What its REALLY like inside Video Strategy Academy (your chance to save $400!)

Hello, everybody.

Thank you so much for tuning into this roundtable. I really wanted to bring some amazing clients of mine inside of Video Strategy Academy so you could hear from people who are actually inside a Video Strategy Academy to see what it's really like. I know we can look at the sales page, you can listen to me, but you want to get the truth from somebody who's inside doing the work and seeing results. So I'm going to ask each one of them to share a little bit about themselves, what kind of content they're creating, and then ask them a couple questions about what has video strategy done for them and why they really decided to enroll in Video Strategy Academy. So, Sean, why don't you go ahead and get started and share a little bit about yourself with everybody?

All right. Thanks so much for having me on, Trina. So happy to speak to your audience about Video Strategy Academy. My name is Shawan Davis. I am a branding strategist and business made simple coach for many women entrepreneurs. Connecting all of the pieces to have an impactful brand and business can be hard. I coach them through my legacy brand framework so that they can build their brands and businesses with confidence and grow their business to make the impact that they desire. And on my YouTube channel, I talk all about that. I share branding and business tips and take them behind the scenes in my business. And I've been a Video Strategy Academy member since. Since I believe it was August I joined. I was watching you, Trina, on YouTube and started to try to piece things together and I was like, nah, I don't want to do that. So thank you again for having me on.

Awesome. Rebecca, why don't you go ahead and share a little bit about yourself.

Hi, Trina. Thanks for having me. So I'm also very new to Video Strategy Academy. I think I also joined in August. I had been working on a business for three years that went nowhere, and then I figured it was just a productivity or time management issue. But it turns out I had this deeper mindset issue. So I went on this year and a half journey of healing my past. Things I didn't even know were still bothering me. Rediscovering who I was without those barriers and then becoming my future self now. And it just completely changed my life. And so that's actually now what I teach. My new business has been up for just under a year now, but I've already been able to quit my 9 to 5 because I've just changed everything from the inside out. And so that's what I help other people with now, especially entrepreneurs who want to grow that business, but they're feeling a lot of resistance or they think there's just a good time management that you only just had a little bit more time. But usually there's a lot of internal things going on. So that is what I help them with. And I joined Video Strategy Academy so that I could start doing my long term strategy because I had just been so working on social media so far. That's awesome.

That's so exciting. You quit your 9 to 5. Congrats.

Thank you. It's been amazing.

Yes. And Andy, why don't you go ahead and share a little bit about your business?

Sure. It sounds like I am the longtime VSA member here. I joined back, I think it was February of 2020, so before all the lockdown craziness started. I've been on YouTube for a couple years using that as an avenue to grow my quilting business. I design quilt patterns and teach a variety of quilt classes. And I know video is the wave of the future. I mean, that's been the place to be for many years. And so I was trying to grow and I had run into Trina's content and heard about her community group. So that was my biggest draw. I know I needed help with the strategy piece of being more effective with my content rather than just, you know, throw up anything that suits your fancy and then being a part of an ongoing community. So it's over a year and a half later. I have gained so much from my fellow academy students. We get together and cheer each other on. Trina provides great content, ongoing learning throughout the course. So you go through your basic curriculum that she's laid out. You, you started your YouTube channel, you learn how to implement growth strategies. She's always trying new things and sharing those with us. And it has been a fantastic place to be to support my journey on YouTube. So thank you, Trina, for making such a wonderful place to learn and to grow our businesses.

That's awesome. Thank you, Andy, so much. I like that we do have some new people in here along with an OT er because it gives a little bit of a different perspective. So Shawan, for you. What were you doing prior to August to really generate leads and to kind of build your business? What were you doing before you decided to jump headfirst into YouTube?

Yeah, great question. So I was utilizing my blog and social media platforms, so Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and I really wanted to, as Andy mentioned, in terms of that growth strategy and looking at video as a way to do that I know we've heard for years and years and years, like video is the way to go. Like video content is king. So for me, I just wanted to have a different way to reach my audience and I thought video was the way to do that. And so, yeah, the blog and social media platforms.

What about you, Rebecca?

So I was mostly on Facebook and a little bit on Instagram. In my first business I was just blog posts because I was just too scared to be on video altogether. But now I'm much more able to go on video and so I knew that's the next step for me. A long term strategy and a long term video strategy. So that is why I joined.

Yeah. And so, I mean, yes, there's video and Instagram and Facebook and Pinterest even. So what ultimately decided made you decide? I kind of want to put my video efforts into YouTube specifically. Shawan, why don't you go ahead?

Yeah. Great. Another great question. So for me, that SEO component and knowing the power of Google and Google owns YouTube, so it just made sense to go that route. So for me that was like a big factor and also to knowing the power of content, video content, and that it's up 24 hours to serve our audiences. So that was very important to me too, and a huge component to making that decision.

What about you, Andy?

Pretty similar to Shawan and Rebecca in terms of having a blog and trying the other social media outlets, but wanting to really dive into the teaching aspects. YouTube is the place to be. You can put short snippets on other platforms, but to get an in depth tutorial going, I knew YouTube was the best place for, for that type of content.

And Rebecca, the same thing.

Yeah.

So as a previous blogger, I had known a lot about the SEO portion. So I like that YouTube had that and it has the capacity to stay in front of audiences for longer versus Facebook and Instagram might have like a little viral moment, but then like within 24 hours, 48 hours, it may be gone and people are over and done with it. So. So YouTube seems to have the longer capabilities, which I really like.

Awesome. So I want to throw this one back to Rebecca. When you heard about Video Strategy Academy, since it's relatively recently, what ultimately kind of pushed you over the edge to say, I think this program is for me and I'm going to jump in. Do you remember what it was that kind of screamed out to you to make that decision to join?

Yeah. So I posted it in some Facebook group that I was in asking for recommendations on YouTube and a couple People mentioned Video Strategy Academy as well as a couple other things. So I went looking around and you just seemed so personable. I don't know that something about the course just kind of jumped out at me other than, you know, these other courses I were looking at, which are probably just, you know, it's good. But I don't know, there was just something that you just felt very down to earth. I felt like a connection with you and just your program is just all the step by step so I wouldn't have to still piece more things together after I've started learning the process. So it just seemed like an all in one resource.

Awesome. Thank you. And what about you, Shawn?

Yeah, I agree with Rebecca. When I found you on YouTube, I just, you know, just started watching video after video. I like your approach. You're such a teacher at heart and it comes across and just the steps that you were given on YouTube, I was like, okay, I need to learn more. Because while all of that content was helpful, I didn't want to continue to try to piece things together. I knew that I really needed a strategy, which I believe I learned from you, from your YouTube videos too, because I didn't want to aimlessly throw up videos and not gain any traction. So definitely just hearing your learning your style, well, hearing your style and connecting with that in that way and not wanting to take those pieces and put them together in some weird way. I knew that Video Strategy Academy would meet that need.

Awesome. And Andy, can we remember back to a pre lockdown time? Do you remember what it was that kind of tipped you over to jump in?

Anytime you purchase a course or dive into a community, you definitely need to have that connection and that rapport with the coach or the instructor and Trina, just you're so friendly and open about your life. It's been fun watching your channel grow too. I think it's doubled in the time that I've been following you, which is exciting. Exciting. And, you know, being a fellow working mom, trying this entrepreneur thing, just having an example to follow and someone who is honest about the ups and the downs is really encouraging to the whole community. So your whole team that you've pulled together has been a wonderful resource. I've been in other courses where the big name face of the program shows up at the beginning, draws everybody in, and then you never hear from that person again. And I just think you've built a wonderful community and I appreciate that you're here going through the whole process with us again and again.

Thank you.

So since two of you have only been in for four to six weeks. Ish. What have you really been able to accomplish in the short amount of time with the program? How has Video Strategy Academy allowed you to kind of dig in and get started? Shawan, why don't you go?

All right. So I had. I had a goal when I joined, so I joined in August, I believe, around August 2nd or so, and I said I'm going to take the 30 day route and have my channel up. So I followed that system that you have inside and watched the appropriate videos, took action and I had my channel up in a month. So it feels really good and it doesn't feel daunting because I have a plan to stay consistent. So everything that you teach, just being able to put that into action, like right out of the gate, has been so helpful. And I am currently working on my second round of videos to get those up. So thank you. Thank you.

That is amazing. Thank you for sharing that. I'm so glad the 30 day plan helps because we do know a lot of the times we buy these programs and they kind of start collecting dust in our virtual, virtual shelves. I'm. It's happened to me as well. And so what we've tried to do is make it in a way that we can jumpstart it in 30 days. And then I know there's people, we've got things on our plate. I have an agency, I have kids. So we also have the 90 day plan available and a customizable plan as well. And so when you jump in, we really want to make you put into place a plan to complete it. What about you, Rebecca? What have you been able to accomplish in the short amount of time you've been in there?

Like Shawan, I was able to do the 30 day plan and started in August. So by early September, I was up and running with my first couple of videos and I'm working on getting ready to batch the next set as well. So it just, it happened so fast. I was like, okay, maybe I'll just take my time. And then I saw that 30 day plan. I was like, oh, maybe I need to go a little faster at this. And it kind of gave me that inspiration to really just knock it out and get it done right away. And so it's up and running and. And there. And it's been great.

So to follow up on that for the both of you, have you seen any outcomes from being on YouTube in just a short amount of time? Rebecca, has the videos that you've put on YouTube been able to do anything for your business so far? Yeah.

So I've got my first few subscribers, which was really exciting, but also just getting out there and talking more on video and longer form content, it really made me start really honing in on my audience too. So I actually kind of went back in and started tweaking my avatar and like, who am I actually talking to and what do they need to hear? And so that was really exciting. I didn't expect that to come from it, but it did. So that was really exciting.

Amazing. And Tawan.

Yeah, it's been great. I got my first few subscribers too. Like Rebecca, Congratulations. Rebecca too. I will say for me it's been being able to have that deeper connection with my audience. So even for my audience that's on Instagram, so I'll share those little snippets of the new video coming out. So to see that engagement, to have messages in my DMs about their enjoyment of the video or how it helped them, I've had a couple of people that I did know already who left comments too to say how the videos have been helpful for them. So that's been really, really good for me.

Fantastic. And Andy, since you've been on for a little bit, what has YouTube and what video Strategy Academy has taught you helped your business, Especially during this past year, it's been kind of a crapshoot for a lot of business owners. So how has the process and YouTube helped your business?

Yeah, it. YouTube is definitely a roller coaster. So I really appreciate the lessons on analytics that are shared within the essay because that has kept me going. I know what to look for where I can double down on content ideas. I was the hot seat person. So that's one of the features of being inside Video Strategy Academy is that one of the calls is a hot seat where Trina dives into the channel content and analytics of our members. And I always learn something from those interviews and I apologize for my cat that has to be on camera. And then so taking those lessons and then applying them and then just the reminders, going through the analytics section of the course, how to read your analytics, how to do keyword research, all those kind of things, you kind of get into a rut of just making your content. You plan stuff out, you put it out there and then you have to remember to go back and reflect on the performance. And having the support of Trina and Erin and the other members of VSA has really kept my channel growing. Like I said, it's a roller coaster. So you have to keep that long term view and just keep putting videos out there so you have the data to make decisions going forward. So. So my community has grown. I have, you know, it just, it. It feeds on itself and you get those little snowflakes that become a snowball going downhill and they gain momentum and it just, it sends that positivity and that momentum into all areas of your business.

That's fantastic. So I have two more quick questions, kind of like a quick shot or a quick round. I would love to hear from each of you. What would you say is your favorite part? Strategy academy, Rebecca?

I guess I would say the. The Facebook community, because so many courses are just the course and that's it. And you got to do it all on your own. VSA has got this community, so I can go in, ask a question or connect with other people who are going through the same thing. And it's a nice little family in there that you have going, which I absolutely love. So I feel like I'm not doing it by myself. There's just tons of support available to me.

Yeah. What about you, Shawan?

Yeah, I agree with Rebecca completely. That community aspect and to know that we still have access to you. Trina, it's not like you created a course and you ghosted us and you left us to be helped by your community manager. You are in the group and that's helpful. And yeah, I would say the community aspect, I love your teaching style. Like everything is communicated so clearly and we have that community to go back to when we do have questions to come up.

Fantastic.

And Andy, my favorite is the monthly calls. There have been such a variety of topics and the experts you bring in, you know, things that I may think, oh, I, you know, that's not really my style. But I learn so much every month and it just is incredibly valuable resource and money well spent. Definitely. From the initial curriculum to the community and then to the ongoing training, I really, really love being a part of vsa.

Amazing.

And so then the last question that I would have for you is if somebody is listening to us today and they're sitting on the fence and like, I don't know if I should. What would you tell them, Andy?

I would say that, yes, video is scary, spending the money is scary, but you will get so much out of it. So make the commitment, follow through, and we are here to support you and we can't wait to have you join us.

Shawan, what about you?

Yeah, get off the fence. Make the investment in yourself and for your business. You definitely will have everything that you need to get going. You just have to put it to work. And yeah, just do it. You need to do it.

And Rebecca, Absolutely.

Join in. If you know that video and YouTube is what you need to be doing, then don't waste your time trying to piece it together. Just make that investment in yourself and in your business and it is 100% worth it.

So if you're interested in joining myself, Andy, Rebecca Shawan and hundreds of other entrepreneurs, content creators, course creators, service providers, inside of Video Strategy Academy just head to trina little.com forward/join to check it out. There is a box down in the corner, right hand corner of the page. It is direct access to my inbox. So feel free to send me a message, send me your questions. If the box is open, I'm actually on the chat with you and having that conversation, so don't hesitate to reach out and ask me. Remember, you're getting special pricing until Friday, October 8th. Video Strategy Academy does not open and close doors. It's going to be open all the time. But what you're getting this week is special pricing. Next week the price will be 1497 and you can join whenever you want. Absolutely. But remember, you're going to get this special pricing just this week and you have lifetime access to the program. So if you can't jump in this week or next week, it's all in there for you when you're ready to get in. And you still can get it at that special pricing. So thank you so much for watching and hopefully we will see you inside.