Brand You Personal Branding

PJ Taei is the owner and founder of Uscreen, a subscription-based video-distribution and monetization platform. There are over 5,000 personal brands and businesses selling their videos online with Uscreen. Video isn’t the only strategy to use to market your business but is becoming an increasingly popular one. I wanted to delve into it with PJ because he has the behind the scenes look at what people like us are doing. It’s incumbent on us to make our content as easy to consume as possible. If you’re looking for a way to do so, tune in.   In the episode, we talk about: 1. Where PJ sees video going in the years to come 2. How entrepreneurs can gain confidence in video marketing 3. How to connect with your audience through video 4. What success in a video marketing campaign looks like 5. How to generate leads through video and use the funnel from there 6. Best practice regarding the frequency of content creation 7. The value (or lack of value) in putting podcasts on YouTube 8. How to humanize your brand and buil

Jenny Levine Finke is the founder of Good For You Gluten-Free. As a certified integrative nutrition coach, her blog helps people with celiac disease and gluten sensitivities manage their diet and restore their health. She also founded the Denver Bloggers Club where she hosts monthly workshops and an annual conference. Jenny is the real deal when it comes to growing an audience organically. Today, she shares that expertise with us.   In this episode, you’ll hear: 1. The backstory of how Jenny built her brand 2. What it’s like being a blogger today 3. How to grow a tribe through organic traffic 4. What content creators can do to optimize their content 5. Why you should see other bloggers not as competition but as collaborators 6. How to use Instagram to grow your brand   Resources: Good For You Gluten-Free Denver Bloggers Club Jenny on Instagram Jenny on Facebook Mike on YouTube   Connect with Mike: https://mikekim.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mikekimtv/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/m

Ben Settle is a copywriter who is unabashedly himself. He sends out a weekly paper newsletter called Email Players, a resource that has been very influential for my career over the last few years. Ben writes with a very unique voice and isn’t afraid to be polarizing. As someone who runs a 7-figure business doing nothing but writing emails, he knows how to use mockery as a marketing tactic. He shares his expertise on this with us today.   In the episode, we talk about: 1. How he got into the copywriting space 2. How he grew his email list without using social media 3. Why mockery is more persuasive than appealing to the mob 4. Politics as the purest form of branding 5. Rhetoric vs. dialectic 6. Why he doesn’t ask people to buy 7. The importance of honesty in copywriting   Resources: Ben’s website   Connect with Mike: https://mikekim.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mikekimtv/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikekimtv Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/mikekimtv/ Twitter - https://twitter.co

Dorie Clark has been ranked the #1 Communication Coach in the world. She is also the author of Reinventing You, a book that was very impactful for my career. I met Dorie at a networking event in New York City a few years ago and from then on have been trying to get her on the show. As an expert in self-reinvention and helping others make changes in their lives, I knew she could provide a clear path forward for all of you as she did for me.   In this episode, we talk about: 1. Her predictions for the next few years in the workplace 2. Her journey towards entrepreneurship 3. The mindset shift that made her realize she could start a business 4. What makes an interesting story 5. Her newest book, Entrepreneurial You 6. How to stay ahead of the curve in the personal brand world 7. What it takes to write a book   Resources: Dorie on Twitter Dorie on LinkedIn Dorie on Facebook Dorie on Instagram Reinventing You Entrepreneurial You Rapid Content Creation Masterclass Mike on YouTube   Connect with Mike: https://m

This week, I brought on Joshua and Joanna Scott from Studio 88 to talk more about niches. They have built an incredible marketing agency that is focused on the niche of serving dentists. I got to work on a project with them last year and it was cool to see the work that they do in this unique space. A lot of us struggle with niching down and they’ve done well in that, so I knew they would have a lot of great stuff to share with us.   In the episode, we talk about: 1. Having a “real” business and how they built theirs around a personal brand 2. The process of “niching down” 3. The art of working together as a couple 4. How high-end companies are transitioning to the personal brand world 5. Post-COVID predictions for dentistry 6. Their prep process for working with clients   I hope that Joshua and Joanna’s real-life story helps you realize what can happen if you niche down. Your business and niche may transition later on, but focusing on one can lead to greater success in your personal brand.   Resources: Josh

Andy Storch is a talent development coach, the host of two podcasts, and the founder of the Talent Development Think Tank. He’s built a career in the corporate world by using a personal brand, proving it’s very possible to succeed in a niche outside of the norm. If you don’t want to work with other entrepreneurs and want to go into the corporate space, you’ll want to listen to Andy share what he’s done and how he’s done it.   Specifically, he talks about: 1. How he got into the talent development space 2. What first step he took to land clients in his niche 3. How podcasting boosted his success 4. Experiential learning 5. What he thinks about the future of corporate consulting in our changing world   This is a topic we don’t talk a lot about on the podcast, but we do know the riches are in the niches. Andy has built a unique niche and can help us do the same.    Resources: Andy’s LinkedIn Talent Development Hot Seat podcast Starve Your Fears: The Andy Storch Show   Connect with Mike: https://mikekim.com/

Dana Malstaff is an author and the founder of Boss-Mom.com. She’s built a multiple 7-figure business by focusing on the one niche of moms. We really connected at an Agents of Change conference where we were both speakers and I soon found out how she was using Facebook groups for her brand. When she showed me I wasn’t doing them the right way, I knew I needed to bring her on to teach all of us how to use them correctly.   In the episode, we talk about: 1. How Dana built her business 2. The amazing success Boss Mom has had and the strategies Dana implemented to get it to that point 3. The importance of going from teacher mode to facilitator mode 4. Setting boundaries for your Facebook group 5. Establishing brand congruency in your posts 6. Visualizing your group as a city 7. What kinds of questions to ask in the group 8. How to use prompts 9. Facebook groups for paid programs 10. How and when to promote your products in your group 11. The Pie of Engagement   There is a ton of great information shared in this ep

In today’s episode, I’m kicking off a series on niches. That can be an unnerving word for a lot of entrepreneurs, so I want to break it down in this episode and the weeks to come. I truly believe that the riches are in the niches. The more we clarify and clean up our marketing, the more successful we will be.   To tee this idea up, in this episode I talk about: 1. The only 3 markets we are ever really in and examples of entrepreneurs in each of those markets 2. Taking our focus off the word niche and onto the word focus 3. The 2 types of focuses we can have 4. Accuracy in marketing 5. The danger of subjective language in marketing 6. The 3 things we need to focus on selling   The next few episodes are going to be full of great information on niches. Make sure to take the time to soak in everything the guests will share. They prove that we can make our greatest impact by focusing on niches.   Resources: Brand You Bootcamp   Connect with Mike: https://mikekim.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mikekim

Geoff Kullman is an amazing copywriter who helps his clients connect to their audience. He is one of the few writers I completely trust and have even worked with on my own client projects. In this episode, we talk about some of the mistakes entrepreneurs make in connecting with their audience. Being clear isn’t enough. At some point, each of us has to learn to tap into emotion to genuinely connect with people. Some of the things we discuss that keep entrepreneurs from doing so are: 1. Talking about themselves way too much without making connection points to their customers 2. Not identifying their client’s hopes, values, dream, and goals 3. Being afraid to ask for a sale, even if they truly believe in their offer 4. Not knowing their purpose 5. Failing to build credibility until a crisis occurs   I’ve matured in this space over time and have realized the importance of consistently honing in my marketing skills. If you have a personal brand business but struggle to put words to your values and connect with you

Lindsay Hotmire is a messaging coach and copy expert. She helps her clients push pause on the one-size-fits-all formulas so they can present their brands authentically. I know it’s hard to find the balance between authenticity and sharing too much, so I wanted to bring Lindsay on to teach us all about it.   In this episode, we discuss: 1. How to get in touch with your core identity 2. Worldviews 3. 3 basic questions that help you find your brand’s message 4. The Johari window tool 5. The “unbranding” process 6. An authenticity inventory you can take for self-awareness 7. How Lindsay used this information to grow her business 8. Phenomenology 9. What it looks like to differentiate yourself   I like frameworks, but authenticity is key to staying in the personal branding game. Listen in to hear all of what Lindsay had to share.   Resources: Download Lindsay’s Brand Authenticity Guide Lindsay’s Instagram Lindsay’s LinkedIn   Connect with Mike: https://mikekim.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mikekimtv

There will always be too much to do and not enough time to do it. That is why we need people like Belinda Weaver. She is not only founder of the site Copywrite Matters and host of the Hot Copy Podcast, but an expert at time management, too. We met at The Copywriter’s Club IRL conference and began a conversation on how she built a business while raising a family, forcing her to learn how to be the boss of her time.   In this episode, we talk about: 1. Belinda’s leap to full-time online work 2. Her transition from client work to a strategist role 3. How to repurpose content to free up time 4. The surprising success of her daily email 5. The Pomodoro Technique 6. Making the brain space to delight clients   I am definitely going to be putting Belinda’s techniques into practice and getting my time management under control. Tune in to win back your time, too.   Resources: Sign up for Belinda’s daily email Hot Copy podcast Copywrite Matters website   Connect with Mike: https://mikekim.com/ Instagram - https://www

I want to be someone who tells human stories. Doing so is a way to humanize this otherwise idealized industry. That’s why I wanted to bring my good friend Ray Edwards onto the show. I have known him my whole professional career, as he was the most instrumental person in helping me start and grow my business. His friendship goes far beyond business, though. In today’s episode, we just have a normal conversation about life.   We discuss: 1. This strange season of reset we’re in 2. How little we really know 3. The power of challenging ideas 4. Why we admire people, but have no heroes   Be sure to hop on Instagram and let me know what you thought of conversations like these.   Resources: The “Only Rookies Write From Scratch” Sales Page Bundle Ray’s website   Connect with Mike: https://mikekim.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mikekimtv/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikekimtv Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/mikekimtv/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/mikekimtv   *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you li

A lot of us want to build online courses, but we don’t know what it actually takes to make them successful. I’m always looking for a way I can make my courses better because I care about the people who take them. So, in today’s episode, Dr. Carrie Rose will be explaining the ins and outs of creating a successful online course. When she first got into the online marketing world, she realized that online courses weren’t following the best practices she knew from the world of education and set out to change that conversation. As someone with a PhD and over a decade of experience in public education, she knows what she’s talking about. In the episode, she shares:   1. How the human brain does and does not connect to content 2. The cognitive dissonance dance 3. The extremely low completion rate for online courses and how she helps her clients raise it 4. How we can get our students to think critically 5. The importance of creating clearly defined objectives and focus questions 6. The general progression of caring

During this pandemic, I’ve had a lot more time to listen to podcasts. It’s a great way to fill the time while giving your eyes a break from screens. I certainly don’t have a corner on the market and there are people out there who you can learn a lot about marketing from. These are probably podcasts you haven’t heard of, but they will help your business incredibly. Here they are:   1. The Copywriter Club Podcast by Kira Hug and Rob Marsh 2. The Amazing Seller Podcast by Scott Voelker 3. Podcast Strategies for Growing Your Business by Danny Ozment 4. The Business Event Playbook by Lauren Davis 5. Brand on Brands on Brands with Brandon Birkmeyer 6. Pricing is Positioning with Paul Klein 7. The Marketing Your Movement Show with Duane Zingale 8. The Gayla Scrivener Show 9. Creative Chats with Mike Brennan 10. Live Life Rich with Marissa Nehlsen Honorable mention: Fundraising Freedom Podcast with Mary Valloni   Make sure to check out of each of these podcasts by clicking the links above. You won’t regret

Scott Voelker is the founder and host of The Amazing Seller, a top-ranked podcast that helps everyday people start and grow online e-commerce businesses. I met Scott about a year ago at the Puerto Rico masterminds and we talked for hours about life and business. He’s in a different internet marketing space than I am, but what he talked about piqued my interest. I’ve thought about diversifying my income streams in the past, and now more than ever us entrepreneurs need to be considering these things. So, in this episode, Scott explains how to diversify and future proof our businesses. He talks about:   1. The cornerstone that is your email list 2. Evergreen assets and the importance of getting traffic 3. Monetizing our chosen database 4. Starting other brands to diversify your revenue 5. The difference between personal brands and e-commerce 6. How uncomfortable moments show us who we really are and what we really want   Resources: The Amazing Seller podcast The Take Action Effect: Proven Steps to Build a Futu

Marissa Nehlsen is the founder of a 7-figure financial firm who knows what she’s doing with money and mindset. When I met her a couple of years ago while doing consulting work with the John Maxwell team, something struck me about her right away. We worked on some projects together and I came to understand her amazing mindset about money. She knows things about how to get the most out of life and give the most to life that will help us navigate the season we’re in.   In this episode, we discuss:  • How people can shift their mindset about money • Marissa’s story and the two pieces of advice that changed her life • The 4 pillars of wealth • The 5 things all entrepreneurs must know • What Olaf teaches us about taking the next right step   This is a time when all of us need to be sharing our gifts, not hoarding them. Marissa teaches us just how to do that. Listen in to benefit from all her insight.   Resources: Brand You Bootcamp Live Life Rich podcast   Connect with Mike: https://mikekim.com/ Instagram - https

As with all of life, it’s so important right now to get good at the art of reframing the situation. We need to keep asking, “What does this make possible?” For personal brand businesses, the answer is, “A lot.” I’ve been asked over and over if businesses should sell, market, and run ads at this time. So, I’ve compiled the things I’ve said in various outlets over the last couple weeks into 5 business and marketing tips to navigate the age of coronavirus:   1. In your marketing, change your language from survival and frustration to the language of adjusting and adapting 2. Jerry McGuire yourself 3. Don’t stop selling 4. Don’t be afraid to downshift back into what you did before 5. Tater-tots and sawdust   Resources: Free 3-Session Brand You Bootcamp   Connect with Mike: https://mikekim.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mikekimtv/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikekimtv Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/mikekimtv/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/mikekimtv   *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like th

Steve Kosch is a former broadcaster who now provides professional media training for speakers who want to get into the field. He has had an entrepreneurial spirit his entire life, as well as a lot of experience in the personal branding world. This has equipped him to help others communicate most effectively. Some of the things he shares in this episode include: The importance of considering the audience: know what’s in it for them and use their language Why it’s best to keep your message short and get to the point The power of the executive presence How to convey energy and credibility Avoiding the overuse of common phrases   Steve is a storehouse of knowledge and has helped countless people through his media training. If you’ve ever wondered how to communicate in a way that draws people in, listen to what he has to say in this episode.   Resources: Media Training Network Lost Interview with Zig Ziglar  Steve’s number: (949) 720-2080   Connect with Mike: https://mikekim.com/ Instagram - https://www.instag

Duane Zingale is a digital ad specialist who spends most of his time crafting relationship-based marketing funnels. He helps consultants and coaches build out these systems, loving tech so we don’t have to. Duane did this for me by helping me incorporate touchpoints within the automations I already had in place without losing that personal touch. In this episode, he takes us through the LISTEN funnel framework he’s developed and seen play out again and again.   L: Locate the audience Find out where your customers are hanging out, and go there. Start conversations, ask them questions, and invite them in. I: Invite them to take action Offer to solve a simple problem, and invite your audience to opt-in to receive that solution. S: Survey them Ask your customers where they are struggling the most, and how you can help with that. Their words can become your greatest copy! T: Teach them Pull your customers into your teaching. Demonstrate your methodology and show them why your solution is the way to solve t

Wendi Schenkel is a master at e-commerce, having sold over 7 figures worth of merchandise. She has owned her e-commerce business since 2014 and performed tons of research on women’s shopping patterns. When she did, she saw the huge opportunity and impact in the market. The 10 commandments of selling to women are what emerged: 1. Women love to buy things... when we think it’s our idea 2. Secrets do not make friends 3. Do not let their girlfriends find out that you gave one of them a better deal than you gave her 4. Put it all on the table 5. Communicate early and often and impeccably 6. Women do not want a one night stand 7. Women want to be proud to be seen with you 8. Women want to be heard 9. You guys might think of it as a reputation review, but women call it the backchannel 10. We want to refer our girlfriends to you When Wendi shared this with me my mind was absolutely blown. It completely reframed the way I saw my business and a lot of my clientele. It is completely research-driven, proven, I believe it