Your Sparkly Brand

Want to boost engagement on Instagram, YouTube, or TikTok? We got you!

In this episode of Your Sparkly Brand, Meg is sharing her top tips for increasing engagement on any social platform. She’s sharing her insights on what’s working right now in 2022. Implement a few of these strategies and get ready to watch your engagement numbers skyrocket!

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES

1:00 Meg’s sparkly moment of the week.

1:45 Lauren’s sparkly moment of the week.

2:30 How to get more engagement on social media…

3:40 Tip #1: ​​Ask questions.

4:55 Tip #2: Use “you” to grab attention.

5:25 Tip #3: Respond to as many comments as you can.

6:10 Tip #4: Use your computer instead of your phone to speed up the response process.

6:40 Tip #5: Video replies can be more fun for you and make your audience feel more special.

7:30 Tip #6: Ask more questions when appropriate to get more engagement. 

8:30 Tip #7: Mine the comments section to discover what your audience wants to learn about.

9:00 Tip #8: Use tools like Answer the Public / Answer Socrates / Ubersuggest 

9:35 Tip #9: Talk to one person.

10:30 Tip #10: Say something controversial or talk about something that has been in the news.

11:45 Tip #11: Add something unusual to the background that people can talk about.

13:00 Tip #12: Use captions to prompt engagement.

Did you enjoy this episode? If so, it would mean so much to us if you left a review. Reviews will help this podcast grow so we can make the world a little more Sparkly!

LET’S CONNECT

Is there a topic you’d like us to cover in an upcoming episode? Are you a business owner who wants to join us on the podcast to share your story? Send us an email at [email protected] to get in touch. 

Find Lauren at laurentassiagency.com or on Instagram

Connect with Megan at megangersch.com, on TikTok, and Instagram

Emily Aborn joins us to talk about pivoting in business, finding your brand voice, tips for content writing, and why you need to create a community of entrepreneurs. Emily’s done it all when it comes to marketing and running a variety of businesses. She shares many of the lessons she’s learned and advice for those just starting out. 

Emily Aborn is a Content Writer and owner of She Built This, a community for women entrepreneurs to build the dreams they have, together. She has 10+ years of experience working with entrepreneurs in various roles. She helps others create compelling content and copy throughout their branding!

She lives in NH with her husband, Jason, and their dog, Clyde. When not working, she can be found hiking, walking, cooking, reading, listening to music, or writing.

How to connect with Emily...

Website:​​ emilyaborn.com

Social: Emily's Instagram, She Built This Group Instagram

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES

00:30 Meet Emily Aborn!

1:10 Meg’s sparkly moment of the week! Check out Siteground here: https://www.siteground.com/index.htm?afcode=5aad1278cf953cd3ef1ff2c326a4709d

1:45 Lauren’s sparkly moment of the week. 

2:20 Emily’s sparkly moment.

3:15 Emily shares her entrepreneurial journey…

7:30 Lessons learned from wearing all the hats in business.

10:35 Why businesses need a brand voice.

12:00 How to find your brand voice. 

15:00 How to find inspiration when writing content.

16:45 Think of your content planning like a garden.

20:20 Why you need to build a community of entrepreneurs. 

22:00 “You don’t have a business if you don’t have a community.”

23:20 Emily’s big turning point.

25:10 Marketers to look to for inspiration.

26:30 Emily’s favorite content marketing tools. 

28:00 Advice for entrepreneurs just starting out.

29:45 Find Emily’s Podcast Pitching Guide on her website.

Are you subscribed to the pod? If not, what are you waiting for!?! Subscribe now so you never miss an episode.

LET’S CONNECT

Find Lauren at laurentassiagency.com or on Instagram

Connect with Megan at megangersch.com, on TikTok, and Instagram

Are you desperately in need of a vacation? Need to take some time off for health or family reasons? Pressing pause on your business can feel stressful and overwhelming — but it doesn’t have to!

In this episode of Your Sparkly Brand, we’re covering a topic ripped from the headlines of Lauren’s real life. How To Take Time Off As An Entrepreneur. She’s getting ready to log out for 2 weeks for her destination wedding and is feeling all the feels. Lauren’s sharing the strategies she’s implementing to take a break from her biz. Plus Meg gives us all the tips and advice she’s learned when it comes to taking time off as an entrepreneur. 

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES

1:10 Lauren’s sparkly moment of the week.

1:45 Meg’s sparkly moment of the week.

2:40 How to take time off as an entrepreneur…

4:00 Meg’s take on taking time off as a business owner.

5:50 “To be the best for your clients, you need that time to recharge and reset.”

7:25 Set business boundaries. (Listen to YSB episode #6 here: https://pod.fo/e/11074b)

8:05 Plan vacations during a slow season and let long-term clients know way ahead of time. 

9:20 Get someone to cover for you and/or delegate tasks while you’re away. 

10:35 Should you take your laptop on vacation with you?

13:05 Set an out-of-office email responder. 

13:35 Work ahead on projects so you don’t have twice as much work when you get back. 

14:20 Decide how you’ll manage your socials while you’re gone.

15:25 Add in buffer days so you’re not overwhelmed. 

Did you enjoy this episode? If so, it would mean so much to us if you left a review. Reviews will help this podcast grow so we can make the world a little more Sparkly!

LET’S CONNECT

Is there a topic you’d like us to cover in an upcoming episode? Are you a business owner who wants to join us on the podcast to share your story? Send us an email at [email protected] to get in touch. 

Find Lauren at laurentassiagency.com or on Instagram

Connect with Megan at megangersch.com, on TikTok, and Instagram

Everyone has an opinion on Upwork, but have you ever actually given it a try?

Lauren has made thousands on Upwork and found some dream clients there. In this episode, she’s sharing her strategy for how to get started making money on Upwork.

Grab this free Moneymaking Upwork Profile Building Checklist to get your profile in tip-top shape, so you can land your dream clients too!

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES

00:45 Lauren’s sparkly moment of the week.

1:20 Meg’s sparkly moment of the week.

5:40 Could Upwork be a good place for you to find clients?

7:45 Clearing up some misconceptions about Upwork.

11:10 Why you should be using Upwork.

14:00 The one big rule to Upwork: don’t take clients off the platform.

15:05 About Upwork fees

18:00 How to start making money on Upwork fast…

18:15 Step 1: Setting Up Your Upwork Profile

19:15 Step 2: Searching for jobs

22:25 Step 3: Submitting proposals

26:25 Step 4: Winning the job & Getting 5-star Feedback

31:00 Get your free Upwork Profile Building Checklist Here and let me know how it goes! 

LINKS WE MENTIONED

Download your Moneymaking Upwork Profile Checklist here: https://go.laurentassiagency.com/moneymaking-upwork-profile-checklist

Did you enjoy this episode? If so, it would mean so much to us if you left a review. Reviews will help this podcast grow so we can make the world a little more Sparkly!

LET’S CONNECT

Is there a topic you’d like us to cover in an upcoming episode? Are you a business owner who wants to join us on the podcast to share your story? Send us an email at [email protected] to get in touch. 

Find Lauren at laurentassiagency.com or on Instagram

Connect with Megan at megangersch.com, on TikTok, and Instagram

We’re back with another Q & A episode! Today we’re covering topics like how to get more organic growth on Instagram, how to build trust with a vintage business, and how to get started cold emailing.

If you have a question for us, send us a DM on social or an email to [email protected].

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES

0:40 Lauren’s sparkly moment of the week. 

1:20 Meg’s sparkly moment of the week.

2:30 How do I use my superpower of brainstorming and vision to create a business?

4:15 When you are merging 2 brands/websites and the brand name changes, what do you do with the domain names?

5:15 What content pillars should I use to bring more value to my audience for a business with handmade hair accessories?

7:10 My clientele is super niche - how do I build trust with the super skeptical 50-70 crowd? I have a vintage teacup business.

9:00 What strategy should I use for organic growth on Instagram and how can I nurture my audience?

12:45 How do I get started with cold emailing?

17:05 Any Pinterest marketing tips?

Did you enjoy this episode? If so, it would mean so much to us if you left a review. Reviews will help this podcast grow so we can make the world a little more Sparkly!

LET’S CONNECT

Is there a topic you’d like us to cover in an upcoming episode? Are you a business owner who wants to join us on the podcast to share your story? Have a question you’d like us to answer during a Q & A episode? Send us an email at [email protected] to get in touch. 

Find Lauren at laurentassiagency.com or on Instagram

Connect with Megan at megangersch.com, on TikTok, and Instagram

Ever feel like no gets how hard it is to run a business? Wish you didn’t have to do it all by yourself? 

Entrepreneurial loneliness is real! 

It doesn’t matter if you work from home by yourself or manage a team of 50. When you’re the one at the top making all the decisions, it’s easy to experience loneliness.

In this episode, we share 9 strategies for overcoming loneliness as an entrepreneur.

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES

00:50 Meg’s sparkly moment of the week.

1:35 Lauren’s sparkly moment.

2:35 Why it’s easy to feel lonely as an entrepreneur.

3:20 Lauren’s take on entrepreneurial loneliness.

4:45 Meg’s perspective on being the boss.

5:25 How to deal with loneliness…

5:40 Make business-minded friends IRL.

7:15 Connect with other entrepreneurs virtually.

9:05 Work with a coach, a mentor, and/or a therapist

9:40 Leave your house!

11:20 Prioritize relationships with people who support you.

12:10 Make weeknight plans.

12:40 Start a podcast.

13:30 Take classes in the middle of the day.

14:30 Adopt a pet!

Did you enjoy this episode? If so, it would mean so much to us if you left a review. Reviews will help this podcast grow so we can make the world a little more Sparkly!

LET’S CONNECT

Is there a topic you’d like us to cover in an upcoming episode? Are you a business owner who wants to join us on the podcast to share your story? Send us an email at [email protected] to get in touch. 

Find Lauren at laurentassiagency.com or on Instagram

Connect with Megan at megangersch.com, on TikTok, and Instagram

Want to level-up your marketing and increase sales? Take a good look at your customer’s pain points! 

In this episode of Your Sparkly Brand, we’re breaking down everything you need to know about pain points. We’ll show you how you can work pain points into your strategy so you can build trust with your customers and increase sales. Calling out pain points doesn’t have to feel gross or icky — you can do it ethically and we’ll show you how. 

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES

00:50 Lauren’s sparkly moment of the week. Superhuman Meditation App & Brain.fm

2:30 Meg’s sparkly moment of the week.

3:20 Pain points are essential for effective marketing.

3:45 What are pain points?

4:50 Your customer might not even realize they have a problem until you introduce pain points.

5:35 Pain points build trust with potential customers.

6:00 How do you identify pain points?

8:00 Universal pain points everyone is dealing with.

9:30 Additional pain points your customer may be struggling with.

10:45 How to use pain points in your marketing.

12:00 The Us vs. Them strategy.

LINKS WE MENTIONED

Superhuman Meditation App

Brain.fm

Did you enjoy this episode? If so, it would mean so much to us if you left a review. Reviews will help this podcast grow so we can make the world a little more Sparkly!

LET’S CONNECT

Is there a topic you’d like us to cover in an upcoming episode? Are you a business owner who wants to join us on the podcast to share your story? Send us an email at [email protected] to get in touch. 

Find Lauren at laurentassiagency.com or on Instagram

Connect with Megan at megangersch.com, on TikTok, and Instagram

Podcast publicity queen Christina Lenkowski joins us for this episode of Your Sparkly Brand! She shares the strategies she uses for herself and her clients that get them booked on countless podcasts. 

Wondering if you need a one-sheet or how to get over your fear of pitching? Christina will inspire you to take the leap so you can guest on podcasts and get in the ears of your ideal clients and customers. Plus she shares her secrets for turning podcast appearances into sales.

If you’ve been wanting to step up to the mic and raise your voice on podcasts, this episode can’t be missed!

Christina Lenkowski is a forward-thinking podcast publicist and educator for entrepreneurs, speakers, and authors looking to expand their credibility and go from “best-kept secret” to “go-to expert” in their industries through being a guest on other people’s podcasts.

In 2019, after 13 years working in the PR realm, Christina discovered what being a guest on podcasts did for her online-based business -- since then she’s dedicated her work to helping other business owners, particularly women, see the same kind of results.

She’s been a guest on over 30 podcasts, including Her Empire Builder, Proffitt Podcast, and Health Coach Nation, and helped her private clients get booked on over 50 top-rated shows, including The Online Business Show with Tyler McCall, The Heather Sager Show and Get Paid with Claire Pelletreau, among others.

Christina lives in Boise, Idaho, USA, with her husband and daughter.

How to connect with Christina...

Website:​​ publicityxchristina.com

Social: Instagram Facebook 

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES

00:35 Meet Christina Lenkowski!

2:00 Lauren’s sparkly moment of the week.

2:30 Meg’s sparkly moment of the week. Click here to check out Stan.

3:15 Christina’s sparkly moment of the week.

4:10 Christina shares her story.

9:30 Why you need to step into the “sustainable spotlight.”

12:27 Why the “spray and pray” method won’t get you booked on podcasts.

13:25 What entrepreneurs can do to get booked on podcasts.

15:45 Do you need a one-sheet to pitch a podcast?

18:30 How to do a podcast pitch sprint…

19:15 How to find the right podcasts to pitch.

22:20 Advice for entrepreneurs who may be scared to pitch or appear on podcasts. 

26:00 How to turn podcast appearances into sales.

30:00 Tools to maximize your podcast appearances.

31:45 Advice for young entrepreneurs.

32:45 How to work with Christina.

34:05 Find Christina on Instagram or take the Podcast Publicity Quiz to see what your next step is when it comes to podcast pitching. 

Are you subscribed to the pod? If not, what are you waiting for!?! Subscribe now so you never miss an episode.

LINKS WE MENTIONED

YSB Ep #8 Time Flow & Creativity w/Ros Croad

Podcast Publicity Quiz 

LET’S CONNECT

Find Lauren at laurentassiagency.com or on Instagram

Connect with Megan at megangersch.com, on TikTok, and Instagram

You’ve got questions about how to increase sales — and we’ve got answers! 

Welcome to the first Q & A episode of Your Sparkly Brand. We loved getting to answer these listener questions and will definitely be doing another Q & A episode soon. If you have a question for us, send us a DM on social or an email to [email protected].

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES

1:15 Meg’s sparkly moment of the week.

1:50 Lauren’s sparkly moment of the week. 

3:10 You don’t have a business if you don’t have sales!

4:15 How do you pre-qualify leads? 

6:15 Is there a better way to get people from TikTok to buy other than driving them to an email funnel?

8:25 How do I write a high-converting sales email funnel? 

11:30 Any advice on getting conversions up from going viral on Tiktok?

13:20 My website generates a lot of international traffic, but I struggle to convert them. Any tips?

16:10 How do I convert views into sales?

18:20 Is the Shopify ShopPay checkout option on IG / FB a good idea?

LINKS WE MENTIONED

Write Your Way To Freedom Copywriting Course

Book A Website Review with Megan

Did you enjoy this episode? If so, it would mean so much to us if you left a review. Reviews will help this podcast grow so we can make the world a little more Sparkly!

LET’S CONNECT

Is there a topic you’d like us to cover in an upcoming episode? Are you a business owner who wants to join us on the podcast to share your story? Have a question you’d like us to answer during a Q & A episode? Send us an email at [email protected] to get in touch. 

Find Lauren at laurentassiagency.com or on Instagram

Connect with Megan at megangersch.com, on TikTok, and Instagram

We’re excited to have SaRatta Murphy with us for this episode of Your Sparkly Brand! She’s sharing all her best tips, tools, and business-building strategies for female entrepreneurs. 

With two women-focused small businesses, SaRatta Speaks and expressions bracelets, SaRatta has a true passion for inspiring women.

expressions bracelets is an online handcrafted, jewelry and accessories company that specializes in telling your story. eb has been featured in numerous blogs, magazine articles, on podcasts, and television interviews and is available on the main website, Shop Essence, Amazon Handmade, Etsy, and in over 150 retailers across the country.

SaRatta Speaks is an online resource for boss women building boss businesses. SaRatta uses real-life experiences, tested strategies, and tactics to help other women build their boss business by tapping into how to THINK, PLAN, OWN, and ACT like a boss in your business and personal life. 

How to connect with SaRatta...

SaRatta Speaks Website:​​ sarattaspeaks.com

expressions bracelets Website: expressionsbracelets.com

Social: Instagram TikTok Pinterest

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES

00:30 Meet SaRatta Murphy!

1:35 Our sparkly moments of the week. 

3:15 SaRatta shares her story.

5:15 The biggest mindset shift that helped SaRatta grow her businesses.

6:30 The 5-step method for getting what you want from your business. 

10:15 Starting a jewelry business on Etsy.

11:40 SaRatta’s advice for Etsy sellers. 

16:10 SaRatta’s big turning point — understanding pricing and knowing your numbers.

18:15 Small businesses need to think big! Look at what the big brands are doing for marketing inspiration.

21:45 Time-saving tools & tips for small business owners.

23:15 Playing the long game on Pinterest. 

24:50 Advice for new business owners… It’s going to be ok! Keep learning!

25:30 Celebrating the 10th anniversary of expressions bracelets and the 2nd year of SaRatta Speaks.

26:15 Follow SaRatta on  Instagram, TikTok & Pinterest for empowerment and business-building strategies.

Are you subscribed to the pod? If not, what are you waiting for!?! Subscribe now so you never miss an episode.

LET’S CONNECT

Find Lauren at laurentassiagency.com or on Instagram

Connect with Megan at megangersch.com, on TikTok, and Instagram