Today I’m talking to Business Mentor Ruth Poundwhite. We talk about creating content that truly connects and builds the engaged audience we are all seeking, to inform and inspire our work and turn into paying customers.

In this episode we cover:

• Creating content that shares your story and resonates with other people.
• Connecting with people where they are right now through your content and your language and topics.
• What to do if you’re really struggling to come up with content ideas.
• What content doesn’t resonate.
• Showing up and giving it a go, whether your content connects or not.
• The importance of repeating things that are important - because not everyone hears it the first time. 

For episode show notes, resources and links, head to: https://vickyshilling.com/juststartnow-podcast

In this episode I share 5 tips about how to have conversations with your audience and potential clients, to build strong relationships and move people to feel ready to buy from you in your wellness business.

I cover:

1. Treat people like human beings. Engage on a human level and meet them where they’re at.
   
   
2. Start conversations and ask questions. And stop worrying if no-one replies! You have to appear to be open to talking at all times. Use Calls To Action (CTAs) at all times.
   
   
3. Don’t underestimate Direct Messages. Drop into people’s DMs wherever you can. Get feedback, get input and chat in a personal space. 
   
   
4. Get people onto calls. If someone shows interest, get them onto calls as much as possible and keep asking them questions. 
   
   
5. Keep track of your conversations in a spreadsheet or CRM.  I now use the free version of HubSpot to track my sales conversations.  

For episode show notes, resources and links, head to: https://vickyshilling.com/juststartnow-podcast

Today I’m talking to Nutritional Therapist Jodie Brandman. But that’s not what she’s always been!

In a frank and open conversation I chat to Jodie about her career path and all the different avenues she’s gone down from psychologist, to food truck owner to where she is now helping women with hormones and fertility.

We talked about: 

• Feeling like a failure when something doesn't work out at the time, even though with hindsight it feels like everything happens for a reason
• Different versions of success - what society tells us vs. what really makes us happy
• Constantly striving for the next step and the career ladder, rather than tapping into our own intuition and doing what we love
• How to learn when to pivot and jump between different paths
• The importance of asking for help when we are growing our businesses. We don’t have to figure it out by ourselves, and with help we can fast-track our growth. 

For episode show notes, resources and links, head to: https://vickyshilling.com/juststartnow-podcast

Today I'm talking about finding your niche, something we've all heard about when it comes to growing a successful business, but which gets in the way of starting for many.

In this podcast I discuss: 

• What a niche is and whether we need one 
• The magic that comes from finding your niche and how it helps you with consistency 
• Why having a niche does not mean cutting people out and restricting your possible audience
• Tips on finding your niche 
• Mindsets and stories we tell ourselves that stop us getting really specific about who we want to help
• How your niche will evolve - and the story of how mine has evolved over the last few years since I started 
• Just getting started and testing things out

For episode show notes, resources and links, head to: https://vickyshilling.com/juststartnow-podcast

Today I'm talking to Life Performance & Wellbeing Coach Jack Kavanagh. After a dramatic injury changed his life in his early 20s, Jack has transitioned from a job in pharmacy to become an inspiring motivational speaker. I ask him to share him experience and tips on turning his public speaking into a full-time job.

We talk about:

• Tuning into your inner mentor and inner voice when it comes to following your passion for sharing your story. 
• Everyone has an important story to tell. But how do you make the story of one become the story of many?
• Needing to work at the craft of being a public speaker. 
• How to overcome nerves when it comes to public speaking (and yes, Jack still gets nervous too!).
• Tackling negativity and judgement if we stand up and speak. 

For episode show notes, resources and links, head to: https://vickyshilling.com/juststartnow-podcast

Today I'm talking about how I have grown my Instagram follower numbers by 1,000 in a year for the last two years. 

I’m still aaaall about the engagement, but I do understand that follower numbers still play a role, particularly if you are attracting the right kind, not just numbers for the sake of it. 

In this episode I break down the practical tips that I take to consistently and sustainably grow my Instagram following so that you can do the same. 

The tips are broken into three areas:

1. Engagement - how we spend time on Instagram and engage with people so that we get it back 
2. Content - how we can create the right type of content that gets shares, saves and attracts new followers 
3. Growth - how to beat the algorithm and seek out the people that we know we can help 

For episode show notes, resources and links, head to: https://vickyshilling.com/juststartnow-podcast

Today I'm bringing you a little bonus episode answering your questions as a thank you for being such great supporters of Season 1. These questions came from my Facebook group community so make sure you join to take part next time. Some of the questions were so juicy they might be topics for full episodes in a future season. 

In this episode I answer your questions which were:

• How can I find the patience and time to learn necessary skills and figure out what's wrong?
• I'm very scared of speaking on screen. Have you any tips to get me started?
• How do you stay inspired in an authentic way, within the overhyped and inauthentic social media world?
• How is it best to price your services?
• How do I share what I'm doing on Facebook, where I know my friends and family will be watching?
• I've already put a lot of time and money into my business, but it's still not reaping the rewards I want. How much longer will I keep going and investing?
• How did you learn all the tips and tricks you share with us so readily on a daily basis?
• What is your biggest challenge in your business life?

For episode show notes, resources and links, head to: https://vickyshilling.com/juststartnow-podcast

Today I'm interviewing Tally Rye, Personal Trainer and author of Train Happy. 

We discuss the tricky subject of being authentic online and saying what we want, even when we’re afraid of judgement and criticism. With some juicy topics and amazing take-aways, this is a fab episode to end Series 1:

We cover:

• Being afraid to say what you want online, in case people call you out or judge you

• Putting on a persona on Instagram, saying things and using ‘formulas’ to get engagement, instead of being authentic

• External validation and being people pleasers. How this can get in the way of speaking authentically about the things you want to

• Moving through a transition period knowing it’s more important to stay true to what matters to you than chasing follower numbers

• Creating content for your ideal clients, without worrying about what your friends or family think (because they’re not your target market)

For episode show notes, resources and links, head to https://vickyshilling.com/juststartnow-podcast

Today I'm talking about how to grow an audience for your business that's truly engaged: the buzz-word of the year when it comes to online growth.

Follower numbers mean less and less these days and they don't prove you have a successful or profitable business. Did you hear about the Instagram influencer with 2 million followers that couldn't even sell 36 t-shirts?

If you want to grow an audience for your business that talk, comment, give you feedback and inspire you as you grow, this episode covers my 6 tips for engagement:

1. Be patient (and consistent!)
2. Be clear about what you offer
3. Engaging with your audience if you want the same in return
4. Include calls to action (CTAs) to encourage people to engage
5. Make things easy for your audience when it comes to engaging with you
6. Talk about personal things and how to do this in an authentic (and not over-sharing) way

For episode show notes, resources and links, head to: https://vickyshilling.com/juststartnow-podcast

Today I'm interviewing Helena Ryan, co-founder of Ireland's biggest health event WellFest.  

In this episode we cover practical tips and mindsets you need to have when it comes to setting up and running your own events in wellness including: 

• Doing what you love and dedicating time to your side-hustle while you have a full-time job

• How Helena never considered her WellFest idea would fail and how that belief helped her push forward the idea and contact big-name speakers

• Struggling to sell your event concept to speakers and customers in Year 1 with no track record

• Asking for and dealing with feedback - both positive and negative and how this shapes future events.

• Giving your audience ownership and creating a ‘cult following’ for your events by creating a community

• Getting more creative about marketing your events and remember that if you think you’re advertising it enough, you probably aren’t!

For episode show notes, resources and links, head to https://vickyshilling.com/juststartnow-podcast