Text Emily!

In last week’s episode, we talked about literal small talk… the awkward weather banter at a networking event, the Zoom conversation you get stuck in that seemingly goes nowhere fast, and the idle chit chat that’s draining.

We learned that while small talk SEEMS small, it can act as a catalyst for bigger conversations and deeper talk. What starts small can have a BIG impact. 

Today, we’re going to get into figurative "small talk": the language and patterns that seem little (sometimes even three letters or less), but they can show up in BIG ways in your business and mindset. 

Ready to stop shrinking your presence and learning the small words that keep you from playing BIG? 

• What do I mean by words that keep you playing small? 
• 6 Ways our language may unintentionally keep us from playing BIG
• Resources and ideas to start removing these things from your everyday vocab
• And more! 

Resources and Links: 

👉🏻 EXTENDED SHOW NOTES (on Substack) including articles, stats, reference links, and bonus info! 

Jenny Belanger's Episode #91) What High-Converting Websites Don't Do

Playing Big by Tara Mohr

"Some um, surprising advice for public speakers" by Mignon Fogarty

Ready to play and say BIGGER? Let's Connect!  

I’m Emily Aborn, a Small Business Copywriter and host of Small Business Casual. I help small businesses grow with marketing that makes a distinct imprint. I believe that sharing your work goes beyond strategies, frameworks, content for content’s sake, more social media posts, more, more, more. 

Successful marketing starts with a big picture approach and begins with genuine connection as you step into becoming (and sharing) the real YOU. 

Email: [email protected]
Website
Facebook
Instagram
LinkedIn

Substack

Text Emily!

Do you dread swapping senseless words with cashiers and strangers out in public? Do you go out of your way to avoid neighbors, coworkers, or people you know at the grocery store lest you get stuck in idle chit chat? Do you get heart palpitations thinking about discussing the weather at a networking event? If so, you may have an aversion to SMALL talk. 

And yes, you may be entitled to some sort of compensation (talk to your lawyer for legal recourse). Today, we're going to get into the ins and outs of small talk, what it is, why it happens, and how to escape it as fast as possible. Or... perhaps it's not the archenemy we make it out to be? 

Inside the episode: 

• What is small talk? The various definitions of small talk
• Why do we dislike small talk? 
• Stats showing what small talk does in the workplace/business 
• 5 Benefits of small talk as business owners
• 5 Ways to move small talk to bigger talk 
• Keys to small talk comfort 
• And more 

Resources and Links Mentioned: 

👉🏻 EXTENDED SHOW NOTES (on Substack) including articles, stats, reference links, and bonus info! 

Want to connect and talk BIG with me? 

I’m Emily Aborn, a Small Business Copywriter and host of Small Business Casual. I help small businesses grow with marketing that makes a distinct imprint. I believe that sharing your work goes beyond strategies, frameworks, content for content’s sake, more social media posts, more, more, more. 

Successful marketing starts with a big picture approach and begins with genuine connection as you step into becoming (and sharing) the real YOU. 

Email: [email protected]
Website
Facebook
Instagram
LinkedIn

Substack

Text Emily!

You are not "just" anything. You're not just a business owner, parent, spouse, community member, speaker, podcaster, writer, etc. 

You're a multifaceted human being who gets to bring your WHOLE self everywhere you go! 

Just like a recipe made up of lots of parts and pieces, a dash of this and a dash of that, we are too. In this episode, I'm sharing some ideas that have helped me grow in my business and throughout my entire life in small, surprising ways. 

Join me as I share: 

• 3 Myths about owning a business while having a life 
• 5 Ideas to spark joy outside work that will help you thrive in surprising ways 
• Bonus mini-routines that can increase creativity, help you connect to others, learn about the world around you, and grow
• And more! 

Resources & Links Mentioned: 

👉🏻 EXTENDED SHOW NOTES (these are now on my Substack, I welcome you to come join me over there too!) 

The Karen Kenney Show 

The Secret Room Podcast 

What It's Like to Be Podcast with Dan Heath 

Smartless Podcast

Dr. James Pennebaker's Science-Backed Journaling Protocol 

Julia Cameron's Morning Pages 

Brett Ingram's OptYOUMize Podcast "The Bucket Method" 

About Me: 

I’m Emily Aborn, a Small Business Copywriter and host of Small Business Casual. I help small businesses grow with marketing that makes a distinct imprint. I believe that sharing your work goes beyond strategies, frameworks, content for content’s sake, more social media posts, more, more, more. 

Successful marketing starts with a big picture approach and begins with genuine connection as you step into becoming (and sharing) the real YOU. 

Email: [email protected]
Website
Facebook
Instagram
LinkedIn

Text Emily!

The Content with Character has a FRESH face and has been rebranded, officially, to Small Business Casual! 

This is the FIRST episode in our new digs where the goal is to help us create small businesses that feel like ahhhhhh, home. 

On this episode, I share a little bit of why I changed the name and am steering away from "content" a bit more in general, plus three lessons learned through the podcast rebranding process: 

• The difference between copy and content 
• Why the decision to rebrand
• Changes to help us engage more and grow! 
• It's OK to change your mind 
• Trust yourself when something feels off 
• Change can be scary, and it’s worth it!

About Me: 

I’m Emily Aborn, a Small Business Copywriter and host of Small Business Casual. I help small businesses grow with marketing that makes a distinct imprint. I believe that sharing your work goes beyond strategies, frameworks, content for content’s sake, more social media posts, more, more, more. 

Successful marketing starts with a big picture approach and begins with genuine connection as you step into becoming (and sharing) the real YOU. 

Email: [email protected]
Website
Facebook
Instagram
LinkedIn

Text Emily!

Listen, enjoy, and walk away feeling empowered and ready to become their FAVORITE podcast guest. 

Join myself, Barb Davids, and Ande Lyons in this LIVE re-aired workshop as we dish out insider secrets and goodies to help you UP your guesting game!

The conversation includes: 

• How to ruin a good pitch FAST by making a crucial mistake
• How to set yourself apart even in a noisy industry 
• Tips for standing out with your pitches 
• How to prep for your interviews 
• Where to find podcasters to pitch
• Remembering your worth and value as a guest
• Adopting a giver's mindset
• And so much more! 

Resources & Links Mentioned: 

Full Video Replay of this LIVE

Emily's Guest Bundles 

Join PodMatch

New England Podcasters Group

CWC Episode: 4 Top Takeaways from 53 Podcast Guest Interviews & Standing Out as a Podcast Guest

Podcast Guesting Tracker Template

Guest/Speaker One-Sheet Template

Barb’s Podcast Guest Form

About the Hosts:

Ande Lyons

At 69, Ande Lyons is living proof that ambition is ageless. A 4x business founder, longtime global startup mentor, and serial podcaster since 2012, Ande brings decades of entrepreneurial spirit and broadcasting experience to everything she does. She's the founder of the New England Podcasters Group and the host of Don’t Be Caged By Your Age, a popular podcast where she’s redefining what it means to thrive after 65.

Barb Davids

Founder of Compass Digital Strategies and Host of the Small Business Sweet Spot podcast, Barb Davids is a Website Marketing Consultant and SEO Strategist with over 25 years of digital marketing experience. She helps ambitious business owners get direct results from their digital marketing and SEO. 

When not behind her laptop, you can find Barb running with her dog, Stone, living a minimalistic lifestyle, and reading yet another self-improvement book! 

Emily Aborn 

I’m Emily Aborn, a Small Business Copywriter and host of Small Business Casual. I help small businesses grow with marketing that makes a distinct imprint. I believe that sharing your work goes beyond strategies, frameworks, content for content’s sake, more social media posts, more, more, more. 

Email: [email protected]
Website | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Substack

Text Emily!

Just like not all DIY home projects turn out like your Pinterest board... not all collaborations end in sunshine in rainbows. And some downright fail. Flop. Fizzle. Fallout. 

Failure is inevitable when you're experimenting, trying something new, and collaborating with others. While it might not be so tasty in the moment, failure is full of invaluable wisdom if you're willing to look closer, learn from your fumbles, and, of course, try again. 

In this episode, we get into the six flavors of failed collaborations, lessons learned, and how to move forward intentionally when things flop. 

In the episode: 

• Painting failure in a new light 
• Vanilla Letdown (the Flop)
• Neopolitan Ghoster (the Ghoster) 
• Rocky Road to Nowhere (the Fizzle) 
• Tunafish Mint Chocolate Chip (the Mismatch) 
• Salted Caramel Heartache (the Friendship Fallout) 
• Triple Scoop Overload (the Self-Sabotage) 
• Lessons learned to help you prevent future failures
• And more! 

Resources & Links Mentioned

Karen Kenney's Episode "Relationships are Collaborations" 

About Me & Let's Connect 

I’m Emily Aborn, a Small Business Copywriter and host of Content with Character. I’m beyond passionate about helping small businesses grow with out-of-the-box, human-centered, personality-filled marketing. Sharing your work goes beyond strategies and frameworks, content for content’s sake, more social media posts, more, more, more. Successful marketing begins with genuine connection and being the real YOU. 

Email: [email protected]
Website
Facebook
Instagram
LinkedIn

Text Emily!

Want to partner up with collaborators and spark collaborations that give you the goosebumps!? 

It takes two to make a thing go right (it takes two to make it outta’ sight), and that’s exactly what I believe the best of the best collaborations create - an outta' sight experience that leaves everyone feeling good.

In this episode, I shed light on 20 different ways collaboration could look in your business, so you can consider new ideas and expand ones already underway. 

I'll also offer 6 Keys to successful collaborations and what makes the BEST collaborations so amazing. 

Inside the Episode: 

• The power of collaboration to take you to unimaginable places 
• My definition of collaboration 
• 20 Ideas to add to your collaboration repertoire
• 6 Keys and examples of successful collaborations
• And more! 

Links, Amazing People, and Resources Mentioned: 

[LIVE] Event with Barb Davids on August 28th: Become Their Favorite Podcast

Karen Kenney's Episode: "Ep. #327 - Relationships are Collaborations"

Teresa Schlup of Caffeine Creative (WP) 

Robyn White of RDW Design Studio (WP) 

Alethea Copelas of Inspired Website Design (Wix)

PodMatch 

Chantelle Davis Gray's NEW Card Deck "It's Grow Time!" 

Spotify Playlist featuring a ROUNDUP of Collaboration Pods 

Quote from Episode: 

"The best part of collaborating is believing you’re better together. That you can both bring your unique gifts to the table and that when combined, they are like a magic superpower.” - Karen Kenney 

About Me: 

I’m Emily Aborn, a Small Business Copywriter and host of Content with Character. I’m beyond passionate about helping small businesses grow with out-of-the-box, human-centered, personality-filled marketing. Sharing your work goes beyond strategies and frameworks, content for content’s sake, more social media posts, more, more, more. Successful marketing begins with genuine connection and being the real YOU. 

Let's Connect: 

Email: [email protected]
Website
Facebook
Instagram
LinkedIn

Text Emily!

How do I grow my podcast? How do I grow my business? 

They seem like good questions, but in reality, they’re a bit open-ended… hard to define. What does “grow” even mean? 

I’m doing something totally different in this bonus episode!

This month is all about COLLABORATION on the Content with Character podcast and in the name of collaboration, I wanted to share this powerful takeaway from a fellow podcaster and collaborator, Dave Campbell. 

Dave is here to bring insights that will help you focus on who's already engaged, already listening, and already cheering you on to GROW. 

Key Takeaways:

• How to define what growth actually means for your business or podcast
• Embracing the power of one listener and the ripple effect they can create
• Shifting your mindset from building an audience to building a community
• Engaging with current listeners to increase loyalty and retention
• Measuring success through depth of connection, not just downloads.

Resources & Links: 

Dave Campbell, host of the How to Podcast Series 

Podcasting Made Simple Podcast 

Dave's Episode on Podcasting Made Simple (includes blog article!) 

About Dave and his link: 

Empty nest Dad, musician, podcaster, and collector of people - I love having conversations with creative people and building bridges with others via podcasting. In a world that seems to value our differences over what we have in common, I am hoping that we can leverage the power of our words and a life well lived and well loved.

Website: https://truemediasolutions.ca/

Dave Campbell on Social Media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | TikTok | YouTube

About Me & Connect: 

I’m Emily Aborn, a Copywriter, Content Marketing Consultant, Speaker, and Podcast Host. I live in the backwoods of New Hampshire, where my husband and I spend time preparing for winter, wishing it was summer, hiking, reading, and playing Crib Wars (IYKYK). 

Email: [email protected]
Website
Facebook
Instagram
LinkedIn

Text Emily!

I've seen far too many podcast guests and speakers who are just winging it... 

Underplaying the gift and opportunity of being a guest, their lack of preparation translates into less impact and being just a tad uh, underwhelming. 

In this episode, I'm going to give you some KEYS to being an outstanding podcast guest or speaker, what you need before getting started, and what you can safely forget about! 

Your guest prep talk includes: 

• The power and potential of guesting and speaking opportunities 
• Who podcast guesting and speaking makes a great fit for 
• Who should pause prior to pitching 
• A list of assets from A-Z (well, they're not actually in alphabetical order) 
• What you can safely ignore and not worry about for now 
• How to come up with your topics 
• A few key secrets to successful pitching 
• Ways to stand out as an EXCEPTIONAL guest
• And more! 

Your Prep Checklist (things your one-sheet, website, Google Doc, etc. should ((ideally)) contain):  

1. Contact information: phone, email, etc, social accounts
2. First and third-person versions of your bio 
3. 3-5 Topics 
4. Sample questions, takeaways, bulleted teaching points 
5. High-resolution headshot (not a selfie!) 
6. Links to past interviews or speaking clips and/or short video intro, audio speaking clip, etc. 
7. Articles, related resources, or blogs written by you that are related to the topic 

Links and Resources Mentioned: 

Emily Aborn's Podcast Guest Bundles 

Barb Davids, Ande Lyons, and my upcoming LIVE event: Become Their Favorite Podcast Guest

Samson Q2U Microphone

PodMatch (affiliate link, but I'm an affiliate because I LOVE IT, so there :)

About Me and Let's Connect, please! 

I’m Emily Aborn, a Copywriter, Content Marketing Consultant, Speaker, and Podcast Host. I live in the backwoods of New Hampshire, where my husband and I spend time preparing for winter, wishing it was summer, hiking, reading, and playing Crib Wars (IYKYK). 

Email: [email protected]
Website
Facebook
Instagram
LinkedIn

Text Emily!

Looking to be a guest on more podcasts? 

Want to improve your guesting/hosting skills and be a better collaborator? 

This month, we're breaking down the numbers to help you become even BETTER and know how to spend your time, money, and energy for maximum possibility. 

Business is a balance of profit and soul and podcasting is a blend of art (heart) and science. Knowing the truth of the numbers can help you grow in confidence and become even better at your craft. 

In this episode, I walk through the time, energy, and financial investment from a guest and host standpoint as we focus on: 

• How much time it takes to become an exceptional host and guest 
• How much time it takes for solo episodes, guest episodes, pitching, guesting, prep, post-production, and more 
• The energy in and out of podcasting and guesting
• The cold hard cash: how much money can you make podcasting?
• And more! 

Podcast Hosts Mentioned: 

🎙️ Shoutout and THANKS to friends and fellow podcasters Barb Davids of the Small Business Sweet Spot, Kristy Ouellette of Talk Travel to Me, TC Burr of The Write Mindset, and Lindsey Dreyer of The Happy Agent Co. Podcast 

Resources and Groups Mentioned: 

🚢 Seas the Day, Not the Panic: Overcoming Cruise Fears (Talk Travel to Me)

🐝 Buzzsprout (affiliate link) 

👉🏻 PodMatch (affiliate link) 

👯 New England Podcasters Group 

🎤 Samson Q2U Microphone 

🎶 Premium Beat -Royalty-Free Music 

🎙️ MY Podcaster Done-for-You Guest Bundles 

📣 UPCOMING LIVE with Me and Barb Davids on Thursday, August 28th! 

About Me, Your Host and Small Business Copywriter, Emily Aborn 

I’m Emily Aborn, I’m a Copywriter, Content Marketing Consultant, Speaker, and Podcast Host. I live in the backwoods of New Hampshire where my husband and I spend time preparing for winter, wishing it was summer, hiking, reading, and playing Crib Wars (IYKYK). 

Email: [email protected]
Website
Facebook
Instagram
LinkedIn