Welcome to Episode 83 of Praestabilis: Excellence in Marketing

Welcome Aboard! In Episode 83 I’m discussing the topic around… “What’s your story?” and more specifically, telling your personal “origin” story. This was something I had to learn when I started online in 2006.

None of us dropped out of the sky and landed online; we all had lives before that time that are filled with people, places, events, experiences and more. You’ll want to share more about yourself with your prospects and clients as a way to gain credibility and create raving fans for yourself and your business.

While the people in our daily lives feel like they truly know us, that may not be the case. But you’ll agree that people who connect with us solely online do not know us at all. You have the chance to change that, along with their perceptions about you with every email you write, your videos, audios, and social media posts, and more.

Where were you born, what have you done, and how are you navigating the world around you?

I attended my first live event soon after coming online. A group of people were talking about a woman who had been a school teacher and also worked in real estate before coming online. I knew I had to meet her… and it turned out they were talking about me!

I began telling my personal story when I was speaking to an audience, virtually or in person. These stories resonated with people in the audience and my visibility and list began to grow exponentially.

Think about the level of privacy you want to maintain before you share anything, especially regarding children. My family knows that I wait several years before using any family photos, and also that I change the name of everyone to something that begins with the same first letter – this makes it easier for me to remember. So someone named Charles would become Chase in something I share, as an example.

It’s on my third blog, Monday Morning Mellow, where I write and publish more personal stories. This site launched in July of 2019 and within a few months I had a following that was growing. I encourage you to write about your personal experiences and share them with your audience as well. As an example, I wrote a post about my friend from elementary school who was killed in an automobile crash at Rhonda Sue’s Gone to Heaven.

Our origin story and other stories make us more real to our audience, as well as increasing our credibility and making up more fleshed out as a human. Also, they tell people how you react to situations. Most people are not willing to share details about themselves so openly, so in doing so as a regular part of your business, you’ll set yourself apart very quickly.

The precept is clear: When you love the work you are doing, it no longer feels like “work” and you can easily merge your personal and professional lives into one. Imagine a great athlete or musician telling their family they don’t want to talk about sports or music. Instead, they embrace what they do in such a way as to incorporate and blend it into their daily lives.

I believe the belief that there needs to be a line in the sand, where work is on one side and family, friends, and personal interests are on the other comes from being in the work force and developing what is known as an employee mindset.

As an online entrepreneur, you can conduct your business from anywhere in the world, with only an internet connection. I’ve done this all over the world, from an internet cafe in Amsterdam to a hotel in Shanghai, and everywhere in between. My work defines me. I want to share what I do with everyone who will listen.