It's been a minute, right? I hope you have been happily being the voice of your brand without any missteps while I was gone. Truth is, I've been nurturing a new podcast called Empty Nest Empires and found that trying to do both was biting off more than I could chew. 

...but I do miss you, and I promise there will be new episodes coming soon. Here's a quick update for you. In the meantime, I hope you will hop on over to Empty Nest Empires and check it out. (It's not just for empty nesters.)

See you again soon!

~Tami~

My guest today is Olivia M. Gonzalez - she is the CEO, Copy Curator, and Chief Brand Messaging & Development Strategist of OMG Brand Story, LLC. Olivia has established herself as a Communications Consultant and Copywriting Expert with over 10 years of experience shaping culture and engagement for national organizations. She helps business owners create brand stories that drive engagement, reinforce company culture, and effectively create a positive impact on their bottom line. She does this by working with brands to attain clarity of their brand voice and identity — and she helps businesses communicate their unique brand magic to attract, convert, and retain business while expanding their circle of influence, impact, and income.

You’ll hear in a moment how Olivia and I met - it was one of those God moments that you just can’t plan. She is a dynamo in person, and everyone who works with her gets that fire, along with her ten years of working in this industry, helping big brands tell a better story. 

Olivia says that having a brand story used to be a “nice to have” and now it is a “must have” for your business. 

In this lively conversation, Olivia shares her top three areas to focus on when crafting your brand story:

• Know Your Audience
• Identify What's Universally Unique to Your Brand - there is a need to identify what's unique but that is also a shared value with your audience to drive connection
• Don't Make Statements — Tell Stories

If you’d like to work with Olivia, check out the Work With Me section of her website at www.omgbrandstory.com Use this Exclusive Code for 15% Off All Consulting Services: VYB2019 (good through December 31, 2019) AND you should go right now to omgbrandstory.com/brandmagicmap to get on her waitlist for the Brand Magic Map online course launching soon - or, send an email to info@oliviamgonzalez.com  - just be sure to type “Brand Magic Map” in the subject line. 

Her adventures happen on Instagram here: @theoliviamgonzalez

Using filler words is one of the most common ways your speech fluidity is stifled. You’ve heard it in others, but are you aware when you are doing it yourself?

Let’s start with the definition. When you use filler words, it just means you are filling natural pauses in your speech pattern with something other than words that continue your concrete thought. Instead of a pause or a blank space, you fill that with a word, a sound or even a phrase. Some of the more common filler words and phrases are like, ah, um, so, do you know what I mean?, I’m like… some people even fill that space with a smacking noise.

Using filler words is a normal part of speech, but if excessive, it keeps your listener from hearing your message. The first way to find out if you have this habit, you need to do some self-assessment. Listen to a recording you’ve done - or record something new if you don’t have one. Make a list of the things you’d like to work on. If it’s filler words, Tami shares some tips to teach yourself to stop doing this.

The first option is to practice closing your mouth during a pause to remove the ability for any sound to come out during that pause. A second way to break this habit is to enlist the help of a friend who will remind you when you use filler words, Toastmasters actually has someone at the back of the room ringing a bell they call the “ah bell” - some chapters even collect a 25 cent fine for each filler word used during a speech. If you are by yourself, tap your leg or your wrist each time you use a filler word. This will help with awareness and you will retrain your brain and your mouth to stop using filler words.

It takes some conscious work and practice, but in time you will break yourself of this habit and have a voice that is heard!

If you’d like to join Tami’s group coaching program called A Confident Voice, go to aconfidentvoice.com and join the waitlist!

Corie Clark is a business educator, the author of the Simplicity Project, creator of The Purposeful Planner, and voice of Purpose with Corie Clark Podcast. She loves not only helping others find their purpose, but equipping them to live it out and turn it into a profitable business through her Purposeful Business Academy and her VIP membership lounge. It was my joy to have Corie as a guest on Voicing Your Brand today. 

Corie has a heart for helping women pursue their purpose with passion and simplicity, and hers is a business that was born from her own need to simplify her life and make room for more purpose. To attach the chaos of her life, she began by taking a few minutes a day to clear the clutter from her schedule, her digital life, and her home life - and wrote about it on her blog. From that experience her book, The Simplicity Project, was born.

Then people started asking for a planner. Corie didn’t find one that met her needs, so she created one and called it The Purposeful Planner. Corie struggled at first with being the voice of her brand, but found that just making the leap and taking action has increased her confidence.

Corie loves the current trend of tidying up, but thinks the technique of taking many hours to do a task doesn’t make sense for most women. If you can set a timer for 15 minutes and fill a bag with clothing or things you know you’ll never need again - you’re done, the bag is full, and it’s out of your house - it’s so freeing!

The mission of helping women have a purposeful business is what drives Corie these days. She says the very first step is so important - it will turn into something great. It’s important to talk about your ideas - when you share it with someone, it brings it to life. You can’t figure this out without taking that first tiny step!

Another important component to discovering your purpose is community. Corie and I met in a very supportive Facebook group started by author Jon Acuff - we both agree that if not for that group, we probably would not have stepped out of our comfort zones to do what we are each doing now! Corie says that the most important thing she learned is how important it is to get things out to the world even if they are not perfect - do it messy, but get something out there. Perfectionism will paralyze you.

Corie leaves us with these thoughts: when you find something you’re passionate about and you can help other people along their journey - you can turn that into a business. She is energized by helping women discover their purpose, live it out and create a profitable business from it!

You can connect with Corie at the links below - and be sure to send her a message telling her you heard this episode!

corieclark.com

instagram.com/corieclark

facebook.com/writercorieclark

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I am so grateful you joined me today here on Voicing Your Brand -

Please connect with me on social media - I’m @TamiRomani on every platform!

Join either of my two free Facebook communities by clicking on the name -

Your Brand, Your Voice

Building Empty Nest Empires

To get on the waitlist for the next cycle of A Confident Voice, go here: aconfidentvoice.com

See you next time - in the studio!

Tami

Brock Johnson is a college student athlete with a passion for helping others create connections and grow their brands using short-form video! As Co-host of the Build Your Tribe Podcast, instructor of multiple online courses, and an online entrepreneur, Brock has helped thousands of entrepreneurs learn to use quick video clips to connect and build their business! His mission is to help you grow your brand, and effectively market using Stories!

As Brock tells his story about becoming an entrepreneur, you will quickly see he is no ordinary college football player. He is on a mission to help as many people as he can by teaching them the art of the story. Or, more accurately, stories. Brock believes you don’t have just one story to tell, you have millions of micro stories that can be told in short increments on social media to connect with your perfect customer and in effect, increase your earning potential.

As you begin thinking about what stories you can tell - Brock has several suggestions about how to keep track of those stories and how to then recall them at the appropriate time in your storytelling to make an impact. He outlines how to know what will connect with people and how to navigate the direct messages you will receive and how to best respond to them.

When you tell your stories with emotion, Brock explains how mirror neurons in their brains cause them to connect with you on a deeper level. People do business and take advice from those they know, like, and trust - this is the goal of every marketer. Bringing personal emotion (not drama) into your stories will help you reach this goal.

Everyone can relate to the feeling of “what do I do next?” Brock has quite a story about taking time off from social media and making a choice to feed his soul rather than his bank account.

He also gives tips on how to choose the right social media platform for you - it’s all about evaluating who your ideal audience is, and finding the platform they are using, and also what platform you are most comfortable with. Brock also shares how to “dress” your existing videos for use on another platform by making some simple tweaks.

I think you will enjoy the wisdom from this young entrepreneur who can teach so much!

You will enjoy following Brock for his solid marketing information, and his funny antics and comedic ability will definitely bring a smile!

Here’s how to find Brock - reach out to him and send him a message about hearing this interview!

Instagram: @brock11johnson

YouTube: Brock11Johnson.TV

Website: Brock11Johnson.com

Facebook: Brock11Johnson

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I hope you've enjoyed hearing from Brock today - if you have, would you leave a review and let us know what resonated with you?

And don't forget, doors are still open for A Confident Voice - go to aconfidentvoice.com for more info and use the coupon code PODCAST20 for a special discount for my podcast listeners.

You have a story (or should I say many stories) to tell - let's make it happen!

To your success,

Tami 

The question I am asked the most is, "How can I have a more confident voice?" Today we will dive into three ways to begin moving towards a more confident speaking voice. Simple, yet effective ways to get people to lean in and listen to what you have to say.

Tip #1 is Know What You are Talking About - I know this sounds like a no-brainer, but fake it till you make it is not always a good idea. Most people can hear uncertainty, even if they are not sure that's what it is. Know your stuff, and confidence will follow.

Tip #2 is Talk to One Person - Whenever you say things like "you guys" "hey everybody" "hi Instagram" "hey Facebook" there is a disconnect for the individual who is listening or watching you. You are talking to each person individually. So do that. Talk to one person.

Tip #3 is Learn to Breathe - This one really is the most important one. Sound moves on air, and breathing deep will give you a clearer, more confident sounding voice. I illustrate this in this episode, and give you ways to breathe in order to calm your nerves and uncover your fullest sounding voice.

For more in-depth work on having A Confident Voice, I'd like to invite you to join my VIP Group Coaching program at AConfidentVoice.com  Go to the page for more info, and as a special gift to my podcast listeners, use the coupon PODCAST20 for a 20% discount!

Hope to see you inside A Confident Voice. Let's work together to move your voice from being a roadblock to a gateway to great things!

To Your Success,

Tami

Nicki Krawczyk (KRAW-zick) is a professional copywriter with more than 15 years of experience writing for big brands like adidas, TripAdvisor, and T.J.Maxx as well as with small businesses and solopreneurs. She also owns a company that teaches people how to become professional copywriters. She’s dedicated to helping everyone perfect their messages and connect with their perfect target audiences. I’m thrilled to have her as our guest in today’s episode of Voicing Your Brand.

Nicki says it’s so important to get your messaging right. A confused customer will not buy from you. Don’t get hung up on your industry buzzwords, which might actually be a turn off to your potential clients - focus instead on words your customers use to describe their pain points. This will give them a clear picture of how you can serve them. Knowing what benefits your target audience is searching for and focusing on them will help you craft effective copy that gets results.

Test your copy by gauging reactions you are getting. Experiment by using different subject lines or calls to action on your emails, writing posts on Instagram and Facebook. When people respond, start a conversation and ask them what would be helpful for them. When you know what people want, you can highlight that in your promotions! 

What is your brand voice? What personality traits do you want to use when you are writing?

Nicki has some great suggestions for how to discover this and then how to create a brand voice checklist you can use to check your copy against as you write future material. 

I absolutely loved this conversation with Nicki, and I can see how helpful it is to use her techniques to uncover your brand’s very special story. You have a unique place in the world, and finding your own way to stand out and tell that story is so important. It’s all about how we serve people!

Connect with Nicki on her website and get her free resources here:
http://www.copyforsolopreneurs.com/freebies/

Connect with Nicki on Instagram and Twitter here:

@nickicopy on Instagram

@nickicopy on Twitter

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Now let's talk about your voice. I mean, your actual VOICE. If you think your voice is holding you back from connecting with your followers - there's help for you. Confidence and clarity are on the other side of just a few minutes a day in A CONFIDENT VOICE. A waitlist is forming now, and you can go to aconfidentvoice.com to get in line! See you soon!!

My guest today is Tammy Helfrich. Tammy is a coach, speaker, writer and host of the Right Where You Are podcast. She is passionate about helping women rediscover their inner wisdom so they can feel empowered to create the life and business they desire. 

In reviewing your past year, Tammy says it's important to take an honest look at all of your notes. Gather them from near and far and be curious - look for what keeps coming up. It's important to not judge yourself in this process, and give yourself a lot of grace. Ask yourself these questions:

1. What worked?
2. What didn't work?
3. What were some highlights of my year?
4. Where have I settled?
5. What do I want to leave behind that no longer serves me?
6. What are my intentions going in to a new year?

Do you make New Year's Resolutions? Do you call them setting your intentions? Or perhaps you choose a theme or a word to set the tone for your year?

All of these are useful, as they create a place for you to focus your energy on and make improvements.

There are several personality tests these days, but Tammy's current favorite is the Enneagram. She says it's a valuable tool to help you see the world through someone else's eyes, and shared that even her marriage improved greatly when each spouse realized the differences between them, and that it was how they were created.

Tammy suggests you pick up the book by Ian Cron and Suzanne Stabile, The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery

There is also a podcast called Typology, which will help you with figuring out your type and how to use it for your benefit. If you would like to take the Enneagram test, you can go to this website: exploreyourtype.com 

(The paid test we discussed can be found here: theenneagraminstitute.com )

Connect with Tammy Helfrich through her website, tammyhelfrich.com - and @tammyhelfrichcoaching on Instagram and @tammyhelfrichblog on Facebook.

Tammy's Podcast: Right Where You Are

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Thank you so much for listening today! If you like this podcast, would you share it with your friends? Even better, write a review and let me know what was helpful for you. A review is like a tip jar for a podcaster, and it helps me find new ways to bring you the information you want!

As always, I am here for your success,

Happy New Year!

Tami