A Transparent Conversation About Ethical Marketing

You're listening to the PTA Profit podcast, episode number 350. Today we're having an honest, transparent conversation around ethical marketing. Are you ready? Let's get started.

Hi, I'm Beverly Simpson, former fitness manager turned online personal training business owner. And this podcast is where smart fitness professionals, including trainers and clinicians, discover how to increase client performance and movement, package and position their products and services and get out of their own way so that they can increase their revenue to live a life that they love without sleazy sales. Welcome to the PT Profit Podcast.

What's up, coach? Thank you so much for pushing play on another episode of the PT Profit Podcast. I'm your host, Beverly Simpson, and if this is the first time that you're hanging out with me today, welcome. I'm super pumped that you're here and I am excited, excited to dive in. Okay, a couple things I want to talk about. I'm actually recording this podcast right now. It's usually my favorite time to record podcast is Sundays, but it is Saturday and we are doing a whole bunch of batching content. And I have a full plan that I'm looking at in front of me right now. And I am going to be recording these episodes just a little bit out of order because this one is really on my heart today. And I thought about turning putting this episode out on Tuesday, but I. Or and I'm recording this time of recording it's July 27th, so I was going to post it for the 30th, but I'm deciding against it for a couple of reasons. Number one is because it's so raw and so vulnerable right now that I want to just put some space between this episode and the actual events of what is occurring in specifically in the fitness industry. So that's number one. And then number two, I wanted to just get this done because I am feeling the depth of despair essentially with the collective essentially around this particular topic. And also because in an effort to say fully transparent and in an effort to just share a little bit more about what we are going through specifically inside of my business, I. I feel like this is a very, very important conversation to be had and I want to just pull the veil and pull the screen just behind the curtain a little bit more and share with you a little bit more about what's happening to me and to us in real time. So I just think it's really powerful and a really important conversation to have. So I wanted to talk specifically about transparent conversations and how we can be ethical in our marketing and I'm going to give you the three reasons why this is coming up, and then I'm going to give you the three takeaways that I'm having about the experience. The first is that one of the things that I like to do for my accelerator clients and also my conversion content clients is I like to go on the Internet and I like to collect some of the trending audios that I am seeing inside of my Instagram world and TikTok. I do this in an effort to help save my clients time so that they don't have to do it themselves. And then I give them very specific fitness and movement and health and nutrition tips around the specific trending sound. And so one day recently on Sunday, I was going through the process of how I collect these audios and I noticed that one of the people that I follow and one of the people that I, I get these trending audios from, and I chose her because one, she has a huge massive following and she uses this following and she built her following up with reels and using trending audience and faceless marketing. And I used her content specifically because she doesn't teach what I teach and she doesn't, she's not a social media marketer. So, so because of that, I, I could, I can personally consume her content without, without feeling like, without getting in my head or comparing myself because I know that what we do is so different. So that's why I really lean on her to help me find some of these trending audience. So in addition to that, I can also, I was also really compelled by her content because there are some components of what she does that I really like. So I'm going to be fully transparent with you. There are things that she does very beautifully that it's a very clear as to why she has such a huge massive following because she does a very good job of doing one of the things that I teach inside of my programs, which is meeting people where they're at, demonstrating your authority by clearly showing them that you are relatable. Not from the sense of, I'm a good person, I'm a mom, or what, you know, I like musicals or whatever it is, but from this lens and place of, oh, this person gets me because they understand my problem. And then she does a beautiful job demonstrating the outcomes once she's implemented these strategies. Okay, So I was really taken aback when I went to go look for her account and found that it was gone. And it really shocked me and it led me down this, this spiral of ethical marketing okay. And, and it led me down this spiral of getting very clear for myself about what are the FTC reg. And if you don't know what that is, that stands for the Federal Trade Commission. So these FTC guidelines are put in place to protect consumers. And in addition to that, it's, it's so that you can avoid being put into Ponzi schemes. And I'm going to go ahead and link up one of my favorite episodes that we did with Mel Abrahams. I don't know if you're new to the podcast and you haven't seen this. Like, he did such a beautiful job as a financial advisor. Both describing his experience of what it was like to accidentally be caught up in a Ponzi scheme even though he was a CPA. It's also why MLMs, multilevel marketing businesses, not all of them, but many of them, get a bad reputation because what happens is they, they are misleading in how they are making those income streams because in order for them to generate revenue, it's not from the product itself, it's from building these teams. And so it can get very confusing when you are in the online space because you start to ask yourself, well, well, at least for me, I started to ask myself like, am I part of the problem? Am I contributing to the messaging that is actually putting people that are, that it's actually harming people? And, and so I'm going to share a little bit more of the conclusion I came to that. So I just put a pin on that. But I just want you to know that this is where my brain was going and where I was spiraling. I was talking to my team, I was talking to my, my colleagues and I was talking to like my friends very deeply about, you know, what is my, what is my responsibility in the co creation of outcomes and where is the line of responsibility? Because intention is not always the same as impact. And so, you know, we're going to talk a little bit more about that and in, in a second. But it's something that I was really going deeply, you know, deeply down this rabbit hole on. And so what also happened is that then I started, you know, so once you start kind of going down these spirals, Instagram keeps serving you and Facebook keeps serving you more content. More content, More content. And my, if you've, if you're familiar with the Enneagram, my sweet counterphobic six brain starts to go down this, you know, mitigation of risk process, okay, of oh my gosh, the FTC is coming to get me, blah Blah, blah, blah, blah. Listen, I was talking to my ads manager, like the whole thing, you know, and part of the reason why, why I was, you know, going through this and really thinking about this is in addition to some of the marketing strategies that these people who are misleading, who are, you know, which I shared earlier, is that, you know, part of these people, some of the things that they do include the principles that I teach, they talk about the things that I also talk about. And so what I came, you know, how I really reconciled this with, for myself and with my clients, and so I'm going to offer this to you too, is that, is to remember that, that a tool is a tool and that there are both. You know, you can take a tool like a hammer and you can build, use it to build a house, and you can also use it to destroy a house. And so the principles of marketing remain. Meet people where they're at and show them how your process and demonstrate how your process is going to be the most effective way to help them get to their desired outcome. Okay? And so there are principles and there are, there are ethics at play and they're different. And you need to be clear for yourself in how you can draw the line between speaking ways to crystally communicate what it is you stand for without putting other people down, without trying to be right, without rolling in the really super negative energies that live on social media. Because hurt people, hurt people, okay? And that line can be really hard to find. And last week I found myself feeling like I wasn't, I didn't know where that line was for myself. And so I was really reconciling that in my own brand and in my own business. This is so important because what I see in myself and what I see in my clients on a consistent basis is that the people who actually have it in them, they have the skills, they have the education, they have the ability to raise the industry standards are usually the ones who are affected the most by fear mongering marketing tactics. Meaning they start to see, oh my gosh, maybe I'm posting illegal stuff. Oh, maybe I'm the one who is part of the problem. Or, oh, I'm not using my voice correctly in a way that really brings people up and I need to just step back, I need to be quiet, I need to agonize for three hours on content creation. I need to just get one more certification and then I'll be ready. And then they, I don't want to use, you know, I don't want to use fear mongering Content and because, you know, I know that pain means pay attention, and I know that people move away from pain faster than they move towards pleasure. So. But I don't want to be part of that, so I'll just take a back seat. And then they end up being so hard on themselves. But they're the ones that need to speak louder. Because when that happens, when you do that, when you step back, when you don't use your voice, when you don't share the reason why you are here to help people, then you just leave room for predator. Then you just step back for the people who are willing to cheat, who are willing to steal, who are willing to do whatever it takes at all costs, and you make it a predator playground. And if you don't believe me, just go look up what's happening to one of our prominent influencers in the fitness industry right now with over 60 accounts at this moment. I mean, I don't even know. There's probably countless more, but 60, 60. 60 accounts or claims of. Of violence towards women specifically. I'm not one to usually, you know, use my platform or use my voice to say or share than what is educational, what I've learned and what I'm going through. But I was so profoundly impacted by what I experienced in last week and then going through. And then I was just so profoundly impacted from going through, you know, what I was, what I did, what I went through in that spiral of learning about. About, you know, styles that I liked, that I, you know, and then seeing what is happening with some of these people that are victims and. And what they're a victim of, that I'm compelled to share with you the truth and the transparency behind what I'm personally going through, where I stand, and how I'm reconciling this with my clients. Because if you're here and you're listening to this, then I know that you are smart. I know that you care about helping people. I know that you want to raise industry standards, and you are the ones that we need to hear from. And we have to stop putting people and your dreams and your visions on pedestals. And I'm saying this to you also through the lens of saying this to myself, because then what happens is we end up making decisions because someone else has our results or the results that we want. And then we realize, oh, you have those results because you. Because you. Not because of you actually helping other people, but because I felt for the like, oh, well, you could do it. I could do it. Right. Because people make these decisions based on other people's results without the full context. And I've done it. Me. That's me. I've fallen for unethical marketing where I've been like, oh, I spent that money because you have that money. But the only reason why you have that money is because people like me exist. So how do you draw that line between what is ethical and what is unethical? And I'm going to share with you, inside of today's episode how I'm reconciling it with myself, how I'm reconciling it with my clients and what I want to offer to you to take away if you are anything like me and battling this sea of, of disaster of the wild, wild west in the, in the Internet marketing space. And if you just happen to be any, you know, in listening to this, this podcast and one of the victims that were talked about in this, in this, you know, in one of the demise and downfall of, of this particular person in the fitness industry and which, by the way, we see this across all different types of industries, like in the rapping industry, in the music industry and the Hollywood industry. Like, there's just countless, countless, countless accounts of people misusing their power. And this is my honest, heartfelt stance on this topic, coming from a place of whether I've unintentionally or intentionally been part of the problem, that I know that this is not what our brand stands for. Our brand stands for ethics. And I am here to raise and amplify the voices of the people who are actually trying to help others from a place of honesty, from a place, a place of full transparency. And if that ever comes into question, then, then my DMs are open to have a conversation about it. Because one of the things that I have, I have really done for myself, which I shared in a post, is that I have really fully worked on boundaries in terms of being able to hold space for other people's experiences without taking them on as my own. And, and also been able to really look and assess, assess at what is my responsibility and what is your responsibility. And so I want to just make sure I finish up this thought. But, you know, if you're, if you happen to be one of the victims of this fitness influencer that I'm speaking of, or you happen to be a victim of any of this, then I just want you to know that my heart goes out to you and that my brand is open for you. And so now what I want to do in the back half of this conversation now that I've just kind of shared with you a little bit of what I was going through, what the process was and what I was really unpacking when I was going down this, this, this path. I just want to now end this podcast with how I've reconciled this and what I want to and what I would recommend for you and what I'm recommending for myself and for my clients. So if you're here, then I already know it be it's because you care about, about helping other people. You want to raise industry standards and you want to be, and you want to, to speak in full, honest, transparent and have full, honest, transparent conversations within the guidelines. Okay. In order to, you know, and still ethically communicate what it is that you do, shift your client's perspectives and, and actually demonstrate and back up your claims that you're making without putting other people down, without being misleading and without practicing sleazy, old, outdated sales tactics. And something I too want to say about this is the reason I'm sharing this because honestly, I have grappled with this. I've really gone back and forth about, do I really want to share this? Because I'm not usually the type of person that comments on things. I usually use my platform for education. But, but the reason that I'm so profoundly moved to share this is because it's always the people that struggle the most that need their voice to be heard. Because if you don't, one of my mentors used to say, you know, the world needs you and they need you more now than ever. Because if you don't, we're running the risk of letting other people who are, who don't have ethics show up on the platform because they're not afraid to take before and after photos and steal before and after photos as their own to sell their supplements. That actually happened to one of my clients. They're not afraid to Photoshop their photos to make it look like they're actually getting results when they're not. They're also not afraid to, to use fear mongering tactics that make you feel afraid that you're going to get called out or that you're doing something wrong. They're not afraid to, to copy other people's work as their own. My, one of my mentors, you know, talked about how he was doing this gamification in his, one of his launches and people were, you know, buying, you know, they were lying, they were stealing, they were buying emails to try and, to try and, you know, scam the system and what really crushes me is that, you know, people who are trying and listen, I can, I see it, I understand it is that people are trying to shift the narrative, they're trying to bring awareness, but oftentimes it's at the expense of the people who are actually doing good in this world, who are actually trying to raise the industry standards. It's the people pleasers, it's the people who really care. It's the open heart people who get affected by that messaging, not the ones who are doing the harm. Then if that's you, then this is for you. Because this is what I want you to understand and this is what we're doing. And honestly, this is what B. Simpson fitness is about, is that, number one, I want you to understand the difference between principles and ethics. Now, at the risk of sounding repetitive, a tool, a hammer can break down a house and a hammer can build up a house. And so while I understand the difference between intention and outcomes, intention matters. So if you are lying and if you are not being fully transparent and if you are not being honest, then let's look at that and let's shift that. And I, and I am not here to actually put blame on you or I'm actually not here to say like that you're bad or wrong and should be shamed. That's not true. I get why people do that. You are in a sea of scammers. You are being told that you need to be competitive amongst these people who are saying, you know, lose £100 in 100 minutes or in my case, get 30 clients in 30 days. Yeah, sure, that's possible. But people aren't honest or transparent about their process and how that's going to happen. So you can share the truth. So that's number one, be honest and fully transparent and understand that there is a difference between lying and honesty. I know it sounds like, well, duh, yeah, Beverly. But it clearly it needs to be said because what happens is if you muddy the messaging, then if you get general and then you lose your specificity, then you run the risk of just being unheard in an echo chamber of social media and you likely have had that happen to you. And then what happens is you get frustrated and you spend three hours trying to create a piece of content and then you post it and then no one pays attention and then you get frustrated because then all of this misleading marketing gets pushed out and everyone builds massive followings in three seconds. So what are you supposed to do? How are you supposed to be competitive in that market space? That's Number one, then the second question I often get asked is, well, how do I sell the unsolved sexy stuff? How do I sell the stuff that is hard work, that is just going to take time, and how do I sell that, especially in a sea of scammy marketing? Well, here's how you do it. Okay? Number one is you don't lie, and you're fully transparent, but yet you're still specific and you're still clear. So for me, as an example, if we're going to take 30 days and 30 clients, I don't even know whose offer that is, but this is something that someone said to me in a call. And I said, sure, of course we can do that. But here's the truth about what that's actually going to look like and how specifically it is we're going to do and what needs to happen in order for that to happen. So I don't lie, I tell the truth, and I map out the entire process of what that would look like. And you can do the same thing in your industry. And so for you, for fitness and for health and wellness, and also to remember that your clients and your specific clients that are in a specific problem, they're not looking for a quick fix. And you're like, beverly, yes, they are. No, but what they're looking for is the quickest way. And so your job is not to promise a quick fix. Your job is to demonstrate how quickly you can get them the first win. That's true and honest. And when you tell the truth, you cannot be you. You. You cannot feel bad because. Because the. Any trolls that come out, you. You know that, listen, I'm rooted in honesty. I'm doing my best. And now this allows you to hold space for the fallout. It's like when my children kick and scream and yell at me and they're like, I hate you, mommy. They don't really say that very often, but when they do, I can hold space for that because I know that I'm speaking to their potential. I know that I'm doing what I think in this moment is for the. For their highest good. And I can sleep at night and be okay with that and know that it's rooted in honesty and love. And I want. And I do the same for my clients. And I would offer for you to do the same for your clients. And the second thing I want to remind you, and what I have discovered in this week of transgression for. For a lack of better word, is, is that. Is that I don't need to Be right. I don't need to be perfect. I need to just do my best and that's enough. I want to talk about not enoughness. Let's talk about it right? Usually I reserve this for my. My private podcast or my private podcast for my clients, but I think it's a really important conversation to be had, so I'm going to share it here. Is that, is that usually those feelings of like, ah, I'm not enough, I gotta do this. It's rooted in this sense, in not enoughness. And we see it in, I need to get more certifications, I'm not enough yet, I'm not ready yet, or I don't have enough followers yet. This root, this sense of not enoughness, and it is detrimental because it prevents you from showing up when hopefully by listening to the show, you've heard that your work is needed now more than ever. I bring this up because we think, especially if we are trapped in not enough mis thinking, we think that, oh, the first quick win is not enough of a. Of a promise. But that's not true. Your people aren't looking for a quick fix. Your people are looking for the quickest path, the path of least resistance. So does the human body. And that is a principle. And it's not going away. So it's not your job to convince anybody of anything. It's your job to communicate clearly the truth about what it is you do and call in the people who are looking for you. Otherwise, we're running the risk of, of them getting into the hands unsuspectedly of people who don't have the best of intentions. And I, as a creator, as a business owner, as an influencer, I hold that responsibility to myself deeply. And so I will stand and I will use my voice to share what it is I do and how I help people. And I will bring in the people who are ready to raise industry standards. And I'm inviting you to do the same for your clients. So just a quick recap. Number one, be honest, tell the truth, be fully transparent. Number two, make sure that you are releasing the not enoughness because you are worthy, because you exist and you are worthy, not because of what you do. With that said, we still need transparency. We still need clarity in communication. Communicating the specificity, in promise, in. In process and in problems is essential. It's still essential. It doesn't go away. But when you are rooted in truth and when you understand the difference between ethics and principles, you can't go wrong. You can't go wrong. And then lastly, I want to say something I'm going to say, I've said to myself is to give yourself grace. You don't have to be perfect. I am nowhere near perfect. And I know I've messed up. I can own it. I can be responsible for it. I can, I can, I can shift my thinking and shift my perspective and shift my message. And I can do that without going down this spiral of shame and guilt of, of like, well, maybe now I just shouldn't be here. Because if, if this week has taught me anything, I. It goes back to what, what my mentor has, one of my mentors has said is that the world needs you and they need your voice specifically. And your business is built by one person at a time. And every time you get into, well, my voice doesn't matter because I'm small. That's rooted in not enoughness and it's not true. What is that parable that I don't know where it comes from. And if you've heard it, like, feel free to DM me, but it's like the. A tornado is the start of a butterfly flap. So, so I want to encourage you to, to show up and if you find yourself doing any of these things like hiding or not showing your voice or thinking that it doesn't matter or, or scared that you're not being compliant, I want to encourage you to keep showing up to thank fear and work with fear. One of my acting teachers used to say, hello fear. Hello darkness. My old friend. I know that comes from a book, but I heard it from her first. And so I want to invite you to work with fear. Not, not and, and, and not hide. Because what's the alternative? Because people, people love to buy things, but they hate to be sold to. And so if they're not going to buy from you because you're not showing up, then they're going to buy from someone. And I'd rather it be you than any of these people that I've talked about. Lastly, I want to share this too, because it's something I've been grappling with, but I want to conclude on this, okay, is that you don't need to use fear mongering tactics in order to communicate your message. Now, I know people say people move away from pain faster than they move towards pleasure, and that's true. But there's a difference between putting people in fear and eliciting fear than opening up problem awareness. Your people are in a problem and in a business, it's your responsibility. If you're a business owner to help solve the problem, not put people in fear. Now, we could do a whole separate episode on that if you want. If you want to go deeper on that, let me know in my DMs. I love to hear from you. We'll tag all of that up in the show. Thanks so much for hanging out with me today and I'll catch you on the next episode.

Thank you for listening to the PT Profit Podcast. If you like this episode, chances are your friends will too. So it would be a huge service to us if you would please leave us a review and share with your friends on your social media channels. When you leave us a review, be sure to take a screenshot of it and email that screenshot to my team atinfo simpson fitness.com and we'll send you a very special Instagram podcast that will show you how to create compelling content so that your ideal clients come to you and you go from wanting clients to a wait list of clients ready for your services. Thank you so much for listening and we'll see you on the next episode.