Beyond The Spotlight: Becca Feauto

Welcome to the last episode this week for Behind the Spotlight. I'm so excited to bring on one of, uh, my friends. Her name is Becca, and because we are doing an event together on Sunday, um, her Lady Bee and Co is the name of her company, and I really appreciate what she's putting out into the world. So of course I wanted to bring it to you. Let's bring her up. To the stage, as they say, if we were actually in person. Here she comes. I'm always like, let's see if it works. There it is. Hello!

Hello!

Sometimes I'm like, can you please just— I got to find a different way to do this so that I'm not stressed every time we get on.

Yes, no, no problem at all. I love it. I'm so excited to be here today.

Oh, well, I'm excited to have you on as I fix my hair. Behind the Spotlight. And really, I want to dive into your event on Sunday first, because I can't wait to come be a part of it. You tell us— tell the audience a little bit about you and a little bit about Lady D and Co.

Yes. Yes. Well, I am so excited to have you as part of it. So Lady Bee and Co has been through a couple of renditions with me. Initially it was a brand that kicked off about 5 years ago, 4 years ago, just like we had our big launch party on March 8th, 2020. I had just kind of transitioned out of agency work and was supporting female founders specifically in growing their business. So Lady Bee really means women, bees help pollinate to help things grow, and then in companies. Like really women, you know, helping each other to all kind of come and grow together. And I won't go into all of the things that took place, a lot of personal growth, a lot of just, you know, situational things with the state of the world. But I ended up closing that brand down at the end of 2022 and really gave last year just to kind of see where I wasn't done, but I wanted to bring it back. And so now it's— it hasn't shifted. The whole premise is still about women supporting women to help each other grow. But we're really coming at this from a perspective of helping them grow with their online content and strategy and really helping them learn copywriting. You know, some of these skill sets that nobody can take from you and ultimately help you up-level your business. And then that way, when you are ready or you're able to, someone else can come in and support you in that way. You've already laid all of that groundwork. And so this looks like, you know, masterminds, copywriting bootcamp, and then a Hive membership for those who just need to kind of feed that content beast. For those who are like, I don't know what to post or what to create. And this isn't just social. We're talking about all forms of content— blogging, podcasting, and social media and email primarily are the facets that we use, um, or that we really design this whole— all of our strategies around. So, um, that's really about LadyB, and the event is to really help you listening, uh, to help you take all of that. But ultimately, one of the things I think that way before, like, the strategy of content comes, like, be unmasking yourself to get yourself out there, right? So we can get all the strategy and all the ideas in the world to create content, but we still have to create it. We still have to do it. And so a lot of times what happens, and myself included, is that, you know, we feel like we're not quite worthy, or we watch so-and-so do it and she's doing it really good, and we're like, mine doesn't look like hers. And we really get in our own heads. And so we, we do nothing, or we do a little bit but not enough to like really move the needle. And so I'm gonna come on and to kick us all off on the Let's Be Loud, or Let's Get Loud event on Sunday to launch officially the brand back into the world. I'm so excited to help you get out of your own way. So it's really gonna be a glorified pep talk, but kind of a kick in the booty too. Like let's unmask ourselves. Let's honestly, we all have our own stories to tell. If you do not come and share your story with me, how are you gonna help me? How am I, your experiences, the things that only you have actually had to walk through are not like so-and-so that you're watching over on Instagram. They're not like so-and-so who's, you know, maybe on a big stage, you know, giving a big talk. Like, you have your story, and that story is really going to help and serve other people. So just to kind of give you that quick kick butt or ass kicking— I was almost gonna swear— ass kicking, really is what it is, in a gentle but firm way, to really help you understand that you do have a story to tell. And we're gonna walk through and create your badass list. I stole this from Jen Gottlieb. I love it from her book. It's ultimately a list of things that you've already done and accomplished and things that you have really succeeded in that we need to come back and remember in those deep and dark moments when we go back into the hole that we're like, I'm not worthy. Yes, you are, and here's why. And then I'll walk you through the very first step of the story, uh, one of my story, um, telling frameworks. And that is ultimately bringing you back into those moments where you were like, oh, this is hard, or this is exciting, or this is that, to help you kind of spearhead and start telling your story. So then we'll have a next best guess, Marianne is gonna come on and help you actually craft your story. And then Beth is gonna come on and share how you can get that story out in front of the right people and to help you really build your business. So that's all of it kind of in a big nutshell.

Well, I'm super excited to come on, and I think you're right. I think actually I did a, uh, my, uh, live story this morning was really all about that. It was really about like, it's okay to be yourself. And what I, what a lot of us do in this, in the coaching industry Yes, we teach you a skill, but what we're actually also doing is giving you permission to just be yourself.

Yes, yes, right. And, and we don't need multiple, you know, Jenna Kutcher's or Jasmine Starr's or Indie Porterfields. I mean, I'm just dropping in people who are in my, you know, people who in my world really go lean into. It's like, we need you. Like, you can get trained by them, absolutely. Like, there's nothing too— but you can also implement your own way to doing the thing. And that's— I think we get so stuck on, well, she does it that way and she gets a certain result, so that's the thing I have to do that way. And we get so tunnel visioned on how and the strategy. And even if you do— I was just on a call earlier this week with someone who did a big time program. She implemented every step like to the nth degree. She's definitely a good student. She did all the things, would have gotten a straight A if she was in high school, you know, or school. But it did work for her. It did work for her. And that's what I think we have to understand, like, to take some of these things in. And even what I teach with, with like, I'm going to come and take what I need and leave the rest. And I think that's great for this, this weekend's event too. Like, you know, we're all going to drop gems on you, but if one of them doesn't land, that's okay. You have to go do it still. You take what you need and leave the rest.

So as long as you implement something, and that's one of the reasons that my programs— I keep my programs smaller is because I'm implementing with you so you get it done. Some of the stuff like copywriting is hard if you don't have somebody looking at it and kind of pushing and kind of helping you. I'm saying pushing, pushing you towards like really expressing yourself. Or for me, it's like I can give you the framework for the pitch, but if you don't send it, you're never going to get anywhere. You know, how many, how many people watching have a whole folder in the Google Drive with pictures, or a whole Google Drive of captions and landing pages and all this stuff? Because the messages that we get— and I've been talking about this a lot this week, to be clear— is like, I'm not scrolling anymore because everything scrolling is telling me I'm doing everything wrong and that their system's the way to do it. And I don't believe that at all.

Yes, I agree with you. I think there's a lot, and there's a lot of misled content out there too about how to create content as a con— but again, it's not my job to tell you how you create content, is, you know, that the way I create content is the best way. Again, it's how I do it, the system and the approaches that I've used, and all the steps and the templates and things work for you, awesome, you're going to see a great result, but that doesn't always mean that it's going to work. Yeah, I can't go down that rabbit hole.

But, you know, going back to what you said about being loud, and sometimes the right people aren't the loud people. I know for me, I don't talk enough about that I was a producer. I don't, I don't say former producer often. This quarter I'm saying a lot more. And guess what? I'm seeing a lot more return on the information and the content I'm putting out there because it's one of my credibility markers. And I say this to my clients all the time. They're like, well, should I? I'm like, there's no should. If you're asking, the answer is yes.

Yeah.

There's the permission that I think that people need to get loud. Let's talk a little bit about that. Like, what do you see in that way of, like, why people aren't getting loud in your circles?

I know that's a great question. Because I think we either think we're not enough, you know, like, what I've done isn't enough. I haven't, you know, worked with enough clients, or I haven't, you know, been in the industry long enough, like, whatever the enough is. I also think though that we, we play to the level of which we think we can deliver. And what I mean by that is like, for example, I'll just pick on myself as a great example. So I know in my body, like I deliver a great product, but if I, let's say there's a big client, you know, let's say like a $5,000 to $10,000 monthly retainer client. Is like a dream client. If I'm not here and I believe that I'm worthy of receiving a big client, they're never going to come to me. Or if they do, and here's what's happened to me, if they have come to me, I sabotage the contract or somehow I like get myself in my own way because I attach a whole bunch of shit ultimately, right, to what it would mean if I landed that client. And so I think when it comes to getting loud, 99.9999%, if not all of it, I don't ever want to say 100, is on my belief in my ability and my worthiness. And so the second you can— not second, I mean, that work is not easy, so it's not going to happen in a second. But as you— and the third thing I'll throw in there too is like, if there's no evidence that you've been able to deliver at a client at that level, then you also freak yourself out and you either want— you either block that from even happening or when it— when it does happen, you sabotage it. So I think that the thing to really keep in mind when it comes to getting loud is it is the inner work. It's not a strategy. You know, it's not about, you know, me or anyone else on this team teaching you how to write good copy and content, all these things like you need that. Absolutely. To get loud and you have to write the words for the right people and get it in front of the right people. Like that all needs to happen. But way before that even, you need to believe that you are actually worthy of the opportunities that you are seeking out. And that's a whole different, you know, training and teaching and skill set or even, you know, that I don't possess. But that's where I wanna open it up with like kind of a little fire and like tell you, you are worth it. You know, make your list of the things, you know, remember the things that you've already accomplished, the really badass things you've done. That way when you're in a hole and you are like, I'm not able to, capable of, whatever, fill in the blank, worthy of, you have this list to instantly go back to and start reprogramming your brain. Like, yes I can, yes I can, and then get back to work.

Yeah, that totally resonates with me because I've intentionally gotten myself in the in the rooms this year where I'm the smallest fish in the room. Because—

love it, right?

Yeah, I've been in this industry since 2007, right? I know how to do the stuff, and I have my own systems for doing the stuff. But being in that room, it just brought up all of these things that I didn't under— that I didn't understand were still here. Yeah, being in that room, I was like— I said to the, to the woman, my coach who's running it, I was like, am I supposed to be in this room? And she looked at me like I can't believe you're saying that. She's like, that's not something I thought would ever come out of your mouth. And I was like, yeah, but you gave me a safe space to say it. Yeah, it doesn't always come up for me. And then I remembered, like, my expertise is different than the expertise than everyone else in this room. Yeah, and my expertise is where my confidence needs— is always stands because this is my third company. I haven't been doing this company for 10 years, so I'm not making $10 million.

Yeah, right.

Hopefully in 10 years I'll be making $10 million, right? But, but I always say to my clients, and I, and I say to myself, like, your expertise is what you have to lean on. And when you get into that imposter syndrome space or that I'm not good enough space, I lean back on what I know I'm an expert and how I know that my information in my head is going to make you money, or my information in my head is going to change your life. Um, and sometimes it's going back to look at testimonials. Sometimes I'll be like, I don't, I wouldn't, like, I'll just confess something. So the last meeting of my last cohort made me cry because I got a lot of positive feedback about how I've changed their lives and what I added to their lives. I was having a really hard day about 3 weeks ago, you know, effing menopause, and it's really kicking my butt, to be completely honest. Um, but I went back and watched the last 10 minutes and cried, and I'm taking, when I when I'm feeling like I don't want to, because that's my default. It's like, I don't want to, which means I don't want to put myself out there. I don't want to grow, right? And so I don't go to I can't. It's I don't want— I don't want to do that. Like, I'm just— that's not what I want to be doing. I wish it was the I can't, because I think that mentally that'd be easier. But I'm trying to hold on to that, because I know that you have a program coming up. I have a launching coming up. March 14th is mine. But in this space before it, this is like the tough space, right? This is like created all the stuff and now like my save the dates are coming out next week and now I have to do it, have to do it. And so I get to do it, right? Because all that stuff comes up and that's why we hate live launching or that's why we hate copywriting or that's why we hate putting the stuff out there. Because it's, because I think my point was, because no matter where you are in business, you could be an 8-figure business owner or make 8 bucks a month. You still feel the same way. And I think people who are starting out don't understand that piece of it.

I think that too. And I, I love how you mentioned like the feelings and the roadblocks because there has— I mean, this last week, I mean, it's obviously Friday now, but the whole week, you know, Monday through today even has been like, that just happened. Like, why? Like, like, you know, like all the dumb little— my computer broke down, I gotta bring it to the shop today. Like, I mean, things that are like little and big have happened and I'm like It's gotta be launch week, you know, like, like all this is gonna come crashing down. Like everything's been fine, you know, for the computer for years now. And all of a sudden I'm like, oh my gosh, this is weird. Um, but I think that's what— and I, I sit back and I'm like, why, you know, like to your point, that this isn't happening to me, this is happening for me. What is this supposed to teach me? Because I know I'm, you know, and I literally yesterday was, uh, getting ready for bed and I was like, I think it's to ask me or to help me understand how bad do I want it? Like, how bad do I want it? You know, am I going to— we have, you know, crazy things happening where the kids this weekend were for their activities and stuff, family coming in town. I was like actually trying to get ahead of things and all the little things that happened got me kind of behind it. I was like, all right, it's okay, I got this. How bad do I want this? What can I, you know, what can give? I'm still going to go forward. I'm still going to bring the energy. I'm still going to, you know, bring the things. But I think, I know, not think, I know past me would have been like just the rabbit hole of self-pity and why me and it's launch week, like I'm stressed out enough as it is, I gotta get ready to clean my house and I gotta do all these things, like why me? And I wouldn't have been able to get myself out of that to show up in this wild high energetic space for Sunday's event. And I would have done okay, I would say. But I am like ready to go right now. I could have been like, let's go now. But I think that that is the thing too. Like when we're talking about content, we're talking about launching, we're talking about doing the things that are hard, we also need to be prepared for the shit to happen beforehand that's gonna test us. We also need to be prepared for the people to come out of the woodwork and say, 'Oh, that's a dumb thing,' or, 'Oh, that,' you know, like, and people who you maybe you thought were your cheerleaders or then complete strangers. Like, I think you get it from both sides of the spectrum. It's like, and not to focus on the people who are like, 'Oh, that program's dumb,' or, 'You don't know what you're talking about,' kind of comment.

Are you getting that kind of feedback?

No, I'll not. I'm not. But I'm saying that could be what, what keeps people— luckily for me, I haven't gotten the haters, but I mean, as you get bigger, as you grow, as you put yourself out there, as you get loud, you got to build a thick skin again.

Yeah.

Like maybe you had it in high school with the bullies or something like that. Like, if I— like, well, there's association with, well, if I speak my mind, someone's gonna come at me, and so I just play small. Like, those are all of the inner working things that need to be like handled and taken care of, um, before you're going to really get loud. And it doesn't mean you can't do it in small increments over years. I think that's probably how I would to say I have done it. But it's again, I say go loud, like again, we can teach the strategy, we're gonna teach the strategy, we're gonna teach some really cool things, but I want people to know they need to come ready to like kind of let go of the armor, let down the veil, remove the mask, maybe that's the best one. One of those three. And be you.

You know, I totally appreciate that, 'cause the conversation I've been having this week is a lot of that. Like, I had Frenchie Forenzi on earlier this week, and that's exactly what she— I said to her with conversation, because her— I love her content, I love her emails. It's really about her kids and her life, what she's doing. And yeah, it's also a sales call, it's also a sales email. Yeah, but I'm really getting a picture into who she is. And I feel like we're all shifting away from that, like, I'm perfect, I make $10 million a day, 6 figures in 6 months, and, and be shiny and all that stuff. Because I come from an influencer background, right? 15 years ago, I was a food influencer, and the numbers mattered, and how you looked mattered, and all your— and your kids were perfect and all that stuff. And I'm hoping that we're moving into this, like, this is real life. Like, I'm wearing my sweatshirt because I'm cold, right? I have my— I don't have any makeup on, but I'm still going live. Um, I told the story recently that I would not go live unless my hair was straight. Years ago. Like, unless my hair was done— like, I can see in the thing, my hair's like puffed up in the back. I would never have looked like this because I was more concerned about the way that I looked. But when I learned that if I'm getting— if I'm making you feel something, I'm doing something right. I don't care if it's hate or not. And when I used to be on the Dr. Oz show, I would get death threats.

You should die.

I'm gonna kill you. Oh yeah, people hated him. And I was like, I'm making avocado deviled eggs with him. Like, why are you hating me? Why are you doing this? Where I used to get like you look like a peanut, because I have a long face. This one guy, like, continuously would call me peanut. And then I would post his message to me, and he— and then, and then he— I would block him, and then we'd come back in a different part. Like, it was a whole thing. Oh my God, a lot of negativity. And I think people manufacture the fact that they're gonna get some. When I had my— when I did my cocktail book here, because, you know, I'm the consummate— I have my cocktail book right here. I did my cocktail book. My uncle was like, why are you doing that? You don't even like to drink. And I was like, because it's a good idea, and I like a cocktail once in a while. Now I do zero-proof, as you know. But I got— it was like, it wasn't even my community or strangers. It was more of my uncle being like, why you? And my response was, why not me? It's a good freaking idea.

Yeah.

So I always think you have to hold on to that. What's the idea, right? The reason behind what you do. One of my reasons is I want to pay for college for my kids who, thank God, are halfway through. But what's that thing that you're doing it for? It's not going to be your ego, right? It can't be your pocketbook. Like, what is that satisfaction piece? And I don't— I honestly, impacting other people is great, but I don't think that's going to make you have a huge business. What do you think the category or where that needs to be to not only start a business, but keep it going and making it profitable?

Where do I— sorry, ask me that one more time.

No, it's like, you know, where do you think people need to focus on what their why is? Because I think too often people get stuck in this, like, it's money, it's impact. And I think that's too surf— I think that's too general and not too surface because it's got to be more than that.

Yeah. No, I think that I agree with you, first of all, that it's not about the money, it's not about the impact, it's not about like, I wanted to help people is the most basic generic you why thing I've ever heard in my life. I think for me, when it comes down to the true, like why I'm doing what I'm doing or why I want, you know, the financial freedom side of it, as I want to be able to do the things that I want to do when I want to do them and not have to worry about the money, not have to worry about telling the boss I need to take a day off, not having to worry about some of those different things. That others would have to worry about if you're going to, you know, to a 9-to-5 working for someone else. And so for me, that is like— and my, my biggest one is I want to retire my husband. My husband has two really huge dreams on his heart. One's a company and one's just a career change that right now he's sacrificing and putting aside— I shouldn't say putting aside— for me to build my thing. And then when he gets to hit, you know, when it gets to that point where I can, you know, do the same for him as he's doing for me right now. So if I'm really getting like to the nitty-gritty, it is about, you know, him and giving him that opportunity, uh, in tandem with these other things too, which I know will benefit both of us and our kids as well. But I think how you get into that, uh, I think how you get to that though is, I mean, for me that was an easy— I shouldn't say easy why, but that was, um, Definitely the first one. I just wanted to have like no strings attached. I wanted to be able to build a business. This is when I built even my first business that I could open a laptop and do it from anywhere. This is 10 years ago. I didn't want to be held and confined to an office and a desk, like unless it was my own. I'm like, I like my home office. But also I think if people really are struggling with what your why is, there's an exercise that it's called like the 7 Levels Deep. Very top-heavy. You do, um, it's like, it's basically your why. And it makes me— I might stumble through this, so I can— if you want to come in, like, the top one is like, you know, why do you want to do your business? Well, I want to impact people. Like, that's what like your basic generic answer would go. And it's like, oh, why do you want to impact people? Well, because I want to change people's lives, because maybe it's something that happened to you and you want to be able to fix that, you know. So, okay, great. So why do you want to fix that? Why is Why is it important for you to fix, you know, fill in the blank, you know, things for them? Well, when I was a kid or when I was this, you know, in this situation, this is what happened to me and I had no one to go talk to. Oh, why is it important for them to have someone to go talk to? And you just build it 7 levels deep. And it's amazing all the way down to the 7th one. And you were typically, when you get to 7, you are kind of, and you go back and look at number 1, you are very blown away by where you went from. I just want to impact people to I want to, you know, whatever that is. And you ultimately get your I help statement out of that exercise too, because you can build off of your 7th layer, 7, you know, the level deep. And that's what I would— and if you need to go deeper than that, even if you're still not satisfied with that, then keep going. But typically 7 will get you to that deep convicted why. And that's what I would have as your North Star, because that's what you're going to lean on on the days where you're like, what the hell am I doing all this for? It's going to be because I want to retire my husband and I have a deadline for that. I have a timeline for this. I'm deadlocked. Yeah, timeline.

Yeah, I do that exercise with all my classes, with a lot of my webinars. I start that night, and around question 3 or 4 is where people get stumbled. And then the answer is like, well, I've, you know, I, a lot of people were like, it was a God, it became God came up, or, you know, I was, I got a message, or I got this kind of stuff. Mine is because I'm a middle child and I, and I need to be heard more. Like, when I was little, my sister was ill when I was little, and I had a brother, and we had a nanny who had daughters back in Jamaica, and she lived with us. And so he was like the man, and I was kind of left alone a little bit. And that's what— that's what keeps me going. That's why I'm loud. That's why I'm out in front of the camera. That's why I'm doing this stuff. And when I was able to acknowledge that that was the deepness of it, and it wasn't that I want to pay for college and that I want to that I've never had a 9 to 5. I was a TV producer, so it was like 10 to 10. It wasn't like that kind of thing. You know, I've never had to show up anywhere at 9 o'clock every day. I don't think I could or wanted to do that. But when I got down to like, it fulfills a place in my heart that therapy or EMDR or whatever that is for you, it's not going to fill.

Yeah.

But doing this fills that. Being on TV fills that. Putting my message out in the world that it's OK to ask for what you want And then when people tell me they ask for what they want, it's filling that piece. And right, so I encourage— if anybody wants it, I have a whole graphic and a whole worksheet on it. It's about really understanding the underneath piece of it. Maybe we'll do it on Sunday.

That would be really cool because I was just— yeah, add it to your, add it to your thing because in my, in my deck, I, I was also just thinking to just about that exercise is a little bit of a pivot, but, um, You know, also inner child stuff. Like when we are talking about our whys, we're usually, I shouldn't say usually, that's too big of a word, but like we can sometimes tie back what she needed and that's what our service to the world is, is filling that gap. And I think back when I was a kid too, like I wanted to be a professional singer. I was like, okay, I wasn't terrible. I wasn't great. I was like middle of the road. I did a few cool things, but I really have, what I'd say quieted that part of me. Like in my like, let's get loud journey too, I've kind of opened up and realized I used to sing the top of my lungs while writing copy, while writing my college papers. My roommates were like, how in the hell? I was like, it doesn't matter, it's my method, leave me alone. But they were like, it's so loud, turn it down. I love that. I am just now, as I'm doing this work again, it's like, you know, kind of my, my new work for the 2024 year and leaning into the word of the year. I was like, when did I get loud when I was young that I'm no longer getting loud in? And it's music. And I thought, what a cool thing though to bring, maybe not singing back into my world, but that's where these stages come in. That's where this virtual stage comes into place. This is where the big event I have that I'm planning for November comes into play where it's like this event times like 100. That is gonna be cool. That we'll of course talk to you about. But bringing some of those, pieces of you into your, from younger self to current self. And again, aligning that back to your purpose or your why, maybe, right? Like why you even opened your business in the first place. Like, are you trying, not trying, not intending, looking at a wound from then or a moment in that moment or that time of your life where you're like, I needed this, so I'm going to go create this.

I appreciate this conversation so much.

It does.

I had a conversation last night with my husband. I'm like, I love doing these interviews, but I wish we could get a little bit deeper. And today, we got a little bit deeper. So thank you for being open. Well, you and I did that anyway.

I thank you so much for having me. This was awesome.

Of course, of course. Just plug the event one more time.

Yes.

Because all the information will be in the caption. But tell everybody one more time, and then we'll— Yes.

Let's Get Loud is this Sunday, 6:00 to 7:30 Central Standard. It is my birthday, so if you just want to come and like shoot off red confetti with me, that's fine too. But it'll be myself and Beth and another gal speaking as well, all about how to get loud in your business and build your brand voice. And then also we'll have some fun prizes and stuff. So it'll be a good time, good energy.

Well, I can't wait to celebrate. And you know, my birthday's on Tuesday, so we're going to have lots of birthdays.

So is Mariana's! I think this is all of our birthdays together. So it'll be a triple birthday celebration on Sunday. That's so funny. Thank you again.

Becca, thank you for being on Behind the Spotlight. Once again, we have interviews of very special people in my life that bring you really important information that can change yours. Don't forget to go to my link in bio and download the 5 proven subject line formulas so that you can get booked on your next podcast. Becca, thank you for being here, and I'll see you Sunday.

Yes, see you Sunday. Bye.

Bye.