The Business of You with Rachel Gogos

A picture is worth a thousand words, but are they the right words?

Professional photos build trust, credibility, and emotional connections with your audience, making them essential for building your online presence and growing your business.

However, entrepreneurs often make common mistakes during photoshoots, such as not taking a variety of photos, using poor lighting, or wearing clothes that don't match their brand colors.

Creating a lookbook with styles that align with your brand and being mindful of backgrounds and clothing colors can help minimize post-shoot editing. Additionally, regularly updating your professional photos every couple of years, or more frequently if you are highly visible online, keeps your brand image current and authentic.

Being in front of the camera can be intimidating, but as with so much in life, the best thing you can do is relax and have fun so your best self can shine.

Quotes

"It does make your website look incredibly good when you have high quality photos of yourself."

"It is another form of positioning, how you want to be perceived or, you know, authentically projecting your image online."

"We can put our words out there, but putting a photo along with those words on social media posts just helps it stand out more."

"Remember, the brain consumes images, I think faster than text."

" If you're a speaker, or a podcaster, great to get photos with your microphone."

"Have yourself photographed in your element."

"Another popular tip that we often give our clients is make sure your hands are visible in photos because that is a trust builder too."

"I think our designer would be really upset If we didn't mention, think of the color of your clothing before you do your photoshoot. She's spent so much time photoshopping people's clothing color, so it matches their website and their brand colors."

"Common mistakes entrepreneurs make when it comes to personal brand photography, and how to avoid them, I would say they don't take enough variety of photos. Having more is always better."

"Most of the time, we are our target audience, just a few steps ahead."

"It's so important to tap into who you truly are, and not try to project an image of yourself that you're not when doing a photo shoot."

"Just be who you really are, and your right clients will be attracted to you. And it's okay if your photos don't resonate with everybody, because everybody's not going to be your ideal target client."

The right mindset is crucial to your business success. Just ask our latest podcast guest, Erin Marcus, whose mindset work took her business from $11,000 in revenue to multi-6 figures in just 18 months.

Erin is the Founder and CEO of Conquer Your Business, a business consulting firm that specializes in helping service professionals go from Business Operators to Business Owners. Erin is the chief strategist and thought leader behind not just her own success, but those she has advised throughout her 25-year career.

After making the successful leap from corporate executive to entrepreneur, Erin has used her experience and MBA education to help her clients reach heights they never dreamed possible.

Her accomplishments have earned her several noted awards, including Business of the Year in several different associations, two-time Trailblazer of the Year in her previous franchise system, and Employee of the Year during her corporate tenure.

The Constraint Theory

The Constraint Theory emphasizes the importance of finding bottlenecks. For entrepreneurs, Erin says that the biggest bottleneck in your business is often your limiting beliefs about what's possible.

If you came from a corporate background before starting your business, you bring those narratives from your old industry with you. It's important to unpack those beliefs to uncover your own identity and definition of success.

On her own entrepreneurial journey, Erin invested a lot of time and energy into rewiring old beliefs. She attended conferences, worked on her money mindset, and started paying closer attention to her thought patterns–and the more she worked on her mindset, the more success she experienced.

Hire for Horsepower

One of the biggest limiting beliefs that Erin sees in her entrepreneur clients is the belief that it's hard to find the right people to hire, or that hiring a team is an expense they can't afford.

In reality, when you hire the right people, they help you earn more revenue faster than you ever could have on your own. Erin says Conquer Your Business never would have reached its current level of success if she hadn't taken the leap to hire her first VA. If you're feeling hesitant, remember that you don't necessarily need to hire full-time employees–you can start with contracted help for just a few hours a week.

As the founder, it's tempting to try to do everything yourself, but there's always a trade-off. In a small business, there's no room for redundancy; every hire needs to either directly contribute to the business's revenue or free up your time so that you can focus on money-making activities. Focus on the activities that produce the most results for your business and delegate the rest as much as you're able.

Enjoy this episode with founder Erin Marcus…

Quotes

"I knew that whatever I wanted, I had to go out and make it happen."

"When most people go into their own business, at least one of the reasons is to create some version of freedom."

"They're not buying you, they're buying the outcome."

"The first few years are such a fast-paced journey, you're not the same person you were when you launched your business."

"The thing that's out there that looks like pressing an easy button, the thing that's all too often marketed as an easy button, is a marketing tactic…there's nothing wrong with tactics, but they don't solve systemic business problems."

"Hire for horsepower, not task rabbits."

"When you do it correctly, your team doesn't cost you money. It makes you money."

"What are the fewer actions that if I just did them would produce 10x the results? What if you just did those and hired out the rest?"

"It wasn't what I was doing that was causing the problem, it was what I was thinking. I couldn't come up with the right things to do because I couldn't come up with the right way to think."

"Sometimes when things don't happen, that's also for a reason."

Links mentioned in this episode:

Visit Erin's website: https://conqueryourbusiness.com/

Connect with Erin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinmarcusconqueryourbusiness/

Diversifying income streams is crucial for mitigating risks and ensuring financial stability, but it's important to establish a strong foundation with one core offer before strategically expanding.

At The brandiD, Rachel Gogos initially focused on personal branding but later broadened their services to include website development and theme creation. This diversification allowed them to serve a wider audience and enabled brandiD clients to monetize their personal brands right from the start.

All entrepreneurs have to balance between risk and reward. Operating from a place of confidence rather than desperation involves carefully managing income streams to ensure sustainability and growth.

Prioritizing income streams strategically is key, and having a reliable source of income during the early stages of launching a passion project will help you find financial stability.

Quotes

"You never want to put all your eggs in one basket."

"However, when you are starting as an entrepreneur, you do just want to have one particular income stream, you want to figure out that offer and really refine it and nail it and figure out how to market it and not add any other offers until until you have really gotten that one grounded and, and working in your favor."

"In the consulting world, they say it's feast or famine, you're either super busy or not busy enough. So having some diverse income streams outside of your business can just help ease your mind and help you weather those famine times."

"Until you really launch your offer to the market, you don't really know how they're gonna react from it."

"You want to test on your actual audience and then just refine, refine"

"I thought it was really important from day one to have a way to monetize your personal brand."

"Become known for the one thing that you're great at, and then use that notoriety to launch other things."

"When you're desperate for business, people can sense that energetically. And you don't want to be searching for business on sales calls when you're feeling that way. You have to really be in a space where you feel abundant and confident in selling your services."

Links mentioned in this episode:

Episode 135 | Personal Branding Tips You Need to Know in 2024 with William Arruda: https://thebrandid.com/podcast/135-personal-branding-tips-you-need-to-know-in-2024-with-william-arruda/

Faith and business are more powerful together. That was Hayley Hunter Hines's realization when she left behind her successful corporate career to begin a journey of faith-based entrepreneurship.

As the creator of the House of Sparkle, Hayley is a spiritual advisor and business strategist for visionary leaders around the world. She is the director of the Soul Sparkle Sanctuary, a leadership development program for women, and the founder of the Soul Sparkle Society, a luxury travel membership experience.

Hayley is a conduit of unconditional love and grace and is committed to leading a revolution of spiritual teachers and leaders who serve from the depths of their souls. Her vision is to help Soul Centered CEOs make millions and create a global impact.

Mixing Business Strategy with Spirituality

Before starting her business, Hayley worked as a senior-level executive leading strategy and new product development in the corporate wellness industry. She combines her 20+ years of business experience with spirituality to bring the head and heart together.

In her daily routine, that means leaving time for stillness: prayer, meditation, breathwork, and movement. Her spiritual practice comes first every morning to help her prepare for the rest of the day.

She spends plenty of time outdoors exploring nature and limits her call schedule to create as much white space on her calendar as possible. She creates an annual plan for the business but also leaves room for divine downloads.

Creating Your Life and Business by Design

Hayley has been intentional about designing a business that serves her life. In her corporate career, she checked all the boxes but still felt unfulfilled. Her business was born out of a desire to create a life she loved–starting with travel.

Hayley is based in Sardinia, Italy, and hosts luxury retreats around the world. She starts the retreat planning process by finding the perfect location and then simply extends the invitation to her audience.

While some businesses use retreats as sales opportunities for other offers, Hayley views her events as transformative experiences in and of themselves. The first few people who sign up are enough to cover the expenses, which makes her events both transformational and highly profitable.

Listen to how she does it in this episode with faith-based founder Hayley Hunter Hines…

Quotes

"There's a definite competitive advantage when you utilize the full expression of a human."

"When you see that you can do anything and anything is possible, it's phenomenal what comes through."

"That's how my life happens. It's divine appointment and intuition, and I just follow the call."

"To me, life is in the day-to-day."

"So many women come to our events because, for such a long time, they've wanted to do that. They've longed in their bones and bellies to travel to these fabulous places, but they haven't given themselves to do it. That to me is the foundation of a soul sparkling life: giving yourself permission to do extraordinary things, whatever that means for you."

Links mentioned in this episode:

Soul Sparkle Living website: http://soulsparkleliving.com

Free meditation giveaway: https://soulsparkleliving.com/soul-sparkle-self-love-opt-in-page

Connect with Hayley on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=784697192&ref=xav_ig_profile_web

Creating a polished media kit or one sheet is essential for maximizing opportunities to showcase and share your expertise.

These marketing materials should be concise, scannable, and tailored to different target audiences - think journalists, podcasters, bloggers, influencers, and potential business partners or investors.

The key components are: a brief biography, compelling testimonials, key statistics, contact information, and content themes. It's also crucial to include high-quality photos and professionally designed layouts to leave a lasting positive impression.

Remember to regularly update these materials to reflect any changes in your statistics, testimonials, or expertise, to ensure that you're always putting your best foot forward.

Quotes

"In the one sheet, we like to always include a little bit of a biography on the person that it's about and testimonials about the person."

"It's always good to include some key stats about them and their following."

"The best person to contact to hire this person or schedule an interview for them is also really important to the one sheet."

"In the media kit, we actually include the one sheet. But you could put an extended bio in there and include more about the founder's story. Adding press releases around the company or the individual is also really helpful."

"Also having an FAQ section is great."

"If they're being positioned as the speaker, you want to include, and you can also put this on the one sheet, by the way, content themes or titles of presentations that they might give."

"The goal of the kit is to make it very easy for a journalist or someone who is hiring a speaker to gather a lot of information around the person that they're evaluating and make a decision to hire them."

"For people who are positioning themselves, It's also really nice to have a speaker's reel on your website, and that could be an accompaniment to the media kit."

"Photos are super important. I have gotten media one sheet, you know, pitches to our own show where the photo of the person being pitched is just a horrible resolution or just an unflattering photo, or you can tell it's a really old photo also. And I would say that is the biggest turnoff. "

"Scannable content is huge because people don't have a lot of time to make these decisions and, and they want to be able to make them quickly."

"The other important thing is why would I, or whoever you're pitching to, why would I want to have them on? What questions can they answer?

"Spend money on getting it professionally designed and laid out. If you have a website, make sure it has a cohesive look and feel to your website or say your LinkedIn background, these are small details, but I think they matter."

"I think they really make a difference to how you're showcasing yourself."

Few people embody the balance between business and faith as well as Reverend Dr. Nicholas Louh.

Father Nick is the Senior Priest of St. John the Divine Greek Orthodox Church. He's known locally and nationally as a devoted pastor, motivational speaker, and passionate advocate for interfaith dialogue and social justice. He has a heart for providing practical means to help people bridge their faith into everyday life.

Father Nick travels the country leading retreats on understanding and living out God's purpose. He is the co-host of a live weekly call-in radio show with his wife, Dr. Roxanne Louh, called Live With The Louhs, and also shares daily inspirational radio messages on 92.5 FM.

Marrying Your Faith with Your Business Goals

Father Nick advises entrepreneurs to stay humble. Know that everything you have comes from God–your gifts, talents, and money. When you receive blessings in your business, view it as an opportunity to give back to your community. Be a helper, not a hoarder.

Although it's important to be conscious of the bottom line, don't lose sight of what truly matters–the purpose behind your work and the people you're serving.

Father Nick recommends that faith-based entrepreneurs have a mission statement. Write down your core values and how they show up in your business. Create a work culture that demonstrates those values, and model the behavior you want to see in your team. Remember that people pay more attention to how you act than what you say, so set an example by showing your employees what those values mean.

How to Build a Brand as a Person of Faith

Although Father Nick didn't set out to build a personal brand for himself, it's been a natural byproduct of his passion for the work. He and his wife Dr. Roxanne have helped many people apply what they call "practical Christianity", combining their expertise in faith and psychology.

Father Nick's online presence has helped his church reach wider audiences. They receive inquiries from people across the country who have heard Father Nick speak on video or podcasts. All of this furthers their church's mission to share the teachings of Christ.

Enjoy this episode with Reverend Dr. Nicholas Louh…

Quotes

"The real brand for us is Christ."

"We never want to shine the light on us, it's always about Christ."

"We're simply using the gifts God has given us for his glory."

"I'm not looking for you to change the world but if you can simply change your little world…if everyone changes their little world, then ultimately we do change the world."

"The culture of the business is centered around using the gifts that we're given to make a difference."

"The American dream shouldn't be about consumption, it should be about compassion."

"What would God tell you to start doing that you're not doing? And what would he tell you to stop doing that you are doing?"

Links mentioned in this episode:

Visit the Louhs' website: https://thelouhs.com/

Connect with Father Nick through his church: https://stjohnthedivine.com/staff/rev-dr-nicholas-g-louh/

Connect with the Louhs on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelouhs/

In business, it's crucial to adapt and evolve, which includes periodically reassessing and potentially repositioning your business to better serve your changing audience or your own professional growth. This often involves updating your website, refining your offers, and adjusting your marketing strategies. Ultimately, a forward-looking approach, with a focus on building the new rather than clinging to outdated strategies, will ensure you channel your energy into growth and innovation. Is now the perfect time to reinvent or reposition your business? Quotes

"People get tired of what they do too, right? They get burned out. And they also may want to shift or reposition themselves or kind of reinvent themselves for a number of reasons. One could be burnout. One could be they want to work with a different clientele. One could be redefining your target audience again, kind of gets back to: What do you wanna offer and who do you wanna work with and how do you wanna work with them?"

"Let's say you were a coach that was working one-on-one with people, and you're a little burned out of the one-on-one work. And you wanna do more, the one to many and scale your business in that way. Now, that is a subtle positioning change, but the way your offer needs to be restructured is what needs to change significantly. And then you also have to position that new offer in different ways through marketing techniques."

"You have to look at a few factors [when transitioning]. One is your income. How can your income stay consistent while you're making this shift and transitioning? Another factor to consider is if you have a team that works with you. How do you keep that team employed if they fit into your longer term plan as you're shifting? So, making sure that you have enough existing work coming in to support the team as you're starting to make a shift. So it could be more of a gradual shift and more of a long term shift. And then another factor to consider is how do you transition your existing target audience and the people you're working with to the new."

"With our own business, we redo our own website, anywhere from three to four years. We do kind of a massive redo with our website. And we change the copy and we change the look and feel.

"We are constantly up-leveling our own offers, our own image, you know, refining what we offer because our clients are also getting bigger and more sophisticated, and demand more, right?"

"The more we can reveal about ourselves that helps communicate our personality and helps communicate our reputation and helps communicate our intent in our values, the more we are kind of opening the kimono and revealing to people who we are so we can improve that know-like-trust factor and they feel comfortable getting into a business relationship with us."

"People can feel soul, right? AI doesn't have soul. That's what I always say, but people can feel true soul. It's maybe more ethereal again, maybe more subliminal, but people can sense it."

Links mentioned in this episode:

Episode 140 | What You Need to Know about Crafting Your Offer: https://thebrandid.com/podcast/140-what-you-need-to-know-about-crafting-your-offer

If you want to build a successful, profitable business that's driven by purpose instead of greed…this episode is for you!

Staci Wallace is the CEO and co-founder of the Fueled by Fire Mastery Program and Elite Masterminds, where she helps entrepreneurs build purpose-driven, highly profitable lives and businesses they love. She's also the founder of the non-profit EMpowering Women, which helps reignite the lives of women and girls who have been impacted by some of life's most difficult challenges.

Staci has owned, operated, or held Senior Executive positions in various multi-million-dollar businesses. Staci has grown sales teams to over 250,000 and has been a key component in leading multiple start-up companies from inception to over $350 million. She shares her success strategies as a highly sought-after keynote speaker and peak performance coach.

Building a Faith-First Business

For Staci, everything relates to faith. In her Fueled by Fire programs and masterminds, they use scripture to teach what Staci calls the Kingdom Way. Her purpose is to help people tap into a higher consciousness of thought, creation, and positive psychology for greater profitability and peace.

Peace Comes From Profitability

One of the areas Staci works on with her clients is unpacking their scarcity mentality around money. She helps them understand that the Kingdom of God is based on righteousness, peace, and joy–not material things. What most people want at their core isn't more money, it's more peace.

In Staci's view, peace comes from having more than enough to cover your needs and give to others. That's why her growth model focuses on profit and cash flow, not just revenue. Your business could be making millions in revenue but if you're not profitable, you won't experience peace.

Living Your Values

Your behavior as a CEO doesn't just impact you–it affects your team and your family as well. Whatever values you display, you will see reflected in those around you.

This is why it's so important to know your core values and make sure your brand consistently represents them. It's easy to say you're a faith-based company, but if you're not living those values daily, you can't expect others around you to.

Staci sees herself as the steward of her brand, representing something bigger than herself. If you're a faith-based entrepreneur, ask yourself not just how you want to represent your business, but how your work also represents God.

Enjoy this episode with faith-based CEO Staci Wallace…

Quotes

"If you have a goal that you believe God is asking you to achieve, then don't let voices or opposition come against you. Don't say 'I can't.' Figure out why 'I can.'"

"The only way you fail is if you quit."

"I thought I was a singer. I didn't realize I could actually help people move out of suffering."

"I really believe the success God has given me in business is because I was willing to surrender to the higher calling in my life."

"If we can't find it in scripture, we're not going to teach it."

"Money only makes you more of what you are."

"Revenue doesn't bring you peace. Cash flow brings you peace. Profitability brings you peace."

Links mentioned in this episode:

Visit Staci's website: https://www.staciwallace.com/home

Connect with Staci on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/staciwallace/

Growing up in a family business shapes entrepreneurial mindset, work ethic, and leadership style.

Rachel Gogos imbibed this essence of entrepreneurship and work ethic from an early age.

With Greek immigrant parents running their own restaurants, she experienced firsthand the hustle and dedication required for success. From playing behind the counter as a child to working various roles in her teens, Rachel learned the ropes of business operations and customer service directly.

The family business instilled in her a strong sense of culture and community, emphasizing the importance of treating employees like family.

This familial atmosphere cultivated resilience and adaptability, essential traits for navigating the challenges of entrepreneurship.

Drawing parallels between her family business and her own ventures, Rachel underscores the significance of exceptional customer service and a people-centric approach. Inspired by her father's ethos, she prioritizes humility, empathy, and a hands-on leadership style in her business endeavors.

Quotes

"I remember going to the restaurant when I was just old enough to walk. And it was just part of our family tradition that every Sunday after church, we would go to the restaurant for breakfast. And I thought it was a lot of fun to play behind the counter and, you know, do all the things that happen at a restaurant."

"Being the owner's daughter also made it even more demanding, I would say, because the expectations were really, really high around work ethic. So there was never a second to sit down." "Our web agency is very customer service driven, all about white glove service, high touch. And that definitely comes from my days in the restaurant world, because your best marketing is a customer who's going to say, 'You got to try this restaurant!' Right?"

"He [my father] has always taken care of his employees like family. Like he's treated them like family, whether they needed to borrow money, they were in a different sort of difficult situation in their personal lives. He's always been just kind of a father figure to many and, you know, protective of his team. And I think that creates a sense of loyalty, um, from the team. And I also think the customers felt it."

"My parents always talked about the work day and the business and what needed to change or, you know, what went on that day. I remember feeling a little frustrated that our dinner conversation morphed to always being about work."

"I think there's very much a mindset when one opens a business. They have to believe with their whole body that what they're creating is going to be successful. And what they need to do is pivot. If something isn't working, you've got to pivot, but it doesn't mean throw in the towel."

"When you work in a family business, there is a legacy plan that often, not always, but often is in place just because you know there is a next generation to leave something to."

Nick Ambeliotis knows what it takes to turn a small business into a national brand. Born from a deep-rooted appreciation for fine foods, Nick founded Mediterra Cafe to satisfy his longtime passion and to provide a warm and inviting gathering space for Pittsburgh natives and visitors alike.

Mediterra is a wholesale production facility for artisan bread whose customers include Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, and the Ritz Carlton. Nick opened his first cafe location in June of 2018 with the mission of serving high-quality coffee, pastries, breakfast, and lunch, in addition to hard-to-find cheeses, charcuterie, and more. They've since grown to three locations but remained a family-owned and operated business.

Spiritual Guidance

Advice from spiritual elders has played an important part in Nick's business journey. It was during an elder consultation at his church that he first decided to open a bakery, specifically with a mission-driven lens. Mediterra gives away hundreds of loaves of bread every day. Their facility in Arizona also makes extra bread to be transported to families in need in Mexico.

All three cafe locations have grown to incredible financial success, averaging $1,000/ft in sales per day–but for Nick, faith always comes first. His primary goal is always to be a good steward of the wealth the company generates, which means giving back as much as possible and sharing the company with his family.

Building an Industry-Leading Brand

If you want to build an industry-leading company, Nick says three main factors contributed to Mediterra's success. The first was Nick's willingness to learn from experts in the field. He spent years gaining practical experience working for his father's retail business and later for specialty food importers, learning the ins and outs of the industry.

Second, you need to understand your market. What do people want? At Mediterra, Nick was intentional about choosing cafe locations in neighborhoods with high foot traffic and disposable income; Mediterra sells handmade artisan bread, which means they need customers who appreciate premium products. They also started with a well-rounded list of product options to better understand which items were most popular.

Lastly, it's critical to hire the right people. For his service team, Nick prefers artistic types who are engaging and truly love talking to customers all day. No matter what role you're filling, it's important to hire people who take pride in their work.

On the backend, Nick provides specific instructions to make sure the work is done to a high standard, but ultimately he lets his employees do their own thing–micromanaging doesn't help anyone. The result is that several of his employees have moved just to follow their jobs at new Mediterra locations.

Running a Family Business

Mediterra Cafe is a true family affair. Both of Nick's sons are involved, as well as his daughter-in-law. Everyone has a part to play but they respect each other's roles. At family gatherings, they follow an unspoken rule to limit business talk as much as possible.

Nick says the key to working well with his children has been to remember that they're not children anymore–they're adults, and he hired them to do a job they're good at. It's better to let them learn their own way of doing things.

Second or third-generation entrepreneurs act differently from first-generation founders–and that's okay. Your company will benefit from new ideas that each generation brings.

Enjoy this episode with founder Nick Ambeliotis…

Quotes

"As many revenue sources as you can have, as long as they're good and you research them, you'll do well."

"We're a faith-based family, everything we do centers around Christ."

"You know if something is right or not based on how easy the door opens. If something doesn't open quickly, I just walk away because it's probably not meant to be."

"If you really pay attention in life there are miracles that happen every single day."

"The only way someone's going to learn is if they fail."

"There's a lot of sorrow in the world and a lot of people who are really suffering. So it's always been our mission: what can we do to help? We've never lost sight of that mission."

"I told someone when I started, they asked me, 'Why are you doing bread?' And I said because good bread crosses every socioeconomic group. It doesn't matter if you're a billionaire or you're living on the street, when you eat good bread you're going to know it."

"If you feel you're Christ-based, you're going to be shown the direction."

"I'm not worried about gaining wealth as long as you're a good steward of it."

"I want to leave the industry better than I found it."

"You can't listen to God and what he has to say if you're in all the noise."

Links mentioned in this episode:

Mediterra website: https://www.mediterracafe.com/our-vision

Connect with Nick on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-ambeliotis-10a69a18/

Follow Mediterra on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mediterracafe/