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Transcript

Kirby Wilkerson: Being Bold Enough to Ask · The Bold Lounge

• 0:46
  SPEAKER_01: I believe everyone has a bold story waiting to be inspired.
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_01: Tune in.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_01: Ready to be inspired.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_01: Welcome to the Bold Lounge.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_01: Today I have Kirby Wilkerson, who is the founder and PR strategist at Impact Kind, a digital PR firm based in Michigan.
• 1:07
  SPEAKER_01: Welcome, Kirby.
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you.
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you, Lee, for having me.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_01: So I thought it'd be great just to talk, let the listeners know a little bit more about Impact Kind and your firm.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_00: Sure.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_00: We help leaders who are already leading in their field.
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_00: That could be whether they're executives or business owners, and they need help to get the word out about what they're doing, about how great they are.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_00: They just need a little help to get more awareness around what they're doing.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_00: So we help to get them featured in different publications, different podcasts, and different events.
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_00: We really have a wide range of small business owners and executives.
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_00: Some have been able to generate over a billion dollars in profit, and some have just started really getting to their first hundred K and they're really trying to figure it out.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_00: And they know that there's someone, some agency that can help them.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_00: And we've been able to help them get the word out about what they're doing, how well they're doing it, and how they're helping other people.
• 2:04
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, great.
• 2:05
  SPEAKER_01: Because I know sometimes that's a real big limiting factor as an entrepreneur and doing something because you're already doing so much, usually as an entrepreneur, when you're starting out, at least I'll speak for myself when I started in 2020.
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_01: And having another set of hands and realizing that you don't have to do it all is so important because sometimes people actually don't move into that space because they get overwhelmed by all the lists they've seen or all the guidance they've seen, or when they Google starting a business, like all the things that come up.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_01: I think as we talk today, I think it'll be important, which is also like an important extrapolation to our life of don't always have to do it all.
• 2:39
  SPEAKER_01: You can have support.
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_01: So I can't wait to dig into that with you.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_01: So always start out with asking your definition of bold.
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_01: So what does bold look like to you?
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_00: Bold looks like to me somebody being courageous, trying something new that's different, that's not necessarily in the right mold of what everything should or be like.
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_00: And I think seeing people move out and try something different when there's a real reason to help other people, I think that is a bold move.
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_00: As long as people are trying to uh do something different, do something that may look a little weird or feel a little bit weird, but doing something that's different to help people, I think that's my definition of bold.
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_01: So it may feel uneasy, yeah.
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_01: And people may not see it as logical or like, oh, I can't believe Lee is doing that.
• 3:29
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_01: And I definitely had that with I used to get a lot of, what are you doing?
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_01: When I first started out, you know, so like people may not understand, but you're gonna do it anyway.
• 3:40
  SPEAKER_01: So I think it's an important piece.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_01: So I love that definition.
• 3:43
  SPEAKER_01: So when was the first time, based on your definition, you remember being bold?
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_00: I think I love to try new things, but I think my definition of me doing something that was bold was leaving my job after maternity leave and moving to Shanghai, China with my family to be a stay-at-home mom.
• 4:05
  SPEAKER_00: I say that because I'm one of those people that like always wants to contribute, right?
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_00: Like in the workforce.
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_00: So I had one kid and my husband got this great opportunity.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_00: And I I loved my job.
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_00: I was able to travel.
• 4:18
  SPEAKER_00: It was like the one thing I still had before I got married that allowed me to kind of be free on my own, right?
• 4:23
  SPEAKER_00: Like I got to travel, I got to have my own clients.
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_00: It was wonderful.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_00: And I worked with mostly males in the manufacturing engineering industry.
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_00: So it was uh incredible, lots of fun, got to meet great clients, learned lots of cool things.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_00: My my focus was aerospace and defense.
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_00: So it was lots of cool plants and trains and all that was great.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_00: When we decided to move, I remember, well, I actually I remember moving to China, and then maybe the first or second day, my husband asked me, so what did you do?
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_00: And he was just asking, like, hey, how was your day?
• 4:56
  SPEAKER_00: What did you do?
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_00: And it was such an innocent question.
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_00: But I thought about it and I said, Well, I had Chinese class, and then I wait, I've got a five-week-old baby in my hands, right?
• 5:07
  SPEAKER_00: Like while I'm opening the refrigerator to get him spotted.
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_00: And I thought, that was all I did today.
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_00: And and it was, it was like really scary for me because I realized how much I had been doing as a mom of one young toddler and pregnant with another before I left.
• 5:25
  SPEAKER_00: You know, I would go to work, I would make breakfast, I would, you know, drop the kid off at the school, I would come, you know, come back home, pick the kid up, make dinner, yeah, go work out.
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, it was just so many things.
• 5:35
  SPEAKER_00: And so when he asked me that question when I was in China, uh, you know, after that first week, I could not believe how little I did.
• 5:43
  SPEAKER_00: And I was embarrassed almost to say, I just had Chinese class, like that was it.
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_01: But you also took care of a toddler and you took care of a five-week old.
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, sometimes like we don't realize even that's a big win.
• 5:59
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's like you're still you're still standing after a day, you know.
• 6:02
  SPEAKER_01: Like, I mean, like I, you know, I know what it's like to have a five-week old, the sleeping, the eating, the moving, and you're in another country.
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_01: For Pete's sake, Kirby, and kind of being able to do some of those things for me.
• 6:15
  SPEAKER_01: Like, I wonder if men feel that way, like, oh, I didn't do anything today.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_01: But really, I wonder if women have that challenge more so of recognizing all that they do, right?
• 6:26
  SPEAKER_01: And recognizing the bold moves that you made, even to get to that point, which is the point of this podcast, is like, you know, people don't even realize when they're being bold.
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_01: Like, you made a really bold move there.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_01: So I love that that's connected to your definition.
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_01: So when you kind of thought through that a little bit more, did you were you able to recognize that you had done a lot?
• 6:45
  SPEAKER_01: Or I did.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_00: I uh after uh that initial, I think I was really shocked.
• 6:50
  SPEAKER_00: And I was probably really tired.
• 6:53
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah, right.
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_01: You just got there, time change and then getting acclimated, learning a language.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, big deal.
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I was in shock, I think.
• 7:03
  SPEAKER_00: And then I as I met other women who were living in that space, you know, and then they they had housekeepers that would come every single day.
• 7:12
  SPEAKER_00: It was called an I, it means aunt in in Mandarin, but it's also a lady who not only cooks your meals, she's your personal assistant, she was your nanny for your kids.
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_00: And so it was almost like this new opportunity to assimilate into a not just a new country, but also into this different group, right?
• 7:31
  SPEAKER_00: Where women had more help.
• 7:33
  SPEAKER_00: And I refused, you know, for a while that extra help because I have this American mindset, like I can do it all, you know, and I like I said, I just hadn't done all the things that I'm normally doing, going to work every day with two kids already.
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_00: But then I really I really had to embrace the difference and and really take in the change.
• 7:53
  SPEAKER_00: So I said, okay, I will find an I.
• 7:56
  SPEAKER_00: I will find, you know, I will try this, you know, letting this other person in my house.
• 8:01
  SPEAKER_00: And then when I I did find someone, she was like, I want to be here like all day.
• 8:06
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm like, wait, wait, this is my first chance to be with my kids without working.
• 8:11
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 8:12
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm not gonna be with my husband all day.
• 8:14
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not even with him that much.
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna be with another woman all day long with my kids.
• 8:18
  SPEAKER_00: What are you gonna be doing?
• 8:19
  SPEAKER_00: I couldn't understand it.
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_00: And then after a while, I got it.
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_00: It like finally clicked.
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_00: It took a while, but I think I hope, I hope Lee, you know, I know that your podcast does this because it it brings out the boldness in people that they don't even realize.
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_00: But I hope that when people listen to your podcast, they'll they'll get it a lot faster than I did, right?
• 8:38
  SPEAKER_00: I had to move to a completely different country.
• 8:40
  SPEAKER_01: Hindsight is 2020, right?
• 8:42
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, right.
• 8:43
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you.
• 8:44
  SPEAKER_01: What I'll just say, like what you kind of wrestled with is a really normal thing, especially for women of like if I ask for help or if I seek help, or if and it's gonna be on any level, it means I'm not succeeding.
• 8:58
  SPEAKER_01: It means I'm not doing my job, it means I'm not the best mom, the best wife, the best employee, the best everything.
• 9:05
  SPEAKER_01: And I think what we need to realize sooner in life is like we really can't be the best of everything if we're so strung out and spread out and alone.
• 9:15
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, that's the other thing.
• 9:16
  SPEAKER_01: I think being in a foreign country and kind of doing this all on your own and not speaking the language, but learning it.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_01: But I mean, it still has has to feel have a feeling of isolation a little bit too.
• 9:27
  SPEAKER_01: And then you're trying to do it all by yourself, and then maybe even feeling like you're not doing enough, even though you are.
• 9:33
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it is a real challenge, I think, that we have as women.
• 9:37
  SPEAKER_01: I can, you know, certainly say that for myself.
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_01: The older I get, the better I get at asking for help, but I'm still not that good at it all the time.
• 9:45
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm I'm blessed to have people that go, I think I can help you here, or they know how to kind of arrange it so that I receive it, right?
• 9:53
  SPEAKER_01: And in hearing it.
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_01: And at certain days I'm just like, I really can't do it all.
• 9:57
  SPEAKER_01: Remember, one of the funniest conversations probably in my lifetime with my husband, I think we've had three fights, and they're all over stupid things.
• 10:04
  SPEAKER_01: You know, the normal, like when you get married and talking about kind of how to organize things or how to get things together, and one about finance, and one was about one day I was stressed out, I was going to school.
• 10:15
  SPEAKER_01: I've been in school my entire life.
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_01: I'm finished still in school, finished my doctorate now.
• 10:19
  SPEAKER_01: But it was one of those, I'm working, I'm going to school, and I had a young child, and I looked at him and it was I was just having a moment.
• 10:27
  SPEAKER_01: He hadn't done anything, and uh, you know, it was like evening, he got home, and I just said, I can't do it all.
• 10:32
  SPEAKER_01: I just can't do it all.
• 10:34
  SPEAKER_01: And he's a very laid-back, engineer, even keel, kind, impatient person.
• 10:40
  SPEAKER_01: And he was jokingly, he jokingly said, We'll try harder.
• 10:45
  SPEAKER_01: And he was kidding.
• 10:46
  SPEAKER_01: And I like that.
• 10:47
  SPEAKER_01: I didn't get mad, I just like burst out laughing right at the same time.
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_01: So, like, it's just kind of I remember that moment because one, it was just such a silly argument, and two, it was like, you don't have to, and that's what he followed it up with.
• 10:59
  SPEAKER_01: Like, I can help, and he is one of my biggest supporters.
• 11:02
  SPEAKER_01: So I think what you were talking about there, kind of needing the you know, wanting the support.
• 11:06
  SPEAKER_01: So, how did you kind of work your were you able to like embrace being supported?
• 11:11
  SPEAKER_01: Were you able to like okay, good?
• 11:13
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, so you got better at it.
• 11:14
  SPEAKER_00: That the the truth for me was finding people like me.
• 11:18
  SPEAKER_00: So I found my best friend was a Chinese native while I was there.
• 11:21
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, and we shared an I.
• 11:24
  SPEAKER_00: So she came and she was like, let's just try it out.
• 11:27
  SPEAKER_00: So I hired her after the first year, and she was amazing.
• 11:31
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I everybody needs a wang.
• 11:33
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, everyone, every woman in the whole world needs her.
• 11:36
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, she and not maybe her in particular, but everyone needs that when you're in that that situation, even if you don't think so, try it out.
• 11:46
  SPEAKER_00: I'm totally for getting all the help you need, but your nanny, your your housekeeper, your personal assistant, if you have the means to do that, I would totally recommend it.
• 11:55
  SPEAKER_00: And I I think we it's cultural because really in other cultures, they they have this green.
• 12:02
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, it's it's normal.
• 12:04
  SPEAKER_00: And like I said, because I'm American and I was going to another place, it was foreign to me, that idea of bringing on out, you know.
• 12:13
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so I think it is culture, and I think it also has something to do with what we then and in our culture in America, like we think we're expected to do it all.
• 12:22
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and I think that's why people get burnt out, that's why people feel overwhelmed or they feel that they're not doing anything all day when we're they're taking care of their children when they're doing one of the most important jobs in the world.
• 12:34
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 12:35
  SPEAKER_01: But I do think it kind of sets the stage for like not wanting to ask for help because it feels like you're not, yeah, you're not succeeding or you're a failure if you ask for help.
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_01: So, what would be your advice for someone now?
• 12:46
  SPEAKER_01: Like it sounds like you're saying, go for it, try it out.
• 12:49
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, get the help, get the help.
• 12:51
  SPEAKER_00: Even if it doesn't work out and that's not the perfect person, I still encourage you to hire that person to try it.
• 12:57
  SPEAKER_00: After, yes, after I hired Wong and she worked out so well.
• 13:02
  SPEAKER_00: So it was it encouraged me.
• 13:04
  SPEAKER_00: Think of all the skills that I learned being a mom.
• 13:09
  SPEAKER_00: So I was able to learn how to manage my team and and it made me a better mother.
• 13:16
  SPEAKER_00: And so I think it's it may sound simple like, oh yeah, you're you're staying at home, but what are you doing?
• 13:22
  SPEAKER_00: People always ask that.
• 13:23
  SPEAKER_00: And it's I think that is also one of the reasons why it may feel a bit scary when when you're like, oh, I'm just at home with my kids.
• 13:31
  SPEAKER_00: That is a very important thing.
• 13:33
  SPEAKER_00: I think a lot of people recognize that over the pandemic, and they were able to spend time with their kids and learn them and get to have conversations you probably wouldn't have had had they been at school with other people all day long.
• 13:45
  SPEAKER_00: But I was grateful for learning that with this team, I can be better at being present, being intentional, and spending time with my kids.
• 13:56
  SPEAKER_00: That means something.
• 13:57
  SPEAKER_00: They get to know me.
• 13:58
  SPEAKER_00: I get to know them.
• 13:59
  SPEAKER_00: I get to uh, and by doing that, making that connection, I was able to better teach, better learn from my kids.
• 14:06
  SPEAKER_00: That really allowed me, even in my business, to know I can't do it all.
• 14:10
  SPEAKER_00: So I need to build a team.
• 14:12
  SPEAKER_00: Even if you're working on your own, there are contractors that are ready and able, freelancers that are ready to help you in different parts of your business, agencies that are ready to help you, and consultants.
• 14:23
  SPEAKER_00: Because just like you were saying earlier, it's easy for people to, you know, not recognize you know all the greatness.
• 14:29
  SPEAKER_00: But you know what?
• 14:30
  SPEAKER_00: When you have someone else come in and have a great view of what you're doing, they can see sometimes better than we can.
• 14:37
  SPEAKER_00: You're like, oh, you've done all of this.
• 14:40
  SPEAKER_00: You know, well, what are what do you think about doing this now?
• 14:43
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes it's easier to to get a different view.
• 14:45
  SPEAKER_00: And that perspective, because it's not your own and you're sometimes so deep in your own thing, it really can open your open your eyes and open your open your whole life to something new.
• 14:56
  SPEAKER_00: And that is bold.
• 14:57
  SPEAKER_00: I think that's really bold to take on a new team, right?
• 15:00
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, new opportunities and to go for it, but to know that you don't have to go it alone and you can have help.
• 15:07
  SPEAKER_01: So, how did you like when kind of into how did you start your own firm?
• 15:11
  SPEAKER_01: Which the intention of your firm, if you look at like your mission and the things that you do on your website, it is to help others, you know, be able to take their business to the next level and not have to worry about some of the things around PR and marketing.
• 15:24
  SPEAKER_01: So, so how did you go from kind of where you were?
• 15:27
  SPEAKER_01: Were you always in PR or how did you end up starting your own firm?
• 15:30
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, thank you.
• 15:31
  SPEAKER_00: I did go to university for PR, but then I when I was done in school, I did not go to I did not work in PR.
• 15:38
  SPEAKER_00: I worked in fields.
• 15:39
  SPEAKER_00: My last six months of school, I was interning at a place called Society of Manufacturing Engineers.
• 15:45
  SPEAKER_00: After that internship was over, they knew I was graduating.
• 15:47
  SPEAKER_00: So they were like, okay, we'll we'll hire you when you graduate, possibly.
• 15:51
  SPEAKER_00: But then once that time came, they were like creating positions for me, like not just in my department, but other departments because they saw the work that I was doing.
• 16:00
  SPEAKER_00: And I was like an outbound caller, right?
• 16:02
  SPEAKER_00: Like just an intern.
• 16:03
  SPEAKER_00: I needed that internship to graduate.
• 16:05
  SPEAKER_00: So they created a position for me and I worked in sales, so I never worked in PR.
• 16:09
  SPEAKER_00: And then at that time, I mean, that was maybe like the second year or maybe third year Facebook had even been around.
• 16:17
  SPEAKER_00: So like digital communication was not even other than email, was not really a thing.
• 16:22
  SPEAKER_00: I don't even know if LinkedIn was around then to help communicate or connect people at that time.
• 16:28
  SPEAKER_00: So a few years ago, my sister started a business while while we were in China.
• 16:33
  SPEAKER_00: And she was a marketing manager and wanted to be with her kids at home.
• 16:38
  SPEAKER_00: She saw that her first baby was getting all these wonderful pictures sent home and she was missing out on a lot of his life, and she was pregnant with her second and didn't want to miss out.
• 16:46
  SPEAKER_00: So she figured out a way to stay home with her kid and she started a blog.
• 16:51
  SPEAKER_00: Well, while I was still in China, her blog hit six figures.
• 16:55
  SPEAKER_00: And um, that was the second year that she was in business, and someone called her and said, Hey, you know, I can get you like these different badges on your site and you know, get you in Forbes and uh different publications, and it'll also help you with credibility and traffic to your site.
• 17:10
  SPEAKER_00: And um, she said, Oh, great.
• 17:12
  SPEAKER_00: Well, I'll, you know, I'll do it.
• 17:13
  SPEAKER_00: And she said, Okay, how much is it gonna cost?
• 17:15
  SPEAKER_00: And it was like 4,000 a month or something for a couple months.
• 17:18
  SPEAKER_00: And she was like, Kirby, I'm you're talking to her when we moved back from China.
• 17:22
  SPEAKER_00: She's like, Yeah, I'm looking for this lady's number and I can't find it.
• 17:26
  SPEAKER_00: And I I don't know how to get in touch with her.
• 17:28
  SPEAKER_00: And I said, Well, what does she do?
• 17:30
  SPEAKER_00: You know, why are you looking for her?
• 17:31
  SPEAKER_00: And she told me she was going to D PR for her and she couldn't find her information.
• 17:35
  SPEAKER_00: I thought, oh my gosh, my kid's about to go to preschool, and this is the moment I've been waiting for.
• 17:40
  SPEAKER_00: So I said, I can help you.
• 17:42
  SPEAKER_00: I was like, let's let's see how I can help you, and maybe even cheaper.
• 17:46
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I did it for a thousand a month for six months.
• 17:49
  SPEAKER_01: I was gonna say 4K is kind of that's pretty safe, honestly.
• 17:52
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.
• 17:53
  SPEAKER_01: Especially when you're starting out, you know, but like, yeah, you being able to help and also know her well, right?
• 17:59
  SPEAKER_01: And that's really helpful.
• 18:00
  SPEAKER_01: So that's how it all started was kind of seeing that opportunity and then going for it.
• 18:05
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 18:05
  SPEAKER_01: And then what is the mission of Impact Kind?
• 18:07
  SPEAKER_01: Because it isn't just to do what you do to help uh many of your clients, which you do, and they're across different industries.
• 18:14
  SPEAKER_01: But what's the mission of Impact Kind?
• 18:16
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's it's to help people who are already making an impact.
• 18:20
  SPEAKER_00: And not just that, but I mean, really to get the stories out for people that would never have them get out because they don't know how, they don't know where to start.
• 18:28
  SPEAKER_00: And I think it's really important to get the stories out.
• 18:31
  SPEAKER_00: And most of our clients are women, they're females at the top of their game, and they're still continuing to make an impact.
• 18:38
  SPEAKER_00: They still want to go even further, they still want to make more of an impact, get on different boards, do more community service.
• 18:45
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, it's incredible and really inspiring for me to see that these women who have built these great businesses or helped brands that are household names increase their revenue, build their teams more effectively, systemize their operations.
• 19:00
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, it's just incredible the things that these women have been doing.
• 19:03
  SPEAKER_00: Although all of our roster is not women, most of them are.
• 19:07
  SPEAKER_00: And it's incredible to help share their stories because if it wasn't for us and our agency, they would never be shared because they wouldn't know about how to even get started, or they wouldn't have had the examples from like my sister, you know, who she was a small business owner who wanted to get the word out about her blog.
• 19:25
  SPEAKER_00: And then we were able to get her in Forbes and Business Insider and Parents, you know, all these different features that really gave her credibility, but it helps so many more women than she could do on her own.
• 19:36
  SPEAKER_00: She had 500,000 going to her site at that time every month, but one article can reach millions, you know, compared to you know, her working, you know, hard to create new articles every month.
• 19:48
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah.
• 19:49
  SPEAKER_01: But half a million for your blog is pretty impressive, too.
• 19:52
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, yeah.
• 19:53
  SPEAKER_01: So those numbers are incredible.
• 19:55
  SPEAKER_01: And then you're just amplifying that.
• 19:56
  SPEAKER_01: So you're taking it sounds like you know, your your recipe really is to take people who are already, you know, really crushing it in their field or really going at it.
• 20:07
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, I met some of your clients, I mean, they're they are some of the most kind, fun.
• 20:11
  SPEAKER_01: I would definitely add that in, uh, people I've met, but it's incredibly skilled at what they're doing, and they're absolutely bold because they all have a bold story of like how they started, or you know, being a first-gen immigrant, or not even being uh in the field that they're in now, but they tried it and they just kept going.
• 20:29
  SPEAKER_01: Like a lot of a lot of growth mindset, I think, is pervasive in your clients.
• 20:34
  SPEAKER_01: I think one of the things is people start off new businesses is they just don't know what to do first.
• 20:40
  SPEAKER_01: So, what is one of the things that you see as you work with clients that you can help with when it comes to the the PR side of it?
• 20:48
  SPEAKER_01: Is it really just saying, let me kind of define these areas that I can help you with?
• 20:53
  SPEAKER_01: And what do those areas look like?
• 20:55
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, that is part of it.
• 20:56
  SPEAKER_00: But really, I ask them, you know, what what are you passionate about?
• 21:00
  SPEAKER_00: Who do you what gets you excited when you're speaking to a group?
• 21:03
  SPEAKER_00: Is it young people, is it young professionals, is it women, is it, is it men to you know, help influence men to you know be an ally?
• 21:11
  SPEAKER_00: And I ask them, and we start with where what gets them excited?
• 21:15
  SPEAKER_00: Because really what people may not realize, Lee, is that this is really a partnership.
• 21:19
  SPEAKER_00: The person that you work with in your agency uh that you're paired with to help you, it's work on your end too, right?
• 21:26
  SPEAKER_00: So they have to give their perspective, they have to be able to answer the questions, submit photos, right?
• 21:32
  SPEAKER_00: They have to be able to do part of the work so that we can then frame their story, make sure it hits their calls to action and makes the impact they're looking to make.
• 21:41
  SPEAKER_00: So it's it's not just all on us.
• 21:43
  SPEAKER_00: It really isn't.
• 21:44
  SPEAKER_00: It really is them sharing their perspective.
• 21:48
  SPEAKER_00: So it is it is quite a bit of work um on their end too.
• 21:51
  SPEAKER_01: Well, I think that's the part that's easy.
• 21:53
  SPEAKER_01: Like I can give you my perspective, I can tell you what my mission is, I could share with you what my key areas of.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_01: Focuses, what I think my stakeholders are, and those are all work you have to do as an entrepreneur.
• 22:05
  SPEAKER_01: You have to figure that out.
• 22:06
  SPEAKER_01: You have to begin to think about what you what what do you do differently and what problems you solve that is unique.
• 22:14
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, yeah, I remember one of the times when I was starting off, like just trying to figure out what is my unique problem, what what's my unique selling proposition?
• 22:22
  SPEAKER_01: I think it's also important to know, like just because you may have competition or someone may be doing the same thing, you're doing it differently.
• 22:29
  SPEAKER_01: And then thinking about what that looks like.
• 22:31
  SPEAKER_01: Like there's lots of coaches, there's lots of consultants, there's people that do curated events, those are the things that I do, but I do them differently.
• 22:38
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, I have a focus around bold, around beliefs.
• 22:42
  SPEAKER_01: And then, you know, I think one of the things I like to make sure people understand is that there's opportunity, and the opportunity takes courage.
• 22:49
  SPEAKER_01: And I want to help you find that courage so that you can actually be and live the best life.
• 22:55
  SPEAKER_01: And so I think there's different things that people do, but definitely it is it's a it's a partnership.
• 23:01
  SPEAKER_01: I think that's a really good part that you it's not like, hey, be my PR agent, you know, talk to me in a month.
• 23:07
  SPEAKER_01: No, it's an interactive, it's an interactive relationship.
• 23:10
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 23:11
  SPEAKER_01: So I think, but what you can do is do some of the things I think for people that they may not know how to do.
• 23:17
  SPEAKER_01: Like, how do I get my article?
• 23:18
  SPEAKER_01: How do I get an amplification of my message?
• 23:21
  SPEAKER_01: How do I get on a podcast?
• 23:23
  SPEAKER_01: How do I do some of those things that's yeah, that that seem like really big stuff, especially when you as an entrepreneur and even three years in, I still feel overwhelmed on certain days.
• 23:34
  SPEAKER_01: And so like you you're figuring it out.
• 23:37
  SPEAKER_01: It's a such a I try to describe it as a different tire.
• 23:40
  SPEAKER_01: It's like I chose it, I want it, I love it, and I'm gonna do it again tomorrow.
• 23:46
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I never felt that way in a corporate setting.
• 23:49
  SPEAKER_01: I really like my job, I really I really felt I did a good job, but I wouldn't say I had that same cycle of like I'm ready to give back at it, you know.
• 23:58
  SPEAKER_01: So I think one of the things that I just want people to hear is that there are firms like yours that can help to get started or even to just talk about it and say kind of what's possible.
• 24:08
  SPEAKER_01: So, and it comes under that heading, which I think has become kind of our theme today, which is asking for help, seeking help, understanding what the options are and going for it.
• 24:17
  SPEAKER_00: I agree.
• 24:18
  SPEAKER_00: Also, I think you were saying how it's it's hard sometimes for small business owners, but even the executives we've helped, you know, some of them have been at our companies for 25 years and buried in the brilliance.
• 24:30
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not kidding, like we'll get these resumes and it's like, whoa, you did this, whoa, you did that, you know, and then when you have your strategy call, you're like, I did not know who you were, you know, I didn't know who you was behind all this, you know.
• 24:42
  SPEAKER_00: But it's really important for everyone, whether you've done the incredible things that our clients have done, or if you're just starting out, to know that you have a story and that your story is going to help with someone, right?
• 24:55
  SPEAKER_00: It doesn't even matter.
• 24:55
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, there's so many different facets of all of our lives, right?
• 24:59
  SPEAKER_00: Like I know you you you've your mom, you're a podcaster, you're an entrepreneur, right?
• 25:04
  SPEAKER_00: You're you're all these things like, but you're even more than that, right?
• 25:06
  SPEAKER_00: So there are still other parts of your story that in the right time for the right audience would be applicable, right?
• 25:14
  SPEAKER_00: Like, you know, right now we're talking about trying new things, but in in one instance, at the right place at the right time, your birth story would be most applicable to help a new mom, right?
• 25:22
  SPEAKER_00: So that's not talking about business, it's not talking about your podcast, but that's still being helpful in another setting at the right time.
• 25:29
  SPEAKER_00: So for everyone, there's a part of your story that can help someone.
• 25:33
  SPEAKER_00: And I hope that people really take that and know that that is being the impact guine.
• 25:38
  SPEAKER_00: You know, you are making a difference.
• 25:39
  SPEAKER_00: You already have this experience, you already have this knowledge that you can share.
• 25:44
  SPEAKER_00: And I hope people know that you don't have to be a corporate mastermind.
• 25:49
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you don't have to be an entrepreneur, you don't have to be a single vice president.
• 25:52
  SPEAKER_01: You know, if you feel like titles mean importance, please like knock that out of your head right now.
• 25:58
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 25:58
  SPEAKER_01: So degrees equal your importance.
• 26:00
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, yes, I don't I don't believe that.
• 26:02
  SPEAKER_01: I think every person's story is important and everyone has a story to tell.
• 26:06
  SPEAKER_01: So I completely agree with you.
• 26:08
  SPEAKER_01: I think what people may not understand is that your story can inspire others.
• 26:13
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 26:14
  SPEAKER_01: And I I learned that myself, just as I started off, just on my journey.
• 26:18
  SPEAKER_01: And sometimes the thing that inspires people is the mess you've gone through, the things that you've overcome, or the when you felt like the biggest failure, or the or the you know, weirdest person in the room.
• 26:31
  SPEAKER_01: That is what, like, oh, and then here you are, and you still smile every day.
• 26:36
  SPEAKER_01: You know, wow, like you know, you've been able to walk through some stuff and you're okay.
• 26:42
  SPEAKER_01: And sometimes that's what inspires others.
• 26:45
  SPEAKER_01: And I think it's really important for people just to know and to think about how can they inspire others through their journey and their story, because I always feel like, like you said, it's so important.
• 26:56
  SPEAKER_01: There's there's something to be learned from what you your story is.
• 27:00
  SPEAKER_01: So I I love that.
• 27:01
  SPEAKER_01: So just as we're kind of closing up, as people want to kind of think about their the best things that they can do to amplify their work or their, you know, even if they've been in a certain role for a very long time, like what where do they start?
• 27:15
  SPEAKER_01: Like what should they do?
• 27:16
  SPEAKER_01: What's the first step?
• 27:17
  SPEAKER_00: The first step is finding out what the problem is, right?
• 27:22
  SPEAKER_00: What is the problem your audience is having and and how you can help with that?
• 27:27
  SPEAKER_00: So it doesn't matter if you're selling a product or a service, find out what people are really having a problem with, and then how you can help them.
• 27:35
  SPEAKER_00: Once you find that out, you can then search for different publications that also cater to that audience.
• 27:42
  SPEAKER_00: Once you find out that, you can find what events are catering to that audience, what podcasts would be applicable to help that audience.
• 27:53
  SPEAKER_00: And then I would honestly um create a bio, get a nice headshot, and submit that bio and that headshot to different podcasters, to different events and to different publications and find out who those editors and journalists are and those that will cater to that audience that you've just identified and really build those connections because you know what, even if you're not ready to speak and they don't choose you that time, at least you're on the radar.
• 28:21
  SPEAKER_00: And if they do need someone, and if they do have an event in that area and they need someone, at least you're on their roster for them to contact or consider.
• 28:30
  SPEAKER_00: Think about you know, networking and people always say, Oh, go, you've got to go to these networking events and you've got to go do this.
• 28:36
  SPEAKER_00: But really, if you're a speaker at one of those events, you're automatically going to have people see you as a leader and come to you.
• 28:44
  SPEAKER_00: So it's just a little bit different strategy, like a little reverse engineering on like how are people really being seen as a leader?
• 28:51
  SPEAKER_00: Well, you can showcase your expertise by speaking at different events, by offering help to podcasters that are presenting for these other leaders in that space and helping people in that way and working with journalists to help them with their pieces that are talking about your topic and how you can help.
• 29:08
  SPEAKER_00: I think that's as long as you have a mind to help the audience that you're really trying to reach, you'll never go wrong.
• 29:16
  SPEAKER_00: You'll never go wrong.
• 29:17
  SPEAKER_00: As long as that's the the focus, that's how we do it.
• 29:20
  SPEAKER_00: And I I hope other people can can do it the same way.
• 29:22
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 29:23
  SPEAKER_01: And I always say to begin, begin.
• 29:25
  SPEAKER_01: Don't let the overwhelm of the steps stop you.
• 29:27
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, sorry.
• 29:28
  SPEAKER_01: Sorry if that felt like a little bit.
• 29:30
  SPEAKER_01: No, no, no, but like I think that's those are the steps.
• 29:33
  SPEAKER_01: But I think what uh when I work with clients and organizations, I think sometimes the overwhelm of a project or the overwhelm of like, you know, we know what we need to do, but sometimes we just don't do it.
• 29:45
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 29:45
  SPEAKER_01: Because it feels too big.
• 29:47
  unknown: Yeah.
• 29:48
  SPEAKER_01: If you just start walking through it, into it, you'll see what you know, what you don't know, where you need help.
• 29:54
  SPEAKER_01: And then you just keep redefining that like daily.
• 29:58
  SPEAKER_01: And that could be you're in the role you're now in now, it could be starting something new, it could be considering something new, but you're just gonna start walking into it.
• 30:06
  SPEAKER_01: And you gotta do the work.
• 30:07
  SPEAKER_01: Like you said, this is not like a handoff, this is like doing your work.
• 30:11
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 30:11
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 30:11
  SPEAKER_01: So some good advice, some good guidance, and I hope everyone has enjoyed today's episode.
• 30:16
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you so much for Kirby for being on the Bold Lounge.
• 30:19
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you, Lee.
• 30:20
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for having me.
• 30:21
  SPEAKER_00: I'm so honored.
• 30:24
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you for listening to the Bold Lounge podcast.
• 30:28
  SPEAKER_01: Through the continuum of bold stories, vulnerability, and taking the leap, you will meet more extraordinary people making a positive impact on it through their unique and important stories.
• 30:38
  SPEAKER_01: By highlighting these stories, we hope to inspire the student journey and students for the police specifically to fight sports journey to Discord.