In this Social Media Decoded episode, marketing strategist Lindsey Wagnon breaks down how women founders can ditch hustle culture, simplify their marketing, and scale sustainably—especially in the first 1–3 years of business. We cover lean-budget marketing, post-purchase automations that turn buyers into promoters, and the exact systems Lindsey uses to show up consistently without a huge team or ad spend.

• The lean, high-impact marketing moves to grow on a shoestring
• How to set up post-purchase funnels that create repeat buyers & referrals
• A simple, sustainable content system for busy women with a 9–5
• What to stop doing (common money/time wasters in early marketing)
• How to align your schedule, boundaries, and business model to avoid burnout

Lindsey Wagnon — Founder, Lindsey Wagnon Marketing; host of The Savvy Startup Marketer podcast; specialist in strategic, affordable, automation-driven marketing for women-owned small businesses.
Website: lindseywagnon.com
Instagram: @lindseywagnonmarketing

In this fun and insightful episode of Social Media Decoded, host Michelle Thames chats with Kaelyn Urena, Founder & CEO of Socially Smooth, to uncover why so many entrepreneurs and brands are struggling to get engagement on social media—and how to fix it fast.

Kaelyn shares her top strategies for creating actionable content, sparking meaningful engagement, and building a loyal, thriving community. If you're tired of posting and getting nothing but crickets, this episode is your wake-up call! Learn how to create content that actually connects, works with the algorithm, and turns followers into superfans.

Whether you're a coach, content creator, small business owner, or digital marketer—this is a must-listen!

What You'll Learn in This Episode:
✅ Why your content might be flopping (and how to turn it around)
✅ The key ingredients of content that gets people talking
✅ How to create social posts that build real community
✅ What most brands get wrong about engagement
✅ How to use storytelling, trends, and consistency the right way
✅ Kaelyn’s favorite hacks for beating the algorithm and staying relevant

Guest Info:
🔗 Website: talbotmedia.tv
📲 Instagram: @kaelyn_nicole__, @socially.smooth, @talbotmedia

Connect with Michelle:
💻 Website: www.michellethames.com
📲 Instagram: @michellelthames

SEO Keywords (include in upload platform tags & blog post):
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Think PR is only for big brands with big budgets? Think again. In this episode of Social Media Decoded, host Michelle Thames sits down with Katrina Owens, founder of Knockout Directive and a top brand and publicity expert, to reveal how any personal brand can use public relations to skyrocket visibility and attract game-changing opportunities.

Katrina shares how one speaking gig completely transformed her career, why building a “blue ocean” personal brand is your ticket to standing out, and exactly how PR can fuel your social media growth. You’ll discover practical, beginner-friendly PR strategies you can start using today to get featured in podcasts, publications, and stages—without waiting for a massive following.

Whether you’re a coach, service provider, or online entrepreneur, this episode will teach you how to pitch yourself with confidence, leverage your wins for more visibility, and build a brand that feels famous for the right reasons.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

Ways to repurpose and leverage PR wins for long-term growth

Connect with Katrina Owens:

Join the Fame-Ready Challenge: https://knockoutdirective.myflodesk.com/fame-ready-challenge

Let’s Connect & Get Your Freebie!

Stay inspired and get daily visibility tips—follow Michelle everywhere:

Get your FREE $200-a-day Story Strategy guide HERE!

If you’re still telling people to “click the link in bio,” you might be losing sales. In this powerful Fast-Fix Friday episode, host Michelle Thames breaks down why DM automation is outperforming traditional links—and exactly how to use it to convert more leads and boost engagement on Instagram.

Michelle shares:

The secret to turning your content into a 24/7 lead machine

Plus, get her Done-for-You DM Automation Mini-Kit—with pre-written templates you can plug into ManyChat or Meta’s native tools for just $10.

If you’re tired of low clicks and zero conversions, this episode is your sign to stop linking out—and start closing inside the DMs.

Stay inspired and get daily visibility tips—follow Michelle everywhere:

Get your FREE $200-a-day Story Strategy guide HERE!

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In this inspiring episode of Social Media Decoded, host Michelle Thames sits down with Deidra Fogarty, business coach, marketing strategist, and founder of Black Girls Teach. Deidra shares how educators can turn their classroom expertise into thriving coaching and consulting businesses. If you’re an overworked teacher ready to monetize your skills and build a personal brand that pays, this episode is packed with game-changing insights.

Whether you're a current educator or recently left the classroom, you'll learn how to package your knowledge, position yourself as a thought leader, and confidently step into entrepreneurship.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:
✅ Why educators already have expertise that can be monetized
✅ The first steps to building a profitable personal brand as a teacher
✅ How to turn your educational background into a thriving coaching or consulting business
✅ Social media tips to build visibility and attract clients
✅ A mindset shift from being a teacher to becoming a CEO
✅ How Deidra helps educators package their offers and make consistent income

Guest Info:
👩🏽‍🏫 Deidra Fogarty is a former teacher, assistant principal, and instructional coach turned business strategist. Through Black Girls Teach, she helps educators launch and grow successful online businesses by leveraging their expertise.

🔗 Work With Deidra: https://bit.ly/Work-with-Dee
📸 Instagram: @teachmedee | @blackgirlsteach
🌐 Website: blackgirlsteach.com | deidrafogarty.com

Let’s Connect & Get Your Freebie!

Stay inspired and get daily visibility tips—follow Michelle everywhere:

• Instagram: @michellelthames
• Threads: @michellelthames
• LinkedIn: Michelle L Thames
• YouTube: Michelle L Thames
• Podcast: Social Media Decoded

Ready to increase your Visibility? Join the FREE 7-Day Visibility Challenge HERE

Get your FREE $200-a-day Story Strategy guide HERE!

Want my proven story strategy that’s helping women earn $200/day from their audience? DM “STORY” to me on Instagram (@michellelthames) and I’ll send you my favorite visibility and sales framework—free for listeners!

In this real and raw episode, Michelle Thames shares her behind-the-scenes journey of pivoting her marketing agency while actively building a personal brand media company in real time.

She dives into why she walked away from the traditional done-for-you agency model, how she's evolving her business to align with her values, and what this shift means for women entrepreneurs, creatives, and founders who are craving visibility with more freedom and purpose.

Whether you're a multi-passionate entrepreneur, a coach, or a content creator thinking about rebranding, shifting directions, or expanding your personal brand, this episode is for you.

Topics Covered:

• Why I’m pivoting out of agency life
• Building a lean, impactful media company
• What I’m keeping vs letting go
• How I’m integrating coaching, community, retreats, and strategy
• Building a personal brand media company for visibility & legacy
• What this means for YOU (and how we can work together)

Let’s Connect & Get Your Freebie!

Stay inspired and get daily visibility tips—follow Michelle everywhere:

• Instagram: @michellelthames
• Threads: @michellelthames
• LinkedIn: Michelle L Thames
• YouTube: Michelle L Thames
• Podcast: Social Media Decoded

Ready to increase your Visibility? Join the FREE 7-Day Visibility Challenge HERE

Get your FREE $200-a-day Story Strategy guide HERE!
Want my proven story strategy that’s helping women earn $200/day from their audience? DM “STORY” to me on Instagram (@michellelthames) and I’ll send you my favorite visibility and sales framework—free for listeners!

Ever wondered what it really takes to sell out a women’s business event? In this no-fluff episode of Social Media Decoded, Michelle Thames takes you behind the curtain of Elevate & Empower LIVE 2025—sharing her proven strategies for curating the right room, building buzz, and delivering massive value that converts.

You’ll discover why most events leave you with just a selfie (and no ROI)—and how Michelle flips the script with a playbook that prioritizes execution, community, and results.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

Meet the 2025 Speaker Lineup:

Candace Junée (Epic Fab Girl): Marketing expert and offer-crafting powerhouse for ambitious women entrepreneurs

PLUS:
Michelle’s real talk on why she hosts events (and how they’ve changed her life and business), behind-the-scenes moments, and how you can get in the room—or steal her blueprint for your own.

Ready for more? Download Michelle’s free Event Promo Pack for scripts, outreach templates, and her full event checklist.
Join the email list to get first dibs on tickets, bonuses, and resources to take your brand to the next level.

Resources Mentioned:

Stay inspired and get daily visibility tips—follow Michelle everywhere:

Get your FREE $200-a-day Story Strategy guide HERE!

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Michelle Thames breaks down the exact email pitch and follow-up cadence that secured her speaking slot at the Black Women’s Expo—and then hands you her “Stage-to-Story” workflow for turning one talk into five high-performing Instagram posts. Perfect for creators, coaches, and service pros who want to book stages and squeeze weeks of content (and revenue) from a single appearance.

Use the Stage-to-Story checklist to plan five posts from one talk.

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This episode hands you a clear, week-by-week roadmap for August, showing exactly how to fix your funnel, optimize one platform, activate community, and upsell with smart surveys—so you can boost visibility and revenue without overwhelm.

Get your FREE $200-a-day Story Strategy guide HERE!

Post a screenshot to your Stories with the week you’re tackling first and tag @socialmediadecodedpod and @michellelthames. Your plan could be highlighted in an upcoming recap.

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Instagram has quietly rolled out a change that lets Google index your public posts, opening the door to evergreen search traffic. In this episode Michelle Thames explains what “indexing” means, why it matters for creators and brands, and three quick optimizations you can apply this weekend to start showing up in Google results.

Power tip: cross-linking your post in Threads for instant backlink juice

Post a fresh carousel with slide-by-slide keyword variants and a clear CTA.

Check out the new Visible & Booked merch and share how you’re wearing it!

Stay inspired and get daily visibility tips—follow Michelle everywhere:

Screenshot this episode and tag @michellelthames with your biggest takeaway.
Share your thoughts on Spotify comments or on Threads—Michelle loves featuring listener wins and tips!

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