And it's those uncomfortable situations where the best things come out of them. And this was one of those circumstances. And so I thought that it was really important to touch on the why before we jump in and dive into who is our guest and today's guest is an award winning graphic designer and visual branding strategist who designs premium brand identities that create impactful first impressions. As the founder of design by Joe studio, she believes that if someone is the best at what they do, they deserve to look like it. For the past decade, she's worked with individuals, startups and fortune 200 brands worldwide, to help them cut through the noise, attract more of their ideal clients and be as delightfully expensive as they can deserve to be. So it's funny, it's like, let's define expensive, right? Because everyone may have a different approach to what that actually means. She knows there's no limit success, and she's proved it several times when she took life by the horns and started three companies within a year while battling a brain tumor, that wow, no words, at a time when everyone else in her life was suggesting that she quit working and go on her social security. To cover her medical bills, she chose to do the complete opposite and defy the odds. As a result, she is a dreamer extraordinaire for top performers, goal oriented individuals and brands specializing in design premium brand identities from start to finish. She assists her clients in a large range of needs, from brand messaging to visual brand identities to premium custom websites that convert visitors into customers. She believes that excellence applied across all customer touchpoints results in brand experiences that matter. To find out more about making every brand moment count visit designed by Joe studio.com. today. Hi, y'all. It's Angela. I'm back for another episode of business and veiled. And today is part two. So if you missed part one of our previous podcast, you'll have to go back and listen to that because the story and first of all, thank you for sharing, like all the backstory of like the personal story of just how you've really, really been your own advocate and like overcome some really hard shit. But welcome back to the show.
Thank you. I'm so excited to be back for part two.
Today we're going to talk about business shit. And how it again, if you missed if you're watching or you're listening and you miss part one, just give us like a 62nd rundown of what Part one was. And then lead us into part two because what you have built in what you're doing now in your business, and how you have just risen up is just amazing. And I want people to know that story too. So give us a quick read down.
Oh, this is such good practice. 60 seconds. I can do this. All right. My name is Johanna White. I'm backstory that we talked about last time it was the story of overcoming from a childhood and life that was driven by anxiety and fear and underperforming, staying stuck in a job that wasn't meant for me and then the kick in the pants of a brain tumor that turned it all upside down. We talked about the miracle of that story, which was complete healing without the doctors operating it all because in the end they couldn't they wouldn't. Which turned out for my good. We talked about the past power of belief, and how important it is that what you believe matters. But what you do about what you believe, is what makes all the difference. In the end, we talked about a few things. So how to get there, whether it's health or business, that the inputs you put in matter, and getting really intentional choosing them, and how certainty is actually just an illusion. But our, our mindset can control way more than we give it credit for, and that we have way more power over than we realized. So we talked about all of that from brain tumors, to branding. And I think we ended the last episode talking about quantum bunny leaps in life in business, and how it's possible and how I did go from even after I started my own company way under charging, to now I get to charge a wonderful price and work with the most amazing clients in the world. And it all started with what I learned during the brain tumor and really showing up as worth it, believing you're worth it and showing up it's worth it. Okay, was that seven seconds? How did somebody say?
Well, and that's really like, what I want to that was perfect like a lead in today, because so many people have a hard time understanding their worth. And when you have experience, and you have so much to offer. And so if you are sitting here listening or watching and you're like, I don't know what to charge, or I don't know what I'm worth, aside from those feelings, you have a few things from a business perspective, where you've got to know your numbers, you really need to know your overhead, you need to know how much operating costs are. And you also have to look at inflation and what's going on in the world. And make sure that your business is keeping up with that. And to go back and figure out like, how much is your worth? It's like how much do you need to live for? So it doesn't really matter what's going on with everybody else. It's like you bring something very specific to the table for people. And so if you want to know how to get over figuring out like, are you worth it or not? Like go listen to episode one? Or are part one. And then I mean, really, you've worked your way into being this amazing, not just brand designer, but the way that you visually see things and put things together and creatively. And so I want you to share with with everyone today, like how can people brand themselves to level up? And depending on when people are listening? I mean today when we're recording this are coming up on the end of the year today. And so how can people get into that mindset into that state of mind that I am worth it? And just because someone says no, that doesn't mean lower your prices? It may just mean they're not the right client for you. How did you how did you make that shift? Because I think that's the first most important thing that people want to know.
Yeah, okay. Well, first, let's talk about kind of the physical steps. And these are ones that I take my clients through, but also once I encourage anyone I'm talking to, to take themselves through, which is, and then we'll come back and we'll talk a little bit about the mindset shift, because that has to happen too. And sometimes it requires, like you said, you got to calculate what you need to earn. But is that all you want to earn in life? What you need to? Have you ever heard, there's this poem that I can't quote, I'm terrible at quoting long poems. But the essence of it is that this man got through his life. On a menial hire, he earned a minimum wage. And when he got to the end of his life, he basically realized that life gave him what he asked for. And if he had asked for more, it would have given him anything. But all he asked for was this. And it's a very elegant poem that I did not summarize nearly as beautifully as I did part one of our episode. It's super inspiring. It changed my life, when I read it and realize that I was not one not living up to my potential, but to I wasn't asking for things like people will pay you the minimum that they can, even if they think you're freaking amazing, until you actually ask for more. So we'll get back to that. Don't be afraid to ask, don't be afraid to ask. But what I tell my clients now is that you have to become a show at all. You might know a lot about what you do, and you might spend a lot of time telling people that you're worth it that you can do something amazing that you can change their life. But if it's not showing on the outside, if you're telling them that you can provide the Bentley of services and whatever industry you're in, and they go check out your website, and it looks like it was put together with duct tape and band aids, and they go to your social media, and it's scattered and inconsistent, and they may be stuck around long enough to download your free ebook, and you made that 10 years ago and haven't updated since. And then you're showing up that climate interactions in a hoodie because hey, we all got a little lazy during COVID, but you are one of your brand touch points. But if that's happening, and you're just telling people you can change their life and and help them level up, but it doesn't look like you've done that you're not gonna succeed. And so the concept is basically brand positioning, which is a really a word that's used a lot. And it's got a lot of different meanings. I know you're super familiar with it. But for the purpose of what I'm explaining here, let's oversimplify it down to basically saying that brand positioning is how you want to be perceived in the eyes of your ideal client. And placing yourself next to products or services or names, labels, whatever that your ideal client already thinks of when they think of the best when they think of luxury when they think of premium. So let's simplify it all the way down to that. And say, brand positioning is one of the things that you can actually do. So I tell my clients first, before you can show up is worth it, you have to know your value. That takes some work, it takes some time for you, grab a journal, sit down and ask yourself, what is my X Factor? What do I do better than anyone in the world? For my clients, especially but just in general? What do I love doing more than anyone? What do I do? That's a totally different approach. But it works every frickin time. And I'm just a genius at this. Even if it seems silly, write it down. And, and then when it comes to how you serve your clients ask that question even deeper, like, Oh, what am I doing? That's different? Is it in the service? The way I serve them? Is it in the joy that I bring when I get on a meeting with him? What is it and once you know, like, deep down, and no one can convince you otherwise, you finally know why you're worth every penny, or weigh more than you're currently charging. Or you're worth getting a yes to every sale, when you know that there's no going back. And you're on the track to to step two, which is you got to show that value. And you do that by the brand positioning that I just mentioned, which is it's not enough to know that you're worth it, and walk around telling everyone I'm good at what I do. I did that for years after I first started my business like had the brain tumor started the business in this flurry of determination to do amazing things with life. But then I got to an income ceiling hit it and coasted again for years. And I just was like, well, at least I did something to get to my destiny. And I knew, though that I was capable of working on brands at the highest level. And as much as I told people that for some odd reason they did or bullying me. I don't know why. When I finally said okay, it's not enough to just tell people and not enough for me to know. I've actually got to show it. So I took three months off. You'll love this with the calendar side of things. I literally blocked my calendar for three months, would not take any client work and treated myself like my own client, which we rarely take time to do that whole thing. The cobblers children were no shoes was so true. Like if you saw my website for five years ago, it was just a portfolio. It wasn't bad. But it looked like every other designer out there. I was just a commodity of a graphic designer. I could make something really beautiful but I needed you to tell me what you wanted me to make. And who knows if it was right for your business or not. We just made it because you like dogs and you like purple.
No reasoning behind the
strategy. And I instead of being the expert, I knew I could be I was relying on my clients to know what they needed. So I shifted that but then I went and I I stepped into what I knew I could be And I bought an airbase bracelet and I bought Louis Vuitton shoes. And this was back before it made sense for my finances to buy those things. But I said, I mean to show up in a visual way, representative of the type of luxury, I want to be around and work with and offer. And so I did a really fun photoshoot painted custom nails dripping with diamonds and gold, fungal paint around the studio made these really cool business cards that are thick and feel like suede and have debossing and foil. And that's way too many details. But basically, basically, I went from having like a cool business card to a business card that people will literally chase me out of a room and ask me how they can get this done something that's so low on the totem pole, when it comes to touch points, something that's normally thrown away, or in today's world not even used at all. Like, it interrupts people in their tracks. And so I made that the centerpiece of what I can do for you just as an example to show people that I can take something that seems overdone, boring, basic, and totally interrupt your ideal client. And then I featured that on the homepage of my website with the gold and the heels and all that fun stuff. And the results were immediate. For one. Now I could see what I've been trying to say was possible, threw away the portfolio, made some case studies of projects I loved, didn't bother to show everything. Because when you're in the luxury space, you don't need to over explain. Don't waste their time. curate what you've got. Not all is gold. That's right, yep. And when I did that, and I went from just saying I can do this for you to actually doing it for myself. For one, I shed the last bit of embarrassment about showing up in the world and saying what I can do, I no longer had to go to people and say, Here's my website, look at my work, but just don't look at the website itself. Because the work is
like $1. For every time someone said that. I mean, seriously, it's like even some of the vendors that we work with. And we don't even tell some of our clients, the websites, if they ask, I mean, I'm even making excuses for them. I'm like, don't look at their website. Like they're super. It's just people are busy. But are you busy doing the right thing with the right clients. And if you can't put out, you know, you hear this, I hear this all the time, like, you put out what you want to bring back. And the most important thing that you said, though, is to treat yourself like a client. And when when I made myself a client, like in our dropbox folder, and I'll have my own folder. Yeah. And you show it free. I mean, it's just like silly, almost like stupid little things where it's like, make your own folder, make yourself a client, like you're not going to not show up for a client. So why would you not show up for yourself? Because we're so busy and taking care of everybody else. It's just you're so I mean, it's it's so spot on. But I mean, the takeaway here, it's simple. You've got to make time for yourself, you've got to make time to cultivate your own brand. And if you don't do it, I mean, I really try to do it once a year. What do you think? Do you think that people should really do like a? No, like a rehaul? Or lift of their whole brand? I mean, I would say every three years at that to keep just to keep up to date, but what have you found that it's like the sweet spot? Like, when should people update? Like we put it on the calendar, like we block a week in December? You know, and, and really, it's like, okay, what needs to be updated, what needs to be pulled down what links need to come down? And I think, you know, those, I'm gonna say almost two years with like, the whole pandemic stuff. Not that people got lazy, but then work came back so quick. And people are just trying to like, you know, wham, and then but when you treat yourself like the client, you show up differently. And so what what are your recommendations for? How, how,
how often got it every year? Yeah. Well, it probably depends on the industry that you're in. If it's something like an industrial industry, the standards are still very low for what you need to have for, you know, like forward facing things. But if you're in a coaching industry, consulting authors, speakers, designers, or anything in the Luxury and Premium space, whether it's jewelry or you have the top rated podcast in the world like industry aside, you are constantly evolving, right? If you're not growing, you're dying. And so if your message at the very least isn't being looked at, and up leveled with you, I think a year minimum mind kind of evolves every six months or so as I, as I speak to more clients, and I learn more things, and I go, You know what, like, they love joking that I'm their brand magician and professional hype woman, I'm gonna put that in my messaging, because it's really fun. And you just like keeping alive the days of building a brand and a website and, and making all your touch points once and that's it forever, are, are long gone. But to not overwhelm maybe every three years for kind of website, rebuild overhaul, because a lot has probably, hopefully changed in your business in those three years in which you offer the courses you have. Or at the very least, if it's not changing, I hope it's leveled up a lot. And that you have new offerings, new courses. So what happens a lot, and this is why Step Three for my clients is always find a way to add more value. So in phase two, where we're showing the value through their touch points, like their website, and, you know, it's not enough to just create a brand, because the brand is only as good as how you use it, where you use it, and how much you use it. But once we've created some of those next level touch points, like their website, or their podcast covers, or their book covers, or their book promos, or any of those things, it's time for them to live up to it. So I help them create this vision, like you said, and this like, bring their most aspirational future self into reality now instead of in five or six years, and it's awesome. But if they don't level up to it and live up to the perception of them that is now in the world, that is smoke and mirrors. I don't support that. And nobody else's either. That just crumbles. So it's kind of a to do but also like a really exciting thing, that when you focus on who you want to show up in the world as you become that in the process, and it happens much faster when you get intentional. So step three is find a way to add more value like now that you look like you're worth it. What can you do to add even over deliver over and above to your client interactions and how you treat them and and that includes like, expanding your your brand, visuals and touch points as you go. So did you add a course? Cool? Is it a delightful magical experience for your students as they walk through it? They go through the workbooks, they they do the course materials? Do they feel like they're hanging out with you, in the process is your brand, like lifting them up with the emotions that you want them to experience? And so oftentimes for many years after the the initial build, it's like that leveling up. How can you continue to live up to it, add more to it, add more depth, and and make every single touch point into that whole experience like Disney. I frickin love Disney. I just got back from Disney. I'm a Disney fan. But part of why it's so magical, even as an adult with no children I want to do. Part of why it's so magical is because they paid attention to every single detail. Every one, you're waiting in line for the new Star Wars Rise of the resistance ride. And every minute of that hour and a half to two hour wait is magical. You're looking around and the engineers have designed every piece of the room to have all of these effects and you feel like you're in the mood and you feel like you're living it and you go into this big sell. And you're only in there for 20 seconds. And they probably spent like I don't know $50 million on millions on the droids like on the on this. Yeah. Just for 20 seconds, your mind is blown at that level of attention to detail. And that is the kind of excellence that if you want to be a premium brand or you want to charge more than you're currently charging or you want to magnetize clients that you've only ever dreamed of working with That level of excellence matters. And not to say you need to show up as a non human. It's okay to mess up. And you nobody's perfect. Like, I tried to be perfect for like a minute.
I feel no one's perfect.
I tried for 25 years, but I failed. And I've had some frickin amazing clients over the last couple of years who have actually helped me realize that it's okay not to be. But I still will always try. And if something goes wrong, it like in a client experience, what can you do to surprise and delight them in how you recover from that and make it better? So that's the step three is, you know it, you're showing it, you're ready to charge it. But now you got to also go, Where can I level up and add more to my clients every single time we talk.
And something that I have found myself doing. And this just comes from, like listening to other podcasts and other leaders in personal development is like, if you think of brands that you love, like, just personally, and this is where I think a lot of business owners, because we get so busy in the hustle of things that we forget to pay attention to what we love, like and take other processes and other brands processes. And why do we love them? Right and like take a step back. And, and Disney is a great example. I'm not a huge Disney girl. But the reason I'm not a huge Disney girl is because the first time I went there, I was a teenager, I went with my family, it was not a good experience. We were all teenagers. You know, it was just our family. Yes, Disney is magical, and they sell magic. But Disney sells a feeling. It's an experience. Now, there's a frickin cost to it. But you go and you get that feeling. And you get that experience. You don't mind investing in the feeling because it was worth it. Because like you said they blow your mind. But when I think at Disney, because I didn't have a positive experience, the first time that I went. And the second time that I went, it was just it was it. It was a very very, very long time ago. But it was just madness. It was not organized. I mean, I clearly was not a planner at the time. I was very young. But my sister and her family, they go multiple times a year. And I just asked her one day I'm like, Why do you spend so much money at Disney? Like, I'd rather go to the beach, right? In a small boutique luxury hotel, and like, just not, it's like I have to be doing something. But I would rather not be at Disney. And she's like, Oh, you don't get it. Like, it's it makes me feel like a kid. It makes me happy. It makes me feel magical. And it's a feeling and then I was like, Okay, I totally get it. And then I thought to myself, what brands make me feel good. Like when I that I that I love and why do I spend my money with these brands? And why do I want to have brand loyalty, it's just like with airlines and with. With hotels, it's like, until I'm given a reason or a feeling not to be loyal to United when I'm International, or to not be so into like the rosewood brand. It's like, I've never had a reason because their consistency and their level and their level of luxury customer service, not only to me as a planner, but in a business owner, but to my clients. And I can trust that brand in it. Like if I hand it off somebody to you. It's like, I know you got it, like I don't have to babysit it, I don't have to worry that they're not going to come out feeling great. It brings people clarity. And so you've got to get excited. And so if you're sitting here thinking, I don't even know where to start thinking about myself because you're just trying to stay above water. Just think of how are you already showing up for other brands? How are you spending your money with other brands, and there is a little bit of a different feeling with a product versus a service. But really the service part of it is almost more important to me than like the tangible good, because it's like, you know, this is a shirt, it's comfortable. But it doesn't make me feel a different way. But if I were to put on, you know, a dress that was loose baton or something, you know, it would make me feel better because the material is so well made. Everything is just in place that fits me perfect. Think about those things like it, like you said, take it back to the basics. And let's be simple and what what makes you feel good, and then turning around and then doing that for your clients. And so when we talk about brand and deliverables, I mean I feel like over the years. I mean when I first started understanding brand, it wasn't what it is today. There's so much talk around it And people think, Oh, I just see. So, yeah, like, I just see a logo, they don't even go. I'm like, well, from a visual identity standpoint, you know, it's more about the colors and the fonts. And it's so much more than that, especially from the psychology angle. But from a deliverability standpoint, can you just share some of the deliverables that you have have what you've done for your clients? And like some of those deliverables? And what that means to a brand and how important it is?
Yeah, sure. Um, like you said, the word brand is bandied about everywhere. And so it can be interesting. Because you're coming into, you're wading into someone's current idea and saying, it's more than that. So to start, I like to tell people that a brand is so much more than a logo. Because when people say, I need a brand, the first thing they think is, that's a logo. Well, a logo is is one piece of the puzzle, and done right? It can be really important because it becomes the visual trigger, that helps your clients remember you and and feel those emotions. But those emotions don't just happen because they saw a logo one time, that often means very little. Now a logo can hurt you if it's clip arty or poorly done. And, but it can help you if, and this applies to the rest of the brand, if it's done with intentionality, and consistency. So like for my clients, we start with their messaging, clarifying their message, creating a consistent way for them to talk about themselves, consistent wording that will go on their websites, etc. And the reason we do that is because until you know, the story you are trying to tell and the perceptions you're trying to build. Any visuals created will simply be created for the sake of I need a logo, and I need colors. I like teal. And that looks pretty. But what do your like? What message do you need to tell your customers about the problems that you solve for them, and how you solve them better than anyone else. And once you have that message clear, then we can start researching and create what people often think of as the whole brand. And it's just a teeny part of it. But the logo, the colors, the fonts, and those choices come from that intentionality. They come from that story you're trying to tell. Like, for example, somebody is a very visual person and it's hard to follow. Check out on my website designed by Joe studio.com. I have a case study of a brand I recently did called frankly. And this company is an app for women in business to know what they need to grow right now based on where they're at. It's gonna have aI search, all of this really cool kind of matchmaking between you and ideal business vendors for an I'm butchering it because I'm trying to speed it up, but it's really cool. But when we were talking about who she is, she is no BS she's to the point. And she wants to get you what you need to know without having to dig through three hours of podcasts and five YouTube videos to find one nugget. It's about cutting the fluff. So once we knew that, we created a visual brand and a logo that looks like three little dots and two lines for the F that represent a checklist. Like quickly getting things done. And we chose a font that is pretty brisk and bold, a little bit masculine, but with slightly rounded edges because we wanted to bring some of the feminine softness back into it has no extra lines the A doesn't even have a cross because again, like no BS cutting the fluff getting it like this is just tiny thing. Don't go home and be like I need to make this and pelvis sorta like I'm just trying to give you some of the I love it. intentionality. And so now when she tells someone why, why this is her logo, not just It looks cool, or some designer made it for me like she has now an opening and a story to what frankly is all about. And so it can be a really cool jumping off point. The colors that we chose. We chose yellow and black because they were warm, but strong and she was wading into a space where most apps for female entrepreneurs are pink and swirly and They all start to look the same. And we said, how can we stand out? Yeah, very different in this space. And then we also did analysis and research on what was trending and what her competitors were doing. So we look for our best opportunity to hit the ground, miles ahead of the competition, and to look totally different than her competitors. Because what's the point, if your goal is just to look exactly the same as everyone else, then you're gonna Wade right into mediocrity. And, and so that's like, that's a lot of details on a small thing, especially considering I said, a logo is only a tiny piece of your brand. But I just wanted to give kind of a backstory on when I say intentionality. That is what's happening behind the scene, the strategy and the why. And the same thing that applies to the colors and applies to the fonts, it applies to. Like, when a when a customer comes to me and says, I want to start with just phase one, which is a brand identity. And that's messaging and visuals, and it ends with a brand guideline for consistency. And we pre create some social media styles for them, we show them how it could show up in the world, because vision is extremely important. And a lot of people are have a more analytical side of their brain and have trouble picturing like how amazing I've had clients where they had a product company. And after we created the brand, I did some visuals and mock ups on it could look like this on a beverage and it could like this on a on a moisturizer, and it could like this, and they were like, now we're actually going to add those products because this looks so freakin cool.
That's and they weren't even planning it. That's awesome. You're like giving them ideas to expand all their stuff.
Yeah, so But it ends with like phase one ends with brand guidelines, so that you've got a team implementing your content weekly. And this gives them the tools that they need to do it consistently so that you're building brand recognition. And something is different as you use one orange for your brand. And then suddenly they start using yellow can mess with people's heads, it makes it feel like a different company. And as funny as it is like you know a lot about color psychology. from different perspective, but that can change it, it's, it used to be like you need seven impressions of something for it to get into your brain and for you to actually realize you've seen it. Now the numbers up to like 16 are probably after COVID. And everything with digital is probably up in the 20s 20 times to see your brand before you realize you've seen it. And if it looks different everywhere, you're starting from scratch every single time. And so we give him the brand guidelines so that they have that and also so that they walk out with absolute confidence that they now know who they are, what they look like. And they can share it with the world. And so then if they say yarn, I frickin love working with you. And as often they'll send me a text and be like, Could you please just send me a list of everything else you can do for me. I don't want to just hand this off to my team, I want you to do it. So when that happens, I will dive in. And I'll do things like custom websites, revamp their their podcast and create really unique, shareable graphics that their team can use that show up really cool on the grid on their podcast page. But also people love to share and promote their episode because they're like, Wow, I look so great in this smoke effect. Image. Yeah, well create, will do things like their speaker kits and their media kits and anywhere that they show up in the world. That is something I will help them with their book covers and their email templates. Like I'm not a marketer. And I always make that super clear that branding and marketing are like kissing cousins. They're both very important. But if you go to someone who says they'll do it both, beware there, there may be some large agencies that truly do have teams to do both. But they're both very complex processes. And it's best to work with an expert in in their craft to get it done right. So I always say like, I'm not a marketer. I'll help you design the ads, but I'm not going to tell you where to run it, when to run it, how often to run it, all of the things. But I will help them like create email templates for their weekly emails and Press Release pages and so forth and so on like that you are making a free ebook for your new lead magnet. Does it look like your brand? Is it exciting and fun and cool, it should be sure you're giving it away for free. But that's a piece of you. It is an interaction with how they perceive you.
And there's so many different layers to that, right? So it's like, an all the steps with like all the brands, so we don't do a whole lot of it anymore. I mean, Darren, during the pandemic, it's like, you know, you jump in and do what you can to like help people. But years ago, when Facebook ads came out, right, my whole team were like, Okay, let's learn how to do this. And it's much more complex. Now this is way before the metaverse and way before business manager, you know, all that stuff. And so the more complex it got, the more my team was like, I'm not doing this anymore, this isn't really what we want to do, because we're we were seeing results is exactly what you're saying you do is creating the assets that are so important, visually to a brand, and then creating the organic content and being consistent with it. And the more you're nurturing through social media, which is really what social media is for is to connect, nurture. And then yes, eventually, I mean, definitely can help you sell some shit. But if you don't, if you're missing these other components, just like an individual identity, if you're missing these components, there's a gap. And when you don't feel that gap in the story, people make up things. Yeah. And then they're like, Well, I thought that you did marketing, I thought that you'd I'm like, Yeah, we used to do some some ads and paid things. But we found and through case studies and through results, and just like my own companies, when we can show up and create the organic content, that's and again, be consistent. For us, that was the sweet spot, it wasn't spending a bunch of money on Facebook ads. And again, it's a little bit different in services versus products. So a little bit, and this is just my opinion. But what I have seen in some of the brands that we were part of that the products like a you know, a shirt, or lip gloss, you know, or a cup was a little bit easier because someone was ordering something they were putting their credit card in, and then they were gonna get like this physical thing that. And so when you're selling a service, which to me is very much still a huge product. Again, going back to the basics, how does it make them feel? What story? Are they telling themselves, of what you can do for them, and what gaps aren't closed? And that's where the funnest case studies to me is going out and asking people who don't know a brand really well. What do you think of this brand? There is something have Are you familiar with user Bob?
Have you no I'm not Oh my god.
So for if you're launching like a new product, or new website or new landing page, it's like it is like $1 a video, I think you have to sort of like 20 bucks, but it's so neat, because you can go to User blog, which is on my Amazon. And you can put in what you want what you want from people. And so for example, when we were launching a new Wellness product, I you know, all the landing pages stuff was done media kit, and then I've popped it into user Bob's but literally spent $20. And then you get 21 minute videos, 62nd videos from just people all around the world who work with user Bob, probably just on the side, because it just seems easy. You literally just review websites, and in the first 60 seconds, what's your impression? Is it clear? And like what do they think about it? And I love it because it it really identifies like the holes in the gaps of like, Oh no, that's not what I was going for. Or, well, that's very, it gets you to think outside the box a little bit. Like as a marketer. And it's just, it's funny and it's like, you know, it's men and women and you can put in like the classification like if you want like a certain thing, I don't do any of that. Like I don't pick any of the data points I just put it out there and then the stuff that comes back like I sit there watch the videos I'm like, Huh? But I will say like the more and more we do the the closer you get to hitting a target, the more you do it and the more you practice it and the more you ask for feedback to make sure that you're just closing that gap and that circle it's just it's it's so much fun. But then when we when we used it before like I'm some client things I don't always share because It's hard to hear sometimes like, especially if you're really close to your brand and your business. You know, I've grown out of that phase. Thankfully, it's like the older you get, the more life experience you get. And it's like, that's not really what I was going for. But then you have to figure out like, what do you change, and like, I know, I'm too close to my own brand, and my girls and my team, like we're too close to our brand. That's why we hire consultants. That's why we work with people who aren't so close to the brand, which brings a whole new level of energy to opportunity to grow, and to, like, level up and take it to the next step. And I love that you do case studies. And there's one other thing that you said, it's really important that I want to make sure that people hear like, if you're newer in your business, like I would say, under five years, don't be so concerned about showing everything, because that was me. And a lot of times, I'm telling you, oh boy, don't do that. And, you know, inside, I'm like, I did that. And it's it's not good. You know, you learn from it, though, right? And so it's like, you just you've got to make sure that you are showing the best. So one more example. A lot. I mean, we deal 30 to 50,000 images a month, when we were doing so many weddings and so many events, and the different photographers that we work with who give us three to 5000 images. Now, what client wants to sit there and look through that? None of our clients would, right? So they're like, we asked, Do you want the best? 100? Do you want the best 1000? What is your expectation, and then some photographers we work with, they're like, We don't ask, we deliver the top three, if we're shooting for 10 hours, we're gonna deliver our norm is 300 images of the best now if you want it and you want to see that, but like, why would you clutter your head with all that, like leave it to the professional to pick the best and to show you and the minute we had clients that are like, I want to a jump drive, or a I have all these hard drives in here. Like maybe I should grab one, or I want a hard drive with like all of the footage on it. I'm like, where are you in production? Are you? Do you know what to do with those things? And if they're like, No, I just, I really want to be able to pick my own things. And I really in there, that's it. I'm like, Oh, this isn't the client for us. Because if you can't leave it to the professionals to pick the images in the video, like it's so much easier, then you're not in a place in your life where we are servicing the people who just trust the professionals. So it's a great way to prequalify your clients by asking them. I mean, we've been asked now you don't do a ton of events anymore. We were very, very picky. Like, are you looking for the Pinterest Instagram have already? Or, you know, you, you realize like it's real life like we we want things to be perfect, but life isn't perfect. And if they're like, oh yes, like I want to be this and this and this on Instagram and Pinterest, like that's not our client. Like we want to work with people who were best friends who were really in love, who want to celebrate that love with their friends and family. And then of course, we're going to capture it. But that disconnect of like real versus not surreal. Like it happened, it's happening, but it's not real. It just That's why some of these photo shoots, I'm like, these tables are beautiful for 16 people, but it took 15 hours to set this up. And if you had to recreate that for four or 500 people in a venue that gives you 12 hours to set up and break down and they won't let give you you can give more money and do more time get more time. But not every venue operates like that. So it's like you've got to know the questions to ask when you're selling these things. Because if you don't know what you don't know, it can come back and really bite you in the ass. So where can people go? I know we'll put it on the show notes like you they have to go look at your website. And like your pictures alone are like beautiful, they're amazing. And it reminds me I'm like, we need to do their photo shoot. I'm not a big pictures girl, like I'm more of a video person. But again, that goes back to a personal feeling just like Disney. Like I personally feel that I can connect with people better through video because I get more back from people rather than an image. You know, you can look at an image and 100% get a feeling from it and understand like there's so important, you can't always have video and plus the load time on some of these websites with good Wi Fi versus not so great Wi Fi that matters to like you have to look at the experience of the load time of all these things. Which I'm like totally go off on a tangent but it's like if you don't, if you don't work with a professional who understands sizing images, who understands web resolution, who under stands, all these little things and you piecemeal it together, it's not going to be a great experience. So you and your company like you guys do all of that to make sure that people are the deliverables are exactly what they need to be, in order to make sure that people are successful. On the other side, I just think it's important for people to know that Yeah,
well, the goal is, a website shouldn't just be pretty. A website should be converting visitors into customers or into your audience while you sleep. But it should also be pretty, especially if you're in the luxury space, like it needs to be visually engaging. But my tip for that what I do with my clients, and I'm sure you do with your events is we begin with the end in mind. What is the goal? Like? Do you want people to land on your website and immediately buy your book? Do you want people to land on your website and immediately book you for a speaking engagement? Do you want people to land on your website and immediately book a call to coach with you, you might do all of those things. But if you just have them all, like, on there, people are gonna get confused and leave, probably do none of the things. And it's important to know like, what action do you want your visitor to take? If it's no action? That I have to question? What kind of business do you have, if you don't have anything that you want from your audience or your customers? But we begin with the end in mind? And once we know that, and combine that with the messaging that we've kind of built as the foundation and wireframe that through the site, then only then do we go do brand? photoshoots? Because until you have this story, why would you create content, until it's telling part of that story, like a picture's worth 1000 words, or but only, like, only words that you want it to say? Otherwise, it's just adding to the noise. And people are wasting brain cells trying to figure out why you have this picture of a girl in a wheelchair with a dog when you are like in the construction business. Maybe it's your daughter, and it's sweet. But is it part of your story? Like what part of your story is it telling. And if it's an important part, I hope your messaging like finds out with that. So begin with the end in mind. We don't even talk about the photoshoot until we have the website planned. And then we go, okay, here's the poses we need, here's the outfits we want. Here's the staging items that will be in the background, here's the locations we're going to use to tell this brand story. And it's going to feel intentional and consistent. And oftentimes, when you do that, right, either side of the coin could stand alone, they shouldn't ever have to. But your image will communicate your message and your message will create an image in the brain without any pictures together. It's magic.
I love it. And that's a great, great way like a great way to end. What if people want to connect with you? What's your favorite platform for people to go and connect
with you? Well, you can follow me I spend most of my time if I'm on social at all. It's on Facebook, designed by Joe studio is my business Facebook page, same on Instagram app designed by Joe studio. And then my website is designed by Joe studio.com. If you're not sensing a theme here, consistency matters. And I would love to hear from you on any of them. If you are realizing that you like are stuck in undercharging, you're freaking amazing. You want to attract a different client who can pay what you're worth, and you look at but you look at your visual brands, and you realize they're not validating your value to the world. Go straight to my website, book a free counsel and let's talk about how we can capture what really makes you unique, and help you become known and loved and really well paid for it.
That's right. Thank you so much for your time and twice, not once but twice. Thank you so so much.
You're so welcome. Thanks for having me.
And if you're watching or listening, thank you so much for your time because it's so precious. Let us know what was your top takeaway from this. We it's really, really, really important to me and to us to make sure that we're providing value. And so if there's something like one good nugget that you heard on this, and it was a takeaway, and it's like, oh, that's an aha moment, share it, because that will encourage other people to go and also have those aha moments. So thank you for your time. Be sure to tune in next week to another episode of business unveiled. Via
that's it for this week's episode of biz snus unveiled now that you have all the tools that you need to conquer the world and GSD get shit done. Would you share this with your friends and fellow business leaders? One thing that would really, really help us and help new listeners is for you to rate the show, and leave a comment and Apple podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you tune in and listen to business unveiled. You can check out the show notes at Angela proffitt.com/podcast and link up with us on social media so you can share your biggest insights and I want to know your aha moments. Until next week, remember, the profitable shifts and structures you're creating in your business help you be more present in your life. So get out there and GSD