If you’re reading this, you need SEO.

And if the fact that your website isn’t ranking for shit has been simmering on the back burner of your brain for months (or years), but you keep telling yourself you’ll figure it out later… Guess what? Later is now!

In this episode, I sit down with Mariah Magazine, SEO strategist and the only person who makes metadata sound sexy. We’re debunking myths, dragging design decisions that tank your rankings, and explaining how you can make SEO work in your favor.

Also… Mariah Magazine is not her real name, but you’ll have to listen to the episode to hear all about that story.

TOPICS & TANGENTS

— Why blog posts aren’t automatically the SEO magic trick you think they are

— The “SEO sandwich” every website needs

— Keyword logic 101: let the phrase tell you where it goes

— Why basic AI-generated blogs are a terrible idea

— Contact form etiquette (and Sara’s ex’s Hollister points)

— What MySpace usernames have to do with SEO

POINT OF THE STORY

You can’t rig Google with random keywords. Good SEO is real writing — for real people — so you show up as the BEST answer to the question they’re asking.

GIVEAWAY

This week’s giveaway is different! Tag me @btlcopy and Mariah Magazine @mariahmagazineco on your Instagram story while you’re listening, and one lucky winner will get our $149 Copy x SEO Masterclass for FREE!

AND — count how many times we drop the F-bomb in this episode. DM me the number, and you could win a prize!

Love you, mean it. 🖤

MARIAH LINKS

— Follow Mariah on Instagram

— Check out her website

— Tune in to the Curiously Guided podcast

— DIY SEO Course

— Use the code SEOLOVE10 for $10 off in the SEO for Designers Workshop

— For even more resources click here!

— Mariah’s walkout songs: song 1 + song 2

BTL LINKS

— Use code "MILLIONAIRE" for $100 off my website copywriting course, Site Series Sprint.

— Join the Point of the Story community on Slack.

— Leave feedback or episode requests in our Suggestions Box.

— To stay up to date with all things Point of the Story, follow on Instagram and Substack.

— Follow me on Instagram, Threads, and Substack.

— Subscribe to my newsletters Tuesday Table of Contents for one marketing tip, once a week and Millionaire Moment for the insider tea on how I plan to make $1 mil in sales by my 31st birthday.

— Check out my website betweenthelinescopy.com.

OTHER LINKS

— Blog post: Showit vs Squarespace: Which Should You Choose in 2025?

— Sara and Mariah’s Copy x SEO Masterclass

— Blog post: How To Write Your Contact Page (Cuz, Yeah, It Matters)

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Intro

00:25 Meet Mariah Magazine, SEO Strategist

02:20 The MySpace Name That Became a Brand

08:16 Rapid-Fire Squirrel Brain Questions

17:53 It’s Not Just About Blog Posts

21:20 The Different Kinds of Search Intent

25:13 Why Story-Driven Blog Posts Win at SEO

30:06 The Keyword Will Tell You Where It Belongs

36:36 Keywords for Your Homepage vs. Services Page

38:37 Why SEO Feels So Complicated

44:10 Mariah’s SEO Icks

51:38 The SEO Sandwich

53:01  Closing

This episode was edited by Adrienne Cruz.

An incomplete list of things that do not make you iconic:

1. Having a tragic backstory

2. Treating every Instagram post like it’s a free masterclass

3. Saying five different things about your business and hoping one of them sticks

You know what DOES make you iconic?

Clear messaging + creative delivery.

In this episode, I interview brand messaging expert, Diet Coke connoisseur, and iconic girly in her own right, Abbie Radford. We’re talking about saying less (but way better), storytelling that doesn’t require trauma-dumping, and how to create “that’s me!” energy in your content — even if you’re secretly thinking, “My story is boring and I don’t know what the fuck to post.”

TOPICS & TANGENTS

— What makes a brand “iconic”

— Why your messaging is probably trying to do too much

— The Diet Coke copywriting masterclass you didn’t know you needed

— The real reason no one’s clicking on your stuff

— Storytelling vs. trauma-dumping: how to connect without oversharing

— Pretending to be an influencer in the back of an Uber

— What to say when you’ve never personally struggled with what you teach

POINT OF THE STORY

To be iconic, say something only you can say, and do it in a way that makes people feel like they already know you. Say less. Say it better.

GIVEAWAY

Want a free order of bean water on me? Tag me @btlcopy and Abbie Radford @thisisabbieradford on your Instagram story while you’re listening, and one lucky winner will get TWO caffeine fixes on me!

AND — count how many times we drop the F-bomb in this episode. DM me the number, and you could win a prize!

Love you, mean it. 🖤

ABBIE LINKS

— Follow Abbie on Instagram

— Check out her website

— Listen to The Industry Icon Podcast

— Abbie’s walkout song

— Abbie’s Diet Coke reel

BTL LINKS

— Use code "MILLIONAIRE" for $100 off my website copywriting course, Site Series Sprint.

— Join the Point of the Story community on Slack.

— Leave feedback or episode requests in our Suggestions Box.

— To stay up to date with all things Point of the Story, follow on Instagram and Substack.

— Follow me on Instagram, Threads, and Substack.

— Subscribe to my newsletters Tuesday Table of Contents for one marketing tip, once a week and Millionaire Moment for the insider tea on how I plan to make $1 mil in sales by my 31st birthday.

— Check out my website betweenthelinescopy.com.

OTHER LINKS

— Book: Manifest: 7 Steps to Living Your Best Life

— Blog post: Showit vs Squarespace: Which Should You Choose in 2025?

— Blog post: Are Tonic Site Shop’s Showit Website Templates Really Worth It In 2024?

— Workshop: I’m Cool, But My About Page Isn’t

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Intro

00:24 Meet Abbie, Messaging Queen + Diet Coke Connoisseur

01:14 Rapid-Fire Squirrel Brain Questions

18:28 Messaging 101: Say Less (But Say It Better)

24:12 Why Telling Your Story Is the Best SEO Strategy

30:40 What If You’ve Never Struggled With What You Teach?

34:04 Your Dream Ted Talk: Where to Start with Messaging

40:07 The Kind of Niching that Works

44:32 Being Creative With Your Content

54:50 Closing

This episode was edited by Adrienne Cruz.

I’ve got more testimonials than I know what to do with. Love notes. Slack screenshots. Emails that made me tear up a little. But for the longest time, I was just letting them collect digital dust.

Until I met Jocelyn.⁣ She’s the mastermind behind Best Seller, a course that’s teaching me how to turn client results into actual marketing gold —not just "Sarah is amazing!!" but “Sarah is amazing AND here's the specific transformation she helped me achieve, broken down like an actual plot line.”

We talk about why your social proof isn’t working the way you want it to, what kind of questions you should be asking your clients, and how to repurpose your case studies across literally every platform — not just buried in a highlight on your IG.

You’re gonna learn a lot. You’re gonna laugh. You’re gonna want a sticker sleeve.

TOPICS & TANGENTS

— The difference between case studies and testimonials

— What a case study collection system is and why you probably need one

— The unhinged rage I feel when someone misuses the word aesthetic (I will die on this grammar hill)

— Why your onboarding form might be your biggest missed opportunity

— Why tattoo artists lowkey hate my arms (symmetry? never heard of her)

POINT OF THE STORY

Social proof hooks. Stories convert. If you want people to see themselves in your offer, don’t just tell them “it worked” — show them how it can work for someone exactly like them.

GIVEAWAY

Want a free order of bean water on me? Tag me @btlcopy and Jocelyn Montemarano @scaleyourresonance on your Instagram story while you’re listening, and one lucky winner will get TWO caffeine fixes on me!

AND — count how many times we drop the F-bomb in this episode. DM me the number, and you could win a prize!

Love you, mean it. 🖤

JOCELYN LINKS

— Follow Jocelyn on Instagram and Threads

— Check out her website

— Take Jocelyn’s free micro-class

— Join Jocelyn’s program Best Seller

— Jocelyn’s walkout song

BTL LINKS

— Use code "MILLIONAIRE" for $100 off my website copywriting course, Site Series Sprint.

— Join the Point of the Story community on Slack.

— Leave feedback or episode requests in our Suggestions Box.

— To stay up to date with all things Point of the Story, follow on Instagram and Substack.

— Follow me on Instagram, Threads, and Substack.

— Subscribe to my newsletters Tuesday Table of Contents for one marketing tip, once a week and Millionaire Moment for the insider tea on how I plan to make $1 mil in sales by my 31st birthday.

— Check out my website betweenthelinescopy.com.

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Intro

00:22 Meet Jocelyn, the Case Study Queen

02:52 Rapid-Fire Squirrel Brain Questions

18:19 Why Social Proof Isn’t Converting

23:25 Where to Use Case Studies in Your Marketing

28:43 Using Stories to Attract (Not Just Sell)

31:11 What Is a Case Study Collection System?

49:46 Key Questions for Effective Case Studies

53:54 Closing

This episode was edited by Adrienne Cruz.

If you’ve ever felt like buying a house is some mysterious, unattainable, "adultier adult" milestone... I get it. It took me ages to do it, and the process was like trying to solve a Rubik’s cube blindfolded — while signing 37 forms.

Which is exactly why I dragged my real-life bestie and first-time homebuyer expert, Alli Moore, onto the pod today. (Dragged lovingly, obviously.)

Alli is here to walk us through WTF a loan officer actually does, how the home buying process works, and what you need to know if you’re self-employed and still want your white-picket-fence moment.

TOPICS & TANGENTS

— Why buying a house as a self-employed girly is not as scary as TikTok makes it sound

— The crucial thing you need to tell your accountant before you even start stalking Zillow

— Why your rent vibes do not translate to mortgage vibes

— How not to accidentally kill your pre-approval status while you're in limbo

— Our unhinged homebuying stories: bullying, bad math, and a Cape Cod side quest

POINT OF THE STORY

Find a house you can afford, live your life in, and not cry every time a bill shows up. That’s the dream.

ALLI LINKS

— Follow Alli on Instagram here and here

— Subscribe to her newsletter to for home-buying tips

— Alli’s walkout songs: song 1, song 2

BTL LINKS

— Use code "MILLIONAIRE" for $100 off my website copywriting course, Site Series Sprint.

— Join the Point of the Story community on Slack.

— Leave feedback or episode requests in our Suggestions Box.

— To stay up to date with all things Point of the Story, follow on Instagram and Substack.

— Follow me on Instagram, Threads, and Substack.

— Subscribe to my newsletters Tuesday Table of Contents for one marketing tip, once a week and Millionaire Moment for the insider tea on how I plan to make $1 mil in sales by my 31st birthday.

— Check out my website betweenthelinescopy.com.

OTHER LINKS

— Bookkeepers: Peach Perfect Financials, Madison Dearly, Coyne Bookkeeping

— Sara’s high-yield savings account

— Annual Credit Report website

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Intro

00:26 Meet Allie, the First-Time Homebuyer Whisperer

03:26 Rapid-Fire Squirrel Brain Questions

18:27 What Even Is a Loan Officer?

22:42 Buying a House as a Self-Employed Squirrel

29:18 The Homebuying Process, Step-by-Step

41:01 Our Homebuying Stories

54:14 How Equity Works (and Why You Should Care)

57:55 Debt, Credit, and Other Capitalist Nonsense You Still Have to Deal With

01:05:46 Closing

This episode was edited by Adrienne Cruz.

Okay, listen. I timed myself making a single carousel post, and it took me 55 minutes and 53 seconds. (I have Toggl receipts.) So when Gemma Watts said you could run a whole social media strategy in just 15 minutes a day, I was like… girl, be serious.

But turns out… she was!

Gemma — aka The Social Cottage, aka the queen of cozy social media strategy — is a former teacher turned content strategist who helps business owners market themselves without letting social media devour their entire life.

This might be the most get-your-life-together episode of season 2 — Gemma gives you a full, step-by-step system to make your content take less time, feel more fun, and actually do something for your business. There’s even homework at the end, so grab your notebook!

TOPICS & TANGENTS

— Why your content is taking too long to make

— Gemma’s 15-minute strategy for showing up consistently on social media

— The “stories, skills, symptoms, shifting objections” content system and how to use it

— The ADHD struggle of putting laundry in but never taking it out

— Why motherhood doesn’t have to be your only source of fulfillment

— How to grow an Instagram account from zero with no welcome post

POINT OF THE STORY

You don’t need to post daily Canva masterpieces. You just need a system that works with your brain (and 15 minutes a day).

GIVEAWAY

Want a free order of bean water on me? Tag me @btlcopy and Gemma Watts @thissocialcottage on your Instagram story while you’re listening, and one lucky winner will get TWO caffeine fixes on me!

AND — count how many times we drop the F-bomb in this episode. DM me the number, and you could win a prize!

Love you, mean it. 🖤

GEMMA LINKS

— Follow Gemma on Instagram

— Check out her website

— Follow her on Substack

— Get Gemma’s prompts in your inbox

— Get her FREE Caption Creator

— Get her 15-Minute Growth Guide

— Gemma’s walkout song

BTL LINKS

— Use code "MILLIONAIRE" for $100 off my website copywriting course, Site Series Sprint.

— Join the Point of the Story community on Slack.

— Leave feedback or episode requests in our Suggestions Box.

— To stay up to date with all things Point of the Story, follow on Instagram and Substack.

— Follow me on Instagram, Threads, and Substack.

— Subscribe to my newsletters Tuesday Table of Contents for one marketing tip, once a week and Millionaire Moment for the insider tea on how I plan to make $1 mil in sales by my 31st birthday.

— Check out my website betweenthelinescopy.com.

OTHER LINKS

— The girl who talks to her baby on Tiktok

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Intro

00:24 Meet Gemma, the Cozy Strategy Queen

01:41 Rapid-Fire Squirrel Brain Questions

18:57 The 15-Minute Social Media Strategy

26:12 Why Your Captions Take Forever

28:29 The Only Planning System You Need

34:28 "Expert" Social Media Advice That Makes Gemma Cringe

38:51 How to Not Hate Social Media

45:01 What to Post and How Often

52:40 Starting From Zero: Gemma's 3-Step Plan

55:17 Closing

This episode was edited by Adrienne Cruz.

Be honest. When was the last time you said you were gonna launch something… and then let your idea sit in a Google Doc because you “just need to finish the sales page” or “should probably finish all this client work first.”

(I’ll go first. It was last month.)

This week on the pod, I brought in one of my faves — and one of yours, too — Kelsey McCormick of Coming Up Roses. Kelsey’s the go-to expert on launching your own way (yes, even if you’re squiggly, squirrel-brained, or about to have your second baby).

And because I know y’all come here for the actual tea, I didn’t ask her the “So, tell us how you got started” questions. No ma’am. I asked the good stuff, like: “What should you do first when you have a cold audience,” “How often should you launch,” and sooooo much more!

TOPICS & TANGENTS

— What “campaign thinking” actually means and how it can chill out your business

— The tragic ADHD guilt of forgetting your kid's snack request

— What to do about the very real urge to avoid your own launches

— Kelsey’s 3-step warm-up strategy for cold audiences

— Our Myspace song eras and why we all peaked with profile music

— The reason your past launches might’ve flopped

— The underrated power of building in public

POINT OF THE STORY

You don’t need to figure it all out before you start launching, but you DEFINITELY need a deadline.

GIVEAWAY

Want a free order of bean water on me? Tag me @btlcopy and Kelsey McCormick @cominguproses.co on your Instagram story while you’re listening, and one lucky winner will get TWO caffeine fixes on me!

AND — count how many times we drop the F-bomb in this episode. DM me the number, and you could win a prize!

Love you, mean it. 🖤

KELSEY LINKS

— Follow Kelsey on Instagram

— Check out her website

— Kelsey’s famous progam Launch Your Own Way

— Listen to her private podcast The Warm Up

— Kelsey’s walkout song

BTL LINKS

— Use code "MILLIONAIRE" for $100 off my website copywriting course, Site Series Sprint.

— Join the Point of the Story community on Slack.

— Leave feedback or episode requests in our Suggestions Box.

— To stay up to date with all things Point of the Story, follow on Instagram and Substack.

— Follow me on Instagram, Threads, and Substack.

— Subscribe to my newsletters Tuesday Table of Contents for one marketing tip, once a week and Millionaire Moment for the insider tea on how I plan to make $1 mil in sales by my 31st birthday.

— Check out my website betweenthelinescopy.com.

OTHER LINKS

— Mentioned by Kelsey: Michelle @byhellolemon and Alyssa @atnndesign

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Intro

00:25 Meet Kelsey, the Squiggly Launch Queen

02:09 Rapid-Fire Squirrel Brain Questions

19:47 Campaign Thinking 101

22:52 The Inaction Problem No One Wants to Admit

30:21 How to Warm Up a Cold Audience

39:07 Can You Just Copy-Paste a Launch That Worked?

51:11 Closing

This episode was edited by Adrienne Cruz.

Okay, picture this: it’s 9am, you’re in a full face of makeup and red leather pants belting RENT at an audition — and by 2pm, you’re back home in sweatpants designing someone’s dream website.

That’s just a Tuesday in the life of Sarah Kleist.

She’s a New York-based actor and Showit website designer, and also one of my real-life best friends, my longest-running creative collaborator, and the most organized Notion girlie you’ve ever met.

In this episode, we’re talking all about living a double life as a multi-passionate human, why “simple” websites aren’t always the move, and how to make a template look like a million bucks. Plus, we share the behind-the-scenes of what it’s like to collaborate on all the dreamy copy/design projects we’ve done together (and why we absolutely refuse to share a contract system. Ever.).

TOPICS & TANGENTS

— Why template websites aren’t a cop-out (and how to make them look custom!)

— The very specific power of red leather pants and a good walkout song

— Why you need more website pages than you think

— The Notion obsession that will either inspire you or make your brain short-circuit

— A highly emotional tangent about seltzer, energy drinks, and being short in real life

— A mini lesson on the real difference between being outgoing and being an extrovert

— The exact moment we went from TikTok mutuals to real-life besties

— How our copy/design collabs actually work

POINT OF THE STORY

A solid website template and smart UX will take you far. (A fresh Notion hub wouldn’t hurt either.)

GIVEAWAY

Want a free order of bean water on me? Tag me @btlcopy and Sarah Kleist @kleistcreative on your Instagram story while you’re listening, and one lucky winner will get TWO caffeine fixes on me!

AND — count how many times we drop the F-bomb in this episode. DM me the number, and you could win a prize!

Love you, mean it. 🖤

KLEIST LINKS

— Follow Kleist on Instagram

— Check out her obviously kickass website

— Download Kleist’s viral freebie: The To-Done List

— BTL Copy x Kleist Creative - hire us together!

— Kleist’s walkout song

BTL LINKS

— Use code "MILLIONAIRE" for $100 off my website copywriting course, Site Series Sprint.

— Join the Point of the Story community on Slack.

— Leave feedback or episode requests in our Suggestions Box.

— To stay up to date with all things Point of the Story, follow on Instagram and Substack.

— Follow me on Instagram, Threads, and Substack.

— Subscribe to my newsletters Tuesday Table of Contents for one marketing tip, once a week and Millionaire Moment for the insider tea on how I plan to make $1 mil in sales by my 31st birthday.

— Check out my website betweenthelinescopy.com.

OTHER LINKS

— The book that inspired Kleist to reach out to me and the group we both joined as a result

— What I asked you to search up on TikTok

— Websites mentioned: Madden Made Events (designed with the Manhattan template by Tonic Site Shop), The Legalzine, Kat Wolff Creates, Frances House, Ashley Flowers, Monocle Productions, Katherine Marchand

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Intro

00:23 Meet Sarah Kleist, The Best Showit Website Designer

06:03 Rapid-Fire Squirrel Brain Questions

18:02 The Truth About Templates, UX, and Doing Too Much

22:57 The To-Done List and Tracking Your Entire Life

28:17 What It’s Like to Work with Sarah + Sara

38:32 Favorite Projects We’ve Done Together

42:31 What We’re Actually Like in Real Life

48:21 Closing

This episode was edited by Adrienne Cruz.

Okay, be honest: have you ever heard someone talk about “quantum leaping” in their business and thought, “What in the Girl Boss is going on here?”

Same.

So in this episode, I brought in the one person I trust to de-mystify the energetic, the esoteric, the whole woo of it all and make it actually make sense.

Today’s guest is my best friend once removed (we made it official mid-recording), Kaitlyn Kessler. She’s an energetics and business coach who helps high-achieving visionaries trust themselves more deeply, pivot with purpose, and create success that doesn’t feel like a cortisol-inducing hellstorm.

We talk about why self-trust is the real secret to momentum, how “quantum leaps” actually happen, and why rest might just be the most rebellious thing you can do.

TOPICS & TANGENTS

— Why quantum leaps don’t happen overnight (even if the internet says you can make $3K while getting your hair done

— How to build actual self-trust and stop lying to yourself about going to the gym at 5 AM

— Kaitlyn’s best advice for the woo-curious

— A deeply important tangent about plane strangers trauma dumping and squirrels holding mushrooms

— Why “I’m hot no matter what” is a valid business mindset

— What in the world is “energetics” anyways?

POINT OF THE STORY

Quantum leaps are made in the micro moments, when you trust yourself enough to show up differently.

GIVEAWAY

Want a free order of bean water on me? Tag me @btlcopy and Kaitlyn @kaitlynskessler on your Instagram story while you’re listening, and one lucky winner will get TWO caffeine fixes on me!

AND — count how many times we drop the F-bomb in this episode. DM me the number, and you could win a prize!

Love you, mean it. 🖤

KAITLYN LINKS

— Follow Kaitlyn on Instagram

— Check out Kaitlyn’s website

— Listen to Spacious Podcast

— Follow Kaitlyn on Substack

— Kaitlyn’s walkout song

BTL LINKS

— Use code "MILLIONAIRE" for $100 off my website copywriting course, Site Series Sprint.

— Join the Point of the Story community on Slack.

— Leave feedback or episode requests in our Suggestions Box.

— To stay up to date with all things Point of the Story, follow on Instagram and Substack.

— Follow me on Instagram, Threads, and Substack.

— Subscribe to my newsletters Tuesday Table of Contents for one marketing tip, once a week and Millionaire Moment for the insider tea on how I plan to make $1 mil in sales by my 31st birthday.

— Check out my website betweenthelinescopy.com.

This episode was edited by Adrienne Cruz.

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Intro

00:29 Meet Kaitlyn Kessler, Energetics Coach and Best Friend Once Removed

03:10 Rapid-Fire Squirrel Brain Questions

15:49 Self-Trust is Everything

23:03 When Shoulds and Have-To’s Are Running the Show

28:16 Rest as Rebellion and Fuck the Man

31:49 What Even Is a Quantum Leap?

38:05 What Energetics Have to Do With Business Strategy

43:20 Did Anyone Say “Journal Prompts”?!?

48:57 Woo-Curious? Let’s Talk About It

54:23 Closing

Not to be dramatic, but this might be the only cold pitch I’ve ever liked. And trust me — I’ve seen a lot of cold pitches. Most of them = instant delete, do not pass go, do not collect $200.

But today, I’m joined by Eva Couto of Flying Colors Creative — one of the very few people in the world who has ever successfully cold-pitched me. (A rare honor. A high calling. A feat so impressive I had to have her on the pod.)

Eva is a brand designer and ringleader. She’s all about helping people create unconventional, standout brands that feel like them.

We get into why most cold pitches suck (and how to actually do it right), why freaks always find each other, and how your branding might be quietly holding you back in ways you don’t even realize.

TOPICS & TANGENTS

— Why most cold pitches make me want to call the cops

— The real reason branding is a business essential, not a luxury

— Why Eva stalks people on LinkedIn of all places??? (Still not over it.)

— The branding mistake that makes people forget you exist

— Why bad branding gives “took his hat off and ruined it” energy

— My high school crush and the deeply unserious reason I logged into my personal Instagram for the first time in years

POINT OF THE STORY

A forgettable brand is an expensive problem. If people don’t remember you, they’re not going to hire you. Your brand should be more than just a pretty Pinterest mood board — it should actually help you make money and attract the right people.

GIVEAWAY

Want a free order of bean water on me? Tag me @btlcopy and Eva @flyingcolourscreative on your Instagram story while you’re listening, and one lucky winner will get TWO caffeine fixes on me!

AND — count how many times we drop the F-bomb in this episode. DM me the number, and you could win a prize!

Love you, mean it. 🖤

EVA LINKS

— Follow Eva on Instagram

— Check out the Flying Colours Creative website

— Listen to The Freak Show on Apple or Spotify

— The Extravaganza - your complete brand & website transformation

— Eva’s walkout song

BTL LINKS

— Download my FREE Cold Pitching Guide

— Watch my cold pitching Tiktok videos in this playlist

— Use code "MILLIONAIRE" for $100 off my website copywriting course, Site Series Sprint.

— Join the Point of the Story community on Slack.

— Leave feedback or episode requests in our Suggestions Box.

— To stay up to date with all things Point of the Story, follow on Instagram and Substack.

— Follow me on Instagram, Threads, and Substack.

— Subscribe to my newsletters Tuesday Table of Contents for one marketing tip, once a week and Millionaire Moment for the insider tea on how I plan to make $1 mil in sales by my 31st birthday.

— Check out my website betweenthelinescopy.com.

OTHER LINKS

— My accountant - Peach Perfect Financials

— Contract templates - The Boutique Lawyer

This episode was edited by Adrienne Cruz.

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Intro

00:24 Meet Eva Couto, Brand Designer and Cold Pitching Expert

04:14 Rapid-Fire Squirrel Brain Questions

16:17 A Forgettable Brand is an Expensive Problem

21:37 When Should You Actually Invest in Branding?

23:54 Ideal Clients and Red Flags

30:43 The Best Brand is One You’ll Actually Use

42:58 Why Bad Branding Gives “Took His Hat Off and Ruined It” Energy

49:15 Eva’s Everything Branding & Website Package (It Really is an Extravaganza)

51:26 Closing

Welcome to season two of Point of the Story! We’re coming in HOT with an all-guest lineup — starting with none other than my brilliant, hilarious, famous, cottage-cheese-obsessed bestie, Xanthe Appleyard.

If you don’t already follow Xanthe, you’re missing out on the kind of social media strategy that actually makes sense, one that is based on real connections that turn into real sales. She’s the type of person who could launch anything, and people would buy it just because she made it. And in this episode, she’s spilling all the tea on how to make that kind of magic happen in your own business.

We recorded this episode curled up on her couch in LA, where I was deeply considering squatting indefinitely. Meanwhile, I’m now back in Massachusetts, staring out at the ice and snow, wondering why I ever left.

TOPICS & TANGENTS

— Why social media is a relationship and not just a numbers game

— How to create content that actually connects (instead of just screaming into the void)

— The myth of “niching down” and what to do instead

— What it actually means to be a thought leader — even if you don’t think you are one

— The art of never shutting the hell up about your offer

— The very serious topic of Xanthe’s deep love for cottage cheese

POINT OF THE STORY

Social media works best when it’s human. Lead by showing up, starting real conversations, and making your audience feel seen.

GIVEAWAY

Want a free order of bean water on me? Tag me @btlcopy and @xanthe.appleyard on your Instagram story while you’re listening, and one lucky winner will get TWO caffeine fixes on me!

AND — count how many times we drop the F-bomb in this episode. DM me the number, and you could win a free Millionaire Moment subscription.

Love you, mean it. 🖤

XANTHE LINKS

— Follow Xanthe on Instagram

— Check out Oh Sierra’s website

— Listen to Love You to the Core on Apple or Spotify

— Listen to the episode “Love Folliculating All Over Town (Guest Episode with Sara Noel)” on Apple or Spotify

— Listen to the Millionaire Moment private podcast episode with Xanthe on Substack

— Life of the Party - Xanthe’s content strategy program

— Xanthe’s favorite yogurt and cottage cheese

— Xanthe’s walkout song

BTL LINKS

— Use code "MILLIONAIRE" for $100 off my website copywriting course, Site Series Sprint.

— Join the Point of the Story community on Slack.

— Leave feedback or episode requests in our Suggestions Box.

— To stay up to date with all things Point of the Story, follow on Instagram and Substack.

— Follow me on Instagram, Threads, and Substack.

— Subscribe to my newsletters Tuesday Table of Contents for one marketing tip, once a week and Millionaire Moment for the insider tea on how I plan to make $1 mil in sales by my 31st birthday.

— Check out my website betweenthelinescopy.com.

OTHER LINKS

— Caitie Cupples Creative - my amazing student!

— Green Chair Stories- copywriting for photographers

This episode was edited by ⁠Adrienne Cruz⁠.

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Welcome to Season 2!

00:42 Meet the Famous Xanthe Appleyard

05:10 Rapid-Fire Squirrel Brain Questions

15:44 Social Media is a Relationship

19:52 How to Actually Understand Your Audience

23:14 How to Create Content that Leads to Sales

29:48 “I’m Not a Leader” & Other Lies We Tell Ourselves

38:49 Simple Tweaks That Will Transform Your Content

41:48 Do You Really Need to Niche Down?

47:51 A Life-Changing Tip About Cottage Cheese

49:27 Time is Relevancy

51:00 The Power of Never Shutting the Fuck Up

52:55 Our Content Themes

56:45 Closing