678 -Seen & Paid: How to Build a Personal Brand That Gets You Known, Valued & Paid with Taylor Smith

Well, I'm excited so much for this conversation today. I've invited the beautiful Taylor, Taylor Smith to come and join me to talk all about everything that she's created with Power Table and an incredible summit that she has coming up. So Taylor, thank you so much for joining me today.

Christine, thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited to be here.

I'm so excited to chat all things personal brand and everything that you've created with Power Table. And after getting to meet you at Girlfriends in Business in Arizona, oh my goodness, that was the beginning of last year, beginning of 2024. I just knew that you powerhouse. So I'm so excited to get to chat with you and to bring everything that you've created with powertable to my listeners. So can you tell us a little bit of the backstory, tell us a little bit about where you why you started a personal brand and how it's evolved over the years and to where it is now.

Yes. So this story actually starts with realizing that what I thought was my weakness was actually my greatest strength. And I'll back up a little bit and then I'll explain what that means. But I am a four time founder. I've built four different small businesses, I employ my entire family and I left behind an academic career and I tell people those things and they sound really amazing. And also when people hear that you're a four time founder, they want to know what businesses you own. And anytime someone would ask me that, I would think to myself, please ask me anything except this. Like, please don't ask me this. Because they're so varied in different areas that I was so embarrassed and terrified that if people knew that I had an E commerce brand and I worked in real estate. But what I was really passionate about was helping women grow their businesses and business coaching. And if I thought, I thought that if they heard these different things, their impression of me would be, she's so flaky, she does too many different things, she jumps around, sorry, you're doing what now? And I had constructed this vision in my mind of how I thought people would perceive me and I really viewed it as a weakness. And so I wouldn't talk about any of that. I would just quietly build my businesses. And I was building community on the side and, and talking on social media about business tips and growing that. But I was also like, it was almost like I was hiding this huge success and huge part of me. And then I had this epiphany one day and I was like, wait a second, Taylor, every time you've expanded and you've added on this new revenue stream and you grown, you not only have more experience to offer people, but it's having a positive, not a negative effect on your bank account. And I was like, whoa, you mean to tell me all these pivots are actually a superpower? This is a good thing, and this makes me able to offer even more value to the world. And when I realized that, I started, you know, really examining that and thinking that I had never taken time to figure out what my identity was as an entrepreneur. Like, who. Who am I and what do I want to be known for? Like, I was just busy focused on marketing and making money and sales, and I had never stopped to think, what do I want to be known for? What do I want people to know that I care about? And how can I start putting me in the business instead of hiding behind it? And when I did that, it was essentially like everything changed. People started knowing who I was. People started dropping my name in rooms that I wasn't even in. I was invited to speak. My revenue increased 96% year over year. All of these ripple effects happen because I decided to start taking control of my personal brand and talking about what I wanted to talk about and saying, hey, I have this to offer the world.

Yeah. Oh, my goodness. So many things to dive into right there. Like, I want to talk a little bit about, like, the perception that we have that we think that how people think about us and how that impacts us. And I would imagine you see that with the women that you work with all the time and how that holds them back. But I think as well, like, isn't it so funny how, like, all that experience and what it gave you, yet you perceived it to be this negative thing. What have you noticed now, like, how you took back control of the narrative? Like, before, there was no narrative. It was kind of like, oh, I. I'm not really sure what they're going to say about me. Whereas now you control that narrative. Can you tell us, like, what was the thing that you started to do that you weren't doing before that changed everything?

Yes. So people. Basically, the problem, and I see a lot of entrepreneurs struggle with this, is that when you aren't taking control of that narrative, you have a personal brand, whether you are being intentional, not. But when you aren't taking control of it, the problem is people want to talk good about you, they want to recommend you, but they can't describe what you do, and they can't describe what you're good at and what you want to be known for. And so from a very practical standpoint, like, writing those things out is where I started with. Literally, I think I just got this giant piece of poster board out and I was like, what are my brand pillars? What are my brand values? Like, what is the core belief that I have? And for me, that came down to when women make more money, they change the world. And then I expanded from there. Okay, so what did that look like for me in my life? What are the stories I can tell about that? How did having my own revenue streams and my own income make my life better and make. Make it easier for me to help other people? And then, you know, also breaking down, like, what are lessons I learned in my business? Like, taking that content further, but starting with, you know, actually paying attention to what do you want to be known for, and then start putting that into your content. So we could even go more granular and I can share some tips on that. But really just starting with, like, processing that yourself. Deciding what your identity is going to be.

Yeah. And then talking more about it. Like, I think it's as simple as that. Right. Like, talking more about it instead of letting someone else just take, like, kind of look at what are the. All the different things that you're talking about. It sounds like there's real intention around them, what you're actually sharing. And it's pointing to one direction and pointing to five different directions and allowing people to be like, okay, when you talk about it enough, then they're able to then repeat the things that you say that actually are in alignment with what you want to be known for. So I love that. Now, how do you, over the years, I would imagine too, like, how do you now think about the way other people perceive you?

Such a good question. Because I think that this has been a ongoing struggle. Maybe I don't struggle that as much now, but truly I think that it was always an identity struggle for me, even though my business was successful. But maybe if I had addressed that sooner, then business would have also come easier. Right. And maybe those things have grown, like, simultaneously. So now I tend to think of perception as, like, because I took that time to decide what. What am I going to care about? What am I going to put out into the world? Now, I don't question that as often. I think I'm reflecting on the question you asked, and it's such a beautiful question of, like, so how do you deal with perception now? But now it's more of a mirror back at myself. As opposed to being afraid that I would be looking at what other people are saying and having that reflect back at me. Because I'm now in control because I now have this clear personal brand. And I'm making sure to take actions that are aligned based on what I say, based on my values. Like if I say I want to be this person making sure that I'm doing the things I say I want to do, and that is so much easier and honest with yourself. Like, easier. You, you. It's easier for you to deal with yourself if you're being honest. I think in your business, in the way you show up.

Yeah. And so what I'm, what I'm hearing from you almost is like it's shifted from like the fear of the judgment to be like, okay, what is being reflected back to me and how can I then utilize that information to know whether my brand is actually making a. Making an impact? Right. Like, is it. Are people perceiving it in a way that I want them to perceive it? And if the feedback that I'm getting is not what I want to hear, then how can I change that instead of taking it personally? Is that what you say?

Yeah. Oh, so beautiful. That was a great translation. I think, you know, it's a good way to check your personal brand as well. Right. If people are coming to you for one thing, but it's not really the thing that excites you. I would be checking your business, your content, your sales copy. Is it accurate to where you are? Because your personal brand is also going to constantly change and evolve. You are not ever going to stay the same as an entrepreneur. And so as you shift, your business is always going to be going through those micro changes. And so if you notice that's not in alignment, it's probably because you're not fully focused. And a lot of people are very anti niche right now. They don't want to be put into a box. And I'm not saying niche down and only talk about one thing ever, but rather increase the quantity or the percentage of your business's presence online to the thing that you want to be known for.

It makes it easy for people to know whether you're the right fit. Like, I'm not anti niche at all. I actually think that it's much more effective for your business to niche. And I'm always like, when I talk to my clients about it, I'm like, be okay with niching for six months. It doesn't have to be forever, your entire life. Like, why people think this, Like This. This whole big thing that if I choose this one thing, I can't change my mind. Like, it can absolutely change your. And so how do you feel? Like the perception has shifted. And what are you starting to notice now with your personal brand and the way that people talk about what you're creating now compared to what it was originally?

Oh, this is such a cool reflection right now because with PowerTable for the past year and a half, I have really focused my personal brand and the community itself on this idea that we're not meant to do life or business alone, that, you know you will increase your revenue when you increase the quality of your circle. And because I've done that not only with our community, but I've also told stories personally how this community helped me. Whether that was through, you know, personally going through hard times, being supported, or because you don't know what you don't know. And if you don't get in the room, you're not going to know it. But in doing that, the perception changed. And now everyone knows me as someone who's created a community, but also in that they're like, wow, she has all of these connections. Wow, like, she has all of these people around her. So if I'm connected with Taylor, I also have opportunities to grow my circle too. And that happened very quickly. I will say within just a few months once I started making a conscious effort to put community into my brand. And your value doesn't have to be community, but whatever it is, like, it does not take very long for people to start really noticing that about you. If you are very intentional about it.

I 100 agree with you 100. And it doesn't have to take long at all. Like, it literally can be that intentional focus for three months and then all of a sudden your whole brain shifts. Like, I remember when I. Because my brain has definitely gone through an evolution. And I was listening, like, as you were speaking. I feel like mine is starting to evolve again. Like, as you were saying, like, with your personal brand of, like, how you've. What people are coming to you for if that's not what you really want them to be coming to you for, like, what can you change in your branding? And I'm like, oh, that makes so much sense. Like, this is just for me right now. So I feel like that is such a beautiful representation of what can happen and the feedback that you can get from your. From your brand. And I agree with you, it can only take a short. I think needs to take a few, few months. Like, I remember When I shifted into talking more about sales, I reckon it was only a few, few months before everyone started then saying, oh, if you want help with sales, you can go to Christine. And I was like, wow, that was so quick. It was so interesting.

I love that. And I'll just kind of expand a little bit on that too. With Power Table. When I first started hosting in person events I hosted, I said, hey, I'm going to have a women's coffee meetup, like women in business coffee. And it was in, I think maybe 2022 or early 2023. And five people came and I was like, this is amazing. That's so cool. And then the next two times I hosted it, no one came and I was like, oh, what, what do you mean? Like, does no one like me? What is happening? And it was just, it was a new thing. Right. It needed more exposure. Like, things take time to build. But then I made that shift where I started talking a lot about community and putting pictures of other people, me with other people in my content. And I really made that shift. And 2024, we sold out our in person conference to 75 women. And then in 2025, we filled the room, nearly 100 women. So it, it can happen really fast. But it was like those little shifts and, and being aware of are you putting into your personal brand what you actually want.

Yeah, but you're right, like, it does take time. As much as we're saying, yeah, I love that you reframed that because it's like, yes, it can be quick, but it also means you have still have to take time to monetize. It is probably what I'm hearing as well. Yeah.

And that was a big shift as well. From free coffee meetups to which were hard to get people to show up for, to charging, you know, several hundred dollars for a ticket. And we sold out.

Yeah. Because people, you know, that perception of that investment level, it's like, well, they start to question things a little bit more differently. It's like, I know what I'm going to get out of a quick coffee compared to what am I actually going to get out of this event. So I love that that has evolved as well. Can you talk to us about how your community has evolved as well with it too? Like I imagine, like from the beginning to where it is now. What have you noticed with your community shifting with that?

Yeah. So in the beginning, one of the businesses that I founded was an E commerce brand I started with my sister. We scaled to the top 1% of 8 million shops worldwide on Etsy. And so a lot of my community in the very beginning was all physical product sellers or digital product sellers who were mostly on Etsy and Shopify. And as I started moving more into coaching and marketing and, you know, more of the digital product space as well, in that time, my audience shifted with me. And so now most of our community, we still have physical product sellers, but most of them are service providers, coaches, speakers, things along those lines. So if you are someone who is like, oh, I built this audience around this one thing, I can't possibly shift to something else. I was able to do it over a couple of years and the people who were in physical products, you know, not everyone stuck around, but quite a few of them were like, I'm interested in this too. Like, I want to go on a journey and expand my offers too. Or they were like, it doesn't even matter that you're not selling the exact same type of product as me anymore. Whatever you're doing, Taylor, I just want in. Because every time I'm around you, everything grows, right? And my circle expands, my knowledge expands, so it doesn't even matter, Taylor. Just like do the next thing and I'm in. And so it takes time to build that. But notice if you want to like grow with your community, like be aware of where they are and try to bridge that gap for them in the process. So maybe you're offering more than one thing at a time or more than one type of training to kind of bring people along with you.

Oh, I like that. Rather than just cold turkey, like drop them and be like, I'm no longer serving you. Off you go. Rather than doing that as like how build that bridge. I love that. That's so good. And what have you noticed as well? Like I'd love, I'd love for you to share like from that beginning of like when you made that shift, right? So when you went from that E commerce space to now going into the coaching space and really starting to focus on the community, what, where did you find that you found some wobbles or where did you find that you found some challenges along the way that really, you know, helped evolve you as the leader in the space?

Yeah, well, I think for me always a struggle is like I'm a problem solving, very analytical person, not a visuals person. So from a very practical side, I was like, I don't know how to brand myself. Like this feels totally weird to like do branding shoots as a coach but not like have anything physical or tangible. Like what does this look like? In content. So I had to relearn a whole new set of content skills. Moving into that space, and you question yourself. You know, I had done, at that point, over a thousand reels on social media, and still, because I was stepping into kind of a new era of personal branding, it was basically like doing it all over again, learning that new way I was going to talk, how my content was going to be, how I was going to show up. I redid a whole new podcast. And so part of a big lesson I learned was, like, Taylor, in this process, you are kind of starting from day one again, and people are with you, but you have to be willing to show up as if it's day one. I think that's probably the biggest lesson and biggest challenge that I had to go through.

Yeah, it's almost like you have to be willing to suck at it for a little bit to get better at it, yet. It's like you've still taken incredible skills from your previous businesses and brought that to what you're doing now. But I feel like. I feel like sometimes that mindset of, like, being okay with being the beginner can be really beneficial because things that sometimes you learn, things that you wouldn't have learned if you didn't allow yourself to be in that seat again.

I like to think of that as a gift. And a lot of entrepreneurs, they. They hate that. They're new business owners, right? They're, like, dreading that, and they just want to get to the part where they're successful, and they're like, when will it start being easier? And, Christine, you and I are like, no, it doesn't, like, learn better skills. You learn how to cope with it. But at the same time, that day one, or that early stage of a pivot or your business can be such a beautiful time if not many people are watching you, or if you feel like you're having to reintroduce yourself to your audience, that's a time when the pressure's off. Like, you get to experiment. You get to just be the most honest version of yourself because you don't have years of data to fall back on. And I just look at that as a gift, as a good way to try new things and test out the waters without fully committing to something entirely.

And what drew you to make that change from E commerce to then coming into the coaching space?

So this is a little bit farther back, but I originally started my professional career as a college professor, so that was my only dream in life, was to be a teacher. And at 23 years old. I finished my master's degree and stepped into my first classroom as a professor at 23 years old. And most of the students were my age or looked like me. Most people thought I was a student. And I love teaching, but it did not take me very long to realize that, especially in the US I'm not sure about Australia, but public education is really awful to work in. It's a very stressful, high stress environment. And I was incredibly underpaid and undervalued. And I began to think like, this is not my life. Like, I just, I thought I wanted this dream and it turned out it was not actually what I wanted. But I didn't know what else I was going to do. And so I started dabbling in entrepreneurship. Those businesses began to grow and, and E commerce. I was good at it, but I had no passion for physical products. I was like, I don't care what I'm selling. Like, I just like the problem solving of the marketing and I like helping other people grow their businesses. And what I realize now, having been a few years removed from that, is I just really like teaching at the end of the day. And so being able to identify that zone of genius and recognize that coaching and digital products and speaking and hosting events, those are social media. So much in alignment with that dream of being a teacher. And so that part was actually a much more natural and much easier transition for me away from physical products because it felt like I had gained the experience in business, but now I was doing the thing that I was actually called to do.

So good. So good. Yeah, I know that was going back a bit, but I, I actually was just curious. I'm like, I want to know what the shift was. So I love that. Thank you for sharing that. And let's, let's talk more about standing out online. Like, I know building a personal brand is really key. I feel like one of the most important things at this point in time in business because differentiating yourself as a personal brand is supportive of your business growth. But standing out online is one of the hardest things to do. Would you say? Like, I feel like it's one of the things that people are always talking about. Everyone's banging on about how the algorithm is always changing and it's so hard to get notice now. What are you noticing that's starting to shift when it comes to sending out online?

That's a great question. So we could get into some tips and strategies, but the acknowledgment, I think that the algorithm is not what it was A couple years ago, like needs to be made. If you feel that way, it's. You are not wrong. I used to post in 2021 and, or 2022 and it was like easy to get, you know, 30,000 to 500,000 views on a reel. That was. If I post that today, I'm lucky if I get 900. And it really has very little to do with your content. But I think that we are frustrated because people have this expectation that that's what they're going to get. And so because we don't have that and because a lot of marketers sold programs based on telling you you could achieve that. And that's not the reality of the algorithm anymore, people are very frustrated and they think that if they could just make the algorithm happy, it would change things in their business. When a better approach would be, you know, figuring out like, how can we stand out online? So when it comes to standing out online, having a personal brand and putting your face in front of the camera is one of the biggest differentiators right now. People are seeking that out even from smaller creators. This is what I see in our community, in our mastermind. Like the ones who are making face to face to camera reels are the ones who are, even with a tiny audience, getting clients very quickly and growing their business very quickly. Because people are craving connection. And in a world of AI, we are inundated with content that is cookie cutter, that is inauthentic, that has no way for people to connect. In the United States, 58% of Americans report being lonely on a weekly to daily basis. I'm sure it's very similar in Australia as well. And so knowing that a big part of what people are looking for is truly just connection and being seen. And so yes, you might be talking to a camera, but if you're putting your face out there and you're saying the words, you have an opportunity for someone to feel like you see them.

My goodness, isn't that crazy? Just like the, the loneliness element and how we're looking to online to create that connection. And yet I feel like this is also why in person events are doing so well as well. Because people are really looking for that next level of connection beyond online. And so what are you noticing that people are doing differently to create that connection? Because I feel like, like as much as it's a social media platform, the whole purpose of it is to create connection. People, when they're in their businesses, they get really weird about it. Like it's almost like they're not really sure what to share, what not to share. They. What. What's consistency even mean? Like, when I think about the people that I follow, they're very consistent and so they're reliable. So I'm. It's almost like a warm hug when I know that they're going to be there when I show it. When I jump onto social media, I know to look for their. For their stories and their reels and whatnot. But, like, what are you noticing that people are doing differently that helps them build that connection.

Yeah. So recognition is what people need right now. If you want to stand out, you need to be recognizable. And the only way to do that really, really well is to be repetitive. So this is not what people expect me to say. They, they think I'm going to say, make these really creative reels or, like, be the most innovative person on social media and that'll scale your business. And that might be true, but I don't have time for that. And I'm not that creative of a person. But what I can do is be recognizable. So something I see that's working really well is to find ways that you can create some kind of recognizable feature in your content. Now, you can do that through esthetics. So some people do this by having the same colors, the same branding, or the same type of video filming. So, for example, if you're a fitness coach, maybe you're always filming in a specific gym, so that gym becomes to become recognizable in your content, or you wear the same clothes while you're doing different types of activities or the same pink blazer. Visual cues do help people to stop the scroll. But more importantly than that, what is a journey or goal or mission that you could share that you can repeat in something people can understand very quickly and very easily? So find and you can play around with this you can use to generate ideas, but finding something that you can resonate with people on. And one of the things that we do with a lot of my clients inside my mastermind is we'll say, like, what is the. The journey people want to go on with you? So what is day one of becoming the best realtor in your city? Or, you know, you're saying, working out every day until I quit, and you post that same thing on your social media every single day? Day one, day two, day three. That can be a very powerful way to become recognizable or, you know, finding some other phrase repeatable process. Some of the people who I see doing really well on social media and standing out online are starting with some kind of verbal or text hook that is repeatable. And basically it's just like that way, once someone finds one of your videos and they really enjoy it, doing that again and again help them to then establish getting in the habit of seeing you. The average person on social media sees a hundred thousand words a day between their emails. Right. And posts and comments, and it's like, we don't remember any of that. So you've got to find some ways for. To make it easy for people to recognize you. So it's really layered, right? You have, you. You have your values, what you stand for. And then kind of the icing on the cake is like, how are you being an authority and also someone that people can recognize online?

Oh, my goodness. So many different things to explore there. Like, yes, building that authority. We could even go down that avenue if you want to. But I feel like, how have you built the authority in your space? I think I would love to know because. But just before we dive into that, like, that journey piece, I feel like, is so powerful and yet people do this on TikTok really, really well. And I feel like it's one of the spaces where people are being drawn more too, because it is taking people along the journey and it is a bit more real and raw. And yet Instagram is almost like still holding on to trying to be this perfect aesthetic. So how do you support people with this of, like, trying to keep it perfect? Because I feel like there's this barrier sometimes that people like, like, what. What's your take on this? Like, I. My take is like, just get content out there. Like, if you're not actually showing up and being visible, then you can't be seen and you can't be paid. Right. I agree with you. There's. And that's my take on it. But like, that perfectionism piece really holds people back of like, how do I keep my. My feed perfect but then create more content, specifically more consistently? Like, where. Where what are you noticing is causing people to get stuck there?

Yeah. I mean, the last time I checked, perfectionism never added any dollars to my bank account. I. I've generated over a million dollars in small business sales for myself and millions of dollars for clients. And I've never sold a perfect product, and I've never put out a product piece of content that I was like, this was perfect. This one did it. And it's often the most imperfect pieces of content that convert to sales because they are often the most genuine and they're the most authentic. And people can see that. I think that we think people want perfectionism, but what people are actually doing is trying to see if they can trust you. Trying to see if you know what you're talking about. Are you an expert? Are you someone that they genuinely think can help them in some way and that really doesn't have anything to do with perfectionism at the end of the day. And I would also encourage you to think about if you are someone who struggles with perfectionism, which is just a form of self doubt. It is just like imposter syndrome, a lack of confidence. So recognizing it for what it is. But then think about all the people that you admire that you've bought coaching from, or you've bought event tickets, or you bought their book. And then go look at their social media. And I want you to notice like the time they did it in a dark room, like it was blurry, they had no makeup on. Right. Like their dogs in the room. Or just like the reel was very cringe, like it was not funny and it was really bad and it was like a dancing point. I've done thousands of videos at this point. Just like, I don't think that perfectionism would have somehow made this magical difference.

Yeah.

So just getting out of that box is really, you just gotta. Just gotta rip the band aid off and do it.

And I think that that is also where people are comparing, like, and you've probably heard this before, we're comparing someone's chapter 10 to our chapter one. And we're just not willing to, like you said before before, like, be that beginner and just start fresh and be like, be okay with trying to perfect it in the process rather than actually trying to get it all perfect before I get it out there. Like, my socials is very far from perfect. Very far. And yet you're right. I always relate to people that are just doing that real, genuine, raw content that I think we see ourselves in as well. Like we're not because I think it's perfectionism or perfect. Being perfect is so hard to measure up to. So like when someone else is being so perfect, we can't see ourselves in that because there's no such thing.

I think that the people we see as perfect on social media, the people who will buy that and who want that, we overestimate the size of that group of people. We think all the buyers are flocking to them. When I think that the majority of people in the world, like, that's not what they're buying. Right. The majority of people we can help, they actually want someone real.

Yeah. Oh, my gosh, I love that so much. And so talk to us more about building that authority and I'd love to hear it from that, from a perspective of now, how you're showing up in your business and you're creating in person events and you're creating an incredible summit that we've got coming up that I want to talk about. But what do you look to when it comes to the people that you're putting on stages, right, the people that you're sharing your community with? What do you look for in other. Other creators?

That's a great question. And I think that the way that I have started to view authority and expertise and almost someone who is magnetic in the space online and who truly stand out to me has definitely shifted. So a lot of the way that we view other people is really about how we view ourselves. So as my confidence in my own authority and like, oh, I am successful because I've started four businesses and I can help people on all these different areas. As my confidence grew and my authority grew, I also began to look at the way other people show up online differently. So I think in the beginning I might have said, oh, she has all of these followers, right? Like, she has this really big audience or her stuff's really good or really funny, her content's great. And that's maybe where I would have started from a point of deciding to buy from someone or have them on my podcast or book them as a speaker. And now I. As you probably know, with hosting your own events, once you become a conference host, you get pitched all the time. Same with the podcast, but especially with live events, everyone wants to speak and you kind of have to do a couple of things. So one, you have to be protective of the community you've built and be aware that every single time you endorse someone, your community might buy from them. In fact, it's very likely that they will buy from them if you put them on their. On your stage or have them teach in your community. So you want to be incredibly careful with that responsibility and make sure that the people you invite, that you vet them, that you've checked out, they have testimonials, they have. They know their stuff, you've watched their content, there's someone that their values align with you. So there's that piece. And then the second piece is, I want to see the kind of person showing up the way I'm also trying to show up. So I'm very driven. I'm going to put myself out there. I'm putting myself in rooms. I'm constantly doing and testing new things in my business. And. And I'm not afraid to pull back the curtain a little bit and bring my audience and my community with me. So they'll see things in process. They'll. I'll explain why I'm doing something, and that's how I look. For authority is someone who's not trying to pretend, someone who isn't obsessed with perfection. Because I think that it's so obvious. If someone is so obsessed with their feed and their content being perfect, chances are they're incredibly insecure about the authority piece. And it's almost like those two things repel each other. And the authority person is like, I know my stuff backwards and forwards. I'm going to show up and do a good job. But I'm more focused on the impact and sharing knowledge than I am about the perfectionism. And that experience shows. Right, so you can see this in. Are they speaking on other stages? Are they shouting out other people's podcasts? That's. I'll watch their stories and I'll say, did they tag other people? Were they talking about their goals? That's what I look for for an authority piece. Because how you show up in your life is how you're going to show up for your clients, and it's how you're going to show up on my stage.

Oh, my gosh, a hundred thousand percent. I'm like, totally agree with you in all of this. And the values piece, I think, is such a massive piece of the values alignment to ensure you're finding the right person. And I'd love to, like, it's so interesting because, like, with. I'm obviously hosting an event later in the year here in Australia, and so I'm also getting all the speaker pitches. And I'd love to just hear from you before I share, but, like, what are you noticing that people do wrong in their pitch?

Okay. And I hope that I feel bad even starting this conversation because I believe in, like, let's pull back the curtain and be transparent. And this is going to help you. And also, we're not trying to be mean.

Yes, exactly. Because I'm like, it's so interesting because it's like, I. I know what I'm looking for, and when I don't get that information, I'm like, well, how do I find it to even know if you're the right fit? So that's why I'm like, yes, let's. Let's share it as a what to do rather than what not to do.

Yeah, yeah. So typically, the. The what not to do is, like, slide into me, my DMs, and say, hey, can I speak on XYZ. A lot of time people just say, hey, can I speak? And that's it. There's no information. And they haven't. They haven't, like, talked to me about it or anything. And so I'm like, no, no.

Like, how can I make a decision on that lack of information?

Yes. So the. The how I have accepted people. Maybe we'll start there. On the more positive side is people who are specific. You know, I'm an expert on this. I can speak on this. And I am happy to give you some different examples. A lot of people, I've noticed, they're afraid to pitch the wrong topic. They don't want to get rejected when they have maybe two or three different options. And so I'm totally okay when people ask me, hey, could I give you multiple choices? And then you can. We can go from there. Can you review more than one? I'm typically okay with that. The other big piece that a lot of people miss is they don't engage with my content, and they don't know anything about me or my community. So they're applying, and I've never heard of them before, and they might be an expert, so they might actually have the authority piece. But then it's not clear to me why they want to be involved in my community. It seems like they just want to add my stage for their credibility, and it's not coming from a place of service and connection. And because those are my values, I want to make sure that I accept speakers who are going to show up in that way. So it makes a big difference for me when people engage with my content. Or they applied to speak and they said, hey, I also went and left you a podcast review because I love this episode. Like, there's little touches that you can use if you're a potential speaker and you want to get accepted. Like, there are ways for you to stand out. And a big part of that is just, like, going above the bare minimum. Like, don't just submit the application. So I want to hear you, Christine. Like, maybe you're, like, doing something.

I love that. I love that. It's so good. And I. It's beautiful little tips that you can give that people just don't think of. Right. And I think, like, be clear with your pitch, for one. Like, if I can't make a decision off no information, and if you make it hard for the person because the amount of pictures that we go through, like if you make it hard for the person to find the information, it's a no. Like it's a straight up no. And I feel like. So when I'm looking for someone, like especially for in person, I imagine it would be the same for you. I want to see that they can hold a room, I want to see what type of energy that they can bring. And usually I will look to video content, to be honest, to look for that. And so I'm either looking at their stories or looking at the reels that they've put out. And especially with speaking, like I've had quite a few pictures where they like send me to their Instagram, but there's actually nothing there for me to really look at. So they're either using trending audios or they're not doing any speaking to face to camera content. And so I'm like, I can't get a feel for what you actually talk about versus the energy that you bring. And so if I'm going to put you in front of 150 women, holding space for a room that big takes presence and takes energy. And so I'm really looking for that. And I feel like sometimes people pitch without the content and they're like, oh, the topic might be great, but then I have no way of getting to know you. And that's like already a red flag for me because I'm like, if you're not. And similar to what you were saying earlier, like, if you're not doing what I'm doing, showing up and serving and being active on social media, how do I know that you're not going to cancel the week before? Like, I don't know. Like, like, so it is that responsibility. I love that you spoke about the responsibility piece because it is, it is huge. And I think over the years of running events and running masterminds and having guest speakers come in and present for my, my community, it is a level of responsibility that not only it's about the standard of person that you have come and speak, but like it's that beyond piece of, like if they then went and worked with them, do they do good work? And is that going to be a reflection on me? And so it's such a huge responsibility. And I think that people don't understand that, especially they've never run events before, so they don't have that expectation. But yeah, so for me it's very much like, can I see that you're creating content that I can connect with And I've just had so many people pitch where they're either have no video content at all. And this has also been my journey. Like, I remember pitching for a speaking gig that I wanted. It was a keynote. It was like probably my second year of business. And they were like, yeah, great, can you send me some video content of you to share with the GM of the company to see whether that you'd be the right fit? And I had nothing. I had nothing that was worthwhile. And so if you want to be a speaker, I would just suggest, like actively go and create some really great pieces of content that you can share, whether it's on YouTube, whether it's on Instagram, it doesn't matter where, but use it to one, only create your personal brand. So we will know what you talk about, but put it out there because if I can see you talking about that topic, it makes me feel more connected to what you're sharing and to see whether it'd be the right fit for my audience because they're also looking as well from like different perspectives of topics. So it's a whole bunch of different things. So, yeah, I really appreciate you sharing your thoughts on that.

The video. I. If you're listening to this and you're interested in speaking, know that I will go watch all of your reels. Like, I will go scroll through a lot of them, but it's because I want to know what's the energy. And also I mentioned earlier at the beginning of this podcast, like, consider what you want to be known for. Make sure that that is a big part of the whole of your content. Because if you apply to speak on this topic, but then I go to your social media and you might have great talking head videos, but they're showing that you are an expert in something totally different, then I'm probably not going to accept your pitch on that. So those are such great insights and like being aware. So if you're going to apply for something and you don't have any talking head videos, if you don't have any speaking content related to that, it could definitely affect your application. And I would consider if, if the timeline is right, like from a very practical strategy point of view, like put out a bunch of that content the same week that you're going to apply for something big.

Yeah, it's not. That's not, not that hard. Yeah. So good.

If you really want to speak, you should be willing to put into this kind of effort. And it's not just, you know, speaking. It holds so much responsibility Even if you're just the person on the stage, like, you have this opportunity to grow your business, to get more opportunities, but also to change something significant for someone in that audience. And so treating this not lightly, but with a lot of care and intention is very important.

Yeah, and I loved your tip on too, like making sure that you're interacting with someone's content beforehand. And because I've had that as well, where people have just out of the blue hit follow, sent me a DM straight up, like, hey, I love your event, can I come and speak? And I'm like, who are you? I don't even know who you are. And yet they were a great authority. Actually when I went and looked at their stuff, I was like, oh, actually I might, maybe I will consider them. But I was like, one, give me a better pitch. But two, go through the proper processes because actually how to re like actively. It's very clear on my sign up page for the event. Like if you want to apply as a speaker, like, it's very clear and there's a process. So like sometimes it's like, like it's okay to send a dm, but make sure it's like you were saying before, like, give me more information rather than just like, hey, can I jump on your stage? What for? And what are you going to talk about? And is it related to what I'm actually speaking on with regards to the event? So creating that relevance, otherwise it makes it really hard for us to make a decision. So I love that. Talk to us about the summit. So we've got an incredible summit coming up very, very soon. And tell us about where the idea came from and we what you're wanting to achieve with this summit.

Yes, the summit is called standout and sellout. And it is a personal brand summit for women in business who are at that point where they already have clients, they've already had some success in business, but they are at that stage where they feel they don't know what to do next to stand out online because they have some experience making content, they have some offers, but there are some missing very small but very critical pieces. And what I have seen after working with over 3000 women in business as my clients is that typically those problems, those gaps fall into one of three areas, visibility, profitability, or authority. So they're missing either being seen by people having offers in a sales strategy, or being seen as an expert and being seen as an authority in the space. And if you can identify which one you struggle with and then find the solutions to that and improve your skills in that area as opposed to thinking you need to re haul like overdo your do over your business as a whole. If you can just identify those missing gaps and improve your skills there, it could be that just a few small things could really make you stand out online and really help you grow and scale your business. And so that's kind of the idea. And because at the power table, we don't really like to do anything small, we don't play small. And I'm always encouraging my community, like whatever you think you can do, like 10x the possibility of that. And so instead of just having myself teach some classes or having a small virtual summit, I ended up inviting 45 of my incredible friends and connections, including you, Christine, who are all vetted experts who just went through that process that we just talked about when it comes to accepting speakers to come in and teach. And it is a three day summit. It's July 23rd to 25th, it's open worldwide and it is completely free.

Oh, I'm so excited for it because when I went and looked through the list of speakers, I literally had to pinpoint like quite a few of them. Like I'm going make sure that I tune in for those. So I'm so excited because I feel like especially at this time of the year, it's such a perfect time to reset, to refocus, to get really clear on what your intentions are going to be for the remainder of the year and figure out like what the missing gaps are. Because usually it's missing gaps. It's like you don't, I don't have a personal brand or you're not really clear on like what we're talking about at the beginning of the podcast, like what your actual narrative is or you don't actually have much an authority or you need to improve your authority or you need to improve your profitability. So yeah, it's, I love the three core areas that we're going to focus on for the summer and I, you've, you've curated an incredible list of speakers.

Thank you. And it was designed to, for people to come in and be able to take those pieces that they need. So maybe you only want to tune into the visibility pieces. Like you can do that. We also, because we are really big on community, we also have live networking every single day. So one of the most beautiful things that I see with women in business is that their business grows when their circle expands. So come and like make more connections, meet more incredible women in business and then we'll have live Mastermind events in the evening, every evening. And I'm sure some of our speakers will pop in so you get to interact with them. It's going to be a great three days. And I really think it's kind of that business conference that you have so much FOMO for and you're like looking at the page and then you're like, I don't really want to get on a plane and fly this time of year, but it instead you can do it all from home. It's a virtual summit and it's completely free.

Love it, Love it. I'm going to be there for all three days and I'm so excited for all the speakers and I love that it was actually the reason why I reached out to be a part of this was actually the networking. So I was like, I just love that concept and I'm such a big believer, just like yourself, of like getting in the right rooms, making those connections because you just never know, like the opportunity, opportunity just like right here where we're having this podcast where I made that connection with you last year, like the beginning of last year, got to chat with you, got to stay connected with you online to see what you've created online and then to also pitch to be a speaker for the summer and then be a part of that. Like, that is literally the epitome of the intention around building community. And I just love that that's your intention. And then when I saw you post about this, I was like, oh, I really want to build my community in America and I really want to build my community here in Australia. So, like, how are we going to do that? And doing it virtually is such a beautiful way to do that. And I think that sometimes we can get caught up in business and forget that that's the point and forget that the impact that being in the right room can have. Like you were saying earlier, like, it can be a shift in perspective, it can be one little thing that you needed to hear from that one person or, or the connection that you make. Like, it's so incredible if you do it really effectively. And I just know that the way that you're going to curate this is going to be so beautiful. So I'll make sure that I put all the links in the show notes and so that everyone can join and be a part of it. Is there anything else you would love for people to know about the Stand Up, Standout and Sell out summit?

Yeah, it's global, so I know that probably a lot of your Listeners here are in Australia. We have multiple speakers from Australia. We have quite a few, of course, from the United States, but we have speakers in Canada and all over the world too. So it is a global summit and in different time zones. Know that the talks, you'll be able to watch them throughout the three days, like they will be available for you. You don't have to sign in at a certain time, of course, with our live events, they're on a schedule and it might be. You might have to rearrange your time a little bit if you're across the world, but it is open to everyone worldwide.

Amazing. And can we get replays?

Yes, yes. So we're getting very specific here, but if you are, if you have the free ticket, which is open to everyone, you get 24 hours from the start of each talk. So it'll be like three, basically four days of free content. And then if you want to access the 45 plus trainings to watch again, you get lifetime access. Not to mention, we put together a VIP bag where all of our incredible speakers added in their products that they normally pay for, they, they charge people for. And they're on things like sales training, content templates, profitability calculators on. There's software and tech apps in there. There's so much, and it's actually over 3, $600 worth of extra goodies from our speakers that they put in completely into this VIP bag. And we will have an upgraded all access Pass ticket. It's 79, and if you want, you can grab that and then you'll have lifetime access to the replays, plus all of those bonuses.

Ah, amazing. Amazing. Oh my goodness. I'm gonna definitely grab that because even like with what I gave, it's. Well, the value of there is way over just that, that price. So I can imagine what everyone else is putting in as well. So, so excited for it. I make sure I pop all the links in the show notes and that way everyone can join and be a part of it. And I just have one last little question for you for the podcast and thank you so much for being here and sharing your wisdom today. It's been such a joy chatting with you. If someone was listening and really wanting to take their business to the next level, what's one piece of advice you would give them?

Expect that your business is going to grow and change every couple of years because you are going to grow and change so quickly. And so the sooner that you realize that, that you're always learning and always in a place of expanding it takes so much pressure off of you to get it right, knowing that you're just going to keep growing and changing it as you go.

Oh, so true that evolution is just part of it, and I think the resistance that we have to it can cause us to slow the process down. So I just love that. Thank you so much for sharing that today, Taylor. It's been such a joy chatting with you.

Thank you so much for having me on the podcast.