Shed The Formality

Effective follow up starts in the conversation that you have when you meet that person. When we have these very surface level, superficial conversations, it's hard to follow up. - Julie Brown

Meet Julie Brown, Networking Expert & Author

Julie is a motivating, high energy speaker, teaching the importance of networking, and why you are your best business development tool. Julie has been invited to speak on the power of networking and relationship building by numerous conference organizations and private companies across the country.

She is the Author of This Shit Works: A No-Nonsense Guide to Networking Your Way to More Friends, More Adventures, and More Success, a book dedicated to making networking easy, accessible and fun, as well as the host of This Sh!t Works a podcast dedicated to all things business development.

Julie's advice strikes the perfect balance of humor and expertise gained from more than 20 years of networking experience. Julie shows you everyone at any stage of their career that you can unapologetically be who you are authentically and still be WILDLY successful.

 

Connect with Julie

This Sh!t Works Podcast

Julie's Website

Julie on Instagram

Connect with Stacey

Shed The Formality Podcast

Stacey's Website

Stacey's Newsletter

Show Notes

• What Julie wanted to be when she grew up and how that plays out today (1:48)
• How Julie became a networking expert (5:30)
• The importance of tapping into the network of others (9:36)
• The ideal size of your network and how to maintain it (11:30)
• What happens when people don't appreciate your energy (21:30)
• Insights on creating content in your true voice (25:30)
• How Julie defines networking (31:07)
• On putting a swear word in the title of her book/podcast (34:11)
• Tips on effective follow up (39:49)

"It's not my job to be for everyone. My job is to be exactly who I am for the people who think I'm the kind of person they need." - Julie Brown

I don't think we should comment, ever, on what someone else is wearing. - Ginger Burr

Meet Ginger Burr, Owner Total Image Consultants

Creating a wardrobe and personal style you love begins with a longing for ease and beauty (your definition of beauty) every time you get dressed.

Ginger Burr started Total Image Consultants with the heartfelt belief that whether you are 25 or 85, you deserve to feel radiant and pulled-together every time you get dressed. Her work has reached women from all walks of life who long to connect with their inner essence to create a wardrobe they love.

She is the author of the book, That's So You! Create a look you love with beauty, style and grace and has been interviewed by Allure Magazine, Worth Magazine, Forbes Magazine and Bloomberg Business Week.

Style is all about what makes you feel the most empowered. If people say things, you're either gonna think it's kind of funny, or it's just gonna roll off of you. And if it doesn't, then maybe you're not fully expressing who you are in a way that is right for you. - Ginger Burr

Connect with Ginger Burr

Free offer: "How to Stop Wasting Money on Things You Never Wear" - https://totalimageconsultants.com/subscribe

Facebook

Free Facebook group

LinkedIn

YouTube

Instagram

Connect with Stacey Shipman

LinkedIn

Instagram

Website

Show Notes

• What Ginger wanted to be when she grew up and how that plays out today (:30)
• How Ginger became an image consultant (3:32)
• Ginger's personal image story and how she found her style (7:07)
• Finding clothes that work for YOU (16:32)
• "Formalities" Ginger sees in clients that keep them from expressing who they are through style (21:13)
• What Ginger loves about her work (34:00)

When we hide parts of ourselves, whether it's our age, disability, race, gender, or orientation, it takes a lot of work and effort. And now it just feels like that weight is mostly lifted off my shoulders. - Sarah Scala

Meet Sarah Scala, Leadership Coach & Consultant

Sarah Scala is a sought after speaker and coach supporting the unique needs within the LGBTQ+ community. She is a high-energy senior talent management leader focused on increasing client revenue, reducing turnover, and creating business value through executive coaching, organization development, public speaking, and change management. Sarah lives with her partner, Holly, in Boston, MA.   Check out Sarah's first podcast appearance here. Connect with Sarah Sarah Scala Consulting LinkedIn Connect with Stacey Shipman

Engage The Room – A formality-free approach to speaking & interpersonal communication

LinkedIn

Show Notes

• Coming out as an LGBTQ+ business (:59)
• Challenges, pushback and personal benefits of coming out as an LGBTQ+ business (5:58)
• The importance of creating safety - psychological, online, at work - in order to come out (12:04)
• The opportunities that have opened up for Sarah as a result of coming out as an LGBTQ business (30:00)
• How can other leaders or organizations create safe and inclusive spaces for folks to come out as LGBTQ+? (34:39)
• The importance of growth and taking risks (36:53)

Resources mentioned

https://hbr.org/2021/09/how-to-talk-about-pronouns-at-work-a-visual-guide

What makes LGBTQ+ Executive / Leadership Coaching different?

People think that something's different in email, and I'm like 'no it's a communication between you, a human, and another human. And all of the same good relationship things apply. - Shelly Davies

Meet Shelly Davies, Writing Trainer, New Zealand

Shelly does words!!! If you need to use words to transmit information and you want to do it quickly and effectively, she's your girl. But boy, those engineers and government departments don't realise what they're going to get once Shelly's in the room.

What they get is a lot of UNTRAINING – undoing all of the bad habits they picked up at university and through their careers. With hashtags like #writelikeahuman and #authenticitywins, Shelly encourages research-based approaches to writing in more authentic ways, with a natural voice that increases confidence and trust.

Shelly is also the founder and creator of The School of Unprofessional Writing, online writing courses for individuals who want to write better.

Shelly is living a dream she didn't know she had – helping people live more fully, more authentically, and more in their truth. She does this with a lot of laughs, her traditional Māori chin tattoo, and a fair amount of curse words sprinkled liberally through everything she does, even her website.

One of her goals in life is to support women. Women in business, women in life, women in their own skins. Because we are enough.

Connect with Shelly

LinkedIn

Shelly Davies Website

School of Unprofessional Writing

Connect with Stacey Shipman

Engage The Room - A formality-free approach to speaking & interpersonal communication

LinkedIn

Show Notes

  "If you want to eat steak you don't ask a vegan for permission…who's permission do I need? Just mine."

• What Shelly wanted to be when she grew up and how it plays out today (1:30)
• How she became a plain language writer (3:50)
• Biggest formality Shelly had to shed to create her brand (6:10)
• Shelly's catalyst for creating a stand out "rock star" brand and overcoming people pleasing (13:00)
• Shelly's chin tattoo as an expression of her full identity (20:00)
• Swearing and shedding formalities and being true to who you are at work because we're human to human (26:20)
• Let's talk about the importance of Plain language writing - it's still about relationships! (35:00)
• Why we're robotic in our writing (45:00)

Shelly's Quick Tips: How to get into your natural writing voice

1. Speak out loud
2. Turn your writer switch off and start reading
3. Empathy

Now I get to show up with what I've always known to be true on the inside visible on the outside and that feels powerful to me. - Shelly Davies

Don't get discouraged because you are different and don't get discouraged because your idea doesn't fit the mold that your industry has set out for you." - Girija Patel

Meet Girija Patel, GBP Law

Girija is a lawyer, a mom, a wife, podcaster, educator, and a business owner in Houston, Texas. Her law practice, GBP Law, specifically focuses on helping creative entrepreneurs and on-line business owners build their business' legal fundamentals so they can move forward confidently and do what they love! Her goal is to help make legal a line item and not a panic attack.

In 2020, Girija launched Your Contract Buddy (www.yourcontractbuddy.com), an online contract template shop, and also founded her podcast, Law Chat with Girija. From her days of being a prosecutor to now managing her own law practice, Girija's core value to serve her community remains at the center of all her endeavors.

Connect with Girija

Her podcast: Law Chat with Girija

Her website: GBP Law

Girija on Instagram

Connect with Stacey

On LinkedIn

On Instagram

Website

Show Notes

• The importance of reaching out to people to get what you want (:45)
• What Girija wanted to be when she grew up and how that plays out today (4:00)
• Moving from formal litigation to more creative law (7:25)
• Starting City Tattler and Girija' first taste of creativity (21:00)
• Heart AND mind; pausing is a formality most of us need to shed (25:00)
• The importance of standing out to get people to pay attention (32:00)
• What holds creatives back from a legal perspective? (36:30)
• Final thoughts: shift your perspective about law to protect your business and ideas (43:00)

"There will always be people who want to tell you how to run your business." - Katie Corbett

Meet Katie Corbett - Writer Specializing in Case Studies

Katie Corbett is a writer specializing in customer case studies. She is blind, and has used her disability as a jumping off point to shed many formalities to get to where she is today.

Please include a longer bio (2 to 3 paragraphs) for use in the podcast post (can be fun and show your personality)

Katie Corbett is a writer specializing in customer case studies. She has written for technology companies, coaches of all types, and educational companies.

In her free time, Katie enjoys baking, reading fantasy novels, and going on road trips with her husband. She lives in Wisconsin and thinks that cheese should be its own food group.

Connect with Katie on LinkedIn.

 

Show Notes:

• What Katie wanted to be when she grew up and how that plays out today (1:10)
• Making the leap from employee to business owner (2:50)
• Challenges/formalities Katie had to overcome in starting her business including people pleasing, boundary setting, experimentation and perfectionism (6:30)
• What keeps people from asking for client/customer testimonials (12:45)
• Questions to ask for a testimonial or case study (14:44)
• Career Change and how Katie created her business writing case studies (18:00)
• Why and how customer case studies work for the long term and Katies advice for people who think they can write the case study on their own. (28:30)

It's a constant battle to make sure boundaries are set so that I'm not trying to please people who aren't paying me." - Katie Corbett

Connect with Stacey

LinkedIn

Instagram

Newsletter

Every single I've done worth doing in life is because I said yes and figured it out after the fact. - Kim Miles

Meet Kim Miles, Event Strategist

What do you call a successful businesswoman with a vibrant financial advisory practice, 25+ years of sales experience, a performance background, and serious shoe habit? Kim Miles!

A highly sought-after emcee, panel moderator, creative collaborator and event strategist, Kim partners with her clients to deliver critical messaging to their key audiences in fresh, entertaining ways through her company, Miles in Heels Productions.

Kim is widely known as a powerhouse problem solver, kick-a** content creator, and hilarious humorist. When not working, Kim's been known to take off her signature heels only to hit the links…that is when she's not singing with her band!

 

Be sure to check out all things Miles in Heels at: www.milesinheels.com

And get social with Kim at:

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: Miles in Heels Productions

LinkedIn: Miles in Heels Productions

Instagram: @kimmilesinheels

"There is a difference between bragging and proudly promoting yourself." - Kim Miles

Show Notes:

• What Kim Wanted to be when she grew up and how that plays out today.  (2:44)
• From wanting to be on stages and perform to a career as a financial planner (7:45)
• Creative vs analytical minded and the struggles that come with one vs the other (14:00)
• Virtual vs in person - it's not the tool, it's you (20:00)
• Getting past hello, what keeps people from talking to each other and how to know the connection is worth cementing. - (24:00)
• Networking is 90% listening and 10% talking. 10% of talking better be the best damn weaving in of your ideas and why they should help you and talk to you.
• Promoting yourself in a male dominated industry and how to stand out and be genuinely you in business (like financial services) (31:00)
• How Kim takes care of herself and her energy and her commitment to her work (38:00) 

"Tact and empathy are your best friends when delivering negative feedback." - Laura Foley

Meet Laura Foley

Laura Foley is a communication strategist who works with business owners, speakers, and sales professionals who want their marketing communications to drive business results and close sales.

She works with them on presentation development and design, conducts detailed audits of marketing communications, and provides focused skills training to make them more confident communicators.

A graduate of the Massachusetts College of Art and Design with a BFA in printmaking and graphic design, Laura has over 25 years' experience in presentation design, marketing, and copywriting. She lives in Central Massachusetts with her husband and two sons.

And while she presents as a confident grown-up, Laura has a playful side that she's only too eager to unleash once you get to know her.

Connect with Laura

Her website

On LinkedIn

Show notes:

• What Laura wanted to be when she grew up and how it plays out today. (2:40)
• The problem STEM folks have with giving presentations (5:30)
• Laura's biggest communication struggles and how she shed them (7:30)
• How labels that stifle us and keep us from sharing ourselves and our personality and being more personable  (14:30)
• The importance of practice to improve presentation skills and drop what's holding you back. 
• How to be more tactful - personally and professionally. (20:00)
• So many elements that go into making a presentation work. What is a formality to drop to make your presentations better? (32:55)

"It's impossible to be an expert on everything.  You only have to be one step ahead of people to add value." - Katlynn Pyatt

Meet Katlynn Pyatt, Host Startup Marketing Podcast

Katlynn Pyatt, owner of Authentic Branding & Marketing, is professionally certified in Marketing Management by the American Marketing Association and holds two certifications from Cornell University; one in business strategy, the other in marketing analytics.

After twelve years of corporate marketing, she began her own business as a marketing coach for small business and corporate marketing teams to help them be strategic and organized in their marketing efforts. She believes in being brave, not perfect and in community over competition. Katlynn is also the host of the Startup Marketing Podcast.

 

Follow Katlynn on Instagram!

 

 

At the very least you have to be genuine. - Katynn Pyatt

Shownotes:

• What Katlynn wanted to be when she grew up and how it plays out today (2:50)
• Making the move from corporate to business owner (6:00)
• On getting out of your own way and feeling comfortable not knowing. (20:15)
• What is an authentic brand and what keeps people from creating an authentic brand? (24:50)
• Maintain the core of who you are even when you switch careers or job roles and having an easier time talking about your work. (32:00)
• Katlynn's best tip for authentic branding (40:00)

You want to get people to think and react. You want to say things that are provocative so you can open people's minds. - Beth Knaus

Meet Beth Knaus - Copywriter

Beth Knaus is a content writer, workshop leader and owner of That's A Spade Copywriting Services (www.thatsaspade.com). Her initial background is in business and the beauty industry, giving her the ability to get things done and look good doing it.

She has been writing since before the millennium was a thing, from teenage angsty poetry to published stories and essays. As a writer she's passionate about writing content that nails her client's voice to the page with candor and confidence so they can stand out from the masses and attract the audience they want to make money serving.

Beth is also a Pepperlane networking leader, and an active member at the WeBreathe Wellness Center in Walpole, where she holds creative writing classes.

Now partial empty nesters, she lives in Norwood, Ma. with her awesome husband and their chubby spoiled cat. In her free time she likes to read, cook and laugh. A lot. Her personal short stories have been published online and in print.

Stacey & Beth talk about...

• Playing it safe in your writing, sounding the same or standing out (3:10)
• Writing formalities that keep people stuck in a sea of sameness (8:30)
• How to deal with the fear of standing out (11:50)
• Difference between writing an elevator speech (that is spoken) vs written post (may never get spoken) (14:30)
• Importance of hiring an outside writer to hear what we say over and over again. (18:18)
• Free writing as a practice (25:50)
• Honoring our originality vs conforming to what others think (30:00)

You think I'm too much for you. But maybe you're not enough for me. - Beth Knaus