Bella In Your Business: Pet Sitting and Dog Walking Podcast

Trivinia is the founder of Priority VA - a boutique Virtual Assistant Agency that matches elite level entrepreneurs like Todd Herman and Ray Edwards with highly skilled virtual assistants who “get” the online space and come prepared to deliver massive ROI right out of the gate.

Show Highlights

What should we outsource? [2:00]

How do you know when you're ready to hire a virtual assistant? [4:00]

If there is a communication breakdown with a virtual assistant, does that mean the trust is broken? [9:00]

Can you describe the different levels of delegation? [11:30]

How do we know when we're ready to say goodbye to a toxic relationship? [15:00]

What's the best way to communicate with our team? [17:00]

What do you love the most about PriorityVA and the people that you serve? [21:00]

Special Offer

Sign up at priorityva.com/bella  to receive your free Ultimate Playbook to Email Delegation.

Links

Jump & Scale: jumpconsulting.net/scale

Jump Mastermind: /jump-mastermind

Ari Meisel: https://lessdoing.com/

Loom: https://www.useloom.com/

Trivinia's Website: http://priorityva.com/

Fancy Hands: https://www.fancyhands.com/

Get Magic: https://getmagic.com/

Asana: https://app.asana.com/

Slack: https://slack.com/

Voxer: https://www.voxer.com/

Share The Show:

Did you enjoy the show? We would love it if you subscribed today and left us a 5-star review!

Click this link – Bella In Your Business

Click on the ‘Subscribe’ button below the artwork

Go to the ‘Ratings and Reviews’ section

Click on ‘Write a Review’

Transcript:

This is episode 126 of Bella in Your Business. Do you feel like your business is going around on a merry-go-round? Well, I’ve got news for you. This episode is sponsored by my incredible webinar series called Jump and Scale. It gets you off that merry-go-round and up to the next level in your business. It’s called Jump and Scale and it’s free for you right now. Just go ahead and sign up at jumpconsulting.net/scale. You will learn how to grow your business, increase your staff, and not be held hostage to business. So go ahead, sign up for free. That’s jumpconsulting.net/scale. I’ll see you inside.

Welcome to Bella in Your Business, where Bella will discuss anything and everything about your pet sitting business to help you land on target. So get ready, Bella’s got your chute. Let’s jump.

Welcome to Bella in Your Business. My name is Bella Vasta, and this is where I bring you some of the coolest people that have really impacted my life. Today, we have Trevinia Barber with us, and she is the founder of Priority VA. It’s a boutique virtual assistant agency that matches elite-level entrepreneurs like Todd Herman and Ray Edwards with highly skilled assistants who get the online space and come prepared to deliver a massive ROI right from the gate.

Welcome, Trevinia.Hey Bella, so glad to be here. How you doing?I’m awesome. I’m so excited to have you here because I think one of the things that I’m seeing in our pet industry is that it’s so exciting that people are actually no longer saying they want to be a six-figure business. They’re like mid-six-figure, seven-figure. And as that happens, you need support staff. But unfortunately, it’s much easier for us to train someone how to walk a dog than it is to train them how to do tasks and help us out.

That’s what I really wanted you to come in here today for. You were gracious enough a couple of months ago to visit us in the mastermind. It was so fruitful for all of us. I mean, so much just bombs—and you’re a speaker—so you guys get ready because the next 20 minutes is going to be awesome. And we have show notes for you. So Trevinia, let’s start off with: what should we outsource?

Yeah, you know, for you guys, it’s a little bit different, right? And I think that everyone often comes to us asking, “How do I know what to give my virtual assistant, or how do I even know where to start?” And it’s different for every business. For some of you, it might be the billing stuff that just drives you nuts and you want to gouge your eyes out, right? For others, maybe it’s the onboarding of new staff or new clients and that whole customer experience journey that you just feel you need to up-level. If someone else was taking care of it, it’d be better for you. It will be different for anyone.

I often say that the best things to outsource are the things that are sucking up so much of your time. For me in my business, it’s email, calendar management, travel booking—things like that—because I’m on the go all the time and people are always pinging me. For someone else, it might literally be following up with people after they’ve just had a new dog walker, like asking how that experience went, creating that real depth to that relationship that maybe you just don’t have time to do.

Or don’t want to do, right? And typically those things that we don’t want to do end up taking us the most time because we either procrastinate, put them off, or just dread them. Ari Meisel has a saying that the time it takes to do something versus the time it takes to actually get it done can be vastly different, right?

Yeah, you actually turned me on to him. That sounds funny, but I was looking for strategic people that could come into the mastermind and talk to us about productivity and delegation and stuff, and you had suggested him. Talk about mind-blowing. So we’ll have to put a link to him in the show notes because if you guys have not heard about him yet or you’re not in the mastermind, you need to hear about him.

Yeah, well, first get in the mastermind because that’s where you actually hear all the good stuff that can be actionable quicker for you instead of having to wait for a podcast interview.

No kidding, right? And then just be overwhelmed and not know how to break it down or what to do with it. Thank you for that. So how do you know when you’re actually ready to hire a VA? I feel like a lot of us are like, “It’s all in my head. Don’t you just read my mind?”

Yeah, no, they don’t read your mind. They will get there, but when it’s time for you, a few things I like to look at—it’s just like having a child or getting married, right? You’re never going to be fully prepared. There will always be spilled milk. You can’t pause getting the support you need because you don’t feel ready. But here are some indicators that maybe it’s time to pull the trigger.

Are you financially stable? This doesn’t mean you’re making six figures right now. You can get support even if you’re bringing in $1,000 a month. You just need to be revenue positive. I don’t suggest putting virtual assistants on your credit card. If you have a few things—maybe three to five things—that are repeatable processes in your business that you can get out of your head very simply by using a tool called useloom.com, a free Chrome extension, record your screen and talk out loud while you do the task. Because right now you’re doing it anyway—just record it, save that link in a Google Doc, and then they can watch and create a checklist.

You need at least three to five repeatable things that you’re doing in your business—something daily, weekly, or monthly—that a virtual assistant can take over. If you have that, you’re ready. If you’re still branding or gathering clients, maybe you’re not ready yet. Some people think it’s the cool thing to do. They want to be able to say, “Contact my assistant,” even though they’re not ready yet.

Some very high-level people pretended to be their own assistants because they wanted that image. But some of that can be a mental block. You’re afraid to spend the money, you have imposter syndrome, you’re not sure if you’re big enough or worth it. We have a bunch of resources on our website to help with that—one is 50 Things to Outsource to a Virtual Assistant to get your brain going, like, “I didn’t know a VA could do that!”

That’s awesome. So since we’re talking about it, it’s priorityva.com—we’ll have it in the show notes. So what I heard you say is you want to be revenue positive, use Loom, and it’s more of a mindset—you have to be ready to be there. It’s not like you’ve achieved X amount of dollars and now you’re granted the opportunity to have someone help you.

Exactly. I literally know seven-figure business owners who aren’t ready to have help because they’re clutching onto things with a death grip. I call that the “helicopter CEO.” They’re micromanaging everything and aren’t willing to trust someone with outcomes. People are good at saying “do this task for me,” but not at handing over ownership.

Start small. There are services like Fancy Hands or Magic to dip your toes in and get used to delegating. It’ll teach you how to communicate clearly and delegate effectively.

Bella: That’s great advice. So if someone listening is ready to hire a VA, where do they start? What’s the first step?

Trevinia: The first step is to really get clear on what you want them to do. I know that sounds obvious, but most people come to us and say, “I just need help.” That’s not specific enough. You need to have a clear idea of what tasks or outcomes you want to delegate. So take some time to track what you do for a week. Write down everything you touch in your business—every email, every phone call, every scheduling task, everything. Then, highlight the things that you dread doing, or that aren’t the best use of your time. Those are the things you delegate first.

Bella: That’s so good because so many of us just think, “I’m drowning, I need help,” but we don’t really define what that help looks like.

Trevinia: Exactly. Because if you’re not clear, the VA can’t succeed. You’ll both end up frustrated. I always say clarity is kindness. The more specific you can be about what success looks like, the better. And then, decide if you want someone part-time, full-time, or on a per-project basis. There’s no one-size-fits-all.

...

Jennifer Diepstraten is the CEO and founder of High Ticket Sales Success. She helps entrepreneurs to raise their fees, gain confidence, and find the words to close big sales with ease. Jennifer has grown my own coaching and consulting business to multiple 6-figures in less than two years, sold over $14 million in sales with her sales conversation system, and coached for one of the largest personal development companies in the world.

Show Highlights

What are quantum benefits? [2:00]

Why does positioning your quantum benefits allow us as business owners to raise our rates? [12:00]

How can you get in contact with Jennifer? [20:00]

Special Offer

Grab a copy of Jennifer's FREE e-book, 9 Secrets To Increase Your Fees, Convert More Sales, and Magnetically Attract Top Dollar Clients Who Want To Hire You Before Ever Meeting You!, here: http://highticketsellingbook.com/

Links:

Jump & Scale: jumpconsulting.net/scale

Jennifer's Website: https://highticketsalessuccess.com/

Share The Show

Did you enjoy the show? We would love it if you subscribed today and left us a 5-star review!

Click this link – Bella In Your Business

Click on the ‘Subscribe’ button below the artwork

Go to the ‘Ratings and Reviews’ section

Click on ‘Write a Review’

Transcript:

Thanks for listening. This is episode 125 of Bella in Your Business. Before we get started with today's episode, I want to know, are you burnt out trying to hire employees? Or maybe you want to hire employees, but you're just terrified of that boogeyman that does not exist in the closet. Well, this episode is sponsored by my free three-part webinar series, Jump and Scale Your Business, and I would love to see you there. It's a must-attend if you want staff, you want to grow, you feel like you're held hostage, or you have high turnover. Signing up is as easy as going to jumpconsulting.net/scale. Welcome to Bella in Your Business, where Bella will discuss anything and everything about your pet sitting business to help you land on target. So get ready, Bella’s got your chute. Let’s jump.

Welcome to Bella in Your Business. My name is Bella Vasta, and today I am here with an incredible woman who had such a splash in our mastermind months back that she literally changed the face of many websites just by her teachings. Today I'm joined with Jennifer Diepstraten. Did I say that right? Deepstratton? You got it. Deepstratton. Okay. She is the CEO and founder of High Ticket Sales Success. She teaches coaches and experts and niche service providers how to get paid top dollar for their services and close big sales. Jennifer also has a knack for breaking down this scary, intimidating sales topic into easily bite-sized nuggets, and I'm really excited to have you here today. Thanks for joining us.

Jennifer: I'm so excited to be here.

Bella: 100%. As you know, our community is a bunch of dog walkers and pet sitters. Oftentimes our clients are worth $10,000 to $12,000 a year, and the one thing that I think we all struggle with is this whole pricing structure and strategy. We struggle internally with, “Are we worth it?” or, “Oh no, they don’t want to pay that,” or, “They only want to know about cost.” I’m just going to dive right in here with you. You have this incredible thing called the Quantum Benefits, and I'd love for you to tell our listeners about that.

Jennifer: Okay, so here's the deal. If you want to raise your fee or charge more per client or get longer contracts, sometimes it’s not just about charging more per client but signing somebody on for a month instead of a day or for a year instead of a week. Something starts to happen, which is people will say it’s hard to sell because of price resistance, or we have our own internal resistance — like, “I’m not sure people have the money,” or “Can I really charge that much?” And for crying out loud, I’m just dog walking. Never say those words. It’s so much more than that. There’s no “just.” One of the things that I like to teach is how to really see our own value at a higher level so you can charge more and communicate to other people why they should pay you more, without feeling like you have to give more.

That’s one thing we always feel — if I'm going to charge more, then I have to give more, or offer more time, or throw in something extra, or justify it somehow. If you're listening or watching, take a moment and think: if I were to double my prices like Jennifer says, in an hour from now you're going to go out, raise your fee, double your prices, and say to somebody, “Hey, this is how much it is now,” what would you do? It’d be exciting and maybe a little bit scary. Across the board, people say, “Well, I would try to figure out what would be worth charging double for.” That’s totally fair. But in most cases, we try to double the amount of service we’re giving or the amount of product we’re giving, and so that doesn’t really give us a raise. I’m all about you getting paid.

Bella: Amen, sister. Amen. It’s sad sometimes how much we don’t pay attention to that bottom line or everyone else might be getting paid, but we’re not getting paid. So it’s not just about more — it’s about managing that more, right?

Jennifer: Absolutely. I just did an event last week and we were talking about why we should get paid more. There are a lot of reasons, but a big one is people tend to value us more when we're charging more. They tend to respect it more, take more action, be better customers, and get better results. On the side of the person delivering the service, we have more space to give freely because we've been paid well. We do better work. There are lots of advantages.

At last count, there was $14 trillion in our economy — probably more. There’s plenty of money to go around. So how do I get some of it to rain on me? I’m not just about money. I’m about helping entrepreneurs fill their business with high-paying clients who value what they do and who they love to work with so that they can make a bigger difference. Because when we’re getting paid well, we can do a lot to make a difference.

Bella: I know that your own coaching and consulting company grew in less than two years to multiple six figures, which is incredible. But before you did that, you were in biotech equipment. Thank you — I knew it was something like that. Part of your story I remember is that you were always kind of wondering why one was so much more expensive than the other and how they were able to sell something basically the same but for more money. Can you tell us more about that and what you discovered?

Jennifer: Yeah. Before I started my own business, I worked in corporate sales with doctors and scientists. The last thing I sold in corporate was microscopes to research scientists. These were fancy machines, but at the end of the day, a microscope is a microscope — they all make small things look bigger. So how do you justify or sell something that costs more? I always found myself working for companies whose products were more expensive — a lot more expensive than my competition.

I remember going up head to head against a competitor whose equipment was 25% less than mine. They weren’t exactly the same thing, but that’s like saying one brand of white bread isn’t exactly the same as another brand of white bread — it’s all bread. Is it worth 25% more? In that industry, that’s a difference of $25,000, $40,000, or $100,000. I remember saying to my boss when I first started, “Can I discount my pricing so I can be more competitive?” and he said to me, “No. Do your job.” And my job was to sell value.

I think that’s our job as entrepreneurs — look, there’s a choice we all need to make. We’re either going to sell on price or we’re going to sell on value. There’s no hidden agenda here — I’m all about you learning how to sell on value because selling on price is really a losing game. If you lower your price, then your competitor can lower theirs. It’s a race to the bottom.

If I think about how I shop — and if you think about how you shop — have you ever bought something where you paid more, like you didn’t buy the cheapest one? Bella: 100%. My husband’s always like that. He thinks those designer shirts in the mall are better than the ones at Target. I’ll go to Ross or TJ Maxx and get the same designer shirt for way cheaper, and he still feels like he’s wearing something of quality. It’s something we all do.

Jennifer: Exactly. It’s the same in your business. These tech companies like Rover and Wag are taking the world by storm. Embrace them — they’re helping educate the world that there is a pet sitting profession. But their prices are cheap. So pet sitters say, “How can I compete with this app that has billions in advertising?” You take advantage of it — ride that wave and go the opposite direction.

I’ve always worked for the smaller company with a better-quality product. There’s a place for you because the personalization and the care you provide are completely different and better than your competition. You just need to know what they are and tell everybody clearly so they get it.

It’s like when there’s a Starbucks and across the street is a mom-and-pop coffeehouse — literally across the street. Starbucks draws the crowd, but the cute little shop across the street has flowers and a different vibe and it’s doing great.

Bella: That’s such a great point. You have to communicate your value. Let me tell a quick success story. There’s a guy named Chad out here in Peoria, Arizona, and he was in the mastermind when you came in and gave this amazing presentation. You used someone as a case study and showed us how to do this on our websites. Chad actually implemented it. He did what you call the Quantum Benefits — basically communicating your unique value proposition.

On his website, he has something called the Fab Five: 24-hour online scheduling, a travel guarantee (if your flight’s delayed, he still comes),...

Gael Gilliland is the founder of The Legacy Recorder, and is passionate about helping every person record their life story for future generations to cherish. She is also a freelance writer and millennial mother of three future creatives, who in the present day give her daily inspiration and a few grey hairs. Learn more about Gail at her website,

Biggest Takeaway You Don't Want To Miss

Storytelling isn't just reserved for extroverts or those with a sales background. In our lives, we all are storytellers in one way or another. Incorporate this in your business and you will start to see stronger connections with your clients and your staff.

Show Highlights

Who is Gael Gilliland? [1:45]

Why is storytelling so important? [2:15]

Who should be telling stories? [5:30]

Is there a template we can follow for storytelling? [6:30]

What does storytelling look like? [8:00]

Is there an example of storytelling that you use in your own business? [11:00]

Special Offer

Create a memorable holiday moment with someone you love (like mom or grandma) by helping them tell their stories. This free mini-course walks you through the basics to get you started: https://gael-gilliland.mykajabi.com/p/Work-with-someone-you-love

Links

Jump & Scale: jumpconsulting.net/scale

Gail's Website: https://www.thelegacyrecorder.com

Share The Show

Did you enjoy the show? We would love it if you subscribed today and left us a 5-star review!

Click this link – Bella In Your Business

Click on the ‘Subscribe’ button below the artwork

Go to the ‘Ratings and Reviews’ section

Click on ‘Write a Review’

 

Transcript:

This is episode 124 of Bella in Your Business. This episode is brought to you by my free webinar Jump and Scale Your Business. It’s my three-part training series all dedicated to finding and attracting the right kind of people that will scale your business. Did I mention it’s free? Listen, you have to attend this if you want to grow your staff, you feel like you’re being held hostage, you have high turnover, you feel burnt out, or you’re just not seeing the results you want. Join me for this three-part free webinar series. Register now at jumpconsulting.net/scale. That’s jumpconsulting.net/scale. I’ll see you there.

Welcome to Bella in Your Business, where Bella will discuss anything and everything about your pet sitting business to help you land on target. So get ready. Bella’s got your chute. Let’s jump.

Welcome to Bella in Your Business. My name is Bella Vasta, your host with Jump Consulting. Today we are going to talk all about storytelling because whether you realize it or not, storytelling is something that is really important to your business and all the things that you are doing online. Today my special guest is Gael Gilliland, founder of The Legacy Recorder. She’s passionate about helping every person record their life story for future generations to cherish. She’s also a freelance writer, a millennial mother of three future creatives who in the present day give her daily inspiration and a few gray hairs.

Gael, welcome to the show.

Thank you so much for having me.

Yeah, 100%. Why don’t you fill in the gaps there and tell our audience a little bit more about you, where you’re coming to us from.

So I am in rural Western Pennsylvania, an hour north of Pittsburgh, and I’m here with my husband and kids and dog. I’m originally from Phoenix and made the move to be with my husband’s family.

That’s so cool. You and I met a couple of months back in Lima, Ohio, at Social Media Week Lima. You instantly were just like someone that my soul connected with. You were just the most incredible person, and I knew that there would be magic if you came on the podcast. So thank you for being here with us today. I want to ask you first, so we can set a foundation—why is storytelling so important?

Gael: For me, storytelling is so important because it helps us create a deeper connection with people whom you may only have a surface relationship with, whether it’s existing family or people we meet later. When you think back to conversations you’ve had and you have an experience where you’ve either heard someone tell a story in a storytelling way or have a conversation in a storytelling way, I feel that people then change their own conversation. They then ask harder questions. They ask deeper questions rather than just the regular, “Hi, how are you doing?” It gives us an opportunity to move past the surface relationships.

Bella: I love that. And what I want to constantly do in this podcast might be a little different than others we’ve done. I want to take your amazing knowledge of storytelling and translate it into how it could work for pet sitters and dog walkers. So what I’m thinking—and feel free to chime in here—is that initial phone call that we have with people or even email, because it can be done through email. People write a lot asking those questions before we get into “How much do you charge?” and “What do you do?” It could be really beneficial for your business, right? Getting people to talk about their pets—how old is your pet, where did you get your pet from, what do they like to do, are they used to you being home all day? By prompting people with questions, you will get them to tell their story.

Gael: Yes. And if you add in extra questions—might sound weird the first time you ask—but asking how they think their dog feels when they come home or when they leave brings in that emotional connection. Many of the people who have pets and are looking for pet sitters definitely have an emotional attachment to their pet but also feel there’s an emotional reciprocation from the pet. Giving them an opportunity to tell their pet’s story and recognizing that the pet has its own experience and life within the home will set you apart from someone who’s just going, “Okay, what time?” and “How long?” Recognizing that human experience between pet and owner will be very helpful.

Bella: I love it. It reminds the person who’s calling with this problem—“I need pet care”—to put themselves in their pet’s shoes. A lot of the time we are an outsource of love and guilt. That’s what it comes down to, right? They could put them in a boarding facility or kennel, but they don’t. They want pet sitters to come to their home because they feel a certain way and project those feelings onto their pets. But this is also brilliant from a psychological sales standpoint, because part of selling isn’t telling people what you do—it’s them discovering that they really want you. That can really happen if you get good at storytelling.

I know there are people listening right now who think, “Nope, this isn’t me. I’m not a salesperson. My prices are on my website and that’s all they need to know.” So, Gael, who should be telling stories? Does this apply to everyone?

Gael: Yes. You’re doing it every day whether or not you acknowledge it. Every time you post on Instagram, every time you do a Facebook post—anything that goes out in relationship to your business or personally—you’re telling your story. When you’re more mindful about how you’re doing it and what you’re posting, beyond just strategy, ask yourself, “When someone reads this, what’s their first reaction? Do they feel happy or sad?” Because every time someone reads or sees something from you, they feel a certain way. The more positive the feelings are, the more likely by the time you get them on the phone, you’ll have a better chance of closing the call than if you just mindlessly put things out.

Bella: Now, when we are putting stories out—maybe creating posts on our business page—is there a certain structure we should follow? Or is a story just a story, like, “Hey, this happened today”?

Gael: It depends on the platform, but think about the basic structure of a story: the beginning, the middle, and the end. The beginning sets it up, the middle includes some kind of crisis or buildup, and the end is the resolution—with your call to action. Think about presenting your marketing that way. For example, on an Instagram Story, you might spend three slides on the beginning, three on the middle, and the last part on the end with your CTA.

Bella: That’s such a great guide. And think about what changed—what were you at the beginning, and what were you at the end? Or maybe it’s not you—it’s the dog or the client. You guys are being bombarded with stories every day. Someone says, “Hey, I need a pet sitter because my grandmother passed away in another state, and I’ve never left my dog.” By the end of that call, they feel comforted. You have stories told to you every time you answer the phone, and most of the time, you’re the hero of the story.

Gael: Exactly. Every time someone comes to you with a problem, you’re offering a transformation whether you realize it or not. Think back to the last five calls you had and think about how you helped them finish the story—you get to be the last few pages.

Bella: You’re the one who gets to fix it, and you hold the keys to peace and rest. Dog walkers and pet sitters are amazing. You have such an intimate relationship with what’s going on in people’s lives. Without exploiting people’s vulnerabilities, you can tell the story to the next person—“I had someone this happened to before. Here’s how we handled it.”

Another way you could tell stories is on Instagram. When there’s a photo of a little white dog sniffing the grass, tell the story behind it—what problem you’re solving, what relationship you’ve built. Every dog you care for has a story: how it came to its owner, how it joined your business, what it does every day.

Bella: Think like a journalist. How would you make this into a story? How would you create a lesson out of it?

Gael: Every time someone comes to you, you’re offering transformation. Recognize that you’re not just providing a service—you’re changing experiences.

Bella: That’s so powerful.

Gael: Yes....

Abbie Hawkins is the Senior Channel Account Manager for JazzHR, the best hiring software in the pet industry. Listen in to see how over 60 pet sitting companies are turning their "I don't have anyone to hire" problem into "I have too many qualified applicants to sift through" This is a great episode you will want to hear!

Biggest Takeaway You Don't Want To Miss

The two problems you will always be solving in your pet sitting or dog walking company is getting more clients and getting more staff. By having a consistent, on-going hiring funnel, we can solve the problem of staffing once and for all. By always having an abundance of staff that are able to step in at any moment's notice, you are preventing yourself from being held hostage in your business. Hiring isn't a means to an end - it is an on-going process!

Show Highlights

How do we change the mindset from hiring one person to having an actual hiring funnel? [5:00]

What happens if you don't have the right amount of staff? [6:45]

How does JazzHR solve the hiring problem on a global scale? [8:00]

What are some tips to having a strong hiring ad? [11:00]

Can you describe what a knockout question is? [14:00]

What are some sample hiring flows you've seen in other businesses? [18:00]

How do I proceed when I have resignations and new positions to fill? [18:45]

Any suggestions to bring in more applicants? [23:00]

Links:

Jump & Scale: jumpconsulting.net/scale

JazzHR: http://info.jazzhr.com/jump-consulting.html

Share The Show:

Did you enjoy the show? We would love it if you subscribed today and left us a 5-star review!

Click this link – Bella In Your Business

Click on the ‘Subscribe’ button below the artwork

Go to the ‘Ratings and Reviews’ section

Click on ‘Write a Review’

Transcript:

This is episode 123 of Bella in Your Business. Do you feel like your business is going around on a merry-go-round? Well, I’ve got news for you. This episode is sponsored by my incredible webinar series called Jump and Scale. It gets you off that merry-go-round and up to the next level in your business. It’s called Jump and Scale and it’s free for you right now. Just go ahead and sign up at jumpconsulting.net/scale. You will learn how to grow your business, increase your staff, and not be held hostage to business. So go ahead, sign up for free. That’s jumpconsulting.net/scale. I’ll see you inside.

Welcome to Bella in Your Business, where Bella will discuss anything and everything about your pet sitting business to help you land on target. So get ready, Bella’s got your chute. Let’s jump. Welcome everybody to Bella in Your Business. My name is Bella Vasta from Jump Consulting, and today I have one of my virtual friends with me. I call this girlfriend because friends look out for each other, and for the past three months, she’s not only looked out for me but for 57 of you—I think that’s the number, or 54, I can’t remember because it grows all the time. My guest today is Abby Hawkins from JazzHR. Abby, how are you?

Abby: Great. Thanks for having me today, Bella.

Bella: Absolutely. So we are actually recording this on a Facebook Live, but it will become a podcast. I really just wanted to talk about all these woes because there are two things that I tell everyone in our community they’re always going to have to solve, and that’s getting more clients and getting more employees. If we can at least solve 50% of those problems, it would open up our life and our time and our energy to so much more. Forever, what we’ve had to do is post on Craigslist every week or post on Indeed and then sift through things. So I want to first start talking about what you see happen to businesses if they can’t find someone to hire. I imagine that all the people that you start talking with are kind of at that breaking point, right?

Abby: Absolutely. When you can’t hire, tasks pile up. You have way too much work to do. You don’t have time for the real heart of your business, and it puts a strain on others in your organization as well.

Bella: 100%. Not to mention, you’re not there for your family or yourself. You might be out there in the field doing more work than you actually need to be doing, going through drive-thru every day. It’s very stressful. Can I get an amen in the comments or a thumbs up if that has ever been you listening right now? So how complicated can things get? I posted on Indeed for a videographer once, and I was overwhelmed with all these applications—I probably got about 47 of them. Abby, I didn’t have the time to go through them. It almost gave me a whole other problem. How do you see people sift through all those applications?

Abby: People come to us with a variety of different methods. Oftentimes, we see people are coming to us from Indeed, Craigslist, a variety of different sources, and they’re having to sift through all those job sites to find that qualified applicant—logging into Indeed, going into their email inbox, things like that. Having one centralized location where they can find all their candidates and sift through them really helps.

Bella: Yeah, for sure. I remember when I had my pet sitting company, it’s like you’re working on an email reply to someone, and then you get something that dings and says “applicant received” or something like that. You get excited because you really need an employee and you’re just praying this is your next best thing. Then you get let down. It’s kind of like 50 bad first dates. It’s depressing and distracting. I try to encourage people not to be in bondage to their business or held hostage. If you and I were working together and you quit tomorrow, I would not want to be in a position where I’d have to be in the field or it would change my whole life just because you decided to quit. I always want to be in abundance of helpers or workers so I never have to feel that way. Can you talk about changing the mindset from “I want to hire one person” to “building a funnel or pool of people”?

Abby: Having that candidate database you can pull from at a moment’s notice is really important. Funneling from all these different places—Indeed, Facebook, Craigslist—and having them all in one centralized location that you can go back to and build rapport with those individuals, even if you don’t have a job available right then, allows you to go back to them when a position comes up. It ensures you never have a backlog.

Bella: That makes so much sense because it’s easy to lose track if they’re jumbled in your email or operations. Then you’re like, “Shoot, there was this one person, I forget her name.” Being able to have that candidate database that you can turn to is really important. Like I said, the biggest thing is to solve problems systematically. Getting more clients is easier because it’s what we start doing from the beginning, but it’s the hiring and staff support that’s harder.

Abby: Sure. You can have a million clients, but if you don’t have the employees to help, your business won’t thrive. Having candidates lined up, ready to go, is essential.

Bella: I hear a lot of the time, “I hate hiring,” or “I can’t trust anybody,” or “I was burnt before.” Then they become a slave to their business. They’re working seven days a week, 365 days a year. They don’t have friends or holidays. I want everyone listening to imagine never having to go through the agony of finding quality candidates again. Abby has helped solve this for so many. Why don’t you explain how you help solve this problem on a global scale?

Abby: JazzHR helps better manage your candidate pipeline and streamline your hiring process. We send your job posts to Indeed, Glassdoor, ZipRecruiter, Google Jobs, Facebook, all the big names. You quickly start seeing those candidates come into the system. One great thing about JazzHR partnering with you is that we’ve created knockout or disqualifying questions—if a candidate doesn’t meet criteria, you don’t even have to look at their application.

Bella: That’s definitely helpful. And the feedback I’ve gotten—there are three different plans, and you’ve made the middle plan incredibly affordable. I asked JazzHR to include my fun advertisement template for a dog walker or pet sitter, which you load into their account, plus a list of knockout questions they can customize. And you can see which hiring ads perform best—something you can’t easily do on Craigslist or Indeed. What are some of your tips to make a good hiring ad?

Abby: Include testimonials from current employees, incentives, or perks. Be clear about your job description—if it’s weekends, note that. Make sure your job title is attention-grabbing but still qualifies for the free job boards. Our quality team reviews every posting to ensure it performs well.

Bella: That’s what I love—JazzHR works for you and knows what will perform. You can post unlimited jobs within several accounts and test which job title performs best. Back when I was using Craigslist, it was $25 per posting. It was expensive and redundant. Now, having a dashboard with all applicants in one place is game-changing. Let’s talk about knockout questions.

Abby: A knockout question disqualifies candidates who don’t meet your criteria. Maybe you’re looking for someone with two to three years of pet sitting experience. If they select “zero,” they’re flagged, and you can set up an automated polite rejection email. You can even schedule it to send later.

Bella: Some people get mad about rejection emails, and others get mad if you don’t reply—it’s tricky. But it’s good to have a policy. Make it clear if you’ll reply to everyone or only to certain applicants so your team follows a consistent system. Let’s talk about vetting with a team. Some users have multiple team members who can all log into the portal, assign tasks, and move candidates through stages. That’s powerful.

Abby: Yes, you can assign tasks and emails so everyone knows their part in the process....

Nicole Brown Packin is the CEO of Miami Pet Concierge based out of Miami, Florida. Since MPC’s opening in 2007, Nicole has continued to grow and learn as much as she can about animal welfare. She earned her Small Animal Massage Practitioner (SAMP) Certificate in Maintenance, Performance, and Rehabilitation Massage from Northwest School of Animal Massage. Nicole specializes in Myofascial Release Therapy (MFRT), Trigger Point Therapy (TPT) and Stress Point Therapy (SPT). Nicole is the only SAMP in South Florida with these unique set of massage credentials.

Biggest Takeaway You Don't Want To Miss

Be a leader in your community. Get a notice OUT of what you expect from your clients and what they can expect from you. Update them every single day. Do not be a superhero. Let your staff know that you are leading by example and guide them. Be sure to stock up with all the necessary supplies and make a resource list for places of refuge. Your staff are going to want to be heroes, and you want to make sure that you appreciate their offer, but their family and pets come first.

Show Highlights

What are the first steps you need to take during a natural disaster to protect your clients, staff, and community? [3:00]

What's an example of a sample letter to send to your clients during a natural disaster? [5:00]

How else can we "take it up a notch" to help destress our clients? [6:45]

Can you describe some of the things we need to prepare for in the event of a disaster? [10:00]

Summarize the key takeaways of what we should know about disaster preparedness? [17:00]

Links

Jump & Scale: jumpconsulting.net/scale

Nicole's Website: miamipetconcierge.com

Hurricane Preparedness For Your Pet

Top 5 Ways You And Your Pet Can Prepare For A Natural Disaster

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Click this link – Bella In Your Business

Click on the ‘Subscribe’ button below the artwork

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Transcript:

This is episode 122 of Bella in Your Business. Are you ready to scale your business with employees and make all the dreams you ever imagined come true? This episode is sponsored by my free three-part webinar series called Jump and Scale. It’s free and designed for those who really want to take their business to the next level. If you feel like you’ve plateaued, this course will get you to that next level. All you have to do is sign up at jumpconsulting.net/scale. Welcome to Bella in Your Business, where Bella discusses anything and everything about your pet sitting business to help you land on target. So get ready—Bella’s got your chute. Let’s jump.

Welcome, everybody, to Bella in Your Business. I am here today with Nicole Brown-Packin of Miami Pet Concierge, and we’ve got a serious issue to talk about—disaster preparedness. It’s September 9th, 2018, at the time of this recording. Nicole is an awesome member of Better Marketing with Bella and the Mastermind, and I just got to hug her at the Paradise Retreat here in Arizona. So Nicole and I are very close, to say the least.

Another one of our PAC members, Maureen Dunn McCarthy, had a question today that she doesn’t normally have to post that much. There’s a hurricane in the Bahamas that has just turned from a tropical storm to a hurricane, and she’s wondering what to do because, admittedly, they don’t deal with this often. But Nicole, who’s based in Miami, does. Last year, I was praying with her through Hurricane Irma, keeping tabs as it plummeted Florida. I thought it’d be great to have Nicole on with us. She also has an incredibly thorough blog we’ll share in the show notes. Nicole, thanks for joining us last minute on a Sunday morning to help your fellow jumpers.

Thanks for having me. I’m really glad to be here.

And Maureen is joining us, too. What’s up, Maureen and Terri? I have tons of ideas, but I’m in Arizona—the worst we have are fires. I want to hear it directly from someone who’s been through it. It’s Sunday, and this thing is about to make landfall. They predict it’ll hit Thursday, but that can always change. Nicole, walk us through what you’d do right now if you were in South or North Carolina—how you’d prepare yourself, your family, your business, your staff, and your community.

I think the most important thing, Bella, is to take a deep breath and not panic because the media can make us a little nutty. First, take care of yourself, your home, and your pets, and then move on to your staff and clientele. I was talking to Maureen this morning and suggested creating an email that outlines everything you need from your clients because they’ll come to you for guidance—you are their person. If you can guide them step by step on what you want, you’ll remove stress, cut down questions, calls, and texts, and everyone can breathe.

Also remember, hurricane predictions can change. For example, Irma was expected on Thursday and then Friday, but it hit at one o’clock Sunday morning. So prepare, but always expect that things will change. Expect the unexpected.

That’s great advice. Heed the warning but don’t freak out. As leaders, we need to stay calm, stay factual, and see the big picture. I’m going to read Maureen’s note to her clients—Nicole, I think you helped her with this.

Good afternoon. I’m writing to let you know that on Thursday, September 13th, the Carolinas are expected to be hit with a major hurricane. If this happens and the Charlotte area is affected due to a federal state of emergency, Loving Kisses Petsitting will be shut down temporarily during the height of the storm to maintain the safety of the petsitters. We will resume normal activities as soon as safety concerns are lifted and travel is permissible. I advise all clients to have a backup plan—a neighbor or family member—to attend to your pets if we cannot get to your home during the storm. We’ll try our best to maintain communication, but due to power outages, phone and computer use may be limited. Thank you for understanding and stay safe.

For local clients not traveling, let us know ASAP to cancel visits. We may have limited service as power lines may be down. Do not assume we are getting your messages—you’ll receive a confirmation once we do.

I love it. It’s calm, assuring, and builds confidence in Maureen’s business. She sees what’s happening, has a plan, and gives clients time to prepare. That’s leadership at its finest.

Nicole: I think she did an awesome job. As a client reading that, I’d think, “She’s got my back.” She’s ahead of the game and not stressed. What I’d add now for Maureen and others is to send daily follow-ups. Include a list of preparedness items to suggest to clients. For instance, every June 1st, I email my clients and tell them to keep at least a gallon of water per pet per day for two weeks. They laugh, but if you lose power for two weeks, you need it. Keep food for five days and water for five days.

The most common issues we see in disaster areas are pets without identification, medication, or photos. For example, if your door opens during the storm and your pet flees, shelters will be flooded with animals. Without proper ID, microchip info, or a photo, it’s hard to get your pet back. So create a preparedness list—just as you’d keep an inhaler for yourself, your diabetic cat needs its medication, too. Send the list to clients, ask them to prepare, and update them daily.

During Irma, I emailed daily updates on what we were doing because clients looked to us for guidance. Some clients were out of the country and couldn’t return. One dog stayed in our care the entire time. We made it clear that if we had to evacuate, we’d take him if possible. When my street was evacuated, police were patrolling. I had four pets of my own, but shelters only take three.

Go to your county or government websites, find out which shelters accept pets, and share that info with clients. Include requirements, weight limits, breeds, and medications. It’ll keep clients confident and prevent your phone from ringing off the hook. In Miami, you have to apply for pet shelter spots at the start of hurricane season, and some fill up. Also, include pet-friendly hotels 30 to 100 miles away. After Irma, we had no power or water for two weeks, so I went to Orlando to work because that’s where the nearest Wi-Fi and supplies were.

I have goosebumps listening to this, Nicole. You’re clearly an expert, and this info is invaluable. This is not something you can scramble to figure out mid-crisis. One point I want to highlight: never in this conversation are we saying staff should risk themselves. As a leader, you must stay safe first—this is not the time to be a superhero. Follow state-of-emergency guidelines and stay off the road.

This applies to any natural disaster—hurricanes, snowstorms, wildfires. Heed official warnings. From a marketing standpoint, you can also contact local news to communicate closures or reopenings. Everyone listening should review Nicole’s blog and Maureen’s letter—it’s incredibly thorough. Not everyone will see your first email, so send updates. Even if the storm changes course, this strengthens your reputation as a professional.

Nicole: Exactly. Prepare your clients and staff in advance. Follow government closure schedules—when government buildings close, you close. Schools close early, but government guidelines work well. During Irma, I had one client who wouldn’t compromise, and I nearly sacrificed my family’s safety evacuating at the last minute. Don’t do that. If you’re not affected right now, use this time to set policies and expectations for your company.

Clients will always ask, “What about my home or pets?” Set expectations early. Every June 1st, I ask clients who will care for their home and pets if a hurricane hits, and they know to expect it. Prepare them,...

In this episode, Bella sits down with Mia Voss — marketing strategist, Digital Summit speaker, and host of Adventures in Visibility (miavoss.live) — to talk about how pet business owners can use storytelling and personal branding to attract better clients. Mia has produced, hosted, and guested on more than 300 online show episodes and interviewed over 500 guests, and she specializes in helping business owners build a visible, trusted brand online. Her business model combines adventure, experience, and storytelling — showing her audience who they need to know, where they need to be, and which brands are for them.

Biggest Takeaway You Don't Want To Miss

Consistency is what you define it as. So often as business owners we have fantastic ideas, but for one reason or another, we just stop implementing them. Or we get busy with other things and forget. Consistency builds your business as well as your brand and helps your clients trust you. If you commit to going live once a week, stick with it! Results will follow as long as you keep persevering.

Show Highlights

Who Is Mia Voss? [2:00]

In what ways did you use storytelling on your recent trip to Italy? [4:00]

How did you overcome self-doubt to go after what you want? [5:30]

What does consistency do for you in your business and your brand? [7:00]

Tell us about how cars play a role in your business and how that intertwines with overcoming self-doubt? [11:00]

How often have you been told "no" in your life and what does it make you feel? [16:00]

Final Thoughts? [18:00]

Links:

Jump & Scale: jumpconsulting.net/scale

Mia's Website: http://miaonthego.com

Share The Show:

Did you enjoy the show? We would love it if you subscribed today and left us a 5-star review!

Click this link – Bella In Your Business

Click on the ‘Subscribe’ button below the artwork

Go to the ‘Ratings and Reviews’ section

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Transcript:

This is episode 121 of Bella in Your Business. Before we get started with today's episode, I want to know, are you burnt out trying to hire employees? Or maybe you want to hire employees, but you're just terrified of that boogeyman that does not exist in the closet. Well, this episode is sponsored by my free three-part webinar series, Jump and Scale Your Business. I would love to see you there. It's a must-attend if you want staff, you want to grow, you feel like you're held hostage, or you have high turnover. Signing up is as easy as going to jumpconsulting.net/scale.

Welcome to Bella in Your Business, where Bella will discuss anything and everything about your pet sitting business to help you land on target. So get ready—Bella's got your chute. Let's jump.

Welcome to Bella in Your Business. My name is Bella Vasta, and today I've got a very exciting guest for you. Her name is Mia Voss, and she is an experience junkie who wants to take us along with her—and boy, does she. She's been building an online audience for years, enticing them with engaging interviews on every topic imaginable. Honestly, this is truly a person that you can't stump. There's no topic that's off the table. She’s been a producer, a host, and a guest of more than 300 online episodes and has interviewed over 500 people. Good Lord, woman. Mia combines a business model of adventure, experience, and storytelling, and with each day, she brings out the best in each experience, showing her audience who they need to know, where they need to be, and what brands are for them.

Bella: I know you as a person—we met in Lima, Ohio, as we shared a stage, and I just love you. But to be truthful, I just know you’re incredible online, and I don’t really exactly know what you do. So break it down for us.

Mia: That’s a tall order, and thanks for having me on. I like it when you’re up in my business.

Bella: And I know you’re a gal that can take it—and you’re joining us in two weeks here in Arizona on our girls’ retreat. Yes, we’re calling it the Seven Queens Retreat, which—speaking of working with brands—I’m going to be driving a shiny new Toyota Sequoia and seeing how many of these queens I can fit into that car with or without our tiaras.

Mia: That might be for the luggage compartment; I’ll have to take a few of those off. Segueing into that, that’s exactly what I do. I actually represent women over 40. I’m 50-plus, but I represent women over 40. Women make 85% of buying decisions, whether it’s their money or not, and that’s overall buying decisions. That’s something a lot of brands aren’t paying attention to—they’re literally leaving money on the table and leaving a huge amount of the population feeling alienated about their voice.

As a travel writer, I work with different brands. I just came back from a three-week trip with Colette Travel. They do guided travel, and they knew I’d be able to represent their target audience and take people along with me. It’s all about storytelling. Every business has a pain point or a story behind what they do, and I help bring those to life while traveling. It’s a balance I made up as I went along—working with brands, representing people, and telling stories.

Bella: I love how you designed what you wanted to do and went after it. That statistic about women’s buying power is powerful. Now, this trip you just went on to Italy—people always stop themselves saying, “I’m not a storyteller; I’m a dog walker or a pet sitter.” They don’t realize that storytelling helps avoid being that sleazy salesperson. When you’re telling stories, people are attracted to you. Give us an example of how you use storytelling when you were in Italy.

Mia: I stayed in a lot of different locations—we traveled from Rome all the way up to Lake Como and Milan. The first rule of thumb I made up is to never request what I want to eat; I eat and drink exactly what’s local. Italy practically invented “farm to table.” The grapes, cattle, and cheese—all part of a perfect ecosystem. That’s a story in itself. One of my favorite parts was visiting an agricultural high school in Parma where a couple, Giuseppe and Juliette, had been making Parmesan cheese for 40 years. We couldn’t understand a word—they needed a translator—but their story was magical. Sharing why they still teach and get up every day, we saw their process and their passion. That’s the kind of storytelling I love.

Bella: That’s so cool. Where else has travel taken you, and how did you overcome the doubts in your head—like, “I can’t do this”?

Mia: I’m big on manifesting. You can’t go wrong combining business acumen with trusting your inner voice. For me, it was a slow burn. I hosted shows on Google Plus years ago, interviewing tons of people, and I got inspired to go to Italy for my 50th birthday. I thought instead of figuring out how to make more money to go, how could I use what I already do to showcase them? So I called hotels and resorts, said, “Hey, I want to do a story on you.” I made it up as I went. I ended up spending three weeks in Italy in 2015, interviewing people and sharing their stories. It was a leap of faith, but it worked.

Bella: Let’s talk about consistency—you’ve got your wine show with your iguana on Fridays. Tell us about that.

Mia: It’s called Drinking with the Dragon. Because I love live streaming and storytelling, I decided to make it fun. I rescued a bearded dragon two years ago from my friends Brian and Courtney Kramer. Their kid went to college, and I said, “If you get me a case, I’ll fly her back to Denver.” Back then, we thought she was a she—but I later got a call in Rome saying she’s actually a he. Pets can’t tell their stories, so it’s fun to do it through social media. I also have a Frenchie named Gidget—follow her at Gidget the Frenchie on Instagram.

So Drinking with the Dragon is literally me on Facebook Live opening a bottle of bubbles with my lizard on my shoulder, talking about the week or businesses I love. People stop scrolling when they see it—it’s goofy, but it builds trust and consistency.

Bella: I love that. And the consistency builds confidence in your audience. Plus, it gives you practice—just showing up, talking, and flowing helps you articulate your message.

Mia: Exactly. I even did “Drinking Without the Dragon” while in Italy. Sometimes my cat joins too—it’s chaos but fun. The key is to drop perfection. Perfection kills creativity. Consistency matters—whether weekly, monthly, or daily. Define what consistency means to you and stick with it.

Bella: Let’s switch gears. I want to talk about the cars you mentioned and how that fits your business—and then about self-doubt as a woman.

Mia: I can loop those together. The car thing started four years ago. Car companies have fleets they lend to PR agencies and media. They give you a car for a week, and you talk about your experience. I wanted to make it more than horsepower stats. I talk about how it feels, how it works, safety, and practicality. Over time, I found my female voice in that space. My audience is 50/50 male and female, so I balanced that.

Now, I tie it into storytelling. When I visit you ladies, I reached out to say, “Hey, I’ll be with amazing women influencers—I want them to experience the car.” It’s a marketing line item that fits naturally. Women are so underserved in this area. I met a man recently who said his wife’s upset that her car no longer has grocery hooks in the trunk—small details that matter.

Bella: We should film a video of us all in the Sequoia—each of us stepping out bachelorette-style introducing ourselves.

Mia: Yes! You’ll see it soon. We all represent something different—different ages, backgrounds, families. It’s like a Care Bear Stare—we all bring our own powers. But honestly, some brands still don’t get it. I’ve struggled with getting their attention. They’ll host events and only invite older men. I’m like, “Come on, do you think women stop having fun after a certain age?” I drive a motorcycle, I drive stick.

Jessika Phillips helps people master Relationship Marketing, Speaker,  as a relationship marketing evangelist she is often sought after for her approach to marketing. She's the passionate Founder of NOW Marketing Group and host of the largest social media marketing conference in Ohio, Social Media Week Lima as well as the host of a weekly live video show called Magnet Marketers.

Biggest Takeaway You Don't Want To Miss

When it comes to marketing, the first step is to think about how you are capturing attention. How are you standing out? Attention is the game when it comes to marketing. Usually somebody will take notice of you because you're helping them in some way. Articulate your message in a way that's clear and concise. Create micro-moments that will build the relationship. Make them feel excited to do business with you by creating a unique and enjoyable experience.

Show Highlights

Who Is Jessika Phillips? [2:00]

How do I get started with relationship marketing? [6:00]

How do we tie in relationship marketing with buyer personas? [14:00]

What does a relationship marketing plan look like and how do I know if it's working? [18:30]

What should we be doing on social media to start implementing relationship marketing? [24:45]

Describe your FREE social media toolkit? [26:00]

Special Offer

Social Media Toolkit: https://nowmarketinggroup.com/landing-page/download-social-media-toolkit/

Links

Jump & Scale: jumpconsulting.net/scale

Magnet Marketers Podcast: magnetmarketers.com

NOW Marketing Group: www.NOWMarketingGroup.com

Share The Show

Did you enjoy the show? We would love it if you subscribed today and left us a 5-star review!

Click this link – Bella In Your Business

Click on the ‘Subscribe’ button below the artwork

Go to the ‘Ratings and Reviews’ section

Click on ‘Write a Review’

Transcript:

This is episode 120 of Bella in Your Business. This episode is brought to you by my free webinar, Jump and Scale Your Business. It's my three-part training series all dedicated to finding and attracting the right kind of people that will scale your business. Did I mention it's free? Listen, you have to attend this if you want to grow your staff, you feel like you're being held hostage, you have high turnover, you feel burnt out, or you're just not seeing the results you want. Join me for this three-part free webinar series. Register now at jumpconsulting.net/scale. That's jumpconsulting.net/scale. I'll see you there.

Welcome to Bella in Your Business, where Bella will discuss anything and everything about your pet sitting business to help you land on target. So get ready—Bella’s got your chute. Let’s jump.

Welcome to Bella in Your Business. My name is Bella Vasta, your host, and today I've got a treat for you. Jessika Phillips—I met her when I was asked to come speak at Ohio's largest social media convention that she actually puts on. Jessika and I, she's one of those people that you just instantly bond with, one of those people you instantly want to be BFFs with. Today she's on our show to talk about relationship marketing. Did you even know that was a thing?

Jessika: Hey, thanks so much for having me. I feel the same way about you and your bubbly personality. I love it.

It was your Now Marketing Group that hosted this largest social media marketing convention in Ohio called Social Media Week Lima, not Lima, but Lima. You also host a weekly live video show called Magnet Marketers, every Tuesday.

Jessika: Sure! So magnetmarketers.com will give you the sign-up if you're interested in participating in the show and lets you know what we're talking about each week. We go live on the Magnet Marketers Facebook every Tuesday at 4 p.m., talking about how you can be a magnet in your marketing versus a bullhorn.

Bella: I love that—magnet versus blowhorn. I want to get into that today, but can you help fill in the gaps for our listeners and explain how you got to where you are?

Jessika: Sure, I’ll give you the Cliff Notes version. I worked in corporate America, in telecommunications for about five years. I worked my way up the ranks and loved working with people. This was back in the day when we were transitioning from the big Zach Morris phones to smartphones that could take photos and texts. I was trying to convince people why they’d want photo messaging and internet on their phone, and they’d say, “I just need to make phone calls.” I realized that even though I thought I was a great salesperson, I couldn’t help anyone unless I stopped and listened—figuring out what their pain points were and what their daily life looked like.

By using this discovery technique, I learned how the services I offered could actually help them. I got promoted and started working with mom-and-pop shops, helping them market their businesses with little to no marketing budget. I realized people came to these stores because of the people—because they took time with each customer. I used social media to help them tell their story because it was free; it only cost them time. I fell in love with that and decided to start Now Marketing Group. I got pregnant right before launching and got really sick during the pregnancy, so I took that as a pause moment. I decided I wanted to help small and medium-sized companies tell their stories and connect with audiences online through social media and relationship marketing.

Bella: That’s fantastic. You said people went to mom-and-pop stores instead of big boxes. I hope bells and tail wags are going off for my listeners because that’s exactly who they are—small businesses built with blood, sweat, and tears. So it sounds like you found this thing called relationship marketing. Can you explain what that is and how we can leverage it?

Jessika: Sure. A lot of people have heard of inbound marketing, content marketing, or social media marketing. Those are processes, but relationship marketing is more of an ideology. Instead of constantly trying to win new business, you pause and focus on keeping the clients you already have—doing what you do so well that people want to come back. It’s about creating repeat or referral business by treating others how you want to be treated. You use techniques like social media, content marketing, and traditional marketing to attract, nurture, and retain your ideal clients.

Bella: And you don’t just talk the talk—you walk it. As a speaker at your conference, I felt like a queen. You had massage therapists, gifts in our rooms, and even made us bobbleheads. You’ve really mastered that craft, and that’s what you help people learn.

Jessika: Exactly, and it all comes down to what I call the CARE approach. C stands for capturing attention—how are you standing out and helping your audience? A stands for articulating your message—people should be able to clearly understand what you do. R is relationship-focused—creating micro-moments that make people feel special. And E stands for experience—how are you creating a unique experience that people will remember and refer to others?

It’s not just about getting clients to know, like, and trust you—it’s about getting them to love you so much that they refer you to their friends and family. That’s the real goal of relationship marketing.

Bella: I love that. I think the “experience” part is where people get stuck. They think, “I’m just the best dog walker out there.” Can you give a few examples of creating a unique experience?

Jessika: Sure. The experience starts long before someone calls you. Sixty percent of the buying cycle is over before they even contact you. That means your website needs to have all the answers they’re looking for—availability, prices, testimonials, and a clear sense of who you are. Make it easy to find and use, especially on mobile. Then, when someone reaches out, follow up promptly. If they leave a voicemail, don’t wait 48 hours to respond. Be responsive.

Once they’re clients, keep personal touches alive—leave little notes about their pets, celebrate milestones, or share cute updates. Make them feel like one in a million, not one of a million. Keep in touch through newsletters or social media groups, and treat your current clients like VIPs. No one likes feeling like new customers get all the perks while loyal ones get ignored.

Bella: That’s so true. So how does this tie into buyer personas?

Jessika: Personas are semi-fictional characters representing real people you want to do business with. Ask yourself: if my ideal client called me today, who would that be? What does their day look like? What are their struggles, goals, and habits? What do they read, watch, and care about? When you understand that, you can speak directly to them. And equally important—identify your negative personas: the people who aren’t a good fit. It’s better to say no to the wrong clients so you can say yes to the right ones later.

Bella: Exactly. Saying no can bring more business than saying yes sometimes because it protects your energy and reputation.

Jessika: Absolutely. Once you’ve defined your personas and brand message, you can build your relationship marketing plan. Decide what you want to be known for, who your audience is, and how you’ll attract and engage them. Choose your platforms carefully—only be on the ones where you can be active. Then, create a process for converting prospects, nurturing relationships, and measuring success.

Bella: What should we measure to know it’s working?

Jessika: Measure conversations, not likes. How many people are engaging meaningfully with your posts? Track repeat visitors to your website, time spent on your pages, client retention, and referrals. Churn rate—how long clients stick around—is a great indicator of relationship strength.

Bella: That’s powerful. We’ve never talked about churn rate in over a hundred episodes!

Jessika: You can also measure client satisfaction through surveys or feedback forms....

With new pet sitting and dog walking companies popping up every day (not to mention Rover & Wag), setting ourselves apart is becoming increasingly difficult in a world full of noise. One of the top ways that you can set yourself apart is by using authentic VIDEO in your business. Today, I sit down with Chris Bryant, an expert video producer, to talk about the ways video can help you stand out in the crowd as well as what types of video are better than others.

Chris Bryant was born in Danbury, Connecticut and has had a fascination with telling stories through moving pictures since Jurassic Park stomped into theaters in 1993. He launched his video production company back in 2005. In 2013 the company was rebranded as Empire Studios, where he is currently Creative Director and Principal. He also run Studio 12 Academy, an educational resource focused on video production and running a business around it. Chris is sought out for his knowledge in video marketing, and has been featured in Business News Daily, Inc., Momentology and the Everyday Power Blog, among other publications.

Biggest Takeaway You Don't Want To Miss

The most common misconception with video is that is has to be professionally done and movie-star quality. This is NOT true. In our industry, I like to say that we are truly selling three things: trust, security, and peace of mind. It may sound a little backwards, but having every single video you make be professionally done can cause people to tune out and not trust you. It can look disingenuous! Chris's rule of thumb is that for every 10 videos you do, really only 1 of those should be professionally done while the other 9 are more off-the-cuff. Video is a way to show your audience YOU being YOU! They want to see you be real, raw, and authentic.

Show Highlights

Who is Chris Bryant? [2:00]

Why do business owners NEED video and what type? [4:00]

How does video build a personal connection along with trust and credibility? [5:00]

Should video be perfect or imperfect? [7:00]

How important is the audio aspect of video? [10:00]

How does working with a videographer work? [12:00]

What are the biggest mistakes people make when creating videos? [17:00]

What are some great online resources for video? [20:45]

Special Offer

Go to studio12academy.com/bella and you can receive 50% Chris's upcoming video course, 8 Steps To Creating Amazing Video On A Tiny Budget, launching in November! Also, the first 50 students to sign up are automatically entered to win a $500 camera slider.

Links

Jump & Scale: jumpconsulting.net/scale

Studio 12 Academy: http://www.studio12academy.com/

Chris' book, "The Step-by-Step Guide to Maximizing Your Video Views" is published exclusively on Amazon, and focuses on making sure the readers' videos are seen by as many eyeballs as possible. 

Share The Show

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Transcript:

This is episode 119 of Bella in Your Business. Do you feel like your business is going around on a merry-go-round? Well, I’ve got news for you. This episode is sponsored by my incredible webinar series called Jump and Scale. It gets you off that merry-go-round and up to the next level in your business. It’s called Jump and Scale and it’s free for you right now. Just go ahead and sign up at jumpconsulting.net/scale. You will learn how to grow your business, increase your staff, and not be held hostage to business. So go ahead, sign up for free. That’s jumpconsulting.net/scale. I’ll see you inside.

Welcome to Bella in Your Business, where Bella will discuss anything and everything about your pet sitting business to help you land on target. So get ready—Bella’s got your chute. Let’s jump.

Welcome to Bella in Your Business. My name is Bella Vasta, and today I’ve got a guest that I actually met on Twitter as we were sitting next to each other at a conference. How funny is that, you guys? Meet Chris Bryant. He is an incredible creative director at Empire Studios. He has a video production company called Empire Studios and is also the founder and lead instructor for Studio 12 Academy. When he’s not running those, he’s a filmmaker and currently in production on a military documentary. Chris has been a wealth of information for me, and I wanted him to be on the podcast today to be a wealth of information for you.

Thank you for having me. You are coming to us from Rome today, I hear, which I really appreciate you taking some time away from your vacation to be here for all of us.

Chris: My pleasure. It’s more of like a work-cation—going somewhere different, doing post-production, invoices, and following up with clients. But when I finish my work at the end of the day, I stroll around and walk about four blocks from the Coliseum. Airbnb, you gotta love it.

Airbnb is amazing. I’m actually staying in one this weekend. We’re having what we call the Seven Queenies Retreat, and there are about six other social media powerhouse women coming. We’re just doing it up this weekend. So yeah, Airbnb is awesome.

So give our listeners a little background. How did you become who you are today?

Chris: It started with opening night, 1993, when Jurassic Park opened. I was just blown away by the power of the moving image and storytelling. I wanted to do that myself. Every book report I did was on Steven Spielberg or animatronics. I went to college for it—Western Connecticut State University. It started as a side gig, unpaid and part-time, but it kept growing until it was doubling every year. Eventually, I quit my nine-to-five, gave two weeks’ notice, and I’ve been doing this full time for three or four years now.

I started my first company in 2005, and it just kept growing. Doing this means I can make my own schedule, pick my clients, and work on projects I care about. That flexibility lets me do things like coming to you live from Rome. My wife and I have been traveling Europe for a month now.

That’s inspiring on its own as a small business owner—designing the life you want to live. Our listeners are either doing that or want to get there, and a big part of getting there comes down to marketing and selling ourselves. We live in such a visual world these days. At the Impact Live Conference, a big common theme was that we’re all media companies that happen to be, in this case, dog walkers or pet sitters.

So tell me, why do business owners and entrepreneurs need video in their life, and what kind?

Chris: Great question. Nowadays, more and more people are consuming video constantly. Everyone has a phone, and it’s so easy to shoot. The cost of entry is basically nothing. Distribution is free with YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook Live, and IGTV. There’s no reason not to do it. As a pet sitter or walker, why do you need video?

I’m a pet owner—I love my dogs. I have a Bichon, this 15-pound lap dog named Fluffy, and a terrier mix named Stevie. We rescued them both. Grandma’s watching them now while we’re traveling. If my wife and I are gone or busy and need to hire someone, I want to have a connection with that person. You’re going to be with my pets and in my house. Video builds trust and credibility instantly.

It’s one thing to read a testimonial on a website, but if there’s a video where you can see someone’s face, energy, and personality, you can tell right away if you jive with them. The visual, audio, and energy combined create connection. When people see a smiling face talking passionately about caring for dogs, they think, “I like this person already. I trust them.”

Because video is so accessible now, some people worry they have to be perfect. They think they need makeup, lighting, or a perfect script. What do you say to that?

Chris: Done and good is better than perfect and never finished. If you’re too perfect, you’re not relatable. If you’re too polished, people wonder if you’re real. Being yourself makes the video easier to shoot and builds connection. Memorizing lines sounds fake unless you’re an actor. Have a few bullet points and speak naturally.

You could record a quick 30-second video for a prospective client introducing yourself—just to put a face to a name. It doesn’t matter what you say exactly; it’s about showing your energy and authenticity. Record it on your phone and send it as an unlisted YouTube link.

That’s great advice. I challenge listeners to do just that—answer client questions via a short selfie video. Make it one minute long and send the link with a note saying, “Your questions were important to me, so I wanted to answer personally.”

Now, let’s talk about audio. Why is it so important?

Chris: It’s critical. Your phone mic can be passable, but adding even a simple $50–$60 mic—like a Rode shotgun mic—makes a huge difference. Audio quality determines how long people will watch. If your audio is bad, even 4K video won’t save it.

If you’re using a phone, a wired or wireless mic is ideal. You can find great ones under $100. People fall in love with you through your voice—the tone, warmth, and energy.

Chris demonstrates by removing his earbuds: “See? The sound drops off completely, and it’s terrible.”

Exactly—audio matters that much.

Now, what about cost levels for creating video content?

Chris: It varies. You can shoot and edit your own videos, or you can hire someone. Hiring a freelancer to edit your footage might cost $100–$200 for something basic. If you bring in a professional shooter, costs increase depending on gear, travel, and crew. But you only need high-end professional videos occasionally—maybe one for every 10–15 DIY videos.

That one polished video can act as your 24/7 salesperson, representing your business online. It’s an investment, not an expense....

Leveraging technology can take many different forms: video, audio, social media, and more. The real key ingredient is one-to-one interactions in a public forum. This week Brian Fanzo discusses how to do just that. Brian Fanzo inspires, motivates and educates businesses on how to leverage emerging technologies and digital marketing to standout from the noise and reach the Millennial and Generation Z consumers.

Biggest Takeaway You Don't Want To Miss

There's a lot of noise in this world between the Internet, the 24-hour news cycles, and more. The best way to cut through the noise is to just press the damn button! It doesn't have to be video or audio. It can be any one-to-one conversations in a public forum. This can extend to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc. to help build trust online and keeping that trust online (the hardest part!).

Show Highlights

What is "press the damn button?" [2:20]

How do you lose trust from your online audience? [5:45]

What is the best way to build people's trust and keep it? [6:45]

Tell us the name of your podcast and where can people listen? [9:00]

How can we get over trying to be perfect? [11:00]

What is upcycling? [17:00]

What's the difference between recycling and upcycling? [19:00]

How can people find you online? [24:00]

Links

Brian's Website: www.isocialfanz.com

Brian's Podcast: http://www.isocialfanz.com/fomofanz/

Amy Landino's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR9gMSj0UUxGvgfpNhhF3Jw

Share The Show

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Click this link – Bella In Your Business

Click on the ‘Subscribe’ button below the artwork

Go to the ‘Ratings and Reviews’ section

Click on ‘Write a Review’

 

Transcript:

This is episode 118 of Bella in Your Business. This episode is brought to you by my free webinar Jump and Scale Your Business, my three-part training series all dedicated to finding and attracting the right people that will help scale your pet sitting business. In Jump and Scale, I will teach you step-by-step processes that will help you find out who your ideal candidate is, how to create kick-ass advertisements to attract them, and how to make the selection process simple. Plus, you'll also receive worksheets to make implementing all of this into your business easier than you can imagine. This is a must-attend if you have staff, want to grow, feel like you're being held hostage by your own business, have high turnover, are way too involved in the hiring process, you feel burnt out, or you're just not seeing the results that you want. Join me for the Jump and Scale Your Business three-part training series. Register now for free at jumpconsulting.net/scale. That's jumpconsulting.net/scale.

Welcome to Bella in Your Business, where Bella will discuss anything and everything about your pet sitting business to help you land on target. So get ready—Bella's got your chute. Let's jump.

Welcome to Bella in Your Business. My name is Bella Vasta, your host, and today I have a very exciting guest for you. His name is Brian Fanzo, and he inspires, motivates, and educates businesses on how to leverage emerging technologies in digital marketing to stand out from the noise and reach millennial and Generation Z consumers.

Brian: Thanks for having me. Excited to be here.

Bella: I am so happy that you are finally here. It's been a long time coming, and I'm just excited to expose you to my audience full of dog walkers and pet sitting business owners. A lot of them are big movers and shakers, and they finally got their business running with employees and stuff. They're really ready to start creating and developing their own strong brand in their community through video and all kinds of content. I know you have so much to talk about. I'd love for you to tell us all about "press the damn button," how easy it is to do it—which is your key phrase—and also this upcycling you do.

Brian: I believe everybody has a story to tell. It doesn't mean everybody's story is great, but everyone has a story to tell. The best way to stand out from the noise—amid fake news, bad news, and everything else—is to tell your story. We connect with stories. The reason your business is successful is because of you—your individual skills and who you are as a human. In the last nine years or so, digital and social media made us distance ourselves from what made us great: our story. Offline, we talk about passion and why we love what we do, but online, we just post broadcasts, sales pitches, and generic messages.

Millennials and Gen Z—really, any digital natives—see through sales pitches. We don't like being marketed to. We're smarter consumers with more content in our faces and more distractions. So how do we stand out? It comes down to pressing the damn button and telling your story. The “damn button” doesn’t have to be video or audio; it just needs to be something.

I love Facebook groups, Twitter, and especially Instagram right now, but so much of it is about one-to-one conversations in a public forum. Whether it's a group or your Instagram page, if your business is starting to take off, the question becomes: how do you stand out and tell your story? Nobody cares about what you do; we care about why you do what you do and how it impacts others. People care when you care.

Every business is in the business of trust. The question is: how are you building trust online, and how are you not losing it online?

Bella: Back up—because you just said something really important that nobody talks about: keeping the trust.

Brian: I think that’s the hardest part. Building trust takes time, but losing trust is instantaneous. You lose it by not showing up consistently, by talking at people, by ignoring them, or by not managing expectations. Consistency is powerful. I recently missed a couple of podcast weeks and saw a massive drop in my numbers—it was my fault. Consistency doesn’t mean daily; it means doing what you say you’ll do.

Building trust—and what I call social equity—is all about giving value consistently so that when you finally make an ask, people are willing to help. Many people misuse that equity, asking for meaningless likes instead of using it strategically. Losing trust also happens when you don’t respect people’s time—like over-posting or spamming inboxes. If someone expects one email per week and suddenly you send three, they’ll unsubscribe. Respect people’s time and attention. When you do have it, don’t waste it.

Bella: Okay, so tell everyone what your podcast is so they can find it.

Brian: It’s called FOMO Fans—that’s F-O-M-O F-A-N-Z. My goal is to cure your fear of missing out. I test things out and translate them back to the audience. Episode 83 goes live this week.

Bella: So if trust is built on consistency, I want to challenge our listeners to ask themselves—what will you be consistent about, and at what frequency? It could be once a month; just pick something and stick with it. Now, Brian, I want to shift gears. My followers may have seen me with Snapchat glasses filming in the water with my daughter and teasing everyone, saying dog walkers should use them too. These could really help them tell stories uniquely. You actually inspired me to get them. So can you talk about doing things scared or imperfectly?

Brian: Perfection is a fairy tale. No one is perfect—no business, no person, no day. We overthink things. I’m just as guilty. I’ve been writing a book for two and a half years and haven’t pressed the damn button on it. My imperfect moments have built more trust than anything else. When I drop the camera during a live video or my daughter walks into frame, people relate to me. Perfection and control are illusions. People buy from people they can relate to.

Perspective matters too. How can you give people a new perspective on your business? As a dog walker, you’re competing locally in a trust-based business. Show people your mindset, your process, and your personality. Use tools like Snapchat glasses or your phone—give your audience your point of view.

Great content is king, but you don’t decide what’s great—your audience does. You only find out by putting content out there and seeing what sticks. I try new things constantly and lean into what works.

Bella: That’s so true. Amy Landino is a great example. She’s been consistent for years with her YouTube channel Amy TV. Our community actually did a book club on her book Vlog Like a Boss.

Brian: Yes! Amy’s amazing. I was one of her first 500 subscribers, and now she’s nearing 300,000. I actually met her husband, Vin, through my cat. Funny story.

I was in Barcelona for Dell, creating 20 hours of video content. Then a friend texted me about a new app called Meerkat—basically live video before Facebook Live or Periscope existed. I went live, one person joined, and asked me to show something in the distance. That moment changed everything. After that, I realized the audience decides what’s great. Since then, I’ve done 2,300 live videos. Live streaming let me tell my story my way.

If you like writing, press the damn button and blog more. If you like talking, start a podcast. If you like video, don’t be afraid to film.

And that’s where “upcycling” comes in. When we create great content—a podcast, a video, an interview—the hard part is getting it in front of the right audience. People learn differently. Upcycling means taking one great piece of content and repurposing it across platforms: clip quotes for Twitter, make a one-minute Instagram video, post the transcript as a blog, etc. Stop creating content for content’s sake. Create one great piece, then upcycle it for each platform.

I take my one 35-minute podcast recording each week and turn it into eight pieces of content. People think I’m everywhere, but really I only create for 45 minutes a week and spend 90 minutes repurposing.

...

Michael Stelzner is the founder of Social Media Examiner, author of the books Launch and Writing White Papers, and the man behind Social Media Marketing world - the industry's largest conference. He's also host of the Social Media Marketing podcast, founder of the Social Media Marketing Society, and the central character in The Journey, an episodic documentary.

Biggest Takeaway You Don't Want To Miss

If you're in a business that involves interacting with customers face-to-face, then you know that there is something magical that happens in the human connection that cannot happen on social media. Although we have video and comments to allow interaction, but it's not until you get around like-minded or relatable people that you find that extra level of energy, excitement, camaraderie, and community. When you come together in a small-group or large-group setting, so many valuable tangible and intangible outcomes can result.

Show Highlights

Who is Michael Stelzner & what is Social Media Examiner? [3:00]

How important has branding been to your company? [4:00]

What is your episodic documentary, The Journey, and why do you keep doing it? [7:30]

Why is connecting offline so important? [12:00]

What are some of the extra activities that happen at Social Media Marketing World? [14:00]

Where can we sign up for Social Media Marketing World? [26:00]

Links

The Journey

Social Media Marketing World

Share The Show

Did you enjoy the show? We would love it if you subscribed today and left us a 5-star review!

Click this link – Bella In Your Business

Click on the ‘Subscribe’ button below the artwork

Go to the ‘Ratings and Reviews’ section

Click on ‘Write a Review’

Transcript:

This is episode 117 of Bella in Your Business. This episode is brought to you by my free webinar Jump and Scale Your Business, my three-part training series all dedicated to finding and attracting the right people that will help scale your pet sitting business. In Jump and Scale, I will teach you step-by-step processes that will help you find out who your ideal candidate is, how to create kick-ass advertisements to attract them, and how to make the selection process simple. Plus, you'll also receive worksheets to make implementing all of this into your business easier than you can imagine. This is a must-attend if you have staff, want to grow, feel like you're being held hostage by your own business, have high turnover, are way too involved in the hiring process, you feel burnt out, or you're just not seeing the results that you want. Join me for the Jump and Scale Your Business three-part training series. Register now for free at jumpconsulting.net/scale.

Before I start this show, I needed to record a quick snippet just for you from me. You're going to hear the incredible Michael Stelzner of Social Media Examiner and many other things. He is the man who kind of spearheads the Social Media Marketing World every single year. This year it's slated to be the largest—it's almost like the Super Bowl of social media events around the country. It really truly is. It's going to have 7,000 people. And right after the taping of this show, Mike and the team actually asked me to be a speaker. To say that I'm excited is just a major understatement. And I really hope that you listen to this show with open ears and an open heart and consider joining me. It would mean nothing more to me than for when I ask who is a listener of Bella in Your Business podcast, that there are audience members there watching. The topic I'll be talking about is Facebook groups and how to build them in your business from small mom-and-pop brands all the way up to big corporations. The principles are timeless and I'm so super excited to present at this conference. It’s the biggest honor ever. Now here’s the show.

Welcome to Bella in Your Business, where Bella will discuss anything and everything about your pet sitting business to help you land on target. So get ready—Bella’s got your chute. Let’s jump.

Welcome to Bella in Your Business. My name is Bella Vasta, your host, and today I have a long-time waiting guest coming on. I'm so excited to share him with you. Your life’s going to be changed after you hear all of the resources and enormous knowledge that my guest has. Michael Stelzner is the founder of Social Media Examiner. He's the author of books Launching and Writing White Papers, and he's the man behind Social Media Marketing World—you know, that conference that you hear me talk about all the time. It's actually the largest in the industry and arguably kind of the Super Bowl of social media conferences. He's also the founder of the Social Media Marketing Society and the central character on The Journey, which is an episodic documentary that's on Facebook that you should totally check out.

Michael: It's my pleasure. Thank you for having me.

Bella: 100%. So for those of my listeners who might not know who you are, can you give us a little bit of background—how you got to where you're at today, what you spend your days doing, and more about who you are?

Michael: I am definitely an entrepreneur. It’s a complex question to describe what I do because as you mentioned, I do a bazillion different things, but I think the best way to describe it is I run a media company, and we create a lot of great resources that are free to help anyone who wants to understand how to do social media marketing. That anyone could include the dog walkers of the world, or it could include the people that work for the companies that make the food that the dogs eat. They still have to figure out how to market all that stuff. We try to help them figure out this crazy jungle-changing world of social media.

Bella: You actually just hit on something really cool that goes into branding. You said it's a crazy jungle, and that’s something that Social Media Examiner has in all of their branding and conferences. You've got your little guide there, taking you through that jungle. How important has that branding been to your whole company?

Michael: With the magnifying glass! When we started in 2009, we said, “Help us name this character,” and they called him Scout, which is a great name, right? I think it’s important because back when I started in 2009, you had all these social media networks that didn’t have anything but an F in their brand. Facebook didn’t even have an F; they just had the word Facebook in blue. Twitter had a bird, and I thought to myself, if Twitter can have a bird, I can have a little dude. People remember avatars more than names—like Michelin Tire Man and all these other characters. I took a lot of heat. People said, “Why would you read a publication with a cartoon character as its avatar? That’s childish.” But today, it’s become an unforgettable brand, at least in our industry.

Bella: It has definitely become part of your brand. I saw someone on Facebook the other day holding up one of those big faces on a stick like we used in pictures at the last conference. It’s funny because social media is a lot about connection, but also data, analytics, and testing. I know you are a professional failure—said with love!

Michael: Yes, I failed my way to success.

Bella: That’s what a lot of successful entrepreneurs understand. You got a lot of flack for that, but what makes you keep going forward when you get hit with resistance or even your team saying, “Mike, that’s a bad idea”?

Michael: If we just do what everyone else does, we’ll be like everyone else. In a world now where everyone has the same platform—Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn—there’s a lot of noise out there. If you want to stand out, you have to do things that are memorable. That means taking risks and trying things that might fail. Everything I try to do is not necessarily just different, but better. My philosophy is “better beats normal every day of the week.”

Bella: Tell me more about The Journey. I’m a big fan of it. For our listeners, it’s an episodic documentary that follows Michael as he plans this Super Bowl of an event, Social Media Marketing World. I love that you show your failures—it adds such a human element. What made you keep going with The Journey?

Michael: I took a big risk. Normally, when I’m on stage, I look polished. But the real me is a t-shirt-and-flip-flops kind of guy. I thought, “What if we filmed the chaos and fun behind the scenes of running an event?” I looked at Undercover Boss, The Prophet, and Shark Tank—they all have story, struggle, and success. So I decided to go for it. I hired a videographer, and we started cutting episodes. People loved it. It wasn’t perfect, but we shipped it anyway. Season two is better now that we have a full-time videographer.

Bella: Why do you keep doing it?

Michael: You wouldn’t think showing struggles would be smart marketing, but it is. It’s the most powerful thing I’ve done. People used to tell me they loved my blog, then my podcast, but now everyone talks about The Journey. It’s just a seven-minute show that takes 30–40 hours to edit, but the connection it creates is huge. People say it makes me human—they see themselves in me. That’s powerful.

Bella: I love that. It shows your team, your process—people love seeing how the sausage is made. And that’s something any business owner can take away. It doesn’t always have to be polished.

Michael: Exactly. People love behind-the-scenes content. My daughter’s a Star Wars fan who loves watching the making-of documentaries more than the films. People want to know how things are done.

Bella: Speaking of connection—why is it so important to meet people offline?

Michael: If you’re in a face-to-face business, there’s something magical that happens in person that can’t happen online. There’s energy and camaraderie that only happen when you’re around like-minded people. Some of the best collaborations happen at these events—people meet future partners or collaborators.

...