What Works

In This Episode: * Why Martinus Evans started running in the first place* How his idea of a runner changed at the starting line of his first race* Why Toastmasters played a bit part in his decision to play bigger* How he’s defining his brand on his own terms My now-husband and I agreed on our second date: we are not people who run for fun. Run to escape zombies, sure. Run as a necessary part of a pickup game of basketball, okay. But run for miles on end chasing some feeling of inner contentment? Hell no. It was much to his dismay, then, when I started running 3 years ago. I started running because I wanted to move my body more and practice personal accountability. Running seemed the easiest way to do it—no gym membership, no expensive equipment. Just sneakers and pavement. But still, I was not running for fun. I was not one of those people. Now, let’s pause for a second and imagine what those people look like and sound like. Maybe you picture Rob Lowe’s character from Parks & Rec—high energy, frenetic, obsessive, and very trim. Maybe you picture marathon runner Des Linden who became the first American woman to win the Boston Marathon in 33 years back in 2018. She’s petite, wiry, and has that stare of someone completely focused on her goals. Maybe you picture a friend of yours, a coworker, or a family member who has been running their whole life. That’s how I pictured those people—the people who run for fun—a few years ago too. When I started running races, however, I realized that the picture of a runner that I had in my mind couldn’t be further from the truth. I mean, sure—there are plenty of wiry, high-energy, trim people who toe the starting line. But there are also people of all different shapes, personalities, and backgrounds who race, too. We’re all runners—no matter how “off brand” any of us might seem. Now, I know I use running & fitness metaphors quite a bit on this show. But today, there’s a very good reason why I’m talking about running. Back on that second date with my husband, I had a certain idea of who a runner was and how someone got to enjoy running. Think of that as the brand of “running.” When I started running, I didn’t feel very on-brand. Now, my guest is Martinus Evans, the host of the 300lbs And Running podcast and the founder of the Slow AF Run Club. Martinus isn’t very “on brand” either if you consider a runner someone wears short shorts and only eats salads. But Martinus is very much a runner. And Martinus has built a brand around rebranding who you think of when you think of a runner. Today, we’re talking about building a brand that defies convention and stereotypes. Martinus and I chat about how he got started sharing his journey to become a runner, how his first race changed his own idea of who a runner is, and why Toastmasters played a big part in him finding the confidence to go big. We also talk about dealing with negativity online and why he chose to create the Slow AF Run Club as a standalone community instead of a Facebook group. Now, let’s find out what works for Martinus Evans! ★ Support this podcast ★

In This Episode: * Shameless Mom Academy founder & host Sara Dean shares how her brand developed over time and in partnership with her community* Why she started the podcast in the first place, as well as why it was key she didn’t have a business in mind at first* How she came to understand the rewards of imperfect action* Why she took some big risks to bring her community together in person and how it paid off It’s tempting to think that you control your own brand. After all, you’re the one paying for the logo art, the web design, the copywriting, the photo shoots… Your money, your decisions. Your story, your brand. Except… A brand is really only as strong as the idea of it in your customer’s mind. Let me say that a different way: you can put loads of thought and money into carefully crafting a brand for yourself or your business but, at the end of the day, if the customer thinks of you or your company as something else entirely, none of that thought or money matters. Your brand is what your customer thinks it is. Your brand is what your customer thinks it is. It’s the impression they have about who you are, what you do, and how you help them. So in essence, all brands are co-created with their customers. We saw this in my conversation with Gina Bianchini from Mighty Networks in Episode 267. Gina and her team is in constant contact with their user base to understand how people want to use their product and what that means for leveling up the brand. We saw it again in Episode 268 with Alyssa Catalano from Studebaker Metals. Alyssa shared that their unique approach to genderless accessories was always sparking conversations with new customers. Those 2-way conversations go a long way to create a stronger brand identity for Studebaker. And I’ve experienced this first hand. The hardest part of my business transitions and pivots over the years hasn’t been the process of changing a name or redoing a website. That’s the easy part. The hardest part of rebranding has been rebuilding the idea our customers and community have about who we are and what we do for them. That process is never a one-way conversation. It’s collaborative and co-creative, especially in a community-based business like ours. My guest today also runs a community-based business and she’s intimately familiar with the role that her community members play in the brand she’s building. Sara Dean is the founder and host of Shameless Mom Academy. As the Shameless Mom Academy podcast started to take off, Sara realized that what she was creating wasn’t just hers. It wasn’t just her sharing her thoughts and stories behind a mic and her audience listening, all from their respective houses, in their separate communities. No, Shameless Mom Academy was a connection between women wrestling with their identities as mothers and ambitious women. This connection was the real story, the real brand powering an emerging business. Today, Sara leads the Momentum Mamas membership community, ★ Support this podcast ★

Well, things are weird out there. We’re all wondering how the coronavirus pandemic will shape our lives and work in the months (or years) to come. For many small business owners, there’s real uncertainty about how COVID-19 will play out. Many are feeling the immediate effects. More still are planning for the long-term fallout. Now more than ever, we need honest conversations that transcend the hype, uncertainty, and panic. This is a special episode of What Works. Normally on What Works, we talk with small business owners about what’s actually working for them. Not the hype about starting or growing a small business, but the reality of how marketing sales systems and management work on a day to day basis. But in this episode, I wanted to have an honest conversation with three business owners who I love and respect about the impact the COVID-19 pandemic is having on their businesses now and what they expect that impact to be in the coming months. I’ve personally had to make difficult choices this week, as well as leading our digital community through this uncertainty. So I know that the stress of the uncertainty is real. And while I know that nothing beats an actual conversation with another human being, I also know that, often, the next best thing is listening in to a conversation between people you trust. So that’s what I wanted to bring you today. I invited Jacquette Timmons, Autumn Witt Boyd, and Lauren Caselli to talk with me about their experience so far dealing with the COVID-19 crisis, the impact they’re experiencing now and how they’re preparing for the future, plus what they’re both fearful of and optimistic about. Jacquette Timmons is a financial behaviorist, the host of More Than Money, and a sought after speaker on how our choices impact our money. Lauren Caselli is the founder of Lauren Caselli events, a boutique events planning agency specializing in events for the tech sector. Autumn Witt Boyd is the founder of the AWB firm, a law practice that works with small business owners on intellectual property, contracts and agreements, and employment. Now, our goal was to give you a look at what we’re thinking about and how we’re approaching taking care of business and taking care of ourselves in this uncertain time. You’ll hear about the ripple effects we’re considering, the legal gray area we’re navigating, the way we’re planning for the short and long term, and you’ll hear about the emotional impact we’re dealing with. One last thing before we dive into this conversation: this conversation was planned in about 24 hours and we wanted to turn it around fast. In the process, we had some tech mishaps at the beginning of the recording, so we ended up recording on a platform that doesn’t have the sound quality you’re used to hearing on What Works. My hope is that you’ll value the conversation enough to forgive us for the lower fidelity! *** P.S. We know a lot of small business owners are looking for thoughtful spaces to process what’s going on, plan for the future, and connect with people who understand their concerns. We’ve extended a 30-day free trial of The What Works Network so you can join in on the conversati... ★ Support this podcast ★

In This Episode: * What Studebaker Metals stands for as a brand and how that shapes the choices they make about product, marketing, and messaging* Why they’re focused on producing genderless accessories—and how that impacts the conversations they have with customers* What their motto, “Slow is fast,” means and the role is plays in their brand positioning* How they make the choice about what stays and what goes when it comes to their product line Strong brands are focused and intentional. You know exactly what you’re going get from them. When a brand you’re a fan of rolls out something new, you already know you’re going to want it. They’ve sold you before they ever showed you the product—because they were never focused on selling you a product in the first place. They’ve been selling you on the idea behind the brand all along. Think Apple and how they leverage global attention with every new product cycle. Think Target and how they sell out of every new design collaboration. Think Glossier and how they’ve encouraged a generation of women to think about makeup in a new way. Think Everlane and how I just had to try out the performance leggings they just rolled out. They’re great, by the way. Strong brands aren’t just for big companies or mid-sized direct-to-consumer businesses. Even a tiny business can build a strong brand. But since tiny businesses lack the ability to invest heavily in brand-building advertising, it means the burden for brand development is on conscious, intentional choices about messaging, product development, and organic marketing. Tiny businesses have an even greater need to stay focused and intentional if they want to build a strong brand. This week, my guest is Alyssa Catalano, the co-founder of Studebaker Metals—a metalsmithing and accessories brand that epitomizes focused and intentional choices. Alyssa and the Studebaker Metals team have made careful brand choices about everything from how they style their products to how their products are categorized to the tools they use to craft their products to the messaging behind the products. Alyssa and I talk about the unconventional choice to produce unisex accessories, why slow is fast and what that has to do with their brand positioning, and how their brand plays out in advertising, plus the roles of timelessness and place in how their brand is built. Now, let’s find out what works for Alyssa Catalano! What Works Is Brought To You By Mighty Networks powers brands and businesses – like yours! – that bring people together.With a Mighty Network, online business owners just like you can bring together in one place: * Your website* Your content* Your courses* Your community* Your events online and in real life* And charge for them…all while building YOUR brand. Visit mightynetworks.com to see more examples of brands bringing people together and taking their businesses to the next level. ★ Support this podcast ★

The Nitty-Gritty: * How Gina Bianchini has been leading a slow & intentional brand evolution at Mighty Networks* Why customer feedback has been the key factor in how the brand (and product) has adapted* How the Mighty Networks team is using an online course to gather more customer feedback and create a plan for the future of the brand* What led to leveling up the Mighty Networks visual brand in 2019 Brands evolve. Sometimes brands evolve naturally—think Dunkin’ Donuts changing their name to Dunkin’ to reflect the fact that more people think of them as a coffee place than a donut place. Sometimes brands evolve… unnaturally—think Weight Watchers changing their name to WW because, well, I’m not sure why other than they’re trying to stay afloat as more & more people care more about health than weight loss. The reason that brands evolve is that a brand is only as strong as its reputation in the mind of the customer. A company doesn’t—can’t—have sole ownership of a brand. A brand is what the customers believe it is. Yes, a company can influence a brand’s reputation and story—but it doesn’t own it. Brands are co-created with the people who engage with it. This month, we’re examining how brands are built. No, we’re not talking about where to get a logo done or what color scheme to use on your website. We’re talking about how the people you care about—your customers, clients, and prospects—remember your business. We’re talking about the story you tell about what you do, why you do it, and who you do it for. And we’re talking about what it takes to define a reputation and a presence when there are so many things competing for the attention of our people. Over the course of this month, you’ll hear from Martinus Evans who is redefining what it means to be a runner with his podcast 300lbs And Running and his community, the Slow AF Run Club. You’ll hear from Stasia Savasuk about how her journey to discovering her personal style taught her about establishing a personal brand. And you’ll hear from Alyssa Catalano from Studebaker Metals about how what you offer defines your brand. But today, we’re kicking things off with Gina Bianchini from Mighty Networks. Now, as you probably already know, Mighty Networks is a sponsor of What Works. Plus, we’re proud users of their community-building and course delivery software. And, as such, I’ve seen the Mighty Networks team go through a careful brand evolution over the last 3 years. In fact, Mighty Networks brand evolution is a perfect case study in co-creating a brand with the people who engage with it and that’s exactly what I wanted to talk with Gina about. Gina and I chat about what’s stayed the same and what’s changed over the last few years as Mighty Networks has grown and grown. You’ll hear about Gina’s light bulb moment, how building a community for Mighty Networks users helped her see how people were really using the software, and why she decided to build an online course. Plus, you’ll hear how all of this learning helped Mighty Networks create a stunning new visual brand, in-house, ★ Support this podcast ★

The Nitty-Gritty: * The day Melissa Urban realized she needed to do more to make the Whole30 community more inclusive* Why she’s chosen to be public about her learning when it comes to diversity, equity, and inclusion* How Dr. Carrie Kholi-Murchison is taking the lead on efforts to make sure everyone feels seen and heard within the community* What unique challenges Whole30 faces in their DEI efforts* Why listening is at the heart of so many of the initiatives they’re rolling out Who’s missing here? What points of view, what lived stories, what experiences aren’t represented here? Up until a few years ago, this is a question I didn’t think to ask. The reason I didn’t ask those questions, simply put, is because the spaces I was in—the spaces I had created—seemed so normal to me. The spaces I was in and the spaces I had created were full of middle class, white women. If I’m being frank, the only question I would ask from time to time were: where are the men? Which probably just further proves my point… I was used to seeing men around, so I questioned it when they weren’t there. I wasn’t used to seeing people who had different points of view, different lived stories, and different experiences than mine so I didn’t notice they were missing. Who’s missing here? It’s a question that asks so much more of me as a leader than to “simply” even out the demographics. “Who’s missing here?” asks me to consider why people are missing in the first place. What is it about the way I’ve built my business, my community, my brand that doesn’t create space for people who are different from me? Over the last few years, like many white women I know, I’ve been on a personal growth journey to better understand systematic oppression and internalized bias—and their role in my business. I’m personally invested in this journey. I’m politically invested in this journey. And yes, I see this journey as integral to my effectiveness as a leader and entrepreneur, too. I do not have answers. I don’t even have all the questions! But I’m learning and sharing that learning with you is important to me. While there are many white women entrepreneurs who are on this journey with me, few have been so public about her learning, her missteps, and the action she’s taking in her business as Whole30‘s Melissa Urban. About a year ago, shortly after I finished my own life-changing Whole30, I noticed that Melissa announced she was searching for someone to lead diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts for her company. I kept my eye on those developments and always enjoyed seeing her update her audience on the hire and progress they were making. So when we decided to do this month on leadership, I knew I wanted to talk with Melissa and the woman she hired to fill this role, Dr. Carrie Kholi-Murchison, now Whole30’s Director of People & Culture. I wanted to find out why and how Melissa has been leading so publicly on this front—and I also wanted to find out what Kholi was doing to lead this change internally in the organization. This conversation has been several months in the making—even though we recorded it less than a week ago! ★ Support this podcast ★

The Nitty-Gritty: * What values are woven through Rob Walling‘s many ventures* Why he started MicroConf and how it’s a direct reaction to so many communities & events for founders* How Rob sees his role as a leader of a rapidly growing community* How he turns his values into policies, systems, and operating procedures no matter one business he’s working on “Different is better than better.” That’s what Sally Hogshead says. Sally is a brand expert and the creator of the Fascination Advantage Assessment, which helps entrepreneurs and leaders discover what’s naturally fascinating about themselves. What she means is that better is fleeting. It’s uninspired. “Better,” she says, “keeps you chained to the same way of working as your competition.” Being different, on the other hand, helps you stand out. Being different helps you gather the right people around you—because they immediately see what you’re about. Different helps you win on your own terms. So how do we arrive at “different?” How do we build our brands, our ideas, our businesses to be different? Different is a result of operationalizing our values. This month, we’re working our way through a series of conversations about leadership. Specifically, I’ve been talking to small business owners about how they lead with their values and how those values pop up in their businesses in their systems, policies, and operating procedures. Today, my guest is Rob Walling and Rob is committed to doing things differently. Rob is best known for his leadership in the world of bootstrapped software-as-a-service businesses. He is the founder of Drip, MicroConf, and most recently TinySeed. He’s also the host of Startups for the Rest of Us and the author of Start Small, Stay Small. Rob has chosen, from the beginning, to do things differently—and the reason is his values. His values led him to realize that he could build a business without playing by everyone else’s rules—and that’s made him a leader for thousands of others who are looking to do things differently too. I talk with Rob about the throughline that weaves his different ventures together, the values that define his work, how his community and events are a reaction to the “standard” in his field, and how he views his role as a leader. Plus, I ask him how he’s ensuring his values continue to play out as his community rapidly expands. Now, let’s find out What Works for Rob Walling! ★ Support this podcast ★

The Nitty-Gritty: * The “fetal position” moment that led Shannon Siriano Greenwood to start Rebelle* Why belonging, inclusivity, vulnerability, and authenticity are the top values the community leans into* How the details and design of each event help bring the values to life* How she sees her role as a leader within the Rebelle community* How she’s managing the growth of Rebelle so that she ensures its values continue on Stepping up as a leader takes a willingness to walk a fine line. On one hand, you become a leader because there is a community, an organization, a group, or a movement that you care passionately about. Your leadership is an expression of belonging at the same time it is a question of possibility. On the other hand, as a leader, you have a responsibility to set the tone, to hold others accountable, to make decisions for the group, and set standards. Your leadership is product of always being a few steps in front of the rest of the group. Whether you’re leading a team, a community, your current clients, or a bevy of customers, every small business owner is a leader. Which means you—yes, you listening right now—are walking this fine line whether you realize it or not. This month, we’re examining leadership and specifically how we lead with our values—and turn those values into systems and action. One way that we, as leaders, can make sure our values are known and that our actions support the kind of culture we want to create within our businesses, is by recognizing our role as members of the group we lead. If you’re leading a team, you’re a member of the team. If you’re leading a community, you’re a member of that community. If you’re leading a movement, you’re a member of that movement. Yes, you have a role and responsibility that is separate from that—and often takes up much more of your time and attention. But you’re in it, too. And that’s important. Last week, Erica Courdae shared that one of the ways she leads is by modeling how she wants her values to play out. She shows up and does the work just like she wants her staff to. This week, my guest Shannon Siriano Greenwood, echoes something similar. When I asked her how she views her role, she told me that she sees herself as much as a member as a leader. In my own business and The What Works Network, this is also how I’ve learned to see things. If I model the kind of behavior I want to see play out, others will follow my lead. If I show up as a member in our community, others will mirror what I do. That’s not how I used to operate, though. I used to think that being a leader meant distancing myself from the people I lead. It meant being different and doing differently. What I’ve learned is that being a leader is both/and. I’m both a member of my community and the one that sets the standards. I’m both a member of my team and the one that makes the plans. If I’m careful and thoughtful, I can do both. And now, it’s time to get to this week’s guest. I’m thrilled to bring Shannon Siriano Greenwood back to the podcast. Shannon is the founder of Rebelle, which started as a conference and grew into a whole community of women ... ★ Support this podcast ★

The Nitty-Gritty: * The frustrating situation that led Erica Courdae to go on her own and create Silver Immersion, an inclusive hair and beauty company* How Erica has developed her voice and ability to stand up for what she believes in* Why modeling is a key way she leads her team—and her clients* How she made the transition into coaching and decided to specialize in diversity, equity, and inclusion for business owners* Why Erica takes a stand for imperfect allyship and how that plays out in her business Values. We talk a good game about having values, living our values, and even running a business with our values. But, like, what does that really mean? It’s not enough to have them written down somewhere. It’s not enough to put them on your website. It’s not enough to talk through them with a new hire. No, values can be, should be, the filter for how we do everything in our businesses. Part of our job as business owners—as leaders—is to ensure that the values we hold dear are operationalized in our work. It’s our job to make sure values turn into systems, product features, or boundaries with clients. Strong leaders turn values into action. This month on What Works, we’re talking about leadership—and specifically, we’re talking about how leaders operationalize their values, how they turn values into action, structure, and systems. I’m fascinated by the creative ways that entrepreneurs operationalize their values. I’m fascinated by how values make decisions easier, policies clearer, and plans stronger. I’m fascinated by how brands display immense leadership by doing things differently than the norm—all inspired by their values. And I’m fascinated, of course, by the results that businesses see because of how they operationalize their values: stronger communities, bigger movements, more brand recognition, and, yes, often more profit, too. Displaying strong leadership and operationalizing our values isn’t squishy and it’s certainly not just a nice-to-have. It’s become the bar we have to rise above if we want the work we do to be relevant and meaningful. Over the course of this month, we’re going to hear from leaders who have operationalized their values in a variety of ways. You’ll hear from Shannon Siriano Greenwood, who has built an incredible, values-driven community with Rebelle. Shannon is now expanding outside of the Richmond area and I wanted to hear how she’s taking her values into new territory. You’ll hear from Rob Walling, a serial entrepreneur, podcaster, and the founder of MicroConf. Rob has intentionally an event experience that’s different than others in the same field by focusing on his values. You’ll hear from Melissa Urban and Carrie Kholi-Murchison from Whole30 on why they’re investing in making the Whole30 community a more diverse and inclusive community—and what steps they’re taking to do it. But today, my guest is Erica Courdae, the founder of Silver Immersion, a Baltimore-area hair and makeup business, as well as a diversity, equity, ★ Support this podcast ★

The Nitty-Gritty: * How Kickass Conferences founder Isaac Watson manages massive projects like organizing a conference* The 5 phases that each event plan goes through and how project management works at each stage* What tools Isaac and his teams use to ensure every detail is accounted for and every guest has a fabulous experience* How he manages the experience on the ground during a live event I used to balk at project management. It felt like the systems I was supposed to follow were imposing rules on things that didn’t need rules. I’d get it done. And I’d do it my own way, gosh darn it. But then, at some point… …probably the 341st time I didn’t have enough time to execute a project the way I really wanted it to be done… …I realized that project management is as much about honing your craft as it is about making sure you hit deadlines or don’t forget a step. Teasing out the bits and pieces of how projects happen helps us make better stuff… …whether what you’re making is a publicity campaign, a book, a set of complex financial reports, or a podcast. This month, Sean and I have working hard on the next phase of our project management at Yellow House Media. Yellow House is the full-service podcast production agency we co-founded back in August. The way we look at it, every step in the process of producing a podcast is an opportunity to make a show better—to make it more engaging for the listener and to drive more results for the business owner. But to fully take advantage of those opportunities, we have to have our process down. We can’t just throw an episode together. We have to carefully and intentionally work each step of the process so that both the host that we’re working with and our team has the greatest freedom to innovate and improve. The structure of project management gives us the space to hone our craft, to get creative, and to make something great. And the better we get at making great podcasts, the better our project management gets too. My guest today has had a similar experience learning the ins and outs of event planning and hosting kickass conferences. Isaac Watson is the founder of Kickass Conferences, an event strategy and production studio based in the Pacific Northwest. Isaac helps community leaders develop and deliver transformative events for their audiences that inspire them to build a better world. So far, he’s planned and managed events that have touched over 21,000 lives across the US and Europe. Isaac is a natural event planner. I know because I’ve attended a number of events that he’s planned and I hired him to plan a conference for me 4 years ago. But Isaac hasn’t relied on his natural aptitude for creating meaningful and engaging experiences. Instead, he’s designed a process he can rely on to pull off one great event after another. This process and the way he manages his events is clearly a product of the way he’s honed his craft over the years. He notices what works, he notices patterns, he notices the things that go unnoticed—and then he adapts the way he manages future projects. In this conversation, Isaac and I talk about how things have evolved since his ve... ★ Support this podcast ★