also benefited from extra reach

Joanna Waterfall’s Flat + Flexible Approach:* Workshop leaders received $1,000 + travel and lodging * Main stage speakers negotiated based on experience * All speakers received professional media, promo, and clear terms upfront

This kind of transparency helps both hosts and speakers feel empowered and aligned from the start: no awkward money talks required.

Know What to Ask (and What You Actually Want)If you walk away with one thing from this episode, let it be this: Every speaking opportunity comes with value, but not every one is the right value for you.

Ask yourself:

Will I be speaking to my ideal audience?
Can I pitch or direct attendees to a funnel?
Are there media assets (photos, video) I can reuse?
Are accommodations or travel covered?
Will this stage give me credibility or visibility that opens doors?

And don’t be afraid to negotiate. As Joanna said, contracts are not black-and-white. They’re conversations. You can always ask for assets, coverage, or promo in place of payment—especially if the fee isn’t there.

LEARN MOREMentioned in this Episode

The Sought-After Speaker System

Connect with the Guests

Elizabeth Henson: elizabethhenson.co
Jordan Gill: systemssavedme.com
Amber Housley: amberhousley.com
Kristina Bartold: highvibewomen.ca
Joanna Waterfall: instagram.com/joannawaterfall

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If you’ve ever thought, “I just need more followers to get booked”—this one’s for you. Followers don’t equal stages.

In this snack-size episode, I’m sharing a powerful moment from my full interview with Kristina Bartold of High Vibe Women, available exclusively inside the Sought-After Speaker System course. Kristina has reviewed countless speaker applications, and she’s pulling back the curtain on a massive misconception in the speaking industry: that audience size is the key to landing gigs.

We talk about what really moves the needle for event hosts, why relying on speakers to sell tickets is outdated, and how smaller audiences often bring the biggest impact.

LEARN MOREMentioned in this Episode

layleeemadi.com/sought-after-speaker-system-course

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DOWNLOAD NOWThe post 221: Why Audience Size Doesn’t Matter Anymore for Landing Speaking Gigs ft. Kristina Bartold appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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If you’ve ever wondered what happens after you hit “send” on a speaker pitch, this is the episode you’ve been waiting for.

In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on speaker selection with real, raw insights straight from event hosts themselves. As part of my Sought After Speaker System course, I interviewed multiple hosts about exactly what makes a pitch irresistible—and what makes them hit delete.

You’ll hear from top event producers including Elizabeth Henson, Jordan Gill, Christina Olivarez, Amber Housley, Kristina Bartold, and Joanna Waterfall, who have reviewed hundreds of pitches and applications. They share what makes them say “yes,” how they filter submissions, and why building real relationships matters more than flashy numbers.

LEARN MOREWhy Your Pitch Isn’t Landing (Even If You’re Qualified)Let’s start with one of the biggest myths in the speaking world: that event hosts are desperate to find great speakers. They’re not.

Almost every host I interviewed made it clear: “Finding great speakers isn’t a pain point.” That means your pitch isn’t solving a problem—it’s making a request. And if that request doesn’t come with clear value, alignment, and a strong sense of what’s in it for the host, it’s going straight to the “no” pile.

So what does work?

What Hosts Actually Want1. Trust and Relationship > Cold OutreachWant to know what every single host had in common? They trust their speakers—because they’ve seen them in action. That doesn’t always mean long-standing friendships. But it does mean:

You’ve been in their world (DMs, comments, membership, events)
You’ve been referred by someone they trust
You’ve shown up consistently and professionally

“If you want to be on my stage, you need to be in my community.” – Elizabeth

2. Clear Value Over Vague TopicsHosts are over pitches that sound like motivational TEDx knock-offs. You need to be concrete, tangible, and clear.

“If I can find it on YouTube or a podcast, I don’t want it on my stage.” – Christina

They want:

Specific frameworks and outcomes
Relevance to the audience (not just your zone of genius)
A reason why this talk belongs at this event

3. Confidence and ProfessionalismWhether you’re new or experienced, how you present yourself matters. That means:

A confident tone (not cocky, but clear and grounded)
A strong sense of your offer or business (especially for B2B stages)
No gimmicky language (please, no “fairy dust” talks)

“If your pitch says ‘If you ever need a speaker…’—just don’t.” – Amber

Biggest Pitch Mistakes (and What to Do Instead)Here are a few red flags that came up repeatedly:

Sending generic, copy/paste emails
DMing with no understanding of the event
Not knowing the host’s audience
Not showing any presence in their community
Pitching without a relevant offer or expertise

Instead, try this:

Personalize your pitch: Mention something specific about the event or community.
Show your receipts: Link to past talks, podcast interviews, or video.
Lead with value: How will your session transform the audience?
Build the relationship: Comment, DM, attend, support—before you pitch.

Why Relationships Matter More Than EverEvery host I spoke with mentioned that their speaker lineup often comes from their ecosystem—clients, colleagues, podcast guests, community members. That’s not about exclusivity. It’s about trust.

“Speakers are an extension of my brand. I need to know they’ll deliver.” – Amber

And One More Thing…Several hosts said they get turned off when speakers say they won’t attend unless they’re chosen to speak.

“If you’re not willing to attend, why would I trust you to speak?” – Kristina

Attending the event is one of the best ways to build that trust, understand the audience, and put yourself in prime position for future opportunities.

LEARN MOREMentioned in this Episode

The Sought-After Speaker System

Connect with the Guests

Elizabeth Henson: elizabethhenson.co
Jordan Gill: systemssavedme.com
Christina Olivarez: thesocialbutterflygal.net
Amber Housley: amberhousley.com
Kristina Bartold: highvibewomen.ca
Joanna Waterfall: instagram.com/joannawaterfall

Looking for the Transcript?

DOWNLOAD NOWThe post 220: What Conference & Event Hosts are Looking for in Speaker Pitches appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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You never know who’s watching and that’s exactly why showing up and sharing your expertise matters more than you think. In this snack-size episode pulled from my full interview with Frances Ledgewood, we explore how a casual conversation turned into booking her first speaker for her retreat.

When you’re simply generous, curious, and collaborative, it can lead to unexpected and exciting opportunities to take the stage.

LEARN MOREMentioned in this Episode

layleeemadi.com/sought-after-speaker-system-course

Connect with Frances

ledgewoodfinestationery.com

ledgewoodfinestationery.com/collective

instagram.com/ledgewoodfinestationery

Looking for the Transcript?

DOWNLOAD NOWThe post 219: You Never Know Who’s Watching: How Showing Up Can Lead to Speaking Gigs ft. Frances Ledgewood appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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What if I told you that setting up your email right now could make or break your Black Friday sales? Building a solid Black Friday email strategy isn’t just about flashy sales and countdown timers—it’s about groundwork: authentication, deliverability, segmentation, warming—and planning ahead. In this episode, Dawn Richardson of Flodesk joins us to share what you can do this week to ensure your emails land where they count and generate revenue for your Black Friday promotions.

Start Prepping Your Email List for Black Friday NowBlack Friday season often catches us by surprise, but you have to ensure your email is ready for it. If you’re not warming your sending domain, segmenting smartly, and building trust in advance, those emails could vanish into spam, making all of your efforts worthless.

A proactive strategy means your emails get seen by the right people at the right time. It means fewer tech headaches and more sales when it counts. Let’s walk through how to prepare your email list for Black Friday!

Step 1: Authenticate Your DomainUsing a custom business email (like hello@yourbrand.com) secured with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC gives email platforms the green light that you’re legit and not a scammer. These email authentication records verify your identity and signal to inbox providers that you’re safe to deliver.

You can use services like Google Workspace to set up a custom domain email and access helpful tutorials on how to authenticate your domain through your DNS settings.

Step 2: Clean Up & Segment StrategicallyBigger isn’t better if your list is filled with inactive emails. Remove cold or bounced subscribers every quarter. A lean, engaged list is far more powerful than a bloated one that harms your sender reputation.

Next, consider segmenting by behavior: who opens consistently, who clicks your links, who buys. You can also segment by topic interests or customer status. Platforms like Flodesk make this simple with tools like click filters and tagged forms.

Sending targeted content gets better engagement—and better deliverability.

Step 3: Warm Your Domain Before You LaunchEmail platforms don’t love surprises. If you haven’t emailed in months and suddenly blast your entire list on Black Friday, you’re likely headed straight to the spam folder.

Instead, warm your domain. Start by emailing your most engaged subscribers—those who always open and click. Send to 50 people, then 150, then 300, slowly scaling to your full list. This trains inbox providers to trust your sends again.

This step is crucial if you’ve recently authenticated your domain, changed platforms, or haven’t emailed regularly. Trust is earned slowly—not in a single send.

Step 4: Build a Regular Sending RhythmConsistency is key. If you ghost your list for months, your domain goes cold. Try sending at least one email per month to stay top-of-inbox and maintain your sender reputation.

Monthly content doesn’t have to be salesy. Share personal insights, behind-the-scenes content, or helpful resources. Make it feel like a coffee date in their inbox, not a pushy promotion.

Step 5: Schedule Ahead (So You Can Actually Relax)Batch your Black Friday email content now. Write the copy, design the graphics, segment the list, and schedule it all inside your platform of choice.

If you’re a Flodesk user, use scheduled emails for timely sends (vs. workflows). Keep an eye on performance during the launch week, but do the heavy lifting now, not while you’re baking pies.

And once it’s done? Debrief. In early December, review your open rates, clicks, and conversions. What worked? What didn’t? Use that data (not emotions) to improve your next launch.

Mentioned in this Episode

Flodesk

Google Postmaster

Interact

Sought-After Speaker System

Looking for the Transcript?

DOWNLOAD NOWThe post 218: 5 Email Marketing Tactics to Nail Your Black Friday Promo with Dawn Richardson appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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If you’ve ever launched a course, membership, or product and wondered why your people aren’t engaging with the resources you worked so hard to create, this snack-size episode is for you. Pulled directly from a live Q&A inside the Educators Lounge, this conversation with Tayler Cusick-Hollman reveals what really goes on after the sale.

During our call, Tayler highlighted that many of us are facing similar issues in the education space, where we struggle with onboarding, retention, and having to spoonfeed your community—even when it feels redundant.

We also dig into the mindset shift that needs to happen after the sale. Because keeping people engaged is just as strategic—and important—as getting them in the door in the first place.

The Hidden Challenge After the SaleWe put so much effort into launching: building funnels, perfecting messaging, and creating amazing content. Then when that sale comes in, we celebrate!

But what often happens next? Often silence.

And suddenly, we’re in our heads wondering why our new members aren’t as hyped about our program as we are. Why aren’t they showing up? Why aren’t they interacting?

The hard truth: the sale is only the beginning. What comes next is a different kind of work.

What We Miss About EngagementThe simple but game-changing truth? Just because the thing is there, doesn’t mean people are gonna know it’s there.

While sharing about my own experience with building a membership, I asked our members to also chime in with their own. Tayler is building a membership around a low-cost software product (Enji), which means she’s had to be especially thoughtful about member retention. Her biggest lesson? We all need to be spoonfed.

Yep. Even if it makes your inner educator roll her eyes. Even if it feels redundant. Because people are overwhelmed, distracted, and juggling a million things.

If you want them to experience the transformation you promised, you have to guide them through the process. Step by step.

The Case for Spoonfeeding (Even When It’s Annoying)You might be thinking, “Shouldn’t they just read the welcome email?” or “Isn’t it obvious what to do next?”

But think about your own habits. How many programs or courses have you purchased and never opened? How many community platforms do you ignore because no one is actively prompting you to come back?

This isn’t about being patronizing, it’s about creating clarity and ease. Your members aren’t lazy, they’re just human, and humans need reminders.

So tag them in the group. Send the extra email. Create that “Start Here” guide—even if it feels like you already said it.

Repeating yourself doesn’t make you a bad educator. It makes you a smart business owner.

Retention Marketing: The Missing PieceTayler dropped a term that more creators need to know: retention marketing.

It’s the marketing that happens after the sale. The nurturing, the reminders, the personalized check-ins. It’s onboarding with intention. It’s engagement that feels personal. It’s all the things that keep people coming back—not just for the content, but for the community and transformation they signed up for.

If your members aren’t engaging, it’s not a personal failure. It is a cue to revisit your systems.

Are you assuming too much? Are you relying on a one-time welcome sequence instead of an ongoing strategy? Are you prioritizing post-sale support the same way you prioritize launch week?

It’s not about doing more. It’s about doing the right things, consistently.

Mentioned in this Episode

layleeemadi.com/educatorslounge

Connect with Tayler

enji.co

instagram.com/enji_co

instagram.com/taylrd_designs

Looking for the Transcript?

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Ever wonder how conference speakers actually get chosen? I’m pulling back the curtain with one of the most sought-after event hosts in the creative industry.

In this episode, I’m joined by my friend Kellie Penn, founder of The Reset Conference, for a candid conversation about how speaker applications are reviewed, what makes someone stand out, and what instantly lands an application in the “no” pile. Kellie shares her exact selection process (yes, including the color-coded spreadsheets), the role relationships play in getting booked, and how she balances fresh faces with returning favorites. We also tackle the ever-debated topic of speaker compensation for individually run events versus corporate conferences.

The Reset Conference and Its MissionThe Reset Conference started as a way to help photographers run their businesses without sacrificing their lives in the process. Kellie’s own burnout led her to rethink the “hustle harder” message she kept hearing in the industry.

While The Reset Conference primarily serves women in photography, its content balances creative inspiration with solid business strategy, making it a place where attendees don’t just learn how to take better photos, but how to run sustainable, profitable businesses.

That heart-centered mission influences everything—including how speakers are chosen.

Step-by-Step: How Speaker Selection WorksKellie reviews every single application herself. Here’s what happens:

Applications Open: 95–100% of speakers come from open applications. Invitations happen only to fill a specific gap.
Detailed Review: She scores each application on factors like topic alignment, speaker experience, and presentation detail.
Multiple Topic Advantage: Applicants who pitch more than one topic get more chances to fit into the lineup.
Automatic No’s: One-line descriptions, vague pitches, and topics that don’t align with the event’s goals go straight to the red pile.
The Color-Coding System: Kellie literally spreads applications out on a large table, color-coding them for new vs. returning speakers and topic categories.
Building the Schedule: She mock-builds the conference schedule, making sure each time block has a balanced mix of business, creative, and niche topics.

For Kellie, it’s like a big puzzle. Names go on, come off, and switch around. Considerations include diversity, variety, and what the attendees most want to learn.

Relationships: Helpful, but Not RequiredOne of the biggest myths Kellie debunks? That you have to “know someone” to get booked.

Yes, relationships matter—but not as a gatekeeping tactic. If Kellie knows you’re an active supporter of her event, that you’ve attended before, or that you’ve spoken positively about it in other spaces, it helps. But every year she books people she’s never met.

Her tip for building genuine connection: Attend the event before you apply, introduce yourself, and join the welcome events. Being visible and engaged goes a long way for an event host.

What She’s Drawn To—and What Turns Her OffInstant Green Flags:

Fresh, original takes on well-covered topics
Talks aimed at attendees with 10+ years of experience
Practical strategies for generating new revenue streams
Well-developed class descriptions with clear takeaways

Instant Red Flags:

Vague or incomplete applications
Topics that promote burnout or hustle culture
Proposals that clearly don’t align with the conference’s values

The Money Question: Compensation and ValueRunning an individually owned conference is a financial risk. There’s no corporate budget or membership fees—it’s one person (and their family) signing venue contracts and covering costs. This plays into the overall budget for the event and determines financially what’s an option for the event.

When it comes to speaker compensation at The Reset Conference, here’s how it’s handled:

Breakout Speakers receive a conference ticket, full attendee access, and the ability to seek sponsorships or lead paid add-on sessions.
Keynote Speakers receive additional pay.
All speakers are encouraged to promote their own offers—courses, coaching, products—within respectful boundaries.

“It’s not just about a check,” Kellie explains. “The value comes from connections, visibility, and the ability to make the most of being in the room.”

How to Get On Reset’s StageIf you want to one day speak at Reset, Kellie’s advice is simple:

Attend first if you can—it builds authentic connection.
Pitch multiple topics to increase your fit.
Study the event’s mission and audience before you apply.

When you align your message with the heart of the event, you don’t just increase your chances of being booked, you also ensure that your time on stage truly serves the people in the room.

LEARN MOREMentioned in this Episode

The Reset Conference

Sought-After Speaker System

Connect with Kellie

The Reset Conference

instagram.com/theresetconference

acrossthemilesphotography.com

instagram.com/kelliepenn

Looking for the Transcript?

DOWNLOAD NOWThe post 216: Behind the Scenes of Conference Speaker Selection with Kellie Penn appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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Ever feel stuck trying to decide if your membership should be monthly, six-month, or annual? In this snack-sized episode, I’m sharing a real coaching moment from inside The Educators Lounge where we unpack how to confidently set your membership commitment length and how to communicate it so potential members feel supported, not trapped.

This conversation started with Brooklyn Grotte, a Lounge member preparing to launch her first membership, and her question about choosing a timeframe sparked a deeper dive into the strategy and psychology behind it.

This episode one was pulled straight from a recent live Q&A inside The Educators Lounge—our monthly gathering space for business-minded educators who are building programs, memberships, and education-driven offers with intention.

Mentioned in this Episode

layleeemadi.com/educatorslounge

Connect with Brooklyn

brooklynphotomn.com

instagram.com/bizwithbrooklyn

instagram.com/brooklynphotographystudio

Looking for the Transcript?

DOWNLOAD NOWThe post 215: How to Choose the Perfect Membership Commitment Length Without Scaring Off Buyers ft. Brooklyn Grotte appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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From $40K a month on Etsy to $1.3M a month in coaching and education, Dylan Jahraus has figured out what works for her audience.

I met Dylan Jarris at a mastermind in Nashville, and within five minutes, I knew her story needed to be on this podcast. She’s an e-commerce powerhouse with 13+ years of experience who turned a wedding DIY project into a seven-figure Etsy business—and then scaled into a multimillion-dollar online education company.

In this episode, we talk about what really goes into scaling, the mindset that sets successful educators apart, and why burnout wasn’t a mistake, but instead a catalyst. Dylan shares how her corporate background shaped her Etsy success, why long-form content is non-negotiable, and what most educators get totally wrong about audience growth and sales.

Mentioned in this Episode

Hayley and Doug – americandreamrevival.com

Sunny – sunnylenarduzzi.com

Alex & Leila Hormozi – acquisition.com

Connect with Dylan

dylanjahraus.com

instagram.com/DylanJahraus

Looking for the Transcript?

DOWNLOAD NOWThe post 214: How Dylan Jahraus Built a $1 Million Per Month Coaching & Education Business appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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Are you offering too much inside your program or membership and still wondering if it’s “enough”?

If you’ve ever found yourself piling on more calls, more downloads, more content just to prove your value… this quick conversation with Geily Romero is your permission slip to stop the overwhelm, both for you and your members.

Geily asked what advice I’d give to someone one year behind me in the membership journey and we had a great conversation about practicing patience, avoiding burnout by over-delivering, and letting your data guide your next move.

The Hidden Cost of “Proving Your Value”In the beginning stages of building my membership, I did what so many of us instinctively do: I packed it with everything. Weekly calls, downloadable resources, bonus trainings, templates. You name it, I added it.

Why? Because deep down, I was afraid people wouldn’t see the value unless I over-proved it. But here’s what really happened:

I felt constantly behind trying to keep up with content production.
My members weren’t showing up consistently (because they were overwhelmed).
I started resenting the time it took to manage it all.
The results weren’t aligned with the effort I was putting in.

More wasn’t more. It was too much.

What Actually Makes a Membership Valuable?The moment things shifted was when I started asking myself a different question: What if this was already enough?

When I stopped “stacking” my membership with content just for the sake of it, three things changed:

Engagement improved because members could actually keep up.
My energy came back because I wasn’t running on fumes.
The offer became sustainable—not just for me, but for the people it served.

Geily echoed this in our Lounge call. She shared that she initially planned to offer everything under the sun, but when she paused and simplified her structure: just two calls a month and a few core resources—she realized that no one was asking for more.

That’s when it clicks. People didn’t need more. They needed clarity.

Data Over Doubt: Let the Numbers SpeakAnother piece of advice I offered? Track what your people are actually doing.

Are they showing up for the calls?
Are they downloading the resources?
Are they completing what you give them?

Because your gut will lie to you. Your inner perfectionist will whisper, “It’s not enough.” But your metrics will show you exactly what’s working and what’s not.

So before you make your next move, pause and look at the numbers. Let them guide you instead of your worry or assumption.

Patience Is a Strategy, Not a DelayOne of the most important things I’ve learned over the last year is this: patience is not passive. It’s a strategy.

The people who build long-term, intentional, value-rich memberships aren’t the ones sprinting to over-deliver from the start. They’re the ones testing, learning, adjusting, and letting their community shape the evolution of the offer.

Your membership isn’t static. It’s a living, breathing project. And that means it’s okay to start small, to simplify, and to grow over time.

You Don’t Need to Do More to Be EnoughThis might be the most freeing realization of all.

You don’t have to prove your worth with excess. You just have to deliver what your people actually need—clearly, consistently, and without burning yourself out.

Less can be more. And more importantly: it can be enough

Mentioned in this Episode

layleeemadi.com/educatorslounge

Connect with Geily

cuttingedgefinancialsolutions.com

instagram.com/cuttingedgefinancialsolutions

cuttingedgefinancialsolutions.com/the-profitable-circle

Looking for the Transcript?

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What really happens when you launch your first a membership with no expectations? In this episode, I take you behind the scenes of The Educators Lounge, my very first membership space, for a full one-year recap.

I launched this community with zero expectations (and a ten-member goal!) and ended up with over 80 signups in the first week. Since then, it’s been a journey of learning, restructuring, and intentional growth, not scale. I get real about what worked, what flopped, what I’d do differently, and what’s next.

Why I Launched The Educators LoungeBefore The Educators Lounge, there were courses, coaching programs, and my annual conference. Every single time, the same pattern emerged: everyone would come in energized, collaborative, excited, but then left with no real way to stay connected.

I knew educators and creative leaders like us needed something ongoing. A space that wasn’t just about learning, but belonging. Somewhere we could show up as both experts and learners. Somewhere we didn’t need to pretend we had it all together.

That’s where The Educators Lounge came in. It wasn’t just another content dump, but a container for connection.

The Structure at LaunchWhen I opened the doors, here’s what members got:

Monthly content and training
Weekly co-working calls
Live Q&A sessions with me
Guest expert workshops
A growing resource library full of templates, tools, and mini-trainings
Private community space (hosted on Kajabi)

It was stacked. It was generous. And it was… a lot.

What Went Really, Really WellFirst, let’s talk about what went well!

Launch MomentumMy goal was to welcome 10 founding members. I ended up with 84. That initial traction showed me there was a hunger for this kind of space. While I was thrilled for the success, I was also terrified, because I take this responsibility seriously. These weren’t just “signups,” they were people entrusting me with their growth and connection.

Community Over ContentDespite all the trainings and perks, our surveys told a clear story: people joined for the relationships. The best parts of the membership happened in our group calls, community posts, and peer shoutouts. The people made this space what it is.

Feedback Loops That Actually WorkedWe created a suggestion box and made it part of our system. When members asked for changes (less content, more networking, new formats), I listened. When we couldn’t implement a request, I explained why. That transparency built a lot of trust.

Low Churn, High SatisfactionOut of our 84 founding members, 74 stayed through the full year. And we gained more members by word-of-mouth alone, without any relaunches. That kind of retention means more to me than any flashy growth stat.

What Didn’t Go So Well (and What I Learned) I Tried to Do Too MuchWeekly calls, constant new content, spotlighting members—it sounded like a dream on paper. In reality? It created content fatigue. People felt overwhelmed. I felt overextended. So I stripped it down and swapped some of those content-heavy sessions with networking calls—and the results were night and day.

Member Spotlights Were Harder Than ExpectedI loved the idea of inviting members to lead sessions. When everyone’s schedule is packed, volunteer-led trainings just don’t land the same. We paused this format and are now experimenting with new ways to showcase member expertise that doesn’t rely on live teaching.

Engagement Outside of Live Calls Was TrickyI wanted the community platform to feel alive between calls. The reality is: when a platform isn’t part of someone’s daily routine, it’s easy to forget. I’m working on gamification, reminders, and challenges to nudge that consistent engagement, but it’s still a work in progress.

What’s Coming in Year TwoWe’re not scaling fast. We’re scaling right. Here’s what’s staying, shifting, and evolving:

What’s Staying:

Monthly Q&A calls
Small-group networking sessions
Access to me and the team
The ever-growing resource library

What’s Evolving

Bringing back quarterly co-working calls
A focus on more organic peer-led collaborations
Streamlining how new members onboard and engage from day one

Still Testing:

Member interaction initiatives
Gamified participation
Live challenges and opt-in experiences

The suggestion box? It’s not going anywhere.

The Real Win? Confidence in the Long GameOne thing I did when launching The Educators Lounge was set a one-year commitment for myself. I gave myself the permission to shut it down if it didn’t feel aligned. That safety net helped me stay creative and flexible without being locked into something that might not work.

One year in, I can say with complete confidence: this is working. This space matters. And it’s not going anywhere.

We’ve seen members land speaking gigs, grow their businesses, collaborate on events, and support each other in ways I couldn’t have imagined. And the ripple effect of that will only keep growing.

If you’re ready for this type of community, we’d love to see you inside The Educators Lounge!

JOIN NOWMentioned in this Episode

The Educators Lounge

Kajabi

Creative Educator Conference

Sought-After Speaker System Course Waitlist

Looking for the Transcript?

DOWNLOAD NOWThe post 212: What I’ve Learned Running My First Membership for Educators appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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Want to land your dream speaking gig? It starts with your pitch.

As someone who coaches and curates speakers, I’ve seen what works—and what totally misses the mark. In this snack-sized solo episode, I’m breaking down what makes a speaker pitch stand out in a sea of applications. This topic is especially top-of-mind because applications are now open for the Creative Educator Conference—my own annual event—and I’m getting an inside look at what people are doing right… and wrong.

I also share a little behind-the-scenes update on my upcoming course for speakers, The Sought-After Speaker System. Whether you’re pitching for my event or anywhere else, these tips will set you up for success.

What Makes a Standout Speaker Pitch?1. Do Your Research (and Show It)This might sound obvious, but you’d be shocked how many people don’t do this. A pitch should feel like it was written for me, not just sent to me. If you’re applying to an event, mention the name of the conference, reference their mission, and align your values with their audience.

Example: “The Creative Educator Conference’s emphasis on community and authentic teaching is exactly why I want to be part of it.”

That single sentence shows me you’ve done your homework and that you care about my audience, not just the opportunity.

Tailor Your Topic to the AudienceYour talk might be amazing, but if you can’t clearly show why it matters to this specific audience, you’ll be overlooked. Hosts are scanning for fit—make their job easier.

Instead of: “I want to speak about scaling a creative business.”

Try: “I want to share three actionable strategies for scaling a creative business without sacrificing creative integrity—something I know your audience of educators and artists values deeply.”

That’s a fit. That’s a match.

Prove You Can DeliverYou don’t need a TEDx talk under your belt to be taken seriously. Hosts just want reassurance that you’re confident and capable on stage. If you’ve done workshops, podcast interviews, webinars, or even saved Instagram Lives—share those. Include a link to your speaker page or attach a short clip if the application allows it.

Proof builds trust. Even if it’s informal, it’s better than nothing.

Leave the Door Open for ConversationToo many pitches end with a mic drop—or worse, a stiff “thank you for your consideration.” Don’t close the door. Invite the host to explore with you. If there’s an optional field on an application, use it to show personality, flexibility, or enthusiasm.

Something like: “I’d love to chat more about how this topic could be shaped to serve your audience best. I’m open to collaborating on format or content to make it a perfect fit.”

Warm, human, and memorable.

What NOT to Do When PitchingLet’s rapid-fire through a few common mistakes that will instantly tank your pitch:

Generic copy/paste emails. Event hosts know when you’re mass-sending.
Making it all about you. “I want to grow my brand” is not compelling. Focus on the audience.
Overwhelming with too much content. One strong topic is better than five mediocre ones.
Ignoring follow-up etiquette. If the host says don’t follow up, respect it.

The Numbers Game of SpeakingHere’s the truth: pitching is a numbers game. For the Creative Educator Conference alone, I get between 80–110 applications each year—and I only select 6–8 speakers. That’s not to scare you. It’s to emphasize how important it is to treat pitching as a consistent, intentional part of your business.

Don’t pitch once and give up. Pitch often. Pitch thoughtfully. Reuse and revise your core message for each new audience.

Encouragement for the Speaker Who’s Hearing “No”Every speaker you admire once got ignored or passed over or told “not this year.”

The ones you see on stages… they kept going.

I know pitching can feel vulnerable. It can sting to hear “no,” especially when you poured your heart into a topic, but your voice is needed. There are audiences who will be changed by your perspective, your story, your style of teaching. Don’t let rejection stop you from showing up.

Mentioned in this Episode

Creative Educator Conference

Sought-After Speaker System Course Waitlist

Episode 208: The Speaker Page Checklist Every Creative Needs to Get on More Stages

Looking for the Transcript?

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Feeling burned out by marketing? You’re not alone. In this episode, I’m joined by the brilliant Dakota Hersey of More Than Creative to talk about a refreshing and sustainable take on content strategy by implementing a “marketing ecosystem.”

As a photographer turned marketing agency founder, Dakota shares her approach to building a cohesive system that actually works with your strengths and goals. We unpack why execution, not information is the real struggle, how to make your content work harder across platforms, and why repurposing starts before you ever hit publish.

Mentioned in this Episode

morethancreative.co

More Than Creative Podcast

instagram.com/morethancreative.co

Looking for the Transcript?

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Feeling overwhelmed by the weight of the world and still expected to show up online? You’re not alone. In this snack-sized episode, I open up about the very real tension many of us feel as personal brand entrepreneurs when life gets heavy (globally or personally) and we’re still expected to keep the content coming.

Whether you’re a coach, speaker, educator, or creator, you’re likely no stranger to the pressure of front-facing marketing. I’m sharing a heartfelt reminder that it’s not only okay, it’s necessary to take a step back sometimes and it won’t erase all the hard work you’ve done.

You Are Not a Machine: Why Stepping Back Is Not Only Okay—It’s NecessaryThe online business space often glamorizes productivity and constant output. But the truth is, building a sustainable business requires rest just as much as it requires action. Your humanity isn’t a liability—it’s your strength.

The Pressure to Perform is RealFor so many coaches, speakers, educators, and creatives, our businesses depend on front-facing marketing. We’re the face, the voice, and often the whole brand. The hustle culture in the online space tells us consistency means showing up daily. But here’s the truth: showing up consistently doesn’t mean never resting.

If you’re scared that taking a break means everything will crumble, you’re not alone. I’ve felt that too. But fear of disappearing shouldn’t dictate your mental health decisions.

You Don’t Have to Be “On” All the TimeThe idea that one missed post or a skipped newsletter will undo years of relationship-building is a myth. Your audience isn’t following you for flawless consistency—they’re here for authenticity, trust, and value. And guess what? That connection is stronger than any algorithm.

What Taking a Break Actually Looks LikeMany of us imagine that taking a break means dropping everything, going silent, and risking our reputation. But stepping back doesn’t have to be that dramatic. In fact, it can be subtle, strategic, and deeply nourishing.

You’re Not Ghosting, You’re Honoring YourselfTaking a break doesn’t mean disappearing. It might look like pausing Instagram stories for a few days or rescheduling that weekly email for next week. It might mean resharing old content instead of creating something fresh. None of this is lazy. It’s smart, intentional business ownership.

You Don’t Owe Anyone an ExplanationUnless you want to share what’s going on, you don’t have to. Some seasons call for vulnerability; others call for privacy. Do what feels right for you. And remember—most people won’t even notice you took a break.

The Long-Term Power of PauseWhen we talk about building a brand that lasts, we often forget that longevity is rooted in sustainability. And sustainability means you have to include margin for real life—grief, exhaustion, overwhelm, and joy.

Sustainable Business Means Room to BreatheEvery time you push through when your heart is asking you to slow down, you teach yourself that your value is in your performance. But every time you pause and trust your audience will still be there, you build self-trust—and that’s where sustainability lives.

A long-lasting brand doesn’t demand you be a content machine. It supports you through every season—especially the hard ones.

Rest Builds ResilienceStepping back now prevents burnout later. It preserves your energy for when you’re ready to show up with clarity and purpose again. And most importantly, it keeps your business aligned with your actual life—not just your marketing calendar.

Ask Yourself This…Sometimes we need a small nudge to reflect and realign. Here’s a question to sit with as you decide how to care for yourself during a heavy season.

What would it look like to care for yourself well this week—even if it means stepping back from being seen?Would it be:

Turning off notifications?
Taking the weekend off Instagram?
Asking a business bestie to help with your inbox?
Letting yourself not comment on the latest heavy news?

Let that question sit with you. You don’t need a five-step plan. You just need the permission—which you already have.

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Want to land more speaking gigs? Start with a powerful speaker page. In this episode, I walk you through the five non-negotiable assets every creative entrepreneur should have on their speaker page. Whether you’re just starting out or refining your presence as a seasoned speaker, these tips will help you stand out and get booked.

Why Your Speaker Page Matters (More Than You Think)If you’re dreaming of taking the stage—virtually or in person—your speaker page is the first thing you need to build. It’s your audition, your resume, and your first impression rolled into one.

Most creative entrepreneurs either overthink this or overlook it entirely. They get stuck waiting for the “perfect” footage, or think they need a completely separate website just for speaking. Spoiler alert: you don’t. I don’t even have one! My speaker page lives right on my main website at layleeemadi.com/speaking, and it works just fine.

Your speaker page should do one thing well: show decision-makers why they should trust you with their audience.

Let’s break down the five essentials.

The 5 Essential Assets for Your Speaker Page1. A Speaker-Specific BioThis is not your business bio from your About page. This is a short, intentional statement that tells event hosts exactly what you bring to the table as a speaker.

Ask yourself:

What’s your speaking style?
What topics are you known for?
What makes you engaging, unique, or memorable on stage?

Keep it focused, keep it punchy, and remember—this isn’t about being everything to everyone. It’s about helping someone say, “Yes, I want you at my event.”

Samples of You SpeakingThe #1 reason people skip this step is perfectionism. I’m here to tell you: done is better than perfect.

Yes, professional footage is amazing. But in the meantime:

Use an iPhone video from a workshop
Link to a podcast episode where you taught
Clip a few minutes from a virtual webinar

Hosts want to know what it’s like to learn from you. They want to hear your voice, your cadence, your passion. Even rough footage gives them more than nothing at all.

References of Past WorkLogos of conferences, links to guest podcast spots, or even a simple bullet list of where you’ve spoken—it all helps build trust. This shows that other people have already trusted you to speak to their audiences.

Don’t have much yet? That’s okay. Start with what you’ve got. Even small workshops, masterminds, or community trainings count.

TestimonialsThis one is gold. A glowing testimonial from an event host or audience member can do more for your credibility than a hundred polished photos.

Not sure how to get one? Reach out! Send a short, kind email to a past host or collaborator and ask for 1–3 sentences about what it was like to work with you. Bonus points if they mention your teaching style, professionalism, or audience impact.

And if you don’t have formal testimonials? Go mine your DMs, emails, or video comments for kind words you can repurpose.

Signature Talks & TopicsThis is where you show your range and depth.

List one to three topics you can confidently speak on—and then flesh them out. What makes this talk powerful? What transformation does it offer? Why are YOU the one to deliver it?

Don’t worry if others speak on the same topic. I talk about burnout, productivity, and imposter syndrome—and so do a million others. The key is framing it through your unique perspective, lived experience, and voice.

This is the section I want you to spend the most time on. Get clear. Get specific. Get excited.

What’s Stopping You?If you’re reading this and thinking, “I’m not ready,” you are. The only thing holding you back is overthinking. You do not need a full brand photoshoot, a new website, or polished video content to start getting booked.

You need clarity. Confidence. And a speaker page that does its job.

You can do this in a week. I promise.

Mentioned in this Episode

Elizabeth McCravy’s Speaker Page Template

layleeemadi.com/resources

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Focus isn’t always about discipline—it’s about strategy and compassion. I’m sharing what’s actually working for me right now when it comes to productivity and deep work—especially during this chaotic summer season.

If your brain feels scrambled, your to-do list is mocking you, and deep work feels totally out of reach, you’re not alone. I’ve been in it, and today, I’m bringing you behind the scenes on how I’ve finally gotten back into a productive rhythm. I’ll walk you through four simple, powerful strategies that are helping me focus again—including how I use reset hours, why I ditched full focus days, and the exact locations that help me lock in.

How to Reset When Focus Feels HardThis summer, I hit a wall. My brain just would not lock into gear. The to-do list was endless, the distractions were louder than usual, and no matter how much I wanted to get into deep work, it felt like I couldn’t even get past step one.

If you’ve been there—or if you’re in that season right now—I want you to know you’re not alone. I’m someone who teaches scheduling and productivity, and still, I found myself stuck.

But the beautiful thing about being stuck is it forces you to shift. To adapt. And through trial, error, and a little bit of rebellion against my usual routines, I found my way back to focus.

Now I’m sharing the tools that helped me, in hopes that they’ll help you too.

Create a Reset Hour—Anytime You Need ItInstead of powering through chaos, I give myself a dedicated “reset hour” to brain dump everything onto paper. It’s like clearing your desktop—mentally. I’ve started doing these resets not just weekly, but whenever I feel like I’m spiraling. It works wonders.

Use Focus Blocks Instead of Full DaysI used to assign entire days to big tasks like course creation. But let’s be honest—who can maintain deep focus from 9 to 5? Now, I schedule 60–90 minute focus blocks where I turn on Do Not Disturb, close my tabs, and just go. It’s enough time to get real work done without frying my brain.

Front-Loading My Mental EnergyI used to tell myself, “I’ll feel more focused later—maybe after coffee.” Spoiler alert: I didn’t.

Now, I tackle the task that requires the most mental energy first. That one thing I’ve been avoiding? It gets top billing.

Not only do I feel more accomplished earlier in the day, but I also free up energy for everything else that follows.

Change Your EnvironmentThis might be the most underrated productivity hack of all. This summer, my usual workspace just wasn’t cutting it. I discovered two places that work like magic for me: a specific local library and a quiet, airy hotel lobby. Don’t settle for just any space—test and find what sparks your productivity.

You’re Not Lazy—You’re In a New SeasonI want to be really clear here: none of this is about squeezing more out of your already tired brain. It’s about working with your brain, not against it.

If deep work feels hard, it doesn’t mean you’re not cut out for your goals. It means your current rhythm isn’t supporting you—and you have full permission to change it.

Reset. Reframe. Rewrite the rules if you need to.

Gentle Reminders for the Hard Seasons* You are not behind. * Your focus will return. * You are allowed to try new strategies until one fits. * You don’t owe consistency to a system that no longer serves you.

This season is temporary—but the tools you gain while navigating it? Those will stay with you.

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Are you tired of investing in coaching programs—only to see little return? What if great outcomes aren’t just about the coach or the client, but both stepping up?

In this episode, I sit down with business coaches Angelica Pompy and Jamie Fisher, to explore how educators and their clients can share responsibility—and ultimately co-create success.

Angelica and Jamie are both actively investing in their own business education, while pouring into others—plus they’re even members of The Educator’s Lounge!

Coaching Works When You Both Show UpCoaching isn’t a solo effort. Success depends on both parties stepping into ownership. As Jamie put it so clearly: the coach lays out the roadmap, but the client still has to drive the car. Without effort, commitment, and active participation from the client, no amount of brilliance from the coach will create results.

Angelica echoed this idea by reminding us of a simple truth we often forget: “You can take a horse to water, but you can’t make them drink.” Before investing in any new coaching or course experience, you have to check in with yourself—Do I have the bandwidth to follow through?—because anything less is wasted money and energy.

It’s Not Always the Coach—or the ClientWhat happens when an experience doesn’t meet your expectations? It’s tempting to blame one party—but most often, the truth lies somewhere in the middle. Sometimes, the coach wasn’t a good fit for your current stage. Other times, you didn’t come into the engagement with clarity about your needs.

Angelica shared an experience when she realized she had outgrown the level of support she had signed up for. It wasn’t that the coach lacked value—it just wasn’t the right fit for her growth at that time. Instead of placing blame, she used the experience to recalibrate and decide what she truly needed: not another coach, but more peer-to-peer support.

Jamie shared a different but equally powerful experience. She found herself in a program that wasn’t resonating with her learning style. Rather than ghosting or grumbling, she reached out and communicated openly. Her coach responded with empathy and agility, adjusting the program’s delivery to better meet Jamie’s needs. That single conversation not only saved the experience—it made it more impactful.

Accountability Isn’t Just for the StudentAs coaches, we often talk about accountability in terms of what students should do. But true accountability goes both ways. It includes asking hard questions, checking in when someone goes quiet, and being willing to shift the structure or delivery of a program when needed.

Angelica uses tools like Voxer to maintain real-time dialogue with clients, helping them reflect on roadblocks and identify what support would serve them best. Jamie integrates Trello boards to make goals visually front-and-center throughout their work together. It’s all about keeping the vision alive—and making it easier to reconnect when things go off track.

Feedback, Flexibility, and FitWe can’t overstate the importance of honest feedback—and creating space for it. As coaches, asking “What’s missing?” or “Is this still working for you?” can open the door to meaningful shifts. As clients, saying “I’m not sure this is the support I need right now” can unlock growth on both sides.

The secret sauce isn’t perfection. It’s flexibility. Coaching that evolves, content that adapts, and educators who listen—that’s what creates the magic. Angelica says it best: “You might not get every single dollar back from the program, but if the coach shows up with transparency and support, it’s worth it.”

Mindset Over MechanicsOne thing that stood out most from our conversation was how much mindset impacts success in education. When clients approach a program expecting it to fail—because of past disappointment or misaligned investments—they unconsciously create resistance. On the flip side, when they arrive with self-awareness, a willingness to communicate, and the courage to ask for what they need, they become active participants in their own transformation.

That’s where real growth happens.

Connect with Angelica

angelicapompy.com

instagram.com/angelicapompy

Connect with Jamie

jamiefishercollective.com

instagram.com/jamiefishercollective

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Feeling stuck between scaling your business and maintaining your sanity? This quick-hit snack episode has exactly what you need. In this special takeover edition, we handed the mic to two attendees from the Creative Educator Conference and asked them to share one powerful piece of advice for fellow entrepreneurs and educators.

First up, you’ll hear from Nata Salvatori from the Accidental CEO podcast, who drops the truth about the underestimated power of delegation. Then, business coach Christi Johnson reminds us of the absolute necessity of defining your own version of success—before diving headfirst into strategy mode.

Wisdom from the Creative Educator ConferenceThe attendees at the Creative Educator Conference aren’t just participants—they’re passionate, experienced entrepreneurs and educators who are actively doing the work, navigating the same challenges, and achieving real wins in real time. Their perspectives are grounded in lived experience, not just theory, which makes their insights incredibly valuable to others walking a similar path.

We hand the mic to them because peer-to-peer wisdom is powerful; these are voices that represent the pulse of our community. By spotlighting their stories and strategies, we not only honor their expertise but also create space for authentic, relatable advice that resonates on a deeper level.

The Power of Delegation with Nata SalvatoriNata, host of the Accidental CEO podcast, encourages entrepreneurs to embrace delegation not as a luxury but as a strategic necessity. She reminds us that delegation is the key to scaling your business without burning out.

“Think about delegation as a strategy, not just an expense.”

When we treat delegation as a core function of growth, we free ourselves up to do the work that really matters.

Define Your Own Success with Christi JohnsonChristi Johnson, a passionate business coach, brings a more introspective reminder: know your version of success before building your strategy. She calls out the common trap of copying strategies without ensuring they’re aligned with your purpose.

“We can’t build a sustainable business if we don’t know what ‘success’ feels like to us.”

This advice is especially critical for creatives and educators often caught between ambition and authenticity.

Connect with Our Guests:

accidentalceo.co

christijohnsoncreative.com

Looking for the Transcript?

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What if the biggest thing holding your business back isn’t your strategy—but your mindset?

In this episode, I sit down with wedding photographer and educator Juliana Tomlinson, who shares how shifting her mindset transformed her business. Juliana opens up about her journey from playing small to embracing her role as a professional, and how that internal shift led to external success.

Listen in as we discuss why mindset is the foundation that enables strategy to work, how to recognize when fear is keeping you safe versus keeping you small and the importance of defining success on your own terms to avoid burnout.

Connect with Juliana:

Juliana’s Website: julianatomlinsonphotography.com

Juliana’s Photography Instagram: @julianatomlinsonphotography

Juliana’s Education Instagram: @julianatomlinsoneducation

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Taking a break and incorporating rest should be part of your business plan. In this snack-sized episode, I’m answering a question submitted by Christi Johnson during the Creative Educator Conference. She asked how I take care of your mental health while running a business—let’s talk about it.

Why Mental Health Should be a Business PriorityRunning a personal brand or small team means your presence is vital. If you’re not well, your business feels it. I’ve adopted routines that help me rest deeply—not just shorter work hours, but actual pauses for recovery after major events like the Creative Educators Conference.

How I Carve Out Time for Myself as a Business OwnerEvery summer, I reevaluate my workload and set summer hours to make space for family and personal joy. After big projects, I delegate more, push pause on client-facing work, and take time to refuel. These aren’t luxuries—they’re necessities.

The Small Steps That Add UpI didn’t start with sweeping changes. It began with daily walks. Then came therapy. Over time, I built a wellness-first workflow that’s flexible and sustainable. Prioritizing myself helps me show up more powerfully for my students, clients, and community.

Remember, honoring your well-being isn’t just an act of self-care—it’s an investment in your vision. Every small decision to rest, pause, or say no is a vote for the kind of business and life you’re building. You don’t have to do it all at once. Start small, stay consistent, and trust that prioritizing yourself is the most sustainable strategy there is. You’ve got this—and you’re not alone on the journey.

Mentioned in this Episode:

layleeemadi.com/conference

Connect with Christy:

christijohnsoncreative.com

instagram.com/christijohnsoncreative

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DOWNLOAD NOWThe post 203: Why Rest Is a Business Strategy: Self-Care for Creative Educators ft. Christi Johnson appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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What if fear wasn’t the enemy—but a signal that you’re onto something that matters? I’m thrilled to welcome back one of my favorite guests (and humans), Mary Marantz, to celebrate the launch of her new book Underestimated.

In this episode, we crack open the fears that keep so many of us stuck—especially the ones we whisper to ourselves. Mary shares why being underestimated shaped her, how fear masks itself in things like perfectionism and overthinking, and how we can stop self-sabotaging and start standing tall in our stories.

We talk about creative entrepreneurs, leadership, legacy, and the real work of showing up even when it’s hard. You’ll want to grab a notebook—and probably a tissue.

From Single-Wide Trailer to Yale—And Still Feeling UnderestimatedMary’s journey from a single-wide trailer in West Virginia to Yale Law is the kind of story you expect to see in a movie. But her book isn’t just about proving people wrong—it’s about how we internalize those underestimations and continue to doubt ourselves long after we’ve “made it.”

Why We Fear Success More Than FailureI’ve been battling my own fears around visibility—not just showing up, but owning my space. I know I’m not alone in this. Mary explained how fear masquerades as perfectionism, people-pleasing, and procrastination. Her insight? Naming your fear makes it lose power. And success? It’s not the end of the underdog story—it’s just the beginning of new work.

Playing Small Isn’t Noble—It’s CostlyOne of the biggest takeaways: staying silent or invisible doesn’t serve the world. Mary challenges us to consider the ripple effect of our courage—or our absence. The good news? We don’t have to become someone else to lead; we just have to stop disqualifying ourselves.

Connect with Mary

marymarantz.com

namethefear.com

instagram.com/marymarantz

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You’ve probably heard it a hundred times—just start. And honestly? That’s not bad advice. But if you’re stepping into the world of content creation or education for the first time, I believe there’s a little more to it than that.

In this snack-sized episode, I’m answering a question submitted by Lauren and Paige of the Lifestyle & Lenses podcast during the Creative Educator Conference. They asked what advice I’d give to someone brand new to this space—and I couldn’t wait to share my thoughts.

In addition to the classic “just start” encouragement, I’m breaking down four key tips I’d offer to any new creator: how to clarify your niche, truly listen to your audience, keep things simple, and embrace the messiness of beginning. Whether you’re launching a course, podcast, or just trying to show up more consistently, this episode is for you.

Let’s talk about starting—with intention.

Mentioned in this Episode:

layleeemadi.com/conference

Connect with Lauren & Paige:

lifestyleandlenses.com

instagram.com/lifestyleandlenses

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DOWNLOAD NOWThe post 201: Build It with Intention ft. Lauren & Paige appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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If you’ve ever felt torn between keeping your brand consistent and evolving it to reflect your growth, you’re not alone—and you’re definitely in good company.

I’ve been there. After six years of podcasting under the name So Here’s the Thing, I realized the show—and honestly, I—had evolved. The audience had changed. The conversations had changed. And while I had grown in a big way, the branding hadn’t caught up yet.

So I brought in someone who has helped me grow every visual part of my business since the very beginning—Sarah Erickson of Sarah Ann Design. In the first guest episode of The Laylee Emadi Podcast, Sarah and I had a raw, honest conversation about how to rebrand without reinventing the wheel.

Here’s what I learned from that process, and what you might want to consider if your brand no longer feels like “you.”

When a Rebrand Is Worth ItAs a creative entrepreneur, it’s easy to get swept up in new ideas—and let’s be real, sometimes we want to completely burn things down and start fresh. But Sarah reminded me that consistency is powerful. People recognize a consistent brand.

Still, if what you’re doing and who you’re serving no longer align with the look and feel of your brand, it’s worth exploring a refresh. For me, that meant finally embracing a podcast name that reflects the person behind the mic: me. The Laylee Emadi Podcast felt scary at first, but it also felt right.

You Don’t Have to Start From Scratch with a Brand RefreshOne of the best things Sarah helped me realize is that a rebrand doesn’t have to mean throwing out everything you’ve built. We kept my core fonts and simply updated how we used them. My brand photography evolved (shout out to Angelica Marie Photography!), and we adjusted my color palette just enough to feel fresh without losing the identity I’ve built over time.

The goal wasn’t to create something totally new. It was to bring my podcast brand into alignment with the rest of my business.

Consistency Isn’t Boring—It’s a Brand StrategyIf you’ve got multiple offers under your business—maybe a podcast, a course, a conference—keeping things visually aligned can feel like a full-time job. Here’s what I’ve learned:

Stick to your brand fonts and colors, even in Canva templates.
You don’t need to reuse the same logo or layout everywhere, but find one or two elements that tie it all together.
Think of your sub-brands like siblings—not twins, but definitely related.

You’re Allowed to Love Your BrandHere’s something I didn’t expect from this process: joy. Yes, rebranding can be strategic, but it can also be personal. This rebrand helped me feel connected to my work again. And Sarah reminded me—sometimes, that’s reason enough.

So if you’re wondering whether it’s time to evolve your brand, ask yourself:

Does it still reflect who I am and who I serve?
Am I proud to share it?
Does it bring me energy—or make me want to avoid marketing altogether?

If your business has evolved and your brand hasn’t caught up yet, know that you’re not alone. And know that you don’t have to go through it blind.

Bring in people you trust. Ask for professional input. Don’t be afraid to take up space. Rebranding doesn’t mean starting over—it means stepping into alignment.

Mentioned in this Episode:

sarahanndesign.co

Instagram: @sarahann_design

Pinterest: @sarahanndesign

Pinning with Purpose

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Big news: we’ve had a little glow-up! The podcast has a brand-new name, but our mission stays the same—helping you build momentum, make real shifts, and actually see results (instead of just bingeing information and hoping something sticks).

Inside this episode, I’m sharing the why behind the rebrand, what you can expect moving forward, and a reminder that transformation happens with you. It’s not just about listening in; it’s about engaging, applying, and moving forward, even when it’s messy. Especially when it’s messy.

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If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to attend the Creative Educator Conference, here’s the real story: it’s part education, part reunion, part dance party—and completely transformational.

This year marked the third annual Creative Educator Conference, hosted by Laylee Emadi, and it delivered in every way imaginable. As Laylee’s podcast producer and long-time collaborator, I (Haylee Gaffin!) had the honor of guest hosting a special post-conference episode to unpack the event—and spoiler alert: it was equal parts emotional and electric.

Let’s walk through the standout moments from 2025 and why next year’s event should already be on your calendar.

A Space That Feels Like Home (But Better)The 2025 Creative Educator Conference brought together over 100 creative entrepreneurs, speakers, and educators for three days of intentional connection, transformative education, and seriously good vibes.

Laylee described it best: “I get a little blue after it ends… because the people in that room are just that special.”

The schedule was thoughtfully structured with plenty of space for both guided networking and organic conversations—because Laylee knows that magic doesn’t always happen on stage. Sometimes, it’s in the hotel lobby at midnight or over a plate of steak fajitas.

Hannah McGinty came to the 2024 conference with “zero brain cells dedicated to being an educator.” Now she has her own course, successful workshops, and a growing student base. That’s the kind of before-and-after this event sparks.

Meaningful Touches—From Merch to MovementWhat’s a conference without good swag? Actually, don’t call it that. As one attendee put it, “This isn’t swag. This is intentional gifting.”

This year’s personalized items included a hand-selected evil eye bracelet in honor of Persian New Year and Laylee’s heritage, plus a lens cloth designed by Sarah Ann Design featuring spring-inspired artwork and nods to Iranian culture. These weren’t just goodies—they were pieces of Laylee’s story, gifted with care.

Practice Makes Perfect—The Power of Lightning TalksOne of the most impactful elements of the conference is the Lightning Talks—five-minute speaking slots where aspiring educators get coached, filmed, and supported in real time.

Past participant Angelica Poe shared:

“That lightning talk changed my business. Between January and April of this year alone, I’ve had 10 paid or sponsored speaking gigs—all because I had professional footage from Laylee’s stage.”

The Lounge Effect: Community That Lasts All YearThis was the first year that many attendees walked in already knowing each other through Laylee’s membership, the Educators Lounge. And it showed.

Attendee Geily Romero shared, “Being part of the Educators Lounge before the conference helped me walk in with confidence and connection. It felt like I already had real-life friends waiting for me. I’ve never felt so welcomed and supported at an event.”

The lounge has become the “room before the room,” giving members a chance to connect, collaborate, and show up with confidence once they arrive at the event in person. It’s not just a bonus—it’s part of the experience now.

Lobby Chats: Where the Magic HappensPicture this: it’s nearly midnight, and a group of educators are sitting in the hotel lobby, shoes off, laughing about their kids, brainstorming business ideas, and somehow—amid the chaos—launching their next podcast or offer.

That’s lobby chat.

This tradition has become a core part of the Creative Educator Conference experience. It’s where surface-level conversation fades and real connection begins.

What’s Next for 2026?While Laylee didn’t spill all the details for next year, here’s what we know:

The venue and hotel are staying the same (because everyone loved them!)
The speaker lineup will be refreshed (no repeats for more than two years)
The vibes will be as strong as ever

Oh—and half the tickets are already gone.

Thinking About Attending?Here’s what Laylee wants you to know:

She’ll never tell you to come if it’s not the right fit
You can talk to past attendees—they’ll give it to you straight
If you’re thinking about it… don’t wait.

“I have made more connections in the conference in three hours than I have made in three years online.” — Geily Romero

Join the waitlist now at CreativeEducatorConference.com to be the first to know when tickets open.

Trust us—it’s not just another conference.
It’s a movement. And you’ll want to be part of it.

“I walked away with a clear strategy, a renewed vision, and friends I’ll keep for life.” — Meredith Mackenzie

Mentioned in this Episode:

Join the 2026 Waitlist

2024 Recap Episode

2023 Recap Episode

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What if scaling your business didn’t mean sacrificing your mental health? In a world full of one-size-fits-all strategies, Tracey Jazmin is flipping the script. As a holistic business coach, she helps women entrepreneurs blend neuroscience, strategy, and spirituality to build businesses that feel aligned and sustainable—without the burnout.

In this episode, Tracey shares her unexpected journey from wedding photographer to business coach, the mindset shifts that transformed her career, and why true success starts from within. If you’re ready to ditch the cookie-cutter approaches and grow your business on your own terms, this conversation is for you.

Plus, listen in to hear how she discovered the missing piece that so many entrepreneurs overlook. Spoiler alert: it’s not just about strategy. If you’ve ever felt like you’re following all the “rules” but still hitting a wall, this episode is for you.

If you’re ready to go from rising educator to industry leader, come join us in The Educator’s Lounge, where conversations like this are happening all the time. Use code PODCAST to get your first 10 days free.

JOIN THE LOUNGEFrom Photographer to Holistic Business CoachTracey’s entrepreneurial path is an all too familiar one—she began her career as a wedding photographer but soon grew weary of the seasonal demands. While searching for more creative fulfillment, she pivoted into interior design—a move that unexpectedly led her into brand photography.

While photographing spaces for design blogs, Tracey noticed a recurring pattern: her clients would confide in her about their business struggles during sessions. What began as casual conversations became transformational moments, revealing Tracey’s natural gift for coaching. Inspired by these experiences, she decided to step into the role of a holistic business coach, combining her creative background with strategic mentorship.

The Value of Certification in CoachingIn an industry where anyone can call themselves a coach, Tracey highlighted the importance of certified expertise. She pursued certifications in neurolinguistic programming (NLP), giving her a deeper understanding of how the brain processes language and emotion. This formal education equips her to offer clients genuine, results-driven coaching rather than surface-level advice.

Her ability to identify subconscious patterns enables her to guide clients through mindset shifts, helping them break through limiting beliefs and achieve sustainable growth.

A Tailored, Holistic Coaching ExperienceOne of Tracey’s strengths as a holistic business coach is her customized approach. She rejects one-size-fits-all strategies, instead tailoring her sessions to meet each client’s unique needs.

Her coaching often blends mentorship, education, and therapeutic techniques. Some sessions focus heavily on business strategy, while others dive into mindset and personal growth, depending on what the client needs most. This flexibility allows Tracey to meet her clients where they are and guide them toward authentic, aligned success.

Why Mindset and Spirituality Matter in BusinessTracey is a firm believer that mindset is the foundation of success. She often challenges the misconception that mindset work is simply a trendy buzzword. After being in this work, she has real-life examples of how shifting limiting beliefs has helped her clients achieve remarkable breakthroughs.

She also incorporates spiritual practices into her coaching, encouraging clients to align their business decisions with their personal values and intuition. Rather than relying solely on external strategies, Tracey guides entrepreneurs to trust their inner wisdom, making decisions that feel right rather than forced.

Tracey’s Unpopular OpinionIf you’ve ever heard the term “charge your worth,” Tracey wants you to rethink it. Tying self-worth to pricing is a dangerous mindset trap. Your value as a person is infinite—it cannot be measured by your rates or revenue.

This mindset shift encourages entrepreneurs to detach emotion from pricing and make more strategic, objective financial decisions—ultimately leading to healthier business growth.

Connect with Tracey:
Website: traceyjazmin.com
Instagram: @tracey.jazmin
Facebook: facebook.com/traceyjazmincoach

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It’s time to ask the questions you have around Meta ads! If you were a fan of episode 192 with Jana Bishop, you’re going to love hearing her coach me through some of my own advertising needs and mindsets!

If you’re an educator, coach, course creator, or someone passionate about sharing knowledge, I invite you to join The Educators Lounge. Become part of a community that is as dedicated to your growth as you are to others.

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Every other week, you’re going to see this snack size format, where I’ll be pulling from my real life conversations and sharing quick tips and thoughts with you!

Mentioned in this Episode:

192: How to Make Meta Ads Work for You (Without Wasting Money!) with Jana Bishop

Creative Educator Conference

Dara Denney

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We’re gearing up for the Creative Educator Conference, which means it’s time for a little advice & encouragement! In today’s snack sized episode, past attendees Amanda Laurence and Jamie Fisher share their advice for going into an event or conference like Creative Educator Conference!

If you’re an educator, coach, course creator, or someone passionate about sharing knowledge, I invite you to join us in-person at The Creative Educator Conference!

GRAB YOUR TICKETDo you like the snack sized format?
Every other week, you’re going to see this snack size format, where I’ll be pulling from my real life conversations and sharing quick tips and thoughts with you!

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Before we dive in, a quick trigger warning: This content includes discussions of weight loss, health, and fitness. If these subjects are sensitive for you, please feel free to skip this one.

Okay friends, this is a BIG one! If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by diet culture, struggled to balance health with your busy schedule, or just wanted a realistic, sustainable way to feel your best, this episode is for you.

I’m sitting down with my personal health and fitness coach, Kristen Bowlus, to talk about what actually works when it comes to building a healthy lifestyle. Spoiler alert: It’s not about quick fixes, extreme diets, or chasing a number on the scale. Kristen shares her holistic, no-BS approach to movement, nutrition, and mindset – so you can feel strong, energized, and confident in a way that lasts.

We’re covering everything from small, manageable steps you can start today, to the mindset shifts that made the biggest difference in my own five-year journey. Plus, Kristen gets real about the myths in the fitness industry and why loving your body now is just as important as working toward your goals.

So grab a coffee (or your Stanley full of water – Kristen would approve!), and let’s dive in.

JOIN THE LOUNGEMy Own Health JourneyOver the past five years, I’ve been working with Kristen to develop healthier habits for a healthier overall lifestyle! It took a lot of coaching from Kristen to undo the mindsets I had around food and working out—especially when it came to the impact that crash diets had on my in the 90’s and early 2000’s. When I shifted my focus from rapid weight loss to steady progress and health improvement, I began to see remarkable results, both physically and mentally.

Top Tips for a Healthier LifeKristen shares actionable steps for those ready to embark on their wellness journey:

Movement: Start with small goals, like 6,000 steps per day, and gradually increase. Consistent movement is crucial.
Home Cooking: Preparing meals at home allows for better control of what goes into your food, promoting healthier eating habits.
Grocery Shopping: Focus on the perimeter where fresh produce is located, moving inward only as necessary.
Read Food Labels: Educating yourself on ingredients helps make informed choices.
Hydration: Aim for at least 80 ounces of water daily to support overall health.
Strength Training: Essential for bone health and long-term vitality, strength training builds muscle that burns more calories and supports overall function.

Embracing the ProcessKristen highlights the importance of embracing the journey rather than fixating on the destination. Maintaining joy and gratitude for your body, regardless of where you are on your path, enriches the experience and fosters lasting change.

Dispelling Myths in the Fitness IndustryThere are so many misleading claims of rapid weight loss. True sustainable health is built over time, by incorporating balanced nutrition and exercise—a perspective that challenges mainstream quick-fix diets that often eliminate essential macronutrients.

If you’re ready to work with Kristen, her programs offer structured support and guidance tailored to your needs!

Connect with Kristen:
Website: herworthwellness.com
Instagram: @herworthwellness

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In my opinion, it’s better to hear event experiences from the attendees instead of the host, so in today’s snack sized episode, Jamie Fisher, Tia Goff, and Dolly DeLong share their favorite thing about the Creative Educator Conference! Want to join us this year? Tickets are still available!

If you’re an educator, coach, course creator, or someone passionate about sharing knowledge, I invite you to join us in-person at The Creative Educator Conference!

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If the thought of running Meta ads makes your head spin, you’re not alone – but don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! In this episode, I’m sitting down with Meta ads strategist, Jana Bishop, to break down the basics of paid ads in a way that actually makes sense. Jana is all about taking the overwhelm out of advertising, and she’s sharing her best tips for when to start, how to make ads work on a budget, and why a small offer might be the smartest way to dive in.

We’re also busting common ad myths (like the idea that it’s too late to see results) and giving you three actionable things you can do today to set yourself up for success, even if you’re not ready to run ads just yet. So grab a notebook, hit play, and prepare to feel empowered instead of intimidated when it comes to Meta ads!

If you’re an educator, coach, course creator, or someone passionate about sharing knowledge, I invite you to join us in-person at The Creative Educator Conference!

GRAB YOUR TICKETGetting Started with Meta AdsUsing Meta Ads is a powerful way to reach a broader audience, and it starts with understanding the basics. Meta requires you to use a business profile when running ads, separate from your personal social media accounts. This ensures that your ads are managed and served from your business’s Facebook page or Instagram account.

Tip: Try using Chrome for setting up and managing ads instead of Safari!

Essential Steps for Success1. Setting Up Your Ad Account and Pixel: Begin by creating a business profile and accessing the Ads Manager. Setting up a Meta pixel on your website is critical as it acts as a bridge, collecting data and optimizing your ad’s performance. This helps Meta know who visits your site and can tailor your ads to similar audiences. 2. Building Audiences: Within the Ads Manager, there’s an option to upload a CSV file of your current buyers and engaged audiences. This allows Meta to create lookalike audiences, potentially boosting your ad’s success by reaching individuals similar to your current customer base. 3. Crafting Your Ads: Jana advises starting with a low-budget traffic campaign to build familiarity without the pressure of massive spending. This enables you to learn and adapt your strategies. Experiment with different ad creatives, from static images to user-generated content, to see what resonates with your audience.

Understanding the Impact of Meta AdsWhile the ad landscape is more competitive on Meta now than ever before, the potential for growth is still huge. Creating a large variety of creatives helps Meta serve the right ads to the right people, boosting sales!

Overcoming Fear and MisconceptionsFor many, the idea of running ads can be scary due to the investment or even the misconception that it’s too late to join the game. This is your sign to overcome these fears, because even a small initial investment can change the way you’re running your business and create a major ROI.

Now’s the time to explore the opportunities Meta Ads can provide for your business. Start small, test various strategies, and watch as your reach expands and sales grow. For those interested, check out Jana’s course suite for incredible resources and community support.

Connect with Jana:Jana’s website – jbctrainings.com
Facebook Ads Bootcamp – jbctrainings.com/FAB
Get Tickets to The Creative Educator Conference! – layleeemadi.com/conference

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Are you still thinking about joining us for the Creative Educator Conference? In today’s episode, three of our past attendees are sharing why you should be at the conference this year! Listen in as Dahlia Orth, Angelica Pompy, and Jessica Lowell share what they love about the event and invite you to join us in March!

If you’re an educator, coach, course creator, or someone passionate about sharing knowledge, I invite you to join us in-person at The Creative Educator Conference!

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Creating a brand that stands out is more important than ever. Marketing and brand expert, Sara Schultz joins us to discuss building unforgettable brands and personal branding strategies. She breaks down what it really takes to better position your business so you don’t feel trapped with “meh” systems that no longer align with you.

Sara shares her three-pillar approach to branding, and why self-awareness is the secret ingredient to long-term success. Plus, she’s dropping actionable tips to help you refine your brand strategy and make a lasting impact. If you’re looking to create a business that supports both your life and your long-term success, this episode is for you.

JOIN THE LOUNGEBuilding the Brand You WantAligning your business with who you are as an individual is one of the most powerful things you can do as a business owner. Sara believes that your personal brand and your professional brand are connected, yet separate entities.

Your brand should reflect your business goals and ideals while being independent of personal quirks and life situations that shouldn’t necessarily bleed into professional interactions. There is power in self-awareness, so make sure you stay in touch with who you’re becoming to keep your brand fresh and relevant.

Three Key Pillars for a Personal Brand StrategyAccording to Sara, successful personal branding hinges on a three-pronged strategy:

You: Understand who you are, what you enjoy, and what drives you. This self-awareness can be developed through personal exploration tools like therapy.
Your Brand: Define your brand’s personality, tone, and visual elements that resonate with your vision and mission.
Dreamy Client: Focus on who your ideal customers are, what they want, and how your offerings can solve their problems.

Embracing Change and Strategy for Your BrandBusiness strategies and brand personas should adjust to reflect personal growth and changing market demands—it’s important that your brand is flexible. She suggests using brand archetypes as a tool to personify your brand and create strategic decisions aligned with your vision.

Action Steps for Clarifying Your BrandFor those ready to refine their brand strategy, Sara recommends:

Explore Your Brand Persona: Take quizzes and engage in exercises to understand your brand’s personality and potential strategy.
Self-Reflection: Delve into personal self-awareness to understand your motivations and preferences.

As a reminder, successful brand building requires both strategic thinking and a genuine connection to your personal values.

Connect with Sara

Instagram: @heysaraschultz

Website: https://www.heysaraschultz.com/

Brandshift Method: https://www.heysaraschultz.com/brandshift-group-coaching

Brand Persona Quiz: https://www.heysaraschultz.com/quiz

Dream Days Video lesson and workbook: https://heysaraschultz.myflodesk.com/dreamdays

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Are people still buying courses? still investing in their education as creative entrepreneurs? The answer is yes. In this week’s snack sized episode, I’m highlighting the impact of crystal-clear messaging on making sales in the education industry, including the webinar sales model. Plus I’m giving you an inside scoop of how a webinar converted me from a lurker into a paying customer.

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Are you tired of sacrificing your joy, health, and happiness for your business? In this episode, Tiffany Napper opens up about her personal experience with burnout, the importance of self-care, and transforming her definition of success. Listen in as she shares practical tips for listeners on how to balance high achievement with your well-being.

If you’re an educator, coach, course creator, or someone passionate about sharing knowledge, I invite you to join us in-person at The Creative Educator Conference!

GRAB YOUR TICKETFacing Burnout as a Multi-Passionate EntrepreneurJuggling three businesses will ultimately lead to burnout, and for Tiffany, that was the case. In 2016, she hit rock bottom, which led her to close two businesses and go on what she describes as her “Eat, Pray, Love” journey. Sh began navigating her own journey of self-discovery and healing, which led her to positioning herself as a keynote speaker and business consultant. Now Tiffany helps others in building sustainable, resilient businesses, while avoiding burnout.

One of the most powerful mindset shifts Tiffany had during this time was reframing her definintion of success. Where she once focused on accolades and financial metrics, she now holds one centered on joy and fulfillment. She advocates for understanding that success includes personal happiness and life balance, something that she learned the hard way.

Preventing and Managing BurnoutNow that Tiffany is in a more manageable role, she’s actively preventing burnout. One way she does this is through CEO Fridays—a term she’s using to dedicate a time slot every week that allows business owners to focus on themselves. Whether it involves spa treatments, mini-retreats, or simply spending quality time with loved ones, these practices can significantly enhance not only your well-being, but your business too.

Burnout isn’t just about exhaustion; it’s when activities you once enjoyed feel burdensome and you no longer recognize yourself. The key to managing these feelings is allowing yourself to feel emotions fully and engage in activities that promote healing.

Building ResilienceTiffany’s approach to resilience challenges the conventional narrative of “bouncing back.” Instead, she encourages more work around growth and empowerment. Resilience involves accepting and feeling emotions, identifying personal healing practices, and ultimately coming out stronger on the other side.

She shares from personal experiences, including coping with loss and natural disasters, highlighting that resilience means maintaining joy despite life’s challenges. It’s a journey characterized by self-care and sustained personal growth.

Steps to Enhance ResilienceIf you’re new to resilience training, Tiffany advises starting small. Identify one practice for feeling emotions and another for promoting healing. These practices might include allowing yourself to cry when needed or integrating meditation into daily routines. Remember, building resilience is a progressive journey, with each step reinforcing your overall well-being.

Tiffany illustrates that a fulfilling life is not a straight line of perfect balance but a series of waves requiring us to surf gracefully. Her experience reminds us that burnout doesn’t mean failure; rather, it’s an opportunity to rewrite our narratives, prioritize self-care, and embrace genuine successes.

Connect with Tiffany

tiffanynapper.com

instagram.com/tiffanynapper

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If you’ve been thinking about pitching sponsors and networking at events, there are a lot of considerations I’ve learned over the years. In today’s episode, I’m not only sharing how to build relationships and pitch sponsors, but also how to determine if sponsoring is the right fit for you and what to do if you can’t afford sponsoring just yet.

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Have you ever wanted to move away and leave everything you know behind? In today’s episode, I’m joined by Kadie Smith, who did that very thing by moving to Costa Rica. Kadie is the multi-talented art director and branding expert behind Drop Cap Design, who felt called to share her experience of Costa Rica with her followers by hosting her very own retreat. (And fun fact: I was there!)

Her first retreat was nothing short of an adventure, complete with a tropical storm that changed everything she had planned. We chat about the unexpected joys of imperfection, why calculated risks matter, and how the little things (like a stormy beach day) can lead to the most impactful breakthroughs.

Kadie’s experience hosting this retreat is an important reminder that even if plans don’t go as we intended, sometimes they can turn out even better, and help us embrace the ordinary day-to-day things. If you’ve ever dreamed of hosting a retreat or stepping outside your comfort zone, tune in for insights on planning, personal development, and why embracing imperfection is the secret to hosting with heart.

If you’re an educator, coach, course creator, or someone passionate growing the educational side of your business, Creative Educator Conference is the place you need to be! Come join us at this in-person event in Dallas!

GRAB YOUR TICKETThe Inspiration Behind the Costa Rica RetreatKadie moved from Montana to Costa Rica two years ago, finding inspiration and creativity in the vibrant atmosphere. Her vision of hosting a retreat sparked from her personal experiences, watching wellness retreats take place all around her in Costa Rica, and the desire to share the place she loves with others.

Despite having only ever run her business from behind her screen, with the encouragement and partnership of her fiance, Kadie set out to create a wellness retreat that blends personal development with exploration. This was very different from her actual business of traditional branding and design.

In her business, she helps people craft identities for their business, but they never really get to the point of helping someone understand who they are as a person. This creates a huge disconnect in the branding space—people don’t know what their values are and how they impact the brand.

Building the Retreat: Challenges and SurprisesAt this retreat, Kadie and her fiance, Addison, curated a schedule that combined yoga, personal development, and one-on-one sessions. Addison took on leading the yoga sessions and managing the schedule—ultimately deciding that people would have the space to make this retreat their own.

Now one of the challenges in cohosting a retreat was that they had to take the other’s ideas into consideration—while one might have a concrete idea of what should happen, that wasn’t necessarily how the other felt. This is especially true when you have different backgrounds and experiences. Finding a balance did take some time to determine what would be best for attendees. In Kadie’s case, it meant aligning her ideas, her fiance’s, and the photographer, Rachael’s ideas.

They opened the retreat up to bringing your partner or a friend so that you could enjoy the time they created for you (yes, I was Sarah Erickson’s plus one). Ultimately, they made the event schedule very flexible, which ended up being a blessing once they arrived.

Things don’t always go as planned—like an unexpected tropical storm. Kadie quickly had to learn to embrace the flexibility that they planned for. It rained the entire time. While on a vacation, this would be terrible, it actually allowed the attendees to connect more and spend quality time together.

At my own retreat, I had my own experience with the unexpected. I found myself with a bad case of vertigo and spent the first two days of Next Level 2025 in bed.

Kadie embraced every challenge, allowing the retreat to unfold naturally. Kadie’s highest highs included watching participants conquer surfing and an impromptu coffee tasting!

Redefining Retreats: Personal Touches and New ConnectionsKadie’s retreat was more than just an escape; it was an invitation into her life, offering attendees a glimpse into her daily life in Costa Rica. This level of personal involvement created genuine connections, transforming attendees into lifelong friends. There is power in creating events rooted in authenticity and locality.

Perfection isn’t necessary for a successful event. Instead, it’s about creating an inviting environment where attendees can thrive and explore new facets of themselves.

Unpopular OpinionKadie believes that people are following you because of your lived experiences—that’s what keeps them interested. Hosting a retreat in her town and sharing her favorite places to go, even introducing attendees to her friends, those are things that connect the attendees to a host. Inviting anyone into your space creates a greater level of intimacy.

Connect with Kadie:Instagram: @dropcapdesign | https://www.instagram.com/dropcapdesign/
Website: https://dropcapdesign.com/
The Sunday Edition: https://view.flodesk.com/pages/5fd26577f6bb96e801aefdd9

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As we kick off a new year and many of our listeners are getting organized for 2025, I wanted to share 3 tools I loved over the last year that I’ll be bringing into 2025!

ENROLL NOWMentioned in this Episode

Chase Ink Preferred

Flodesk

Kajabi

layleeemadi.com/resources

Do you like the snack sized format?
Every other week, you’re going to see this snack size format, where I’ll be pulling from my real life conversations and sharing quick tips and thoughts with you!

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Ready to laugh, learn, and maybe tear up a little? In our last episode of the year, my long-time friend, Dawn Richardson of Tech Savvy Creative, takes over hosting duties! Together we dive deep on my highlights of 2024: from the best to the not-so-best investments, celebrating meaningful milestones, and sharing honest lessons learned from a year of growth in both business and life. Whether you’re navigating your own season of growth or just looking for a little encouragement to wrap up your year, this episode is packed with relatable stories, actionable insights, and plenty of laughs.

Best Investment in 2024This year, my most impactful investment was expanding my team. By bringing on a new right-hand gal, Samantha, I could shift focus and work on what truly matters. Her dedication and ability to grow alongside the business have been instrumental in our success.

Worst Investment in 2024While there were many victories, I also had some bad investments. The worst investment I made in 2024 was investing in a really mismatched (and bad) conference. You can hear the full recap with Dawn and Akua in episode 158. However, while it wasn’t what we expected, we did use the event and our time together as an opportunity for growth.

Biggest Lesson Learned in 2024Every single year I am reminded of one of the most important lessons in life and business: Don’t let your ambition overshadow your accomplishments.

Enjoy where you are in the process and stop rushing to get to the end result. So often we get into doing our thing and it’s going great, but then without fail, our ambition and big ideas come up with the next thing.

Staying Organic & Intentional in Your OfferingsThis year was one for launches. We kicked off the year with the Creative Educator Conference, which helped us gear up for the launch of the Educator’s Lounge. We immediately had 85 members join, many of which were attendees from the conference. I found it to be so natural and organic to build this membership, as it was what the attendees and others in our community wanted.

If you have a big idea and you want to make it happen, but someone is doubting you, sometimes it’s best to just shut out people’s opinions and advice. Listen to yourself.

Biggest Accomplishment of 2024We celebrate every accomplishment over here, but if I had to choose, my biggest business accomplishment for this year was launching the Educator’s Lounge. My biggest personal accomplishment was paying off all of my husband’s law school student loans and our car loan.

Big Dreams for 2025As I go into 2025, I want to make existing offers the very best that they can be. I’d also love to do more smaller in-person events this year.

Connect with Dawn:Instagram: @techsavvycreative
Website: https://techsavvycreative.com/

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This month inside The Educator’s Lounge, we’re spending a lot of time reflecting. In today’s snack size episode, you’re getting a sneak peak into the workbook our members are getting for free as part of their membership and a few things I’m reflecting on as we wrap up the year!

ENROLL NOWMentioned in this Episode

Enji

Knies & Co

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Have you ever invested in a course and felt it didn’t do all that it promised? We’ve all been there. In today’s episode, we deep dive into the overlooked aspects of online course creation with Emily Walker, a learning designer and strategic mentor.

Emily shares her unique journey from traditional education to designing impactful, learner-focused programs for entrepreneurs. We tackle common pitfalls in the online education space, like focusing too much on content and not enough on transformation.

Emily emphasizes a crucial, but often missed point in course design: meaningful education isn’t just about delivering information; it’s about guiding learners through real change. Together we explore what it means to craft courses that not only deliver value to your people, but also feel aligned with the creator’s goals and lifestyle.

Prioritize Action Over InformationThe most successful courses prioritize clear, actionable steps over the volume of content. This means moving beyond the traditional approach of simply “teaching content” and instead, focusing on creating experiences that enable learners to move toward their goals, and put what they’ve learned into practice. For instance, rather than saying the course will “improve their skills,” focus on tangible results, like “by the end of this course, you’ll have a finished project” or “you’ll be able to confidently execute a specific strategy.”

Step-by-Step GuidanceRather than overwhelming students with everything they could know on a topic, focus on breaking the content into specific, manageable steps that lead them through a progression. This helps students move confidently from one milestone to the next, fostering a genuine sense of achievement and skill-building. True transformation requires clarity in the learning journey. This approach not only makes for a stronger student experience, but also ensures courses provide deep, lasting value.

Break Free from Industry “Formulas”The industry is saturated with “formulas” for creating courses that often feel impersonal and rigid. Popular models may insist that successful programs must include weekly group calls or a private Facebook community, but as Emily explains, these models may not fit every instructor or learner. Personalization empowers creators to rethink and reshape these elements. Instead, Emily advocates for a long-term view: courses should be crafted with dedication and aligned with the creator’s purpose, which ultimately builds a more meaningful and sustainable business.

Emily’s Unpopular OpinionEmily’s unpopular opinion is that many popular concepts in the online course industry, like pre-selling, focusing on high launch numbers, and treating educational programs as passive income, are misleading and often damaging. She believes that pre-selling courses before they’re fully developed can lead to low-quality learning experiences, and ultimately the quality of the course matters more than flashy launch statistics. Emily also emphasizes that educational programs require ongoing care and adjustments, debunking the notion that they can truly be considered passive income. She advocates for treating courses as valuable, ever-evolving projects that prioritize student transformation over quick sales.

Listener ChallengeBefore designing any course or program, create a “Hell Yes” and “Hell No” list. Be honest with yourself and identify what you absolutely want (or don’t want) in your course. For instance, some instructors thrive on live interaction with students, while others find it draining. Recognizing these preferences can help you design courses that feel authentic and enjoyable to deliver, rather than exhausting. Personalizing a course to align with your personal values and work styles ensures that the program remains sustainable and that you can give your best to your students.

Connect with Emily:
Instagram: @emily.mwalker
Website: emilymwalker.com
1:1 Program Design: emilymwalker.com/from-scratch

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You guys know I’m all about investing in my business, so today’s snack size episode is a recap of my experience at the Brands without Borders retreat!

Mentioned in this Episode

dropcapdesign.com

sarahanndesign.co

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What does it truly takes to build a thriving, supportive community? Today we’re diving into the heart of intentional community building with the talented Kristin Sweeting—a wedding photographer and business coach who has a knack for creating impactful spaces that empower creatives. Listen in as we discuss the value of listening, what it takes to build trust with your audience, and how to create impactful offerings that foster real connections.

Connect with Kristin:

Instagram: instagram.com/kristinsweeting

Website: kristinsweeting.com

Facebook: facebook.com/kristinsweeting

Instagram: instagram.com/dangerouscreatives

Website: dangerschool.com

Podcast: dangerschool.com/podcast

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If you’ve ever felt the overwhelm that comes with being a business owner, this snack sized episode is for you. Shaochen of Monstera Gold joins us to provide practical tips for overcoming that overwhelm, such as identifying knowledge gaps, seeking guidance, and leaning into discomfort, to help entrepreneurs navigate times when they feel stuck.

[Live from Next Level Retreat]

Connect with Shaochen

monsteragold.com

instagram.com/monstera.gold

Start your calligraphy business – free masterclass!

calligraphyceo.com

Subscribe to the Newsletter: calligraphyceo.com/subscribe

instagram.com/calligraphybizcorner

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Did you know that you can proactively protect your intellectual property, including the education you create? As more businesses move into the digital space, it’s essential to understand how to safeguard your creative content and ensure it remains yours. Brittany Elise of Brittany Elise Photography, along with her lawyer Whitney Bower of Bower Legal join us to share their experience with fighting someone who stole Brittany’s IP and how they were able to take action.

Protecting Your Intellectual PropertyAs a successful photographer and educator, Brittany Elise was caught off guard when she discovered her intellectual property had been stolen by a fellow educator. While she had poured so much time and energy into creating a solid framework and teaching others, she hadn’t yet taken the necessary steps to protect it legally.

That’s when she connected with Whitney Bauer, a legal expert specializing in trademarks and copyrights, to help her protect her work.

The Trademark and Copyright ProcessWhile we often confuse trademarks and copyrights, there is a difference. A trademark protects the names and brands of your programs or business, while a copyright safeguards the content itself—such as PDFs, courses, and other materials. Although the trademark registration process can be lengthy and complex, involving attorney examination and often taking a year or more, it is essential for long-term protection. On the other hand, copyright registration is more straightforward, and Whitney encourages her clients to regularly register their works to maintain their legal rights and avoid disputes.

Creating Strong AgreementsOne of the key takeaways from the conversation is the necessity of having strong agreements in place when selling courses or mentoring. Whitney advises including detailed terms of purchase, whether through a checkout page or separate contracts, to clearly outline what purchasers can and cannot do with your content. Such agreements serve as a protective measure, allowing you to address any potential infringements without being perceived as overly aggressive.

Steps to Take if Your Content is StolenIf you suspect your content has been stolen, both Brittany and Whitney recommend taking action to resolve the issue. They advise initiating contact directly with the individual involved, pointing out the violation, and specifying the steps required to rectify the situation. If this doesn’t lead to action, legal intervention, such as sending a cease and desist letter, may become necessary.

Empowering CreativesNot only protecting your intellectual property for your own sake importance, but also for the benefit of the broader community. By ensuring that educators are teaching their unique and authentic content, students receive genuine value and are safeguarded against misinformation.

In the end, protecting your intellectual property is about more than just safeguarding your work—it’s about ensuring the growth and integrity of the creative community. As more entrepreneurs turn to online education, understanding the legal landscape of intellectual property becomes crucial. Whitney’s expert advice and Brittany’s personal experience provide invaluable guidance for creatives seeking to protect what they’ve built.

Connect with Brittany:

Instagram: instagram.com/brittanyelisephotography

Website: brittanyelise.com

Connect with Whitney:

Instagram: instagram.com/thewhitneybower

Website: whitneybower.com

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Are you looking to grow as a speaker? From building connections to putting yourself in the right rooms to pitching, we’re covering a lot in this snack sized episode! Recently, at Next Level Retreat, I sat down with a few of our attendees for some one-on-one coaching and Danielle Throckmorton allowed us to record the session! Listen in to get an inside peak into what one-on-one coaching could look like for you!

[Live from Next Level Retreat]

Connect with Danielle

daniellethrockmorton.com

daniellethrockmorton.com/reachretreat

instagram.com/danielle_throckmorton

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Is your business ready for a Black Friday sale? While there are dozens of strategies and approaches to consider, Lauren Grayson joins us to break down how you should look at your Black Friday offers to ensure you’re running a clear and successful campaign. Listen in as she provides the do’s and don’t’s of Black Friday and how you should start planning today!

ENROLL NOWBlack Friday Success: Breaking Through the NoiseMany people feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of deals during Black Friday, fearing their efforts might become lost in the digital shuffle and that they’re just adding to the noise. After years of running Black Friday sales, Lauren understands this challenge, but highlights the importance of preparation, segmentation, and anticipation to navigate the noise effectively.

Getting Ahead of the Game: The TPO MethodLauren’s TPO method for success is her key to ensuring she sees the sales she wants in her business.

Tease the offer
Prep the audience with details
Offer the sale

She kicks off this method on November 1st to ensure her audience is prepped with just enough detail to get them excited and ready to buy.

Preparing for Black Friday: Automate and SimplifyPreparation is key—afterall, Black Friday is a limited-time holiday (both in limiting your time, but also in spending time with your family). Lauren advises automating tasks wherever possible—schedule emails, prepare sales pages and use simple, clear messaging. Reflecting on past sales data also plays a crucial role in optimizing efforts—even if it wasn’t a Black Friday sale.

Choosing the Right Offers: Less is MoreChoosing what and how much to offer can be tricky. The big takeaway from Lauren’s experience is to avoid overwhelming your customers with too many options. Simplification is essential—not just for customer clarity but for managing your post-sale workload.

Organic Over Ads: Leverage Your Email ListLauren favors organic marketing over paid ads, especially if you’re new to running ads. A well-nurtured email list can be your greatest asset, providing a direct line to engaged customers ready to purchase. Don’t discount the people reading your email and warm them up before the holidays!

Unpopular Opinion: Black Friday Won’t Cheapen Your BrandA common fear is that running a Black Friday sale might devalue your brand. Lauren argues against this notion, emphasizing that everyone appreciates a good deal. It’s about creating opportunities for your audience to engage with your brand, not about undercutting your value.

As you navigate your own Black Friday sales, remember to maintain ethical practices by ensuring your offers align with any promises made to your audience. Simplifying complex offers and providing transparency can go a long way in building trust and driving sales.

Mentioned in this Episode:

Flodesk – Use code LAYLEE for 50% off

Connect with Lauren:

Instagram: instagram.com/itslaurengrayson

Website: laurengraysonstudios.com

Membership: laurengrayson.thrivecart.com/themembership

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Whether you’re just dipping your toes into the world of AI or are already on your journey, Dawn is here to teach us how to optimize our use of ChatGPT. Listen in as she shares how you can create your own ChatGPT prompts to help AI generate ideas and content specific to you and your audience!

Here’s a step-by-step guide to writing ChatGPT prompts:1. Define ChatGPT’s Role: Start by telling ChatGPT who you want it to emulate—be it an expert marketer, nutritionist, or social media specialist. For example, begin with, “You are an experienced email marketer.” 2. Introduce Yourself: Give ChatGPT some context about who you are. For instance, “I am a technology coach serving creative entrepreneurs.” 3. Explain Your Intentions: Clearly state what you’re working on and who your target audience is. For example, “I am creating an email series for creatives to get a tech tip every week.” 4. Assign a Task: Don’t forget to give ChatGPT an explicit task. You might say, “I would like 52 email topics about technology in a table format.” 5. Request Specific Formats: Finally, you can ask ChatGPT to organize the response in a particular format, such as a list, table, or bullet points. The detailed directives will help ChatGPT provide a much more tailored response than a simple request like, “Give me ideas for emails.”

[Live from Next Level Retreat]

Connect with Dawn

techsavvycreative.com

instagram.com/techsavvycreative

flodesk.com

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Are you feeling the pressure of hustle culture? Do you dream of running a successful business without sacrificing your personal life and well-being?

It’s time for you to build a SOFT business. In today’s episode, I’m chatting with Molly Balint, the creator of the SOFT. Business Movement. If you’ve ever struggled with burnout, or felt like the hustle culture isn’t working for you, this episode is a must-listen.

Molly breaks down her signature SOFT framework (Story, Observation, Freedom, Tenacity) and shares practical tips on how to balance your work and personal life, all while creating a profitable business. We dive deep into the power of uncovering your personal story and how it can drive your business forward in ways you may not have realized. Plus, Molly shares how you can still hustle, but in a way that’s intentional and sustainable.

ENROLL NOWWhat does it mean to be S.O.F.T.?The essence of a “soft business,” is one that values fluidity, flexibility, and intentional work that aligns with personal values and life goals. Molly outlines her signature framework, SOFT — Story, Observation, Freedom, and Tenacity — as the keys to creating a business that is both profitable and purpose-driven without burning out.

Story: Understanding and embracing personal stories that shape us and our business mission.
Observation: Staying grounded by paying attention to both the larger impact of our work and the small, meaningful details of life.
Freedom: Building a business that allows flexibility and personal fulfillment beyond just financial success.
Tenacity: A reminder that “soft” doesn’t mean weak. It’s about working hard with purpose and resilience, but avoiding endless hustle.

Why Being Soft Matters Molly reminds us that building a successful business doesn’t have to come at the cost of our well-being. Her advice is all about embracing a softer, more intentional approach that prioritizes both profit and peace. It’s never too late to redefine your business and start doing the deep, foundational work to unlock growth and fulfillment to take your business to the next level.

Ready to get started? Identify your personal story and how it influences your business decisions. Pay attention to the balance between your online presence and offline life. Reevaluate your goals to ensure your business is working for you, not the other way around.

Molly’s Unpopular OpinionThe impact of SOFT business is going to reach into every single aspect of your life—making you more confident and build an easier business.

Connect with Molly:

SOFT Business School

Instagram: @molly.balint

Website: https://www.mollybalint.com/

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We did it—my husband Tim is back on the podcast! During Next Level Retreat in September, I sat down to record a few snack sized episodes for the podcast. Since Tim was at this retreat helping me out, I had him to share his experience in supporting me as an entrepreneur!

[Live from Next Level Retreat]

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Like most entrepreneurs, you’ve likely been through your own seasons of burnout. Maybe they led to scaling back or pivoting, but what if you used those times of burnout for inspiration? In today’s episode, Angela Shae of Social Templates Co joins us to share how she went from successful wedding photographer to social media manager due to burnout. Then after another wave of burnout, she found inspiration that created a solution for her burnout (and for many of the clients she worked with).

Listen in as Angela shares how she developed and pivoted her brand, Social Templates Co, through what she thought were seasons that would end the company. She highlights the importance of rest, balance, intentional living, and how to manage entrepreneurial pressures while nurturing personal relationships.

If you are battling burnout or have been burnt out before, if you are pivoting into a new idea or trying to create a new idea, this episode is for you.

ENROLL NOWFrom Burnout to the Birth of Social Templates Co.

Angela Shea candidly opens up about her journey from being a successful wedding photographer to founding Social Templates Co. Her journey began at a photography conference where Laylee met Angela, sparking a meaningful conversation that revealed a deeply personal story of transformation.

Angela started out as a wedding photographer at the young age of 19. Despite her initial uncertainty, her passion quickly grew as she learned and excelled in the field. She achieved great success, earning features in top photography publications. However, with the birth of her children and the demands of her business, Angela’s life became a whirlwind of travel, late-night editing sessions, and mounting anxiety.

A Pivotal Moment

Recognizing the overwhelming toll on her well-being and family life, Angela and her husband made a bold decision to sell their house and move from the Pacific Northwest to Southern California to reset and recharge.

The Evolution of Social Templates Co.

Despite the move, Angela’s drive to continue working led her into social media management, taking on 20 clients. The work was relentless, leading to another bout of burnout. It was during this period of intense work that the idea for Social Templates Co. began to take shape.

Initially, Social Templates operated as a complex Shopify store, offering custom reels for photographers. However, when Instagram launched the “use template” feature, Angela’s initial devastation turned into a breakthrough. She pivoted the business model to take advantage of this new feature, leading to the successful and streamlined version of Social Templates Co. that exists today.

Advice for Entrepreneurs

Angela’s story is filled with key lessons:

Adaptability: When faced with what seemed like the end, Angela pivoted her business model, turning a potential downfall into an incredible opportunity.
Balancing Hustle with Rest: Angela emphasizes the importance of creating intentional spaces for rest and connection to avoid burnout and maintain healthy relationships.
Community Impact: Social Templates Co. was born out of a need for balance in Angela’s life and has since provided freedom and efficiency for its members, illustrating the beautiful ripple effect of solving a personal problem that benefits many.

Angela’s Unpopular Opinion

Angela advocates for hustle but emphasizes the necessity of balance. She encourages creating intentional rhythms of rest and making time for meaningful connections with loved ones. Her fear of being remembered only for her work drives her commitment to maintaining personal connections alongside her professional achievements.

Mentioned in the Episode:

Hybrid Collective

The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer

Connect with Angela Shae:

socialtemplates.co/laylee

instagram.com/socialtemplates.co

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It’s been a minute since I’ve had a full brand photoshoot in my business. I love to get my headshots taken annually if not more, but when it’s time for a brand photoshoot, I want to be really intentional about the purpose, direction, and how I’ll use the images. In today’s episode, I’m sharing how I approached my recent brand shoot and some of my biggest takeaways from it!

Mentioned in this Episode:

Episode 90: A Guide To Planning A Brand Photoshoot For Your Business

Brand Photoshoot Checklist

Angelica Marie Photography

Jones Beauty Co

Hall of Lights

Creative Educator Conference

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Ethical education has always been one of my core values in everything I do, then add in the value of community and you’ve got The Educator’s Lounge. In today’s episode, my friend and Educators Lounge community member Bree Pair interviews me about the process of building, launching, and serving The Educators Lounge!

ENROLL NOWThe Inspiration Behind The Educators LoungeThe idea for The Educators Lounge has been a dream for years—it began to take shape a few years ago when I created The Creative Educator Academy. The course itself fulfilled it’s goal, but I kept thinking, “There needs to be an ongoing community with it.”

In 2023, we hosted the first Creative Educator Conference, which sparked that initial idea for a community—I wanted attendees and others looking to invest in the educational branch of their business to have ongoing support.

In June of this year, Bree and I attended Mic Check Retreat, hosted by my podcast producer Haylee Gaffin, where Bree nudged me with this idea again, “Have you thought about doing a membership?”

It was right there, I knew that I needed to launch it: The Educators Lounge.

Launching this New Community for Creative EducatorsLaunching The Educators Lounge came with so many emotions. From worrying if people would join to the fear of creating something new, like any new offering, every step brought its challenges.

The reality was even more overwhelming and positive than I had imagined. In just one week, over 80 educators joined the community. Initially, I aimed for up to 30 members. It validated the need for such a community and reaffirmed my purpose in serving creative educators.

The success of The Educators Lounge is not just in numbers—it’s the people who make it special. Each member brings unique skills, questions, and perspectives, enriching the community as a whole. From industry leaders to budding educators, the diversity in experience makes for a dynamic and collaborative environment.

Key Features of “The Educators Lounge”What does The Educators Lounge offer to its members?

Monthly Resources: Every month, we provide a resource that is directly applicable to educators looking to scale their efforts.
Monthly Coaching Calls: We also host a Q&A coaching call where members can submit questions and receive tailored advice.
Quarterly Guest Experts: Every quarter include guest experts to provide specialized knowledge and spark fresh ideas within our community.
Private Community for Engagement and Interaction: The community space is intentionally designed not to be on a typical social media platform. We chose Kajabi to ensure that our members have a dedicated, distraction-free environment to interact, learn, and grow.

A significant part of the launch’s success can be attributed to marketing that felt natural and genuine. Sharing my journey on social media, engaging through emails, and just being real about my excitement and nerves, helped to connect with people authentically.

Even after the launch, the approach remains the same. Regular updates about what’s happening inside the community and showcasing the value it offers serve as ongoing organic marketing.

I look forward to intertwining this community with upcoming events like our Creative Educator Conference, making it feel less like a series of isolated events and more like a continuous, cohesive, and supportive experience.

ENROLL NOWMentioned in the Episode:

The Educators Lounge

Creative Educator Conference

Mic Check Retreat

Kajabi

Connect with Bree:

thrivetogether.blog

instagram.com/thrivetogetherblog

instagram.com/breepair

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If you hadn’t noticed already, I’m a huge fan of in-person events. From workshops to conferences to retreats, I truly believe each holds such importance in business education. In honor of hosting Next Level, my retreat for creative entrepreneurs, I’m sharing the value of investing specifically in retreats as a business owner!

Mentioned in this Episode:

Next Level Retreat

Creative Educator Conference

165: Selling Out An In-Person Event—Advice From An Experienced Host

Mic Check Retreat by Gaffin Creative

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Wouldn’t it be amazing if you had an influx of cash to support your business? There are funds set aside specifically for that in the creative economy and business opportunity space. In today’s episode, Danielle Desir Corbett joins us to share why creators should be applying to grants, what to include in your application, and how to build a workflow around it.

Plus she even has a resource where she finds grants for you!

From Grants Administrator to Grant-Seeking EntrepreneurInitially aspiring to be a doctor with business skills, Danielle majored in finance instead of the typical pre-med subjects. However, after realizing medicine wasn’t for her, Danielle fell into grant administration. She began as a financial analyst and then moved to a department handling grant applications. In 2020, after finding her footing in content creation with a podcast and blog, Danielle began applying for grants herself. Winning multiple grants changed her perspective on funding and inspired her to create “Grants for Creatives.”

Why Apply for Grants?Danielle sees grants as one-time cash injections that can be transformative for your business, despite not being predictable sources of income. She emphasizes that these funds are not “free money” as they come with strings attached, such as reporting and spending restrictions. The key is to apply when you see a great fit and not count yourself out prematurely.

Demystifying Grants for Small Business OwnersGrants are essentially pots of money set aside by various organizations (corporations, federal government, local entities) to support specific initiatives or projects. The alignment between the applicant and the funder is crucial. Danielle advises a litmus test—the “billboard test”—to determine fit. If you can envision your business and the funder on a billboard together, it makes sense to apply.

Broadening Your Perspective: Small Business Owners vs. CreativesCreators often struggle to see themselves as small business owners. Danielle encourages creators to adopt an expansive mindset, realizing that they fit under the small business umbrella, even if they don’t have a formal LLC or brick-and-mortar establishment.

Starting Points for Outside FundingWhen it comes to seeking funding, consistency is key. Danielle advises focusing on developing a pitching practice and maintaining a balance between grant applications and seeking consistent income through partnerships and sponsorships.

Developing a Strong PitchA good pitch is an introduction and should start with what’s in it for them—the reader. Danielle outlines several tips for a successful pitch:

Lead with Value: Make it clear what’s in it for the reader.
Develop a Pitching Practice: Consistently pitch and improve based on feedback.
Fit Matters: Ensure the pitch aligns with the opportunity.
Follow-Up: Have a strong follow-up game to ensure your pitch was received and considered.
Don’t Rush: Take your time to refine and polish your pitch.

Unpopular OpinionDanielle’s unpopular opinion around content creation is that not all success stories are shouting from the rooftops—you don’t have to have specific things in order to be successful. Her advice is to not let mental blocks or external naysayers hold you back. Many creators achieve financial success without publicizing it. Instead of listening to limiting beliefs, pave your own way by developing your skills and resilience in the face of rejection.

Connect with Danielle:

grantsforcreators.com

danielledesir.com

instagram.com/thedanielledesir

threads.net/@thedanielledesir

thoughtcard.com

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You may have noticed that this summer looked slightly different than my previous summers in business. I skipped my summer sabbatical. In today’s episode, I’m sharing why I opted for summer hours instead of a summer sabbatical and how you can decide which form of time of and rest is right for you!

Mentioned in this Episode:

Membership

Episode 71: Planning For A Sabbatical

Episode 80: Reflecting On My First Sabbatical

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Do you feel like email marketing just isn’t for you? Maybe it’s not working—no one is reading what you have to write or you just don’t know how to stand out. In today’s episode Zafira Rajan joins us to share how you can craft emails that people want to read and infuse who you are throughout the copy!

Standing Out in the InboxIn a time where AI has taken over, the one thing that no one can truly replicate is your personality and your voice. Lean into using your voice to showcase who you are and how you serve your audience, especially in your emails.

When you’re writing your emails, people really need to start recognizing that you have a certain take or opinion or things that they can turn to you for.

The Importance of Personality PillarsZafira introduces the concept of “personality pillars” to help structure email content. According to her, these pillars can help you stay consistent and authentic in your communications. Here are the five pillars she recommends:

Core Values: These are the foundational beliefs that guide your actions both personally and professionally. Zafira emphasizes sharing these values through stories and lessons that resonate with your audience.
Stamp of Weird: Embrace your quirks! Whether it’s your love for cats, your obsession with a particular TV show, or your unique hobby, these traits make you relatable and memorable.
Intentional Impact: Highlight the real-world impact of your work. This could be through client testimonials, success stories, or even your own origin story, reminding your audience why you do what you do.
Unapologetic Opinion: Don’t shy away from sharing your strong opinions or taking a stand on issues you care about. These moments can polarize, but they also set you apart and attract a like-minded audience.
Z-Factor (Zest Factor): This is the unique touch that you bring to your work. It’s what makes your services distinct and why people choose to work with you over others.

Transitioning This Strategy Into PracticeZafira highlights practical advice on integrating these pillars into your email marketing strategy. Here are some key takeaways:

Organize Your Content: Use tools like Asana to create boards for each personality pillar. Organize sticky notes or digital notes under each category to keep track of ideas.
Repurpose Content: Start with an email and then repurpose the content for your social media channels. This method helps in extracting valuable insights and stories that can easily be adapted for different platforms.
Consistency vs. Memorability: According to Zafira, it’s more important to be memorable than to be overly consistent. Focus on making each email impactful rather than stressing about frequency.

How to Build a Lasting Connection with Your AudienceZafira believes in the long game when it comes to email marketing. Unlike social media, which can be fleeting, emails offer a controlled environment where you can nurture your relationship with your audience.

Be Intentional: Whether you’re launching a product or just sharing a story, ensure that your emails carry a sense of purposeful content that speaks directly to your audience’s interests and needs.
Balance Personal and Professional: Embrace the practice of showing your human side. Combine personal anecdotes with valuable business insights to make your emails both relatable and informative.

Unpopular OpinionZafira’s unpopular/ unapologetic opinion about email marketing is to be memorable rather than consistent. Plus, email is more valuable than social.

If this approach feels overwhelming, start small. Begin by identifying your core values and a couple of unique traits that define you. Share them with your audience and see how they respond. You might be surprised at how much they appreciate the authentic touch.

Connect with Zafira:

zafirarajan.com

instagram.com/zafira.rajan

zafirarajan.com/courses

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Are you struggling to sell out your in-person events? In today’s episode, I’m sharing advice on how I’ve found success in selling to my audience year after year and what I’ve done to pivot when past strategies didn’t work!

Mentioned in this Episode:

Membership

131: Stop Selling In DMs—And What To Do Instead With Sarah Erickson

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If you’ve ever thought to yourself, I could use a lot more accountability and community in my business and life, Dennah Renee is here to help. While finding the right people is a huge piece of it, taking ownership and action in creating that community is up to you! Listen in as she shares how she’s turned business besties into accountability partners and builds her own peer masterminds where she sees potential!

The Importance of Community and AccountabilityCommunity and accountability do not happen by accident; they are the result of intentional effort and vulnerability. After Dennah realized the power of community and accountability, she founded The Quarter Co., where participants experience a blend of bi-weekly coworking sessions, trainings, and checkpoint-driven accountability that helps them move their businesses forward.

Quarterly Planning: A Game ChangerDennah advocates for quarterly planning because it allows business owners to focus on manageable, 90-day increments. By looking at a season rather than an entire year, businesses can make more educated decisions and prioritize their tasks effectively. Breaking down goals into actionable steps is crucial. Dennah suggests identifying tasks that can be accomplished in an afternoon to ensure constant progress, even on overwhelming days.

The Power of Written GoalsThe simple act of writing down goals dramatically increases the likelihood of achieving them. The Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education states that the probability of reaching a goal rises from 10% (if it’s just an idea) to 40% (by writing it down). This jumps to 95% if the goals are broken down into actionable steps with accountability measures in place.

Real-Life Accountability StoriesAfter attending the Creative Educator Conference, she and her friend Rachel decided to meet every Wednesday to ensure they executed the ideas and strategies they learned. This regular, disciplined effort resulted in tangible progress for both their businesses. While there is so much power in working with a coach, they just needed that accountability for implementation once they returned home.

Overcoming Introversion and Building CommunityFor introverts and those shy about seeking community and accountability, Dennah advises starting small, perhaps with a trusted friend. This one-to-one approach allows for safe vulnerability and can lay the groundwork for broader community engagement over time.

Unpopular OpinionDennah’s unpopular opinion is that receiving accountability and feedback as an entrepreneur can be challenging. More often than not, entrepreneurs are givers, making it difficult to be on the receiving end of help or constructive criticism. Transparency and vulnerability are key to benefiting from community and accountability.

Connect with Dennah:

dennahreneephotography.com

dennahreneephotography.com/thequarterco

instagram.com/dennah

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Are you taking your clients behind the scenes of your launches? Not only does it build excitement and anticipation, but it also allows you to create the service, product, or program alongside them and for them. In today’s snack-sized episode, I’m answering some common questions about how much behind-the-scenes work to share during the prelaunch phase!

Mentioned in this Episode:

Membership

Do you like this new format?
Every other week, you’re going to see this new snack size format, where I’ll be pulling from my real life conversations and sharing quick tips and thoughts with you!

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If you’re looking to add more leads to your business—and who isn’t?—this episode is for you. Davey Jones, CEO of BDOW!, joins us to share how you can create the ultimate lead capture strategy, making the most impact on your business. Whether you’re interested in using a tool like BDOW! for your business or simply want to stir up more leads through a lead magnet, this blog post shares valuable insights from Davey on creating a lead magnet that will elevate your lead generation game.

What is BDOW!?BDOW! is a popular lead generation tool that offers forms and pop ups that are super intelligent. Is was formerly known as Sumo.

Understanding Lead GenerationLead generation is simpler than most people think. At its core, lead generation is getting people to raise their hand and say, “Hey, can I hear a little bit more about that?” When someone asks for more information, they essentially become a lead. It’s as simple as starting a one-on-one conversation but at a larger scale. Davey believes that focusing on practical, straightforward methods can make your lead generation efforts more effective.

Lead Magnets as an Effective Strategy for Lead GenerationOne of the most effective strategies discussed was the use of lead magnets. A lead magnet is something of value offered in exchange for contact information. Davey suggests that the best lead magnets are tools that you already use in your business that get you or your clients results. For example, a website designer could offer a guide on curating images for a website refresh. This type of lead magnet is not only valuable but also qualifies the person as a potential client.

Simplifying & Optimizing Lead MagnetsOne solid lead magnet can often be enough. If it doesn’t perform as expected, rather than creating a new one, just optimize the existing one by changing the title or tweaking the landing page. Often, these small adjustments can lead to significant improvements in performance.

Common Lead Generation MistakesMistakes are bound to happen when it comes to lead generation, but here are a few of the most common ones to avoid:

Overcomplicating things
Not providing a reason to join the email list
Promoting the features instead of the benefit of lead magnets

Tip: Avoid failing to highlight the benefit of a lead magnet by focusing instead on its features. Davey suggests using the “so that” game to ensure your messaging is benefit-oriented.

Tracking Metrics and A/B Testing We often overcomplicate our tracking as well, which is why BDOW! has a dashboard that gives you tons of data to make decisions with. Whether it’s a completion rate of a pop up or tracking of conversions in other areas, you’re able to see a variety of variable and tracking around them.

As an industry standard for BDOW!, they set a 30% completion rate as the floor, with a goal of 50% when it comes to lead gen opt in forms.

If you’re not seeing this, BDOW! has created easy-to-use A/B testing for forms so that you can determine which one works better.

Unpopular Opinion on Lead GenerationDavey’s unpopular opinion? If you are a creative entrepreneur looking to sell at scale, building an email list is non-negotiable. It’s the best asset for consistent sales and preventing those panicky moments when business is slow.

Connect with Davey:

instagram.com/daveytjonesy

daveyandkrista.com

dbow.com – Use code LAYLEE for a special discount!

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It’s time to make big impact and big changes in business for me, which is why I’m doing the business version of the 75 Hard challenge! In today’s snack-sized episode, I’m sharing why I’m embracing this challenge and what my tasks include for results from the challenge!

Mentioned in this Episode:

Episode 159: Embrace the Lipstick Effect: Boost Your Energy and Confidence

Episode 41: Morning Routines For Entrepreneurs With Laylee Emadi

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Do you struggle with finding the confidence to show up on video? You’re not alone. In today’s episode, we’re joined by video marketing coach, Natasha Pierre of the Shine Online Podcast, who is sharing her best tips and tricks around video content creation.

From common mistakes to leveraging existing content and building systems for your content creation process, Natasha is dropping her knowledge to take your video marketing strategy to the next level.

Becoming an Expert in Video MarketingNatasha’s journey began in her college apartment, studying public relations and marketing. Her mentor’s words of encouragement launched her into entrepreneurship, starting her own social media management business right before her 21st birthday. Through practical experience and a passion for storytelling, she discovered that video was her preferred medium due to its ability to incorporate audio, copy, design, and visual elements—all crucial for effective storytelling.

Overcoming Confidence ChallengesMany people, including Natasha, struggle with confidence, especially when starting out. Natasha recalls her early days, holding a shaky phone and feeling the nerves. Her advice? Practice. Confidence builds over time with consistent effort. Rather than striving for perfection, focus on showing up and doing it anyway. The key is to work the muscle of confidence over time.

Common Mistakes in Video Content CreationWhile there are so many things to consider with video marketing, it’s easy to make mistakes in your content. Natasha identifies three common mistakes that most entrepreneurs and content creators are making with video:

Perfectionism: Striving for perfect edits, perfect setups, or perfect delivery can be overwhelming. Lean into imperfect video content instead.
Lack of Variety: Don’t stick to a single format. Explore different types of video content such as talking videos, text-overlays, and visual storytelling.
Weak Hooks: The first few seconds of your video are crucial. Ensure your hook grabs attention immediately, setting the stage for what’s to come.

Tips for Video Content CreationWith any type of content creation, trials, errors, and experience bring a variety of knowledge. For Natasha, she has a few tips for video content creation.

Repurpose Existing ContentMost of us are already creating some form of content. Whether it’s blog posts, emails, or social media updates, repurpose them into video content. Natasha emphasizes using past materials, client feedback, and even sales pages as foundational scripts for creating engaging video content.

Lean into What’s Low-Lift for YouFind what feels natural to you. If you’re comfortable talking, create talking videos. If you prefer writing, focus on text overlays. The goal is to start with what feels the least cumbersome and gradually add complexity.

Implement SystemsEstablishing systems is critical. Natasha advocates for two key systems:

Making Video a Habit: Incorporate video creation into your daily routine. For instance, film a quick video while making your morning coffee or after completing client sessions.
Content Days: Dedicate specific days solely to content creation tasks. This could be weekly, monthly, or whatever fits your schedule. Planning, filming, editing, and scheduling content in bulk can alleviate the daily pressure.

Develop Signature SeriesCreating a series of linked videos can keep your audience engaged and excited for more. Instead of compressing too much information into one video, break it into smaller, digestible episodes. This approach not only retains viewer interest but also establishes a consistent narrative.

Use What You Have and Start NowNatasha’s insights remind us that content creation need not be perfect or trend-focused. By leveraging existing content, maintaining a low-lift approach, and establishing supporting systems, you can create impactful video content consistently. So, don’t wait — start creating today.

Natasha’s Unpopular OpinionNatasha’s take on trends is refreshing: trends should not dominate your video strategy. They can be fun but often reinforce dependency on fleeting popular formats rather than establishing your expertise.

Connect with Natasha:

shinewithnatasha.com

instagram.com/shinewithnatasha

youtube.com/channel/UCL2BMkT_7jIu5NeV_yAXScw

shinewithnatasha.com/challenge

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For years, I thought people who got ready to work from home was a waste of energy. I’ll be the first to admit that I was wrong about that. Getting ready is a gift to yourself, your confidence, and your energy! In today’s episode, I’m sharing about the lipstick effect and highlighting why I now get ready on days that I’m just working from home.

Mentioned in this Episode:

Episode 41: Morning Routines For Entrepreneurs With Laylee Emadi

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Not every event you attend is going to be your cup of tea—which is why I’m a huge fan of bringing friends along to ensure I make my investment worth it. That’s exactly what happened at the recent conference I attended, but thankfully I had two of my business besties, Akua Konadu and Dawn Richardson with me to keep me focused and maximize our time together.

In this recap roundtable, the three of us sit down to discuss how we felt at an event that didn’t align with us, what we’d suggest to others who find themselves in a similar situation, and what conference hosts could learn from this experience.

Connect With Akua:

Website: akuakonadu.com

Instagram: instagram.com/akuakonadu_

Podcast: podcast.honeybook.com

Connect With Dawn:

Website: techsavvycreative.com

Instagram: instagram.com/techsavvycreative

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As important as I believe it is to get paid for your work, I also see the value and benefit in working for free. In today’s snack sized episode, I’m sharing why I think it’s okay to work for free even as an established entrepreneur, service provider, coach, or speaker, and when you should consider it for your own benefit!

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Does your website feature up-to-date testimonials that convert prospects to clients? In this episode, Grace Griffith joins us to discuss how to gather testimonials that can serve as social proof for your business. We talk about what kinds of questions to ask, different ways to collect testimonials, and how to gather testimonials for a brand new launch.

Grace is a copywriter and messaging strategist for small businesses. She believes that marketing should be grounded in empathy and that good listening makes businesses stand out. She has so many insights to share and I know you will love our conversation.

Using Testimonials as Social Proof for Your BusinessTestimonials are a valuable part of your website copy strategy, and it’s important to update them often. It’s easy to think about gathering testimonials as a one-and-done activity. However, as your business and offers evolve, it’s important to maintain up-to-date testimonials that will connect with prospective clients who land on your website.

How to Collect Testimonials That Say the Right ThingThere are several ways to collect testimonials, including:

Sending your clients a Google form to fill out
Collecting testimonials during webinars (in the comments)
Writing down what clients said during a face-to-face conversation

It’s important to be intentional about the questions you ask when you request testimonials. Think about the answers you want, and then phrase your questions so that you receive strategic responses.

You want your testimonials to “show don’t tell,” so you need to ask specific questions. Craft open-ended questions rather than yes or no questions. You want the answers to tell a story.

Start by taking your clients back to the problem they had before they hired you. Ask them:

What were you feeling at the time?
What was going through your mind before we started working together?
What were you looking for when you purchased this product?

Next, you want them to speak to the value that you provide and how you stand out from your competition. Ask them:

How was I able to help you?
What did we do together that really made a difference for you?
What about this product stood out to you compared to other solutions you’ve tried?
Can you tell me a story about this experience that really stood out for you?

Customers love filling out a list, so you can also ask them to list their answers. For example, you could ask them to list three things that stood out about your product or the experience working with you.

How to Ask For Quantifiable Data in Your TestimonialsYou can craft testimonial questions that guide your customers to share about the specific returns they received from working with you. If you offer business coaching services, you can ask them to provide progress on specific KPIs that you expect your service to help them with.

How to Gather Testimonials For Your Next Launch Launching a new product is always nerve-wracking because you don’t know how it will be received. Since you haven’t launched this particular offer before, you can’t collect testimonials about it. However, you can collect testimonials about your previous work that can help your next launch.

Start by thinking of ways you have provided value in the past. If your business is new, think about how you’ve used your skills in a past job or profession. Then, go to people you’ve worked with in the past and ask for a testimonial. Keep the questions focused on you and your contributions rather than a specific product or service.

Unpopular Opinion About TestimonialsDon’t be afraid to write testimonials for people. If someone said something kind to you, don’t be afraid to write it down and then send it to them for their approval. People are busy and often don’t have time to write testimonials themselves, but they still want to help you. Capturing what people say out loud and then asking them to approve the written version is a great way to gather new testimonials, and they will appreciate that you’ve saved them time.

Mentioned in the Episode:

The Creative Educator Conference

Connect With Grace:

Website: gracemariegriffith.com

Instagram: instagram.com/gracemariegriffith

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Have you been disappointed in the results of your educational investments for your business? I certainly have and most of us have been there. In today’s episode, I’m sharing a few thoughts on how you should reflect on your investments, be self-aware of your own role in the outcome, and plan for future investments based on your experience.

Mentioned in this Episode:

65: Comparing Two High-Ticket Educational Investment Retention Processes; My Personal Experience

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Do you need a working retreat for your business? My favorite ones are the ones I take with friends! At my recent working retreat with my friend Angelica Marie, we actually recorded a whole podcast episode about our experience! Listen in as we share what we did, how we planned for it, and how things actually pivoted once we arrived!

What is a Working Retreat?I’ve always been a fan of working retreats—they’re something I do regularly in my business in order to dedicate focused time to work. A working retreat is time away from your daily life where you can plan in your business or even work on a particular project.

When Should You Plan a Working Retreat?So many of us creative entrepreneurs and educators are in it for the love of the art. Our passions led us down the path to business, ultimately forcing many of us to figure out the admin and task oriented side of things through trial and error.

Working retreats allow you to have a lot of time to focus where it’s needed in our business. On this particular trip with Angelica, we focused on our own marketing efforts for the rest of the year.

Back in episode 147, I shared how I actually don’t start my year until Q2, which means if you’re waiting for the new year to start planning something new, you don’t have to. We developed brand new Q3 and Q4 marketing plans in Q2!

Structuring Your Work RetreatEvery working retreat is structured a little different. Compared to my previous working retreats, we very intentionally planned a lot of content creation for this retreat—this meant that we packed a ton of outfits. Because it was a very creative process and project, we decided to go into with a free-flowing.

We planned shot lists and ideas of what we wanted and needed, but when we got there, we pivoted immediately, because the spa was calling. Instead of pressuring ourselves into the work, we were able to take 2.5 hours to relax, which really set us up for the work we needed to do.

Finding the Right Fit for Working RetreatsThe key to a successful working retreat with friends is to find the right fit for the retreat. Who do you work with? Who is flexible the same way that you are? Who can bring out your creativity? This makes all the difference in what you accomplish while you’re there.

To prepare for finding out if someone is the right fit, consider coworking with them and see how you feel after. Know what goals you have and if they align with each other.

Finding Motivation and Being Open to PossibilitiesOne of the most powerful opportunities that a working retreat offers is the encouragement and opinion of another colleague. Having someone with you outside of your own home or normal working environment gives way to so many possibilities, but also provides motivation.

The key to getting the most out of working with someone else is to be open to those possibilities and what it can bring for you and your business. You can bounce ideas off of each other and really find inspiration.

Balancing Solo Work vs. CoworkSelf-awareness also plays a huge role in the success of your working retreats. If you need time to work alone to stay on task and become structured, make time for it. During our own working retreat, we did separate for a time to get some work done in order to focus and be productive on our own tasks.

How to Get Started with Working RetreatsIf you’re brand new to working retreats, you may not be ready to spend the money on a hotel or get away. Angelica and I actually started by coworking in hotel lobbies to get the vibe to see if it was a good fit. This is an easy way to try it out or even explore the concept before you commit to it. Consider your public library as well.

What Should I Do at My Working Retreat?While our retreat was very specific to planning out our marketing content, there are so many other things you can work on, including:

Learning a new tool or skill
Testing out new gear or equipment
Refreshing your systems
Updating your website
Auditing your business and time
Outreach for business

If there are a lot of things piling up in the background of your business, it’s time to plan a retreat.

How Often Should I Plan a Working Retreat?A minimum, you should plan a working retreat once a year. We recommend to do a quarterly working retreat though. Find what works best for you and your business!

Unpopular Opinion on Working RetreatsJust because you see everyone else doing it, doesn’t mean you have to. Only plan a working retreat if you want to or need one.

Mentioned in this Episode:

69: Marriage And Business: Behind The Scenes With Tim Smith

97: The Why And How Behind Working Retreats

Enji

Tripod

Connect with Angelica

Website: angelicamariephotography.com

Instagram: instagram.com/angelicamariephoto

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If you’ve found yourself with a little extra white space in your calendar, but you don’t know what to fill it with, this episode is for you! I think there is so much value in creating white space in your work week that allows for you to work on your business, be productive, but also just spark creativity! Listen in as I share a few ways you can fill the white space!

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I have wanted to launch my Youtube channel for years, but there are so many intimidating factors about moving to video—that’s why I’ve brought on my dear friend LaShonda Brown to discuss all things Youtube! Listen in as she highlights best practices that we should consider when sharing to Youtube as a creative educator.

From Agency Owner to Youtube CreatorWhen LaShonda was a senior in college, she started her video production company with her husband. While there was once a dream of being wedding filmmakers, LaShonda quickly realized she didn’t love weddings. They very quickly switched to corporate video without realizing that this was the launch of their career.

LaShonda found herself wanting to do something else, yet she didn’t know how to get a new job as an entrepreneur. She had built a Youtube channel on the side teaching tutorials—that’s when she decided to see if she could turn it into more.

Now her Youtube channel has allowed her to build a team of six and coach others on how to use Youtube to make money. If you’re thinking that you have to stay in the space you initially started out in as an entrepreneur, you can make a pivot.

Why Does Youtube Work?If you’ve been under the assumption or opinion that Youtube is hard, LaShonda has a hot take for us. She thinks in comparison to Instagram, Youtube is cake. Youtube continues to stand the test of time versus Instagram who is constantly changing and making it hard to succeed even after you’ve found success at one point.

The pace of Youtube is so much more aligned with how LaShonda teaches. Consider how you want to connect with your audience and which platform allows you to do that. For LaShonda, she doesn’t want to try teaching in 60 seconds, instead she wants to educate the right way through a full tutorial.

Even if you’re thinking that you looked into Youtube years ago and it wasn’t for you, so many things have changed with the integration of Youtube Shorts, live-streaming, and more! There are a lot more low lift options that will allow you to grow beyond your long-form video content.

Youtube content doesn’t have to be a feature film—people simply want answers.

Differentiating Yourself on YoutubeWhen you get on Youtube, you have the option to show up however you want. Over time, LaShonda has found that the easiest way for her to show up as the educator she wants to be on Youtube is through treating her videos like an answer to someone’s question—which I think so many of us educators can take to heart.

This changes the way she shows up on Youtube, because she’s not trying to imagine her ideal viewer, she’s simply talking to the person who needs the answer and posting it to Youtube. This is similar to our snack-sized episodes every other week on the podcast.

This also allows you to connect with new people who are searching for the same answer and they find your video. That’s how your audience grows.

Best Practices for Youtube As a complete newbie to Youtube, I can prepared with all the questions regarding best practices for Youtube, so let’s get into those.

Posting Frequency for Growing on Youtube LaShonda advices that you post at least twice a month in order to grow on Youtube, but weekly is a more sustainable cadence that she would encourage you to work to. LaShonda goes live every week as if she’s doing open office hours for her community that gives her content on Youtube, but also is a way to serve her audience publicly and one-on-one from the comments.

Another approach includes charging a separate coaching call rate for publicly posting the (edited) content on Youtube so others can learn from the call, but it also allows the audience to see your coaching technique.

Editing & Length of Youtube VideosEvery audience will determine different expectations for what you should do on Youtube in regards to length and editing—your style of content will also impact this.

For LaShonda, she gives her live streams a one-hour block. For her prerecorded and produced content, it’s about 5-10 minutes long. In order to monetize with mid-roll ads, your video needs to be at least 8 minutes long, allowing you to get two ad spots in your content without having the viewer watch the full video.

A content hack that LaShonda highlights about creating Youtube content compared to other content is to break it down. For example, imagine writing a blog post with 4 ways to grow on Youtube. Instead of doing a video on that topic, instead create 4 separate videos showing one way in each video. Treat it like a course module and add them to a playlist.

Determining Paid Content vs. Free Youtube ContentYoutube is a passive income engine, but you should treat Youtube as a funnel to your paid offers. So what do you paywall versus what do you publish? Use the content, but publish just enough to give people a taste of what you’re going to teach in your paid offerings and make the CTA that offering. You can even offer a discount in the description.

It’s more helpful to business owners if your Youtube audience matches your paid audience. If you’re selling workshops or a membership, you should be talking to that audience on Youtube so that they get to see you as an educator and want to pay you for more.

Attracting New Leads from Youtube When Getting StartedYou have to treat your Youtube content like you would a blog post and know that it needs to be optimized for search. Similarly to how you would use Yoast to measure that effort, the Youtube version of that is Tubebuddy.

You don’t have to have a ton of subscribers to get views—if you actually optimize your content, you will show up in Google searches in the video section. This means you’ll improve your Google SEO by posting to Youtube.

What Metrics to Measure for Youtube ChannelsIn order to determine what metrics work for you, you have to decide why you’re using Youtube. You can’t look at it the same way you would Instagram. Imagine only getting 15 views on a Reel, that’s not a great performance. Yet, LaShonda has live streamed with 15 people watching and had two convert into paying members. The value of a Youtube viewer is totally different than Instagram.

Youtube isn’t just about the views or subs, it’s about your overarching goal, which could be growing your email list or converting them to paying customers.

Niching Down to Specific TopicsWhen it comes to creating content for Youtube, it’s important to really hone in on who you’re talking to and what they’re on your channel for. If you stray from those topics, it could create confusion for why people originally started watching you.

For example, LaShonda recently went to Tabitha Brown’s book tour; if she had created Youtube content around that, the video could have done really well because of the reach that Tabitha has. However, LaShonda’s Youtube channel is about tech tools, so if people subscribed on that Tabitha Brown video, then saw her new content wasn’t about Tabitha or pop culture, its going to disappoint them. This kind of strategy for growth can actually do more harm than good.

You can use that content on other channels no problem, but the views you’ll get on Youtube are not going to help your overall goal.

Should Podcast Content Go On Youtube?Youtube is a search engine that is great for discoverability to lead people back to your podcast. However, your Youtube audience isn’t going to match your podcast audience in how they consume content. LaShonda doesn’t think you should simply drop an exact video version of the podcast—instead give the best 5 minutes of the podcast or a snippet of the show with a CTA driving them to the channels where they can listen to the full episode.

Your Youtube content should include something they can’t get anywhere else, otherwise it doesn’t justify it being there. Bring something different to the table through shortened or extended versions, adding b-roll, including exclusive content, etc.

Unpopular OpinionLaShonda doesn’t think you need to spend a lot of money starting your Youtube channel. People underestimate the power of quality content. If your audience can see you clearly and hear you well, that’s what they want. You don’t have to have the best of the best gear for content.

Mentioned in this Episode:

Tubebuddy

VidIQ

Connect with LaShonda

Website: lashondabrown.com

Youtube: Bootstrap Biz Advice

Instagram: @lashondambrown

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If you’re just getting started on your speaking journey, you may be wondering how you’re supposed to connect with people who can get you on stages or even find the right events to apply for!? In today’s episode, I’m sharing a few tips to help you navigate the variety of speaking opportunities that are out there, along with how to approach getting selected!

Mentioned in this Episode:

Speaker Pitching Guide

Showit Speaker Page Template – Use code LAYLEE

Showit – Get a FREE Month with this link!

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Are you actually following a strategic marketing plan for your business? Many of us simply throw spaghetti at the wall and hope it sticks. In today’s episode, Tayler Hollman joins us to explore what we should be doing with our marketing plan, how to track our results, and what to do when it’s time to pivot. She also highlights how her company Enji has created a tool to help small business owners create a marketing plan with intention and stick to it.

Succeeding Beyond the PlanTayler imagined a life where she would always be in a classroom teaching—until she realized it wasn’t for her. She found herself always looking to improve things and make changes, which wasn’t received well in that environment. This left here dumping the plan she’d set for herself to find a new adventure. Eventually, she landed in the small business space as a marketing consultant. After working with a startup client, she started to explore her own startup, Enji.

Launching EnjiEnji is easy-to-use marketing software that helps you create a marketing plan in minutes and start making progress with the tools you need.

What does Enji mean?When creating this new brand, Tayler knew she needed some outside help with naming, so she brought in Jillian Griffith of GG Copywriting. She filled out a questionnaire and gave a few parameters:

She didn’t want it to be something that meant anything to anyone.
She wanted it to be short.

Jillian came back with about 50 different names, and Tayler chose Enji. It’s a play on the word engine.

Is your marketing working for you?For a lot of entrepreneurs and small business owners, they’re not making intentional or strategic decisions, and the marketing that they’re doing is accidental. It’s based on a gut instinct at the last minute.

When you’re marketing by accident, there is not structure and no way to measure the success.

The first step to marketing is to establish goals, objectives, and targets. This will give you something to judge your performance against.

Setting Goals for Your BusinessWhat does it mean to set a goal and how do you actually establish them? Consider them as tiers or stepping stones:

Big audacious goals (the dream)
Realistic goals for a focus
Objectives (with numbers)

The reason so many people struggle with goals is they set a goal, but aren’t creating objectives to getting there.

Setting & Tracking KPIsWhen you’re tracking your goals, you will need to have KPIs (Key Performance Indicators). There is truth in the data—which is where these KPIs will play their role. If you’re not sure what’s working or wasting your time in your marketing, take a look at the data.

When you’re getting started, consider 6-10 KPIs that you can track. Your goals will guide you to know what numbers to track to understand success and performance.

You could track marketing channels, leads, inquiries, and more.

Shifting Your Marketing PlanAfter tracking your numbers, you may come to the realization that it’s time to change your marketing plan. Before you make any rash decisions, make sure you’ve given a strategy or channel enough time. At minimum, give it 30 days, but realistically 3-6 months is a better length of time to test for advertising and marketing.

Once you’ve determined it’s just not working, you can either stop that effort or refine it, which is sometimes the harder of the two. Keep in mind that you don’t want to change too many things in your efforts, because once the results are impacted, you won’t know which change improved it.

Utilizing Enji in Your Small Business MarketingEnji was created as a marketing consultant turned into software so that small business owners can actually have a fighting chance at managing their own marketing. The goal of Enji was to streamline your marketing plan, document it all in one place, and help you to accomplish your goals.

Some of the features and tools that set Enji apart from the rest include:

Create a marketing strategy with artificial intelligence
Develop a marketing calendar
Schedule your social media
AI copywriter
Marketing campaign templates
Metric tracking
Brand file storage

Right now, their focus is on AI tools and integrations.

Unpopular OpinionIf you hate marketing, it’s because you’re not doing anything to make it better. Simply dig deep when things get hard and work through it. If you tell yourself that you hate marketing, you’re not going to do it.

Connect with Tayler

enji.co

instagram.com/enji_co

instagram.com/taylrd_designs

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Building business relationships and nurturing them into deeper relationships is one of the most valuable experiences for entrepreneurs. How do you do that though? Show up, make the friend, and nurture it. In today’s episode, I’m sharing my own experience in turning business relationships into real friendships, along with how to set expectations so you don’t get hurt.

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Is now the time for you to pivot into education? While it may be a goal, timing and experience are everything! In today’s episode Maddie Peschong joins us to share how after almost a decade in the photography industry, she made the gradual pivot into education. Maddie is a brand photographer, studio owner, and business coach for brand photographers, who is actively building a business doing what she also teaches! Listen in as we explore what it takes to pivot into education and some hard truths future educators may need to hear!

Pivoting into Education by Teaching What You DoAs entrepreneurs begin to pivot into education, they often let go of doing the thing they want to teach. For example, wedding photographers will begin coaching other wedding photographers in order to retire from photographing weddings. What happens is they get out of touch with what it takes to be a full-time wedding photographer, creating less impact on their students.

Maddie’s approach is what I love to see. She is actively doing the thing that she is teaching. Maddie educates others on how to pivot into brand photography or grow their brand photography business while she is actively a brand photographer.

Not only is she still actively doing what she teaches, she’s also been in the photography industry for over a decade. This meant that she had years and years of experience to back her when she pivoted into coaching.

When you’re established, you have the experience and data behind why people will want to learn from you. If you can’t answer why someone should want to work with you, you shouldn’t be pivoting into education.

Scale One Revenue Stream FirstNow that Maddie has diversified her revenue streams into her brand photography, education, and her studio, her advice to entrepreneurs who are looking to hit $100k is simple: pick one revenue stream and scale it first.

Through her own experience, Maddie has learned that her attention can only be in one place at a time. This means it’s harder to scale multiple revenue streams and opportunities at the same time. Therefore, if you’re able to focus on one avenue, like your photography business, you can grow so much faster.

The lesson here isn’t to avoid diversifying, but rather to build a solid foundation for one part of your business before you decide to pivot or branch out into other avenues.

Your Guide to PivotingSo how do you know that you’re ready to pivot or what to pivot into? Maddie encourages you to lean into your own intuition. Be aware of your business and yourself and what you’re capable of doing in any given time.

Pursuing Ethical EducationAs you begin to pivot, it’s important that you develop ethical education. There are going to be approaches to creating education that promise you quick and easy guidance so that you can pivot faster, but consider the type of education you want to consume. Nothing that was ever great was done fast.

Making the PivotWhen it’s time to officially make the pivot, there are a few approaches you can take. Maddie recommends bringing people along for the ride by sharing behind the scenes of the transition. You don’t have to make a huge announcement that you’ve pivoted, but instead allow them to see you explore it.

Audiences really enjoy seeing the messy middle. Even when you’re trying to build a clientele in this new adventure, you can specifically reach out to those you think might be interested. This may feel uncomfortable, but that’s where the growth happens.

Unpopular OpinionThere are so many creatives who would make fantastic educators, yet it’s not always the right time. Truthfully, you make your own momentum and you’re in control of your business. If it’s not the right time, don’t pursue it until you’re fully ready to take on education.

Mentioned in this Episode

Ep 133: Creating Marketing Content You Actually Like With Jen Olmstead

Connect with Maddie

maddiepeschong.com

maddiepeschong.com/rebrand

instagram.com/maddiepeschong

maddiepeschong.com/take-it-personally

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As we begin a new quarter of the year, it’s easy to feel behind in your life and business, especially if you haven’t reached your goals. We’ve entered a new season in this new quarter, including celebrating the Persian New Year, which is the perfect opportunity for a fresh start. Today, I want to bring you behind the scenes in my own goals and share why I use Q2 as the perfect season to dive deep into personal goals and allow my business goals to naturally unfold.

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Growth comes in many forms, one of which requires expanding your team. If you’re hesitant to build a team due to limiting beliefs, trust, or unrealistic fears, today’s episode is here to help you overcome that. Ashley Ebert of The Abundance Group joins us to share how you as an entrepreneur can step into the role of CEO while effectively and efficiently building your team.

Effectively Free Up Your Time with a TeamThere is a huge misconception and fear that leadership takes hours and hours from your day, when in reality it can actually take hours and hours off your plate.

For example, inn Ashley’s wedding planning business, Simply Elegant, she has built a 25 hour training program. She has run 100+ planners through that SOP and training program. Rather than having to train each individual person, they each go through the training program on their own, ultimately saving her thousands of hours of individual training.

Once trained, those new hires can go do the job you hired them for, ultimately resulting in more revenue for your business. The longevity of the education and training of each individual lives on for the life of their role with you.

Finding Someone You Trust in Your BusinessAnother fear that entrepreneurs have is finding someone you can trust that will impress you rather than wasting your time on people who are going to fail in the position. The truth is, your hires have to earn your trust. You can expect to hire someone that is going to just get it every time.

You can’t just give someone the keys to the kingdom and let them run with it on day one. You have to equip your hire, understand their skillset, and know how you work together.

This approach can be really hard for some newer managers, ultimately resulting in micromanaging. The way around this is to trust, but verify. Trust that they understand the role, let them do their job, then verify after and correct where needed. Additionally, you could use the “see one, do one, teach one” approach where they watch you, you watch them, then they do it freely. This builds trust both ways.

Team building and trust comes with intention.

Where to Start with Hiring & DelegatingThe unique and powerful thing that entrepreneurs have is vision. Most of us are driven to make our dreams a reality, yet we get caught up in the everyday of owning a business. Most of us aren’t meant for those mundane tasks and are effected by the negative energy they bring to us.

Consider what tasks bog you down and take away your creativity and vision. Beyond the tasks you love and don’t love, what’s crushing you that you just simply shouldn’t do anymore? Take those off your plate and find an expert to handle it for you.

Humanize the RoleThe unconventional wisdom around hiring comes down to humanizing the role. Imagine building a role that has a lot of different tasks that you don’t want to do, yet they don’t align to fit one person (imagine social media content creator and taxes management).

While the ideal may seem to be hiring a unicorn that can do it all, consider what happens when they leave? Instead, hire two individuals: one to do the logic role and one to do the creative role. You don’t want to spend money on someone who isn’t good at the work just because you only want to manage one person.

When you humanize the roles, you go beyond the tasks at hand and understand that the role has to fit a person—who are you looking to hire and are they a good fit. It’s not twice the work to be a leader to two people.

Encouragement for New LeadersLeadership is a learned skill. People are not born as great leaders. Leaders are constantly growing as a leader.

Unpopular OpinionAshley believes that the fear around teams is completely fictitious—you’re bolting yourself to the ground with this limiting belief.

Mentioned in this Episode

Laylee’s Hiring Guide

Connect with Ashley

theabundance.group

instagram.com/theabundancegroup

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Are you constantly feeling behind in where you are in business, ultimately forgetting to celebrate your achievements? You’re not alone, as many entrepreneurs go through this. In today’s snack sized episode, I’m sharing why you should be diligent in knowing what you consume, avoid comparing yourself to other, and honoring your own timeline.

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When you launched your business, no one handed you a handbook that said, “This is how you brand your business.” We often throw together ideas and concepts that are generic and based on other brands, but have you ever taken time to uncover a deeper brand identity in your business? Rachael Curtis of Rachael Leigh Photography and The Brand Plan join us to share how you can develop a brand identity that doesn’t require you to sell, but instead allows you more clarity in connecting with your audience.

Are You Building a Brand that Matters to You?Rachael launched her photography brand right out of high school, where she fell into the wedding industry. In 2019, Rachael began to pivot into brand photography. There were two reasons for this pivot:

She realized that weddings meant giving up her weekends and as she looked into the future and what she wanted for her life, she knew it wouldn’t be her path forever.
She really only went into wedding photography because it was a quick way in, but she couldn’t tell you why she did it. Yet her passion for building brands far superseded her passion for shooting weddings.

Between 2020 and 2021, she began testing out brands and fading out of weddings. From there, she began to have an identity crisis in 2022. She found that in every educational course or freebie she got, it left her wanting more—specifically in regards to her why and how to translate that into a brand that works and markets to ideal customers.

Thus The Brand Plan was born. It helps creatives curate a brand that sells without saying a word through rock solid clarity, and then rhythm based marketing.

Building a Brand that Sells without Saying a WordWhile we love what we do, most of us really don’t enjoy selling. In The Brand Plan‘s 8 week group coaching program, Rachael specializes in guiding you through building a brand that actually sells without saying a word.

“People like us do things like this.” – Seth Godin

Consider the reality that you have a business that serves and that selling is also serving someone, it makes selling a little less complicated. By selling, you’re helping them to find transformation, find the solution to their problem, helping them realize their dreams, or find a solution.

Yet, selling can feel icky. But what if your brand was the magnet that drew in your ideal clients who needed what you have to offer. Rachael built her business around this idea that she’s so good at what she does, that people can’t ignore her. Rather than having to show up and raise her hand on social media, she simply has manifested her ideal clients through her brand.

If you’re wondering where to start, consider the following about your brand:

Identity: You have to be super clear on who you are and what you offer.
Audience: Who are you serving beyond their demographics; what matters most to them?

Phrases Rachael Reiterates to Herself & StudentsOwning her brand identity and knowing her why helps Rachael to truly live out her brand. There are a few phrases she says to herself and to clients to ensure she’s being true to her brand:

Wherever you are, be all there.
Live the season of your life that you’re in to the fullest and be fully present where you’re at.
I am building a business that serves my life and not the other way around
I don’t settle for good enough. I’m always improving and I’m always reaching.

The more often that she reiterates those statements, the more often they show through in her work. This allows her to be transparent in her messaging and conversations, which ultimately attracts and converts her ideal customers.

Uncover a Deeper Brand IdentityAs you’re exploring a deeper dive into your brand identity, it’s important to remember that you are not inventing it—it already exists. A brand is more of a work of observation than it is of invention. So how exactly do you begin to clarify your brand identity?

Start taking notice of what you do, what resonates, and what feels really great. Is something easy for you to talk about and does your audience engage with it?

Unpopular OpinionRachael has a lot of unpopular opinions, which she believes makes her a great brand photographer. Her number one unpopular opinion in regards to brand photography and brand identity is that we need to stop running to items and other brands to give our brand an identity.

Be careful in how you’re talking about generic items that influencers are creating with—you’re not trying to make it as an influencer, you’re trying to build a brand for your business.

Mentioned in this Episode

Katelyn James

Connect with Rachael

rachaelleigh.com

The Brand Plan

@rachaelleighphotos

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We all have our own battles with self-doubt, because confidence building takes time for anyone at any age. Over the last couple of weeks I’ve been chatting with both high schooler and entrepreneurs about building confidence and I couldn’t keep my thoughts around confidence to myself any longer.

While I would never advise one of my students to fake it til they make it in their profession or education journey, when it comes to confidence, that is my first piece of advice. When you fake it til you make it with confidence building, you’re training your mind to believe that you are a confident person.

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You have questions about the Creative Educator Conference and I have answers. In today’s episode, our 2024 emcee, Akua Konadu takes the mic to ask me questions submitted by our audience about planning and hosting the Creative Educator Conference! Listen in as we dive into fears, expenses, and what you can expect for the next round. Plus I’m sharing three tips for budgeting for large events!

This Episode is Brought to You By Kajabi

As a coach for creative educators, I know how difficult it can be to decide where you want to create and house all of the amazing content that you’re creating for your students. Kajabi makes it so easy to diversify your revenue, build your own brand, and turn your audience into customers and students. No matter your niche as a creative educator Kajabi makes it so easy to turn your skills, passions and expertise into enriching online courses, membership sites, subscription podcast communities, personalized coaching and more. Get your 30-day free trial below!

TRY KAJABIWhat was the biggest necessary expense when putting on the conference?While there are so many expenses that come with putting on a conference, one of the biggest expenses that we ran into for the conference was transportation. Since we held the event off-site from our host hotel, it was important for me as a host to eliminate the pain point of getting to the event.

Three Tips for Budgeting for Your EventAs I shared, large scale events are a big investment and you assume a lot of risk when you host events. Here are my top three tips for budgeting for your event:

Understand what a budget looks like and know how to stay within that budget.
If you can’t do step one, bring in an expert (finance expert, planner, coordinator, etc.)
Be aware and stay true to what you set in your budget.

Building a Conference CrewI personally couldn’t do this without my conference crew. Not only does a conference set up take a lot of hands, but it also takes a lot of brain power. Having additional people to contribute and help leading up to the conference is key in creating a seamless and successful event.

This crew was made up of team members, volunteers, and past speakers and attendees. When choosing these, I chose people who I trusted, who were honest, and who were a good fit to spend time with.

What scares you about hosting another conference next year?Ironically, you already know I have fears and hesitations about hosting another round of the conference. One of the biggest fears I’ve face in the coming round is moving it to September of 2025—which leaves a large gap between the two events (about 20 months). Honestly, I faced the following questions:

Will I be forgotten?
Am I enough for people to remember?
Is this too long of a gap?
Will I be competing with more people/events in the fall?

Additionally, I want to make sure that I’m not just staying in my comfort zone and push that by being inventive and continuing to iterate year after year.

How do you handle things that are out of your control?Not everything is going to run perfectly when you’re putting on an event this large, which comes with a lot of overcoming and releasing control. For example, we had some major weather issues that caused delays for attendees, it impacted special things we’d planned for the conference, and more. In many situations like these, I always want to look at it as people over profit—which can be hard when the money has already been spent.

My husband, Tim, always says, “If it’s out of your control, there is no point in worrying about it. Focus on the things you can actually do.”

When things didn’t go as planned, people stepped up to help out. Most people probably didn’t even realize it wasn’t planned the way that it was. No one is as harsh of a critic on us as we are. Focus on what matters to the attendees and if it doesn’t impact them, mov on from it.

Anything you would do differently?There are always going to be more things that I wish I could do, but ultimately, there is nothing that I regret doing.

What can we expect for the third round?I’m beyond excited for what’s to come in 2025! I have a dream list of what I want to do, but also don’t want to get ahead of myself. I will be looking at revamping the curriculum and schedule based on the feedback from attendees. You can still expect an amazing and fun event built of passion and dedication to our community.

If the Creative Educator Conference sounds like the right fit for you, make sure you’re on the waitlist for 2025!

GET ON THE WAITLISTMentioned in this Episode

creativeeducatorconference.com

Connect with Conference Attendees

instagram.com/akuakonadu_

instagram.com/dollydelongeducation

instagram.com/torikelner

instagram.com/positivelycreativeinc

instagram.com/alexcollierdesign

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I was recently chatting with a business bestie and discussing how what I’m doing in my business now is nothing like what I was doing 10 years ago. While this isn’t unique for business owners, many entrepreneurs are afraid of pivots, but also feeling like the choices they make have to stick.

Until recently, I felt a similar fear where whatever I wanted to pivot into, I held to the standard of, can I retire doing this? We don’t have to feel that way—we have the option to grow and pivot as our lives do. Listen in as I share my thoughts around this particular topic and why I think we should push back on the standards around pivoting.

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We recently wrapped the second annual Creative Educator Conference! In today’s episode, we’re keeping up the tradition of having my podcast producer, Haylee Gaffin, take the mic to ask me all about the experience! Listen in as we discuss big changes, big impact, and so much more when it comes to hosting large-scale in-person events.

This Episode is Brought to You By Kajabi

TRY KAJABIThe Heart Behind the ConferenceWhile we saw so many big changes over the last year in the world and in planning this conference, one thing has remained the same: the heart behind the conference and the attendees.

From incredibly knowledgable attendees to the impact we’re building together, overall the experience and purpose of bringing creative educators together to improve their skills and provide them with the tools to become better educators still rings true.

Making Changes for GrowthPersonally, I felt more at ease and relaxed during the event. During year one, there were so many nerves and while there were still some, I felt more prepared. I wanted to make sure everyone was taken care of, but I had the confidence in the event.

One of the biggest changes we saw this year was the increase in attendees—doubling in size from 2023. 90% of our 2023 attendees returned for year two, which was such a gift! This year was the next level of what we built in 2023.

Quick Tips & Lessons Learned* Hosts can work with an emcee they love to alleviate some of the pressures of the conference. * When hosting a conference, having the opportunity to set up the day before is so helpful. * When attending a conference, arriving early gives you the opportunity to connect with others, but also helps prepare to handle delays in travel.

The Lasting Impact of The Creative Educator ConferenceWhen it comes to educating educators, I believe it’s important to have a good blend of impact, inspiration, and action. One thing I love about this conference is the workshop style talks and when the speakers build in time to take action so that attendees can walk away with new things implemented.

An Attendee Fave—Late Night Lobby ChatsIt’s undeniable that one of the favorite things of our attendees and speakers alike is the late night lobby chats. From deep conversations to business discussions, hanging out in the lobby and chatting with other attendees is one of our favorite parts of this conference.

Building Support Around the ConferenceThe Creative Educator Conference would not exist without the speakers, sponsors, and staff. It all boils down to are these people that can serve the audience in the room really, really well. Keeping in mind that the attendees are educators are qualified to step on the stage, it’s important to consider what they’re looking for as educators as well.

Special thanks to Kajabi, Planoly, HoneyBook, Flodesk, Gaffin Creative, Interact, Showit, The Legal Paige, Cubicle to CEO, Angelica Marie Photography, Peter and Bridget Films, Lane Love Paper, R. Love Floral, and Scarlet Rose Collective.

Laylee’s Unpopular Opinion on ConferencesWhile Laylee loves the work that comes with building the Creative Educator Conference, she also is very aware of the saying, “You can do everything, you can do anything, but you can’t do everything in anything at the exact same time.” This rings true for conference planning. She had to set a lot aside, ask for help, and keep an eye on her burnout status in order to plan the conference.

If the Creative Educator Conference sounds like the right fit for you, make sure you’re on the waitlist for 2025!

GET ON THE WAITLISTMentioned in this Episode

creativeeducatorconference.com

98: Ethical Education In The Creative Industry

Connect with Conference Attendees

instagram.com/angelicapompy

instagram.com/akuakonadu_

.instagram.com/dahlia.orth

instagram.com/dollydelongeducation

instagram.com/heather.marie.leicy

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It’s the night before you leave for a conference and you’re standing over your suitcase unsure of what to take with you. We’ve all been there. Our personal style can say so much about who we are, as it’s a visual representation of you and your brand.

In today’s episode, Katherine Bignon highlights the power of visual design for small business owners. Through her own journey of self-discovery and empowerment, Katherine is on a mission to help others embrace their authenticity and feel confident at conferences.

Find Your Confidence through Style and ClothingKatherine Bignon’s journey into styling for professionals, entrepreneurs, and small business owners started with a personal revelation about the impact of clothing on confidence. Stepping back from designing custom bridal gowns, she found herself drawn to the strategy behind visual design and helping small business owners with their marketing and visuals.

Through conversations with friends struggling to find the right attire for events, Katherine discovered her passion for simplifying the process and instilling confidence in others. Her own experience of body changes and redefining personal style became the driving force behind her mission to help others embrace their authenticity and feel empowered in their clothing choices.

Katherine’s approach, rooted in setting practical and abstract boundaries, aims to guide individuals in aligning their style with their desired feelings. By encouraging clients to define their personal style descriptors, she empowers them to curate outfits that exude elegance, boldness, and simplicity. Her emphasis on authenticity and alignment with brand values underscores the importance of feeling comfortable and confident, especially in professional settings.

Personal Styling for Small Business Owners Small business owners, especially those who are the face of their brands, should never underestimate the power of personal style. It’s not just about looking good, but about emitting an authentic image that aligns with their brand. This dimension adds an edge to their professional persona, making them more relatable and approachable.

Katherine points out how central it is to make an authentic connection with audiences. Her unique perspective on the fluidity of personal style highlights how beneficial it can be when it aligns with professional goals.

Creating Style Boundaries for PackingCreating style practical and abstract boundaries is a crucial step in packing for any event to avoid the anxiety of overpacking while still maintaining your unique look and confidence.

The practical boundary is simple, it’s based on the schedule and what is actually happening. This helps you understand what you need to bring with you.

The abstract boundary helps you to weed out what not to bring and it’s dependent on you and your personal style descriptors.

Tips for Choosing Personal Style DescriptorsPersonal style descriptors are your go-to words for defining your unique style. They can incorporate different aspects from colors, textures, and fit to personal style mottos. Utilizing these descriptors not only helps in curating a wardrobe inline with personal aesthetics but also guides during uncertain shopping situations.

In Katherine’s approach selecting personal style descriptors, she stresses the importance of defining these descriptors according to your taste, preference, and personality. These elements combined create an authentic representation of oneself while helping to form a cohesive wardrobe that brings out the best in their style at any event.

The key to really working through both the practical and abstract is to try everything on the when you’re packing to determine if they align.

Comfort and Confidence in OutfitsComfort and confidence in one’s outfit don’t necessarily mean a compromise on style. Rather, they come together to create an overall pleasing appearance. Choosing stylish yet comfortable clothes not only boosts confidence but also allows for free movement and a relaxed demeanor, thus attracting positive energy and impressions.

Katherine suggests that choosing clothes that you’ve previously worn and feel comfortable in is always a good idea. It not only boosts confidence but also makes you feel at ease, thus allowing you to focus more on other vital aspects of the event rather than battling discomfort throughout the day.

Professionalism vs. Personal StyleWhile professionalism is crucial in any business setting, it should not overshadow personal style. Achieving a balance between both creates a robust image that communicates competence while reflecting individuality. Punctuating professional outfits with elements of personal style adds authenticity and personality, which helps make lasting impressions.

Drawing from her own experience, Katherine stressed the importance of representing one’s brand authentically. A professional image doesn’t need to conform to a specific style or look. It merely requires alignment with personal brand values.

Mentioned in this Episode

creativeeducatorconference.com

Connect with Katherine

katherinebignon.com

instagram.com/katherinebignon

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If you’re feeling frustrated and overwhelmed by low student engagement and lack of success in your online courses, despite your efforts to create quality content and meaningful interactions, then you are not alone!

In today’s episode, Mara Kucirek joins us to highlight how you can create an engaging course that encourages student interactions while also dissolving a few myths you may believe.

The Struggle Most Creative Educators FaceAs you’re introduced to the realm of online course creation, you may have a deep-rooted desire to share your expertise and knowledge with others. Oftentimes, educators get side-tracked by perfection or being an instant expert. Instead, your motivation should come from genuinely wanting to make a difference through education.

Mara’s journey to education wasn’t without its hurdles, as she struggled with the technical intricacies and the daunting task of selecting the right platform. Her story mirrors the common struggles and uncertainties faced by many aspiring course creators, offering a comforting reminder that imperfection is an integral part of the learning process. Mara’s experiences resonate with those who have felt the weight of expectations and showcase the raw, authentic journey of navigating through the world of online education.

Should Everyone Create an Online CourseOver the last few years, many creative entrepreneurs have entered the education space by creating digital products and courses. The pivot into education is not only about sharing your skills and knowledge, it’s about fostering stronger connections with your audience, expanding your brand visibility, and potentially unlocking a new revenue stream.

When done right, becoming an educator gives you a platform to teach, inspire, and impact on a deeper level. Mara Kucirek believes that almost any professional could create an online course, but it’s not without its caveats. Authenticity, knowledge, and transparency in teaching are fundamental.

Debunking “Create Your Course in a Week” ClaimsCreating a course is not merely about compiling lessons together. It’s a process that requires patience, strategic planning, and attention to detail to ensure effective learning along with thoughtful user experience. The idea of producing a course in a week might appeal to creatives looking for a fast and easy way to grow, but this concept undersells the effort, research, and refinement that goes into a successful course creation.

Estimating a few days for course creation, especially for a first-timer, might be oversimplifying the process. If you’re considering launching a course, it’s important to be honest with yourself and your audience about the time it takes to launch a course.

Overcoming Imposter Syndrome as a Creative EducatorOne of the things that holds so many of us back from entering the education space or even launching our next product offering is imposter syndrome. The feeling of imposter syndrome often stems from the belief that what you have to offer has already been provided by someone else.

Keep in mind, even in a saturated field, your experiences, the way you present information, and your unique approach can bring something new to the table. As Mara articulates, it’s easy to fall into the trap of feeling like an imposter due to the existing wealth of similar online courses, yet, every course is unique, just like every teacher in a school imparts knowledge differently. It’s important to recognize your individualistic value.

Don’t Overwhelm Students When designing your course think as a student. Would you engage with a long list of lessons or prefer a streamlined, digestible chunk of information? This is something that so many educators get wrong.

While we often think that we need to teach everything we know, an intimidating list of lessons may actually turn a student away. In online courses, less is more. You can build trust and turn your students into advocates when they learn exactly what they need to know.

Unpopular OpinionMara’s unpopular opinion is that there is no software out there that is the perfect software. When Mara works with her clients, she’s often navigating them through which of online platforms is right for their needs. Once you understand your needs and the features of each platform, it’s important to do a cost-benefit analysis of each platform, analyzing the necessary features for your specific course. Even after you’ve determined the platform you want to go with, you shouldn’t force yourself to stay with that platform forever, but rather examine your evolving needs and switch platforms if necessary.

Finding the right platform for your online course means evaluating various options and aligning them with your budget, business goals, and student needs. Given the ever-evolving landscape of online course platforms, it’s important to be flexible and adaptive to changes in technology, features, and pricing models.

Connect with Mara

marakucirek.com

instagram.com/marakucirek

Create A Better Course Podcast

Mentioned in this Episode:

The Creative Educator Conference

Headspace

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If you’re like every other entreperneur I know, you’re likely in the middle of busy season with the added stress of the holidays. In today’s episode, I’m walking you through how you can manage your stress and prioritize your workload as an entrepreneur. Listen in as I walk you through the exact exercise I do for prioritizing work and share some of my favorite tips for reducing stress.

Prioritizing Your WorkloadWhen great opportunities arise in our businesses, it’s hard to say no as entrepreneurs, but you do have the option to say no. If you find yourself in a space where you feel like you’ve overcommitted and you don’t know how to prioritize and work on the right things, this exercise will help!

Make a to-do listFirst things first, make a list of everything you have to do. Don’t worry about priority yet, simply write down all of the tasks. This will help us navigate the next few steps.

Number your to-do list in terms of priorityThe second thing you should do is number each of your to-do’s based on priority. Here are three questions to ask yourself in order to determine priority:

High Priority: Which tasks have the closest timelines and due dates?
High Impact: Are there any tasks that have a higher impact on the overall season of your business?
Delegation: Is there anything that you can delegate? Move these to another list.

By labeling your tasks based on priority, this will help you to understand where to invest your time first—you may find that some of the low-priority, low-impact tasks won’t need to be completed at this time.

Stress Management & Self CarePrioritizing your workload will really help with your productivity and understanding of your workload, but that doesn’t take away all of the stress of busy season. Let’s work through a few of my favorite tips for managing stress and taking care of yourself.

Find a TherapistI truly believe in the power of therapy. Having a third party expert in your mental health can bring you so much value, insight, and validation for both your personal journey and your business.

Incorporate Physical ActivityIf you’re chained to your desk during this season, make sure you’re finding a way to incorporate physical activity. This could look like taking a walk or using your walking pad, turn on a yoga video, or go all in and join a gym. Whatever it takes to get you out of your workspace and moving. This is so powerful for your self-care.

Look at Your Food and Water IntakeSpeaking of self-care, I know just how easy it can be to skip meals or grab easy, unhealthy snacks when you’re busy at work. Oftentimes, we’re looking to avoid distraction, but are you nourishing your body? For me, the worse I eat, the worse I feel. Make sure you’re taking care of yourself by fueling your body with good food and hydrating with water.

Use a Time Blocking TechniqueAnother powerful tip for reducing stress, but also maintaining productivity in your work is to use a time-blocking technique or the Pomodoro Technique. When you set dedicated time to work on tasks based on that priority list we mentioned earlier, you can accomplish so much! If you haven’t tried this technique out, I highly encourage it!

Cultivate CommunityIf you know anything about me or my business, you know how important community is to me. I want to encourage you to try to further and deepen the relationships you’ve found in your communities by finding accountability. This could be with someone from a Facebook community, a conference you attended, or a mastermind!

Try a Mindfulness AppsLastly, and I want you to be open to this, try out a mindfulness or meditation app like Headspace. I once rolled my eyes at the idea of this, but it’s a gamechanger in reducing stress. Even if you don’t think they’re for you—give them a try.

Mentioned in this Episode:

The Creative Educator Conference

Headspace

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When Cameron and Tia decided to launch their first educational offer after gaining visibility on TikTok, they were met with excitement and early signups, but unfortunately that’s where it ended. The explosive growth they’d see in their online reach didn’t immediately translate to explosive sales. That’s when they decided to really focus on and pour into the few students they had. In today’s episode, they’re pulling back the curtain and sharing what they learned from that experience.

Finding Explosive Growth in BusinessWhen Cameron and Tia first started their business, they saw explosive growth in multiple areas of business. Their senior portrait business went from family and friends to navigating a full schedule. When they broke into the wedding industry, they experienced the same sort of growth. Even when they hopped on TikTok in early 2020, they built an audience of 60,000 followers. They converted nearly 4,500 of those followers to their email list, ultimately giving them a list of 5,000 subscribers.

As they looked at the trajectory of their business, they were headed towards education. They decided to start prepping their audience for a new educational offering, because there was no way to fail with all of the success they’d seen.

Launching an Offer to a Small AudienceThey launched their first course, Posing for Purpose, to their email list of 5,000 in November of 2020. In the grand scheme of things, a list of 5,000 subscribers is small in comparison to the 60,000 followers they had on TikTok.

Their hope was that 3% of their email list would convert to the paid course, as that’s what the industry standard would be. They set a goal of 50 students, while hoping for 150.

They took the webinar approach for selling it and signed up 250 people for the webinar. Live on the webinar, they had four sales. Immediately, they started celebrating. Over the course of their cart open, they had a total of 8 sales.

You heard that right. Eight Sales. This was not the launch they imagined.

Analyzing Their Unsuccessful ResultsSince Cameron and Tia had seen so much success in their business early on, they expected the same success and results when they jumped into a new venture. Ultimately, looking back, there were three main reasons that they thought the results would be better.

They set unrealistic and unjustified expectations.
They placed their anchoring point on the biggest and most successful people in their space.
They weren’t knowledgable about realistic conversions.

This obviously set them up for what they came to see as failure.

Making the Most of their ResultsCameron and Tia took a set back, analyzed their situation, and ultimately decided to pour into the students they gain—all eight of them:

Built personal relationships with all eight students.
Personal reviews and coaching for each of those eight students.
Answered personalized Q+A questions at the end of their included Facebook Live.
Treated students as Beta students (which added another module to the course).
Demonstrated that they were as invested in their students as the students were in them by giving them shout outs which created FOMO in their general Facebook community.

This time they invested in their students allowed them to pour back into their course in preparation for their second launch in May of 2021.

Launching the Offer AgainWhen they started selling the course the second time, those eight students showed up and essentially sold the course for them. They spoke to how impactful the course was, how it changed their business, and made this launch a success.

Cameron and Tia enrolled 36 new students into their course during the second launch, which resulted in $18,000 in sales.

Now their course is in evergreen and their constantly enrolling new students every month. They’ve launched a second course and a digital shop that have offered another successful revenue stream.

By serving those eight students so well, the rest of their educational brand has found success. What could have been seen as a failure in that first launch ultimately brought them long-term success because of how they reacted to “just eight sales”.

Looking back, they could have offered their audience a low-ticket item before they launched a full course. Instead, they nurtured them from July to November and launched a high ticket offer.

As you explore education, consider the students who are investing in you. Remember that you are pouring into each person, making an impact on their brand, and also making a difference in the industry.

Unpopular OpinionCameron and Tia think that there is something powerful in having absolutely, unbounded, unchecked confidence in entrepreneurship. While there are key elements that you need, confidence is so valuable in diving headfirst into something new.

Connect with Cameron & Tia:

https://cameronandtia.com/

https://www.instagram.com/cameronandtia

https://www.tiktok.com/@cameronandtia

Mentioned in this Episode:

The Creative Educator Conference

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The heart behind this podcast has always been to connect with listeners, provide value, and have honest conversations. That’s why I’ve brought back our Ask Me Anything series, where I’m answering your questions as if we’re two biz besties chatting over drinks.

Today’s episode is brought to you by my free quiz to help you discover your public speaking persona. if you’re ready to take the stage, uncover your speaking style, and learn how to leverage your skills for captivating and engaging presentations, this quiz is for you!

TAKE THE QUIZDeciding on the Best Course Platforms for Your BusinessTo kick off this Ask Me Anything series, Sarah H. asked,“What did you switch to from Kajabi?“ While I loved Kajabi and recommended it for a while to all of my students, ultimately I wasn’t utilizing all of the features to make it worth the price point. For example, if you replace all of your tools (website, course platform, membership platform, email marketing, podcast hosting, etc) with just Kajabi, then I think it’s a great fit!

I did ultimately move over to ThriveCart and ThriveCart Learn due to the one-time fee for lifetime access. While I was excited to remove the recurring payment from my business, that doesn’t mean that I will always stick to this tool. It is important to keep up with the advancements in tools and understand what will work best for your business. If you’re just getting started, make sure you do your research to see which tool is right for you, because switching over is a very lengthy process.

Selling Your Course in a Saturated MarketWhile we’re on the topic of courses, Jessica L asks, “Are courses dead? I can’t sell mine to save my life.” Anyone else relate to Jessica?

The short answer is no, I don’t think that courses are dead. I’m currently in the process of creating one. The long answer is that it’s important to find ways to stand out with what you offer and find an audience you connect with. The most important thing is finding your unique voice, your unique abilities, and the unique take that you have on the education that you’re offering. What makes it different from every other service provider who is also offering a course around that same topic?

Bonus tip: It’s okay to have a failed launch—pivot, adjust, and try again if you do.

Connecting Authentically to Your Instagram AudienceA great place to connect with your audience is on Instagram, which brings me to the next question I got, “What are your Instagram hot takes/icks?“

Before I answer this question, it’s important to add a quick disclaimer, if you do any of these things, I am not throwing shade at you this is purely coincidental. Do social media the way you want!

Here are a few “icks” that keep me from engaging with content:

Intro is too long (greeting me, telling me what day of the week it is, etc)
Eating or drinking during stories—the pause is distracting.
Popular sounds that are late to the game on Instagram—I’m already burnout on them from TikTok.
Lipsyncs

Staying Organized with Coaching Clients and StudentsAfter you’ve built a connection with your audience and converted them into “How do you keep organized with coaching clients?” In regards to scheduling, contracts, and communication, I use two main tools:

Google Calendar – To manage my calendar and schedule (even synced to my CRM).
HoneyBook – Scheduling, inquiries, workflows, questionnaires, contracts, and communication.

Stepping Into Education as an EntrepreneurThe next question comes from Katie G. who says, “I know I’m ready to be an educator, but I can’t get my audience to bite. Advice?” If you know that what you do works, it’s been tried and tested, and you’ve built an audience that trusts you, it might be time for you to step into education.

A huge missed opportunity for growing as an educator is nuturing your audience in between your launch times. Whether you’re always selling or running open cart/closed cart offers, you have to give to your audience in order to further build their trust. Then look at your audience response. If they’re not receiving it and enjoying it, then it might be time to reevaluate what you want to educate or the platform in which you want to educate on.

If you enjoyed this episode, let me know by leaving a review on your favorite podcast player. Here’s a quick link to Apple Podcast App!

Mentioned in this Episode:

https://layleeemadi.com/resources

The Creative Educator Conference

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You’ve gone through the preparation process of your speaking topics and pitching conferences and events to speak, but what do you do once you’ve landed one? In today’s episode, I’m sharing 5 tips that I believe every speaker should consider when they’ve landed an opportunity to speak at a conference and event.

5 Tips for Speakers at Conferences and EventsWhile there are dozens of considerations when you’ve booked a speaking opportunity, I want to highlight just five things that I think more speakers should be aware of in regards to the event they’re speaking at!

Treat your speaking opportunity like a professional job.Within the creative industry, we are very comfortable with each other and be personable—yet it can be detrimental if you forget to keep that professional hat on to an extent. You should treat each opportunity like a professional job, just like you would any other opportunity that you have.

This is one of the most important tips you should go into an event knowing.

Be aware of deadlines.If you run your own business, you’re likely used to setting your own deadlines, but when it comes to working with a conference host or event host, you have to be aware of their deadlines and respect them. If you don’t respect or adhere to these deadlines, you may not be considered in the future and it could hurt your reputation.

Bonus Tip: Communicate expectations ASAP if you’re not able to meet their deadlines.

Show up with a servants heart.One of the best things you can do as a speaker is serve beyond your talk—with the host and the attendees. This could mean offering help where needed and connecting with attendees (don’t just network with other speakers).
Dig into the audience and tailor your talk to them.Even after you’ve done your research, pitched a talk and gotten a yes, it’s important that you take the time to review the audience and dig into your talk so that it is tailored to them. This will help the audience get even more out of the event, trust you more, and that will shine through to the host.
Ask for feedback.If you have the opportunity to ask for feedback from the event host, do it. This will help you continue to improve as a speaker, educator, and industry leader. Plus, you can get feedback from attendees through social media and understand what they enjoyed!

Mentioned in this Episode:

Speaker Pitching Guide

The Creative Educator Conference

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Do you dread sitting down to create content or build out your marketing plan? In today’s episode, Jen Olmstead of Tonic Site Shop joins us to share how she went from dreading writing her emails to showing up for her community by making a few shifts in how she approached marketing. Listen in as she highlights why you need to make marketing fun, create content you enjoy, and share relatable messaging that your audience will love!

Tonic Site Shop: Empowering Entrepreneurs to Show Up Online In 2013, Jen was questioning why so many entrepreneurs didn’t have beautiful websites. At the time, she found that websites were either a really expensive investment or were done with a DIY approach, yet were embarrassing to show off. She met her business partner Jeff, which was the start of a beauifully platonic love story.

Soon after, they launched Tonic Site Shop, which were beautifully crafted cocktail inspired customizable website templates. Since then, they’ve focused on empowering entrepreneurs to show up online with confidence in their brands.

Making Marketing Fun: Approaching Content with Interest, Not ImportanceWhile Tonic Site Shop experience mass success at it’s launch, the actual marketing wasn’t something the did well in the beginning. Jen realized that she hated it and didn’t want to do it. Instead, they built a product, launched it, then went back into the cave of creating. This meant the were having to work really hard on marketing each time they launched a new product—something that didn’t align with the message they wanted to share with their audience.

They built an email list, yet any time she sat down to write an email, she dreaded it. Her brain was wired to focus on what she’s interested in rather than what’s important.

A marketer that Jen was chatting with earlier this year had said, “You need to stop interupting what people are interested in and be what people are interested in.”

It was in that groundbreaking moment that everything changed for her. That’s when she realized she needed to turn her marketing and content creation process into something she enjoyed and looked forward to creating.

Your Content is Your Marketing StrategyIn the space we’re in, content creation is your marketing strategy. Whether you’re ready to admit it or not, as a business owner in 2023, you’re a content creator. The powerful aspect of the marketing world we’re in is that you get to choose what content you enjoy creating and want to do with your own marketing.

When it comes to the actual content creation process, you have to determine where you’re going to show up and what type of content you’re going to create. For Tonic, they show up on Instagram to have fun and connect with their audience, but 90% of their sales come from their email list. They had to figure out this marketing based on their audience, their brand, but also what they enjoyed.

Content Creation: Serving Your Audience with Content You EnjoySo how do you figure out what content to create? There is an interesting balance in creating content that you enjoy, while creating content that your audience will relate to. A few things to consider include:

What is in this content for my reader?
How will this benefit my audience?
Does this make them laugh?
Am I teaching them something new?
How can this transform them?

Jen’s friend Mike calls this the swerve—this is my story and this is how it relates to you. There are two things Jen does in her content: she looks at what their concerns or struggles are. Rather than asking your audience what they want to hear about from you, instead ask what they’re struggling with or give them options of the content you could create for them.

If you’re still struggling with feeling the need to show up everywhere, remember this: do less, but better. The reality is that you only need to pick one, then build from there as you can.

But, I’m not seeing the results.One really important complaint that Jen sees in entrepreneurship is people complaining about the results they’re not getting for the work they’re not doing. Oftentimes, we hear complaints about the algorithm, yet it might be the content they’re putting out there.

When you give more in your content, you will see better and bigger results.

Then, when it’s time to drop the content, make sure you’re hyping it up to get your audience engaged in unique and fun ways each time.

Unpopular Opinion of Content CreationWhile Jen’s a big fan of sharing her opinions in their newsletter, one thing that she highlights is that if you’re not having fun, no one else is either. Don’t forget to ask the questions:

Wouldn’t it be fun/funny if…
This might be a bad idea, but…

If you’re not enjoying what you’re doing, that’s within your control. Correct it in your business, your content, and your marketing.

Connect with Jen:

tonicsiteshop.com

@tonicsiteshop

@jenolmstead

Newsletter

Mentioned in this Episode:

Acquired Podcast

Oatly

Kevin Lynch

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DOWNLOAD NOWThe post Episode 133: Creating Marketing Content You Actually Like with Jen Olmstead appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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When entrepreneurs and business owners don’t do the work to prioritize inclusivity and diversity in their work, it’s detrimental to the industry as a whole. We recently saw this with a wedding industry event that originally planned to host their event on a plantation without being transparent with the history of the land, leading to a PR nightmare.

In today’s episode, Akua Konadu and Ty Wilson join me to discuss the need for thorough research, transparent communication, genuine apologies, and a commitment to creating inclusive spaces in every aspect of business. Listen in as we share valuable insights and strategies to help you prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion in your event planning, ultimately leading to a more inclusive and diverse experience for all attendees—plus highlight how this brand should have handled it.

It’s time to recognize that there is a deeper level of understanding needed in event planning that goes beyond surface-level actions.

This episode is coming from a place of growth and learning, not criticism. We all make mistakes which provide an opportunity to learn and grow. How we choose to move forward is what’s important. The statements made in this episode are the opinions of the host and guests.

Industry Event Response to DEI Missteps and The Importance of People Over ProfitWhen Emergence Events announced its controversial venue choice, many of its followers and industry peers took to social media to push back. The decision to host the event on the grounds of former plantations prompted a lot of conversations.

Timeline of Events by Emergence:

August 9th – Venue Announced
August 18th – Apology Issued
August 20th – Event Cancelled

Not only were there deep-seated issues with the venue choice, but their initial apology didn’t align with prioritizing comfort and safety over profitability. Ultimately, hosts play a crucial role in creating environments that are inclusive and respectful of all attendees.

It’s people over profit. Acknowledge your mistakes, learn from them, and make a positive change. It’s worth it in the long run.

Lack of DEI Prioritization in PlanningThe importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) cannot be ignored in the modern event planning space. Prioritizing DEI means creating a space where everyone feels valued and respected. This process takes conscious effort and requires a genuine commitment from the event organizers, rather than just being treated as a checked-off box in the event planning process.

This also comes back to the diversity and experiences of the planning committee for any event. Lack of diversity can contribute to organizers failing to recognize the controversial aspects of their decision-making when organizing an event.

Recognizing the Horrors and History of PlantationsThe event was planned to take place at Montage Palmetto Bluff, a former plantation. After the event hosts dealt with backlash from the announcement of the venue, they issued an apology. Sort of. Recognizing the dark past of a venue and refusing to gloss over it not only respects its history but also the communities that history has affected.

This event wasn’t transparent with their knowledge of the venue—they knew the history but decided to move forward with it regardless—even after they issued the apology.

The disappointment went beyond the choice of the venue, but was fueled by how it treated the venue’s history with nonchalance and ignorance.

In the south, plantation weddings highlight the uncomfortable reality of romanticizing an antebellum era without acknowledging the historical horrors associated with it. This is why it’s so important for event organizers and venue owners to adopt a more forthright and sensitive approach when highlighting the history of their venues.

After even more backlash on their apology, Emergence Events canceled their 2024 event.

It’s a huge responsibility to ask somebody to invest their hard-earned money and time and livelihood with you. You have to be aware of these things that you’re asking people to show up in spite of, because it’s not going to happen, and it shouldn’t be something you ask them to do.

How Educators and Entrepreneurs Can Prioritize Diversity and Inclusion with EventsThis lack of DEI expands into all industries. As educators, sponsors, and attendees, you can advocate for more diversity and inclusion. Here are a few steps to take:

When booking a speaking engagement, ask to see the lineup and highlight that you want to participate in events that prioritize diversity and inclusion.
Take a look at past events and lineups of the events you want to participate in.
If the event doesn’t align, you can say no. If you’re already contracted—explore ways to dissolve the contract.

Don’t be afraid to make the ask to ensure that your values align. This will open the door to conversations—both good and hard ones. If they don’t, it wasn’t the right event for you anyway and your opportunity will come.

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DOWNLOAD NOWThe post Episode 132: Case Study: Breaking Down an Industry Event Response to DEI Missteps with Akua Konadu and Ty Wilson appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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Selling in the DMs isn’t a strategy I recommend—honestly I hate it. After an influx of sales DMs and dozens of frustrated texts to my business bestie, Sarah Erickson, we knew it was time for a podcast episode to discuss this sales strategy. In today’s episode, we’re discussing why you should stop selling in the […]

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After running this business for ten years, there have been a number of lessons I’ve learned as an entrepreneur! In today’s special episode, I’m sharing 10 of the most valuable lessons from the last 10 years! To celebrate 10 years in business, I’m hosting a flash sale for the Creative Educator Conference! Save $200 when […]

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Women haven’t always had the opportunities that we have with money today—that’s why we need to embrace the power we have to be a part of history. In today’s episode, Erinn Bridgman joins us to share how you can build financial freedom with your creative business. Listen in as she shares some of the most […]

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Are you thinking about snagging your ticket to The Creative Educator Conference? Take a listen to our open house replay, where I dive deep into what is included in the conference, who it’s for, and answer all of your questions! Looking for the Transcript?

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If you’ve ever hustled in a season of business that led to burnout, today’s episode is for you. Hope Taylor joins us to share her own experiences in burnout, how she’s set up boundaries in her business, and prioritizes her own self-care and mental health every single day. Plus she’s sharing a little behind-the-scenes of her wedding planning process!

Today’s episode is brought to you by my free ebook that helps creators avoid the big mistakes that are holding them back from becoming profitable, impactful educators.

DOWNLOAD NOWWedding Planning as a Wedding ProfessionalBefore we dive into the main topic of the day, let’s first kick off the conversation by celebrating and cheering for Hope and her new husband, Hayden! Their wedding was absolutely beautiful!

When you’re a wedding professional, there tends to be a ton of pressure that comes with planning your own wedding—including expectations that so many people have for what your day will entail. Even if you’re not in the field, big life events like this are so hard and stressful.

For Hope, she felt the stress that came along with it. Being a wedding professional, she went into the wedding knowing that she wanted to make it all about her and Hayden—this meant keeping the guest list small, focusing on the details that mattered to them, and making the planning process fun.

She found herself planning as if she was “working,” since it is what she does for work. Hayden came up with “Wedding Wednesdays” where they would sit down together and plan their wedding. This helped compartmentalize what she needed to do and manage her mental health during this busy and stressful season.

Boundaries, Self-Care, and BusinessHope is all too familiar with the importance of self-care and boundaries when it comes to business. Like many entrepreneurs, she’s experienced her own seasons of burnout—ultimately putting her in the hospital.

Years ago, Hope started setting up boundaries that would prioritize her mental health. A few of those boundaries included:

Turn off all notifications on her phone.
Set clear boundaries for her work hours (done by 5PM).
Build a solid morning routine that refills her cup.
Giving each day of the week it’s own assigned task.

Recognizing Burnout and How to Avoid ItThese boundaries that Hope set up didn’t come naturally. She vividly remembers a time in 2015 when she was experiencing burnout, she was watching Gossip Girl with her mom and saying, “Something has to give. I have to change something.”

She had been in a phase where she was thriving from the outside—running a 6 figure business, drowning in editing, wanting to break into education, yet didn’t have time to do it. She was physically burning herself out.

She decided to cut an entire service from her business for a full year in order to create time for her to shift into education.

If you’re in a place where you’re feeling overwhelmed and approaching burnout, this one change has ultimately made huge shifts in Hope’s mental health: getting up 30 minutes earlier than she needs to in order to do things for herself.

Different Types of BurnoutHope personally has a few different types of burnout she experiences. The first type, which she refers to as level one, is a daily burnout, when she’s pushed herself too hard in a day and needs to refill her own cup. To do that, here are a couple of things she suggests to avoid that type of burnout:

Change your scenery.
Don’t push through it—because you’ll do bad work.

Level two of burnout is in busy seasons. The way that she handles this type of burnout is:

Focuses on the light at the end of the tunnel.
Rewards herself with a treat at the end.
Unplugs from the work.

The next level is level three, which is the exhaustion phase. This is where she’s sobbing and finds herself in an unhealthy situation. Here’s how she takes care of herself in those moments:

Takes a break to refuel herself.
Comes back and reviews her workload to determine what led to that burnout.

These are all wake-up calls for your business—you can use levels one and two to adjust your business so that you don’t hit level three.

Entrepreneurial GuiltAs entrepreneurs, we often feel like we have to be on all the time for our business. This ultimately leads to guilt in a variety of ways: not being present enough in your off time, not doing enough for your family, not doing enough for your business when you set boundaries, etc.

You have to figure out what works for you, your situation, and your partner or family. You may be putting all of the guilt on yourself by setting your own expectations—it’s not necessarily coming from those around you.

Unpopular OpinionHope believes that seasons of hustle are necessary, and not necessarily a negative thing all the time. Balance, self-care, and boundaries are so important, yet seasons of hustle can lead to the growth that you need at specific times of your business.

Check out Hope’s Past Episodes on the Podcast

Episode 1: Breaking Into Creative Education

Episode 21: Masterminds & Educational Formats

Connect with Hope

hopetaylor.com

instagram.com/hopetaylorphotography

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Are the services you’re offering in your business holding you back? Are they serving you in a way that is providing the essentials for your life or stealing them away from you? In today’s episode, my biz bestie, Sarah Erickson of Sarah Ann Designs joins me to discuss business pivots and how we’ve approached redefining our offerings. Sarah’s been through nearly every stage of business with me, holding my hand through major changes and helping guide my own direction with branding through those pivots. Listen in as we share how you can make pivots whether you’re ready for them or fearful of them!

Today’s episode is brought to you by my free ebook that helps creators avoid the big mistakes that are holding them back from becoming profitable, impactful educators.

DOWNLOAD NOWRefining Your Service OfferingsSarah and I have gone alongside each other on our business journeys since we’ve been business besties. As you know, I’ve pivoted from teacher to photographer to coach and educator for creatives.

For Sarah, one of the biggest shifts she experiences was letting go of wedding stationary. She started her business doing calligraphy and stationary design, but found an easy pivot into brand design. With less stress and higher profits, it was a no-brainer for her; also allowing her to go back to her roots of design that she studied.

Her most recent shift happened in the last year, which included letting go of website design. This was a much harder shift for her. She’d hit a creative rut working with clients in an industry that didn’t blend well with her style, which gave her less control over the brand design that she loved.

She felt so much guilt in taking these clients, but also fear in letting them go. Not letting them go turned into an uninspiring season in business. Creatively, she felt like she failed.

Pivoting Out of Things You Don’t EnjoySome decisions are easy when it comes to pivoting, while others do take time and consideration. Whether it’s due to a passion for the service, knowing you’re good at it, or maybe just not enjoying it anymore, you have to make decisions that serve you well.

For many of us, we end up working in roles and providing services that aren’t fulfilling to us anymore. Maybe it wasn’t always that way, but you’ve moved into it. Letting go is hard.

If you’re still clinging to those parts of you or your business, ask yourself: is it essential? What do you want for your life? Are the things you’re considering letting go of stealing those moments or things from you? If they are, it’s time to move beyond them and pivot into something new.

It’s hard to let go of things that you’re good at—but you’ve got this. Just because you’re great at something doesn’t mean you have to do that thing.

Pivoting to Make Room for MoreAdditionally, you may be loving what you’re doing, but overcommitting with too many focuses. For myself, Sarah had to tell me to remove photographer from my homepage. While photography will always hold a special place in my heart, I simply wasn’t focusing on it anymore and needed to define myself as the educator I wanted to be. An outside perspective, like Sarah, was the reason I finally did.

You can still be passionate about a service you once offered, even if you decide to pivot away from it.

You can’t always do all the things at once. You can be multi-passionate, but ask yourself those same questions again on if it’s servicing you. Not only that, ask if you have room to try something new.

Unpopular OpinionWe’re fans of pivoting over here, yet the industry as a whole tends to hesitate with those pivots. It’s okay to be ruthless about these decisions in pivoting or removing service offerings in your business. Get rid of what isn’t essential and focus on the things that will serve you best. This will make room for the bigger and better things.

Connect with Sarah

sarahanndesign.com

https://sarahanndesign.co/how-to-say-no/

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Have you been rejected from a speaking opportunity and struggled with continuing to show up and apply more? In today’s episode, I’m sharing from my own personal experience how you can move on from rejection in business, continue to apply as practice, and a few things to consider when you are rejected! Plus I’m even sharing a few things to consider when you’re applying to speak!

Today’s episode is brought to you by my free ebook that helps creators avoid the big mistakes that are holding them back from becoming profitable, impactful educators.

DOWNLOAD NOWFacing Rejection in Business as an EducatorWhether you’ve applied to speak on a podcast, at an event, or as a guest educator, rejection is a real possibility. This means you need to prepare for facing rejection even when you are confident in your abilities and your pitch.

As my speaker selection committee and I are working through the final phases of speaker selection for the Creative Educator Conference, I wanted to bring this topic to light, because I don’t think it’s talked about enough.

We received nearly 100 speaker applications, yet the reality is that there are less than 8 speaker spots available for my conference. This means I have to share the tough news to a lot of speakers that they weren’t accepted.

My encouragement to anyone who faces rejection in any situation is to not place your work in the applications or the results of them.

Prepping Your Pitch / ApplicationIf you’re brand new to pitching, here are a few tips to help in your pitching and application process to ensure you’re not being overlooked:

Did you put your best work behind this pitch? Don’t let excitement overtake the thoroughness or intentionality.
Were you professional or were you hyper-casual? This happens often when you apply to a friend’s event or someone you know.
Are you following the application & providing detail? For example, in our application, we asked applicants to share as much detail about their topic and some simply put the title—not good.

How to Move Past Rejection in BusinessYou’ve worked so hard to establish yourself in your business, therefore, consider giving yourself time and grace to become an expert educator or speaker in that field as well.

As you do this, you will have to be consistent in applying for opportunities as well. Consistency is key to offering you the most valuable and rewarding opportunities as an educator. That consistency will also force you to face rejection.

Here are a few considerations to help you move past rejection in business when you’re applying as an educator or to speak:

Don’t take it personally. The odds aren’t going to be in your favor—ever.
Not every expert is a good fit for every industry event.
Ongoing practice in applying does create progress for your skillset.
Continue to show up—this means by applying year after year and still going to events!

Rejection should not define you and it should not define the way that you see yourself. I want to encourage you to be humble and keep trying. Get as much information as you can get as much education as you can. But at the end of the day, please know that with practice and with learn skills, there is nothing that you cannot do.

Mentioned in this Episode

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Your words make an impact, especially when it comes to establishing your authority in your industry. In this episode, Ashlyn Carter joins us to share how she quickly claimed her own authority as a copywriter in the creative services industry and how professionals have to maintain that authority once it is established. Listen in as she shares how you can establish your authority through copy, specifically when it comes to launching a new service or product.

Claiming Your Authority in the IndustryAshlyn left the corporate world where she worked with fortune 500 companies nearly seven years ago. While it’s only been seven years, for most of that time, Ashlyn has been known as an establish authority figure in the copywriting space—someone we all know, like, and trust. She saw a need in the creative industry that she wanted to fill—a visible and established copywriter.

At the time, there weren’t too many creative business owners who understood what copywriting was, let alone, what it could offer to their business. This lit Ashlyn up to educate the creative industry on copywriters.

In addition to establishing her credibility through education, she was creating relationships that were leading to referrals for her. Those grassroots referrals offered her even more opportunity to establish herself as the authority in the industry.

Lastly, due to her PR background, Ashlyn knew how to pitch herself well. She had not qualms with getting denied from those pitches, so she kept doing them.

Maintaining Your Authority Over TimeOnce you’ve established our authority, we often think that we’ll remain in that position, but that’s not true. We have to maintain our authority, brand, and name in the industry that we once established. Whether you’re seeing new names enter the space, life changes are pulling you away from your work, or you’re simply just needing to refocus your efforts on your brand, maintaining that authority does that work.

Before you make the efforts to do that, you first need to re-establish your own definition of success and the lifestyle you want to have for yourself. While you want to be profitable, what does that mean in regards to your lifestyle?

Using Copy Establish Your Authority When You LaunchWhen it comes time to launch your products or services, make sure you’re implementing the following into your copy and your plan to establish your authority:

Address objections early on and prime your audience to launch by helping them overcome disbeliefs through your copy
Sell with emotion you your copy
Utilize the tools that are available to you and everyone (yes, like AI)

As you’re creating your copy and implementing these authority building concepts, there are a few other things that will help in keeping the attention of your audience, while also better converting them.

Writing in Copy BlocksOne of the easiest ways to better communicate through your copy is with copy blocks. Bury the lengths of your sentences by creating that space. Most of our online audiences aren’t actually reading the copy that we write—by formatting your copy in blocks and even other format features that align with how you would speak, you’ll better keep the attention of your reader.

Sell the ConceptRather than selling the offer, sell the concept—this could be the intellectual thing or the transformation. Your offer is just the vehicle to get them there. So focus on the concept on your sales pages.

Consider Any & Every Stage of the Customer JourneyIt’s so easy to start writing your sales page copy for offers from the top and working your way down. The same goes for writing sales emails and workflows, as if a customer were going to read every single email. You have to consider if a user were to come to your landing page or enter any of your marketing efforts at any point, how have you communicated with them in that one message?

Start with what you know to be true, in regards to the offer and features. Back up and write for emotion, then add voice. After that, you can do your copy editing.

Unpopular Opinion on Using Copy to Establish Your AuthorityReady for Ashlyn’s hot take and unpopular opinion on using copy to establish your authority? She thinks that you don’t have to hire it out at first to be impactful. You as the business owner have the knowledge and power to communicate your offerings.

Connect with Ashlyn

ashlynwrites.com

instagram.com/ashlynscarter

facebook.com/AshlynWrites

youtube.com/@AshlynWrites

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How do you like to sell? Take the quiz >>

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Are you creating content to market your business? If so, are you optimizing it for search? Sara Dunn joins us to make SEO easy to understand by simplifying what it takes to get you business in front of your ideal and dream clients. Listen in as she shares the value of search engine optimization, how to build a strategy and plan for your SEO, and why every business owner should at least understand the basics.

What is SEO?SEO stands for search engine optimization, which is the art of influencing search engines to show your website, your information in the search results for free. The best way to take advantage of this free tool is to understand and learn what Google looks for online, then make sure our content uses that to serve content to our audience. Search engine optimization provides free traffic that you earn above others in your industry and you don’t have to pay for it.

Building a Search Engine Optimization Strategy for Your WebsiteSara began her career in web design, where she had a client ask if her design would help them rank higher on Google. Of course it would, she thought, then went to digging into what helps your website rank in search engines.

She found and consumed every single piece of information about search engine optimization (SEO) that she could to make this website rank. From there, she’s helped rank websites on search engines for so many different industries, but ultimately found a heart for the wedding industry.

Search Engine Optimization for Online BusinessesWhile it feels simpler to work on an SEO strategy that relies on a specific location to search, online businesses can still utilize search engine optimization for their business too, specifically online educators.

The things you teach and the things you know are things that people are searching for online right now. Whether it be tools, tips, tricks, or thought-leader answers, people are going to Google them—your website should provide the answers so that you’re showing up in search engines.

When you create content that is optimized for search, your ideal audience will find it as a warm and interested lead. You’re not interrupting them during their scrolling time like traditional online advertising—they’re seeking out the answers you have. Once they read it, they’ll come to find you as the go-to expert in the space.

Optimizing Your Website Content for Search EnginesSo how do you make sure your content is optimized for search engines? Step one is to think about your ideal customer. What are they trying to find out? What would they be searching for in order to find you? What are their struggles and questions that you can help solve?

Once you’ve considered that, use an SEO tool like Ubersuggest or Answer the Public to see if the thoughts you had were right. With Ubersuggest, you can search keywords and topics that you’re considering creating content for, then it will give you the number of times that topic is searched for each month and a list of similar searches. Once you’ve completed that keyword research, you can use that content across all of your marketing channels and platforms.

Where to Place Your Keywords for SEOIf you want to get found on Google, you need to use keywords on your website. As educators, you want to include these in blog posts through helpful tips and content to bring in traffic. If you want to get found on Google, your website needs to be the hub for your best and longest content that you have on any given topic.

Should You Divide Your Website When Moving Into Education?As you pivot into education, you may be faced with the decision to divide your website or keep in all in one place. Your strategy may differ, but Sara believes that the best way to approach it is to keep them in the same place (on the same website). Google understands your authority based on your domain name. When you start a new business, you are starting at zero, versus utilizing the existing website you have for your business.

Are you missing out?The shocking truth about SEO is that the content you’re already creating could be bringing you 1000’s of visitors to your website every single year, if you just help search engines to find it better. If you just took the steps to learn a little bit about SEO and optimize your content, it would be so beneficial for you. Even if you don’t understand all of the tiny little details, start writing content based on keywords people are searching for, because you can have success with ranking even if you don’t know the full process.

How to Check to See if You’re Ranking on GoogleYou’ve done the work to create content based on what people are searching, but now you want to check to see how your content is doing. You can use Ubersuggest‘s tool, Traffic Estimation. When you enter in a domain to this address, it will tell you the success of that website’s SEO (keywords ranked, position, search results, etc).

Next Steps to Improve Your SEOYou can get started with small and simple steps for your search engine optimization strategy. You don’t have to do a complete overhaul in order to make an impact. Baby steps to success will truly pay off.

Tip: This could even be editing and optimizing old content on your blog.

Unpopular Opinion on SEOIf you’re marketing your business with content, you should know the basics of Search Engine Optimization in order to get the most out of that content for a long time.

Connect with Sara

sarahdoesseo.com

IG: @sarahdoesseo

TikTok: @sarahdoesseo

Mentioned in this Episode

Ubersuggest

Answer the Public

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As the questions about The Creative Educator Conference continued to roll in over the last few weeks, it was time to do an Ask Me Anything Conference style podcast episode! In this episode, I’m exploring a part two of recapping the conference based on submitted questions by all of you!

What almost held you back from hosting the conference and why did you do it anyway?There were two main things that were initially holding me back from hosting a conference: imposter syndrome and the monetary risk.

We talk a lot about imposter syndrome here on the podcast and even with my students, but that’s because it’s not something we ever overcome fully. I was held back by that little voice whispering, “Who are you to do this? What makes you qualified?” Thankfully I had so many in my community who pushed me to do this and highlight how this will impact others.

The other thing that almost held me back was the monetary risk. In almost everything I’d done up to that point had a low barrier to entry and low financial investment risk. When hosting a conference, it means committing large amounts of money before you’re sure of how well it will do. This was so intimidating. Once I decided to simply take the risk and was in a place that I could afford the risk, I moved forward.

Ultimately, it did pay off and I was able to move beyond those thoughts and barriers to host the conference.

Was there anything you did in business that helped build experience to host a conference?I’ve been hosting in-person events for years—from workshops to retreats, they each equipped me in specific ways for the conference. The retreats were the thing that helped prep the most of those two.

Beyond that, the thing that equipped me the best overall was my previous career as a teacher and drill team director. I’d built a skillset through fundraising in that career as I hosted big events. That skillset translated really well for a conference host to manage a budget, creating an incredible experience, and do it to where everyone’s needs are met.

Do you have any regrets from your time at the conference?While I stray away from having regrets, I do have things that I will change moving forward. First, it was difficult to juggle wearing all of the hats as the host during the week of the event. I wanted to be the host, but also be accessible to each attendee. For the next event, I would hand off more of the responsibilities and stress to others.

Were ticket sales stressful? How did you manage sales and marketing?Anytime you launch something, it can be extremely unpredictable. Like with all of my other launches, I went in with no expectations because I’d committed to it. For the Creative Educator Conference, ticket sales were a roller coaster—we had sales immediately on launch day and I was so excited and set high expectations, then within a week, it slowed down.

The roller coaster started—as the speakers were announced, sales went up. Then again, they went down and stayed there for a while. But as I wrote each name down, I stopped looking at the numbers and started looking at the people.

On Black Friday, I did a quick push and sale—that’s when we sold out. As you go through those ebbs and flows, remember who you’re doing each launch for and the attendees or students you’ll impact.

How can I be involved in the next conference?

Come join us as an attendee and get on the waitlist! You’ll get the most out of the experience when you attend! If you’re interested in speaking, apply to be a speaker! Or apply to be a volunteer!

If you’re wanting to grab your ticket to the next Creative Educator Conference, make sure you’re on the waitlist!

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A little over a month ago, we hosted the inaugural Creative Educator Conference! In today’s episode, my podcast producer, Haylee Gaffin, joins us to interview me about The Creative Educator Conference! Listen in as we discuss the inspiration behind the conference, how hosts choose speakers for conferences, and conference sponsorships!

The Inspiration Behind The Creative Educator ConferenceFor years and years, I’ve been dreaming of an in-person component to The Creative Educator Academy, which was the plan for 2020, but when we couldn’t meet in-person, it pivoted into a virtual conference. Through that virtual experience, I learned a lot about the education, offerings, and desires of the attendees.

For me, nothing gives me as much motivation, joy, and return as an in-person experience! This ultimately led to what The Creative Educator Conference would become.

Choosing Speakers for The Creative Educator ConferenceChoosing speakers for a conference built for educators came with a lot of pressure—as the speakers would also be ideal attendees. Not only that, but so many of the applications were amazing!

What it ultimately came down to was:

The Topic
The Relevance to the Educators
Personality Types
Teaching Styles
Diversity & Inclusivity

If you’re considering putting in your application for speaking at The Creative Educator Conference next year, here are a few tips:

Make sure you keep an eye out on Instagram: @creativeeducatorconference.
Follow the application protocol.
Put a lot of thought into your application and tailor your topic for educators.

Remember, there are only a small number of speakers who get selected; it’s truly a numbers game. Don’t be discouraged if you’re not selected, it could be for a number of reasons.

How Sponsors Can Support ConferencesWhen it comes to sponsorship, it’s important that there is an existing relationship with a trusted brand that aligns with my own values. Every single sponsor was vetted in that way, as I wanted to share ethical brands with my attendees. Overall, I’m looking for sponsors, who can actually serve my attendees and who the audience sees as a good fit to become customers of the sponsors—that should be mutually beneficial.

Special thanks to our sponsors for their support of The Creative Educator Conference: Honeybook, Showit, The Legal Paige, The Abundance Group, Gaffin Creative, Sarah Ann Design, Lanelove Paper Co, and R. Love Floral.

Not only did we have wonderful sponsors, but we also had an amazing team of volunteers, vendors, and speakers who truly made the conference as successful as it could have been. This was reflecting in what the attendees had to say during the conference as well.

“Laylee has set the standard of what a conference should be. The amazing diversity in the speakers, in our audience—and for me, as a woman of color, it has just been so amazing to see how she has been super intentional in making sure that every single person is seen and included, that barriers are removed to make sure that people are able to get the education that they need to be able to further their business.” – Akua Konadu

“It has been really just truly amazing to be in a room of people who are passionate about educating others. It’s an amazing thing to be in a room of people who want to serve others and help others.” – Victoria Rayburn

“I think the biggest takeaway that I got was coming in thinking that I didn’t necessarily belong in this room. and then after the first 10 minutes I was like, ‘Nope, this is my place. I’m with my people.'” – Tori Kelner

“I really love this environment where you know, we help each other grow.” – Dingding Hu-Kirahara

Special thanks to Ashley and Kayla of the Abundance Group, Akua Konadu, Victoria Rayburn, Tori Kelner, Danielle Throckmorton, Dingding Hu-Kirahara, Julie Freed, Erin Perkins, Lindsay J. Williams, Lauren Black, Makeda Mutema-Newton, and Sandra Henderson for sharing their thoughts during the conference!

My Unpopular Opinion About ConferencesAs a conference host, something that can help your experience go above and beyond for your attendees is being present and available during everything. Fight the exhaustion, make the effort during those few days to talk to the person who is alone, connect with attendees who’ve invested in you, and make everyone feel seen.

If you’re wanting to grab your ticket to the next Creative Educator Conference, make sure you’re on the waitlist!

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Running your business through times of hardship is no easy feat. I personally experienced this over the last couple of months and today I’m getting pretty transparent with you. I’m diving into this experience, but also sharing what you can do to plan and prepare your business for those times.

While I’d originally planned to share on this topic later this year, I decided to release it earlier since it is still so fresh on my heart, but also explain why there hasn’t been an episode for the last month.

Disclaimer: I don’t know everything. What I do know is just my experience. So if this is going to make you feel bad about the way that you do things, or if you have been through some extreme hardships, and this is going to bring things up for you, I would urge you not to listen to this particular episode. Protect your peace, protect your mental health

Running a Business through Times of HardshipAfter being a business owner for nearly a decade, I’ve of course had ups and downs in my business. It wasn’t until this past December that I was truly put in a position that I wasn’t ready for.

During the time that my hardships came up, I was deep into the planning of The Creative Educator Conference. While I’m not a fan of putting labels on the big accomplishments in business, this was the biggest event I’ve ever planned. I didn’t know what went into planning it as the person who everything fell on—and I felt that pressure.

By December, we’d basically sold out of the conference. The holidays came and my family experienced one of the hardest losses we’d ever had in losing a member of our family on Christmas morning. Two weeks later, we were hit with another loss in the family.

As a business owner, we struggle in these times to know when to work, what to work on, and how to be there for your family. For myself, I flew to be with my family, but I was on my laptop in certain times because there were so many final touches to put on the event.

Finding Support in CommunityUnlike years past, I had scaled back on my team during this time. I knew that I wanted to know the ins and outs of conference planning for my first one, so I didn’t bring on much help in the planning process. When all of this happened, I had to navigate how to manage business, hit pause, and take control over how I was running my business.

For me, I knew that prioritizing my family during this time was the most important thing. While I didn’t have a big team, I did have community of peers to be able to reach out and say, “Hey, you guys, this is what’s going on, I really need people to step in, and to take things off of my plate.” They were there even when I struggled to ask for help.

Of course, on the work side, I prioritized fulfilling contracts and obligations that I’d already committed to. Other things in my business that didn’t take priority were the things I hit pause on, including this podcast.

When my podcast producer heard the news of everything that was happening, she reached out and told me to take my time, decide when you want to come back, and we will make it work. This is why community and relationships beyond contracts are so important in your business.

Streamlining Your BusinessYou know I love being transparent, which is why I’m sharing that not everything in my business is streamlined the way is once was. I’m in a transitional season and reworking what this looks like for my business, but this was a reminder of how valuable a plan is. Back in episode 13 of the podcast, Natalie Jayne joined us to share all about maintaining your business during times of crisis.

How I Maintained My Business During HardshipsIf you’ve been around here, you know how transparent I like to be on the podcast—that’s why I want to share exactly how I maintained my business and dealt with this time of hardship:

I was honest & up front about what was going on in my family—which is difficult for me as a private person who protects her family from the public eye that my business has. I did this through an out of office email and a small social media announcement.
I turned off responses and DMs on my Instagram stories.
I muted my notifications and got off social media.

I wanted to protect my peace and communicate the delay that people would experience during this time.

Hardships can come in all forms. A major event in your personal life isn’t the only thing that gives you permission to take a step back. You know when those times come and you have the permission to do what is best for you, make the decisions that will help you navigate life and business, and share what you want to during hardships.

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Happy New Year friends! This week we’re at the Creative Educator Conference in Dallas. While we’re not back to publishing full episodes just yet, I did want to pop in here to share the value of in-person education and the heart behind why I’m passionate about hosting them!

If you want to be the first to hear about future in-person events that we host, head to creativeeducatorconference.com to sign up for our newsletter!

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Passive income has a nice ring to it, but what all does it entail and how do you even get started? Brooke Michelle joins us to share how she built multiple passive revenue models in her own photography business based on her audience. In this episode, she shares the benefits of passive income, how to decide what to create, and how to get started in building your products: both digital and physical.

Building Passive Income in Your BusinessWe’ve all heard the buzz and excitement about passive income, because it allows you to grow your business and hit revenue goals in your business without having to work quite as much. Passive income streams give you freedom in and from your business, allowing you to build the life you want to have while still enjoying being an entrepreneur.

For Brooke, her first experience in building a passive income stream was through selling Lightroom presets that she already offered in her business. She started very simple, then her next phase of passive income was to explore merch.

Passive Income Through an Apparel ShopBrooke realized that she had a large audience of people following her, yet there was no way her business could serve them all in a given year. After thinking through what she could offer he audience of high school seniors, young adults, and people planning their weddings, Brooke settled on an apparel shop.

She took the audience she already had and dropped them in a new funnel with this other brand. Her brand was based on that audience:

Bachelorette T-Shirts
Til Death Do Us Part
Bold Entrepreneur Apparel

Getting Started with Passive IncomeLaunching the apparel shop and the other passive revenue streams that followed wasn’t an easy process for Brooke. There is a lot of up-front work that goes into building passive revenue models, along with a few areas that are easy to get stuck in.

Brooke found herself needing to brain dump into a Google Doc to make space for logistics. For example, the design process of creating a digital product held her up—so she outsourced it. It’s easy to let one step of the process hold you back from releasing what could be a really successful shop or product. Brain dump everything in your process so that you can pin point exactly why you’re not moving forward with an idea!

Selecting The Right Products for Your Audience & BusinessThere are a variety of options you can offer in your business with passive income, from courses to digital products to apparel. What items are your audience asking for the most? That’s where you need to start. Otherwise, consider what would be the easiest thing to get our foot in the door of passive income.

Every business is a little different, so you may end up niching to a specific type of product or audience or you may expand it. The important thing to consider here is what will serve your audience!

The hardest part is actually getting started. Once you’ve started, it will be so much easier to complete.

Overcoming Imposter Syndrome in Selling ProductsYou may look at the products you want to sell and know that other people are selling them, think that it’s an oversaturated market, then give up on passive income. You have to overcome that imposter syndrome and allow yourself the opportunity to explore new revenue streams.

That imposter syndrome may also be accompanied by perfectionism, telling you that it’ll never be perfect. The beauty in products that you create is that you can build multiple versions of them, especially your digital products.

Unpopular Opinion on Passive IncomeWhen it comes to passive income and education, Brooke believes that there should be a time cap on how long you can teach something after you’ve stopped doing it. Things are always changing and you should be in practice to know the industry you’re educating in.

Connect with Brooke

brookemichellephoto.com

@brookmichellej

Mentioned in this Episode

The Legal Paige

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It’s that time of year where you’re considering your plans and goals for the new year—but have you figured out the best way for you to approach this in your own business? Joy Michelle joins us to explore what wrapping up your year in business as a CEO can look like! Listen in as she explain how you can efficiently review your year while streamlining the planning process for next year through a CEO weekend!

CEO Planning WeekendOver the years, Joy has come to love having a CEO weekend. This is something that has developed over time, but is now so important in her business. During her CEO weekend, she’s planning and goal setting, but there is a lot that goes into preparing for this weekend.

If you’re running a business, you’re wearing a lot of hats, which means that you have a lot of responsibilities outside of goal setting. This means that goals are often on of the last things that you need to do in your CEO weekend. Why? Because so much of what you beed to do before the goal setting will inform those goals.

Tips for Your CEO Planning Weekend1. Set aside some serious dedicated time for your CEO Planning. Joy personally prefers a weekend of dedicated time away from her office, but it can even be short spurts of time over a few days. 2. Before you go, gather the materials that you need like a profit and loss statement, goals from the year, survey data, and marketing metrics. 3. Make an agenda of your planning time so you go in with a timeline of what your CEO planning time will look like.

Three Phases of Your CEO Planning WeekendWhen it comes time to actually have your CEO Planning Day or Weekend, here are a few phases to consider during that time.

Review Phase
Celebration Phase
Goal Setting Phase

Tip: If you are considering doing a CEO Planning Weekend with a friend, make sure you consider how you two work together and if you’ll get work done!

What to Look for in Your CEO Planning WeekendDuring your CEO Planning weekend, there are a variety of things you could be looking for from a business perspective. This could be in regards to revenue streams, services you offered, revenue by quarter, and getting a pulse on your business.

Additionally, it could consider your heart vs. your heart. How were you feeling and how much time were you spending on it? Look to what is life-giving, scalable, and more!

Joy has created a free guide to Business Planning to help you better understand what to focus on in regards to each of these aspects.

DOWNLOAD NOWResources Joy Uses in Her CEO Planning* Michael Hyatt’s Goal Setting Method * Printed Quarterly Calendar by Ashley Profit & Post-It Notes * Notion – Check out her Youtube Video

Connect with Joy

joymichelle.co

instagram.com/joyymichelle

youtube.com/channel/UC-Ou6jRKxcjMrVMxWxLO_fQ

facebook.com/joymichellephotography

Mentioned in this Episode

Episode 95

Episode 97

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Are you considering attending an in-person event, like a workshop, retreat, or conference for your business? If so, there are a few things to consider to make it worth the time and money investment! In today’s episode, I’m sharing what to look for when selecting your in-person event and what to do when you’re there!

Welcome to this Behind the Scenes series on So, Here’s the Thing Podcast! In this series, we’re exploring the lives of successful entrepreneurs and business owners to find out what it takes to keep a business running!

The Value of In-Person Events for Your BusinessAfter years of attending in-person events for my business, I’ve found so much value in the education and the connections I’ve gained from them. Whether I was an attendee or a speaker, the effort you pour into the event directly impacts what you take away from it. That’s one reason I’ve launched The Creative Educator Conference! With each and every event that you invest your time and money into, it’s important that you know exactly what you want to gain out of it so that you can make the most out of the experience.

Disclaimer: I’m biased towards in-person events.

Choosing the Right Event for YouThe first step in doing this is choosing the right event for your and your business. There are a variety of styles of events, as well as types of education you’ll receive from them in order to decide if it is worth your investment. Here are a few tips to choosing the right conference for you:

Don’t be swayed by Instagram “celebrities.” Rather than looking at who is speaking, look at if the topics are actually going to help you.
Look at if the event is actually targeting an area that you actually need or want to grow in.
Don’t be afraid to buy/invest and don’t be cocky. Set aside a budget for education—no matter your length of experience, you don’t know it all.

When you stop showing up for yourself, you stop growing.

How to Get the Most Out of In-Person Events for Your BusinessOnce you’ve made the decision to invest in yourself and your business, the next step is to get the most out of your in-person event!

Brainstorm a general idea or goal of what you want to walk away with ahead of time.
Do your research on the event, who’s attending, and make connections.
Be brave and put yourself out there to create connections.
Continue showing up in the lives of the people you connect with.

If you’re an educator or an aspiring educator, make sure you join us at The Creative Educator Conference in January 2023! If you’re ready to level up your educational offerings, this is for you! ollaborate with the best leaders in the industry, to create impactful and profitable education in your business

GRAB A TICKETMentioned in this Episode

Episode 3 with Quianna

Episode 110 with Jordan Gill

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Are you setting your schedule to align with what your body needs? In today’s episode, Candice Coppola joins us to discuss how she sets her own schedule with themed weeks and listens to her body so that she shows up as the best version of herself for her students. Welcome to this Behind the Scenes […]

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We’ve all felt the expectations that other business owners have placed on us that in order to be successful we have to get up early, run our businesses like they say, and so many other things that just may not fit our brands. In today’s episode, Akua Konadu is sharing her own experience in business […]

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Is it time to pivot in your business? Maybe you’re shifting into the education space, but fears and hesitations are holding you back. In today’s episode, Brandee Garr of The Wedding Pro CEO joins us to share her own experience with pivoting and how she helps her own students overcome those fears. Listen in as […]

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If you have a hard time sticking to a structured schedule in your business, yet you’re constantly being told that your way is wrong, today’s episode is for you. Photographer and educator Quianna Marie joins us to share a behind the scenes look at her daily life, which is the perfect fit for her creative, […]

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As entrepreneurs, our businesses are able to flex with big transitions in life as long as we’re making them work for us. If you’re a fan of seeing the behind the scenes or day in the life of other business owners, this is for you! In this episode, Dawn Richardson of Tech Savvy Creative joins […]

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Are you teetering on the line of burnout? As a business owner, it’s hard to not only admit that you’re in a phase of burnout, but it’s even harder to work through and overcome it. Join me in this episode, as I share about my own experience in burnout, why I took a hiatus from […]

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VIP days are becoming more and more popular in the creative space and for good reason! Jordan Gill of Systems Saved Me joins us to share why VIP days are essential for service providers and how you can incorporate them into your business, even if you’re a busy entrepreneur. Jordan is an operations consultant and […]

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Is launching a podcast on your dream list of things to do this year, yet you’re overcome with fear each time you think about it? In today’s episode, my own podcast producer, Haylee Gaffin of Gaffin Creative joins us to share her thoughts on if the podcasting market is oversaturated, overcoming fears in podcasting and […]

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What could diversifying your revenue streams do for you in your business? Could it offer you more time or even more money? Could it grow your team? There are so many benefits to diversifying your revenue streams and in today’s episode, Elizabeth McCravy joins us to share her approach to building multiple revenue streams in […]

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Is there something that’s holding you back from becoming a creative educator? Maybe it’s the lack of guidance or experience you have in creating educational offerings—I’m here to help! In today’s episode, Tori Kelner shares how joining The Creative Educator Academy allowed her to determine what she should be teaching on and build the curriculum […]

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As each of my students come into The Creative Educator Academy, it’s such a wonderful feeling to watch their journey as they become creative educators! Anna Wright of Anna Kay Photography joins us to share why she joined The Creative Educator Academy, the educational offerings that she’s created, and what’s coming next for the educational […]

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Adding education to your creative business is a valuable way to utilize your expertise and scale your business, but only if you understand how to properly educate others. Today, Joy Michelle joins us to share about her educational journey, what she’s loved about adding education to her creative business, and the most valuable takeaways she’s […]

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If you’re ready to expand your revenue streams inside your creative business by offering educational services, today’s episode is for you! There are a few key mistakes that new educators make when they’re just getting started and today’s episode will help you avoid those mistakes! Today’s episode is brought to you by my ebook for […]

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As you consider adding education into your creative business, how do conferences and speaking play a role in that journey? In today’s episode, James and Jess join me to share a behind the scenes look at building and creating their latest venture, Thrive Photo Conference. Today’s episode is brought to you by my ebook for […]

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Are you optimizing the time you have to work in your business by planning ahead? In this highly requested episode, I’m sharing exactly how I organize and schedule out my week, beginning with a big picture overview and detailing it down to the day! Listen in as I highlight my planning process, important routines and […]

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Are you utilizing video as a content type and resource in your business? In today’s episode, Tyler Herrinton joins us to discuss creating video for different platforms, which ones you should spend your time on, plus he’s sharing his unpopular opinion that might be what you need to hear if you’re nervous about starting video! […]

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Over the two and a half years, we’ve released 99 episodes, which sometimes feels unbelievable. It’s hard to remember a time when we weren’t producing content for So, Here’s the Thing, so I decided that episode 100 would be a great time to take a moment to reflect on what’s changed and how we’ve grown. […]

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If you haven’t built a business with a solid foundation, you may find yourself struggling to be both profitable and sustainable. As entrepreneurs, it’s so important to be armed with the building blocks for a sustainable business while having guidance with your finances! In today’s episode, Shanna Skidmore joins us to share how you can […]

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If you’ve been in the creative industry, you’ve seen just how many creatives have pivoted into education over the last two years. Some educators have created valuable and educational resources, while others have offered lackluster content that probably shouldn’t be charged for yet. In today’s episode, we’re talking about what you should consider if you’re […]

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If you’re ready to spend dedicated time on your business, finding motivation in your everyday environment can be hard. That’s where working retreats can plan a major role in the success of moving your business forward! In today’s episode, I’m sharing why I plan working retreats with my business besties and how I approach them! […]

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Finding time to prioritize your health and wellness is tough as an entrepreneur, but I truly believe it’s essential if you want to run a not only successful, but sustainable business. Nearly 15 months ago, I decided to prioritize my health, hired a coach, and made some major changes in my daily life. In today’s […]

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New years often feel like a fresh start, but only if we truly learn from the previous year. Let’s evaluate your year by doing a year end audit. In today’s episode, I want to walk you through three really important things you should consider when performing a year end audit in your business. Review the […]

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Are you making authentic connections on social media with your audience? Tyler Speier joins me for a conversation around overcoming insecurities online, navigating the line between personal and professional, and how he connects authentically with his audience! Tyler Speier is a wedding planner, designer, and florist based in Santa Barbara, California. He and his team […]

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We’re all in Facebook groups based on specific communities we’re a part of or to help solve a problem we have, but does that mean that there are too many communities out there for us to start our own? In today’s episode, I’ve brought on the expert, Elizabeth Henson, to break down any barriers of […]

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What does growing a team look like in your business? How do you know when it’s time? In today’s episode, I’m sharing three important questions you should ask yourself to determine if you’re ready to hire! Determining If It’s Time to Hire (1:35) Do you have enough inquiries and income to hire? (2:15) Do I […]

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Are you ready to grow your audience, but also intimidated by the idea of showing up online? I think we’ve all struggled with the confidence to do all the trendy things we see our peers doing. In today’s episode, Jo Johnson Overby joins us to share how you can build confidence and show up online […]

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Brand photography can completely change the look and feel of how you present yourself as a business. Not only that, but it make creating content a breeze. In today’s episode, I’m sharing a few things you need to consider when it comes to finding the right photographer and how to plan for your shoot—including my […]

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When a business owner makes the investment in their business to bring on a coach or mentor, there are a lot of expectations that are set (with or without acknowledgment from both parties). Unfortunately, there are times when that investment doesn’t go well for the mentee. If you’ve encountered this unfortunate event as either the […]

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Have you considered adding education to your business? In today’s episode, Vanessa Hicks joins us to share how she went from dipping her toe into education through speaking to offering coaching, hosting a mastermind, and offering educational products. Listen in as she shares how education has expanded her business, but also highlights what she would […]

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Hey friend! After last week’s episode, tons of listeners were reaching out asking more about TCEA (or the creative educator academy), and I realized I never officially shared all of the fun things I offer in this program…. So if you’re a creative entrepreneur or small business owner who wants to diversify your revenue streams […]

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As I prepare to open the doors for the third time for The Creative Educator Academy, I’ve been reflecting on the journey that has brought me here and how much I’ve grown since the initial launch. In this episode of the podcast, I’m sharing all about where the idea of The Creative Educator Academy came […]

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Have you found a fun & creative way to market your business and grow your leads? In today’s episode, Jessmyn Solana of Interact joins us to share how you can humanize your marketing with customizable quizzes! Listen in as she gives us a little more information about Interact, but also explains how you can get […]

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Have you been thinking about growing your business with Facebook Ads? If you’re brand new to the concept, it can feel a little overwhelming to tackle. Thankfully, there are experts out there like the team at Till Agency. In today’s episode, Davey Jones and Jesse Morquecho of Till Agency join us for a conversation all […]

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Entrepreneurship is an exciting and fun ride most of the time, but there are also really scary times we don’t seem to talk about. Like when we’re ready to pivot or make a big shift in your career or even your life. Facing the unknown isn’t easy, but my dear friend, Mary Marantz joins me […]

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Quitter: Closing the Gap Between Your Day Job & Your Dream Job

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If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably been annoyed with the changes in the Instagram algorithm over the last few years—but I’ve come to a conclusion about it all. It’s time to get over it and thrive. In today’s episode, I’m sharing three things you can implement today to move beyond the algorithm, thrive in […]

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As an entrepreneur, you’ve probably dreamt of the days where you’d grow a team or build a bigger business for yourself. Hiring, delegating, and outsourcing are actions that CEO’s take—thankfully, Rebecca Rice is sharing all of her secrets to growing a powerful team! Listen in as Rebecca shares how she found solid hires, developed an […]

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Do you get stuck in the comparison trap every time you’re online? Social media has subconsciously taught us that everything should be a competition, when in reality it doesn’t. Listen in as Natalie Franke, author of Built to Belong, joins me to discuss reframing how we think about comparison and competition, along with explaining the […]

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My sabbatical didn’t go exactly as I planned, but I still made it happen! I’m back from my month-long sabbatical to share everything I learned in preparing to step away from my business for an extended period of time. Listen in as I highlight the positive things I took away, along with a few lessons […]

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You know we’re big fans of outsourcing over here on So, Here’s the Thing, but I’ve recently come across a few experiences that I want to address. While I advocate for better time management, I also want to ensure you’re handing off your work to someone who is qualified for the job. In this episode, […]

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Could your branding be holding you back from consistent clients and income in your business? Brand designer and strategist, Bonnie Bakhtiari, joins us to break down three common mistakes she sees in branding that are holding you back from those consistent clients! Listen in as she shares her experience with branding and the importance of […]

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Are you struggling to find time to take care of you because you’re so focused on your business? What if instead of treating them as separate things, you found a way to work self-care into your work schedule? In this episode of So, Here’s the Thing, I’m sharing three steps you can take to easily […]

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If you’re a multi-passionate entrepreneur, you’ve likely been faced with the idea of pivoting your business. Whether it means to expand your existing or completely transition to a new industry, there are a lot of decisions that come with that move. Dawn Richardson of Tech Savvy Creative joins us to walk through her experience in […]

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Over the last year, we’ve truly missed out on in-person events and conferences. As we slowly ease back into some sort of normalcy, we’re beginning to see more event planning happening in our industry! In episode 75, Kat Schmoyer, founder of Creative at Heart, joins us to share what impact and changes COVID brought to […]

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Investing in your business is important for growth! I’m an advocate for continuing your education in order to move forward and improve yourself and your brand! In this episode, four of my current mastermind students join me to discuss their experience with investing in a mastermind, what they’ve enjoyed, how they’ve found success, and even […]

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Do you have a product or service that you’ve been wanting to launch, but have it in your head that every single piece of it has to be perfect? This concept of over-professionalizing typically leads to launches being delayed, or worse, never happening. In episode 73, Megan Martin joins us to discuss how the creative […]

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Are you prioritizing the most important and valuable components in your life? When you do, you’re committing to cultivating a well-rounded life that will propel yourself forward in every aspect of your world. Welcome to So, Here’s the Thing! In episode 72, Geomyra Pollard joins us to discuss what it means to have a well-rounded […]

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Do you plan a sabbatical for yourself each year? Setting aside dedicated time for yourself every year to work on your business or self-development can make a huge impact on your life. In this episode of So, Here’s the Thing, I’m talking through my own plans to take a month-long sabbatical this June. Listen in […]

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Have you been ignoring opportunities on Clubhouse, because you feel like it’s a waste of time? Maybe you feel like you have to constantly be on there in order to have success on the platform. Let’s bust those myths. Hayley Luckadoo joins us to share strategies to converting listeners into followers, then into paying clients. […]

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What’s it like to be married to a business owner? How do you split up home tasks when you both work full time? Do you ever feel like you come second to the business? You asked and we’ve delivered! In this episode, I’m joined by my husband, Tim Smith, to share a behind the scenes […]

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Are you as intrigued with the enneagram as I am? Over the last few years, there has been an up-tip in conversations around Enneagrams and using it in life and business. I’ve pulled from my podcast archives to rerelease episode 17 with Sarajane Case of Enneagram and Coffee! This conversation is as relevant now as […]

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Podcasts are more popular than ever—so how does it fit into your business? My podcast producer, Haylee Gaffin, joins us in this episode of So, Here’s the Thing to share 5 reasons you should start a podcast! Listen in as we discuss our experience in podcasting together for almost two years! We’re highlighting some unpopular […]

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Have you considered what strategy and messaging could do in your brand design? In this episode of So, Here’s the Thing, Amanda Shuman joins us to chat about how you could marry these concepts to create a brand that works for you. Amanda is an award-winning designer and Founder of Carrylove Designs. They help take […]

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Have you created a retention program for your courses, programs, or services? There’s nothing worse than ending any experience for your students or clients on a bad note, so today I’m comparing my own experience with the retention process of two high-ticket educational investments. While both programs had value, one investment encouraged me to renew, […]

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Welcome to So, Here’s the Thing! Are you struggling to scale your business by growing a team? Whether you believe it comes down to the employees or your lack of leadership skills, listen into this episode! Hanneke Antonelli joins us to discuss how you can scale your business with drama-free leadership—even if you don’t think […]

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Welcome to So, Here’s the Thing! If you’ve been thinking about becoming a creative educator in our industry through speaking, courses, or coaching, this episode is for you! In this bite sized episode, we’re exploring my top three tips for stepping into an educator role and how to ensure you’re sharing the knowledge that your […]

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Welcome to So, Here’s the Thing! If you’ve been a listener for a while, you know how much I believe in creating safe spaces through a diverse and inclusive brand. In this episode, Erica Courdae, a DEI Coach and Consultant, joins us to discuss what that can mean in your business! Listen in as she […]

The post Episode 62: Creating Diverse, Inclusive, and Safe Spaces in Your Brand with Erica Courdae appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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Welcome to So, Here’s the Thing! Does having a small social media following make you feel like you can’t run a successful business? We’ve got great news for you—YOU CAN. Ellen Yin joins us to discuss a few unpopular opinions when it comes to how your audience size relates to your success, even going as […]

The post Episode 61: Growing your Business without a Large Audience with Ellen Yin appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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Welcome to So, Here’s the Thing! As we get started in a new year after an extremely unexpected time, it’s important to take a step back and look at where our short term goals are leading us. In this episode, Manali Sontakke joins us to discuss what long-term vision planning can look like in your […]

The post Episode 60: Long-Term Vision Planning for Your Business with Manali Sontakke appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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Welcome back to So, Here’s the Thing! In this solo bite-sized episode I am sharing the top three lessons that I want to take with me out of 2020 and walking into 2021! I hope that these inspire you to do your own audit of what you’ve learned this year, and what you can take […]

The post Episode 59: Three Lessons Learned in 2020 that I’m Taking into the New Year With Me appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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Welcome to So, Here’s the Thing! Sitting down to build out workflows and systems in your business can feel overwhelming—but it’s so worth it. In this episode, Laura Lee Neff joins us to share her 8 step approach to creating systems and workflows in your business that work. Laura is a photographer, systems strategist, business […]

The post Episode 58: 8 Steps to Creating Workflows and Systems in Your Business with Laura Lee appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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Welcome to “So, Here’s the Thing!” Are you ready to grow your business, but struggling to see how you can scale without becoming overwhelmed? Enter my favorite addition to any business—a virtual assistant. In this episode, Dahlia Orth joins us to discuss how hiring a virtual assistant for your business can help with growth, stress, […]

The post Episode 57: Hiring a Virtual Assistant for Your Business with Dahlia Orth appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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Welcome to “So, Here’s the Thing!” Has your health and fitness taken a back seat to everything else in your life? In this episode, Brittani Zmolik joins us to share practical tips and techniques to better prioritize your health as an entrepreneur! Brittani Zmolik is a busy mama of 3 and passionate about helping women […]

The post Episode 56: Prioritizing your Health and Fitness as an Entrepreneur with Brittani Zmolik appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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Welcome to “So, Here’s the Thing!” I recently launched applications for the first cohort of my own Mastermind! With that launch, my inbox was flooded with questions like: “Is a mastermind right for me?”“How do I know which mastermind to chose?” … and so many other important questions to consider when it comes to joining […]

The post Episode 55: Masterminds & Educational Formats with Hope Taylor appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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Welcome to “So, Here’s the Thing!” In this episode, Melissa Lin joins us to discuss how to approach growing your team and scaling your business. Follow along with her step-by-step exercise to deciding what tasks you should outsource first! Melissa Lin is a former successful chemical engineer turned multiple six-figure business coach and business owner. After […]

The post Episode 54: Scaling Your Business by Growing Your Team with Melissa Lin appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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Welcome to So, Here’s the Thing! In this episode, I’m joined by Natalie Franke, Dawn Richardson, and Paige Griffith for a roundtable discussion regarding drawing inspiration from versus stealing in the creative industry. Listen in as Natalie discusses community over competition, Dawn shares about a recent experience with her full website being copied, and Paige […]

The post Episode 53: Inspiration vs. Stealing in the Creative Industry with Natalie Franke, Dawn Richardson, and Paige Griffith appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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Welcome to So, Here’s the Thing! In this episode, Ashley Kirkwood joins us to discuss the trademarking process and why it’s important for your brand. Listen in as she describes when to trademark your business and three ways to go about doing it! After graduating top of her class at Northwestern Law and going to […]

The post Episode 52: The Importance of Trademarking Your Brand with Ashley Kirkwood appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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Welcome to So, Here’s the Thing! In this episode, Julie Painter joins us to discuss why systems are important in your business, along with the tools you should be using to create them. Listen in as she shares how her role as a VA can help you manage and further automate those systems. Dallas Girl […]

The post Episode 51: Setting Up Systems in Your Business with Julie Painter appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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Welcome to So, Here’s the Thing! In this episode, Candice Coppola joins me to discuss the components that will help you craft a solid business plan. Listen in as she discusses the purpose of developing a business plan and how it can guide your success! Candice Coppola is an author, podcast host, business coach, and […]

The post Episode 50: 5 Tips for Crafting a Business Plan with Candice Coppola appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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Welcome to So, Here’s the Thing! In this episode, Natasha Coyle joins us to discuss the benefits she’s found in short form video marketing while using Instagram Reels and TikTok. Listen in as she highlights how to get started and what you should be sharing for your audience as a business owner! Natasha Coyle is […]

The post Episode 49: Short Form Video Marketing: Reels & TikTok with Natasha Coyle appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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Welcome to So, Here’s the Thing! In this episode, Stephanie Kase joins us to highlight the importance of building a personal brand and four things to consider when developing it. Stephanie is a photographer and educator from Columbus, Ohio. She offers practical small business education through online courses, shop products, and in person speaking. When […]

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Welcome to So, Here’s the Thing! In this episode, Anna Wright joins us to discuss how to handle hearing no in your business. Listen in as she shares the value in evaluating criticism and doing the hard work to understanding where you can improve in your business. Anna Wright is a hybrid wedding and portrait […]

The post Episode 47: How to Handle Criticism in Your Business with Anna Wright appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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Welcome to So, Here’s the Thing! In this episode, Jess Ekstrom joins us to discuss how you can use your story to help others grow! Listen in as she shares how you can become a paid and profitable speaker. Start Sharing Your Story (5:20) Finding Your Story (8:48) How to Get Paid to Speak (11:13)1. […]

The post Episode 46: Becoming a Profitable Speaker with Jess Ekstrom appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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Welcome to So, Here’s the Thing! In this episode, Brooke Taelor joins us to to share about adding philanthropy to your business. Listen in as she discusses the importance of educating yourself on the charities you support, continuing to make an impact, and finding a balance when it comes to your investment. Brooke is a […]

The post Episode 45: Philanthropy and Small Business with Brooke Taelor appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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Welcome to “So, Here’s the Thing!” In this episode, my dear friend Sarah Erikson joins us to discuss when you should invest in rebranding your business, along with when you shouldn’t. We even talk about the reason behind my recent rebrand, even though we both loved the brand design Sarah did for me a few […]

The post Episode 44: How to Know When It’s Time to Rebrand Your Business appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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Welcome to “So, Here’s the Thing!” In this episode, Katelyn James joins us to discuss how doing what everyone else in the industry is doing doesn’t always lead to success. Listen in as she shares how she believes you can avoid imitation by being an innovator in our industry. Katelyn James is a wedding photographer […]

The post Episode 43: Trailblazing: Being an Innovator in an Industry of Imitation with Katelyn James appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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Welcome to “So, Here’s the Thing!” In this episode, Haley Burkhead joins us to discuss scaling your business to profitability. Listen in as we discuss sales funnels, money mindsets, and big moves. Haley Burkhead is the creator of Recurring Profit and the host of the Scalability Show. She specializes in using sales psychology to help […]

The post Episode 42: Scaling Your Business / Making Profitable Moves with Haley Burkhead appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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Welcome to “So, Here’s the Thing!” In this solo episode, I’m talking all about how morning routines can set your entire day up for success. Listen in to hear how I start every day and why I’ve chosen each component of my morning routine! Reluctant of Routines (00:49) Unlearning Bad Time Management Habits (2:25) Reviewing […]

The post Episode 41: Morning Routines for Entrepreneurs with Laylee Emadi appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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Welcome to “So, Here’s the Thing!” In this episode, Joy Michelle joins us to discuss how you can leverage video for your creative business! Listen in as she provides tangible advice for getting started with video, along with three videos you can start creating for your business today! About Joy Michelle (1:23) Who is Video […]

The post Episode 40: Leveraging Video in Your Creative Business with Joy Michelle appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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Danielle Jackson joins us to share when and why your business needs a Public Relations representative.

The post Episode 39: Visibility and PR for Business Owners with Danielle Bayard Jackson appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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Welcome to “So, Here’s the Thing!” In this episode, Abby Waller joins us to discuss how you should present your pricing, along with the 5 mistakes you may be making on your pricing page. Abby is a photographer, wife, fur mom to two german shepherds and a sweet cat, and a coach for creatives who […]

The post Episode 38: 5 Mistakes to Avoid With Your Pricing Page with Abby Waller appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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Welcome to “So, Here’s the Thing!” In this episode, Promise Tangeman of GoLiveHQ joins us to discuss social media marketing as a business and personal brand. Listen in as she shares about creating fresh content, consistency in posting, and quality vs. quantity. Promise Tangeman-Wurzell is the CEO and Creative Director of the Web Design Company, […]

The post Episode 37: Social Media Marketing with Promise Tangeman appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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Welcome to “So, Here’s the Thing!” In this episode, Galen Mooney joins us to share a few tips to start improving your website’s search engine optimization, even if you aren’t super tech-savvy! Listen in as she shares what you should include on your homepage, tools you can use to measure success, and how to rank […]

The post Episode 36: Boosting Your SEO with Galen Mooney appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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Welcome to “So, Here’s the Thing!” In this episode, Sami Bruemmer joins us to discuss how you can elevate your client experience! Listen in as she shares her discovery process for evaluating her touch points, along with her favorite gift resources! Sami is a wedding photographer in Dallas, Texas with a heart for intentional and […]

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In this episode, Akua Konadu joins us to discuss how you can become a better ally and provides insight on this important topic. Listen in to hear her perspective as well as actionable advice . Akua is an Instagram Coach who helps entrepreneurs feel confident and empowered to share their story through Instagram. She does […]

The post Episode 34: Allyship and the Black Community with Akua Konadu appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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Welcome to “So, Here’s the Thing!” In this episode, we’re joined by Dawn Richardson of Tech Savvy Creative to discuss the systems you need to add to your photography business to help organize and back up your work! Listen in as she shares the initial steps you can take right now to set your business […]

The post Episode 33: Tech and Tools for Creative Entrepreneurs with Dawn Richardson appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

SAMSUNG T5 Portable SSD 500GB - Up to 540MB/s - USB 3.1 External Solid State Drive, Blue (MU-PA500B/AM)

LaCie Rugged USB-C 5TB External Hard Drive Portable HDD – USB 3.0, Drop Shock Dust Rain Resistant Shuttle Drive, for Mac and PC Computer Desktop Workstation Laptop, 1 Month Adobe CC (STFR5000800)

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Welcome to “So, Here’s the Thing!” In this episode, Michelle Harris of M Harris Studios joins us to highlight the importance of creating community for your clients with Facebook groups. Listen in as she discusses paid vs. free facebook groups, content creation that drives sales to your educational offerings, and creating engagement in your community. […]

The post Episode 32: Growing Facebook Groups and Communities with Michelle Harris appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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Welcome to “So, Here’s the Thing!” In this bite-sized episode, I respond to two of the most asked questions submitted by listeners to my “ask me anything” prompt. 1. What are your pet peeves when it comes to creative educators? 2. How do I pitch myself as a podcast guest? This episode is brought to […]

The post Episode 31: Bonus Episode: Ask Me Anything appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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Welcome to “So, Here’s the Thing!” In this episode, Becky Mollenkamp joins us to discuss combatting imposter syndrome through mindset work. Listen in as she shares what approaches to imposter syndrome work and don’t work. Becky Mollenkamp believes women deserve to feel powerful and fulfilled. As a certified business mindset coach, she helps her clients […]

The post Episode 30: Working Through Imposter Syndrome with Becky Mollenkamp appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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Welcome to “So, Here’s the Thing!” In this episode, Amanda Warfield shares how you can organize your life and business by creating and sticking to healthy routines. Listen in as she discusses time management techniques, batch scheduling, and capsule wardrobes. Amanda is wife to Russell and crazy cat mom to their two furbabies. If you’re […]

The post Episode 29: Work-Life Balance with Amanda Warfield appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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Welcome to “So, Here’s the Thing!” In this episode, Jess Jordana joins us to discuss importance of the copy you use on your website and in your marketing. Listen in as she shares how you can find your brand voice and ensure it matches you and your brand! Jess Jordana is a copywriter (a.k.a. heart translator) […]

The post Episode 28: Using Copy to Connect and Convert with Jess Jordana appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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Welcome to “So, Here’s the Thing!” In this episode, James and Jess join us to discuss how you can make more money right now without raising your prices! Listen in as they share effective tips to continue to earn money, book clients, and build your brand right now! James & Jess travel the world photographing luxury […]

The post Episode 27: Making More Money without Raising Your Prices with James and Jess appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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Welcome to “So, Here’s the Thing!” In this episode, Gavin Wade shares how he approached fulfilling a need in the photography industry with his company, Cloudspot. Listen in as he shares about the risk and reward in turning an idea into reality, along with steps to take if you’re ready to take the step towards […]

The post Episode 26: From Vision to Execution: Tackling New Ideas with Gavin Wade appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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Vendor Connection Ideas + Growing Your Team Welcome to “So, Here’s the Thing!” In this bite-sized episode, I respond to two of the most asked questions submitted by listeners to my “ask me anything” prompt. 1. “How do you network and connect with vendors from home?” 2. “What’s your advice for finding good help and […]

The post Episode 25: Ask me Anything appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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Welcome to “So, Here’s the Thing!” In this episode, Lindsay Davenport shares how to approach finding a healthy balance between motherhood and business ownership. Listen in as she drops some hard truths on the reality of “balance” along with an unpopular opinion that we all need to be reminded. Lindsay is a NM small-town-raised wedding […]

The post Episode 24: Balancing Motherhood and Business Ownership with Lindsay Davenport appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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Welcome to “So, Here’s the Thing!” In this episode, Dr. Tiffany Eurich joins us to discuss how publicity through public relations can help build your brand and develop additional credibility in your business. Listen in as she shares how to get started, research publications and outlets, and develop pitches that will stand out! Dr. Tiffany […]

The post Episode 23: Publicity and Getting into the Media with Dr. Tiffany Eurich appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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Welcome to “So, Here’s the Thing!” In this episode, Tyler McCall joins us to discuss how you can master your own Instagram strategy. Listen in as he shares how to set your goals for Instagram and review your numbers to track your success! Tyler J. McCall is an Instagram and social media marketer, strategist, and […]

The post Episode 22: Instagram Strategy with Tyler McCall appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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Welcome to “So, Here’s the Thing!” In this episode, Hope Taylor joins us for another conversation around education and her experience with masterminds! Listen in as she gives her opinion on what a great mastermind includes, along with how educators should find and focus in on the education format that they excel in! Hope Taylor […]

The post Episode 21: Masterminds & Educational Formats with Hope Taylor appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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Welcome to So, Here’s the Thing! In this episode, Kat Schmoyer of Creative at Heart explains how she has approached selecting speakers and educators for all 9 rounds of her successful conference! Listen in as she shares some of her favorite and most outstanding pitches, along with what most conference organizers don’t want to see […]

The post Episode 20: Pitching Yourself as a Speaker + Educator appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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Welcome to So, Here’s the Thing! In this episode, Kayla Hollatz joins us to discuss what it looks like to work with a copywriter that writes from the perspective of their clients, along with how you can find their voice as a copywriter! Listen in as she shares where to start before you’re ready to […]

The post Episode 019: Working with a Copywriter + Transitioning in Your Business with Kayla Hollatz appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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Welcome to So, Here’s the Thing! In this episode, we turned the tables and had guest host Sarah Erickson of Sarah Ann Design interview Laylee about all things education! We recorded this podcast episode with fellow educators in mind, as we gear up for the release of The Creative Educator Academy (a program designed to […]

The post Episode 018: Q and A with Laylee- Guest Hosted by Sarah Erickson appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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Welcome to So, Here’s the Thing! In this episode, Sarajane Case of Enneagram and Coffee joins us to break down the enneagram, how to determine your type, and how to improve your relationships with it. Plus, she shares how you can utilizing your enneagram type for your business as an entrepreneur! Sarajane case is a […]

The post Episode 017: Utilizing the Enneagram in Life and Business with Sarajane Case appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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Welcome to “So, Here’s the Thing!” In this episode, Lauren Carnes joins me to discuss communication strategy in your business and how it directly impacts big launches for your brand. Listen in as she shares how you can find your brand voice, then create unique, yet impactful communication for your brand! With a background in […]

The post Episode 016: Communications Strategy for Creatives with Lauren Carnes appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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Welcome to So, Here’s the Thing! In this episode, Vanessa Kynes joins me to discuss the Pinterest strategies that you didn’t know your business needed! Listen in as she shares the tips and tools to generating more leads from your Pinterest, without having to invest a ton of time! Vanessa is a Pinterest marketing strategist […]

The post Episode 015: Leveraging Pinterest for Your Business with Vanessa Kynes appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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Welcome to So, Here’s the Thing! In this episode, my sweet friend Jessica Marie Peddicord joins me to discuss how to be innovative and original in your business, despite being told to mimic the entrepreneurs you look up to. Listen in as she shares her tips to finding your niche service, determining your ideal client […]

The post Episode 014: Being Innovative and Original in Your Business with Jessica Peddicord appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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Welcome to So, Here’s the Thing! In this episode, Natalie Jayne joins us to discuss what it feels like to experience tragedy as an entrepreneur and how you can prepare you business for when crisis strikes. Listen in as she shares advice on what she learned from her own experience and the steps you can […]

The post Episode 013: Maintaining your Business in Times of Crisis with Natalie Jayne appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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Welcome to So, Here’s the Thing! In this special “Ask Me Anything” episode, Vanessa Hicks joins me to answer some of the most asked questions from our Instagram followers regarding Vanessa’s photography business and personal life! Listen in as she talks about managing anxiety, balancing children as an entrepreneur, moving your business to a new […]

The post Episode 012: Ask Me Anything with Vanessa Hicks appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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Welcome to So, Here’s the Thing! In this episode, Shaunae Teske sits down to chat about the importance of intentional marketing in your business. Listen in as she discusses the steps you can take to find your core values and approach intentional marketing in your business. Shaunae is an award-winning, destination wedding photographer and small […]

The post Episode 011: Intentional Marketing with Shaunae Teske appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen

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Welcome to “So, Here’s the Thing!” In this episode, Natalie Franke joins us to discuss the importance of building a community that serve a purpose beyond yourself, and what it means to build your own table. Listen in as she shares her challenges with forming community and facing rejection, along with her unpopular opinion when […]

The post Episode 010: Building Your Own Table; Creating Community with Natalie Franke appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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Welcome to “So, Here’s the Thing!” In this episode, we talk with Emily Kurth about the overwhelm and burnout that entrepreneurs can experience from stress related to their work. Listen in as she shares 5 techniques you can incorporate into your life to better manage your stress. Emily Kurth is the owner of Coco & […]

The post Episode 009: Stress Management Techniques for Entrepreneurs with Emily Kurth appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

Stress Less, Accomplish More: Meditation for Extraordinary Performance

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Confidence & Coaches Welcome to “So, Here’s the Thing!” In this bite-sized episode, I respond to two of the most asked questions submitted by listeners to my “ask me anything” prompt. 1. “How do you find the confidence to make big moves or start big projects like this podcast without letting self doubt or fear […]

The post Episode 008: Ask me Anything appeared first on Laylee Emadi | Coach for Creative Educators.

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Welcome to “So, Here’s the Thing!”

In this episode, Sarah and I discuss how you can grow and find success through practice, experience, and critique from others. Listen is as we share our personal experiences and the different routes we took in our professional path to entrepreneurship.

Sarah Erickson is a brand and website designer for creatives. She creates polished designs backed with strategy and intention—making your brand irresistible to your ideal clients. Sarah started her business as a wedding stationery designer, but she has recently shifted her services to better serve the creative industry. Her studio is filled with refined typography, at least a dozen plants, and one boston terrier puppy named Mia.

Find it fast:

(3:10) Get to know Sarah

(5:26) Sarah’s academic background & opinion on the design school path

(7:09) Laylee’s opinion on not taking the academic route

(10:10) The importance of practicing your craft

(14:08) The importance of critique and constructive criticism

(19:30) Opening up to critique and criticism

Where to Find Sarah:

instagram.com/sarahann_design

facebook.com/sarahanndesign.co

pinterest.com/sarahanndesign

sarahanndesign.co

The post Episode 007: The Importance of Practice, Experience, and Critique in Success with Sarah Erickson appeared first on Laylee Emadi Photography Blog.

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Welcome to “So, Here’s the Thing!”

In this episode, we’re joined by Carrie Grace to talk through the reason we fear rejection and how you can overcome that fear. Listen in as she shares some of her own stories of rejection, along with how she is constantly challenging herself to ask for more.

Bio:Carrie Grace is a motivational speaker who travels the country helping schools and companies create better work cultures and environments. She also helps people take big leaps of faith to get from where they are to the life they truly want. She teaches people how to go for the “big ask”, overcome the no, and find the dream YES!

Find it fast:

(1:54) Get to know Carrie.

(2:50) The importance of asking.

(6:43) Carrie’s lesson from her dad.

(9:11)Carrie’s story of rejection.

(14:14) Advice for rejection challenges.

(20:36) How to move forward after rejection.

(29:59) Unpopular opinion on facing rejection.

Resources:

Imperfect Boss Camp – theimperfectboss.com

Carriegrace.com

instagram.com/carriegraceshop

facebook.com/simplycarriegrace

The post Episode 006: Overcoming the Fear of Rejection with Carrie Grace appeared first on Laylee Emadi Photography Blog.

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Welcome to “So, Here’s the Thing!”

In this episode, we talk with Kat Schmoyer about the importance of cultivating a community and overcoming criticism within your work. If you’re ready to take the steps to become community centric, find compassion for listening to others’ perspectives, and appropriately respond to criticism, listen in!

Bio: Kat Schmoyer is a mamaprenuer, founder of Creative at Heart & wedding planner! With over 5 years experience in the world of small business, and 3 brands under her belt, she has grown her dream from a glorified hobby to a profitable business that allowed both herself and her husband to leave their traditional 9-5’s. She loves working from home with him & her son, has a slight obsession with things pink & could talk all day about #bachelornation!

Find it fast:

(1:17) Get to know Kat.

(5:52) How Kat developed a loyal following/attendance.

(10:51) Steps to becoming community centric.

(15:55) How to be introspective while taking on the consideration of others’ perspectives.

(21:22) Dealing with criticism in your business.

(28:47) Kat’s unpopular opinion on community.

Resources:

katschmoyer.com

creativeatheartconference.com

The post Episode 005: Cultivating Community and Overcoming Criticism with Kat Schmoyer appeared first on Laylee Emadi Photography Blog.

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Welcome to “So, Here’s the Thing!” In episode four, we chat with Bonnie Bakhtiari about building your business from a place of purpose and how that includes respecting boundaries. Listen in as she discusses setting boundaries in both your personal and professional life that will lead to success.

Bonnie is a brand designer and strategist for creative entrepreneurs, an industry educator, and host of the Brand Strategy Podcast based in beautiful Waco, TX. She’s also the founder and host of the Illume Retreat, a three-day retreat for entrepreneurs who strive to build businesses that operate from a clear place of purpose.

Find it fast:

(1:14) Get to know Bonnie.

(4:50) How Bonnie developed boundaries.

(12:56) Bonnie’s formula for success

(17:23) Advice on setting boundaries.

(24:09) Bonnie’s “unpopular opinion” on setting boundaries for a better work/life balance.

Resources:

Bisforbonniedesign.com

instagram.com/bonniejoymarie

Brand Strategy Podcast

Illume Retreat

The post Episode 004: Setting Boundaries: Professionally and Personally with Bonnie Bakhtiari appeared first on Laylee Emadi Photography Blog.

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In this episode, we will break down the action steps that Quianna has learned to take when attending an educational or networking experience. After years of attending countless workshops and conferences, Quianna has learned the best ways to get the most out of her investment.

Quianna Marie is a destination wedding photographer based in both the Bay Area, California + Phoenix Arizona. Obsessed with dirt roads, happy tears and helping creatives turn their passion into their profession.

Find it fast:

(3:25) How to decide what experienced to invest in

(5:27) How do you justify the time and cost of investment?

(9:00) Once you commit to an experience; How do you make the most of your time there?

(17:05) After the experience, how do you determine your action list? What do you tackle first?

(20:30) Quianna’s unpopular opinion on attending workshops/conferences

Resources:

Showit United (conference for photographers) – united.showit.co

Quianna’s Workshop Guide – bit.ly/howtoattendaworkshop

Where to find Quianna:

Instagram: @quiannamarie

facebook.com/QuiannaMariePhotography

pinterest.com/quiannamarie

quiannamarie.com

The post Episode 003: Attending a Workshop/Conference Like a Pro with Quianna Marie appeared first on Laylee Emadi Photography Blog.

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In this episode, Sarah and I will talk through the pros and cons of working for free, along with some insight on how to determine when to say “yes” and how to say “no”.

Find it fast:

(2:15) Get to know Sarah

(4:15) How to discern when to work for free when you first start your business?

(5:55) Sarah’s thought process in determining which projects to take on.

(11:00) Different types of projects/times that could be worth doing free work

(13:40) Red flags and indicators that tell you it may not be a good idea to work for free

(20:15) How to say “no” to the projects you shouldn’t be taking

(23:55) How to open the door to shifting the offer from free work to paid work

(27:10) Sarah’s “unpopular opinion” on working for free

Where to find Sarah:

instagram.com/sarahann_design

facebook.com/sarahanndesign.co

pinterest.com/sarahanndesign

sarahanndesign.co

The post Episode 002: Working for Free: Is it Worth it? with Sarah Erickson appeared first on Laylee Emadi Photography Blog.

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Welcome to “So, Here’s the Thing!” In our first episode, we are talking with Hope Taylor about her take on breaking into Education for creative entrepreneurs. In this episode, Hope shares perspective on when to start offering education, how to set the groundwork for new offerings, and advice to those who dream of serving their industry through education.

Hope Taylor is a senior portrait and wedding photographer located in Fredericksburg, Virginia. She began her business at just age 17, and has now been a full time photographer for six years. She is an educator and speaker that regularly speaks at industry-leading events and hosts multiple sold-out workshops each year.

Find it fast:

(2:50) Get to know Hope

(6:45) How do you determine if you’re ready to start offering educational services?

(10:20) How do you lay the groundwork if you know you want to start offering education?

(13:55) The importance of launch strategy and preparing to offer education

(15:30) Three things you should think through before deciding to offer education

(21:50) Advice for those who are passionate about becoming an educator but aren’t sure where to begin

(25:35) Hope’s “unpopular opinion” on becoming an educator in the creative industry

Resources:

Happy Hour with Hope

Where to find Hope:

@hopetaylorphotography

www.facebook.com/hopetaylorphoto

www.pinterest.com/hopetaylorphoto

www.hopetaylor.com

The post Episode 001: Breaking into Creative Education with Hope Taylor appeared first on Laylee Emadi Photography Blog.

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