In episode 076, I got to sit with Lisa Mullis from Paraphrase Communications. Lisa and I got to discuss the importance of effective brand messaging and copywriting for creative professionals. Lisa shares her journey from running a graphic design studio to focusing on copywriting and helping clients communicate their message. We discuss the challenges of writing copy, especially for oneself, and the impact of poor copy on sales. Lisa also emphasizes the need for a comprehensive approach to brand messaging and the role of mindset work in business success.

Key Takeaways

• Effective brand messaging and copywriting are crucial for creative professionals to attract and convert clients.

• Writing copy can be challenging, especially when it comes to writing about oneself.

Poor copy can negatively impact sales and the overall perception of a brand.

• A comprehensive approach to brand messaging is necessary, addressing all aspects of the business.

• Mindset work is essential for overcoming resistance, fear, and anxiety in business.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background

03:06 Challenges of Writing Copy

05:39 Positioning and Communication Challenges for Creative Professionals

10:44 Common Challenges Faced by Creative Professionals

14:27 The Impact of Poor Copy on Sales

26:10 The Importance of Mindset Work in Business Success

As a strategic brand coach and copywriter, Lisa helps service-based professionals clarify their messaging and streamline their marketing so they work with better clients, regain their time, and take home more money.

Lisa brings a unique skillset that encompasses both sides of brand messaging—the visual and the verbal. As a kid she lived in the world of language, exploring its many forms through writing, art, and music. You could find her either scribbling stories in notebooks or sketching doodles in art pads. At university, she was formally trained as an ad copywriter through her Journalism degree and as a graphic designer through the Fine Arts program.

During the first 18 years of her career as a graphic designer and owner-operator of a design studio, Lisa witnessed many clients struggle with what to put on their websites and other marketing collateral—in other words, the words. Keen to help and flex her moves as a wordsmith, she started helping clients develop sales-savvy language. In 2016, she officially transitioned her primary focus from design to copywriting.

Today as the head of Paraphrase Communications, Lisa supplements her decades of messaging, design, marketing, and small business acumen with a team of tech specialists for full support from brand strategy to execution. Together they help coaches, consultants, and creative professionals build their businesses through words that win clients—online and in real life—and high-converting marketing funnels that increase productivity and profitability.

With a do-it-together approach to brand messaging and implementation, clients gain much-needed clarity through the process, feel emotionally connected to their message which helps them sell more effectively, and grow their impact through an essential business-building skill—writing—which serves them for the life of their business.

Throughout the year, Lisa holds live events on messaging, copywriting, and marketing strategies for service providers and shares actionable ideas through her weekly newsletter. To stay in the loop, join her here: https://www.paraphrasecomm.com/em-signup

Contact Lisa:

Email: lisa@paraphrasecomm.com

Web: https://www.paraphrasecomm.com/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/paraphrasecommunications/

LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lhmullis/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/paraphrasecomm

Are your words winning or costing you clients? CLIENT CONVERSION QUIZ – Gain instant insight into the gaps in your messaging and marketing so you can improve your connections and conversions. Takes less than 5 minutes and it's free!

https://paraphrasecomm.scoreapp.com/

Episode 75 is by far the Swenkiest of all episodes. I had the absolute pleasure of sitting with Jason Swenk, who is hands-down one of the most systemized agency coaches I’ve had the opportunity to speak with. Jason shares the secrets behind building and selling a successful agency, highlighting the power of clarity, positioning, and a solid offering. We dive into the essential pillars of agency growth, from prospecting and sales to leadership and operations. His advice? Stay committed to one goal until you succeed and keep showing up consistently. This is a must-listen for any agency owner looking to scale!

Key Takeaways

• Clarity, positioning, and offering are foundational elements for building a successful agency.

• Prospecting, sales, delivery, operations, and leadership are key systems for agency growth.

• Focus on one commitment until success and be consistent in your efforts.

• Building strategic partnerships and relationships is crucial for agency success.

• Regularly assess and reset your agency's systems and processes to adapt to growth and changes in the market.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background

03:01 The Foundation of Clarity, Positioning, and Offering

09:59 The Key Systems for Agency Growth

22:55 Strategic Partnerships: Unlocking New Opportunities for Agency Growth

26:04 Assessing and Resetting: Adapting Your Agency's Systems for Growth

Jason Swenk is the agency advisor & coach that guides marketing agencies through a proven framework for growing their agency faster.

Jason is the author of the definitive guide to growing an agency from scratch to two 8-figure enterprises. He is one of the most sought-after advisors to agencies worldwide, thanks to his 8-system framework that has proven successful in scaling his own agency. His expertise has attracted clients like AT&T, Hitachi, and Lotus Cars, ultimately leading to the successful sale of his agency.

Contact Jason: agencymastery360.com

In Episode 074, I sat down with Iggy Odigizua, CEO and founder of AISetters.com, to explore how agencies can harness AI tools to book qualified appointments effortlessly. Iggy shares insights from his Leeds Management System, a done-for-you service that helps agencies streamline their operations. We dive into his entrepreneurial journey, from dominating the health and fitness industry to coaching and building successful online businesses. Iggy reveals the benefits of the Leeds system, the challenges agencies face in adopting AI, and why embracing technology is crucial for boosting efficiency and productivity.

Key Takeaways

• The Leeds Management System is a done-for-you service that uses AI to book vetted and qualified appointments for service-based businesses like agencies.

• AI technology can improve efficiency and productivity in agency operations by automating lead management and follow-up processes.

• Adopting AI tools in agencies can be challenging due to the learning curve and fear of technology replacing human jobs.

• Using AI in agencies can help bridge the gap between sales and marketing, improve lead quality, and enhance client results.

• The key to success in business is understanding your target audience and focusing on the boring, but essential, work that gets results.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background

04:23 Building High-Ticket Online Coaching Businesses

07:56 Automating Lead Management with AI

10:43 Overcoming Barriers to Adopting AI in Agencies

13:36 Bridging the Gap Between Sales and Marketing with AI

16:11 Enhancing Lead Quality and Client Results with AI

25:24 AI in B2C and D2C

27:24 Rapid Fire Questions

29:32 Invaluable Business Advice

Iggy Odighizuwa, CEO and Founder of Ai-setters.com and The Leads Pre-Conversion System a DONE FOR YOU Service That Uses Charlie Ai To Book Vetted & Qualified Appointments For Coaches, Consultants, Agency Owners and Service Based Businesses.

Iggy Built his first 7-figure high ticket online coaching business called "Tril 80 Coaching” Since then Iggy has helped to build 20 other 7-figure online coaching businesses and helped build two 8-figure online coaching businesses one of them called "The 4% Club," and over 100 6-figure online coaching businesses. Iggy spent 8 years of his life in Benin a small village in an African country called Nigeria.

Contact Iggy:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/iggy-odighizuwa/

https://www.facebook.com/ighodaro.odighizuwa

https://www.facebook.com/aisetters/

In this episode, I had a great chat with Jared Gibson, co-founder of Outworks.io. Jared takes us through the journey of how Outworks.io came to be and how it shifted its focus to LinkedIn engagement for B2B professionals. We dive into the common struggles small business owners face in drumming up new leads. Originally, Outworks.io was all about email lead generation, but they soon found their sweet spot on LinkedIn. Jared shares why building trust through LinkedIn engagement is key and gives us some tips on what kind of content really clicks on the platform. He also shares some top-level strategy on how to leverage relationship building tactics on LinkedIn to convert comments into sales. Plus, he talks about the importance of having an abundance mindset, being your true authentic self, and the benefits of working with competitors. Don't miss out on Jared's valuable insights!

Key Takeaways

• Outworks started as an email lead generation service before pivoting to focus solely on LinkedIn engagement for B2B professionals.

• Building trust through engagement is key on LinkedIn, and it is important to take a networking approach rather than a sales approach.

• Posting valuable and authentic content on LinkedIn can help establish credibility and attract engagement.

• Optimizing LinkedIn profiles and engaging with other users' posts can help break through the noise and build relationships.

• Having an abundance mindset and collaborating with competitors can lead to new opportunities and growth.

Chapters

00:00 Origin of Outworks

01:00 Starting with Email Lead Generation

02:27 Pivoting to Focus on LinkedIn

03:42 Combining Email and LinkedIn Strategies

05:11 Posting Organic Content on LinkedIn

06:54 Engaging with the LinkedIn Algorithm

09:26 Types of Content that Work on LinkedIn

11:16 Bringing Authenticity to LinkedIn

13:56 Building Relationships and Trust on LinkedIn

17:07 Breaking Through the Noise on LinkedIn

18:24 Optimizing LinkedIn Profiles

20:18 Having an Abundance Mindset on LinkedIn

23:15 Personal Favorites and Tools

27:39 Invaluable Business Advice

Jared lives in Chicago (with his wife and two kids 5,7) where he is well networked within the Chicago business community.

He co-founded a company called Outworks. They work with B2B CEO’s, Entrepreneurs, Sales & Marketing leaders who are looking to generate revenue through LinkedIn. He's a big believer in the power of networking on the platform to generate warm leads and has built a healthy engagement system that focuses on relationship building over pushy sales tactics.

He's spent his career building and scaling businesses using these growth marketing and selling systems and decided to take that experience and provide the same value and support for other small to midsize businesses.

Connect with Jared:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaredoutworks/

https://www.outworks.io/

In this episode, I got to interview Brooke Sellas, CEO of B Squared Media, a boutique digital marketing agency. We discuss Brooke's journey of starting her agency, the importance of social care, and bridging the gap between marketing and sales. Brooke shares valuable insights and advice for agency owners from her book, “Conversations that Connect.” and insights on how they leverage social care for their clients. We also briefly touched on navigating the intricacies of working side-by-side with a spouse.

Key Takeaways

• Starting an agency requires taking risks and seizing opportunities.

• Social care is about acquiring and retaining customers through social media.

• Social engagement is crucial for building brand loyalty and trust.

• Bridging the gap between marketing and sales is essential for business success.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background

03:00 Starting B Squared Media

06:00 Working with Spouse and Team Dynamics

09:00 Brooke's Role as CEO and Visionary

12:00 Defining Social Care

16:00 The Importance of Social Engagement

20:00 Bridging the Gap Between Marketing and Sales

28:00 New Hobbies, Tools, and Business Advice

Brooke Sellas is shaping the future of digital marketing, one conversation at a time. As a CEO, she's the visionary behind B Squared Media, a boutique digital marketing agency that's redefining 'social care' for industry giants like Brother International, Endless Pools, and BCU. With her groundbreaking 2022 book, "Conversations That Connect," she's charting a course for authentic digital interactions. Dive into her insights on the Marketing Agency Show podcast, or from one of two courses she teaches at the University of California, Irvine.

Contact Brooke and download B Squared Media’s 2023 Social Care Report:

https://bsquared.media/the-state-of-social-care-2023/