Hi Friend!

How do you accept the calling you’ve been given and make a thriving business from it? Stefanie Gass, clarity coach, podcast coach, and host of the Stefanie Gass Show stopped climbing the corporate and the network marketing ladders after realizing that lifestyle was a lie.

Now she’s made it her mission to help bring clarity to other people’s dreams, and turn those ideas into a sustainable business. She shares how to stop judging the gift you’ve been assigned, launch a top podcast, find your specific target avatar, and create a profitable offer that will solve their problem and serve their needs.

Take-a-ways:

1. Each human being has a special gift that creates a collective. You are so important to the big picture of everything.

2. Trust the process. Be willing to pivot, open up, and take the messy steps to figure out what your calling is.

3. We can choose to be world changers wherever we’re placed.

4. Who cares if we mess up? That’s our point on this planet, to mess up and make something beautiful at the end of the journey.

5. Show up where your avatar is showing up. Take your ego out of the equation and make something that solves their problems and serves. Create trust.

6. Putting service before sales makes you profitable.

7. Be front of mind. Talk about your thing more than you think you should. Make it fun and exciting every time.

8. There is no end destination. The magic is in the here, the now, the failure, the beautiful mess. And inside the mess is a complete transformation of who you’re meant to be.

I pray this blesses you!

FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPTION:

(00:00):
Hey loves. Happy, happy Wednesday. I have a special treat for you today. I’m going to share with all of you my interview on Cathy Heller. That’s right. Cathy Heller’s podcast, Don’t Keep Your Day Job. Why am I going to share this with you ladies? Because this was a moment for me.

(00:22):
You know, you start a show and you have all these dreams of making it big and having all these downloads and like getting featured on dream podcasts and all the things. Well, I want you to know that it can happen. I want you to imagine for a minute with me, come on this journey with me of getting the email from her producer and then pitching them back to do a swap and then actually saying yes to me.

(00:50):
My podcast isn’t even a fraction of the size. Cathy Heller has 15 million downloads. She is one of the most genuine, incredible kindhearted down to earth women I’ve ever met, especially someone that’s uber successful like she is. Then sitting down with her, with the Zoom face to face and having her ask me questions and interview me and just this pure moment of it all coming full circle. It all making sense. The pieces falling into place.

(01:29):
I want you to sit there with me. I want you to feel into what it’s going to feel like for you to have your big moment, that dream interview, conversation that you’ve been thinking about, because this was it for me. I’m excited for you to sit here and just feel into this moment. I’m grateful for each of you. Thank you.

(01:54):
Without you, I wouldn’t have had this moment without each of you. I wouldn’t have this podcast and I’m grateful. I’m just so grateful for every single one of you. Sit back and enjoy as Cathy Heller and I talk all the things, especially about clarifying your calling and starting a podcast. If that could be right for you and a lot of inspiration.

(03:06):
One of my favorite women is on the podcast today and she is one of the go to people in my life who is electricity. If I am feeling like I want to get clear and to step up more into my power, having a conversation with her, boy does that do the trick. So I can’t wait to introduce you to Stefanie Gass. Let’s dive in to today’s show.

(03:29):
So Stefanie Gass is here. She is a force to be reckoned with. She’s a podcast coach, a clarity coach, and she’s the host of the top ranked podcast. The Mompreneur Mastermind Show. She’s all about helping empowering and transforming mompreneurs who want to uncover and tap into their callings, start their own podcast, and monetize their gifts using courses and coaching.

(03:49):
You guys are going to learn so much about those steps to find your calling, what it takes to create and grow a successful podcast, how to make it profitable, and ultimately design a life that fuels your soul. Go make sure you subscribe to her podcast. The Mompreneur Mastermind Show, where she covers business mentorship, marketing mindset shifts, inspiring interviews, and live coaching also on the show.

(04:08):
It’s truly awesome. I highly recommend it. She’s amazing. Get ready to take lots of notes because this phenomenal woman is so filled with wisdom and actionable advice. Without further ado, please welcome the spectacular Stefanie Gass.

(04:21):
Stefanie, I’m so happy that you’re here right now.

(04:25):
Well, I am so happy to be here, Cathy. Thanks for having me.

(04:28):
You’re just one of those people. I immediately fell in love with you and it’s just so great to have you on the show. I got to do your show. So if anybody hasn’t heard that episode, go listen to it. It was really cool. Her podcast is called Mompreneur Mastermind Show. Just so fun. Why don’t we tell people a little bit about you and tell us a little bit about that journey.

(04:47):
Yeah, for sure. So I’ll tell you guys what I do right now and then we’ll back up. What I do today is I help the faith field entrepreneur figure out clarity. I’m actually a clarity coach. What that means to me is each human being has this spiritual gifting that they’re born with. I really want to see people step into that calling, but then do something big with it.

(05:13):
We get stuck in the what and the how and the overwhelm. So I do that. Then I also help women create and launch podcasts because I believe that’s the vessel to touch and serve. Ultimately, how do we make money at all those things? We can do online courses and coaching. So it’s kind of these three tiers of what’s the calling? How do we build it? Then how do we make money from it?

(05:37):
I run the show, the Mompreneur Mastermind Show. That’s what I do today, which is super weird because if we rewind back, never heard the word entrepreneur growing up. It was just not a thing. Dad went to college, first one in his family to go to college. My mom stayed home and raised us. So it was like, you’re going to go to college and a degree. I’m like, okay, that’s just what you do.

(05:58):
Got a master’s in finance and accounting. So I went off and climbed the corporate ladder in my twenties. I was working in a international solar company. Jet setting. I’m going to Germany and Spain. Workaholic mode from the Blackberry. It was fine because it was just me.

(06:17):
Well then I met my husband and then company shuts down and it’s like, you can move to Germany Stef or there’s no job. I’m like, okay, I guess there’s no job because I love New Mexico. I was married by this point and we wanted to have kids. So my husband’s like, hey, take a year off and let’s start a family and figure out what you want to do.

(06:38):
So what happens when you get pregnant? I go, I want to work from home. So this was seven years ago. I got introduced to network marketing. It wasn’t big yet where I lived, no one had heard of it yet, brand new company. I was like, I’ll just do that. There’s some chick on a pink flamingo making millions of dollars. So I jumped into network marketing, like full fledged.

(07:01):
Well it worked and I ended up hitting the top 1% of that company at the demise of everything else. Right? I mean, I was working so much. I had gained 60 pounds, Cathy, anxiety attacks. It was like, it became an idol in my life. The success, the money, the rank advancements. I got all the things. Had the $50,000 bonus checks, the cars, and the trips.

(07:24):
What did I really have to show for all of that? A lot of me, a ton of ego and my family was second or third on the list. I had fallen away spiritually and God stepped in again. So I think that we get what we need in each step and we’re being prepared. So for me, I got so much great things out of the industry that I use today.

(07:47):
I learned personal development, public speaking, all those things, but I’m really stubborn. I was like isn’t this the thing? For me, I feel that God said, I said no Stef. So it was kind of like this hard screeching halt in my career, about five years into network marketing.

(08:04):
The company went through a rebrand, everything kind of fell apart. I went from a whole lot of money a month to no income coming in from me. We had a big lifestyle. So what did we do? We had to sell a motorcycle to pay the bills. We had to borrow money from my son’s savings account. That was like the moment Cathy, that it was so gut wrenching to borrow money from your son to pay the bills because you were working so hard for them.

(08:36):
That was the moment I realized I was lying to myself. I was working for me and it was this moment of like a full-on breakdown. I call it my Britney Spears, you know, 2006, she shaved her head. Welcome to Stefanie Gass’s Britney Spears year. Eating the Doritos, crying into the chips. That’s what was going on.

(08:59):
So long story short, I’m like, I’m a failure. Can’t do business. I failed at the one thing I was so good at, but here’s what I knew. I knew that something was wrong and I had to get in line with my calling. So here’s where this new career path was born.

(09:13):
I got out a piece of paper, Cathy. I was like, who’s the woman that God is calling me to be? I’m very spiritual. You guys. So take that with a grain of salt, whatever that is for you infuse that there.

(09:22):
But I wrote down, okay, I’m energetic. I am healthy, waking up and pouring into my spirituality, talking to God all day, every day, and I’m doing what he wants me to do. I’m done chasing money. I’m chasing encouragement and I’m chasing lifting other women up.

(09:40):
I know that it’s public speaking and it’s mentorship and I don’t know why or how, but I think that’s it. I got to get my life in order, you know? So I wrote all these things on the paper, like the categories of my life that I thought God was asking me to do. Then every day I just did one thing. I invested in the gym I couldn’t afford to pay for so that I would go. I swapped out the Doritos for, you know, whatever gluten-free veggie chips and all the things.

(10:07):
Each day I was making a shift. Three months in of trusting this, it’s all going to work out. I got a call. Hey Stef, will you do some consulting for us on the social media? We’ll pay you $3,000 a month. I’m like, okay, first step. Next thing, hey Stef, do you do any coaching? We were hoping you could help us with like online marketing and I’m like no but I can. I took it.

(10:31):
So over the last three years, Cathy, like trusting the process and just being willing to pivot and step out and fear, the provision has come. The opportunity has come. I keep asking, show me. The next thing will come. Over the last three years, I feel like I’m the woman on the paper. It feels like a dream and a blessing, but it felt impossible three years ago.

(10:58):
I think everybody listening is in love with you right now. I love how real and raw it is and that you started this whole thing by saying what you do now. You started by saying like, I want people to step into the calling that God has for them. As you were talking, I was like, we are like soul sisters in that sense of like I a hundred percent feel like every person is a masterpiece, a piece of the master.

(11:26):
We each sort of like bring a different piece of the puzzle. Without each one of us, the puzzle is not complete, but not everybody knows that about themselves. Not everyone feels like they’re here for a reason or have a calling. Sometimes they need to understand more about that. Say more about that.

(11:45):
How do you know everybody has a calling? How are you so sure that they’re called to do anything, let alone that thing that they think they’re not great at? Or so what 15 other people do that?

(11:56):
Yeah. Thanks for asking this Cathy. Here’s what I have to say about this. We are not qualified to judge our callings and say, well, my calling isn’t good enough, right? Because maybe Cathy has this big, audacious calling to be here on this show. You’re inspiring these millions and millions of people. That’s a big calling.

(12:17):
It seems like, oh, I wish I could ever be that. But here’s the thing. Each of us have this special thing that we’re doing that creates a collective. The Bible promises that we can experience heaven on earth. But the way that we do that is we get in alignment with the thing that lights us up. So it’s not about comparing your calling to someone else’s, it’s about stepping into the thing that lights your fire, that you’re passionate about.

(12:46):
The beautiful thing is most of you have had something I believe we all do. You’ve had it since birth. It’s the gift that you don’t recognize because it’s so natural to who you are. It’s that gift that you’re doing it day in and day out. Whether you know it or not, it’s the thing that people are asking you all the time. Can you help me with this thing?

(13:07):
You’re such a gifted mom and you parent in this beautiful way and your kids are listening to you. They’re always seen. You have this gift of seeing them and lifting them up and maybe your job and your calling is being this mom of a world changer.

(13:21):
Everybody’s calling is so different. So I think what we have to recognize is that you are so important to the big picture of everything and you have a call. So here’s where that second piece comes in. It’s stop overthinking. This was me. Believe me. I think I know what I’m supposed to do. You get so in the way of the process and we need to make money. Okay. I need to make money.

(13:48):
I’ll create the thing that I think I’m good at. But a lot of times it’s the skillset that’s the calling. Then the how is so beyond us, right? I could use the skillsets that I have in corporate America, but that wasn’t the how that I’ve been called to.

(14:04):
So it’s I’m willing and ready to open up. Everybody’s called, few are chosen. So are you willing to say, what’s my calling? Use me, I’m ready. Get out of your own way to be chosen and then trust the process enough to be shown. Here’s what I need you to do.

(14:22):
I was working so hard to build this company what I’m doing now. I didn’t really get it. What am I teaching network marketers? Because that’s what I came out of. Should I teach Instagram or Facebook? That’s where I started because I didn’t know. But I had to start somewhere. I had to take the step and then it was fine. It felt okay. But I was struggling.

(14:43):
There was constant resistance. I had to work really hard for it to grow, kept praying, show me what I’m supposed to do to teach and impact more women because I don’t really know how. A year and a half ago I had a dream start a podcast. It was so vividly clear. I woke up and I’m like, I don’t know what that means. I don’t know how, I don’t know what I’m going to talk about.

(15:05):
Went and got a $20 microphone out of the drawer. Super staticky. Please don’t go and listen to episode one of my show. I set it up, Cathy, and I’m like hi I’m sitting here to record a podcast. Don’t know what it’s going to be about, but here I am.

(15:20):
A year and a half later, the podcast brought me to clarity coaching. It brought my community up to a 100,000 people. It exploded the revenue stream. Everything fell into place. There’s zero resistance today, but it was a journey. So you have to be willing to go through the journey of taking messy steps to figure out what your calling is.

(15:38):
I don’t know if that helps anyone out there, but I want you guys to know that you do have it inside of you. So it takes journaling it out. What do you think it is that lights you up? What makes you mad? That’s also sometimes a big identifier. Something you get passionate about. What do people ask you for all the time? That’s a big identifier of at least to the area.

(16:01):
Then start there. Trust and start. Move your feet. Do something in that one area.

(16:08):
Oh my goodness. I could have cried like three times listening to that. You were such a preacher. It is such a gift.

(16:16):
That’s going to make me cry.

(16:18):
It’s so gorgeous to hear it all just coming right through such a clear channel. When you were first sort of unpacking it and you were talking about everyone has something, and we shouldn’t sort of like judge what it is basically like we should kind of like go with it.

(16:33):
Eventually you realize like I’m just going to do me and there’s no resistance, right? It’s like, you just get super clear on I’m not going to judge it. I was thinking right now in this moment, in this pandemic, when like people who work at the grocery store are saving people’s lives. Literally.

(16:50):
Yeah.

(16:51):
Nurses who feel like I’m a nurse, I’m not Beyoncé. Excuse me ma’am you just saved millions of people by making sure that these 15 people had the treatment they needed. God bless you. How dare you question whether you have merit in this world. It is so ridiculous. Like you said, we are a collective.

(17:17):
There’s a guy who is a janitor at my daughter’s school. They honored him last year. Every year they honor one person. It makes me cry. What would those kids do if the school was filthy? You know, so does he not have merit? He smiles. His name is Romero and smiles at every kid, gives my daughter a high five. So happy to do his job. Such pride.

(17:43):
It’s not about how much money do you make? How much is your star meter today? You know, this has got to go. The win is, am I being me? Right? Whatever that’s going to look like. You know when you are and you know when you’re not. That’s it.

(18:05):
Second thing you said, which I really want to get into, is once you get that you do have a calling, you said, but not everybody is chosen. Few are chosen. You said, because you have to like, let yourself be chosen. Tell me about that. Go into that.

(18:22):
So we all have this tug. Fill the tug, and you go, okay, I think I should do this. Even if your example of the janitor, for a moment, Cathy, we all have the choice to do our best work, wherever we’re placed. He is choosing to do his best work where he’s placed. To impact these kids, bring joy to their lives, and work hard for the school.

(18:47):
What a beautiful, incredible choice for him to make and think of the impact he’s making on every single child. That is such a beautiful thing. In my opinion, that we can choose to be world changers, wherever you’re placed, you know? When you do that, he’s going to have something incredible happened to him just because of the way he’s showing up in the world. When we do that, our needs are met.

(19:13):
We’re constantly reminded that when we do good work, you know, God will provide for that good work. So we have this tug and we think, could that be the thing? For example, today, I was talking to someone and she has this tug to do communication and leadership coaching for female entrepreneurs. She goes, but Stef, I’m not qualified for that. I’m not far enough.

(19:36):
I said, listen to me, if you feel that you and hello she’s already certified and all the things. She does public speaking. Se’s already a six figure and blink what she wants to teach. I said, look, you’re not talking to people way up there. You’re talking to someone five years behind you. So it’s are you going to get stuck in the limiting beliefs of why you can’t do your calling?

(19:58):
Or are you going to move those limiting beliefs out of the way and step aside and say, you know what? I am willing to look dumb. I’m willing to fail a couple times. I’m willing for Joe, the neighbor, to say, I don’t think she’d be a good coach. Like who cares if we mess up, that’s the point.

(20:20):
Why else are we here on this planet? If we are not willing to mess up, to make something beautiful at the end of the journey and just try and take the step and create the lessons that we can then learn on and lean on to get better?

(20:36):
So you got to get out of your own way. Then the next step is you have to say, I believe, I’m willing to do the work for you. For me, I’m like, God use me, whatever you need me to do to help these women get over their fear and move forward and do the mission work. Please take control. I’m ready. Surprise me. It’s terrifying to say that ladies and gentlemen, but you know what, when you say it, incredible miracles start happening in your life.

(21:07):
You speak to me in the deepest way. There was a time as I was like moving into my career. There’s always moments where I go. That’s what they want me to do. Oh, I can’t do that. I can’t speak for 500 people. A thousand? I can’t speak for 1,000 people. I’ve had these like things I’ve had to do. Then I’m like, it’s not about you, Cathy. It’s not you. Stop it.

(21:28):
This is like false humility. It’s not about us. I am willing to be available to help. Right? That’s what you’re saying. Yeah. It like cuts me open and makes me cry because it’s so courageous. It is gorgeous what you’re saying. We make it about us. We can’t do it.

(21:48):
I love that you said that Cathy. It’s not our responsibility to worry about what we’re being called to do. We have nothing to do with which I’m so glad you said that. Also y’all have heard this, but God qualifies the called. There’s a reason that he’s choosing people that seem unqualified. It’s to make the point. It’s to say, are you willing to step up and trust in faith?

(22:14):
When you say yes, I am. Watch that magic unfold. I’ve seen it. I feel every day these miracles just come. This is a miracle I’m talking to Cathy Heller, ladies and gentlemen. That’s a big moment for me. Look, she’s going like what? That’s a huge moment for me Cathy. It’s like, I feel that that was God working in a big way to connect us.

(22:35):
Also I think that’s just such a beautiful thing for me to be able to come and inspire such an audience. I feel just it’s beyond me. When you just do the work and you just say, I trust it. Right? Because there’s moments where you’ll say it’s too big. It’s too scary. I’m not ready. I don’t know how. But guess what that is? That’s the enemy telling you that you can’t, but the calling is so much bigger than that.

(23:03):
Amazing, amazing! Let’s break down the pieces. Because you so clearly were like, so here’s what I do. Then after I give them that clarity, because I know you have a calling, I’m going to move you into podcasting because for me that’s the vehicle. Then I’m going to move you into coaching and programs and stuff like that. It’s like, yes. Tell us more about that. Why is podcasting for you the essential go-to thing?

(23:28):
I tried all the things to grow and to scale. Because I’m like, okay, I know what it is. It’s helping these faith fueled mompreneurs and they know they’ve got something great to share and they’re just so struggle bus. How do I market online and show up? I’m nervous about video or I’m nervous about whatever.

(23:46):
So I’m like, okay. I started blogging, not for me. Then I started a YouTube channel and while it’s fine for me to do YouTube, I had at the time, like a two year old and a newborn. The two year old would come in and talk about poop. Then I’m trying to nurse, you know, like, it’s like guys, this is not going to work for me. So at that point it was growing slow as molasses, Cathy.

(24:09):
Then when I heard start a podcast, Holy Spirit moment. I started the show. Here’s what happened. I could show up on my terms. I could do it around my kids’ schedules. Then I realized the woman I’m speaking to, she doesn’t want to watch a video. She’s driving, carpooling, cleaning the house, and doing laundry. It was like pure magic because my mompreneur, my woman was listening to podcasts.

(24:36):
Then I did something even more strategic. I said, what are her triggers? Well, her triggers are, she doesn’t believe in herself. She’s not organized. She doesn’t understand online marketing. She wants to make money at her business, passive income, time blocking, scheduling all these words that she would Google. I started titling stuff and coming out with content to solve. Let’s find four hours a week. How do we time block and find four extra hours per week?

(25:05):
I would title things in a way where she would be searching for them. All of a sudden my show started to grow really fast. I’m like, okay, great. What if I coach some of these women live on the air? So I started doing some free coaching. I’m like, come on the air. Let’s coach. I would help them with clarity. Those episodes got three times the downloads. I went, oh my gosh, I’m supposed to be doing coaching.

(25:30):
So then I started doing coaching. It was just such an aha moment. It all came full circle for me, Cathy. You have got to show up where your avatar is showing up. Where do they want to learn? Then you got to take yourself out of the equation and create content that moves the needle for her.

(25:48):
It’s not a bunch of fluffy storytelling and feel good. It’s move the needle for your avatar. Make them see change, make her have a difference in her day where she goes, that person just changed my life for free. I am willing to now trust her and spend money with her because she’s going to help me implement. Then all my girls were going, how did you do it? Can I hire you to help me figure out how to do a podcast and how to do it right? How to launch it and how to grow and scale it. I’m all sure.

(26:20):
So I started coaching in podcasting. Cathy people started launching top 30 shows and I went there’s my course. Because I had done a bunch of courses. Nothing was like the course, it wasn’t sticking. So I created a course. It’s my number one passive product today. I then pair it with coaching.

(26:38):
So I do a 30 minute strategy with them. We get the stuff laid out. What are we going to title it? What’s the tagline and clarity? Then they go take the course and they launched the show. They’re now having success because they’re solving, they’re serving. It’s just this beautiful organic funnel of putting service before sales. But it ultimately makes you very profitable.

(27:01):
I love it. I’m like ready to be like, Stef, please coach me. I’m obsessed with you. So let’s talk a little bit about what you teach. How does a person start a podcast and have any security that they’re going to have more than three listeners? What makes a show stick and take off?

(27:18):
Yeah. Okay. So there’s a few things you have to start with. You have to start with clarity surrounding your promise. So what I mean by this is like you can go, yeah, I want to have a mom lifestyle podcast guys. There’s a bajillion of those. Why? What’s in it for her again? So something Cathy had said originally that you can just take with you in every single thing that you guys do when it comes to businesses is it’s about them. It’s not about you.

(27:47):
So I would dive deep with you and dissect into what’s our promise? So yeah, maybe it’s mom life unleashed. Well, what’s the promise? It’s something like transforming motherhood into organized and efficient. Why? Give them an actual takeaway inside of your reason that you’re creating the show.

(28:08):
For example, if you want to have a weight loss podcast, that’s great. But something like using biology and the time of the month to lose weight. Can you create something that’s more specific around why your person would want to do this? Then you get clear on your avatar.

(28:26):
So before you’re ever starting that podcast, it’s why are you doing it? It’s the promise. Then it’s why does she need it? So those are two things that will help you.

(28:35):
The third thing is your channel art will be so important because 20 seconds to grab people’s attention. So you have to have a title that’s clear. Not like mom life. That means nothing to me.

(28:49):
Too general.

(28:50):
Yeah. So you’ve got that title that’s sticky. Cathy, you know, your podcast is so obvious about what is this about? If it’s not, that’s okay, you need to have a tagline that’s clear. Then your channel art needs to be very professional looking and all of those things. So it’s really about tiers in order: clarity, great tagline, great title, then your description got to trigger people.

(29:15):
So what do I mean by this? I mean, you want to get deep into the emotional, the word connection with your avatar right there in the description. Then the next step is it’s a launch strategy. So I have people making lists of 50 people that love them to come listen to the show, leave reviews during launch week, share it on their Instagram stories. We’re doing giveaway strategies to drive reviews, drive publicity. Those are just of the things you want to set up.

(29:43):
But it’s worth it because that’s what the hard part. The next thing is, you show up once a week, you record something that solves and serves and you know, it doesn’t need to be fancy. You can use your phone. You can not edit at first. It’s not going to be crazy, but it solves and serves and creates trust. That’s why we do it.

(30:02):
I want to literally just send people to your program because I want to be in it. Oh, so great. Why podcasting? I know you said, because your kids might come in. I know I have three little kids also, but do you think based on what you’ve seen based on what you know in data. Do you think there’s something inherently awesome about podcasting in how it creates an audience?

(30:30):
Yes. Now it’s not for everyone. If you’re teaching something visual, you’re teaching baking cakes go do a YouTube channel. If you’re teaching like hairstyles or makeup, please go do a YouTube. But if you’re teaching something that can be taught verbally, podcasting is growing like crazy. It’s 30% in the last year I believe roughly. It’s just a place that’s free.

(30:54):
So where can we show up for free that people are already hanging out, that we can own? We can’t own Instagram and Facebook, sorry, it’s dead. You know, it’s not where you should go to completely grow an organic audience anymore because we can’t own it. It’s a great place to connect and engage with the people that you’re getting on an organic platform, like a blog or a podcast. So that’s one thing is you have to have something that’s yours.

(31:18):
So really your choices are limited. Is it video? Great video is great. YouTube is great. Is it blogging? Blogging is also great if you’re that amazing wordsmith and for me, it’s like I can write, but it’s going to take me 27 years or I can just show up and speak. For me, talking is so much easier for me. So I think you have to ask yourself, what’s your vessel that you excel at? Start there.

(31:44):
I think for a lot of people, especially in my sphere, Cathy, it is podcasting because that’s where my avatar is living.

(31:52):
So that’s the second thing is ask yourself. Where’s your person hanging out? If you’re talking to a busy mom, a very successful corporate woman, a successful corporate guy, they’re listening to podcasts. They are hanging out on YouTube, but if they’re going somewhere to consume during drive time, they have kids. They’re multitasking. I’d go there.

(32:14):
The other piece of podcasting that I love so much is one podcast can be repurposed into everything. You know, like you do one show like this. Cathy could use this video clip on her Instagram. I could share it on Facebook. I can take the audio and have a podcast. So for me, the podcast is the thing, but it drives repurposing content to all these different places in a very easy, automated way.

(32:45):
Now moving to the next piece because it is about helping moms become mompreneurs. So the monetization part, right? You started to talk about coaching and programs. How do you lay that out for people? I think that people are going to want to know. Oh, so do you monetize podcasts through ad revenue? Or do you monetize through coaching? How do you do that? Tell me more about when it becomes like in enterprise. When I’m actually now in business and how that all sort of comes together.

(34:30):
Yeah. So I believe when you’re new and most people that are starting a show, most of them are newish not making a ton of money yet. They’re trying to find the vessel to build the business or to build the brand. So I believe the most profitable way for you to make money initially is to sell your own products and services or affiliate for someone else’s. Instead of trying to get sponsorships, because you’re going to get pennies on the download.

(34:57):
So what I actually say is, what is your avatar need? The number one problem you can solve for that person, let’s create a small passive product, like a little mini course or something. $97, this solves their problem. It’s five modules, easy peasy, set it up. Courses are easier than you guys think to create.

(35:16):
Then as you show up on your podcast and you’re teaching about losing weight a certain way, you say, hey guys, did you know that I have the belly blasters mini course? It’s available and it’s on sale. If you head over here, I’m going to give you guys a coupon code for being a listener. We’re going to go through the five tiers of weight loss as a busy mom. So you have a thing that you can sell from the very beginning stages of your show.

(35:45):
As you grow and you’re making guys, a course, is like 80% profit. If not more 90% profit margin. You create it once you’re paying for maybe the platform to host it. That’s it. So I think that that’s a great thing for people to start with along with coaching. So what do I mean by coaching? Most of the things that my students do is something they’re teaching others, right? How to lose weight, how to have more efficient systems as a work-from-home mom.

(36:15):
Productivity systems, life coaching, whatever that might be. So I’m always telling them well, what if you just had a little strategy session with someone? You can charge an hourly rate, meet through Zoom, start to get to know your avatar really, really well through coaching. Then you’re going to have more ammunition for a course, for a bigger program later, group coaching, or a big thing.

(36:40):
So that’s a great way for them to make money when the audience is small. It’s high profit margin. So that’s what I recommend we pivot into in the initial stages of a podcast.

(36:51):
Amazing. You have your course Podcast Pro University, which is all about creating, launching, and scaling a successful podcast, which is fantastic. How do you launch? What is the way that you personally like to launch?

(37:07):
Okay. So I know Cathy is like so brilliant at launch. Here is the anti brilliant way that I market. I am like the anti launch. My mastermind friends, these girls that I’m friends with. They’re like, you’re like the organic hype queen. How do you just organically hype things? I’m like, I don’t know. I just talk about the things I love and that you guys need. So I’m constantly just like, hey, y’all you need a podcast to grow your message.

(37:33):
You need one to grow your brand. Are you part of our sisterhood yet? Why not? Let’s go. It’s evergreen open Cathy. I don’t open close cart or do anything fancy. I had all the funnels and things and I’m like, this doesn’t feel like me. So I turned them all off. So I just decided I’m not going to launch. I’m just going to be me.

(37:53):
So I started reading testimonies, live on the air. I talk about it all the time. Here’s what I do. I’m always front of mind. When somebody thinks about starting a podcast, they think of me. When somebody thinks they need clarity, they think of me because I just always say that on Instagram. I say it in my show every single time my girls talk about all the time. I post testimonies constantly and share success stories. It’s very organic.

(38:21):
Then I launched an affiliate program because so many women were having successful shows, launched top 30, that they started telling everyone. People are like, well, how do I have one of those? Well go take Stef’s course.

(38:36):
So I set up an affiliate program where women then can go and say, hi, 10 friends. You should start a show. I pay them a commission to promote it. That’s that second level of how it’s really grown and expanded.

(38:48):
I love that you’ve stepped that up. I think that that’s so smart. This is what I want people to hear who are listening, like from the beginning, instead of trying to get sponsorships, which is pennies on the download. They don’t even really look at you unless you have 10,000 downloads per show. Right? But don’t sweat it. It’s like, there are already people who have programs you could affiliate to.

(39:09):
Or courses are amazing. They are like 80% to 90% margin revenue. It’s amazing. It’s incredible. So good. Let’s talk about your courses. A lot of times courses are like DIY and people don’t get a lot of success because they sit on people’s desktop. What do you do in your courses? What have you learned that actually makes courses successful? So the biggest piece for most people is the accountability. They have the drive, they’ve got the call, they’ve got the want. Now they have the how, because the course is there, but they don’t have the handholding and the implementation.

(39:45):
So when they buy the course, I offer a 30 minute podcast strategy session. It’s like a fraction of the price to just hire me. Most people add that on. Well then what we do is I meet with them first. So we do that 30 minute session first because once they have clarity, clarity equals confidence.

(40:05):
You know, they’re like, now I’m ready. I see it. Stefanie gave me the ammunition. We’ve got the title. I feel so good. Then they go take the course. So I would say at least 60% of people take that 30 minute session. Then they take the course. The courses is lined out, just like I train right here. I train the thing. It’s like guys, step one, we’re doing this.

(40:25):
I video so they can visually see where to go. What to click, what to do. How do I set up the art, launch the show, record, and edit? Should I outsource? All in there. How do I get a guest? What do I do with the guest? How do I promote? How do I launch? Then there’s the specific strategy. So I go from idea all the way through to monetizing. We talk about more deeply, how can you monetize? What does that look like? How do you promote yourself inside the show?

(40:53):
So it’s got the tacticals no fluff, none. Right at the beginning of the course, I direct them to this Facebook group, Cathy. It’s the living podcasting Facebook group of all the people in the course. So hundreds of people in there that have already walked the walk. So the beauty is, I say, come in, share what your show is going to be about. Go live. Everybody gets to know everybody. It’s this community of everybody lifting each other up in the most beautiful way.

(41:20):
Someone will ask a question, before I can answer it, 10 people have answered it. There’s so much community. Someone says, oh guys, I’m going to launch next week. Is anybody willing to support? 50 people are like, what’s your link. I’ll share it. They’re sharing. They’re leaving reviews for each other. Then I go live twice a month, sometimes more if I’m feeling it. I just answer questions.

(41:44):
What do you need? How can I help you? What do we need to do here? Let’s talk. It’ll be a 30 minute Q&A. Any question they have. So they’ve got the sisterhood, they’ve got the community, they have me answering live and they have the how to. You have to have all those components to be successful.

(42:02):
It’s the community aspect. It’s that touch point with you. That is so cool. I’ve never heard of anyone doing that. I’ve heard of one or the other either. It’s all DIY. Videos, or I’ve heard of people, you know, they take on this ongoing for months, they’re doing hot seats. It’s interesting. This model of let me just get you one time, super clear and then go send you into something that has it all laid out. Plus that community piece, which is so great. Do you show up in that community and answer questions and go live in there?

(42:37):
Yeah. Twice a month. Yeah. So that’s fun. Because it’s like, if you’re going to create a course about something, it’s probably something you’re super passionate about.

(42:45):
Of course.

(42:46):
So I’ll tell them guys I’m going to go live tomorrow. I’m like sometime tomorrow I’ll be alive. So they don’t know, but it’s fine because they can watch the replay. I say, what questions? Everybody puts their questions in there. So it’s such a great way to have them be seen. They feel seen, because I’m saying Mary had a question about something. Sometimes I’ll record those Cathy and put them on my podcast. So they feel more seen and it’s just great. It’s great for the girls to get that level of visibility.

(43:17):
Excellent. Let me ask you a specific podcasting question.

(43:20):
Yeah.

(43:21):
So a lot of people start podcasts and then they’re like, I want to get more subscribers. I want to be able to see more subscribers every month and to just see that I’m making progress, right? It’s the tick. We’re going up. There’s an uptick every month. What is one way that you think that people can continue to grow an engaged audience like that?

(43:41):
Yeah. So there’s a couple of my favorite ways to grow your reach. The first one is you have to tell your current listener base to share you, right? So I’m constant. I’m like in a very authentic way guys, in the emails I send out every week, I’m like, listen, did I impact you this week? Did you learn something, laugh, or laugh at me? Was it something that I, that triggered you in some way to be better?

(44:07):
Will you please do me this one thing and share the podcast on your Instagram stories? So I’m authentically asking them from my heart to share it. That has gone really well. The second thing is how can you go impact more people with your message? So some of my favorite ways to do that are asking people, hi, can I come serve your audience? Can come be on your podcast and just share? No agenda.

(44:34):
I just want to come and pour into your audience in a different way than you can. I want to come on your live on. Maybe they have a team of people. Can I come share on your live something that I teach? If you don’t even want to appoint them, that’s fine. Let me just come share. So when you go and you inspire someone, you teach them something new, they’re going to say, I want more of that person. They’ll come find your show. So again, it’s more service, it’s more outreach.

(44:58):
Then the third thing you can consider, which is super weird that this works. I was like, I started paying, I don’t pay for really much, you know, I’m like organic marketing feels so right to me. So I do a lot of Pinterest. Then also I was like, I’m going to pay to be on some podcasts. I’ll be a paid spot on their show. So I found similar niche podcasts to mine and did a commercial. You guys, these are so cheap.

(45:26):
I had a huge influx of people because it was the same niche and they were going, it was that person promoting me. So the audience trusts her because she goes, hey guys, by the way, my sister friend over here runs a similar show. I think you guys would love it because it does this. It’s similar to what I talk about. So all of her listeners go, oh, I trust you. I’m going to go listen to Stefanie. So I did a couple months of that Cathy and that went really, really well.

(45:53):
You’re so generous and you’re so giving and smart. I need more adjectives I’m running out. Okay. So in general, okay. One of the things you said before, online marketing, and then we’ve now been talking about like organically, how you’ve been marketing. But a lot of people don’t really get that everything you’ve just said is online marketing. Right?

(46:15):
We think that all my marketing is only the slick funnels and the webinars and the paid Facebook strategies. So I want us to sort of clarify. To you what are the basic things that help really with online marketing? What are the most essential components of that?

(46:31):
Okay. The first component is showing up every week with long form content. What does that mean? That means you’re either blogging, YouTubing or podcasting. You’re serving your human, solving their problems every single week, over and over. Then you casually infuse, how can you help them at a deeper level?

(46:56):
So if you have this great weight loss podcast for busy moms, talk to her about, hey, how to make four food swaps you haven’t thought of. Or lose one pound a week, the easy way. So you’re teaching her something. Then inside of the long form content, you guys, you casually, sales doesn’t have to get weird.

(47:13):
It just is like, hey mama, by the way, did you know, I had just launched my workbook? It’s got your complete macro workbook. It’ll take you through a month’s worth of figuring out what to eat when. Let me simplify the process for you. Mary loved this workbook so much she ended up losing four pounds her first month.

(47:32):
So your like super organic. It’s like inside of the conversation and it’s like of course I would add this now. Right?

(47:38):
Yeah. So try not to have a choppy break between teaching and serving. Then by the way, I have something better for you. If you need more help. They can take it or leave it. So let’s not get weird about, we’re not forcing sales. We’re just, hi, here’s what I offer. You’re welcome to take it in. You’re welcome not to.

(47:57):
Now, if somebody has never spent a dollar with me, but I helped them do something better. It’s like now you’re transforming others. So you’ve got to have that perspective and know that it will come back to you. I promise you. Then the second thing is you have to talk about something more than you think you do.

(48:13):
I help people get clarity and launch podcasts. Give people clarity. I think I’ve said this a budget times and someone comes and goes, hey Stef, do you do any coaching? I’m like what? These are people that have followed me for years. They listen to every show.

(48:31):
So you got to remember people, aren’t looking at you the way that we think they are. They’re grazing over you thinking what’s in it for me? I need to learn. So you’ve got to constantly talk about the things you offer in a fun, exciting, new way every time.

(48:49):
Yes. My question is given this crazy time that we’re in, I think a lot of people feel like now’s not the time. I can’t sell anything. That would be such a disgrace. I would be so insensitive. Now is the time not to ask, not to sell, not to make money. I’m just going to sit on my hands and cry and watch the news.

(49:15):
Yeah.

(49:15):
It feels kind of overwhelming and paralyzing. Right? What do you have to say about that? Do you feel like selling, do you feel like it’s working? Do you feel like it’s something that you could help us see in a different light?

(49:31):
Sure. I think now is the time that people have time. We’re all sitting at home and now’s the time that we have this time that we’ve never had. So why can’t we spend this time preparing because listen the doors are going to open again. The world will get back to normalcy. At some point, people are going to be dying to do something new and do something exciting and launch the thing and do the things.

(50:00):
So let’s get our house in order right now, which to me means, get the clarity. What do you want to do? What are you doing here? If you don’t have clarity now is the most incredible time to get that journal. Find a podcast that inspires you, meet with someone, get a mentor, do the things. Get clarity.

(50:18):
The second thing is do all the stuff you put off all the time. Get the business in order. Do the back office stuff. Get caught up with the taxes or the leads system that you wanted to do. Create the freebie, like all the little things that we’re constantly like, I don’t have time for that, do it.

(50:33):
Then the third component that you can do right now that will make you a lot of money later is start serving for free. Serve more. Double down, show up twice a week instead of once.

(50:45):
I’m still selling right now, Cathy, because I still believe fiercely in what I sell. I think that when people are willing to invest in themselves and show up for their business in a new and different way, they’re going to have the success and the money that they’ve been searching for. So I’m not afraid of selling right now. I’m doing it maybe a bit more carefully and letting them know, look, this is not the best time for everyone, you guys.

(51:12):
But maybe it’s the best time for some of you. So you can have open communication during your sales pitches. Right? You can say, guys, I have something to offer and I understand this may not be the right time for you financially. That is okay. Maybe it is because maybe you have more time right now to do the things. So I’m just constantly communicating with my people and letting them know.

(51:34):
I think it’s excellent. It makes so much sense to me. I think that what happens is we start these episodes. People start in the same place, which is, I don’t feel like I’m enough. I don’t feel like I’m worthy, but boy, do I want to do something. I’ll just listen to this show because at least they listen to this show I get ideas or it makes me feel better about myself.

(51:53):
Then they get so excited and we have these great guests and you come on here and they’re like fired up. Then it starts to come to the end of the episode. They start to think, I don’t know if I’m worthy. I don’t know if anything is going to happen. Right? So ultimately it comes down to taking action.

(52:08):
What I find is that when people think they have a business problem or marketing problem, it’s a courage problem. They’re just afraid of the pain. They don’t want three people like you said, their neighbor to say you’re a bad coach. But that’s what’s happening is like no one wants to be rejected. No one wants to feel stupid. It’s such a bummer because we miss out on the gifts that are ours. So what can you leave them with? How can you help them?

(52:33):
Okay. Listen up girls and a couple of gents, come hither. Let me tell you something. There is no end destination. Okay. There is no final destination here. I now have hit the thing. I now have finally made blank amount of money and it all makes sense. This is why I was here and it’s so perfect. Or I finally stood on the stage in front of the people.

(52:57):
You’re going to be let down. You’re going to have expectation hangover because let me share something with you. The magic is not in the end final destination. The magic is in the here it’s in the now. It’s in the today, the next step, the failure, and even in the moment that you think everything is crumbling down around you.

(53:21):
That beautiful mess because inside of that mess is a complete transformation of who you were meant to be. The lessons you are meant to get. It’s the belief in yourself and the courage to try something else on top of it. The new belief in how proud you can be of yourself for even taking that step.

(53:42):
So the journey is the final destination. It’s the right now. If you are not willing to live in the right now, then what are you doing here? Why are you thinking about all the big things if you’re afraid of experiencing the big things? If you’re afraid of not being able to do it right.

(54:05):
I am here to tell you that there is no right way to do anything here and you will fail before you fly every time, every single time. You just got to be brave and you have to take the step and you have to try and you have to try again and you have to keep going and you have to know, this is the miracle. Find the miracle in every single day. They’re all around you. Every little hour has some type of miracle. I write them down.

(54:28):
I’m like, look this conversation with Cathy is a miracle in and of itself, right? You guys have those too.

(54:35):
I love you so much.

(54:37):
I love you back.

(54:38):
That was such a stunning answer. Maybe our definition of failure has been wrong all along because maybe the success is not the destination. Maybe the success is I did it. I chose. Right?

(54:57):
I can’t believe how awesome Stefanie is. Here are the takeaways. Number one, every human being has a special gift that creates a collective. You are so important to the big picture of everything.

(55:07):
Number two, trust the process. Be willing to pivot, open up and take the messy steps to figure out what your calling is.

(55:14):
Number three, we can choose to be world changers, wherever we’re placed.

(55:18):
Number four, who cares if we mess up, that’s our point on this planet to mess up and make something beautiful at the end of the journey.

(55:24):
Number five, show up where your avatar is showing up, take your ego out of the equation and make something that solves their problems and serves. Create trust.

(55:32):
Number six, putting service before sales makes you profitable.

(55:36):
Number seven, be front of mind. Talk about your thing more than you think you should make it fun and exciting every time.

(55:42):
Number eight, there is no end destination. The magic is in the here, now, and failure of the beautiful mess and inside the mess is a complete transformation of who you’re meant to be.

(55:53):
Y’all I am still pinching myself like what a unbelievable conversation with somebody that I really look up to and has since become a friend. It’s just all so surreal. God’s miracles are endless. He is constantly wanting to further your dreams. He is always making the connections with people that he knows can help further the he’s already given you. We just have to trust that we have to know that he will divinely intercede on our behalf to continue growing what he’s asked us to do.

(56:34):
This for me is a true miracle moment. This for me, proves that I am in alignment with what he wants over my life. I just want to pray over you that wherever you sit today, in case you are wondering if you are doing the right things, just keep going. There were so many pieces of this journey that did not make sense. Moments of this journey that were not in alignment, but there were pieces of it that God used for greatness.

(57:02):
He wastes nothing. Ladies. He wastes nothing. No matter where you sit, what job you’re in, what failures you’ve faced, what empty bank accounts have come and slapped you across the face. You know what I’m saying? No matter what you’ve faced and where you sit. Right here at this moment today, he wastes nothing and he will make good out of your situation.

(57:28):
I promise you, this is an exact example of how that might come full circle for you as you continue to grow. Love you. I’ll see you back here tomorrow when we dig into systems and productivity for the work-from -home mom. You guys are going to love that. Can’t wait.

(57:48):
If you have found value on today’s show, like if I made you smile, if you had an aha moment, if you can hear my kid in the background, okay? Whatever the reason I want you to pause and go leave a review for this podcast. Okay?

(58:05):
It is everything to me to hear from you guys and know that what I am doing here matters. Hearing from you is how I know that my message is getting across. That what I’ve been called to teach is resonating. So go leave a review for the show if you haven’t. If you are my Lola sister, you best go leave a review. Love you guys. See you soon. As always, love and light, Stef.