The Magic of Messaging as a Cornerstone Business Growth Strategy -9

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Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:00:02

Messaging is one of the most powerful tools you need for your business. Today, we have an outstanding guest who is an expert in this area and has so much to share with us. You're going to love the secrets and tools she shares with us. They're gonna make such an impact in the business that you have. If you're an up close subscriber on Apple Podcasts, you also get additional information on business pivots and unconventional marketing. There is so much to gain from today's episode and I am so glad you are taking the time to join us.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:00:32

Thanks for being here. Welcome to Authenticity Amplified, your resource for attracting and connecting to your ideal client, the go to podcast for entrepreneurs on the go to grow their business. I'm your host, Shawna Rodrigues, podcast strategist and the founder of the Solopreneur sisterhood. I'm here to bring community to the entrepreneurial journey and learn alongside you as we tap into knowledge and insights from experts to help you grow your business. I know how much effort you put into your business, and this is useful and practical information coming straight to you wherever you are, whenever you have the time to listen.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:01:15

I am so excited to introduce you to Wendy White. The first time I probably saw her, she was caught my attention, but I have had the opportunity to follow her and learn from her and listen to her. I actually was part of one of her recent boot camps, the messaging that sings and sells. She is a messaging and client attraction strategist for coaches and consultants who is a thought leader in this space. She has been around since 2014, teaching thousands of entrepreneurs to confidently communicate their unique genius, the messaging that really connects so the world can sit up and pay attention. So we get to learn from her today, and the exciting thing is she has a another opportunity for you to connect with her.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:01:56

Do you call it a boot camp? Is that what you actually call it?

Wendy White [: 00:01:58

You know, I used to call when I started off doing these about four years ago, I called them challenges. And then lately, I started calling it a workshop, which is then everyone calls it a challenge anyway. Boot camp, I thought we're not sweating.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:02:08

We're not sweating. There's no boots involved.

Wendy White [: 00:02:10

We're not making a sweat.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:02:11

Yes. I know. As soon as I would say that, I was like, boot camp just doesn't sound right. That's not right. So I like it. So it's a workshop. And, like, it's more than once that you get to hang out with you. So it feels like it's almost a series.

Wendy White [: 00:02:22

Absolutely. Well, the one I'm doing now is a four day one. So yeah. Yeah. Four days. Four days.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:02:26

Yeah. Four fabulous days on messaging that you get to connect with Wendy White. And that's, like, when I think of messaging, I think Wendy White. And so that's why I was, like, so thrilled to connect with her and learn that she was going to have another one of these wonderful workshop opportunities. So not only do we get to connect with her today, but you have the opportunity to jump onto the show notes and connect with her more because you're gonna fall in love with her because I know that every time I hear her speak and every time I get to talk to her, I learn something and feel like my messaging and my business benefits from it. So, Wendy, thank you so much for being here with us today.

Wendy White [: 00:03:00

Fantastic. Thank you so much for having me. My evil plan has worked. You think of messaging, you think of me. Boom.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:03:06

That's because you're good at messaging. Like, that's because you're good at your craft, and that's why we're all here to learn from you and gain from your expertise. So I am thrilled that this has worked out and that we get to get in here and have these conversations before you're launching your workshop so that folks can connect with you and be a part of that.

Wendy White [: 00:03:26

Absolutely.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:03:27

Our opening question. Can you share with us a time in your career when you felt the most valued and the most excited about your work?

Wendy White [: 00:03:34

Absolutely. How much time do you have?

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:03:37

Wow. I don't wanna be a meal.

Wendy White [: 00:03:38

No, I won't. I'm just kidding. I'm just kidding. But I do have a story. Are you good with me telling a story?

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:03:42

I love a story. We love stories. We love stories.

Wendy White [: 00:03:44

Fantastic. Fantastic. So I will tell a story. So most people know me, for helping entrepreneurs to constantly communicate their unique genius to the world. But what you may not know about me is that for a really long time, I really struggled to embrace what was unique about me. I was torn. Yeah.

Wendy White [: 00:04:04

I was really torn between following that ordinary traditional career path to achievement, like everybody else around me, and my own longing, which was to carve out a different path and go live abroad, to be perfectly honest. Yeah. And by the time I finished college, sadly, following the pack, what everyone else was doing was definitely winning out. So instead of moving to Spain when I graduated from college, which is what I really, really wanted to do, I went to law school. And then I went to international sales and business development in New York City. And I squashed down everything that was unique about me. I squashed down my gifts.

Wendy White [: 00:04:45

I squashed down my goals, and I tried to be just like everybody else. And I tried to want what they wanted. And I thought that that would make me happy and successful, and I thought it would make me feel fulfilled. And I was wrong because it made me feel lost and confused and really frustrated. So at that point, what I wanted was to do something different. And I knew I wanted something different. But I had listened to other people's ideas and other people's ambitions for so long that I couldn't hear myself.

Wendy White [: 00:05:20

Does that make sense?

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:05:20

Oh, yes. Yes.

Wendy White [: 00:05:22

So Thanksgiving weekend came up and I went to Ecuador to visit my mother. She had moved there. Yeah. She had moved there four years before. She founded an elementary school English program in this tiny indigenous village.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:05:35

Oh.

Wendy White [: 00:05:35

And yeah, as soon as I got there, everything about it spoke to me. Everything about Ecuador. The people and the language and the music and how they lived every single day, it absolutely called to me. And even though I was pretty sure that I was risking any chance of any career ever again in my life, I really knew yeah. I really knew that I had to follow it because it was mine. It was uniquely mine. And somewhere at the back of my mind was this idea that I get to spend some quality time with my mother because it had been a while. So I made the decision.

Wendy White [: 00:06:05

I left everything in New York, moved to Ecuador in March, and it was absolutely glorious for two months. And then in May, my mother had a massive heart attack and died. And she was 58. Oh, wow. She was healthy. Yeah. She was incredibly vibrant. She was absolutely alive.

Wendy White [: 00:06:29

And then she wasn't. She was absolutely here. And then she was absolutely gone. So the question for me then was, would I pick up my bags turn tail go back to New York, and that life that everybody else was pursuing? Or would I stay? Would I stay in Ecuador and carve out a different path for myself? So I took over for classes to finish out the school year, and I told them that, yeah, I I would come back and keep the program running. So I spent the next year living in Ecuador, teaching English as a second language in this tiny village high in the Andes. And I watched the sun rise over snow capped active volcanoes from my apartment. And I went to indigenous weddings where the bride arrived on horseback. And I danced in the streets in these giant festivals.

Wendy White [: 00:07:25

I swam with marine iguanas in the Galapagos. I became so fluent in Spanish, I literally forgot that I wasn't speaking English. And I laughed a ton, and I cried a lot, and I made dear friends, and I fell in love. And when that year was over, I knew that an ordinary life, no matter how successful by other people's standards, it was never going to be enough for me. Yeah. I knew that I needed to create my own path in the world based on my own unique gifts and goals. Right?

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:07:56

Yes.

Wendy White [: 00:07:58

So I walked away from 6 figure job offers in New York, and I moved myself to Spain to start my own consulting firm. Now I had no connections. I had no corporate reputation to open doors for me. I had no social media. I had no fancy marketing materials of any kind. We barely even had a website. But what I did have Mhmm. Was absolute clarity about my unique value and the ability to communicate that confidently on the phone, in an email, in the boardroom.

Wendy White [: 00:08:33

Yeah. And so I landed some of Spain's most prestigious multinational corporations as clients on my own as an outsider and in Spanish. Did I mention this is in Spanish?

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:08:46

No, you didn't, but I kind of partially thought that, but no, it's a good point. It's a good point.

Wendy White [: 00:08:52

Yeah. Spaniards, they don't speak a lot of English. They don't. It was this most incredible professional success of my career to date, combined with this amazing adventure of living in Madrid, which just made my heart sing. So I learned from this that really trying to create happiness and professional fulfillment based on what works for other people, it was just a losing game. And embracing what was unique to me, my own gifts and my own goals, that was the key to everything. And entrepreneurship can be this great path to expressing that and creating the life that you're truly here to live. But to be successful, you need to embrace your own unique genius and be able to communicate it to the world.

Wendy White [: 00:09:36

And once you have that, you can go anywhere you want. Yeah. So this is why I do what I do because too many entrepreneurs are struggling to do just that. They started their business to express their own gifts and pursue their own goals, And they get caught up in other people's ideas and ambitions just like I did.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:09:55

Yes.

Wendy White [: 00:09:55

And they end up following that one size fits all advice. And so instead of standing out in the market, they're just blending in with everybody else. And so they're not getting the traction that they need to sustain their dreams whether those are moving to Madrid or wherever. So that's why I do what I do. I teach them to confidently communicate, to claim and then communicate that you meet genius so they can impact a greater audience and call in their truly ideal clients quickly and simply. And most of all, so they can create that exceptional life for themselves and make that impact on the world that they truly want to. Does that make sense?

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:10:31

Oh, that's such a beautiful story. I love it. And I love it because there's this piece that you have and you bring to the table and that I've gotten from being in the audiences and you're having your workshops and having conversations with you. The this clarity piece that you really hone in on and that you really found for yourself. And I feel like with solopreneurs, especially that when we're starting out on our own, we come into this. We have some clarity that gives us some momentum to get in here, and then we just get so crowded by all this advice and all this information because this is all new to us. And then, like, we get rid of that clarity. We lose that clarity, and we can't find the messaging.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:11:10

We can't find those pieces. And that through working with you and conversations with you, I feel like that's what comes back out. And through finding the messaging, we find that clarity too. So I feel like that's one of your gifts as well is that clarity piece.

Wendy White [: 00:11:22

Thank you. And that's I would love that you mentioned that because that clarity is so important. I mean, it's one of the things I say all the time. We've got to nail the concept before we nail the copy. When people think about messaging, they tend to think, oh, it's clever copy. I love clever copy. But not you know, but that's not enough. Or it's clever social media content.

Wendy White [: 00:11:38

And it's like, the thing that makes those work is first that clarity you're talking about, knowing what do I wanna say and who do I wanna say it to? I've had people say to me, well, I just can't find the words for what I wanna say. And I'm like, what do you wanna say? Like, just tell me. Don't make it fancy. Just tell me. And they'll go blah. And I'm like, there are no words for blah. Like, what do we wanna say here? And let's get clear on that so that you can then communicate it, whether it is copy on a page, whether it is saying in a networking, talking to somebody on a podcast. That's everything.

Wendy White [: 00:12:11

And the clarity gives you the confidence to go yes. That's what I'm saying.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:12:15

I love that clarity gives you the confidence. I love it. I love it. That's beautiful. I freaking get so much from you today. I love it. I love it. It's good stuff.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:12:24

So with, like, the next things we love to offer folks is our wisdom worth sharing. So you do have some piece of advice, like when you were making these exciting transitions, moving to Madrid, like stepping into entrepreneurship and doing all of this, was there any wisdom that you were given that you really feel like made an impact that you feel like might be useful for people that are solopreneurs and starting out that first 50k that they're trying to make that you feel be valuable?

Wendy White [: 00:12:51

Sure. I think and this won't surprise you not at all but I think it is putting your attention and your focus in the right place and the reality is that I'm gonna say messaging. You're shocking nobody. And here is why and here is why. We all know that the last eighteen months have been really tough for entrepreneurs, right? Everyone's felt it big small starting out fifteen years in. The algorithms keep changing. So much more competition. Strategies that worked last year are not working.

Wendy White [: 00:13:19

Things that worked six months ago aren't working. The market is more cautious than ever. Everyone's taking longer to buy and everyone wants to be so sure that they can trust you, Right? The trust is an all time low. They wanna make sure you're a good investment. And so being able to communicate that your unique value confidently, clearly, compellingly is so, so key. Now everyone's dashing around right now, trying to find the one true marketing strategy that's working. And so they're networking and they're podcasting and they're emailing and speaking and running around to all the platforms. But while they're doing that, they're squandering income and opportunities and prospects because what they're saying in all of those places and who they're saying it to is simply not clear.

Wendy White [: 00:14:04

And so they're confusing people. They're being really unclear and they're coming off just like everybody else. And I think what people are realizing now is that the how of the client getting keeps changing, and it only works if you've got juice in the what you are actually saying. And so what I would say to whether you were just starting out or ten years in, that this ability to communicate your value and connect with your ideal client, knowing who they are, obviously, it's the magic bullet. It's the ticket to freedom. It's the one thing that will make everything that you're doing all of the sales and marketing, no matter what you're doing, it's the one thing that's gonna make it actually pay off literally. But without it, nothing works. A new marketing strategy will not work if you still don't have this stuff clear.

Wendy White [: 00:14:50

So that's what I would say is this really is everyone would like the one thing, and I have found this to be the one thing.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:14:58

And that's where you've landed after all of those adventures in Spain and everything else. Like, this is what matters and this is where you are because of Yeah.

Wendy White [: 00:15:05

I mean, if you think about it, like, I didn't have any of this stuff, but I could walk in and go, here's what I can do for you, and here's why you should care about this thing I can do for you. Yes. That's all we're saying all of the time. That's all the marketing is a tool to get that message out. Here's what I can do for you, and here's why you should trust me above all those other people in the market.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:15:25

Yeah. And you being clear on that. That's like I feel like that clarity creates trust so much more than folks realize that you knowing what you do in that comfort like you said, clarity creates confidence. That, like, you having that confidence creates the trust and that the people are looking for trust so much right now. And so having that little chain is such a large impact. And so really spending the time on getting that messaging because you have that clarity is, like, what really makes a difference. I love it.

Wendy White [: 00:15:56

It feels spectacular too. You know? I mean, I know a lot of people right now in the market are really, really frustrated. Right? They're really frustrated with what they feel like they have to do. And I don't escape this either. You know, we're all in the same place. But what I found is when you get this right, it allows you freedom. A lot of us got into this business for freedom. I mean, I'm talking there, you know, when I talk about how I got into this, it was the freedom to not do what everyone else is doing in New York.

Wendy White [: 00:16:20

It was the freedom to actually pick up and move to another country and live in another language. Well, that freedom to not be constrained by a certain kind of marketing, to step away from things that aren't working, to leave behind things that maybe you hate, you know, looking at you as social media, you know. That is really freeing and not just go, oh, well, I've learned this one thing, so I have to stay here. And the security that it gives you too, because everything does keep changing. The platforms do keep changing. The algorithms keep changing. The reach keeps changing, and we can't control that. But what we can control is knowing that we can always get in front of our ideal client in different ways and communicate to them in any situation.

Wendy White [: 00:17:04

And that gives us security to go, if the market changes, I'm good. The platforms fall, no worries. Because I'm I can still do I can go to the farmer's market down the street and talk to people there. You know?

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:17:15

You know? You know?

Speaker D [: 00:17:15

I can go to the farmer's market down the street and talk to people there. You know? You know? You know? I can go to the farmer's market down the street and talk to people there.

Wendy White [: 00:17:16

You know? You know? You know? You know? You know? You know?

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:17:18

Yep. Yep. Solar flirty. So all that. You're good to go. You're good to go. Yes. Yes.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:17:23

I love it. I love it. What have you found, like, in doing your workshops and connecting with your clients, what have you found has really resonated with folks around what you're doing right now? What have people been like, yes, that speaks to me?

Wendy White [: 00:17:36

Yeah. You know, what's interesting is I have been talking about a number of things over the past few years, and I just in this workshop we've been talking about, I've shared stuff that I'd never shared before outside of my extraordinary impact, which is my accelerator. And I started talking about this stuff and people freaked out about how much they liked it. I really love it because it's really a thing that nobody else is talking about, which is my favorite thing to talk about is something that everyone else is getting wrong or that nobody is talking about. And what I see when I look around is that one of the biggest things that people are struggling with is being indistinguishable from everyone else in the market. There's so many people and everyone looks the same. And you know this, how many people have you met, you know, in the last three days who are business coaches helping entrepreneurs to scale to six or seven figures? Like, 10,000. Right? Probably 500 more people got into it with that tagline since we started talking.

Wendy White [: 00:18:25

And so the biggest thing that people wanna know is how do I stand out in a crowded market? And the market's only more crowded than it was before a few years ago. Right? So everyone wants to stand out, and yet very few are actually doing it. And it's because everyone is saying the exact same thing as everybody else and expecting to kind of magically, poof, look different and people to go, oh, you're very different. Now, the reason this is happening is that there are too many experts telling purpose driven coaches and consultants. And I know you're very purpose driven. Your audience is very purpose driven. Right? Yes. Too many experts are telling purpose driven coaches and consultants to focus on what the market wants to hear without first positioning you as someone worth listening to.

Wendy White [: 00:19:10

Now I'm all about what the market wants to hear. I couldn't have been in sales and marketing for this many years without going, of course, that's an important piece of the puzzle. But you would need to answer the question, why you? Why should I listen to you? Mhmm. And when you don't do this, this is how you end up generic and sounding just like everybody else. And so no wonder you're not standing out. And this is a place where people get this wrong. They think, well, I need a more clever way of saying it. And if you don't wanna look like everyone else, if you wanna stand out, you need to be distinct and original and say something different.

Wendy White [: 00:19:44

And I don't just mean the words you choose, how you say it, but literally what you are saying. Yes. What what you need to do if you wanna stand out is to stand for something. Mhmm. Right? To really stand for something. I mean, this whole podcast, your whole brand stand for something very clear, very distinct. I mean, and it's everywhere, you know, about how discovering the percentage of women who are raising their voices on podcasts and how incredibly low that is and your mission to amplify that. Yes.

Wendy White [: 00:20:17

Right? That's why you stand out in a sea of people saying, oh, I can help you with your podcast and I do this. You have a very distinct mission and purpose. Mhmm. That is why people are like, oh, yes, I wanna go be in her world. I wanna be at her network. I wanna be around her. I believe that, you know, because you stand for something. I mean, I'm telling you this, but you believe this, right?

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:20:37

Yes. Yes. I do. I do.

Wendy White [: 00:20:38

I do. And this is the thing. Everyone wants to be a thought leader, but no one's teaching people how to actually show up as one. And this is how, by doing what you're doing, by actually standing for something as a business and as a brand. So that it becomes a rallying cry, that 37 by 27, you know, that it becomes a rallying cry, like, let's go. We got a mission. We're going. And gets people emotionally involved and gets into emotionally and then literally invest in you when there's, you know, other people out there doing doing work, you know, that's in your space.

Wendy White [: 00:21:09

But people die from you because they believe in what you believe. They're like, yes, I believe in that mission. And for most people, this mission, this purpose, this what they stand for is not front and center in their business. And in a world where everyone has a platform, people are not gonna get noticed unless you have something worse noticing like that. So I think this is the most important part of your thought leadership, and it's the one that everyone is skipping over, which is why people aren't standing out.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:21:37

Yes. Because it sounds the same as everyone else. We all wanna help people. And why is it different the way you position yourself in trying to help people?

Wendy White [: 00:21:45

Absolutely. Absolutely. So that's my take on it. You stand out by standing for something specific. And then the question obviously is, well, how do you figure out what do you stand for? You know, great. I'm on board. How do I get what Shauna has? How do I stand for something very clear and very distinct? Now most coaches will tell ask you questions like, you know, what's your why? And why is the external why? Like, not I wanna make a pile money to, you know, and to move to Europe with my family. Like, but what's your why for the world? Like, why, you know, like and so people will ask you things like, what's your why? What do you believe you think everyone else should believe? Or if you had a mic in thirty seconds, you know, to speak to the whole world, what would you say? And that's a really good start, but it can still end up pretty generic and vague.

Wendy White [: 00:22:25

So I have a trick. Do you wanna know my trick for doing that? You want the tricks.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:22:28

We want the tricks. Tell us the trick.

Wendy White [: 00:22:30

So my trick for standing out is to get yourself some enemies, because the best way to be incredibly clear about what you stand for is to stand against something. For whatever reason, it's easier and much more powerful to figure out that negative first, and then you can figure out the positive from there. So the rest of your market is saying things like live the life you love and live your dream. And these phrases are so overused and general that nobody really knows what they mean. But when you get enemies, it allows you to get really, really specific and speak right to your ideal client, which is why none of my clients look or sound the same even though they may be in similar spaces. So here would be my recommendation to, you know, your listeners to get themselves enemies. It's pretty simple. Ask yourself, when you think of your industry and your work, what are you against? What drives you crazy? What is being handled wrongly? What can you not stand to see? Now, I am not telling you to start going around trash talking specific competitors.

Wendy White [: 00:23:41

This does not have to be about, you know, specific competitors in your market. It can be about circumstances, gremlins in their in your clients' heads. It could be about common practices or plain old bad advice from the gurus. Once you've got that sorted, then ask in contrast, what are you for? And then the more specific you can be about this, the more precise, the more you're gonna stand out from your competitors. Does that make sense?

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:24:07

Yes. And, yeah, I struggle with exactly how to do that. So for me, so I have a podcast network. I want, as you've said, 37. I want the number the fact that only 27% of podcasts are hosted by women makes me crazy. I feel like there's voice, there's silence, etcetera, etcetera. Right? And yet the gurus just telling people you had to have a podcast, go create a podcast, go do podcast, makes you wanna scream. Because if you are under 50 k a year, if you aren't up to a certain point, you should not be spending your time because it takes you eight hours a week to make a podcast.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:24:46

And I don't want you spending that time on a podcast. I want you to wait. And so people have told me, like, do a course to teach people to make their own podcast. And I was like, no, because you shouldn't be spending your time on a podcast yet. You need to be building your business. You need to be getting your clarity. You need to be and that's why I have a course coming out on podcast guesting because you need to be borrowing other audiences and you need to be doing this. Like podcasting is a commitment.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:25:10

You need to like get in there and have the quality. And I have women who I want, I'm supportive of women having podcasts. So if you ask me, listen to your podcast, I will. And listen to these podcasts. I'm like, you are not clear. You are not getting yourself clients. You are not doing any favors. You are adding to the noise and you're not, you're not doing your, you're not doing what you need to do for your business.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:25:29

And you need to be able to get yourself onto a network, get yourself a coach and do this properly and do this like we've talked about. Like, do this in favor of your business. And, yeah, I don't like I'm worried, like, how exactly to say at the same time. Like, I want more women to podcasting, but, like, do this right.

Wendy White [: 00:25:45

See, I think everything you just said is genius. I think everything you just said, no, I do because you were talking before about trust. Yeah. Right? About helping me. First of all, there is nothing, this is outside the entrepreneurial world, there is nothing that people trust more than someone who can sell you something who says don't buy my thing. You're not going to do that for a while.

Wendy White [: 00:26:04

No I'm serious.

Wendy White [: 00:26:07

No no but that that creates the the number of times when I've had people come to me and say look I want to join your program and I'm like where are you and like they're like I'm here and I'm like you're not ready for this. They believe me so much because they're particularly where we are right now. So many people are burned. So first of all, you're creating credible trust to say you are not ready. I completely agree with you. The number of people I've had talk to me and I'm like, okay, so how are we working at getting clients this month? Well, I'm gonna start a podcast. And I'm like, oh my god. Like, I've never started my own podcast, but I can tell you there's reasons to start a podcast and it makes total sense, but that is not the shortest path to get clients right now.

Wendy White [: 00:26:43

Let's not do that. So I think what you're doing is genius. I think it makes you a truth teller in the space. I love that you are the one who will tell and I saw an episode with you talking about this. You're not ready for it. So I think that is genius that you're doing that. And your ideal clients are the people who, I mean, it sounds like are the ones who are ready for that, who are over 50, who do have the money to put in, who don't view it as a short term thing, but as a long game and as building trust in the market and everything else.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:27:11

Yes.

Wendy White [: 00:27:12

To me, that indicates that you are clear on what you do, who you help, and very clear that these people are not your ideal clients, and that's fine. And your advice is I mean, what I've been calling OPP, other people's platforms. You know, go get yourself go get yourself on somebody else's podcast.

Speaker D [: 00:27:27

Wendy White [: 00:27:28

You know? But I think that's genius what you're doing as opposed to being like, hi, everyone should start a podcast, which is wrong. Right?

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:27:34

It is. And it's and it gets women that do that are the ones that have, like, three episodes and get burnout and hate podcasting and will never have the podcast they are meant for because they do it wrong. They do it fast, they do it hard and they get completely burnout because they don't get the right support. They don't give it the right attention. They don't do it the way that it's meant to be done. And I want us to scream because I feel like you're adding to the reason there's not more women in podcasting.

Wendy White [: 00:27:59

Exactly. So you have got big enemies. Yes. You have got you have got a number of enemies here and these enemies all kinds of levels. Your point of view in the market is that there should be more women, you know, having podcasts, but that you don't want to crush women's businesses before they even get to that point. Yes. So I I love that. I love and I love the idea of you really amplifying that in all of the ways, you know, and talking about all the time.

Wendy White [: 00:28:23

Here's what people get wrong about podcasts.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:28:25

Yes.

Wendy White [: 00:28:25

You know? And you could be so provocative and get people's attention, whether it's a blog post, social media post, a video, whatever. No, you really shouldn't start a podcast. No. You're very you're coming on behalf of a podcast network and you help people do podcasts. I see a social media post or an email or whatever and the top line is, no, you shouldn't start a podcast. I'm like, what? I want to read more. Right? Uh-huh. Yeah.

Wendy White [: 00:28:49

Don't you think?

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:28:50

Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. I I know it's hard though because you worry that you're like, you know, saying like, I I want more women's voices, but not yet. It's like, you know, you need to yes. Yeah.

Wendy White [: 00:29:01

But to me, I guess I don't see it that way as you just described it because you want those women who are not yet ready for podcast. You're not saying, shut up, sit down, be quiet, your voice isn't valuable. You're saying, I don't want you to be driving yourself out of business Yes. Before you're ready because you're taking care of them. You're not saying all those other things.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:29:20

Yes.

Wendy White [: 00:29:20

And in fact, if you have a course coming out, which is telling them, here's how you go take advantage of other people's platforms, where you can just do this small amount of work compared to this giant amount of work.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:29:30

Yes. And learn helping them along. And learn how to talk on podcasts, learn how to share your story, learn how to clarify and get comfortable and borrow audiences and build your list, then get to the place so that you are ready to have your build your business and are ready to have it.

Wendy White [: 00:29:44

And create momentum. Yes. This is one of the this is one of the things that's so important. People are like, oh, I mean, I I had someone say the other day, you know, I really need clients right now, so I'm gonna go write a book.

Wendy White [: 00:29:58

And I'm like, what? I, first of all, I like reading. Yeah. I like books. Yeah. I'm not against I'm not against you having a book. But this idea that that's a fast pass to cash, like, I don't know who sold this dream, but it's not true. Here's an idea. Why don't you go take that thing you wanna talk about and get it out in the simplest, quickest way wherever you can, on a podcast, in a social media post, in an email, in a networking group, at your local farmers market.

Wendy White [: 00:30:21

Let's try that, Not the eighteen months building something that that came and then eventually in 2029, we'll get a client.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:30:28

Yes. And when we have, like, these beautiful I feel like purpose driven solopreneurs are also creative and passionate, and I feel like their creative, passionate abilities are taken advantage of. Like people are doing these like quick fix sales or make it sound like this is gonna happen. Like a equals b and it's like, no, a does not equal b.

Wendy White [: 00:30:49

You have all of these gorgeous enemies right here. No?

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:30:52

Yes.

Wendy White [: 00:30:55

You do. So so what is the disconnect for you? Are you not sure what to do with that information? Because you have them or you're afraid of like being against something.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:31:02

Oh, I think that's part of it. Like, being, like, negative all the time and doing that type of stuff because I, like, wanna be supportive and doing all that stuff. But, yeah, I think it's, like, the nuances of how you come across. I think as women too, like, how we come across, of trying to be like how I can be supportive because I'm trying to be supportive without coming across all the time and being like rarararar all the time.

Wendy White [: 00:31:25

Well, I think it's so yes, I hear what you're saying. And people do say that they're like, well, enemies, but I don't wanna I don't wanna be negative. I don't wanna stand against things. But here's the thing. This is not about just being against things. It's about being for things. It's just that the contrast makes it easier to see what you are for.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:31:41

Yes.

Wendy White [: 00:31:41

And so that's why we talk about what you're against. Now this is not me saying, hey, I think what you should do is go out there and start telling people, don't start a podcast. Don't start a podcast. You're not ready. You're not ready. It's like, no. No. No.

Wendy White [: 00:31:51

That's the beginning. Like, here's why, and here's what you should do instead to get you on the path. You're giving them a solution, the correct solution. You are helping them not waste years, money, energy, maybe destroying their business, maybe destroying all of that enthusiasm for sharing their voice. I mean, you said they give up. Yeah. So you are not squashing people with this. You are going, don't do that yet.

Wendy White [: 00:32:21

Here's a better path.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:32:23

Yes. It helps that I now have this course that I'm doing because I've been struggling for so long with people telling me, like, just do a course on how to start podcasts. I'm like, that's not what people need. That's just your idea. Your idea for me to get fast cash because people will pay for it and then not do it and get burnout trying. That's not a solution. That doesn't get 37 by 37.

Wendy White [: 00:32:44

You're a truth teller in the space and going, no, you shouldn't do this yet. Yeah. I can give you a cheap way to do it. That's the point is you shouldn't be doing it all right now.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:32:51

Yes.

Wendy White [: 00:32:52

I think that's brilliant that you're doing that. And it's one of the things I see online a lot. Everyone's asking how. How do I? How do I? How do I? And the question people don't ask often enough is why am I doing this? And that to me is what you're answering right there. How do I start a podcast? Okay, great. Why are you starting a podcast right now? Why? Why? Why? Because I wanna get in front of more people. Fantastic. All those other people, they have audiences.

Wendy White [: 00:33:17

They have airtime. They need people like you. That would be faster and better. Yes. I think it's brilliant. And, again, I I wouldn't worry about being negative because you're not being negative. You're saying, this is the wrong advice. Here is the right advice.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:33:35

Yes.

Wendy White [: 00:33:36

Does that make sense?

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:33:37

Yes. It does make sense.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:33:39

It does make sense. I just need to get more bold about saying it all instead of yes. Because, like,

Wendy White [: 00:33:45

Why don't can't I get I mean, I have had so I've seen so many people do exactly what you're talking about. I've seen so many women who are and they start, and they restart their podcast, and they take their podcast in a different direction. And I'm like, this is not the right move for you right now. And they're like, well, but people have podcasts. And I'm like, but and they need you as someone deep experience. I mean, and I don't have a podcast. I'm like, what do I know? I just see, you know, the roadkill. But you look at me and go, listen.

Wendy White [: 00:34:15

I do this.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:34:16

Yes.

Wendy White [: 00:34:16

I've done it for myself. I've done it for this many women.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:34:19

Yes. You know? Yes. Yeah. And this is how you do it and you do it.

Wendy White [: 00:34:23

I would love to see you really step into that because the market needs it. These women need it.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:34:27

Yes. To actually hear the counterargument for those pieces.

Wendy White [: 00:34:31

And they are gonna fall in love with you when you say it. And that's the beautiful thing about this because you will be saying something that aligns with what they already secretly believe. The ones who have started to poke into podcasts and realize it's not as simple as getting a mic and I'm just gonna start talking about things, they start looking at the software and the things and the hiring people, all the ones, as well as the ones who've been burned. When you say, it's not your fault. You got sold this thing. You don't have to do this. There's a quicker and easier way at this. They're gonna go, oh my God.

Wendy White [: 00:34:59

Thank God. You are my coach. You are the person I wanna follow.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:35:03

Yes. It's you have, like, it's meant for you, but it's not your time yet. And it's okay to do these other things until it is your time and build these things and wait for the timing because then you're gonna be in it and stay in it. And then you're gonna be with these voices is actually impacting and in it for the long haul. So it's understandable because it's not it's worth it. It's amazing. I love podcasting. Everyone in my network loves what they do, but, like, that's because they have the support and they have the stuff around them to make it amazing.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:35:32

And I see so many other women that get so burnt on it and stuff too. And I do wanna empower people that do because our people do it on their own, and they can and they feel great about it because different people, different types too. And I guess that's part of it too, because I don't wanna make people that have been successful on their own feel like I'm diminishing what they've been able to accomplish either. So that's that hard balance. Absolutely. That's not what you're saying.

Wendy White [: 00:35:52

You're not going around and going, you should quit your podcast. You should quit your podcast. You should quit your podcast. You're saying, this is when a podcast is fantastic. Before that point, it is really not the right choice for all of these reasons.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:36:04

Yes. If you're trying to build your business and distracting yourself, don't distract yourself with a podcast. Build your business. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Wendy White [: 00:36:11

And if you want to raise your voice, why not raise your voice on a platform where someone's already got an audience rather than going, oh, I'm gonna build all the things and then, okay, where's my audience? Oh, I gotta go do that. Like, this is more complicated. So Yes. Yes. I love that. Yeah.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:36:24

I love that.

Wendy White [: 00:36:24

I should think you'd lean all the way into that.

Speaker D [: 00:36:26

Lean into that.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:36:26

Lean into that. So what do you feel like so with your business and yourself, what do you feel like are the things you've identified

Wendy White [: 00:36:33

that you can speak against?

Wendy White [: 00:36:34

Oh, so many things. You know? I mean well, I mean, there there's so many things at so many different levels. I mean, obviously, the one overarching thing from back in 2014 was that everyone was running around and going, let's learn this marketing strategy, this marketing strategy, this marketing strategy. And then it was very clear that they really didn't know who they were trying to reach or what they wanted to say to them. And so that's why I got so obsessed with this work, and it just becomes more and more true. And it doesn't matter, you know, how many years into business that most people in the market do have a messaging problem at some level. Mhmm. And so and so that that idea that just another marketing strategy is going to fix things for you is a big enemy of mine.

Wendy White [: 00:37:14

I'm not saying you don't need a marketing strategy. Clearly you need some kind of marketing strategy, but that is going to solve things for you. And that seems to have been the dominant thing in the marketplace in the ten years I've been in it because people are selling marketing strategies. So, of course, they're gonna say, you know, but there's so many things. One of the big things that's bothered me again for about ten years is people losing touch with themselves and their gifts and their genius and what they came here to do. It affects me as well. That loss of trust in yourselves that that I had, you know, when I was in New York. And it comes up all the time, and we have this tendency to go, well, I don't know.

Wendy White [: 00:37:49

Other people will tell me. That really, really, really, really bothers me. And I I tell my clients often, one of the biggest things I can do is to allow them to trust themselves again. It happens so many times. I'll be on a group call. I had someone say, I just really wanna say this thing. I wanna say this thing. And there's, like, five or six of us, 10 of us listening, and And they'll say, I really just wanna say this thing and that, you know, I wanna do this.

Wendy White [: 00:38:11

But the thing is, I just don't have the words. And I'll be like, did everyone just hear them say it? And they're like, yeah. Well, like, what did I say? And I'm like, that's why we're recording this call. But I'm like, you do know. You just think that somehow Wendy's got a bucket of your magic words. But you do have the words. It just you're used to thinking that you don't. And I love that, that ability to go, oh, I can say what I want to say.

Wendy White [: 00:38:37

And I do have the words and trust myself as opposed to assuming that other people know more than me.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:38:43

Yes. We don't listen to ourselves. We're so busy listening to everyone else that we don't stop and listen to ourselves. We say things and don't actually hear what we just said.

Wendy White [: 00:38:52

Yeah. And which one I mean, it's one of those fun moments to be a coach when nobody like, I don't know. I I don't even know how to say that. And I'm like, I think you do. Yeah. Just did.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:39:01

I love to hear it. Yeah. Just did. Problem.

Wendy White [: 00:39:04

Yeah. But I I love that too because there's something so lovely about watching people go, oh my god. I'm a genius. I can do this. That excitement when people go, I can do this.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:39:16

Yes. You know?

Wendy White [: 00:39:16

Because I'm not in this business to go, hi, you know, be a mini Wendy, use Wendy's words. Do you know?

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:39:22

Yes. I love that. I absolutely love that. That's so valuable. And I'm glad that there's more people doing that because I think people need more of that. I speak I think that going into business for ourselves does feel different. It feels like we're starting over again as, like, we're back at the beginning and we lose that trust in ourselves, but like, we've already gained so much to get us this far, that we have more tools and more ability than we realize. And that it's good for us to stop and remind ourselves how much we already know, how much we've already done, and that the stuff cross the plies.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:39:53

And we're gonna nail it. We're gonna rock it.

Wendy White [: 00:39:56

Exactly. And so listen to our instincts. I mean, if your instinct right now is telling you, I just wanna say this to more people, I would listen to it. You know? Oh, yeah. And I I I I mean, you know, I talked before about, you know, platforms changing and algorithms changing and all these different things. And I had so many people who were like, I just, you know, I know I need to start a Facebook group, and I need to post more on social and do this and this and this. They don't wanna do it, and they're not gonna be happy doing it. And that's not where their clients are anyway, but they think they need to do it.

Wendy White [: 00:40:27

And I'm like, what do you really wanna do? And they wanna speak and do all of these other things that they're probably more gifted at, and they're gonna reach their ideal client better. But that whole idea of, well, no, I have to. And it's like, well, what do you wanna do?

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:40:41

Yes. Yes. Be authentic. Authenticity amplified. Be you and turn that up. And that's how you're actually gonna get somewhere in this world. Yeah.

Wendy White [: 00:40:49

Right? Because I mean, if I if I'm doing I mean, all of your marketing should be a teeny tiny taste of what it's like to work with you. It shouldn't be a, you know, I'm putting on a facade out here, because then you're gonna be disappointed when you actually meet me in person. And so you're doing stuff that you hate because everyone else tells you that you have to do it, like, question mark. Do you have to do it? You know? You do have to get in front of your ideal client and communicate to them in some way. Agreed. But, you know?

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:41:16

Yep.

Wendy White [: 00:41:16

But that helping yourself. You know? And people like, oh, I don't want to start a Facebook group. I don't like starting a Facebook group in 2024. Oh my let's not. Let's just not.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:41:25

Let's not. Let's not do it. Yeah. Let's skip that step. Let's skip that step. Yes. I agree. I agree.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:41:30

Well, speaking of authenticity, who is somebody in your role that you feel is really authentic and kind of exemplifies that to you?

Wendy White [: 00:41:37

Well, right now, you.

Wendy White [: 00:41:40

Like, I know I really, really loved everything you've said about podcasting, and I haven't heard the the reason I love it. The reason I love it is I know it's absolutely true. And I haven't heard anybody else, anyone else saying it, which to me is like a sexiest thing. No, it is. I think that's the sexiest kind of messaging when you say something and people immediately get it, are intrigued, wanna know more, and no one else is saying. And I'm not hearing anything anyone saying that. So I think that is really cool. And you're so you're really embodying what you're teaching and what you're doing.

Wendy White [: 00:42:09

So yeah. That's fine. Is that a cheap answer?

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:42:13

I well, I like it. So I'm gonna I'm gonna take it. Or anyone listening might be like, wait a minute. Did she pay her to say that? I did not.

Wendy White [: 00:42:20

I have no idea you're not asking the questions. That's just my honest answer in this moment because it's and it's really, really true. And I think that's some of the most powerful stuff you can do is really be out there and saying the truth that no one else is saying.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:42:32

Thank you. Well well, you're gonna you're gonna just wait. You're gonna be like, now I'm not gonna shut up about it. So everyone heard an air first.

Wendy White [: 00:42:40

I think it'd be fantastic. I mean, I would be very curious. I don't I don't know whether there's, like, comments or chat, but I would love to, you know, hear your audience's reaction to you talking about that more, you know?

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:42:51

Oh, good. Well, we will see. I will I will I will personally update you. I will personally update you when I get people's responses to this. And I did actually start with somebody else, like, in the industry who was actually very impressed and agreed with me on it too, this in my industry. So so I may not be alone in that truth.

Wendy White [: 00:43:08

You don't make any stop. This is actually the truth. This is the truth, and it will save these women, their businesses, and years and everything. And, again, it's gonna establish you as a incredible trustworthy source in the market when you're like, no. Don't buy this thing from me. No. No. Not yet.

Wendy White [: 00:43:25

Not yet.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:43:26

Not yet. It's not time. You need to you need to do the other things first because I yeah. Because I genuinely care and want you to be successful. So that's the case. Exactly. That's perfect. Yeah.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:43:36

So what advice do you have for listeners who are trying to amplify their message and better connect their clients? I think we've kind of covered it.

Wendy White [: 00:43:43

Yeah. I would say it is very much what we talked about. I mean, you know, you've been in a bunch of my workshops and stuff, and connecting with people, it's there's two pieces to it, right? There's you presenting yourself and why they should listen to you. And then there's what they wanna hear. So I talked a lot today about standing out in a crowded market and really expressing what you stand for. Obviously, the other piece of that equation is what they want to hear and how they wanna hear it and who they are really specifically. You know, I mean, like, we've been talking. I mean, your ideal client for all of this is not a beginner in business, is not someone under that 50 ks mark, it sounds like, You know? Yeah.

Wendy White [: 00:44:19

And that's really important because you can't talk to all the people. Yeah. And you can't do effective messaging or marketing to all the people. So it's both of those pieces.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:44:27

Yes. Understanding that and making sure you focus on that. I agree. And we're gonna talk more in the up close. For those of you that are subscribed on Apple Podcast to up close, we're gonna talk more about unconventional marketing tactics and business pivots. So you guys can get a little bit more on that. But for, to wrap this up, what is the best way for folks to reach you? And let's tell them a little bit more about this workshop that you have coming up.

Wendy White [: 00:44:47

Absolutely. So the best way for Bueller to reach me is at my website, which will, I guess, be the show notes. So yeah. So if you like this stuff, if you like what we talked about and you wanna keep the momentum going because I'm all about momentum, Messaging That Sings and Sells is a free live four day workshop coming up on November 18 through the twenty first. And you will learn my proven process for unique, confident, client winning messaging. I'm gonna walk you through the exact process that I've used with my clients for ten years. That's gotten them ridiculous results. And we were talking about this before, like, what are ridiculous results? You know, ridiculous results are someone walks out of my workshop and then goes to a networking group and introduces herself and books a TV interview and a spread in a local magazine and a workshop and then a keynote address.

Wendy White [: 00:45:34

I mean, that's pretty ridiculous results for a networking, you know? And, we were talking before about my client who introduced herself in an elevator and booked the TED talk. Like, it's not normal.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:45:47

Yes.

Wendy White [: 00:45:48

These are the kind of ridiculous results when you when you really get your messaging nailed that you can get. I say they're ridiculous, but I wouldn't say that they didn't happen because they shocked me when they happened, but very excited about that. So that's happening, in a couple of weeks. And I'm really excited about that.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:46:01

Yes. And it's free, which is amazing. So you get to have this additional time with Wendy, which is great and you get so much out of it. So I definitely highly recommend you check that out and we'll have the link to that in the show notes. But go ahead and tell us your website too so that we'd make sure that people because hearing it and seeing it is always good.

Wendy White [: 00:46:16

Sure. wendywhite.com.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:46:18

Nice and easy. Spell just like you see it.

Wendy White [: 00:46:20

I'm not the tragically, I'm not the only Wendy White. I'm not even the most famous Wendy White, but I have the URL.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:46:25

You got the URL. So that's, like, that's even that's actually more impressive when you manage to do that. So that is that is amazing. That's very impressive. I love that. So that's impressive. So yes. So you 80% of small businesses are solopreneurs, but that does not mean you have to do it alone.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:46:42

So thank you for being here this week, and I hope you come back next week to share with all of us. Thank you, Wendy, for everything you provided for us. It has been a delight. Absolutely.

Wendy White [: 00:46:50

Thank you so much for having me.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:46:55

Isn't there so much to learn on our entrepreneurial journey. Thanks for spending time with me here on Authenticity Amplified. Be sure to hit that button to follow or subscribe so you'll be alerted as new episodes are released. Here in this first month, they are coming out frequently. If you are a solopreneur and want to get to part of this podcast launch, we are doing a fun activity with authentic business voices. Go check it out on YouTube. The link is in the show notes. And if you go to bit.ly/AuthenticBV, You can grab a quick time to record your video with me and be part of this fun event as our launch. I'd love to meet you. Entrepreneurship can feel like an isolating journey. After all, 80% of small businesses are solopreneurs. That doesn't mean you have to do it alone though. We are here every week to be part of this adventure with you. Until next time.