GSD Diaries with Angela Proffitt

If you’re in branding, this podcast is one you’re going to want to listen to because we’re really going to dive into how to decode your story brand. Now, before you think that you know all of this stuff already, you should know that you probably don’t. Even though I work with these ideas all the time, I am always learning something new from every single person that I talk to. Our guest today is Aleya Harris. Aleya is a StoryBrand certified guide, so she has so much wisdom to share on branding. 

Something you may not realize is that your brand story is not about you. It’s all about your client and how you can help them. Your client is the hero, and you are their guide. This concept comes directly from Campbell’s hero’s journey. It works so well because people naturally see themselves as the heroes of their own stories. What they need is not another hero to compete with, but a guide that can help them overcome obstacles. You want to make sure that your role as a guide and the problem that you will help your hero overcome are very clear to your clients. 

Your role and the problem you solve are essential parts of your brand, and that brand must be in everything you do. Your brand story should be in your social media posts, podcasts, blogs, and emails. Remember that everything you do should contribute in some way to your overall story. If something doesn’t align with your brand, you need to change it or get rid of it. 

Something you must understand about your brand story is that it is always evolving, so don’t be afraid of change! You will need to adapt your story to new problems as the needs of your clients change. As you make these pivots, be absolutely certain that you are consistent. Make sure that you update all of your content as soon as possible because different stories in different places just creates confusion for your clients. 

I love the StoryBrand Framework so much, and I love getting to talk to passionate people like Aleya about it. Having a brand story is foundational for everything you do. It is a basic framework that you can use to drive your processes over and over again. It also helps you connect with people because your focus shifts from you to them. In the end, it leads to more productivity and profitability. If you want to learn more about story brands, please listen to this podcast! 

Main Topics:

What is a brand story?

How to incorporate your brand story into everything you do

How to let your brand story evolve

Key Takeaways:

“You need to package yourself, and the first part of your package is the problem that you solve.”

“Your brandstory should be in every word you write, regardless of where it is.” 

“You don’t need to hold on to everyone...You have to realize that people are not always meant to be in your life forever.”

Even though I had to wait a few months, this guest was worth the wait. You all know how to wait for good things, and today, the wait is finally over! I know that all of you are a leader in some way, but just because you call yourself a leader doesn’t mean you’re actually livin’ it and doin’ it. And even when you’re not leading, you need to be following the right leaders. You’re definitely going to want to listen to this podcast because we are going to be talking about the qualities of leadership that you can build in yourself and that the leaders you should follow have inside. Our guest is Tim Spiker, founder of The Aperio, a leadership development brand. Tim has over 15 years of experience in leadership, and he has some real truth to share. 

One of the biggest things you should take away from Tim is the “who not what” principle. Tim says that leadership is not about what people do, but about who they are. How do people feel when they are around you? You can’t expect to lead people who don’t like and respect you as a person. Think about a big, beautiful tree: you don’t see the roots, but the roots are what make the tree what it is. Leaders, like beautiful trees, are grounded below the surface, and that’s what makes them successful. 

Leaders are made up of two main qualities: they are inwardly sound and others-focused. They are inwardly sound because they are not easily thrown off course. Their stability encourages people to trust them. When you are trustworthy, the engagement of those around you increases, which leads to better results. If you wonder how you can build people’s trust in you, ask yourself how you can become more trustworthy first. Again, your ability to lead has everything to do with who you are inside. Remember also that good leaders are unselfish. They want others, especially those in their charge, to thrive. 

If you are looking to build the qualities of a leader in yourself, start with focusing on others. Develop genuine curiosity in the lives and perspectives of other people. Ask them follow-up questions. Then, focus on improving yourself by asking for feedback from others on what you could do better. This takes courage, and keeping yourself from becoming defensive is so hard, but you’ll learn so much if you do! If right now you are looking for leaders to follow, make sure that they are others-focused and inwardly sound. There is so much more to learn about leaders worth following, so I hope you’ll join us by listening to the podcast! 

Main Topics:

The “Who not What” principle

Aspects of a well-developed leader

Tips on developing yourself as a leader

Key Takeaways:

“We have to work on who we are if we want the part of leadership that everybody sees and follows to be big and strong and healthy.”

“When we get inwardly sound and others-focused, we become more trustworthy.”

“The best leaders are self-aware, and they create space for genuine feedback from the people that they are leading so they can understand where they’re doing well and where their shortcomings are.” 

If you’re wondering how to drive your revenue and how to do work that actually makes you proud, then you’re going to love our podcast today! Some people think that you have to sacrifice your sense of purpose to make money, but they are so wrong! You can be fulfilled and successful at the same time. In fact, doing what you feel called to do can make you even more successful. Today, we’re bringing in Lisa McLeod, the global expert on selling with purpose. Together, we’ll talk about your noble purpose and how it can be a huge asset in your career. 

Purpose, profit, and productivity are all connected. According to Lisa, the top performers in sales are usually the ones who have a purpose. These are the individuals who care about more than just the money. They care about the individuals. We’ve all had experiences with slimy car salesmen, and let's face it, none of us have enjoyed them. Those people don’t care, and we can tell. These people are not the top performers, but we associate them with everything sales. The real salespeople are the ones who care about their jobs and customers, and they are the ones who are truly successful. Their sense of purpose gives them a competitive edge that leads to greater success. 

A purpose can be a hard thing to find and maintain, and there are a few things we do that make these things even harder. Even though we are wired to want to make a difference, we get caught up in numbers or money instead. We focus too much on closing a deal and not enough on helping someone get what they need. The more we focus on making a difference, the better we are doing at accomplishing our purpose.

One thing you absolutely need to have in order to fulfill your purpose is empathy. Most of us women have an easier time tapping into it, but men can do it too. You may use stories to encourage empathy because stories help us connect with each other. Stories generate emotion in listeners and in tellers. They will help customers, clients, and even you feel connected through empathy. Empathy can turn your purpose into impact. If you would like to share our journey as we discuss the power of purpose, please listen to the podcast!

Main Topics: 

The link between purpose and profit

Things that get in the way of our purpose

How to tap into empathy

Key Takeaways:

“When you have that sense of noble purpose in your heart, you can translate that to your customers, and you will actually drive more revenue.”

“Your passion for making a difference to customers is your competitive edge.” 

“You want to take the emotion out of the money and put the emotion into making a difference to your customers.”

I hope that y’all are ready to get the rundown on how to really become an entrepreneur because, if you’re listening, and something is holding you back, we’re going to change that today. Our guest is Sean Castrina, a serial entrepreneur. I know you hear of serial entrepreneurs a lot, but Sean is different. He has started more than 20 different companies in the last two decades, and he still looks to launch a new venture annually. Because of all this experience, Sean really understands where and how good businesses start, so that’s what we are talking about today. 

You all know that the small business world is risky and that so many small businesses fail. Why is this? To Sean, it probably starts with the initial idea. Some of us get so excited about our ideas that we don’t stop to think if they’re even good ideas. Bad ideas don’t work. It is hard to tell which ideas are bad or good when we’re just so eager. Because of this, we need outside input. Start asking people if your ideas sound good. There is nothing wrong with testing the market with your ideas before they become a reality. In fact, this will save you time and money because you’ll know if there is any demand for your idea. 

As you make your good ideas a reality, you should really follow some kind of business plan. If you can’t build a home without a blueprint, then how do you expect to build a business without a plan? Every plan has critical components, and there are questions you must ask yourself to get started. Sean has his own list of good questions, but the more questions you ask, the more you will know. 

Even though you’re beginning as a humble small business, you can still think like a Fortune 500 company. Think big, dream big. You got this. Once things get rolling, don’t allow your business to stop growing. You’ve got to keep feeding it. Eventually, things will grow, so don’t be afraid to have confidence in your vision from the start. There is so much more to learn from Sean, so if you entrepreneurs are looking for even more amazing beginner’s advice, start here with our podcast! 

Main Topics:

- Why so many small businesses fail- The necessity of a business plan- How to think like a Fortune 500 Company

Key Takeaways:

- “An idea that is untexted has no value because you don’t know how well it’s going to be received.”- “It’s never going to be perfect. You’re never going to have everything perfect, but a business plan has some very critical components that you need.”- “Get the survival mode out of your mind and start thinking about how you are going to grow.” 

If you’re a small business owner or if you’re thinking about opening a small business, understanding financing and credit are so important. It is crucial that you understand what you are doing when you are running or thinking of running a small business. Our guest today, Gerri Detweiler, is an absolute expert on all of the things that you need to know. Even though these are the not-so-fun things about running a business, Gerri actually makes it fun and enjoyable to talk about them. She and I are talking about some of the things you need to know about credit and financing. 

If you’re in need of financing, there’s a few things you should know. 2020, crazy year that it was, changed a lot about financing. The usual processes are taking much longer, and lenders are much stricter with their requirements. They are asking for higher credit scores, higher revenue levels, and more time in business than they did previously. You should know that they will look at your business credit scores, and in some cases, your personal credit scores too. Be aware of these things and make decisions with them in mind. 

So many of you have wonderful dreams, and you give up so much for them. When you want to fund these dreams, there are other ways to go about it besides second mortgaging your house. Before you do anything crazy, make sure you have a business mentor that you can talk to about your ideas! An easy thing you can try is crowdfunding. There are a lot of other options too, and you should definitely look at all of them before acting. 

When handling your finances, you need to keep them clean and organized. Get a separate business bank account and credit card and do not ever use them for things other than business. Keep your personal and business finances separate. Trust me, it will save you from huge headaches. Also, try not to use your account overdrafts. Lenders may look at your accounts and see overdraft usages as risky behavior. 

You should try to look at your finances at least once a month. Take time to reconcile, or ensure that your records are accurate, every month. Checking your accounts every month is super beneficial because it helps you learn a lot about your business and what has happened to it on the financial side. If you don’t take time to look at it, you could miss lots of opportunities or problems. All of this stuff is so important, so I hope you take time to listen to the podcast to learn even more! 

Main Topics:

What to expect when applying for financing

Ways to fund your business

How to position your business for financial success

Things you should look at consistently

Key Takeaways:

“As soon as possible, you want to set up the systems so that you can build credit and use credit in the name of your business and move away from the personal financing of your business.”

“I never try to shame people because you don’t always know what you don’t know.”

“I recommend that business owners make sure that they stay on top of both their business and personal credit.” 

I hope y’all are ready for some nerd talk today! It’s going to be so much fun and so helpful for all of you who are looking to scale your businesses. Our guest today is Ravi Abuvalla, CEO and founder of Scaling with Systems, and he may be as much of a data nerd as I am. You guys have no idea how refreshing it is for me to be talking to someone else who actually geeks out about this stuff. Together, we’ll be talking about a few things you can do to drive your online sales and scale your business. 

You may be worried about how to scale your business because you have no start-up capital, but that actually might be a benefit for you. Having no money in the beginning helps you to learn super fast because you have less room for mistakes. You can start by networking with those who know you. This may seem daunting because you don’t want the people you love to invest in you before you know what you’re doing, but you have no idea how willing people are to help you. They are much more likely to invest in you than a total stranger because they know and trust you while those you cold contact don’t. Start networking with the people you know and then gradually expand to those you don’t know.  

Another simple thing you can do to scale your business is to prequalify your potential clients. You might be worried that prequalifying people will scare them away, but the truth is that the people who run off aren’t the clients you want anyways. The clients who will be valuable to you understand why you need to ask them questions. Prequalifying is a pretty great way to weed out the people that will waste your time. 

It’s amazing how much your business can grow if you start using a virtual assistant. Their services are cheap, and they do all of the mundane stuff you don’t want to do. They keep your calendar full so that you can focus on doing the things for your business that only you can do. They’re super helpful, but you need to make sure that you train them up front. They won’t know how to help you unless you show them how. Once you’ve trained them, you’ll start seeing lots of benefits. If you want to learn more about scaling your business, be sure to listen to the podcast! 

Main Topics:

How to scale your business without any startup capital

Learning to prequalify your clients

Why you should use Virtual Assistants

Key Takeaways: 

“You really have to get your mindset right. You really have to believe that you deserve this. You have to believe that it’s possible.”“You have got to be willing to be selfish for a while and understand that in order to help others, you kind of have to help yourself first.”

“If you’re running a service based business, you need someone whose full-time job is keeping your calendar full.”

By now, you guys all know that I am psycho about new technology. I really am massively passionate about it, so I’m always on the forefront of new apps. There’s this one app that I’ve been hearing about over and over again. Maybe y’all have seen it or used it, but it’s Marco Polo Channels. And so today, we are talking to brand strategist Michelle Gifford about this exciting new app and how it is changing the way we connect in business. 

Marco Polo Channels is the upgraded version of Marco Polo that many of you have probably used. It’s a video-based messaging system, and it works perfectly for coaching and connecting with your clients. There are so many reasons why this app is better than those offered by other platforms. You as the owner get to control the group and set your own boundaries. It’s unique because you can build real connections with your group members because they see your face, and you can see theirs. It is really so helpful and convenient.

When you launch a channel for your business, Michelle suggests that you go in with a strategy. This one should be obvious. Determine what service you want to give in the channel and how many people should be included before you create it. Michelle also offers some tips on how you can make your launch a successful one. One of these suggestions is to create a sense of urgency in your potential clients by setting a close-date and by raising the price incrementally. More people are likely to join because scarcity promotes action.

One of the issues that many entrepreneurs face is finding the line between free and paid services. Yes, you do want to offer free services because this helps potential clients get to know you and become invested in what you do. There is a point, however, when you need to start charging them. Free stuff, for example, should be about entry level problems that are easy to fix. The things you charge for, however, should be all about processes. The free stuff gets people engaged while the stuff you charge for helps them change.

While using the Channels app, you’ll want to make sure your videos are engaging. A big factor in this is time. It’s hard to know how long your videos should be, but you shouldn’t go too long because you might overwhelm your viewers. Try to keep your videos under 15 minutes so that you don’t exhaust yourself or others. If you’re as interested in this new app as I am, listen to the podcast to learn even more from our wonderful guest!

Main Topics:

What is Marco Polo Channels and How Does it Work?

Tips for Launching a Channel

Where’s the Line between Free and Paid Services?

Tips for Engaging Videos

Key Takeaways:

“If you even pause for an hour and take a breath and look at what you’re doing, then you can get some foundation behind your idea, and it moves it forward a lot faster.” 

“It’s good to have some scarcity because it holds people accountable. It makes them make a decision in their business.”

“If you have a community behind you already, if you already have a business, if you know exactly who you are and who you serve, then it’s time to launch a channel.” 

I know that 2020 was, and has been, for some people, a crazy year. Some of you have thrived and some of you have taken a step back. It’s given all of us, however, the opportunity to look at the inner world, the inner self and how we can win as an individual. We all want peace. We all want harmony. Our guest Tracey Bethune, Whole Life Strategist and fitness enthusiast, is going to give you some actionable takeaways on how you can create harmony within your business and within yourself. 

It’s important to have harmony in your work. When you’re launching a business, there are a few things you can do to make the process go smoothly. First off, make sure that what you are doing aligns with who you are. If it doesn’t, it won’t work. You will always be led back to yourself. Know your strengths and use them. This will increase the harmony in your relationship with your business. Also, you absolutely need help. DIY business don’t work. Invest in some help from professionals that have done what you want to do. 

Not only do you want harmony with your business, but also in your relationships with other people. How you treat other people will affect the success of your business. Be willing to serve other people because they, in turn, can connect you with opportunities that you would never have found without them. The good things you do will increase the likelihood of the right people being in your life. 

When we talk about harmony, a lot of people think about boundaries. Tracey has an interesting perspective on boundaries. She believes that boundaries have a negative connotation and are usually associated with bad experiences. Instead of using the word boundaries, she uses the word standards. This switch changes the focus from the things that you don’t want to the things that you do want. The word standards just sounds more positive.

Finally, your internal energies must be balanced for you to feel harmonious. Get out the intense emotions. You can do this through exercise and through treating yourself. Everyone has masculine and feminine energies within them, and these must be harmonious for you to have maximum energy. Join our conversation to learn even more about harmony and energy! 

Main Topics:

- First things to do when you’re starting a business- How helping others helps you- A new way of thinking about boundaries- How to naturally generate energy

Key Takeaways:

- “I think the biggest breakthroughs come from the largest breakdowns.”- “Once you get super aligned, the person who’s meant to help you is going to show up in your space.” - “When you just serve and show up and help the client become their highest and best and show them how to be their highest and best, that’s really all that’s needed.”  

Let’s face it: so many #entrepreneurs don’t know how to unwind. You’re probably hearing voices all the time telling you to “#hustle, hustle, hustle”. No one ever talks about the “unhustle.” and how important it is. If you’ve never heard of the “unhustle,” then you’re in for a treat. Our guest, Milena Regos, started the amazing unhustle movement, and she shares with us some great tips on how you can overcome your hustle mindset. There are so many amazing things we can do with our lives but so little time. We often tell ourselves we can do it all, when in reality, we can’t. We end up hustling. We hustle a lot. Eventually, hustling leads to problems like #burnout. To stop this cycle, you need to put boundaries in place. You don’t need to tell people to stop reaching out to you, but you do need to place limits on yourself. Examine what’s most important to you and prioritize. Choose one thing to prioritize. If you have a long list of “priorities,” then you don’t know how to prioritize. Choose one to focus on for a planned amount of time so that when that time is up, you’ll feel like you accomplished something. Did you know that there is actual science behind burn out? There is a study that shows that around 76% of Americans felt burned out. That’s crazy! It has been a hard year, and self-isolation has been rough on everyone. If you’re looking for ways to combat burnout, try spending some time outdoors. You may think you’re wasting time, but nature can actually increase productivity. As a society, we have a lot of work to do to change our hustle culture. The hustle culture has its roots in the industrial revolution during which people worked in factories. The 8-hour workday began in this era. Today, we use our minds more than our bodies. Research shows that our brain only functions at full capacity for 4-6 hours everyday. If you can, try to put boundaries on your work schedule. Go from having FOMO to having JOMO (joy of missing out). Although it might take a while for society to change, you can start changing your own thoughts and attitudes today. You may want to redefine what success means to you and to determine if your standards are based on what other people are doing. You are enough as you are. If your basic needs are being met, you are doing well. It’s time to unhustle in order to find more joy. Listen to this podcast to learn so much more about how you can become an unhustler.

**Main Topics:

- How to create boundaries for yourself - Burnout: what it is and what it does - How we can change the “hustle” culture - How we can change our own “hustle” mindsets

**Key Takeaways:

- “Taking care of your sleep, of what you eat, of how much time you take to rest and recharge are actually critical to your performance and productivity.” - “I find so much creativity in these moments of just not really doing anything but just putting one foot in front of the other.” - “As of right now, you’re enough. You have everything you need. If your basic needs are met...everything else becomes secondary.”

**More About Our Guest: Milena Regos is from Bulgaria, but she has lived in the United States for half of her life. She began her career in marketing and worked with some incredibly famous clients. She was winning, but she was also hustling. Eventually, she burned out. She decided to search for a better way of working and living, guided by science. Using what she learned, she co-founded the Unhustle Movement. This movement is changing the world of work in ways that are revolutionary.

Do you remember when you were a kid and couldn’t sit still? How you could play for hours without tiring? Do you wish you had that same #energy today? Well, I hope y’all are ready to be inspired today! In this podcast, we’re looking at the energetic side of your life and how it leads to success. You are going to learn so, so much from our guest today, author and natural energy expert Tabitha Scott.

To have a healthy internal energy, you need to let go of the things that you keep unnecessarily stored inside. We live in a world that is impossible to keep up with. Technology has evolved so quickly, leaving our brains with almost no time to catch up. Just as snakes shed their skin to get rid of toxins and make room for growth, there are times when we need to let go of negative things and begin regrowth.

One of the things you’ll run into during this process is what Tabitha calls the “Should Monster.” This monster is made up of all of the things we and others think that we should do to be successful. Telling ourselves what we should do or be is unhealthy, and this “shoulding” keeps #growth away. We are exhausting our energy by this practice. Calling this tendency the “Should Monster” helps us to depersonalize the issue in a way that helps us keep a healthy relationship with ourselves and others.

After you’ve learned to let things go and are aware of the danger you are causing yourself, you want to be very aware of energy attacks all around you. You must stop reacting to negative energy with a negative response. Instead, imagine shielding yourself from the attack. You’ll want to be very connected to your intuition, and that can be accomplished in many ways, but you need to figure out which ways work best for you. Everyone connects to their intuition and energy a little differently, and Tabitha lists a few techniques that can be used to do this.

Our energy helps us go after our best lives. Don’t be afraid of going after it!. Many of us are kept from the heights we could reach because we are too accommodating and are controlled by fear. We don’t even bother asking for better things, and this keeps us away from opportunities that are out there. We don’t realize it, but we have enough energy inside for any challenge. Listen to the podcast to get even more great nuggets!

**Main Topics: - How to let things go - What is “shoulding?” - How to protect yourself from negative energy - Realizing what is keeping you away from your best life

**Key Takeaways: - “You don’t have to be spiritual or logical. You can be both because they reinforce each other.” - “We’re all connected by the exact same energy. We’re all more alike than we are different. We could be black or white, or left or right, or baptist or Buddhist, but we’re all energists at our core.” - “If we hang onto everything for dear life, then we’re never going to fly, we’re never gonna get up there to the heights we’re destined to go.”

**More About Our Guest: Having been raised on a small-town farm, Tabitha Scott has always had a strong bond with nature. She has been involved with many organizations dedicated to finding and using renewable energy sources. She led efforts in creating the world’s largest solar community, and her work has been recognized by the White House. During a hiatus to the Costa Rican jungle, Tabitha reconnected with nature and learned that the earth isn’t the only one who has energy: we do too! She wrote her book, Trust Your Animal Instincts, to help others learn to connect with the energy that they have inside.