Behind The Spotlight: Amy Traugh

Good morning and welcome to the last episode for this week of Behind the Spotlight, where I get to act like a newscaster sometimes in the morning. No, actually, today we have my friend Amy. She's gonna come on and we're gonna talk about— actually, I was on her podcast called The Master— the— oh my god, of course it went out of my head— The Motivated CEO. Here she comes. Sometimes it takes a second. Welcome, Amy, to the show. We're gonna talk all about— there we go.

Oh my gosh, can I tell you how like happy I am that I'm not the only one that does that? Like, I have things on the tip of my tongue and I'm like, oh my gosh, I've said this a million times, I know what it is, but I can't think of the word.

And I just— so thank you, looked at it too. Yeah, I was like, because I checked 'Cause I made sure I had it in my brain correctly.

But this is real life, right? Like, we're human.

Like, that's called being over 35. Right, exactly. I love it.

I love it. Right there with ya.

Amy, welcome to the show, my friend, business mentor, strategist, author, podcast host. What— I don't even— well, I don't even— what am I missing? The book, right? The CEO Method is coming the end of the next week, really? Or no, no, the end of next month.

End of the month, 26th. So a couple of weeks now. It's crazy. It's uploaded. It's ready to go. And yeah, let's get it into the hands of entrepreneurs everywhere.

I'm so excited for you.

Oh my gosh, thank you. I'm excited. Like, it's kind of surreal because it's one of those things I never like had it on my yearly map. I'm a little bit of an over-planner. So I never had it on my agenda to write a book. But yeah, it happened. I love it. Don't you love the Zoom gestures?

Like, woo! They don't usually work for me. But like, I understand that, Amy, because I don't know if you saw, because I didn't really tell the world till 2 days ago that I actually did a comedy— I was a stand-up comic last night.

Did you?

I did. I was taking a class. 5 weeks ago, I started first stand-up comedy class. And last night was the show. And exactly, it was not on my list. It was something that kind of came to me to do. And when you have a good idea, or you know something's going to be good for you— like, the book was a good idea. And what's good for you is, like, getting out there and telling people who you are, no matter if it's through the CEO method, or the strategy, or actually just something like, I love comedy, and I love comedians.

Yeah, that is so cool. I didn't know you did that.

Nope. You know what? I don't know. I can't really figure out, honestly, like, why I didn't tell anybody. I was talking to my husband about it last night. And he's like, you probably didn't want the pressure of people asking. Like, are you ready? Are you ready? How's it going? I was like— and I have, like you, I have enough going on at work. I have my launch coming up very soon. So I just think it was one of those things. But when I was thinking about us coming on today, it's like, one, and thinking about the podcast episode that's coming out, that we did together, really talking about, like, if nobody knows what you're doing, nobody can work with you, right? And me doing the comedy is, like, allowing people into, like, more of who I am and my authenticity. And you've been so good at setting yourself right for this book.

Yeah, yeah. I mean, and I think a lot of it comes back to, like, stretching ourselves outside of our comfort zones. Because how often do we play small? We're afraid of the fear of judgment of others, so we don't push. To put it out there. We hold ourselves back because it's going to be something new, just like you did with your, your comedy. Like, that's a big deal. That's a stretch. Like, that sounds terrifying to me. I mean, writing a book was terrifying. So we all have our things, but it's in stretching ourselves outside of our comfort zones and looking back and going, oh, okay, yeah, I had to get a little bit uncomfortable. I had to do that in order to grow. And embracing that whole process because it's wild, it's crazy, it's one of those things like just having that massive self-awareness too as an entrepreneur. For me, I put it out there from day one when I made the decision back in November to write this book. I put it out there so I would hold myself accountable because I knew if I didn't put it out there, I would do the really cute quit, be like, Oh, this is really hard. Maybe I'll just do it another time. But it was like, I knew I have that self-awareness to know that I needed to do that in order to stay on track. And I think that's really important for entrepreneurs to realize that you evolve, you grow, you change, and it's messy. It's not perfect, but you have to start somewhere, right?

And you have to do something. But I think you're right. Like, my girlfriend texted me this morning. She's like, I understand you wanted to like make sure you were gonna be okay, successful. Before you invited your friends. And it's just such a juxtaposition to how I run my business.

Yeah.

Because I actually did a live video on my story before this, and I was like, I was terrified. It was so uncomfortable. But I do live TV all the time, but this was worse.

Yeah.

This was crazy, right? This was me not talking about PR. This was me like trying, trying to do something else. So when we transition from maybe doing one-on-one clients to a group, or we decide to start speaking, right? That change is very uncomfortable and terrifying. And I think it's something that we don't talk about. And I want to talk more about that with you, because I also had— Ashley Armstrong was on the show yesterday. And she was talking about how you have to keep going after the wins, which I think is an interesting conversation as well. You've had so many great wins, like your business is successful, the podcast is successful, and then writing the book, I'm sure it'll be successful because I know who you are. But like, talk to us a little bit about how you got yourself to actually do it other than telling other people, because people forget, right? It wasn't like we were going to remember. But what did you do to keep yourself on track?

I just basically had to make a promise to myself and keep to it. You know, it all comes back to like, okay, I'm gonna do this for me. And I had to be so clearly, like, have such a clear vision as to why. Why am I writing this book? Is it, you know, to make an impact? Is it to help others? Like, what is that core driving why? And one of my favorite exercises is by Dr. Jordan Peterson, and it's the 7 levels of why. And there's so many different variations. Yes, there's so many different variations, and it's so Simple to do, yet we don't often do it. So for those of you that don't, aren't familiar with it, all you have to do is, okay, why do you wanna do this? Usually the first answer we come up with is a very superficial answer. I wanna make more money, I wanna do this, I wanna do that. There's nothing wrong with that. But then I want you to ask yourself, well, why? Why is that important to you? Why do you want that? That thing. Okay, let's unpack it even further. Okay, well, you say you want this, but why? What is the reason? And going down about 7 levels deep, and it's powerful what you uncover. And it's not an easy process, and I must admit, the first few times I did that, you kind of get stuck around like 3 or 4, and then, then it starts. Okay, yes, and you really take the time to unpack that. And once you have that core why, that becomes your driving factor. Because there will be days where you want to quit, because there will be days when life happens. I mean, I'm pretty sure I ended up with the, uh, wonderful Rona in the middle of it. So it would have been so easy to just stop and say, you know what, I'm not feeling good, I'm going to take a month off. No, I kept my head down and I stayed committed to myself. And at the end of the day, the first time I held that Prüvit coffee, it such a sense of accomplishment in myself because I did it for me. At the end of the day, I kept a promise that I made to myself. And you know, people may like think, wow, that's like really conceited of you. But no, that is just me doing something for me. And I think we have to give ourselves permission first before we seek the permission from anyone else because we're stuck in a cycle of endless external validation. I know I was. You know, it was always, okay, get the good grades so you get the accolades and this, that, and the other. But at the end of the day, I had to give myself permission. Exactly, it all goes back to mindset. It all goes back to self-awareness. All the strategy in the world will not work unless you have such clarity as to why. Why are you building this business? Why are you doing what you're doing? Because life is short, right? Oh, yeah. And we take everything for granted. Yeah, all the time. You know, we hear things that happen to amazing people that it's like, wow, anything we have in this world could be taken away from us in an instant. You know, so carpe diem, right? If you're not happy with the life you're living, make a choice to make a change. Okay.

Has everyone fallen in love with Amy like I have? Right? Don't you want to just be around her energy? No, I appreciate that because actually that's 7 layers deep. I learned that from Dean Graziano and Tony Robbins a couple of years ago, and I do that at almost every webinar that I do or class that I give. And it's actually one of the first things I do when I onboard clients is to have that conversation. And I've done it live with like audiences, you know, and it's around question 4. They get very, you know, it gets tougher, or sometimes they'll bring in Jesus or God or a higher power. And I'm like, okay, It's beyond that. Like, let's get really to that. I don't know if you— if off the top of your head, you know what yours is. Like, I've done it several times. And what I've come to is, like, I'm a middle child. And I need more attention. Like, it feeds— right? It feeds that part of me. Like, why am I out in front? Why was I speaking on stages at 16? Because I was like, I'm over here. I have things to say. You need to be listening to me. Pay attention. Pay attention. Pay attention. And I needed, it's not that validation that I needed, but I needed that like, I have things to say, you need to hear them, even when I was 16. So thinking through that, what's your, like your core of your why? Why do you wanna be successful in your business?

Mine has evolved. I always do this exercise quarterly because I feel like it will evolve over time. And for me, it is helping other people make the impact that they desire. That is my deep-rooted why, because every single one of us has something to contribute to this world. And if you're playing small, you're not bringing that contribution to the world. So how is you playing small going to serve the greater good and make the impact? You know, let's destigmatize the process of making money and that money is evil and inherently bad because we need good people out there using money to make an impact, to help the greater good. Because if I make more money, then I can give more generously and freely and do the things that I want to do. So for me, it's all about coming to the world with service, seeking to serve others and helping them to create the impact that they desire. Because especially in the online space, I feel like the last few years especially, it's gotten really noisy.

Yes.

The 10K months are the gold standard that you should be reaching for, and if you're not hitting 10K, 20K, whatever you want, then there's something wrong. But at the end of the day, what do you want? What is important to you? Is the impact you want to make right now being the best darn mom that you can be for your kids? Is it being there for an elderly parent that you're taking care of? Is it volunteering at a nonprofit? It's not always about, you know, 10K months. It's what impact do you want to make on this world?

Right, and why?

Right, exactly. And money's just a tool to get you there. And that's where you're so good too, is the whole visibility piece. Because we're so often playing small and holding that impact back. And that's what we really dove into on the podcast was how do we do that? How do we go about becoming visible? And that's truly your zone of genius because you need visibility. That's top of funnel because if no one knows about you, you can have the most amazing product, amazing service, amazing offer.

Very true.

It's gonna be crickets.

It's very No, it's very true because I— that's why, that's why I do what I do, because I saw that impact on my business when I started doing that, you know, 15 years ago, 20 years ago, when I started telling people, you know, when I tell people to get an article in their local paper, right? Because I want you to have local mom has podcast and starts new book, right? That's visibility and getting out in front of people because it's, it's a— I made a revelation recently in my business, to be completely honest. I wasn't saying former TV producer enough. I just wasn't. I was on a call— I don't know if it was yesterday or 2 days ago. And I said it. And in the comments, a woman that I know, you know, colleague, she was like, I didn't know that. And I was like, how do you not know that?

Right?

So I went back. And almost everything I've put out this year has not said it. My bio is now changed. If you go to anything, my Instagram handle has changed. Everything has changed. And it wasn't like I was hiding it, but I assume— I guess I thought I've said it enough, or I just wasn't giving that importance because that is my differentiator from people who are like, I figured out how to get into Marie Claire and now I'm going to teach other people my system, versus somebody like me who's worked in the business can give you the insider tips so that you can understand how to make it work for you. Um, like I said before, I had Ashley Armstrong on yesterday and she was talking about how you continue going after success. I'm really tired of the industry just talking about getting press and not how we making it— how not to use it. Like, we all are on— we're scrolling, and it's all about how to make your marketing work for you. That's why I'm trying to get everyone to understand is like how to make PR work for you, how to be on— I, I did a talk yesterday in a community, and I talked about my program, I talked about my offers, without talking about my program and my offers. But at the end of the call, I'm trying to illustrate to everybody how you have to leverage what you have. And I was like, how many, how many people here know that I have a group program launching soon? Everybody raised their hands. How many people here know I'm working on a TV concept? Everybody raised their hands. And I said, how many people thought I was selling to you while I was saying it? Nobody raised their hands. Right. So it's, it's not just about having the email and sending it out and telling people. It's about how you're connecting with them, how you're resonating with them. And how you're getting them into your funnels. Like, I don't know why that's not bigger conversation and why that's not important to people, because the 'I've been on 50 podcasts' is great. I want to know how many, how many of those podcast listeners are now your people.

Exactly, because there is a methodology, methodology to it. There's a strategy behind it. And I think that's where so many entrepreneurs fall short, is they're not having and really leveraging that strategy, that strategy component to it. Because if you don't, it's just going to be, boop, a flash in the pan. But like you said, you know, you were assuming that, okay, I've said that I'm a former TV producer enough. We all do this, every single one of us, myself included.

Oh, everybody.

Right? Because the world is so noisy, we have to be that broken record. We have to repeat ourselves over and over and over and over.

Nauseam.

We become known for the one thing. And yes, it feels repetitive and it feels weird for us because a lot of times we don't like to have the spotlight shone upon us. But the reality is that's what sets you apart. That is huge. Having that set of, that skill set with knowledge is so powerful.

Right.

But, you know, we're just like, oh, everybody already knows this. But you think about it, there's always new people coming into our world all the time. So we have to repeat it over and over and over. And like you said too, when you drop those little hints throughout, right, it really does. Subconsciously, people are starting to pay attention. Then it's like, oh yeah, she has this. But like you said, it's not, okay, we're going to do this whole thing and then give you a big old pitch at the end.

It doesn't always.

Sure.

No, I hate when people go on podcasts and they're at the end, they then talk about what their offers are. If you listen to our podcast, I talk about it in the first 3 minutes. Yes, like I'm really there. But I was watching GMA this morning and Zippy Owens, she's an author, she's an independent publisher. Her interview, I'm gonna do a post about it, her interview was so good. She was prepared, she knew what she was gonna say, she actually gave some of her airtime to another woman that she's publishing her book. I think her name was Amy Lynn. Because Zippy has a book coming out. Like, she had her answers ready. She knew what she was going to talk about. She knew how she was going to— I was like, she could not— I'm going to send her a message. I don't know her. Hopefully she'll get it. But she could not have done that better. I was so happy. And I want to use her as an example of, like, how you need to prep for these kinds of things. Like, we knew what we were going to talk about today, ladies and gentlemen. This was not like, let's just get on and talk, because that's not the way that you need to spend your time, right? We talk about doing money-making activities. This is a money-making activity. And don't you think that I am not trying to leverage all the energy around my accounts because I was doing the stand-up? If you go back into my stories, I have an intro slide that says, hey, if you don't know me, this is— I'm— it does say former TV producer. And later today I'll be posting in a post in my feed about it because the strategy is leveraging the visibility. And when it's heightened, you better pour gas on it so it grows. Just like when the book's coming out.

What's that?

Just for your book when it's coming out, like what are the activities you're going to be doing between now and then that are going to get more momentum or energy around your business?

Exactly. And it's just about that little bit of Planning goes such a long way, and I don't know why we're so against it, why we feel like funnels are icky, all of these things. No, this is what building a sustainable business is all about, and really leveraging that to work for us. That allows us to be proactive instead of reactive in our businesses. And to really build a business around our life so that we're not stuck on our phone 24/7, on the computer working 24/7. Because I see all the time when entrepreneurs quit their 9 to 5 to work 24/7, and it's like, why? Like, stop. Wait a minute. Let's, let's get so crystal clear. Okay, first of all, what do you want? Let's get clear. Then let's establish some systems and automations to make your business run on autopilot. There's certain things that you don't need to be doing. There are wonderful platforms out there that will help you. There's technology, there's people, there's so many things, so much. You just have to take the time to set it up. A little bit of time invested in this one thing will help you regain control. And then just like you said, knowing that customer journey, how are people going from follower to inspire.

That's key.

Know the roadmap and it acts as your GPS to get you from point A to point B. Like, it's not rocket science.

No, it's not rocket science. It's not. And I hear from people all the time, they're like, well, I just want somebody else to do it, or I wanna, I'm gonna hire a copywriter, or, and I'm always like, well, you better know what you're gonna tell them to do. Right. But I want, I wanna teach my VA how to do this, right? If you're gonna teach a VA how to cold pitch for you, I don't know how much you're gonna get. Right. It's, it's a lot more than just sending pitches. And I hear from you, right? I'm actually, I'm trying to teach a VA right now. A lot of my strategies to see if she can reenact it, to see if she can figure it out and do the research. I teach my people how to research and create relationships the way I teach my people to create relationships. I don't, I'm going to see, but it's more than just teaching, giving a list to your VA and saying, hey, go pitch these people once a week. Right. It's creating relationships. It's leaning into people that you already know. If you're giving a VA a list of people you're friends with and the, and the email is from you saying, hey, my VA is sending this, but hey, I'd love to, and this is the reasons why we're sending it for you. It's a lot different. I think we're part of the messaging we get when we are at a, you know, at the next level of our business is team, team, team, team, team, take everything off your plate so you can have this lifestyle. But it's not about giving it all up. Right. And if you want to be visible and you want to be on people's platforms, it's a lot more than sending cold pitches. I, to be honest, like, I think I say this to my people all the time. I know I say it here is like I pitch, but I don't— cold pitching is not the biggest part of how I get media. How I get media is I actually do research. I have a place for— I was on Amy's podcast. Amy's on here. She'll be on my— this audio will be on my podcast. It's more about creating that relationship and community than just getting on something, because it's great to have an article in Fast Company, but if it doesn't do anything for your business because no one's commenting on it, no one's liking it, no one's, you know, just the comments on your post are like, congrats, that's great, but they're not actually going to read it because they're not actually interested in what you're saying. Because if Amy had an article in Fast Company, I would read it, comment on it, post about it, and she would do the same for me. I did see somebody recently that's, you know, all about teaching your team. And I wonder where the in-between is, right? Because I work with teams as well, but I have to work with the business owner first. We have to get your ideas out. We have to— you have to make a list of your top 30 people who will connect with you and that you could be like DM them like, hey, I'd love to be on the podcast without a big explanation. It's a lot more than just sending stuff. And I think that visibility piece becomes Secondary, where I'm like, you should be doing PR before you're doing copy because it matters what you say like this a lot more than what your landing page says. I actually posted like a— I'm in a new group and I posted my like, this is me. I should post the responses. One woman was like, you are the perfect example of what it's like to meet somebody and sign up for their programs in 30 seconds. Because I, I don't— I have to go back and look and see what it is. But it was like, because I was just talking about who I am, what I do, why I serve them. And how I can help them in their business. And it wasn't like, I can make you this and I can make you that. It was like, imagine waking up at 9 o'clock in the morning and you have podcast offers. Your friend wants to do a collaboration with you. The community you're in is asking you to be a part of a bundle. Like, that's how you build a business with the automations, with the— this is how people come into my system. This is how they get emails. This is how they get payments. Like, it's a lot. I think people just think it's easy. And it's not easy. It takes a lot of hard work, but right when you have that systems and automation in place, it's enjoyable.

Exactly. And it humanizes your brand. And I feel like so many of us have forgotten about that. We're so worried about doing all of the things that, like you said, relationships are absolutely key. People at the end of the day still buy from people. And now more than ever, your humanness, your connection to others, that's where it all begins. Because if I know somebody that's like, you know what, I really want to get featured, I really need to learn PR strategy, well guess what? I'm not your person, but I know someone that I can connect you with. Because what happens is when you build relationships with others, then that person's top of mind. Then that person is just like the obvious solution that, okay, you know what, this person has this need, I can connect them. I love that. I love being a connector.

Oh yeah, I love sending my friends business. Yes, yes, even when I don't get a referral fee, right? It's not about that, like I read an article about that other day too. They're like, build your business through referral fees. And I was like, who wants a business like that? Then it's just business transactions. Yeah. Like, I have a new friend who I helped pitch the Tamron Hall Show, and she was like, let me pay you. I was like, can't we be friends? And like, you send an email out, I'll help you and you help me. Like, I don't need you to give— it doesn't need to be transactional, right? I'd much rather your support.

Yeah.

I'd much rather be able to call you when I'm like, I don't want to do this. Right.

That's what I want. And we need people like that, you know, and I feel like it goes a long way. It does.

The first couple years of my business, I didn't realize that that was even available. Yeah, you know, I know I'm an OG and there wasn't as many people online and it wasn't as collaborative as it was then, but I, I had started a group called Savvy Business Moms and we met in person. This had to be 2010. You know, if I had understood that that was actually a business I could have built, I probably would have been doing that still because I loved bringing people together. But I didn't find my own networking groups till years later because I didn't even know to look. But when I found them, my business doubled within 3 months because now I had— right now I had people supporting me, people advising me. So it's not only finding the right person, like, to work with, like us, but it's also finding those right people And Lauren Monique, which is on, is one of those people for me. I know you guys just connected as well. She actually DM'd me. She was like, how do you know all the people I know? I'm like, how do I know all the people you know? It's a very— it becomes a very small village.

It really is. It's so crazy what a small world it is, how interconnected we all are. But when we link arms with each other, when we just really are there to support one another, That's when business gets to be fun. When it's like, wow, I get to do this for a living. I get to make an impact for others. I get to help connect people to the resources they need. And it's just, it's so fulfilling to me. I love it.

I know you do. And then we get to hang out in Orlando and have a couple of drinks.

We did!

That was even more fun. Well, I would hang out with you again and again and again. I appreciate your— our friendship so much. I'm so happy and honored to be on the podcast. Um, look out for the episode because I'll be, of course, promoting it, as will Amy. Um, and follow her on all the social media platforms. Thank you so much, Amy, for being once again a guest to round out our week on Behind the Spotlight. Look in the caption for more information about Amy and her business and her podcast and her book. So that you too can have systems and automation to make your business work for you.

Thank you so much. This was so much fun. I always love chatting with you, Beth.

I love being with you. Thank everyone for watching another episode of Behind the Spotlight. Don't forget to go to the link in bio and you can download my 5 proven subject line formulas so that you can send emails that actually get you booked. Have a great day. Happy weekend, everybody.