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EP 50: SOLO - Find Your Superfans (Before You Chase Followers) · Crafted Connections

• 0:03
  SPEAKER_00: Hello, welcome to Crafted Connections.
• 0:07
  SPEAKER_00: I'm Kaelin Calhoun, and this is a podcast all about storytelling and building genuine community.
• 0:13
  SPEAKER_00: Here we'll dive into the art of storytelling, unpack strategies for making meaningful connections, and hear from incredible humans who are using their story to create impact.
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_00: So grab your favorite beverage, settle in, and let's craft some connections.
• 0:29
  SPEAKER_00: Hello, welcome back to Crafted Connections.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_00: I am Caitlin Calhoun and you are listening to a solo episode.
• 0:37
  SPEAKER_00: I've been doing this podcast for about a year now, and it all started from a place of I built my business out of coffee meetings and connecting with really cool people and connections and storytelling have really built the life that I've wanted for myself.
• 0:54
  SPEAKER_00: And then also the pivots along the way.
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_00: And every time I pivot, I reach out to a new person to kind of direct myself towards what I want.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_00: And I thought, wouldn't it be fun to do that in a podcast format?
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, to connect with my people, to share some of these coffee meetings and some of these conversations in in a more public setting.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_00: And that's exactly what I'm doing.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_00: And along the way, I also do solo episodes that really speak to this concept and these concepts and and my experience as a storyteller and my experience as a business person and my experience as a human person.
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_00: And it's just been a lot of fun.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_00: So I am jumping on the mic today for this solo, and it is all about finding your super fans.
• 1:38
  SPEAKER_00: And here's the thing: the reason I am talking about this and double-clicking really into this topic is my last solo episode was all about this big scary goal I have to pay myself$100,000 this year.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_00: Really, really proud of myself for putting that out there, doing the scary thing.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_00: And it's it's got like six things that I'm applying to my life in order to achieve that goal.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_00: And the sixth one, which I honestly think is the most important one and the one that's going to like impact the success or failure of this goal, is only spending time with folks 100% behind this goal.
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_00: And I think this is for any goal that you set.
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_00: And especially when you are a person in business, but also as a person.
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_00: When you decide you want to do something, there's gonna be bumps and bruises along the way.
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_00: And the you can have a great mindset.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_00: That is obviously very important.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_00: But the people that you surround yourself with impact that more than anything.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_00: And so I've found recently that more and more people are cheering me on in a way that never has happened.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_00: I've always had people that believe in me, but I'm like fully surrounded by go getums, you've got this, all sorts of things like that.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_00: So I wanted to talk to you all about what that looks like, how you find those people and the experiences I've had that have been so positive having having what I'm calling these super fans.
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_00: So we were really trained to chase growth.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I'm gonna come a little bit from a social media aspect here for a second.
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_00: In the world of online presence, this, that, and the other, it's you know, it's followers, subscribers, views.
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_00: It's almost like we think that number going out feels like progress, but I have found it can be such a vanity metric because ultimately, yes, eyeballs can be a good thing, but does it actually like move the needle where you want it to move the needle?
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_00: And and when you're actually setting those goals, like what does it actually look like?
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_00: I've noticed myself in the past setting some of these vanity metrics, and it was, I feel like it was like back in 2022, I was working with my social media lady, and I was just like, cool, we've got like 700 Instagram followers on my business account.
• 3:46
  SPEAKER_00: I want 2500 by the end of the year.
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_00: And it's like, for what purpose?
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_00: What where was I actually trying to go with this?
• 3:53
  SPEAKER_00: Because you can get 2500 if you either, you know, pay to have bots or you just superficially do it in such a way, but like, how can we make it more purposeful and meaningful?
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_00: And does big numbers really mean big impact?
• 4:07
  SPEAKER_00: And I would argue that it doesn't necessarily.
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_00: So I want to talk about the difference between those vanity metrics and an actual super fan and what that all looks like.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_00: Chasing the wrong metric can absolutely distract you from the people who actually sustain you and support you to make it happen.
• 4:22
  SPEAKER_00: And this conversation is not anti-growth.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_00: I I'm not one to not set big goals, to not be ambitious.
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_00: And also, like as I've as I've matured over the last, you know, 10 years of working for myself, I have found oh, sometimes I set these growth goals that don't really have a purpose or an intention.
• 4:41
  SPEAKER_00: And so I'm being very intentional about when I do things and and why I do things.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_00: And I'd love to share that all with you today.
• 4:49
  SPEAKER_00: So, with that being said, let's take a look at vanity metrics versus meaningful metrics.
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_00: The idea behind the vanity metric is very, it feels impressive, right?
• 5:00
  SPEAKER_00: You go to someone's Instagram and they're over 100k.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_00: We love that.
• 5:04
  SPEAKER_00: And and honestly, like they are getting eyeballs, but if they're not necessarily converting, is it really what that person wants?
• 5:12
  SPEAKER_00: And the meaningful metric is very much more personal, there's a deeper connection, there's more engagement and interest, and and things are actually transferring.
• 5:22
  SPEAKER_00: I've over the years come more and more into like who am I actually connecting with that refers me, who hires me time and time again, who's actually having conversation with me, and who actually wants to be a part of like the impact that I'm building.
• 5:36
  SPEAKER_00: So the meaningful metric ultimately becomes very, very impactful.
• 5:43
  SPEAKER_00: Hey y'all.
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_00: You know I love telling stories, gathering stories, and finding a way to help people connect their story with the people that will get it.
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_00: And that's what my story strategy sessions are all about.
• 5:55
  SPEAKER_00: So over at Calhoun Creative Consulting, my strategic storytelling firm, we do one-on-one and or facilitated workshops in relation to really honing in the strategy around your story.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_00: It's a bit of messaging, meets content creation, meets storytelling, and then how do we put that out in the world?
• 6:13
  SPEAKER_00: How do we show up regularly?
• 6:14
  SPEAKER_00: There's a bit of mindset work around it, right?
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_00: To actually tell your story, whether you're launching something new or trying to rework your brand or just feeling a little foggy on how to communicate with your people.
• 6:23
  SPEAKER_00: This is how to get clear.
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_00: We'll dig into things like your narrative, how to uncover what matters most, maybe map out a few content pillars while we're at it.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_00: You'll also get a recording of our session so you can revisit the conversation anytime you like.
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_00: Let's shape a story that actually feels like you.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_00: So book yours today.
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_00: There is a link in the show notes.
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_00: And hey, while you're at it, use the code podcast, all caps, P-O-D-C-A-S-T for 25% off your session.
• 6:48
  SPEAKER_00: I would be honored to spend time with you and suss out your story.
• 6:52
  SPEAKER_00: Let's dive back into the episode, shall we?
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, so I want to cross-reference two concepts that have really been on my mind in the last year or so.
• 7:04
  SPEAKER_00: First things first, a thousand true fans.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_00: I've spoken about this before, and the idea is that a solopreneur or a you know independent creator can sustain themselves with a thousand true fans.
• 7:16
  SPEAKER_00: And a true fan is defined as someone who follows all of the stuff you do and ultimately like pays you about a hundred dollars a year.
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_00: So, right, the math there, 100 times a thousand, one hundred thousand.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_00: And ultimately, like that is a legit, like you can support yourself as a human being on that gross business income.
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_00: The second one is I'm a big fan of Jessica Zweig and she is a personal brand expert, and she wrote a book in 2020 that is all about personal branding.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_00: And she talks a lot about a lot of different stuff in there, but there's one concept that really like reworked my brain.
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_00: She poses the question: if your social presence never grew from where you are.
• 7:57
  SPEAKER_00: For example, I'm at about 900 people on Instagram right now.
• 8:00
  SPEAKER_00: If my Instagram never grew, how would I treat the people who are already connected with me there?
• 8:06
  SPEAKER_00: So 900 people, I do think I could do a lot of damage, right?
• 8:11
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, some of those are my aunts and uncles and my cousins, and like those are not my clients, but there are a lot of people who will refer me and my aunts and uncles, long story short, not that I'm out here like trying to make money from them, but they do know people who could potentially hire me, right?
• 8:25
  SPEAKER_00: So like staying connected with those people, really nurturing that current existing network is a big flippin' deal.
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_00: And combining the two things, the like hitting a specific number that is is very manageable, and also you're not asking too much of all those people, and then also really giving love to the people that are already here and present, that's where the magic happens.
• 8:49
  SPEAKER_00: That's where I'm trying to live.
• 8:51
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that's where ultimately you then do, weirdly enough, like counterintuitively, you do have the result of those eventually hitting those vanity metrics.
• 9:01
  SPEAKER_00: But you're starting from like the inside out instead of the outside in.
• 9:04
  SPEAKER_00: You're not like setting like a, I just want this number because that number looks good, versus like, here's a substance-based goal.
• 9:11
  SPEAKER_00: And that's that's the difference, and that's what I'm personally working on.
• 9:15
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, so with all those concepts laid out, where do super fans come from?
• 9:18
  SPEAKER_00: What is a super fan as I as I define it?
• 9:21
  SPEAKER_00: It's pretty self-explanatory.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_00: Like you got your fans, you got your people that love you, and then there's those people who are like here every step of the way.
• 9:29
  SPEAKER_00: I would say in my business in the last few years, there's probably two to five people total that uh are responsible for most of my income.
• 9:38
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm not saying that they are the only ones that are my clients, but they are the ones that are referring me to everybody.
• 9:44
  SPEAKER_00: So, like someone out there has essentially been responsible for 50% of my business because they have either hired me time and time again or they have connected me with a crazy ton of people who have then hired me.
• 9:56
  SPEAKER_00: So that's where like super fans starts to get really fun and interesting.
• 10:00
  SPEAKER_00: And super fans can really be such a big part of your goals and your business, what whatever that may be.
• 10:07
  SPEAKER_00: And in my case, I look at it as you know, my business income and and how simply one to five connections has been the lifeblood of my business.
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_00: In one case, it's a mentor or client who, you know, hires me very, very regularly.
• 10:21
  SPEAKER_00: In another case, it's a friend who's also in business for herself, and she just spreads the good word and tells everybody and anybody about my skill set and what I do and who I am and and how I could serve them.
• 10:35
  SPEAKER_00: And then I've also got another friend who just loves to cheer me on, and you know, I've gotten clients through her referrals, and it's just really cool how when people they they see what you want to do and they're like, what can I do to help?
• 10:47
  SPEAKER_00: And what I found is these people will will show up when you show up, and it it's in two ways.
• 10:54
  SPEAKER_00: Like, one, if you just show up with just pure joy, passion, and love for what you do, that's where like the three people I just referred to came from like me just being in my natural state and being passionate and being great at what I do, and they see that and they we have a connection, and so they've become super fans.
• 11:12
  SPEAKER_00: And I think the second thing is super fans come when you are a super fan.
• 11:19
  SPEAKER_00: So maybe it's not like you're a super fan of a brand or some sort of thought leader, and then all of a sudden they're now your super fan, but like to have super fans on some level you also need to be a super fan, if you will, and cheer people on and connect with people and like really get behind them.
• 11:36
  SPEAKER_00: It's very much being the person to others that you want to experience from those other people.
• 11:41
  SPEAKER_00: So the way you show up as a fan is often the way that people show up for you.
• 11:45
  SPEAKER_00: And it's it's very much an energetic exchange and it's less about extraction and more about participation and enthusiasm.
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_00: And I flip and love the whole dang thing.
• 11:54
  SPEAKER_00: So, yeah, thinking about that.
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_00: What what what does that look like for you?
• 11:58
  SPEAKER_00: And again, you might not work for yourself, you might not, you know, be worried about this in a financial sense.
• 12:04
  SPEAKER_00: It might be just in your friendships.
• 12:06
  SPEAKER_00: And so looking at it, who consistently cheers you on?
• 12:09
  SPEAKER_00: Who is you know saying your name in rooms that you're not in?
• 12:12
  SPEAKER_00: Who shows up?
• 12:13
  SPEAKER_00: Who believes in you out loud?
• 12:15
  SPEAKER_00: Who, when you share the big scary goal, who like is just like cheering in the stands and or directly to your face?
• 12:24
  SPEAKER_00: Who's excited for you?
• 12:25
  SPEAKER_00: And who are you excited for?
• 12:27
  SPEAKER_00: And are you doing this for others?
• 12:28
  SPEAKER_00: Like, are you investing in the ecosystem that you want in your life?
• 12:32
  SPEAKER_00: Because relationships are the infrastructure.
• 12:35
  SPEAKER_00: The community you have reflects the investment in your community and that an energy compounds.
• 12:40
  SPEAKER_00: And I love, love, love this.
• 12:42
  SPEAKER_00: So, with that, let's bring this home.
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe the goal isn't about going viral, but rather bringing as much value as you can.
• 12:49
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe it's not about having followers, but really serving who you already have in your community.
• 12:56
  SPEAKER_00: And the fastest way to build super fans is to be one.
• 13:00
  SPEAKER_00: So think about this.
• 13:01
  SPEAKER_00: Who do you know?
• 13:02
  SPEAKER_00: How can you serve them better?
• 13:04
  SPEAKER_00: What does it look like to deepen trust instead of to chase growth?
• 13:08
  SPEAKER_00: So thinking about trust first and connection first.
• 13:11
  SPEAKER_00: And who can you like cheer on and champion this week?
• 13:15
  SPEAKER_00: It doesn't take much, it's sending one supportive text a day or one supportive text a week.
• 13:20
  SPEAKER_00: I'm trying to do like regular thank you notes.
• 13:23
  SPEAKER_00: Don't really have a cadence to it yet, but but I know that like a handwritten letter means a lot to my people.
• 13:28
  SPEAKER_00: Or at least it means a lot to me.
• 13:30
  SPEAKER_00: So I would hope if I send it to someone, they they also enjoy that.
• 13:33
  SPEAKER_00: But it's not about a rush, it's about taking your time and really, really being meaningful and intentional with your relationships.
• 13:41
  SPEAKER_00: So I hope that this helped you in some way this week.
• 13:44
  SPEAKER_00: Please let me know what you think about this.
• 13:46
  SPEAKER_00: Talk to me about your super fans, what's it like to be a super fan?
• 13:50
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for listening.
• 13:51
  SPEAKER_00: I consider that a part of super fanness, right?
• 13:54
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm really, really grateful that you're here.
• 13:57
  SPEAKER_00: Please subscribe if this connects with you, or if you want to thank someone who is a super fan, send this their way.
• 14:03
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, I'm just so grateful, time and time again, that frankly anybody downloads, let alone the number of people that do download my episodes.
• 14:10
  SPEAKER_00: So appreciate you.
• 14:12
  SPEAKER_00: Have a great week, my friend.
• 14:16
  SPEAKER_00: Crafted Connections is lovingly produced by Calhoun Creative Consulting, a strategic storytelling firm dedicated to helping people and brands tell their stories in a way that resonates.
• 14:27
  SPEAKER_00: If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe and connect with us on Instagram at Crafted Connections Bot.
• 14:33
  SPEAKER_00: Keep creating, keep connecting, until we meet again.