The Influential Personal Brand Podcast

One of the best ways to elevate your content is to view it from the perspective of your client. It’s an opportunity to gain fresh insight into what they need and how you can deliver on it. In today’s recap episode AJ revisits her conversation with Nora Sudduth, Co-Founder and CRO of Hello Audio, a podcast hosting platform with a range of features that make it easier than ever to connect with your audience. Tuning in you’ll hear AJ share her top takeaways; like why more information does not necessarily mean more value, and how to identify the currency your audience is trading in - whether it’s time, money, or both. She reflects on Nora’s key advice on how to increase your content engagement, from making your product entertaining and accessible and increasing the ease of use, to identifying the needs of your clients and delivering on them. AJ’s interview with Nora is packed with hidden gems, so be sure to tune in for a recap of this important conversation! 

How often have you purchased a course with every intention of completing it, but never found the time to actually do it? If this sounds familiar, it’s probably because this issue is incredibly common. According to comprehensive data and surveys, most courses are never completed; leaving behind countless hours of unused footage and missed educational opportunities. Armed with this information and a passion for student success, our guest today, Nora Sudduth founded Hello Audio, a podcast hosting platform with a range of features that make it easier than ever to connect with your audience. In our conversation, Nora shares her obsession with customer success and delves into how she abandoned her corporate career to pursue a more entrepreneurial path. She explains why Hello Audio started out as Podcast Your Course, and how its features allow for private podcasts. We discuss the many benefits of private podcasts and unpack why audio is an excellent method for relaying coursework in a medium that students have time for. Nora also shares her top advice for increasing content engagement from reducing ‘time to value’ and using your ‘existing reach’, to creating concise copy and content, and providing a solution to your customers’ primary problems. Today’s episode is filled with valuable advice and key insights from an inspiring individual. Make sure you tune in for an informative conversation on the power of podcasting, how to generate engagement, and more! 

Our conversation with publicity expert Selena Soo was filled with insights; not only in what she had to say but how she said it. In this special recap edition of the Influential Personal Brand Podcast, we share our main takeaways from Selena’s professionalism as an interviewee to her most astute publicity tips. Selena schooled us on the true value of mainstream media and when it’s actually a suitable pursuit, as well as how to get on TV when it is, indeed, the appropriate media outlet for your product. Join us as we debrief after our inspiring conversation with Selena, covering everything from finding riches in the niches and finding a new way to think about your online audience, to identifying and running with your lead magnet.

Many personal brands aim to make it onto national television, but could it be that you’re missing a few crucial steps along the way? Is national television truly the most profitable pursuit for your brand? Joining us today to talk all things publicity is publicity expert and lead magnet, Selena Soo. Selena’s reputation precedes her and in this episode she talks us through her Publicity Pyramid framework. She fills us in on the pros and cons of magazine features and television interviews, and explains which questions you should be asking yourself rather than “How do I get on TV?”. When pitching for TV is appropriate, however, you’ll need to know how, as TV interviews differ greatly from podcast interviews. Selena shares some helpful pitching advice and explains why it’s important to aim local first. She touches on the difference between niche and mainstream expert topics, and which is best to focus on from a publicity perspective, before delving into the value of prestige media and how to repurpose your features and appearances. This episode is packed full of hot tips and tools for doing your own publicity without hiring a publicist. Tune in to find out how to source the most suitable media outlets for your brand, as well as the story ideas they’re looking for! 

Our recent chat with Mori Taheripour was absolutely overflowing with insight and inspiring ways to improve your negotiation game. We also spoke a lot about the world of publishing and some of the lessons that Mori learned that might help you if you are wanting to share your message with the world by writing a book! So to hear all of that, and get a deep dive into the amazing content of the book and her story, be sure to go back and listen to that episode if you have not already. In this recap AJ gives her top three takeaways from the chat, highlighting the themes of mindset and perception, collaboration over confrontation, and getting clear on what you want. This was an amazing chat with so much value for all of our listeners, and Mori's passion for helping others definitely lefts its mark on us. Tune in to hear all about it! 

Deep down, we probably all want to be better negotiators, and feel more confident as we enter into discussions we care about, whether for our career or personal life. Today we are very lucky to have an amazing conversation with a negotiation expert, Mori Taheripour, and this is an episode that we promise you are not going to want to miss. Mori is the author of the inspiring book, Bring Yourself, in which she lays out her philosophy and approach to self-worth, honest storytelling, and communicating in ways that safeguard against dissatisfaction. Mori has worked in a variety of roles and sectors, and we get to hear about a few of the important stepping stones of her long and winding path to where she is today! Mori explains how she was influenced by the time she spent working in public health, how she became a teacher at The Wharton School, and how this led to her publishing her book. We also talk about developing a more fearless attitude, what makes a truly great negotiator, how to make negotiation less difficult (and even enjoyable!), and much more! 

If you’ve ever been curious about how Brand Builders Group helps their clients build their speaking careers, then today’s episode is for you! In today’s episode, Rory revisits his conversation with Grant Baldwin, founder of The Speaking Lab, a company that enables aspiring speakers to consistently get booked (and paid!), by utilizing their SPEAK Framework™. Tuning in you’ll hear Rory break down the key curriculums they use here at Brand Builders Group to teach their clients how to excel, not just in the art of crafting a speech, but also in the business side of speaking. Discover the highlights from our eight-part miniseries called How To Get The Gig and gain a deeper understanding of what it takes to integrate speaking into your business model. Rory also gives a detailed overview of the seven different ways that you can get paid for speaking engagements, especially if you’re starting out. From charging a straightforward speaking fee to gathering testimonials, or capturing video footage for your demo tape, each method offers an excellent way to get paid as a speaker! Tune in to learn how Brand Builders Group is helping mission-driven messengers grow their business, generate wealth, and impact more people! 

For most up-and-coming speakers their primary concern is going onstage and giving an excellent performance. And while being a great speaker is essential for success, it shouldn’t cause you to neglect the other elements that make up your business. That is why today’s guest, Grant Baldwin, started The Speaking Lab; a company that empowers up-and-coming speakers by providing them with the resources, knowledge, and insights they need to succeed. The Speaking Lab enables aspiring speakers to consistently get booked (and paid!) by utilizing their SPEAK Framework™, also known as the business side of speaking. Tuning in you’ll hear Grant give a comprehensive breakdown of the SPEAK framework and how to implement it. From uncovering the specific problem you want to solve and choosing the industry that you should focus on, to preparing your talk and establishing yourself as an expert, to learning the best methods for acquiring paid speaking gigs and knowing how and when to scale. We also discuss the role that your online presence plays in your success, how to calculate your speaking fee, and when it’s okay to do free speaking gigs. Grant has a wealth of knowledge, and today’s conversation has something for everyone, whether you want to make speaking your side hustle or build your entire business around it. Make sure you tune in for clear and practical tips that will set you on the path to making speaking a consistent and profitable part of your business! 

From the outside, it may look like someone achieved success overnight, but the truth is that in almost every instance there are months, years, and decades of invisible hard work behind that success. In today’s recap episode, AJ revisits her conversation with Travis Blakely and Teun van der Lugt (Tony) of Inner Light Media. Tuning in you’ll hear AJ’s top three takeaways from their interview, like why Plan B should always be to make Plan A work, how to create authenticity in your videos, and why you should be focusing your efforts on one message and one platform. For a quick summary of this inspiring conversation, make sure you tune in today! 

Creating video content can be intimidating, but when you focus on topics you’re interested in, your passion will reflect in the quality of your work and attract an audience who shares your interests. Today on the show we get together with Travis Blakely, a Social Media Strategist, and Founder and Owner of Inner Light Media; and Teun van der Lugt, also known as Tony, a Video Creator and Strategist, and Founder of Golden Era Media. In our conversation, Tony and Travis break down the many facets that will help you create meaningful content; from choosing your topic to refining your script, to being relaxed, engaging, and (most importantly) yourself, in front of the camera. Tuning in you’ll gain valuable insight into how to create the best videos for your purposes as well as practical tips on how to elevate your content so that it resonates with your viewers. You’ll also learn why YouTube is an excellent long-term social media investment (even if it takes a while to grow), as well as the benefits of focusing your energy on one platform, before expanding to other channels. Tony and Travis are both dedicated to making a positive difference in the world and it’s reflected in the high-quality, meaningful content that they create. To learn more about creating exceptional content that also has the potential to go viral, be sure to tune in today!