#55: Your Personal Brand, Offer Creation, and Signing Your Next Client

Your brand is you. People think, oh, I have to be this brand or I have to have this image. And no, you just have to be yourself. But let's see, you know, what that is and how can you pull out those pieces to share it with your audience.

Hey, coach, my name's Lindsay and I'm here to help heart-centered women like you build the money-making coaching business of their dreams. I've been coaching since 2019 and this pod is about It's about using your gifts to build a life and business you're 100% obsessed with. I went from working 50+ hours a week as a first grade teacher to building a sustainable business that replaced my job salary and gave me back 30+ hours a week of my time. Tune in to join the ride and learn from other coaches and experts along the way. All right, welcome back everyone to the Aligned Coach Podcast. I'm so excited to have you here or to have you here for the first time, or if you're a returning listener, thanks for tuning in.. And today's interviewee is Stacy Hagen. Stacy Hagen is a business coach. She works with other entrepreneurs and women business owners to build a brand and a business that they're absolutely obsessed with. So I'm so excited to have a fellow business coach on the podcast with me. Like, I just know that our conversation is going to be so good. So thank you for coming on, Stacy.

Yeah, thanks so much for having me, Lindsay. I'm so excited as well.

Yeah, yeah. I love it. Like whenever we can just dive into like all things business and like entrepreneur and like, you know, just get into like the meat of stuff. So I'm very excited to see where this leads us today.

Yeah, me too.

It's always nice when we're speaking the same language too.

Absolutely. So one thing that I really was like intrigued about before we jumped on this was about being the brand strategist part. I think that this is something that's like not talked about enough or like we're all kind of like, what's a brand? And like, how do you build one? And like, do I have one? You know? So can we talk about that a little bit and like what, what that really means and like maybe what your role is, um, with your clients, like helping them pull that out and helping them develop that. Totally.

That is such a good question. And I feel like this word brand is so confusing. So I'm happy to chat about it. Um, and of course it's confusing, like unless you, you know, were in the branding or marketing world, you might not be familiar with it. And I think most people think of a brand as like colors, a logo, like pretty fonts, like a really nice Instagram feed. But that's just the visual aspect of your brand. So your actual brand is, you know, what you want to be known for as a business owner or a coach, you know, what makes you different, what makes you unique. And it's about how you communicate that and the impression that you leave on not only your clients, but the people that come across you no matter where you are. And so that's really where the strategy piece comes in. Because when you're just starting, you want to think about, okay, well, you know, I'm a life coach, but what makes me different? What makes me stand out? How can I put myself out there in a way that really communicates who I am and reflects what I do? And that's really how I work with clients on branding.

Yeah. So it's like the stuff that's not necessarily like seen by the eye, but it's sort of like how you make people feel, right? Like, how are you speaking to them? I personally go back and forth on this, like trying to find like my voice, you know, and I think that a lot of women business owners kind of struggle with that, you know, like, am I nurturing or like, am I very authoritative or like, you know, like finding what is my authentic voice? So is that like similar to like what the branding piece of your business is?

Yeah, that's it. That's, that's a part of it. And there, there is an exercise that I will take people through and kind of defining what is that brand personality, or what What is your brand tone of voice? But it is, I mean, every person is automatically unique because there's no one like you. So whether you decide I'm more professional or I'm more casual, the way you are is actually your brand. Right.

And we don't have as much control over it as like we want to think that we do.

Right. Yeah. And you can't, you could say, oh, I want to be, you could be like a more casual person and say, I want to be a totally like buttoned up professional coach. Wear, you know, suits, but the magic I think of starting a business for yourself is you can just be you and let that shine through. And that will be the thing that attracts your ideal clients. And sometimes like with branding, another person like me as a coach might notice something that you haven't necessarily noticed about yourself or that you just take for granted because it's such an innate skill or gift. And then, you know, it is about noticing what those things are and then being able to communicate them.

And like using that with your superpower, right? So like expanding on that, like, oh, like that's the thing, like I'm really good at, or like, oh, that's what people really resonate with.

Hey, quick plug. It's Lindsey here. Thanks for tuning into the Aligned Coach Podcast. It would be so cool if you screenshot the episode that you're listening to, share it on Instagram and tag us. You can tag the podcast @thealignedcoachpodcast, or you can tag me personally @lindsey.bodea. I would love to share you with my Community. I would love to hear what your best breakthrough is. It lights me up so much to see whenever our listeners and our Community is really engaging with the content and whenever they're taking action and they're moving forward, right? So I would be so honored and so appreciative if you could share this on your stories, Tag us, share it with your communities, get more beautiful souls, business consultants, coaches into our Community so that they too can grow with us and we can grow with them. And everyone's just moving towards the same vision. So thank you so much for listening to today's episode.

Let's jump back in. Yeah. And like, you know, going deeper into that piece.

Totally.

And I'm glad you said superpower too. And like the, the most interesting thing about that is like normally our superpowers are those things that we just take for granted because we're just so used to them. They've been gifts we've had all our lives. So yeah, it is often the thing that we take for granted, the thing that we're the best at.

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. I love that.

That's such a good definition.

I think that takes the pressure off of us too, you know, that like we don't have to have the perfect Instagram, right? Like we don't have to have the perfectly curated website and like all of the things that to the eye like we think really, really matters, especially in the beginning. And it's more so like in like the things that are just natural to you. So yeah, thank you Thank you for that permission slip.

Yeah. Yeah. Your brand is you. And I think that's where maybe branding doesn't get such a good reputation. People think, oh, I have to be this brand or I have to have this image. And no, you just have to be yourself, but let's see, you know, what that is and how can you pull out those pieces to share it with your audience?

Yeah. Yeah. I love that. What's your brand? What are like some like main, like pillars of your branding? I'm just curious.

Yeah, yeah, that's so interesting. And I think a brand is kind of like always evolving, but there are going to be those like core things that never change. So, so I am a business coach, but I am also an introvert. I'm a highly sensitive person. I bring a mix of intuition and strategy. I'm never ever going to say just do it this way. It's a collaborative approach. And I do believe that even with you know, business coaching clients, even with people who have never started a business before, there are so many answers that are inside of you and it is a matter of like pulling those out and using them to build your business.

Oh, I love that. That's so good.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Because you know, there's really no cut and dry answer. Like there's no one way to do this. You know?

I know. I honestly, I find myself saying that all the time because I get questions for people like, You know, what is the best way to market? Or what is the best way to do my email newsletter? Or what is the best call to action? And it's like, okay, there is no best really.

Right. It's the one that you do. Like it's the one that you implement. Yeah, totally.

It's the one that you do and it will change over time and that's totally okay.

Yep. Absolutely. Yeah. So good. So good. Um, okay. So I also noticed that you really focus on like offer suite development and on curating your offers and your services and things. Um, can you tell tell us like a little bit about what that means. So, you know, a really big phase in the coaching industry, which I feel like is changing somewhat, is shifting. A really big thing was like high ticket only and like only offering like high ticket services, you know, like $3K and above, which is great. Like I love a good high ticket offer. Like, you know, that's my specialty. However, what do you think? Like what do you help your clients with? Like what would you suggest to a new coach or a new entrepreneur that's entering the space? And they're like, Stacy, where do I Where do I start? Like, what do I need to do first? You know, what would you say to them?

Yeah, that's such a good question. And some of it depends on the individual business. Like your business depends on you and your ideal clients and what they need. And I, I believe that offers should not be created in a vacuum. You, you know, I think we all have great ideas and it can be really tempting to just like, oh, I have this great idea. I'm going to turn it into an offer. Oh, and then no one's buying it. I believe that offers should be co-created, like, with your ideal clients. So either you see a need in the marketplace, you have a conversation, people are asking you about this, you know, that is, you know, the impetus to create an offer. So you're creating something that some, some, someone is already interested in. And yes, it can totally be about you. So that's what I say, like, offers are really a mix of you and your expertise and your ideal clients. And as far as price, I do believe in creating like a suite of offers. And, and by suite, it's— you could have 3, um, that are targeted to specific people at specific stages with specific pain points. And I think, you know, there is no magical should it be high price, should it be low price. You want to keep in mind your clients. Like, my clients are often just starting their businesses. So they might not be willing to invest as much as someone who is scaling a multi-six-figure business. And you can't really separate that from what you're creating. Yeah.

Yeah. I love what you said. You can't create your offers in a vacuum, you know, and we have to listen to our market, right? Like we have to literally like constantly reflect, ask them, like involve them. Because the scope, the coaching industry is like ever-evolving. It's always changing. Trends change. Buying patterns change. So like, we have to listen to them. And not that like, we have to, you know, get validation for everything, because I think that sometimes it is our role to bring awareness to a problem and how to solve it, right? But it is like listening to that and being like, oh, okay, like, I can be intentional and like, listen to this and make adjustments, right? Right.

Yeah, yeah. And I think that's such a good point, because you are still the business owner, right? And you like as coaches, we, you know, there are the surface problems and then there are the deeper things that our clients maybe don't realize or aren't saying. And it is our job to solve for those too. But you do want to make sure that, you know, when you're creating your offer, you're tapping into something that is, that is needed. And even if you are talking to them about what they need and you're still giving, you're still giving them all the pieces to solve the underlying issues too. I, I think that's good. But you always want to have that almost a litmus test to make sure like, okay, this is resonating with these ideal clients before you go too far down the rabbit hole.

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Like, can I just like get some billers for this? Right. And it could be like working with, you know, a beta client or like a discounted launch of your product or service. Or even like, if like for an example, one thing I always do before I create anything new is I will ask I ask the clients that I'm working with, I'm like, hey, like, what do you think about this? You know, like, what would you want to see in this offer? You know, and ask, ask your ideal clients, ask those people, they're going to give you the best feedback on it, right? Rather than like your husband or like your mom or somebody who has no idea like what you're doing.

So yeah, that's such a great point. And it doesn't have to be, oh, this long validation process. As you said, it is a matter of just asking. So, you know, I had an idea for a new program like last year and based on something I was noticing people always complaining about in Facebook groups. So I thought, oh, what if I could create something that addressed, you know, these things they want, but also these things they actually need to solve to make it happen. And I had kind of just an idea. And before I went too far out there, I put it on a Facebook group and I said, hey, I have this idea. Like, what do you think? Would you be willing to talk to me about it? And I got a bunch of people who are willing to chat with me about it because they were so intrigued by the idea. So that's telling me, okay, like, I've, I've found something here. Now how can I create it to be successful, to like, to serve the clients and actually, you know, solve a problem or meet a desire?

Yeah, yeah, that's so good. And those people that like, um, helped you with that and like gave you that feedback, they're your warmest leads, you know? Like those people, like, those are your people right there, you know?

Yeah, yeah. I mean, and that is the thing in And that's the other thing, like, okay, yes, that can help you validate your offer and it can help you attract clients as well because the people that are responding to those posts, like you said, like those, those are the ideal clients for that offer. So yeah, absolutely.

Yeah.

I love it. I love it. That's the beauty of like organic marketing is that it's all based on like building relationship and just like genuinely serving.

Right.

And just staying in like, close contact with your community, you know, like, I think that it's so easy. Oh my goodness, it's so easy. I know from experience to like somehow draw this line in the sand and like become disconnected from our people, right? Because we are working online and we are remote and we're not seeing people and touching people. So it's like feel disconnected. And then you're like, what am I doing? And you start questioning everything and like, you know, you're in and then you just feel like this disconnect. So I love that just like getting back in contact with your people, putting your hands on them, you know, virtually, and just really involving them in that, in that process and in the development of your offers and stuff. Because that's going to get you back like in flow, you know, that's going to get you back to like that place of service and like creating things that people actually want, you know? Right.

Yeah.

And even if you start there and then you scale, it's still a great place to start. And I think sometimes we forget like business is still about relationships. Like, you know, I'm sure you and I met online. I can't quite remember where, but it is about like you meet somewhere in a giant space like social media and you, you know, you get introduced and you start building relationships and that's where you see, you know, where these opportunities can happen.

Yep. Absolutely. I love it.

Cool.

So Stacy, how did you get into coaching? I'm just so curious here.

Yeah. So I, um, I actually had a really powerful experience when I hired a coach. This was, oh my gosh, it was so long ago. I was actually in 2010 and I hired my first coach and I had such a transformational experience. And I was like, people like do this for a living. This is amazing. And so I was still working in the corporate world and I stayed in the corporate world a few years after that, but I was always curious about it. And eventually, like a few years down the line, I decided, you know, I really am serious about this. I decided to look at a few coach training programs. I signed up for a program. I, you know, got trained in within the year. And, and then, you know, that just kind of solidified my love of coaching. And then I realized, you know, I could combine like my background in business and marketing with coaching and just serve from this unique place of being able to like provide the strategy and the coaching support.

Yeah. Oh, I love it. I love it so much. So you've been in the coaching arena for, for a while now, right?

Yeah. So I went to coach training in 2014. I think 2015 was when I first like officially like I hung my business shingle or, you know, put my website up. So yeah.

What has been like the biggest like lesson? Like, oh my God, that's such a broad question. But like, I don't know, like what's like the one thing that like sticks out to you?

Ah, that is such a good question too. Um, so I would say, I mean, the first thing that came to mind when you asked that question is the trusting yourself and the willingness to trust yourself. Um, because I think no matter We all know this, like once we start a business, everyone is giving advice, like literally everyone. Just, I, if I open Instagram right now, everyone will be giving me business advice.

It's all different. It's all a different perspective and opinion.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And it's contradictory. And I think that's one thing I didn't do right off the bat is that I didn't trust myself necessarily. I trusted other people and I actually found myself building a business that didn't feel totally like mine. And I had— that was a lesson I had to learn. Like, okay, well, what feels good to me? If I have all this advice out there, even if I'm hiring a coach, you know, what resonates with me? What is my own gut and intuition telling me as well? Like, you just can't discount that.

Yeah.

Yeah.

That's so good. Trusting yourself.

Yeah.

I think for me, it's like dusting, dusting it off and like continuing, like just keep going, you know, like really flexing like that resiliency muscle. Because like we said, like it's not one and done, right? It's not, there's no perfect call to action. There's no perfect pitch. Like there's no perfect webinar. Like it's like dusting off your knees and like keeping on, keeping on, you know, and trusting yourself. Yes. They just go hand in hand.

Totally agree. Like that willingness to get up and to just persist. You know, I think, you know, the online world has like created this illusion that it's just so easy to start a business. It's just so easy, you know, just post on Instagram and you will like magically get clients, and that's not how it works.

Yeah, yes, yeah. What have been some of the most creative ways that like you've gotten clients or like or propelled your business forward?

Yeah, interesting. Um, honestly, especially at the beginning, but even now, I would say the relationship component has been super super important. I mean, the way I got my first few clients was I literally just posted on Facebook, like on my personal page, like, hey, if you haven't heard, I left my job and now I'm doing this and I am open to clients and this is the type of person I can help. And I got like my first 3 clients from my own network. Like, and, and so many people skip this step. Like we, we don't tell the people closest to us what we're doing or we don't ask ask for help or we don't say, hey, I'm open to take clients. So that was how I got my first few clients. I mean, social media has been helpful for me, but again, it is about like building the relationships, not just, you know, posting here and there.

Hello, it's Lindsey. So I want to share a really, really juicy client win from a beautiful student who came through Aligned Coach Academy. So this is our 12th 12-week signature program to learn how to sign high-ticket paying clients for your online coaching business. So before this student came through, she was all over the place, right? She was focusing on her website and funnels and really just kind of skipping from task to task. She didn't really have much clear direction that would bring in clients, right? So whenever she came into Alliance Coach Academy, we put the method that's like literally behind the madness So now she has more clarity, she has more structure, she actually knows what she's supposed to be doing each day. Like, she's never questioning how to bring in leads. If she wants to sign a client, she knows exactly what to do and exactly how to get them in in a heart-centered and aligned way, right? Whenever she came out of Aligned Coach Academy, she told me that she shifted her mindset to working with intention and service. She's confident in claiming herself as a coach, and she's really just claiming her authority in the online space as a transformational life coach. So if you're a coach that's wanting to get your business off the ground, you want to replace your 9-to-5 income, make full-time money online, you want to map out your flagship offer, right? You really want to just step into your power around high-ticket sales, right? I encourage you to join us in Aligned Coach Academy. We enroll year-round, so you can enroll whenever you're ready, but I encourage you to take action whenever you feel it in your stomach, whenever you know that this is for you, whenever you know that you are ready for the coaching, the strategic step-by-steps, right? We meet once a month for hot seat coaching where you are actually coached by me. You have lifetime access to the 12-module course so that you can always come back to it and re-implement and freshen up on any skills, right? We also have daily Q&A coaching inside of the course itself. So, if you know that this is what you want, go to the link in our show notes. Join us there and I would be so honored to support you in our next coaching call. All right, let's hop back to today's episode.

Writing.

I mean, yeah, yeah. Look, I don't want to struggle right now to get your first client. Please just take exactly what Stacy just said and like go make that post right now.

Literally just make that post. Make it on, make it on Facebook, make it on LinkedIn, make it on Instagram, wherever. Just make it. And you could also send the other thing, you know, I would recommend is is sending an email to your network, just telling people like what you're up to and that you are open for clients because you never know who's looking for the support that you're providing. I mean, the people that reached out to me on Facebook, I had no idea, you know, they needed that type of support. You don't know unless you're putting yourself out there.

Yeah.

My first paid client as a relationship coach now, like had nothing to do with business, was from a bridal shower.. And it was like one of our friends was getting married and we were just chatting like, hey, what do you do? She was a teacher. Oh, what do you do? I'm a teacher also, but I'm starting this business.

Oh really?

Like, I think I could use some help there. And like, it was just so genuine. So she was my first ever paid client. We worked together for like 10 weeks and it was beautiful and it happened in person organically. Like just for me having the courage to like say, this is what I do. And like, I was so scared to say it too. Right. Because it was so brand new and it's like nobody's going to get it, but she did, you know?

So yeah. Yeah. That, and that is, I think how most people get their first few clients, even though like we're a little bit resistant to it. Like you said, it's scary to say, well, I was doing this and now I'm doing this totally new thing. You know, it's scary to put yourself out there that way. But I mean, that's where you can see the biggest results.

Yep. So good. What are some of the ways like that you personally, I mean, 'Cause I think that all of us, well, I can't speak for everyone, but I think that we all crave like a super like present life and a very predictable business, right? Like we want sustainability. What are some ways that like you have found like a healthy dynamic between like life and work, right? Like what are ways that you have, 'cause it can really feel like a roller coaster in the beginning, you know, in those beginning phases. So like, what are some of the ways like you helped create like that flow and like that balance between the two?

Yeah.

I mean, I think it's challenging for everyone at the beginning, especially like I came from a corporate world where I had set hours. I had a boss like telling me what to do. And then, you know, all of a sudden, like you're in charge, you can technically work whenever you want and you are the one that has to give yourself the to-dos. Um, so it is really important to balance. I would say I probably erred on the side of overworking at the beginning thinking, well, I'm working from home. I can just work into the evening or I can just have my laptop out when I'm watching watching TV. But now I'm pretty— I have a lot of good boundaries as far as like, these are my work hours. I'm still flexible with myself. But once I leave my desk, I leave it. I don't take my laptop around. I'm— I don't work on the weekends anymore, which has been really nice to actually, you know, reclaim your time in your weekends. And I think we forget, like, we're not that productive when we're working all the time.

Yeah.

I actually found myself being way more productive when I was allowing myself weekends off or working shorter workdays.

Yep.

Absolutely.

Yeah.

I like don't, I can't, I just like literally have to have that time to shut it off. Like sometimes I won't even open up. I would say like 70% of the time I won't even open up social media on the weekends, you know? Um, because it does like, it's work still. Right. And, and if you're there, like, of course you want to go creep on like what your clients are doing or like even the coaches that you admire. Right. So it's hard to just like make social media be social, right? I really have to like limit my time there on the weekends and stuff. But yeah, I think that it's so easy to overwork ourselves because we enjoy it. Like we really like what we do.

So it's like, oh, this is fun.

You know, we can just stay up all night working on our website. It's like, there comes a moment where you're like, wait a minute, like I've got to enjoy my life. You know, I've got to do things outside of business that light me up. So that was, that's been a huge lesson. Like I've officially been in the coaching world for 2 years now. Yeah, like this, this month makes 2 years officially. Um, so it's really been a lesson like these past 2 years of like, you've got to have those lines and like, that's okay. Like it's fine. You know, it's healthy.

Yeah. Yeah. And, and, and knowing that it's going to be fine, like is that extra hour on a Saturday, is it really going to produce something for you? Right. Isn't it better to just rest and come back refreshed on Monday?

Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. So good. Okay, Stacy, so if you could tell any of the coaches or like aspiring business owners right now anything, like what would you say to them? Oh my gosh.

Um, now I just drew a blank.

Um, I—

okay, so I will say I think the most important thing you can do for anyone starting a business, growing a business is just making sure you are tapping into what you really want and you're building your business based on what you really want, because it's so easy to get distracted and see, oh, this coach is successful and she's doing that, or this business coach told me to do that. You know, really like check within yourself and make sure that you are feeling good about where you're going and what you're doing.

So good.

Yeah.

Can you give us like a tangible example of that? Maybe a personal example or like like from like a client or something like that?

Yeah, good question.

Okay.

So I'll give you an example from when I was like an early coach and one of something my business coach was telling me is, so we were talking about niching and you know, it's good to pick a niche, but she was telling me, she was basically telling me, guiding me to one way versus the other and what I really wanted to do. She was like, well, I don't think you can do that. I think that's like two separate businesses.

And I was like, I'm like, this is really what I want to do.

And so it kind of took me off course. And I was like, I was like a baby Coach. I was like fresh out of Coach training. And I'm like, well, I'm going to trust this expert. And it really kind of took me off course. And I had to actually, after I was done working with her, go back to that place, change my business a little bit to be what I wanted. So yeah, so I think that just goes to, and of course, Of course, people have well-intentioned advice, but just make sure it's fitting with you and it's sitting well with you.

That's so good. Thank you for sharing that. Yeah.

Thank you.

I know that that is a common thing, you know, because we do look up to each other and it's okay, right? Like I have my clients like, Lindi, like, just tell me what to do in this situation. Like, just tell me. And like, well, like that's not going to do you any good, right? Like you have to go with what feels good for you, right? So it's a very natural thing to want and to crave from your mentors is like just a clear-cut answer. So she probably thought like she probably had the best intention, you know?

Yeah. And I think most coaches do too. Uh, and I, and I have the same experience. Clients will say, well, Stacy, just tell me like, what would you do?

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah. I can tell you what I would do and I can, and we can talk about ways you could do it. And then I also want to know what feels best for you.

Absolutely. Absolutely.

Yeah.

Trust that.

Trust that. You tell me what feels good for you and then we'll strategize from there. Like then we'll bust out a plan from there, but like you have to lead it.

Yeah. Yeah. Because it doesn't, it doesn't help anyone when someone just gives you straight advice of what to do and you're feeling really resistant and you just do it anyway. I mean, that doesn't, that doesn't feel good.

Yep.

Absolutely.

So good.

All right, Stacy. Well, where can our audience, where can our listeners come and connect with you? Where can they come and learn more from you and just soak up your energy and your expertise?

Yeah. So my website is createcoachingconsulting.com. Uh, I'm also on Instagram more than Facebook these days. And my Instagram is, uh, @create_coaching. So happy to connect with anyone there.

Yay.

Awesome.

Thank you so much, Stacey. I have enjoyed this. I think this has been just such a fun talk. Anyone that wants to go connect with Stacy, we'll put the link below. You'll leave a review, leave some stars on here. Let us know what your favorite takeaway was. Let us know what you want to hear more of. And if you have any follow-up questions, like I love to answer follow-up questions over on Instagram. So definitely ask us any questions or DM us if you have any other questions from what we talked about today. And thank you so much for coming on, Stacy. I really enjoyed it.

Yeah, thanks so much, Lindsay.

So happy to be here. Awesome, awesome. All right, everyone, well, we will see you in the next episode of the Aligned Coach Podcast.