2133 - Transforming Your Business Narrative into Media Gold with Memorable Results Media's Michelle Rupp

0:05Hey there, thoughtful listener. Are you looking for introductions to partners, investors, influencers, influencers, influencers, and clients? Well, I've had private conversations with over 2 ,000 leaders asking them where their best business comes from. I've got a free video you can watch with no opt-in required where I'll share the exact steps necessary to be 100 % inbound in your industry over the next six to eight months with no spam, no ads, and no sales. What I teach has worked for me for over 15 years and has helped me create eight figures in revenue for my own companies. Just head to upmyinfluence.com and watch my free class on how to create endless high ticket sales appointments.

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1:05With us right now, it's Michelle Rupp. Michelle, you are the founder and CEO of Memorable Results Media. I love geeking out on media. Michelle, it's great to have you. Thank you so much. It's a pleasure to be here. Yeah. Well, listen, I've got your website pulled up. It's memorableresultsmedia.com. To our friend that's listening, you can just click on the show notes or click around in your podcast app and you can follow along. But Michelle, I would love to hear it from you about the work that you do. Well, I am an Emmy award-winning broadcast journalist. I spent two decades in local and regional media in television, and I take that experience and put it towards my passion.

1:48I'm a child of entrepreneurs. I grew up in my parents' locally owned hardware store. And while I was in high school, the store, because of big box stores, our family business closed. And it wasn't until later in life when the light bulb went off. And I thought, I have that experience to draw on, as well as 20 plus years in media to draw on. Let's put those two together. Let's marry those. And let's begin to help small and medium-sized businesses get earned media in their local communities, get that spotlight on those businesses so that they are able to stay in business and be able to appeal to a wider range of potential customers.

2:36Michelle, does it make sense today for people to be investing efforts into local traditional media when maybe we should just be doing all of our hustling on social instead? I am so glad you asked that question. I thought you might like that one. Yes, traditional media is still alive and well. And here's why. Your local media is going to introduce you to a community of individuals that may not know your business exists. We're only able to follow a certain number of businesses because we know they exist. What if you've got customers out there who don't know to follow you because they don't know you're out there?

3:17So it introduces you to the community. Also being on local television, local media, it produces tangible assets. You get links, website links that live forever. It allows you to put that banner as seen on TV that has a little bit more ring to it rather than as seen on Instagram. We're all on Instagram. It also allows you to repurpose and reuse content from those interviews. And so it's many people think, well, what's the use? Well, there are a lot of uses with local traditional media. Yeah. Well, so, you know, regarding there's there's a couple of components to this. Right. And I am a huge, huge believer in doing media for authority, whereas I think that there may be other things.

4:13I mean, if we think about total number of eyeballs, do you mind maybe talking about PR for authority versus PR for visibility and kind of getting your names in lights and that sort of thing? Absolutely. There is certainly an avenue where positioning clients, positioning your business as the thought leader, that is very strategic. And that is something that I highly recommend to businesses. We want to be the individual that the reporter calls because something has happened and they want your input. When it comes to eyeballs, depending on the market size that you're in, so this is going to vary across the country, but there can be upwards of 100 ,000 and more eyeballs watching your segment, hearing what you have to say.

5:04I had a client recently tell me, we've had more people see our initiative on local news than what we've gotten on all of our social platforms combined. And so there is, it is a component. Is it the end all be all? Well, I mean, I think so. However, it is a tool. It is a marketing tool in that toolbox. It's a beautiful concert to weave in with social media. You need both. Well, and Michelle, I think it's important to point out, too, that TV is more than just that broadcast signal. Someone happens to be watching it in real time. That's a segment. That's a percentage of the overall impact that you will get from that.

5:54Do you mind maybe sharing a little bit more about that aspect? Sure. When you have those clickable links, you've had that media moment. They post that on that link on their website. You've got that video. All the things that you are doing now with that video, whether people actually saw the segment live or not, really doesn't matter. you are sending that video out in emails. You are posting that link, various parts on your social media. You're talking about it on LinkedIn and perception is reality, right? So if we perceive, oh, wow, what is this business? Who is this person? This is someone I need to know.

6:33Then we're going to get into that person's ecosystem and begin to follow them, maybe shop them, spend money with them. And so it's a trickle down effect, even from a simple 25 second, 27 second mention at the end of the five o 'clock news. It can unlock doors that sometimes we don't even know are possible to be unlocked. Yeah. And obviously, you know, getting that initial little shot in the arm. That's nice. However, what we do after the effect, you know, what I would normally say, and so I mentioned this to you before we recorded, I built a seven-figure a year company with zero paid ads. All I did was local media.

7:25That's it. That's all I did, both radio, TV, and news. And then, because I kept on showing up as an expert, then they started giving me my own platform. And it just, it's Michelle, it just turned into opportunities. But, but you know, when I've, you know, done consulting or helping out with this, you know, one thing I'll tell people say, listen, you did the thing. You had a great segment. Now the TV stations kind of kind of do their part, but guess what? Your work's only halfway done. Oh yes. Michelle, tell me, tell our audience what, what I might be referring to. Yeah, well, you've got to nurture and you've got to establish and maintain those connections.

8:07And that becomes almost an art form in and of itself. But that, I mean, sure, if you want to be a one-shot wonder, a flash in the pan, that's fine. But I would think that most business owners want some longevity there. They want to be called back. They want to come back to that producer with this idea because it's timely for what is happening in the media or it is timely for what is happening in the country or in the region. Guests like that are gold mines and producers themselves have so many other things that are clouding their minds that they may not be thinking about you. And so to be able to have that established relationship, pop over that email that says, I've got this idea.

8:53It would work really well with the segment that you just aired yesterday. What do you think? As a former producer, you've just done my job for me. Can you be here at six in the morning? I'd love to have you on. And then there's also, I'll take it a step further, the art of the follow-up and the art of the thank you. I cannot, listen, do your grandmother's proud. Send that thank you. It goes so far in the world of television because all we ever hear is the negative. And all we ever hear is how we didn't do something right. But for a business owner to take a moment and thoughtfully send an email, send a dozen cookies, send Chick-fil-A.

9:43Chick-fil-A is a great way to get in. But sending that thoughtful thank you, that's what sticks out in your mind. And without question. You know, everybody loves to bribe on the front end. Right. Get in the door. Here's a copy of my book. Woo! Oh, great. You know, let me ask you, Michelle, how many books were you sent as a producer? More than I ever read. Enough to fill a library. I'm not saying don't send a book because, you know, you need to do that, of course. But, you know, it's the extra little special touches that make you memorable. You know, can you share one more thing, Michelle, before I want to talk about your business specifically on positioning, right?

10:30So, you know, if I am someone that wants to be, you know, contribute and we want to be featured and celebrated, do you mind maybe just talking a little bit about, you know, positioning and your brand and your identity? Any thoughts on that? One of the things that I do immediately with clients is I want to sit down and strategize your story. What is your story? What is your why? Why are you doing it? Whether you're a female-owned business, a male-owned business, what is your why? Why are you in that community? And I want to be able to dig and uncover those golden nuggets because it's your story that sets you apart.

11:09And when we're able to tap into that gold, it makes being able to position you and being able to go to morning show producers and afternoon producers to share your story so much easier. Because at the end of the day, it's the viewer benefit, right? It's what are the viewers going to walk away knowing, having listened to your interview? How have you educated them? How have they benefited from that interaction with you and your business? Yeah. Well, let's talk a little bit about memorable results media. Who do you work with and what does that typically look like? I work with small and medium-sized businesses across the country, and it typically looks like some strategy.

11:59I'm very interested in what that business owner is hoping to achieve from that medium moment. What is that return on investment that they are wanting? Is it simply to increase revenue? Is it simply to increase volunteers, potentially? Is it to sell out an event? What, why, what is that why for that media moment? And then we begin to work on that story, develop interview questions that would be appropriate. And then I get to work and reconnect with friends and old colleagues in the business and kind of feel them out because I want to place that business in a situation that is most beneficial for them.

12:49I don't want them just to be on television for the sake of being on television. I want it to make sense. And that's where the real fun comes in. Awesome. And so your website, which we shared earlier, is memorableresultsmedia.com. And I know that there are people that are listening to us that might be interested in this topic, might be interested in you. So I know beyond, you know, obviously, you know, grabbing a complimentary call and so forth, you offer resources. Would you mind maybe sharing some of those resources that you just make freely available? So one of the resources that we make available is a PDF on eight reasons why television is still relevant.

13:34In 2025, a lot of people wonder, why is it still relevant? I'm watching Netflix. I'm not watching YouTube TV. Well, there are eight reasons why they are relevant. That is something that is going to be up on the website. Also up on the website is how to write a press release. And individuals who reach out for that free resource, press releases are still a thing. They are still used. And there is an art and format in putting those press releases together. I have plenty of friends in the business that say and have even sent press releases with the comment, who are these people? They need you. They don't know how to put together a press release.

14:15It's a great way to also increase SEO for your website. Even if you are not necessarily sure that you want a media moment, that's OK. There's still placement for it on your website. Yeah. Yeah. And again, the website, memorableresultsmedia.com. Also, would you mind maybe just sharing a little bit about, you know, when you have that initial call, Michelle, like what questions are you asking? Oh, let me ask you this too. What questions do you like? Let's say that you're meeting with a potential client and what sorts of questions, like what, you know, when you hear them talk about this, that, or that, like what makes you go, I think this might be a really good fit versus, you know, cause sometimes, you know, again, people look at PR and, you know, media with expectations that may or may not be realistic.

15:10You know what I'm getting at? What makes, let me ask it this way. What makes a really great introductory call to sum up my wordiness? It's, it's the story. I want to know the story. I want to know your why, what's your passion, whether you're an online business or a brick and mortar. Why are you in your community? Why do you do what you do? I met with a lady recently. Their business is a locally owned and sourced woodworking business. Woodworking. Who does woodworking right now? They do. And they do a bang up job with it. That is very unique. That's a story that you're not going to hear in every community.

15:56They will show me how to do some woodworking. Okay, well, now as a viewer, I've put my coffee down. You've not only gotten my attention, I've put my coffee down and I'm watching this segment. It's those types of initial conversations that we're going to have is what is unique to you? What have you overcome? What is your business the product of that would make a great story. Yeah. All right. Memorable results, media.com Michelle, when someone goes to your website, what should they click on? What should they do? When you land on the website on the left-hand corner, you're going to see a beautiful gold button that says complimentary call.

16:34I would love for you to click that button, schedule something. Also at the top, there's a banner to get the free, how to write a press release video. It's about a six minute video. I take you through the seven steps of how to write a press release. And for the women who are out there and you're thinking about sending a press release, don't be scared. Think of it in terms of a birth announcement. That's what it is. It's a high level look at what you're doing. That's hilarious. Awesome. Well, Michelle Rupp, founder and CEO of Memorable Results Media, thank you so much for joining us. Thank you. Have a great day.

17:13Thanks for listening to the Thoughtful Entrepreneur Show. If you are a thoughtful business owner or professional who would like to be on this daily program, please visit upmyinfluence.com and click on podcast. We believe that every person has a message that can positively impact the world. We love our community who listens and shares our program every day. Together, we are empowering one another as thoughtful leaders. And as I mentioned at the beginning of this program, if you're looking for introductions to partners, investors, influencers, and clients, I have had private conversations with over 2 ,000 leaders asking them where their best business comes from.

17:54I've got a free video that you can watch right now with no opt-in or email required where I'm going to share the exact steps necessary to be 100 % inbound in your industry over the next six to eight months with no spam, no ads, and no sales. What I teach has worked for me for more than 15 years and has helped me create eight figures in revenue for my own companies. Just head to upmyinfluence.com and watch my free class on how to create endless high-ticket sales appointments. Make sure to hit subscribe so that tomorrow morning, that's right, seven days a week, you are going to be inspired and motivated to succeed.

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