800: I Never Thought I’d Say THIS 800 Episodes Later

26:59And so when you go up to somebody, chances are you're not just like, Hi, my name is Jenna. I'm a photographer. I'd love for you to hire me. Instead, you share you and what you're passionate about. And if perhaps they are interested, then you will tell them about the way that you tell stories. So here's the good news. You don't need to be the best writer on the World Wide Web to be a good storyteller. When you pair your images with storytelling captions, that is when true magic happens, my friends. So how do you tell good stories? This is what I get asked all the time. I have so many people tell me I stink at telling stories, but here's what is going to help you.

27:41So number one, you need to know yourself. You need to know how to connect your story with your audience through captions. And what I've found so often is that people don't feel comfortable with what their story is, or they don't know exactly how to deliver it in a way that will be received well. So the first question I ask myself whenever I go to post something on social media is, number one, why does this matter to my ideal client? Okay, now if you are sitting there and you're like, I don't know my ideal client, guys, we're going to address this in future episodes of Gold Digger. but the first thing you need to ask yourself when you go to share something is why should this matter to my ideal client?

28:22And if it doesn't matter, then we need to evaluate how this post is serving anyone. Now, the second thing I ask myself is, am I doing this story justice? There is a story behind every image, whether it is an image of your client or of your work or of your life. Are you doing that story justice? You're not relying on that whole a photo is worth a thousand words thing, right? Because the truth is, is that when you can pair your photo with words, it is even more magical than when it stands alone. And number three is, is this serving anyone other than me? Now this one usually stops me in my tracks because social media has become a place of humble brags.

29:07We have all seen them. We perhaps have done them ourselves. And it always feels like people are shouting from the rooftops all the amazing and glorious and beautiful things that are happening in their lives. But sometimes those posts are simply self-serving. And while that might hold a candle in your strategy every once in a while, it should not be something that you are commonly doing. Now you could just give people a pretty photo to like, or you could tell a story that makes them fall in love with what you're sharing. And I have this whole idea that there are two different people on social media.

29:44We have the people that scroll through looking for good photos to double tap on. And we have the people that go there that are searching for something. And a lot of times that search looks like they're looking for a message or a sign or something to tell them that they're doing all right. And so when we take a beautiful photo and we pair it with a meaningful caption, we are giving both of those people an opportunity to like our content, which perhaps means double the chance of engagement. So what I love to say is find your people and serve them well. When you know who it is that you are serving, you know what keeps them up at night and how you can help them.

30:23You can focus on serving those people well. And honestly, that is when the real magic happens. Social media, I think, can feel like this screaming match. It can feel like everyone is competing and trying to make the most noise. But here's the key. You don't want to join in on the yelling. Instead, you want to whisper directly to your dream clients. I mean, think about it. Would you rather be on your rooftop screaming about why you're the best and to hire you and why you deserve their attention? Or would you rather sit there and say, hello, friend, I am here for what you need. and I promise I can make your life better or easier or at least let you know that you are not alone in what you're going through.

31:07Well, apparently not too much has changed because social media felt like a screaming match back then. And frankly, it still does today. One thing that I love about this episode is just this focus on serving and community. It is something I have always tried to keep at the forefront of all that we do. This idea of connection and community overselling. And I think stories are the greatest way to really serve our audience and connect. Storytelling has been a huge theme on this podcast over the years. And little did this younger Jenna know someday she would write a book that would become a New York Times bestseller.

31:41Her story on pages, not just in captions on the internet. Okay, back to the show. I'm pretty sure I'm about to disagree with my old self. So why do I think social media is the best form of advertising? Well, there are four main reasons why. Number one, it's available at the tap of a finger. Chances are you're listening to this podcast on your phone or your computer, and you might just have social media pulled up at the same time. Social media is available at the tap of a finger, and that is so incredible. Number two is it means a zero dollar ad budget. Guys, I have had a six-figure photography business for over four years, and I have not invested a single penny into advertising because I've learned how to leverage social media for booking clients.

32:29And not just any clients, but my dream clients. Number three is that it builds know, like, and trust. If you have any background in marketing, you know how important this is. Having people know who you are and then start to like you and trust you is the most powerful thing you can have in your back pocket. And number four is social media is my voice, my terms and my images. I am in control of the content. I am the creator and the curator. And that is stinking beautiful. You get to take potential clients on a journey and you are in control of what that journey can look and feel like. Okay, for the record, I don't fully disagree with this.

33:14I think a lot of this still stands, but I will say that I would distill this down a bit more these days. I think social media is the best way to organically get attention, but you have to have a plan for those audiences in order to turn popularity into profitability. So I would say right now that every marketer should have two main priorities when it comes to marketing, not a million, just two. The first priority should be to grow and serve your email list. And the second priority should be that any other efforts on any other platforms should be to grow your audience and then get that audience onto your email list.

33:52So whether you're leveraging Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, a podcast, a YouTube channel, the goal should be to grow and serve that audience on that platform and then invite that audience off of it and onto your email list. I think that totally simplifies marketing a heck of a lot. And I will also add in that a lot of people aren't getting the same results they used to organically on social and they're having to pay to play. But I'm not going to go too deep into that right now. So I want to go over three lies that people start to believe about social media. And you might fall into one of these camps.

34:29And hopefully over the next few minutes, I can dispel these myths for you so that you feel like you have a confident strategy leaving this time together. Lie number one is if I didn't post it, it didn't happen. Now, we have fallen into this trap as a society where if you look around wherever you might be, people are sharing their lives because they feel like if they don't share it, people won't know that they did it or that it actually happened. But here's the truth. When you take the time and take the intentionality behind social media, when you don't post in real time, it allows you to be strategic in your image, your message, and your delivery.

35:08So guess what? I never post in real time. The only thing I post in real time would be Snapchat, and I am a terrible Snapchatter. I can't keep up with it. Sometimes I'm Snapchatting like crazy. Other days I don't do it. I don't even think about it. For things like Facebook and blogging and Instagram, I never post in real time. Why? Because I want to be present in the moment and I want to take a step back when I am quiet, when my mind is still and be very strategic about how I'm sharing this images message and how I'm delivering it and serving clients through that. Now, this is why as a photographer, I've chosen very specifically to only share images that come from my camera.

35:52Why? Because that means I have to be intentional in saying, I'm going to bring my camera with today and I'm gonna take a few photos and then I'm gonna put it away because I'll go home and I can edit them and get them scheduled on my social media calendar and I'm done. I am not the person that goes into a coffee shop and takes photos of my latte for 10 minutes while it gets cold. That's just not me. That's too much stress, too much pressure. And I truly believe that stress work is not our best work. And so when we are putting that real-time pressure on our social media, we are not putting out our best work.

36:27So is the work that you are sharing on your feed exemplary of what people can expect from you when they hire you? If I were to take any image from your feed right now and just stand it alone and say, this is your work, would you be proud to have your name attached to it? Would you be proud to have your business name attached to it? And if you can't answer yes boldly with that, then it's time that we make a little change, a little shift in your strategy. Hi, me again. Okay. This was fun to listen to. So parts of this are still a hard yes, but I've also totally changed my strategy and approach here.

37:03So the part that is still a massive yes is the whole not posting in real time. I do not post in real time ever. I've always believed that idea of like, you want to be away from the moment to really ask yourself, one, why am I sharing this? But two, why does it matter to my audience? And so I post usually days after something happens. I like to sit on my content and really be curious about why I want to share it. And I feel like especially over the last year, I've gotten a little bit more private. I've been really private about my children. I stopped showing their faces on the internet. And so my content kind of has changed, but I love this idea of really taking a little bit of space from the moment so that you can be present in your life and then really figure out what is worth sharing and how do I connect this to my audience in a way that serves them.

37:54Now, the other part that I've changed on is that two years ago, I stopped only sharing professional photos. And this probably doesn't sound like a big deal, but for someone who showed up with only professional photos online for nearly a decade, this was a huge shift for me. So if you think about when I started the show, I was mainly a wedding photographer. And I always thought about like, show the type of work you want to shoot, show the type of quality that your audience can expect from you. And as someone who can create professional images, it made sense that I was leading and serving with professional photos, right?

38:31I wanted every piece of my work to be exemplary of the type of quality a client could get accustomed to. Now, obviously I haven't shot a wedding in five years. So about five years ago is when I fully transitioned out of wedding photography. I still take photos. I still consider myself a photographer. I still have the same skills I had five years ago. I just use them in a different way. But I remember when I was going into my book launch and thinking about the amount of content that I wanted to share and how quickly I wanted to share it during my launch because there are very important things happening, like being on the Today Show or, you know, being in Times Square and different things like that.

39:08I recognize that if I kept this complicated process of shooting on a professional photo, plugging it into my computer, editing it in Lightroom, then exporting it into my phone and posting it, it just wasn't going to work. And as a mom, I don't have as much time to, you know, set up a professional shot, edit it, and then get it up onto the internet. And so two years ago, I stopped sharing only professional images. Now my feed is a mix of professional and iPhone. I actually love it. I think it feels just a lot more accessible and it's more me. And so that was a really big shift for me. And so it's interesting to think that for around a decade, I shared only professional images and starting to share iPhone photos is actually hard for me.

39:49But for most people, that's probably the more accessible approach. And again, just take space from your content so that you have the time to really evaluate why am I sharing this? How can this serve my community? And how do I put this out in a way that actually moves the needle forward? All right, back to the show. Let's be real. As business owners, we know a reliable connection isn't optional. I've had my fair share of slow and lagging internet. And let me tell you, nothing kills your groove faster. It is the ultimate productivity killer. You can't process payments, you can't talk to clients, and your team feels stuck waiting on you.

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42:17I am such a homebody at heart, but I love when travel reminds me just how beautiful it is to step outside of our routine. For the kids fall break, we booked a stay on a small farm near Nashville through Airbnb, and it was one of the most memorable trips we've taken this year. We met donkeys, goats, and pigs, and the kids got to pick peppers in their greenhouse. Watching them run around the farm, getting their hands dirty and laughing the whole time was such a joy. It was peaceful. It was full of those little moments that literally just make you pause and feel connected. That trip reminded me why I love using Airbnb.

42:51It connects you to places and experiences that really stay with you. If you've ever thought about hosting your home on Airbnb, it doesn't take much. Whether it's your entire house or just a spare room, your space could offer that same feeling to someone else and even earn you some extra income. Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.com forward slash host. Now, lie number two is I have to wait for the perfect Instagram worthy image to post. How many times have we believed that lie and we sit there and we go through our camera roll and there's thousands of photos, but none of them are just right or perfect enough or pretty enough.

43:31The truth is, is that there is room for imperfection on Instagram. People are hungry for real and not just for perfect anymore. And that is beautiful. And what I found throughout the years, as I share more of my life, is that no one wants to be friends with the perfect girl in the lunchroom because she feels unreachable and unrelatable and you'll never be on her level. People want to connect more with the mess because the truth is my life is messy and chances are yours might be too. But there is so much beauty in that mess and true connection comes when we just unveil a little bit of our soul and we say, I don't have it all together and that's okay.

44:14Because I feel like when I see that on social media, I'm like, oh my gosh, Thank God I'm not the only person that hasn't showered in two days or has a messy desk or has cold coffee next to her and she's still drinking it because she's too lazy to get hot coffee. There is a chance and a time for connection over the realness. And I have really learned how to use that and share that in a way that serves people without asking for anything in return. Lie number three is people don't care about me or what I love. They just want to see my products or my work. I see this all the time. Guys, I teach Instagram courses.

44:54And even just yesterday in one of our Facebook groups, a florist said, I feel like the top florists only share photos of their flowers. I don't think people actually care about me. And it actually broke my heart because in order to convert followers into friends, they have to know you, like you, and trust you. Wouldn't you rather have people hire you because of you and not just hire you because they need your goods or your services. When people start to know you and like you and trust you, real relationships happen, not just business partnerships, not just collaborations, but real relationships that will fuel your soul and feed into your life in a beautiful way.

45:34So how do you strategically reach your dream clients through things other than the services you provide? So I'm sure you're thinking, well, I'm glad this all works for you, Jenna, but I am the most boring person ever. But take it from the girl who created a multiple six-figure business with a brand all about mac and cheese shapes, yoga pants, puppies, and wine. And don't forget my daily naps. I nap every single day. You don't want clients who want just a photographer, a florist, a calligrapher, a stationer, a lawyer, whatever that looks like. You want clients who seek you specifically out because they know that you can do the job better than anyone else.

46:17So my question for you is how are you standing out from every other service provider or product provider in your industry? These days we are all using the same equipment, the same editing, the same websites, the same templates. How are you standing out in the crowd? Now, I recently redid my website and it was the first time I have redone it in five years since I started. And I told my designer, Jen Olmsted, she's amazing. She's going to be on the podcast. I said, I am finally ready to go against the flow. I don't want this to look like anyone else's. I want it to be me and the experience of me.

46:57And I want people to come and I want them to either be attracted to me or repelled by me. And that is okay. I am finally ready to own that and use that and put it into practice. Okay, this was honestly so cool to listen to because we literally just finished a website refresh with Jen Olmsted a few weeks ago. So seeing how so many things haven't changed in these years makes me so happy. I just did an entire episode about a rebrand, what went into it, why we did it, who was involved. So check out episode 792, the who, what, why, and how of my new brand, which will be linked in today's show notes.

47:36But what's cool is I feel like these are all the same questions and thoughts we had about not wanting it to look like anyone else's and differentiating ourselves from others in the market and really getting clear on who I am and how I want to serve. And I just love too, that I've had these same people on my team over all of these years that so much hasn't changed in the process. I loved this part. So one of the first things I thought about when creating this new website was what keeps my followers up at night? I have to show them that I can solve their problem or simplify their days or add value to their lives in a meaningful way.

48:14Now to me, it doesn't matter if you have 500 or 50 ,000 followers. I honestly don't care because the people who are choosing to follow you are showing up for a specific reason. And when you serve them well and speak to them intentionally and intimately, they will keep coming back for more and more from you. It's like inviting your friends to this dinner party. And instead of serving them, you're out there running on the streets, inviting strangers who might not want what you're serving or who might not even care to join you. And I feel like this rat racist hustle to get more followers, more fans, more interaction has taken away from us actually focusing on serving and showing up for the people who have actually chosen to follow us.

48:57And so while I panic when I see people saying, well, I just want more followers. I just need more followers. I need to hit 10 ,000, 50 ,000, 100 ,000, whatever that number looks like. I want to say you need to show up for the people who are showing up for you. And when you do that, you will reach other people just like them. And those are the people that you want to serve in your business day in and day out. And so when you take sharing your life in your voice and you partner it with what you create or offer or what you're passionate about, it creates this opportunity for connection that leads to action and action needs to be one of the most important things you are focusing on in your business.

49:39Real quick here, if you are drifting off or you're multitasking, pay attention to this next strategy. It is one I've been teaching for a decade and it is still one I rely on for just about every facet of my business. Just a super fun fact here, but this strategy has been written about and published in best selling marketing books. So it's really wild that something I started this podcast talking about is still incredibly relevant today and still a part of the strategy that I use and teach and thousands of entrepreneurs use it too. So pay attention to this next part because it's really important.

50:13so let's talk about the Jenna Kutcher 5 now I have tried to come up with a better name for this for years and if anyone has one oh man I am open to suggestions but what the Jenna Kutcher 5 is is you need your feed to be multi-dimensional to show more than just your product or your service and so if you've ever read this marketing book the jab jab jab right hook it's this method where it talks about how you serve serve serve and then you come back with an ask And what people don't understand is that when they create a feed specifically for their business and they're just sharing their business and their products and their services and every single day is an invitation to buy, buy, buy, people start to just silence that voice.

50:53We are so bombarded with marketing and advertising on everything, whether it's TV or the radio or the satellite radio or Facebook or Instagram, that we have become conditioned to just shut down when it happens. We know a pitch is coming. We shut down. And so when you use the Jenna Kutcher 5 method, it actually shares bits and pieces of your life before you share your ask, whatever that ask might be. So what five things can you cycle through your feed to build your brand recognition and connect with your ideal clients? Now the approach leaves people saying, I feel like we'd be best friends. I feel like I already know you, Jenna.

51:31I feel like we are connected. Why does it work? Because I'm not just saying, here's my photos. I'm saying, here's my life. Here's the dogs we're fostering. Here's what I'm eating for lunch, which is mac and cheese on every single Monday. Here's what my office looks like. Here's my husband. I want you to be invited into my life so that I can be invited into yours at whatever capacity that looks like. If you create a strategy around your feed, you're going to save yourself the time and stress of creating content on the spot, all while taking your followers on an intentional journey that will lead them to become raving fans.

52:07So what does a JK5 look like? Well, it looks like taking pieces of your life that you're comfortable sharing. So let's go back to that airplane. We're sitting next to a stranger. They ask us about ourselves. What things would you feel comfortable in sharing? I myself, I would share that we live on a river in Wisconsin in 105 year old craftsman home. I would share that we have rescue dogs and that we love to foster dogs. And sometimes our house feels like a wicked zoo. I would share that I love to write and do creative things like watercolor and teach people. I would share things like fashion, like food, like travels, things about our lives that will create connection.

52:48And so when you can create a strategy and say, these are my five things and I'm going to continuously cycle through them so that they become part of my brand and my brand becomes bigger than just my product or service, people become attached to that brand and attached to you as a human being. I want for you to create a brand, not just a business. So one thing that I still love about this strategy is that it really helps people connect with different facets of you and your life. Now there's a huge difference between running a business and a brand. A business is just your offers, what it is that you create or do to sell.

53:25A brand is the personality behind its offers. And one thing that I got right over the years is that I really understood the power of a brand and the personality behind whatever it is that you're selling. I truly believe that's why I've been able to sell so many different things over the years. And my audience has followed me on every step of the journey from being a wedding photographer to an online course creator, to an affiliate, to an author. I've had so many different offers. And I think because I have a strong personality and a strong brand, people will follow where I go. And this is really crucial if you are someone who wants to start their own business or you want to make sure that you have a brand.

54:05Now, my JK5 has changed so much throughout the years and it is meant to evolve. This isn't a strategy that you set and forget about. You want to be re-evaluating what is your JK five as you change, as your business changes. And as you evolve, I ended up going gluten-free. I don't eat a ton of Mac and cheese anymore. We don't foster puppies, but we do chase our kids around. We built our dream home. We moved back to Minnesota. So, so much has changed. But the thing that has stayed the same because of this strategy is that my brand has a true personality and that personality is always evolving and it's multifaceted, giving people different ways to connect with me, even if they're not on the market for whatever it is that I'm selling.

54:49So one of the biggest misconceptions is that I share everything. People will come up to me and they won't even ask me about my life because they assume what they see on social media is everything. But here's the truth. I share just enough to make you feel connected to me, right? And there's nothing wrong with that. If you and I were to sit down over happy hour drinks or margarita or coffee, I would tell you so much more that you probably had no idea about. I'm actually a very private person and I covet my time with my family and my friends so deeply. You probably will never see a lot of that on social media.

55:26But what I do share is my heart. And that heart is what is connecting people to me so that they feel like they know me, like we are friends. I want to help you find what your mac and cheese is. Now, here's my joke. My friend Katie of Cottage Hill Magazine, she said, Jenna, your goal in life should be to help people find their mac and cheese. What does that mean? Well, I started sharing my love for mac and cheese, and I kid you not, guys, I get tagged in probably 20 macaroni and cheese things a day. I bet you, after listening to this podcast, you will never walk through the grocery store and see the aisle of mac and cheese without thinking of me.

56:05I get sent mac and cheese in the mail. I order it at restaurants all the time. I get tagged when there is mac and cheese fests all over the world, which by the way, I still need to go to one of these, but I want to help you find your mac and cheese. I want to help you find what is memorable in clients' eyes that will never let them forget about you, whether it's walking through the grocery store or hanging out online. All right, me again. I kind of laugh because now more than ever, I feel more private online. I have gotten a lot more protective of myself and especially of my family over the years.

56:43Obviously, a year ago, I stopped sharing my kids' faces online. I don't show up in my stories every day anymore. I've just kind of hit a rhythm that feels good at this time in my life and allows me to share my life and connect without always being on the internet. And I also laugh a little at how much of my brand revolved around cheesy noodles. Like, okay, I still love mac and cheese. My kids eat them probably once a week, but now they're a little bit healthier of a version and they're gluten-free. But I'm curious if you have been around for a long time, do you still think of me when you see mac and cheese?

57:14Tell me if you do send me a DM. I'd love to hear that. I just think it's so interesting that that was such a huge piece. And yes, I was crazy about mac and cheese. I especially loved the shapes kinds. I just thought they were so delicious. So again, Things have changed, but not fully. So what if you use social media as a place for real connection? What if you stopped playing it safe? Stop trying to be Nutella and make everyone happy? What if we stopped letting our titles define us and got back to the things that set us apart beyond the work that we produce? What if your social media didn't just share your client stories, It shared your story in a real and raw and authentic way.

57:59Here's what I truly believe. You cannot expect your clients to invite you into their precious moments and to win their business without inviting them into your life first. So I have four super serious questions for you, my friends. Number one, can I find you in your feed? But seriously, can I find a photo without scrolling for days? Can I see you beyond just your bio photo? Can I know who I am listening to when I click over to your feed? If the answer is no, we need to change that because I need to know who I'm listening to in order to trust you. I need to know who I'm listening to in order to enjoy listening to you.

58:37And I need to know who I'm listening to in order to trust what you're putting out there as your work. The first nine photos on your Instagram page form a storytelling grid. If your personal story isn't on there, I truly believe you may have just lost your client. because they don't know who you are. They don't know why they should trust you. They don't know if they like you. They don't know why your voice matters. Number two is, are you using your bio to tell me more about you without only clinging to your titles? Is there something in your bio that will actively attract or repel? If the answer is no here, then we got to change that.

59:15You want to be memorable. I don't want you to just hide behind your titles. I don't want it to just say photographer, blogger, educator. I want to know a little bit more about you that will hook me, hook line and sinker. Number three is, are you sharing images, not just for your peers, but are you sharing images your clients can imagine themselves in? Now, this is something I see all the time where we as artists are just posting art that other artists will connect with. but our ideal clients, they might not connect with what we're sharing. They might not understand it. They might not have the same taste level.

59:52They might not get it. So are you sharing images, not just for your peers in your industry, but are you sharing images that your clients can imagine themselves in? And number four, are you taking people on a journey, whether through scrolling and seeing through, are they seeing a bigger picture or calls to action so that they know how to continue on this journey with you. Use call to actions. Every single post you share must give people an invitation to do something more with you, whether simple or complex. What does that mean? Call to actions are the most important part of your social media strategy.

1:00:30You should never end your post with a period. It should always have an invitation, whether that's asking them a question to engage with you or telling them to go to your blog post to see more or asking them to email you, or join your email list, or hang out with you, or meet you at a meetup, or something. There should always be an invitation for people to engage with you, because engagement is exactly what we need to beat these algorithms that are sucking our ability to connect with people anymore. So my last question for you is this, is your feed more than eye candy? I want for you to show clients that it's not just about a service or a product, it's an experience, and that experience is worth every single penny.

1:01:13Why? Because you are offering it and you are unlike any other human on this planet and you have gifts unlike any other human on this planet and that is always worth every single penny. How is it that you tell meaningful stories? How is it that you connect and use call to actions and tell people that you are worth your value? Tip number one is ditch the fluffy adjectives. I don't want to see words like gorgeous and swoon and beautiful and pretty and all of those things that I see every day. Your photo should tell me that enough. I should look at that and know that that is there. Tell me meaningful things.

1:01:52Ditch the fluffy adjectives. I will often write out an entire post and I will go back and delete every single adjective and ask myself, is the story strong? Does it convey what I want it to? Am I not hiding behind fluffy words because there is something so much more meaningful than the word swoon? Number two is what matters the most to your clients? What kind of things keep them up at night? What are they worried about? How can you serve their lives? What matters most to them and how can you create a connection that tells them that you can serve them and serve them well? Tip number three is if you really struggle with storytelling, have your clients tell the stories for you.

1:02:32Ask them, why did they hire you? Why did they buy your product? What did you have that other people didn't? Ask them about their experience of working with you. Have them tell you about what they were planning or why they booked you in the first place. If you seriously struggle and you don't know what to write, have your clients write your stories for you. And tip number four, stop writing to your current clients. Write to attract your future clients. So many times we are writing to these people that have already chosen us instead of focusing our messaging on reaching those people who might not have already picked us out.

1:03:08And lastly, tip number five, write the way that you speak. Learn to use your voice. Now, when I first started, I came out of a PR education. I thought I wanted to write press releases and super formal things. And so when I first started as a wedding photographer and a client would reach out, I would write so formally like, dear sir and madam, hello, oh, thank you so much for inquiring about my services. But then when I would meet them in person at a coffee shop, it was this giant disconnect because I'd run up to them with arms wide open to say, oh my goodness, hello. I'm so excited to see you.

1:03:41This is amazing. Now I want for you to learn how to use your voice and I will record a full episode on how to do that because there are so many tips and tricks and strategies to do that. Okay. My numbering was a little funky in this section, but honestly, everything I said still stands. I think all of this advice is still super solid. And while I was sharing this from the perspective of a wedding photographer at this time, I think that all of this advice can and should be applied no matter what type of business you're in. This is one of the things that I honestly commend myself for and Pat Younger Jen on the back for is that in all the advice I've given over the years, a lot of it was grounded in the foundation of solid marketing strategies that truly stand the test of time.

1:04:26I have never been a huge trend chaser. I have always wanted practical, easy, and things that last. And so honestly, take that advice today. It's still really solid. But here's where I want us to land today. I want to be your permission grantor. I want for you to grant yourself the permission to feel free to share yourself and your life in a meaningful way on social media. Success is something that we generally see within others, but it is a title that we give others first and ourselves last. And I want to tell you that wherever you are at in this moment, wherever you are listening to these words, you are a success.

1:05:07Success is going to look different for everyone across the board. It's going to look different in every person's lives. And so I want for you to give yourself that title because here's what success isn't to me. Success isn't how many followers you have or how many jobs you book or how much money you make. Success is owning your story and using it to connect authentically. It is living out your why every single day and it is being free to be exactly who you are. You are more than the number of followers you have. Please understand that. You are worthy of true connection in the real and not in the perfect.

1:05:49You are more than what you do. Show that to the world. And you are unique and have special gifts that only you possess. So my whole thing is that I have been keeping it real since 1988. And in case you just did the math, yes, I am 28 years old. So as we close off this first episode of Gold Digger, I want for you to leave today with a plan. I want that plan to look like digging into how you can share your story and how that story can connect you with people and not just your clients, but your dream clients and how it can create connection beyond just what you do. Because you, my friend, are worthy of that true connection.

1:06:35And I want for you to be a success in your own way, in your own standards on your own playing field. And so today I want for you to stop comparing your background, your bloopers, all the stuff and the crap and the junk in your life with everyone else's highlight reels. And I want for you to take a step back and say, I am going to do this story justice, and I'm going to share it in a meaningful way. Now, my friends, thank you so much for joining me in Gold Digger. I cannot wait to connect next week as we go through another episode where we will teach you tangible takeaways that you can apply to your business and your life immediately after listening.

1:07:13Thank you so much for tuning in and we will connect really soon. Well, we made it through. I've honestly avoided listening to that episode because I thought I would cringe. But when I look back, I have a lot of love for that Jenna who decided to start this whole thing as an experiment and a way to connect and serve her community. So much has changed in my own life and my business since then. But I am honestly happy to say that a lot of what I shared has stood the test of time. Friends, I cannot believe that wraps up the 800th episode of the Gold Digger podcast. Thank you so much for taking a stroll down memory lane with me.

1:07:51I want you to know that I wouldn't be here eight years and 800 episodes later without you, your support, your feedback, your reviews, your time, your grace, your loyalty. See, the Gold Digger podcast isn't about me. It's about a community of business owners in all walks of life going further because we're going together. And even though my voice sounds a little different, my life looks a little different and my brand is different. That has never changed. You are the heart and the soul of this podcast. And I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for joining me on this journey every single week.

1:08:26I am so grateful for you every single day. now is the perfect time if you are not subscribed or you haven't taken a moment to leave a review and you are willing to do so it is the best and the easiest way you can support me the team and this show i would absolutely love to hear from you this has been a labor of love and an experiment that i show up for week after week and i'm so grateful that you are here as my listener Until next time, gold diggers, keep on digging your biggest goals.

1:09:23haven't yet, make sure you're subscribed so that you never miss a future show. We'll see you next time, gold diggers.