821: How to Write Pitches That Get Noticed — Every Time

24:29Talk to me about this because I actually think this is a really amazing way to start. And for a listener today to dream of like, where would it just be really exciting for you to be featured? Or like what podcasts or press outlets or news outlets would you like die to be on? And I think sometimes starting there is a beautiful place to dream and ideate before you even get into pitching. Talk to me a little bit about that in the process, because I actually think that's a really awesome thing to share with our listeners. Yeah. You can't measure your success unless you know what success looks like.

25:04That's 100 % what I am just starting to really, really get clear on. And I think sometimes we have this idea or we put out something arbitrary out there. But until you get very clear, like I do numbers, I'm like, I want to be on five podcasts. These are my dream lists. You know, this is what I want to talk about getting super, super specific just to give you a roadmap into getting there. Right. Cause then our brains at least have a little bit more guidance to get there. And look like you are, like I said, like a dream podcast. I'm not going to pitch you first, right? I want to build up my podcast repertoire.

25:38So we were chatting about being on Tori Dunn loves podcast who shout out Tori who connected us and is such a champion for us. But I know that sometimes if I pitched you maybe two years ago, probably we weren't ready. And that's okay. Sometimes you might have to move out that goal to build your expertise, build your credibility or whatever it is that you need, and then come back later when the timing is right. So I think sometimes the timing might not align with that goal and that's okay. What is it that you need to do to build yourself up to get to that goal. And so getting really clear and working backwards from your goal, that's really how I think about it.

26:19And so yeah, for this particular one, I knew I wanted to really make sure that I came at the right time to provide the most value for your community and listeners. I love that. And it brings me back to even when I started my podcast, we made a Dream 100 list of who are the people that we would just die to have on the podcast. And not only does it allow you to just dream really big, but it also keeps you awake to like when life gives you these beautiful opportunities that you once prayed for. And I think so many entrepreneurs miss these magical moments because they never actually sat down to say, this is a really big deal.

26:56And like now it's happening. Like, look at how far I've come. And I am all about the celebration. I'm like, we need more celebration in our lives and in our journeys. And so I just think there's so much power in that. And also, I love what you said about just seeing the stepping stones too. I will say, even as a podcast host, that when you can see that a guest has been on other people's shows who you respect, it automatically adds more credibility. And it takes away some of the necessary research because you're like, Hey, if so and so trusts this person, this might be a really great fit for us.

27:30And so there is something that really builds as you get more recognition and press out there. And it adds in that social proof that a lot of people need and desire, especially when starting out with a business. 100%. And one other note that you touched on is it's not overnight, right? We've been building for years. I know you've been building for so much longer. And people view it from the outside looking at it like, Oh my God, she has such a successful podcast. It just must have happened overnight. And you know, it wasn't overnight. You know, the reps that you put in. And I think just talking about it too, of like how these things sometimes take time and that's okay.

28:06And to trust the process and to enjoy the process too, is really what I think you and I are both excited about sharing too and lifting the veil on. Yeah. I want to know what your opinion is on personable versus professional and how to kind of like toy that line when writing pitches, because I feel like that can be a really hard line, especially dealing with if you're dealing with corporate people or different things like that. What is your opinion on that? Yeah. So it also depends on the medium that you're pitching too, right? If you're doing a pitch over email, sometimes I pitch over Instagram DMs.

28:43You can do it in other channels, could back channel through a mutual person that you know in between. And so to strike that balance, I think it depends on what is that person? Are they pretty personable, warm? Do they have a very professional or more personal demeanor online, doing your research on them? And like you said earlier, not something that's very cookie cutter of like, I listened to this past episode. And so it kind of just formulaic. It's like, hey, Jenna, I was binging a lot of your episodes. I know that this season is more about leaning into your femininity and how you're trying to slow down after working your masculinity.

29:15And that really resonated with me. I love to share, you know, XYZ about how this has really helped me with my businesses. I was also in masculinity, right? It's meeting that person where they are to build rapport without it being forced, artificial, and kind of just very fake for lack of a better word. And I think it kind of just depends on you. Are you that like kind of warm and personal person, you know, or is it really like uncomfortable and unnatural for you? So it's also kind of having that self-awareness of like what feels right for you so that you're really delivering on what you're pitching.

29:48I also want to add, you know, sometimes you have to back channel. Sometimes you have to follow up and say friendly nudge on this or like just checking in because you sometimes do fall in the inbox and that's okay and not take it personally. You know, sometimes great opportunities you've received on your second or third follow-up and And I've received by following up and to not be afraid of that. I think we as women are afraid to be too much. And I laugh at that because some of my biggest opportunities was when I put myself out there and was too much. And who cares if you're putting yourself out there and furthering your business and yourself, that's worth it.

30:26So yeah, there's so many different ways to strike that balance. But you want it to be recognizing that person as a human and an individual on the other end and being respectful of their time and their inbox and their energy. But all the while, you know, trying to deliver with service and trying to provide value to them is how I view striking that balance. Oh, my gosh. And as somebody with ADHD, I love friendly nudges. Friendly nudges are my best friend. I was literally just thinking, I remember setting alarm for 5 p.m. tonight. I can't remember why I set an alarm for 5 p.m. tonight. This is my life is my life is filled with friendly nudges because that is how my brain works.

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31:58That's bowlandbranch, B-O-L-L-A-N-D branch.com slash golddigger to save 20 % and unlock free shipping. Exclusions apply. Anyone who knows me knows that I'm all about creating spaces where people actually want to be. So when we started hosting on Airbnb, it honestly felt like the most natural thing in the world. and it's turned into one of the best decisions we've ever made. Over the years, we've hosted hundreds of couples in our little spaces. We've had so many repeat guests come back and we've created this incredible community, not just with our guests, but also with the people who help us care for our space.

32:35Whether you've bought properties as an investment or have unused rooms waiting to be shared, hosting on Airbnb is a practical and profitable choice. And just think about it. If you've put a ton of time, effort, and work into your home, someone out there probably would love to experience it while they're traveling. So next time you're planning a trip or want to make some extra income from your spaces, you should definitely host on Airbnb. Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at Airbnb.com slash host. One of the things that I would love to hear about your thoughts or process on is like, how do you work pitching into your workflow?

33:12I feel like a lot of times entrepreneurs are so busy that the idea of even pitching themselves or an idea or a contribution or anything like that's just another thing that needs to go on the to-do list. And so is there any like ways that you can incorporate it into work you're already doing or how do you set aside time for that? Great question. It is exhausting to pitch, right? You have to do the research. You have to get yourself energetically into the right mindset to pitch yourself. And if you're you know, pouring from an empty cup, that pitch is not going to be strong. And so I think to do that, you need to take a step back and ask yourself, like, when am I in my most energetic flow state?

33:53Is it on the weekends when I've had, you know, a little bit of like slept in and got to get like some free time without all these calls? Or is it when I'm in this mode where I'm just back and forth and ideas are flurrying and that's when I'm in my zone? So I think it's asking yourself, when are you in your best mode? And then from there, carving out a time to just do batch pitching, right? Same as you would do batch content, right? Your brain can only switch back and forth so many times and it's exhausting, right? You know this, you're nodding your head. And so setting aside maybe an hour block, if setting aside a half day is too intimidating, start with an hour, set a timer and be like, I'm going to just research and that's your whole goal.

34:28And then the next time it's like, I'm going to do pitches. And when you're doing pitches, when you have a template, they go by a lot faster versus doing one pitch every couple of days, block it out, knock them all out and try to kind of get into that practice. And then as you start to enjoy it, as you start to kind of get more into that flow, maybe you can do two hours or three hours. I also keep like a little notes file on my phone. Anytime I get an idea of, oh, I could like really talk well on that topic. Or if I have a shower thought or if I'm brushing my teeth and just keep track of any pings of wisdom or something you hear on someone else's podcast, you're like, oh, I think I can like, you know, add on to that.

35:05Keep that because sometimes inspiration strikes randomly and you want to be able to document that. And so that's another tip is sometimes you can't plan for that and to kind of have a place to collect your ideas. Oh my gosh. I love shower thoughts. So underrated. I think we should all be required to take a 30 minute shower alone every day. There are so many studies done that like the reason why we think so well in the shower is because we're busy enough to kind of stop thinking about like the immediacy of things, like open and relaxed enough to have ideas. But man, how many women have amazing shower thoughts?

35:40And then you're like reaching for your phone and your phone's getting wet. And you're like, this is worth it. I promise it's worth it. So many great things are born in the shower. I love that organization too. And I also love the pro tip of like, what can I expand on? Or what do I have a different take on? I was just listening to a podcast episode. one of my friends did. And I was like, Oh, I want to do an episode on this, but with like my take on it. Cause I think this is so fascinating and fun to listen to. And it's funny because we think we'll remember these ideas, but guess what? We likely don't.

36:10And so having a place where you store ideas, thoughts, stories, things that people are curious about or asking you about, it's a great way so that you never stare at the blinking cursor or you're wondering like, what do I have to say or contribute? I absolutely love that. I think story banking is one of the best things that every person should be doing regardless of if you're pitching or not. 1 ,000%. And that's the thing too, is ask your friends. Hey, what is it that I provide value on? Just notice even. What do friends come to you for? What are people maybe just DMing you about? If you start to notice a pattern, you're like, hmm, I seem to be some sort of a thought leader on XYZ topic or people seem to really want my opinion on something.

36:51Note that down because that means probably other people want to hear about it. And then you can package that into a pitch. Maybe ask a friend for it to help you with your pitch. And that is the nugget that you should follow to share your wisdom, your expertise to really further your brand. Yes. Okay. You hit on this topic very briefly at the beginning of our conversation, but I want to circle back. Let's talk about rejection. I feel like so many people are afraid to even put themselves out there for fear of rejection. How do we overcome that? How do we take rejection as protection? As some of my friends like to say, like, what does this look like?

37:29Because I believe that so many people are missing incredible opportunities because they're afraid of the R word. So where do we go from here? Yeah. I want to share a word of wisdom that my mom shared with me when I was a kid is what's the worst that can happen? They say no. And that was such a mind unlock for me. I'm like, yeah, that's literally the worst that could happen. Like they say no. And I think accepting a no is like, it's not failure. It's, it's just a no, like people can say no. And I think that's what so many people struggle with is like a no is not, you know, necessarily reflection on you.

38:05It's not a hit on your character. They're just saying no for whatever reason, maybe they're booked up with guests, maybe, you know, your topic just doesn't meet their content calendar or whatever. That's okay. There's so many different reasons around no. And I think when you really take yourself out of that rejection and really try to protect your energy, I think that's such a key hack to really manage that. I also love Sarah Blakely when she was talking about, you know, as a kid, her dad would say, what did you fail at today? And I think that mindset of like, I'm going to send out five pitches today and I probably won't hear back, but that's okay.

38:40And really just like resetting your expectations of like, but I'm going to do it. I'm going to send out the pitches. That's step one. Right. And being so unattached to the outcome will really allow you to step out of your comfort zone because you don't care. It's cherry on top if they say yes. If anything, you're going for a no. So when you get that yes, when you get that response, You're like, awesome. It's just like an add-on versus a detraction with a no kind of response. So that's really how I view it is it's a numbers game. It's like dating really. You just have to put yourself out there and keep going out there, keep pitching.

39:18You'll get a yes eventually. And if not, ask yourself why? Could your pitch be stronger? Could your offer or value that you present. Be a little bit more refined. Ask for feedback. If something's working, continue refining that. If something isn't, ask yourself why and try to really troubleshoot that so that you can get better. Yes. Oh my gosh. You bring up such a great point. I feel like we say no a lot in our business and brand. And I have recognized that 99 % of the time, it is not them, it's us. whether it's content calendar or timing or bandwidth or anything like, and it's so interesting to me because I'm like, from this side, it's so obvious that it has nothing to do with the amazing nature of this person or their expertise.

40:04It has everything to do with me. But it's interesting how we write these stories in our minds of like, well, clearly I'm not good enough or pretty enough or skinny enough or whatever it is that we tell ourselves. and you know I really got in the habit especially when I became a mom of like when I would say no to things I would add in a caveat and say this is only a reflection of my values at this stage of my life if I say yes to this it is pulling me out of alignment for what I say matters the most and I just want you to know that this has nothing to do with you or your offer or what you're working on it's amazing and it was so interesting even when I added in that language a lot of women would come back and say like, wow, thank you.

40:47And also this gives me permission to also set boundaries or say no to things. And so it made me realize how personal we take a no, when a lot of times it has absolutely nothing to do with us and everything to do with the other side of the coin. And why is it that we as women get so personally offended when we hear it? Whereas like men all the time, they're like, okay, whatever. Like, why is it that they're so okay with it. And I was talking about it with a friend. I think it's because they're trained at a younger age to put themselves out there too. Even when they're dating, right? It's like, okay, whatever.

41:21She said, no, like onwards. Whereas like women, we are probably not like, you know, approaching men and, and kind of like putting ourselves out there as much. And so I think there's also this conditioning that, you know, happens in an earlier age with, with boys and then men, whereas women were, were not encouraged, like, Hey, put yourself out there. It's okay if you get rejected, like go after it's okay. And I think there's a special acknowledgement I think we should have to that, that it's like, we're really flexing and training something that, you know, wasn't taught to us at a young age. So we have like decades of catching up.

41:52We need to do it and that's okay. Right. You have to start somewhere. And I think normalizing, having conversations like this, of I get rejected all the time, all the time. And that's okay. Like that's part of the process. And I'm sure you do and used to a lot. And it's kind of character building. It kind of just builds you that resilience so that when you get that yes, you're like, oh, yes, this feels so good. And so kind of taking in the yeses and the noes is so critical because if you got yeses all day, you wouldn't appreciate it. I also think too, like piggybacking off of that idea is like learning to trust in the timing of everything.

42:28There are people that have come on this show that pitched years ago, and it took that amount of time. And even like you said, I am thankful for the timing of things because I might not have been ready for the opportunity or I might not have leveraged it in the way that it gives the most positive outcome for everyone. And I even look back at hilarious emails that I send to my now best friend, Amy Porterfield, being like, will you teach me? Will you mentor me? Which she said no. And now we are literally best friends. And it's so funny. We laugh about it now, but I'm like, no, you have to learn, especially as an entrepreneur, to trust in the timing of everything.

43:05And when you do that, it does help you release that ego response of like, well, clearly it's a me problem. And clearly I'm not this. It's like, it'll unfold as it's meant to unfold. And I think hindsight is always 2020. And it's like, we can see that looking back, but why do we refuse to see it looking forward to? 100%. Yeah, it's, I think maybe social media is a little bit to blame in that in terms of like we see people in their highlight reel in the outcome, in the after, right? But it's like, we're not seeing the before. We're not seeing the years and years of grueling pitching and the long nights and the rejection that they're facing.

43:40And I think podcasts, longer form content like this is so key to, again, validate that this is part of the experience. It's not overnight. It takes time. You have to sometimes pitch again and follow up a year later with a different value proposition. And that's okay. And that's really what is supposed to be for you. Everything happens for a reason. I love that. What is something that you are excited about in business, in life? What's firing you up these days? That's such a good question. I would say we're now transitioning into the stage of growth, which is really exciting in terms of hiring. My co-founder and I, we we started our company, Alave, which is like a healthy, low sugar, high protein snack company.

44:22And, you know, it was just us against the world doing everything, wearing a million different hats, you know, operating like a 12 person team where I was like behind the scenes, it was just us like fulfilling orders and, and doing the customer service and doing the marketing and everything. And now we're in the stage of hiring. And that's a next level up for me in terms of really being clear in my communication, setting boundaries, you know, understanding people's working styles, and really just stepping up as a leader to it and what that looks like. And I love listening to podcasts like yours of really consciously curating your journey as a founder, as an entrepreneur, so that you're not burning out.

45:01I think it's so easy to fall into that when there's always something to do. And so I'm in this very interesting stage of really trying to create a business sustainably and create a business that's exciting and energizing while all the while making sure that I can be at my best version to serve and provide value because you can't pour from an empty cup. Oh my gosh. Yes. And it's so interesting. That stage is both exhilarating and exhausting because a lot of times we start our companies and we don't imagine ourselves being the boss, managing a team, being responsible for a team culture and all these things.

45:39And it's like, is there a boss school that we can all go to when we hit that stage? Because it's intimidating, right? And for people who bootstrap and like really learn as they go, it can be so hard to let go of pieces of this brainchild, this baby that you've created. It also reminds me too, is like, as you're hiring, job applications are like pitches in and of itself. Like you can see people and their personality immediately. I will always laugh. My copywriter who has been with me for six years now. She applied to be my podcast producer. And I remember she submitted her LinkedIn profile and on it, it said, can change a tire in a snowstorm.

46:19And I just thought that was so funny and memorable. And I was like, when I got on the phone with her, I'm like, I just like, I loved your application. I thought this was really interesting. Have you ever thought about being a writer? And things like that, like we are constantly pitching and being pitched to. Do you have any advice for people since you are looking at applications and things like that when it comes to pitching themselves for their dream job or for a new career move? Yeah, I would say doing research, right? You want to be super clear of, are they hiring for a role or potentially down the line?

46:52Are they the right fit for you? Is this something that you resonate with that you're passionate about? I would say if I was applying for a job right now, I would, instead of trying to apply to 30, 40 different jobs, pick three, max five jobs and really do your research on the founders, on their why, on the mission, where they've gone, where they're planning to go. You can listen to podcasts. It's such a hack right now. I think you can really get into the brain of anyone these days if they've done a podcast and really try to present yourself in a way that can be of most value and service to them.

47:27and be like, hey, I noticed you're trying to, you know, accelerate this part of your business. Here's my background. I've already like done this for you. No questions asked. Like I've already created this like marketing plan for you. Here's an example of like, what it would look like for me to work for you and really just make it like we were talking about, make it easy for them and frictionless for them to evaluate you. You know, especially if someone's getting pitched constantly, the best we can stand out is, is by authentically, you know, serving in the way that you can and going above and beyond.

47:56And it might take more time. You might get a no, you might get no response, but building that muscle and flexing like, Hey, I'm going to be really creative, really outside of the box. I think I had someone film me a loom video for a job application. I thought that was so unique. And they're like, I'm going to send you a full video of like going through my resume. And it was like with a screen record. And I was like, this is actually really cool. And this is the kind of person that I would love to hire. And then kind of, yeah, in terms of pitching yourself, it's really just like pitching at the right time too.

48:25This is a tip that Tori taught me is pitching between the days of Tuesday and Thursday are the highest chance of inbox opening. So I think that's also a key hack that I have to shout out Tori Dunlap for sharing with me and trying to get it within like working hours of like 10am to 2pm their time. So again, what's their time zone? Be protective of their inbox. Don't email them on 8 o 'clock at night or on a weekend. And really trying to optimize for that open is another way to go about it. I love that. And I think one of the things that you said that I think would be an awesome tip to round this out with is go deep and not wide.

49:02And like you said, like choose three to five and go really deep on them and spend that time versus sending out a hundred generic pitches. Like you're going to get better, more rich opportunities and experiences if you go deep and not wide, and you're going to save yourself a ton of time. And so I love that advice. Michelle, where can everybody find out more about you connect with you, learn more about your business. Give us all the places. Yeah, absolutely. So our company, Elavi, you can find us at elavi, E-L-A-V-A-V-I-I.co. That's our website. We're on Amazon. Please leave us a verified purchase review if you want to help us out.

49:42That is the best way to on Instagram and TikTok. We're hey, H-E-Y, Elavi. And if you want to personally connect with me, it's just my first and last name. That's at Michelle with two L's, Razavi, R-A-Z-A-V-I. Amazing. Thank you so much for coming on the podcast. I'm so grateful we got your pitch. And thank you for sharing so much insight with our audience today. Thank you so much for having me. This is truly a dream. So thank you for helping me make my dream bucket list podcast come true. You are amazing. As someone who gets pitched every day, I absolutely love episodes like this episode with Michelle because she gave so much incredible advice.

50:24And I want to remind you, do not underestimate the power of pitching and putting yourself out there so that other people can do the talking for you and you can leverage other people's platforms to share more about you, your work, your message, and the impact that you want to make on the world. This is such an amazing platform to get to host these conversations. And I'm just so grateful that you tune in week in and week out. If you are not subscribed to the gold digger podcast now is a great time to check and make sure that you subscribe so that you never miss another episode. And if this episode or any past episode has left an impact on your life, if you could just take a minute and leave a review, it would mean the absolute world to me.

51:07I read every single one of them and it helps me stay so inspired and motivated to continue producing this type of content for you. Thank you so much for listening to this episode of the Gold Digger Podcast. Of course, until next time, keep on digging your biggest goals. Thanks for pulling up a seat for another episode of the Gold Digger Podcast. I hope today's episode fueled you with inspiration, gave you information that you can turn into action and realigned you with your true north in life and business. If you've enjoyed today's episode, head on over to golddiggerpodcast.com for today's show notes, discount codes for our sponsors, freebies to fuel your results and so much more.

51:45And if you haven't yet, make sure you're subscribed so that you never miss a future show. We'll see you next time, gold diggers.