The Ramble Refinery with Heather Sager

Is your message catnip to your audience? Clarity in your message comes from taking action over and over. The more you speak, the more you learn about what creates those “aha” moments where your message clicks with your audience.  Yet, so many business owners try to think their way through why their messaging isn’t landing. They’re caught in the perfection trap leading them to believe they don’t belong on stage until everything is figured out. The truth is they’d get a lot further faster by testing it in front of an audience. That’s exactly what Merritt Onsa, a dream coach, who helps Christian women step into their purpose, experienced. Fast forward to today, and Merritt just had FOUR speaking opportunities offered to her! Merritt dropped gems in this conversation that will hit home for any business owner wanting to improve their messaging, tune in to hear our conversation.EPISODE  SHOW NOTES👇https://heathersager.com/episode213Send us a textSupport the show🔗 Grab the latest FREE resources: https://heathersager.com/start 🔗 Browse all episode shownotes: https://heathersager.com/blog 👋 CONNECT WITH HEATHER:Work with Heather: https://www.heathersager.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theheathersager/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/HeatherSagerIf you’re loving this episode, please take a moment to rate & review the show. This helps me get this message to more people so they too can ditch the hustle 24/7 life.

Imposter syndrome can strike anyone, leading to battles with self-doubt and an inner voice who notices every fumble so it hisses unhelpful things like, “you don’t know what you’re doing” or “you’re an idiot.”After 20+years as a speaker, I know first-hand that voice never quite goes away. But, I’ve also learned there are plenty of ways to shush it. And that’s what Sydnea Lewis, a Signature Talk Accelerator alumni, joined me to discuss. Sydnea is an experienced brand and marketing strategist and college professor, yet a year ago she found herself sharing her ideas and avoiding social interactions with peers and on social media.Yep, imposter syndrome had Sydnea in its grips, but her experience in the Signature Talk Accelerator gave her practical tactics to embrace the fear of speaking and move forward despite it.Fair warning: As always, you’re in for a real discussion. None of us has it all together. We’re all works in progress, but the insights you’ll take away from our conversation will propel you forward on your journey to becoming a more confident speaker.In this episode, Sydnea and I discuss:The imposter syndrome struggle experts faceOne mindset shift which hugely dials down your nervesThe messy middle of getting your first talk doneA strategy to keep your talk focused even when you go off on a tangentTo script or not to scriptWhy critiques are a crucial part of improvement, even though they feel scaryThe joy of the speaking snowball effectHow getting comfortable with discomfort leads to growth in your personal lifeEPISODE  SHOW NOTES👇https://heathersager.com/episode212Send us a textSupport the show🔗 Grab the latest FREE resources: https://heathersager.com/start 🔗 Browse all episode shownotes: https://heathersager.com/blog 👋 CONNECT WITH HEATHER:Work with Heather: https://www.heathersager.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theheathersager/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/HeatherSagerIf you’re loving this episode, please take a moment to rate & review the show. This helps me get this message to more people so they too can ditch the hustle 24/7 life.

Dream of making an impact with your message?Whether you’re a seasoned speaker or have a message in your heart you know the world needs to hear, your voice is the most powerful tool in your toolbox to reach the people you want to serve. By sharing your ideas and experiences it’s possible to profoundly impact your audience's lives. In fact, I’ll step up onto my soapbox and say if you have the ability to help others it’s your duty to do just that. Often people with a desire to help people feel conflicted about muddying their mission by trying to make money, but to effectively be a catalyst for change, you’ll need to confidently sell your ideas without guilt. And having a passion for helping others doesn’t need to equal pennilessness, friends. If you want to keep sharing your gifts with the world, you’ll need to make money too. In this episode, you’ll hear…Why honoring your audience is the cornerstone of driving real changeOne shift that elevates how you serve others with your messageThe relationship between money and missionHow competence leads to confidence on stageThe real deal on feeling weird about your callingA tough love pep talk on speaking with purposeWhat it means to sell your ideasEPISODE  SHOW NOTES👇https://heathersager.com/episode211Send us a textSupport the show🔗 Grab the latest FREE resources: https://heathersager.com/start 🔗 Browse all episode shownotes: https://heathersager.com/blog 👋 CONNECT WITH HEATHER:Work with Heather: https://www.heathersager.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theheathersager/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/HeatherSagerIf you’re loving this episode, please take a moment to rate & review the show. This helps me get this message to more people so they too can ditch the hustle 24/7 life.

Are you an 11th hour presentation prepper? Pride yourself on your knack for ‘speaking off the cuff’ on stage? Consider yourself charismatic? While these qualities can help you navigate all kinds of scenarios, if you've developed a habit of preparing your talk at the last minute, then there’s a good chance your message is getting muddy.Consequently, making it difficult for your audience to decide if they want more from you, because you’re forcing them to weed through stories, details, and ideas that aren’t necessarily relevant to them. But what if you decided to strategically plan how to land the plane on your next talk, so your audience felt deeply seen and heard and you felt confident you’re on the right track to hit your goals?Well, I know what would happen, and my instinct is you do too. Your next talk would have a more tangible ROI than praise, claps, or kudos. Tune in and hear:Why winging it on stage is an ego play, not a strategic moveWhat your audience wants from you every single timeWhy being prepared isn’t the same as being boring or scriptedThe reputation and revenue riskWhether you might be a ‘Winging it Wanda’ How to start preparing for the wins you want from the stageEPISODE  SHOW NOTES👇https://heathersager.com/episode210Send us a textSupport the show🔗 Grab the latest FREE resources: https://heathersager.com/start 🔗 Browse all episode shownotes: https://heathersager.com/blog 👋 CONNECT WITH HEATHER:Work with Heather: https://www.heathersager.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theheathersager/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/HeatherSagerIf you’re loving this episode, please take a moment to rate & review the show. This helps me get this message to more people so they too can ditch the hustle 24/7 life.

Every opportunity to speak on someone else’s stage is a privilege because they’re trusting you with their audience..But where is the line between it being a great opportunity to grow your business and selling yourself short?Yes, free speaking can be a powerful tool in your marketing strategy…however without a purposeful plan in place you can end up adding another to-do item to your task list without any real payoff for all your hard work. A worthwhile trade-off for speaking on stage for free can and should be something that’s aligned with your bigger business goals. Before you commit to your next unpaid talk, let’s dissect the nuances of free speaking—understanding the real costs it requires, how to filter opportunities that come your way, and if you have to say no, how you can decline gracefully without slamming shut doors to future collaborations.This episode is a gold mine of insights to help you navigate and make smart decisions for leveraging free speaking gigs as the massive marketing opportunity they can be for your business. In this episode, you’ll discover:What essentially is free speaking and the intangible cost it requires Understanding the Law of Reciprocity—the balance between what you’re giving vs what you’re gettingThe Pros and Cons of speaking for free— is it right move for you to market and grow your businessClarifying questions to help you filter if an opportunity is going to be worth your timeHow to gracefully say no to opportunities that aren’t great fit for you (without feeling like a total jerk)Plus some examples and tactics to use free speaking opportunities to grow your business and monetize your time off stageEPISODE  SHOW NOTES👇https://heathersager.com/episode209/Send us a textSupport the show🔗 Grab the latest FREE resources: https://heathersager.com/start 🔗 Browse all episode shownotes: https://heathersager.com/blog 👋 CONNECT WITH HEATHER:Work with Heather: https://www.heathersager.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theheathersager/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/HeatherSagerIf you’re loving this episode, please take a moment to rate & review the show. This helps me get this message to more people so they too can ditch the hustle 24/7 life.

Have you ever beat yourself up when things don’t play out like you planned? Oftentimes, we become so obsessed with our expectations, we feel disappointed or give up when things don’t go perfectly. Even though we logically know that life rarely goes as planned.In today’s episode I’m sharing with you the behind the scenes of my life and business on how “plans” have evolved in little AND big ways over the last 6 months.  Fom selling our home in a difficult market, the surprising twist of merging two brands only to untangle them 6 months later, to the super specific tech decision I had to make this month (plus answering the big question about my surprise third pregnancy: was it planned?!)Change isn’t easy and sometimes it’s downright scary! But when you learn to pivot and adapt with purpose, you’ll become even stronger.Tune in for an episode packed with real-life experiences, actionable strategies and tips that will help you navigate life's unexpected twists (and of course I weave this into how to embrace unexpected challenges when speaking live). Ignite your hustle with a fresh perspective on the importance of flexibility in business and life! In this episode, you’ll learn:What happens when you tend to get tied to an exact plan or become obsessed with your process How can you be more flexible and embrace change not only in your business but also when it comes to speaking (hello tech snafus or unexpected disturbances)Reflection questions to help you cut the clutter and simplify things in your businessWhy your ability to make swift decision is more important than what you decidePlus exciting updates for what’s next with Team Heather SagerEnjoyed this episode? You also might love: Ep #187 - Hot Take: I Failed, Publicly and Here’s What I LearnedEp #161 - I launched a new businessEp #55 - How to handle tech surprises when virtually speakingEp #44 - Make Fear Your Homeboy with Judi HollerEPISODE  SHOW NOTES👇https://heathersager.com/episode208/Send us a textSupport the show🔗 Grab the latest FREE resources: https://heathersager.com/start 🔗 Browse all episode shownotes: https://heathersager.com/blog 👋 CONNECT WITH HEATHER:Work with Heather: https://www.heathersager.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theheathersager/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/HeatherSagerIf you’re loving this episode, please take a moment to rate & review the show. This helps me get this message to more people so they too can ditch the hustle 24/7 life.

Creating amazing content is half of the marketing battle…the other half comes from rolling up your sleeves and earning eyeballs on your business.Maybe one of those questions you’ve wondered about is this:How do I get more eyes on my content if I don't have a large following?It’s a question I’ve heard on repeat over the last year that’s why I’m tackling it on today’s podcast episode.So if you’ve been frustrated by slow audience growth, feeling like you’re constantly creating but the only people who engage with your content are your sister and great aunt…this is the episode you need to listen to on repeat.It’s a recast of an oldie but a goodie episode from two years ago where I walk you through 5 specific ways to increase your visibility even if you have a small audience. It’s  filled with tactical ways and actionable advice to help you get fired up,  step up to the mic, start making an impact and truly help people regardless of what size your ‘following’ is.In this episode, we’ll dig into:Getting clear on what your audience size is and what exactly it means for youThe importance of consistently tracking your metrics and the incremental changes in your businessWhy you should stop waiting for your ideal person to come to you (and what you should do instead)5 specific places to look at  to get in front of your ideal audience Plus tactical ways and examples on how you can approach this to help you reframe your mindset if you feel awkward pitching yourselfQuick note: this episode originally aired two years ago, so a few things mentioned in the episode are out of date (like the name of my program and my opt-in freebie, but the message is TIMELESS). EPISODE  SHOW NOTES👇https://heathersager.com/episode207/Send us a textSupport the show🔗 Grab the latest FREE resources: https://heathersager.com/start 🔗 Browse all episode shownotes: https://heathersager.com/blog 👋 CONNECT WITH HEATHER:Work with Heather: https://www.heathersager.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theheathersager/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/HeatherSagerIf you’re loving this episode, please take a moment to rate & review the show. This helps me get this message to more people so they too can ditch the hustle 24/7 life.

Are you ready for a mind shift that could change your life?Join us in today’s episode as we do a throwback to my interview with the incredible Jill Stanton of The Wealthy Course Creator duo and The Millionaire Girls Club.Get ready for a deep dive into the power of our thoughts, how they can either uplift us or pull us down and the crucial role of mindset to reach our goals.Jill offers insight into how to recognize these negative thought spirals that often hold us back—interrupt them and then redirect our thoughts towards growth and positivity giving us the ability to see life's challenges from a fresh perspective.Tune in and ignite your mind with this transformative conversation and learn how to replace fear, self-doubt and disempowering beliefs by embracing one’s vulnerability and switching that default mode of worrying to being willing.In this podcast interview, Jill shares:Her struggle of self-doubt, how her past experience shaped her beliefs and behavior and how she stays future focused The importance of choosing thoughts and beliefs to catch oneself when spiraling into negative or disempowering thoughtsThe power of asking better questions to redirect one’s focus and perspectiveThe strength that comes from embracing vulnerability and being unapologetically youSwitching to impact goals instead of income goals (think of the people you’re meant to serve!)And of course, how she approaches speaking on a stageQuick note: this episode originally aired two years ago, so a few things mentioned in the episode are out of date (like the name of BOTH our programs, but the message is TIMELESS). EPISODE  SHOW NOTES👇https://heathersager.com/episode206/Send us a textSupport the show🔗 Grab the latest FREE resources: https://heathersager.com/start 🔗 Browse all episode shownotes: https://heathersager.com/blog 👋 CONNECT WITH HEATHER:Work with Heather: https://www.heathersager.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theheathersager/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/HeatherSagerIf you’re loving this episode, please take a moment to rate & review the show. This helps me get this message to more people so they too can ditch the hustle 24/7 life.

When most entrepreneurs think of speaking, they think of either professional speakers charging a fee for their talk or speaking for free to get experience to eventually command a fee. But this concept of trading money for time wasn’t why you built your business, and speaking for free without a strategy isn’t going to lead you towards the results you want. The good news is that this isn’t the only way to speak to get results in your business.  In today's episode, I'm sharing with you my interview on the Sweet Life Podcast with April Beach where I explain the two types of speaking business models you can use to grow your business. We’re going to dig into my unique approach to sales and will share with you the step by step process to effectively use speaking opportunities into a money maker for your biz.This conversation is filled with GOLD and tangible strategies so be sure you don’t miss this one!In this podcast interview with April, I share:How speaking fits into your business and how you can leverage this to grow your businessThe types of Speaking Business Models and understanding which one aligns with your goals and strategiesThe importance of having a signature talk—one that connects to your offers and to the solutions that you provideWhy listening to your prospect and understanding the context of their problems are critical steps for a successful sales callMy unique approach to sales—3 steps that you can follow to effectively use speaking to grow your businessEPISODE  SHOW NOTES👇https://heathersager.com/episode205/Send us a textSupport the show🔗 Grab the latest FREE resources: https://heathersager.com/start 🔗 Browse all episode shownotes: https://heathersager.com/blog 👋 CONNECT WITH HEATHER:Work with Heather: https://www.heathersager.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theheathersager/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/HeatherSagerIf you’re loving this episode, please take a moment to rate & review the show. This helps me get this message to more people so they too can ditch the hustle 24/7 life.

Get ready for a thought-provoking conversation with the remarkable entrepreneur, Gloria Chou as we challenge the go-to definition of success and dive deep into Gloria's transformative journey.Gloria is an expert in helping small business owners, especially bootstrapped founders and women of color, amplify their message and be seen and heard in the world. Despite her unconventional path to the world of PR, Gloria has unlocked the secrets to success in her own unique way.In this episode, you'll discover:The driving force behind Gloria's passion for helping others be seen, heard, and valued.A deep dive into Gloria's early entrepreneurial days, where she shares her evolution, pivots, and the invaluable lessons she learned along the way.The pivotal moment that compelled Gloria to reassess her relationship with money and her tips for transitioning from a scarcity to abundance mindset.Insights into how Gloria shows up in her business and effectively leads her remote team.A fresh perspective on hustle culture and an alternative definition of success that will challenge your beliefs and inspire transformation in your own life and business.Join Heather and Gloria as they delve into Gloria's incredible journey, from her background as a U.S. Diplomat to the rapid growth of her own business over the past two years. This inspiring conversation will make you reevaluate your relationship with money and redefine your own path to success.Tune in now to gain powerful insights from Gloria Chou and embark on a transformative journey to redefine success in your life and businessEPISODE  SHOW NOTES👇https://heathersager.com/episode204/Send us a textSupport the show🔗 Grab the latest FREE resources: https://heathersager.com/start 🔗 Browse all episode shownotes: https://heathersager.com/blog 👋 CONNECT WITH HEATHER:Work with Heather: https://www.heathersager.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theheathersager/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/HeatherSagerIf you’re loving this episode, please take a moment to rate & review the show. This helps me get this message to more people so they too can ditch the hustle 24/7 life.