TCC Podcast #229: Getting The Right Publicity with Selena Soo

On the 229th episode of The Copywriter Club podcast, Selena Soo shares it all when it comes to publicity. During a difficult period, Selena began seeking information but found inspiration. Selena became a publicity strategist after stepping into the power of connecting others and helping people share their message with the world. If publicity isn’t something on your mind, it will be after listening in on this episode. In this episode, we cover: •   how to get your ideal client to find you •   why investing in yourself can change the game for your business and life •   the impact of hustle culture and seeking a balance •   when you include publicity, more eyes are on your core message •   the secret to building a strong body of work •   how to use being an introvert to your advantage •   why you need to clear on what you want to be known for •   what kind of media you should be in front of, plus how to decide on mainstream topics •   two techniques you can use to pitch yourself •   when and how to join the right mastermind programs •   why your body of work matters no matter the size •   the quickest, easiest way to amplify your message •   5 things you need to realize when it comes to mindset and pitching •   the truth behind being vulnerable online •   why sharing what’s important to you matters online •   if you’re showing up in any form of media, Selena shares what you need to have prepared New to publicity or maybe you never thought it was THAT important? Think again. You’re about to learn a thing or two from an expert connector. Hit play below! The people and stuff we mentioned on the show: TCC(N)IRL Event 2021 Free Video Series - Impacting Millions Program Selena's blog post about abuse Selena's free calendar Elizabeth Gilbert: Eat Pray Love Kira’s website Rob’s website The Copywriter Club Facebook Group The Copywriter Underground   Full Transcript: Kira:   Getting noticed by the right people is a talent. And while we've talked a lot about pitching on this podcast lately, I think we can all agree that life is so much easier when your ideal client finds you rather than the other way around. To get to that place in your business, it sure helps to have publicity, AKA other people sharing your thoughts and ideas on their platforms. That's something we can all use more of, right? Our guest for the 229th episode of The Copywriter Club Podcast is publicity strategist, Selena Soo. She didn't waste any time helping us figure out what we should be doing to get more publicity for our business. And we think you'll get a ton out of this interview too. Rob:   We'll get back to our interview with Selena in a moment. But first, this podcast episode is brought to you by The Copywriter Club (Not) In Real Life, or TCC(N)IRL. That's our event for copywriters and other smart marketers who want to learn more from experts like Joanna Wiebe, Carline Anglade-Cole, Todd Brown, Jereshia Hawk, Joel Klettke, Eman Ismail, and more than a dozen others. But TCC(N)IRL is about more than just presentations, it's about connecting with other copywriters, helping you to form real relationships, true friendships, and maybe even a successful partnership with another copywriter. To learn more, visit TheCopywriterClub.com/TCCNIRL-2021. And if you don't remember that link, you can find it in the show notes of this episode on The Copywriter Club website. Kira:   Now, let's jump into our conversation with Selena. So why don't you kick off your story just, how did you end up as a publicity and marketing strategist? Salena Soo:   Absolutely. It actually started in my mid 20s when I had a quarter life crisis. I was clinically depressed, I was having trouble eating and getting out of that in the mornings. I reached such a low point that my mom flew from Vancouver, Canada to New York at the time, just to be by my side to help me get through life. And she would get on the subway and take me to work, as if I was like a little girl going to school. And I remember saying to a friend, "I just need to find a way to feel better. Do you know anyone who can help me?" And I learned about this life coach. And she would organize a women's group, they would meet every Wednesday, and so I started going to those. And I got exposed to these experts and authors and inspirational personalities. And that's when I realized that when people are struggling and suffering, they're not just looking for more information, they're looking for inspiration, whether they're someone that doesn't have a sense of life purpose, or they're just really dying to strike out on their own and create their own dream business, or maybe they are looking to heal their health or leave a toxic relationship. And I just really felt like the world needs more role models and there's nothing more powerful than these people that embody that message of possibility. And so I would ask my friends, "Have you heard of this person? And that person?" And they had no idea who they were. And so I just became really passionate about helping people that had an important message or product or service that they really felt like could help other people improve the quality of their lives and not to be that best-kept secret. And so I started just being this connector, even as an introvert, I just had this passion for helping people that I admired. And so I would put entrepreneurs that I followed in touch with each other or in touch with the media, and they would start to get these amazing opportunities. And so when I did launch my business, I had a lot of support and people that wanted to see me succeed, people that were willing to give me endorsements, so that's how my publicity business got started. Rob:   Can I ask, what were the very starting things that you did in your business? Because I think there's a lot of people who are listening to podcasts who have seen you or heard you elsewhere. You've got this program that's massive, that's huge, it's promoted by a lot of people, but you didn't start there. Where did you start? What was the first product or what was the first service that you started offering clients that really got you going? Salena Soo:   Yeah. The first thing that I did was offer PR retainer services, where I would work with clients one-on-one to help them land publicity. My first client, or one of my first clients ended up being a little bit of a nightmare client. I was being paid well, I was able to negotiate like a $4,000 a month retainer. And that was exciting because I'm like, "Okay, I just need two clients to essentially have a six-figure business." But what happened is, I didn't know how to create boundaries and assert myself, and I was getting pushed around by this client, and it just reached a point where I didn't even want any clients so I was like, "Yeah, I'm good. I don't need new clients," but I only had one person. And then I learned that a bunch of women that I admired, they were part of this mastermind group, and I didn't know what a mastermind was at the time, but I saw that they were hanging out and learning and supporting each other and they all had successful businesses. And so I got on the phone with a coach and by the end of the call, I was ready to sign up for a $27,000 mastermind. I just knew, and I know it's crazy to go from making $4,000 a month to be like, "I'm going to be in this $27,000 mastermind." But I knew that I was someone who was smart, that I was able to help people. I just didn't really have that plan to be successful in my business. But joining the mastermind, it taught me about how to create group programs now that I was in this really great business program. And so shortly after, a number of months later, I created my own publicity mastermind, was started at 9,500 for six months. And then when I did it for a full year, I increased the price to 24,000. So being in that mastermind paid itself off very quickly because it helped me create a new business model. I basically went from one-on-one work to then creating a mastermind. Kira:   So I know you lived in New York for a while. How many years were you in New York before you left? Salena Soo:   I was in New York for 18 years. Kira:   That's right. Yeah. So I was there for 12 years. I know our time there overlapped, even though we never met. Can you just talk about how New York rubbed off on you? Maybe for good or for bad, business-wise, lessons that you took away from your time in New York that have influenced you as a business person, and maybe even personally outside of business. Salena Soo:   Yeah, absolutely. New York is such a magical city, and I'm grateful that I went to college there and it opened me up to a lot of different opportunities. I would organize conferences at Columbia University and NYU where I went to school, undergrad and then business school. And so I got to interact with a lot of high profile people. I had people like Ariana Huffington speak at my conference. Pattie Sellers who had built Fortune's Most Powerful Women In Business brand so forth. There were a lot of opportunities there to be a connector and to connect with the media. I would reach out to people in the media who I didn't really know, but I would invite them to events that I was organizing. Like I would organize Champagne Brunches over the weekend with girlfriends and other people in the media, and the secret to creating events that people want to attend is basically having at least two anchor people that others want to meet, like this famous person is coming or this really cool person is coming. And so, yeah, it gave you an opportunity to build relationships. Not that you have to be in person, but it can be helpful to have that as an option. And then I would say like in New York, Elizabeth Gilbert, she talks about, in her book Eat, Pray, Love, how there is a word that encapsulates every city. I think for Rome,