Together Digital Power Lounge, Women in Digital with Power to Share
Digital is a demanding and competitive field. And women are still grossly underpaid & underrepresented. But we are not powerless; we have each other. Together Digital Power Lounge is your place to hear authentic conversations from women in digital who have power to share. Listen and learn from our amazing guests along with host Amy Vaughan, Owner and Chief Empowerment Officer of Together Digital. Together Digital is a diverse and collaborative community of women who work in digital who choose to share their knowledge, power, and connections. To learn more, visit www.togetherindigital.com.
Together Digital Power Lounge, Women in Digital with Power to Share
Stories That Sell: Attract and Convert Your Story into Profits
Welcome to The Power Lounge! This week, we explore the transformative potential of storytelling in “Stories That Sell: Attract and Convert—Your Story into Profits.” Join host Amy Vaughan as she engages with Monica Miller, an accomplished author, content coach, and international speaker.
Monica shares her unique storytelling framework, emphasizing the essential “three KNOWs” that can turn your personal narratives into effective sales strategies. Her mission is clear: to empower you to transition from being overlooked to unforgettable by harnessing the power of your story.
This conversation is invaluable for marketers, podcasters, content creators, and business owners alike. Monica explains the significance of vulnerability and the importance of everyday shifts, illustrating that small changes can be just as impactful as grand transformations. By mastering the art of storytelling, you’ll learn how to build trust, captivate your audience, and drive conversions.
Prepare for practical strategies, insightful discussions, and inspiring stories that reveal how to unite your personal experiences with professional goals. Discover how your story can become your greatest asset in achieving business growth and making a lasting impression.
Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction
00:10 - "Powerful Stories, Business Success"
04:44 - "Storytelling Beats AI Connections"
09:25 - "Using Hooks in Storytelling"
12:14 - "Embrace Vulnerability to Connect"
15:52 - Sharing Stories with Authenticity
17:44 - "Finding Your Storytelling Boundaries"
22:58 - Bravery Follows Vulnerable Storytelling
25:43 - Balanced Marketing: Logic and Emotion
29:28 - "Storytelling and Its Essence"
31:35 - "Manifesting Through Mindset Shift"
34:17 - "Small Moments Spark Big Change"
39:53 - "Authenticity vs. AI Influencers"
42:59 - Redefining Boundaries Together
45:36 - "Building Community Through Storytelling"
49:50 - "Mindset Shift Takes Time"
52:45 - "Men, Vulnerability, and Growth"
55:07 - Speaker Benefits & Accountability Offer
57:12 - "Join Together Digital Community"
58:26 - Outro
Quotes:
"Big change starts with small stories. Real transformation begins when we share the moments that matter most."- Monica Miller
"Being real gives others permission to do the same. True growth and connection start with sharing our everyday stories."- Amy Vaughan
Key Takeaways:
Stories Build Bridges to Business Success
Monica’s Three-Step Storytelling Framework
Know the Three NOs: KNOW Your Audience, Struggles, and Solutions
Vulnerability is Strength, Not Weakness
Micro-Shifts Matter: No Dramatic Transformation Needed
Balance Emotion with Strategy
Storytelling is Universal—But Adapt to Each Platform
Practice, Practice, Practice
Connect with Monica Miller:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monicamiller17/
Website:https://www.monicawrites.com/
Connect with the host Amy Vaughan:
LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/amypvaughan
Podcast:Power Lounge Podcast - Together Digital
Learn more about Together Digital and consider joining the movement by visiting Home - Together Digital
Hello everyone and welcome to our weekly Power Lounge. This is your place to hear authentic conversations from those who have power to share. My name is Amy Vaughn, and I am the owner and chief empowerment officer of Together Digital, a diverse and collaborative community of women who work in digital and choose to share their knowledge, power, and connections. You can join the movement at TogetherIndigital.com. Today's conversation is about something every one of us does, yet a few of us master, and that is turning our personal stories into powerful business tools. I am thrilled to welcome with us here today Monica Miller, author, content coach, and international speaker who has made it her mission to help professionals go from overlooked to unforgettable. Monica brings a unique framework to the table. I love our frameworks, don't we, listeners? One that transforms heartfelt stories into magnetic messages that don't just inspire, but actually convert. In a world where we are constantly told to share our story, Monica shows us exactly how to make those stories work for our business, whether we're positioning it on social media, hosting a podcast like we are here today, or speaking on the stage. What sets Monica apart is her practical approach. It isn't just about going viral or chasing trends. It's about building trust, establishing authority, and turning listeners into loyal clients through the power of authentic storytelling. Today she'll be showing her signature storytelling framework, The Three Nose, giving our community the tools and to transform any personal story into content that connects and converts. Welcome to the Power Lounge, Monica. We're thrilled to have you here with us. Thanks for having me, Amy. I'm excited to be you. Absolutely. Same. Yeah, thrilled to have you here. All right, let's just jump right in. I want to recognize and say hello, of course, as always, to our amazing live listening audience. We are here for you. I've got a number of questions here for Monica that we're going to kind of go through in the next hour. I would love it. If you have a question, please drop it in the chat. Don't be shy. You're the reason why we're here. We always want to make sure we get the most out of every guest by knowing what questions you have to ask. So don't be shy about using the chat and asking your questions. Monica, let's start with the foundation. You say when people go from overlooked to unforgettable through storytelling, I think that's such a powerful statement. What made you realize that storytelling could be a powerful sales tool?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. When I was a little girl, I used to just tell stories that you could never get a yes or no out of me. You still can't. You still can't. You know, anyone who knows me, they know I'm gonna talk, I would share. Like there's the story. And that drives my dad and it has drove some other people crazy. But I'm gonna say that's who I am. I don't know. I don't know what you want me to do. Like, I'm not gonna, I'm not gonna do it. You know, I'm not gonna say yes or no. I have to tell you the story. Anyways, so you know, I've always been a national storyteller. Like I've written books, I am watching the fantasy series if I would ever get done. Um, I mean, there's I'm so creative, and I love the art of storytelling. And I I realized that I was sharing my story online, I was sharing nuggets of wisdom that I have been learning and I've been applying, but it was getting the hand claps and oh, you sound inspirational, but no clients. I was like, I'm missing something here, like there's something that needs to be like something I'm just missing something. So yeah, I took a storytelling sprint, so for 30 days, I had a coach give all of us who were going through it 30 different ideas, storytelling ideas to play with. And so every day we had to tell a story, and that helped me to close the gap of what was missing, and it also helped me to see because I knew that my stories were important, I knew that my stories were viable, I knew that my stories connected, but the storytelling sprint that she helped us on launchpad me into connecting. Here's my story, here's my offer, here's how we can bridge it, so that way we can start getting more conversions. And I've had clients become booked out just through one storytelling post. I've had clients when they utilize the storytelling formula or framework system, you know, they've been asked to speak on stages like the like a satellite stage from the Global Global Leadership Summit. So because they were using the storytelling framework. So I I do feel that the need that for people to connect is bigger now that AI is coming out, and I although AI is great, I'm not saying it isn't, I'm also seeing that there are people who want to know I'm dealing with a real human being. It's not just some robot talking about whatever, like a made-up story, like I'm actually can connect on an emotional level, on a level that is deeper than where AI can go. And that's why um that's why I I really feel that storytelling is so powerful, and that's why I want to teach more and more people how to utilize it in their business businesses.
SPEAKER_00:Love it. Yeah, this just makes me so excited for the follow up, all these follow-up questions that we have for you. Um, because a lot of us sitting here and listening have compelling personal stories, but maybe we struggle to connect them to our business offerings because it feels personal, right? And we've been conditioned to keep the personal and the professional very separate. And in some cases, and some instances, yes, that makes sense. But what are maybe some of the most common mistakes you see people make when they try to share their story? And like you said, you tell it, you get the hand claps, but then it kind of falls flat. There's no action after.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. One of the things I see a lot of people make is one, there's no good hook. We're gonna be talking about that in just a little bit, so stay tuned. Um, but there's really no good hook to reel the person in. I mean, yes, you don't always have to have a quote unquote great hook because sometimes just sharing yourself, people feel the vulnerability, so they're already attracted. However, having a great hook is always a great way to start any post that you're writing. So that's a mistake I see. And sometimes a lot of my clients, okay, a lot of my clients are great writers already. It's just sometimes the order could be reorganize a little bit better. So I had a client send me her work, and I was like, hey, this information would be really good down here, or leave out that because it doesn't really fit into this story. Because a lot of times we want to give it all, we want to share it all. Right. And it doesn't work, it doesn't fit, it doesn't, you know, it's like that's great, but that's such a minute detail that we can leave that out. Like that's not the main point. Here is the main point, uh-huh. And then the biggest one I see a lot is bridging your story to your awful and having a very clear call to action. That so once you do that, you have to have that strong call to action. So that way you're already building that connection, you're building that loyalty, that trust through your story, and then when you swish it to your awful, it just makes sense. And that's a practice. And some people get it right off the bat while others, you know, it just takes time. And that's okay because it's a skill set to grow in.
SPEAKER_00:It's a process too, right? You have to kind of go through and trust that process. So let's dig into that because I know, like, I mean, I'm on the edge of my seat to want to hear more about it. But you have your signature storytelling framework. I'd love for you to just walk a little bit, walk us through maybe the essentials and those elements that turn stories, like you're saying, into ones that actually convert, whether that's like those repetitive or extraneous elements or in those call to actions. Like, yeah, just lay it on us, Monica.
SPEAKER_01:Okay, I will. All right, so the storytelling framework is really just three simple steps, and we'll I'll go into them. So I'm gonna go over them, then go into detail on them a little bit more. So the first step is setup. So you want to have the setup, and this is where you're gonna include that that great hook. What I always tell my clients is to start in the middle of the story. So don't start at the beginning, don't be like, you know, the other day I was driving, and it hit me. Like, no. You can say, like, it hit me like a ball hit in a windshield. And then stop me in my chair. That's about a collision. You know, that's gonna cause a lot more, like, oh, Monica's getting like dramatic, and that's like what what was the fuck that made him almost get into an accident? Right? So you can start in the middle of a story or you know, something like that. Um, one thing I did once, one of the hooks I used was I I had a conversation with a lady, and one of the things that she said to me was like, You're not a writer, are you? And so I started the story with that. That was my hook. Because people who knew me, who follow me, knew I was a great writer. So having that as a hook, kind of like, what? Someone said that to you, Monica? And then I went into my story, and this is where you're going to start setting up the story, setting up that point that you really want to make. And then you're going to do the second step, and that is confrontation. So you're no longer gonna talk about you, because the setup is it's kind of like about you. Now we're doing the confrontation, and that's now flipping the script to your audience. And this is where you're going to start teaching your audience, like you know, maybe you're busting a myth, maybe you're giving them a different perspective that they never thought about. Or maybe you're reminding them of their desires, so you've got to flip the script. Remember, your story, and whenever you flip the script, should make sense. Going back to that example, I was sharing how this one lady asked me, You're not a writer, are you? And then she was like, Oh, well, you know, marketing copy is different. And I went into like, hey, you know what? She's right, marketing copy is different. And if you've been struggling with, you know, writing copy and you're not getting conversions, listen to the end. And I did some, I did a little bit of education about this is marketing copy, and this is probably what you're doing. You're just write into write. Here's what marketing copy looks like. And then I went into the resolution. That's the third step. The resolution is of course you're awful. Because by that time, people are like, Yeah, like I am watching a lot of content and it's not converted. So the resolution was, hey, I still got spots for my done for you content services. You want want one, you know, less, you know, hit me up in the comments or you know, DEM me. Um, I mean it's a little bit more detail, of course, in that resolution, but the resolution was if you don't want to do this yourself, I can take you over. So that all flowed from, oh, you're not a you're not a writer, are you? To oh hey, aren't you watching content is not converted? Well, hey, I got a service just for you. And that was, and from there, I got some leads on to build my business.
SPEAKER_00:That's amazing. Such a great story. And I love how you paired it all the way through, not just with the steps and the framework, but the example and working through it that gives me so many ideas. And I can just see our listeners like writing all this down right now. And if you're driving, don't try to write it down, just come back and play the episode again. Right. But that's such a fantastic framework. And, you know, it's like a common journalism um cliche, right? Don't bury the lead, you know, of so putting that tension up front end first and then connecting it to the audience makes so much sense. And what I love about your example in particular, Monica, is you got vulnerable. Like a lot of people wouldn't want to talk or say, like, yeah, somebody looked at me and said, you're not a writer, are you? When that's literally everything that I am, as not even just my job, but really a part of who I am. So I think opening up with that vulnerability was tremendous as well. So I love, love, love it. That's so fantastic. All right, let's dig into this a little bit more then. And um, you talk a little bit about the three no's K-N-O-W-S for our listeners. Three no's. What are those and why are they critical to making your story sell rather than just kind of inspire?
SPEAKER_01:Yes. So the three no's are know your audience. So we want to have a clear, I know this is very foundational, so foundational, but it's so key. Knowing who your audience is is going to give you the empowerment to know which stories your audience needs to hear. Because if you tell a story that your audience can't relate to, it won't make sense. Unless you just want to share it because you're funny or you're amazing or whatever. You know, you can share stories that is not related to your business. But if you want to get more sales, know your audience. The second no is know their struggle and or desires. Have a handle on what is it that keeps them keeps them up at night? Wait, what is it that keeps them, you know, is on a loop? What helps it like what makes them go spiral in, right? And then also know the desires. What is what what's the thing that they wake up and this is why they do what they do every single day. What is that desire? Where do they want to be in a year, two years, three years, five years, right? Know both because well, you know that you have your desires, but yet you have your struggles right now, and you want to get to the desires. So know your audience's desires. And family, the last no is knowing the solution. Of course, your offer is the solution. Have know exactly how you can talk about your offer clearly. Know how your offer can solve your audience's uh unique pain and desire, like you know, it helps solve the pain so they can get to their desire, whatever that desire is. And it could be a short-term desire, or it could be a long-term desire, it can be whatever your offer is providing at that moment. And then and whenever, this is why I say, whenever you know these three no's and start speaking to them, you will get more yeses.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, I love it. Oh, that's so good. You are such a good writer. You're very clever. I love it. I like clever writing. Writing my my alley, speaking my language. All right, so a lot of our listeners are working in um marketing spaces, digital spaces, content creators, business owners. Shout out to Nell. Thanks for dropping in the comments. She said she already has her notebook out and she's taking notes, which is oh, awesome! Yay! Not at all surprising. Um so, you know, in that sometimes it's hard. And I kind of alluded to this earlier. How do you know how much or which personal stories that are worth sharing versus what should stay private?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. I get this question a lot, and I feel that there was not an easy answer to this because every one of us are different. What I may be open to sharing, Amy, you may be like, uh, no, I'm not sharing that because we're different people. And what you're open to sharing, I might be like, oh, I'm not sharing that. So we have to choose and decide which stories we feel we can share. And, you know, one, we have to remember because we are business owners, we are out there, we want to maintain authority, so we don't want to decrease our authority, so we make sure we want to make sure that we have keep that authority, but yet build that authenticity and that connection. So, how you do this, it goes back to really going inside of you and understanding what story do you do you feel called to share because stories you don't want, you don't feel called to share. Because, like you said, there are stories. I have stories upon stories, but not all of them are meant for now, and not all of them will ever be meant to share because it's like a story maybe between me and someone else. So I'm gonna keep that story more, maybe more in my heart than out there. So you really have to find. I feel like this is where it's like not an easy answer, but go back inside, go back inside and feel your body while you're sharing your story. If you're feeling excited and like clever and like, oh, this is juicy, you know it's a good story. If you feel less of apprehension, and like eh, maybe it's not the right time. And one of the things I did create was a storytelling um was a storytelling journal, and I put I have all these storytelling prompts in there so that way you can not only share in a safe space, but then to identify is this a story I want to share? Is this a story I'm willing to put out there? You know, how does it make me feel? And so that that's that can be a really great resource for those who are practicing acknowledging what's going on in our bodies as they write, as well as maybe having that better understanding of where is your personal line, because we're all going to have it, and sometimes we may share we may overshare, and that's okay. We're human beings, and just love from that and understand what was it that what was the line that I crossed. Okay, how can I put that, you know, maybe in a boundary for myself so I can still be seen as an authority, but still be authentic and be me at the end of the day.
SPEAKER_00:I think your your answer was 100% accurate and clear. It was a definitive answer and the fact that the answer is within you. And it's really about that balance and that tension of uh your authenticity and um your authority, like trying to kind of keep those in balance. And then I love the idea of like listening to your body, listening to your gut. We talk a lot about that in episodes past, and how, especially as women, that's kind of our superpower, but we discount it so much because it doesn't feel like what the world tells us, which is logic, logic, logic, and not body sensations, which is informing so much that we kind of ignore. So I love that answer.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, we love that. Yeah, that's something I've discovered. And you know, I I have to tell my clients, I'm like, I can't answer that because you have to go back to you and what feels good to you, and that's gonna be different for everybody.
SPEAKER_00:And do you find as well that like I mean that telling that first story is always scary, but I also think the input you receive after, like you said, it's like you're you are either going to break through and find your audience and get them to convert by doing this, or you're gonna learn something. And if you kind of look at it as that, that's when like the bravery comes. It comes after the action, right? Not before it. It's gonna be scary to tell the story and do the vulnerable thing. But when you see the positive outcome, to me, at least in my experience, that is ha that is easily reinforced my desire to be more open and vulnerable about a lot of things in years past that I never would have considered. Um, because you constantly get that positive feedback. So it just becomes easier over time. So just understand listeners, like it'll be hard the first time, you know? Um, and then next time it'll be a little easier each time, right? Do you feel the same? Oh yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Oh yeah, 100%. I mean, because doing something for the first time, you you don't know what you're doing, you're winging it and it's the first time. And sometimes like you land, and sometimes you may not, and that's okay. It's all born in. All going in.
SPEAKER_00:And I mean, what we're talking about here too, I mean, outside of just the fear is like that tension between being authentic and being strategic. So, you know, how do you help people find that balance where their story feels genuine and serves their business goals? Because I think that's another kind of area that can feel a little tricky and gray sometimes.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah. I always think go back to your three no's. Go back to that, you know, because there is a place for your for being strategic, okay? There is. There is you need the strategic and logic because there's people who need that, okay? And there's gonna be people who need the emotional and that they need to feel warm and good and fuzzy on the inside. I'm kind of one of those people. Like, I'm also strategic, but I also want to feel good on in on the inside. I want to know, I want to feel like I know you. Like that's bottom line. I want to feel like I know you before I hire you. That's just me, but there's some other people who are very logical. And if you explain, like we're gonna do this, A, B, and C, they're there. So this is where I would say go back to your three no's, know your audience, know the struggling desires, and know the solution, and pull out some stories from you know, all three of them, doing your strategic marketing, you know, content marketing plan that you have. And then, yeah, so you're gonna be doing a mix. So I say do a good mix. So you're answering the logical person, the rational person, the wheel is, and you're answering and talking to the people who need that good, warm, fuzzy feeling from you. So having that mix is gonna be really good for you and your marketing. So, yeah, maybe like you could pick days where you share more of that emotional connection, those stories, and maybe some days where you're just doing more logic, or you could do every other post. I mean, because I do posts for the logical people, but I also do posts for the emotional people. So it has its place. It's just I always say find that balance. If you're finding that, oh, I'm gonna do logical, throw a story or two in there. If you're doing all stories and you know you need some logic, do a logic, you know, more that logical strategic post.
SPEAKER_03:Um just keep it balanced.
SPEAKER_01:It can be hard, but that's why it's really good to have some type of content plan to know and see the balance of it all. I'm just a visual person too, so having that can help. Like, okay, this is I'm doing too much of this. Let me go back to this, you know, whatever kind of post I need to be doing.
SPEAKER_00:Absolutely. Absolutely. Fantastic advice. Let's keep on this strategy training because we love good strategy. Um, you work on the speakers and podcasters and social media creators who are working on a multitude of platforms. Does your storytelling approach change depending on the platform? Or um are there some core principles that are universal that go across the board?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. You know, I we know when I'm doing a podcast like this, it's so much easier to get authentic and share, and it's also easier to get into the strategy, right? I don't really I may not be doing a lot of storytelling, per se in the storytelling framework in my podcast. Um, because I I just share a lot of stories anyways. Yeah. And one thing that I know I I aim for is not whenever I was sharing stories, but maybe not then, but I will be sharing like some outcomes, like about my clients, you know, what they did and their outcomes, or how I discovered how to be strategic versus you know, get into that emotional side in my own content marketing. So it does play a different role when you're speaking versus when you're writing. So I do feel that there was a difference. Yeah. The main takeaway is that I want everyone of you to hear to find ways to be you to share stories, whether that's about you or your clients, and then always find a way to turn it back to a result that they experience, you experience, maybe what the podcast host is asking you, and and also letting people know about some of the offers you do. You can say it in like really easy ways, like you know, the storytelling journal I was talking about. That was an easy way I could talk. I I just slid that in. I'm not promoting it, I'm just saying you could use it if you wanted to. So you can always tie in all three of the storytelling framework or formula into your talk. It doesn't have to look perfect, right? But you could tie it all in. It should always be a red thread to everything you're saying. Uh that's the same way with the storytelling post, is you want to have that red thread tying everything together, nice little bow. Yeah. That's the same way you should be on a podcast or speaking or doing a workshop wherever you're at, using your voice in any capacity.
SPEAKER_00:And that's so that's so important. That it's something small that I don't think we always acknowledge and realize. But look at every great author, speaker, coach that you've ever seen out there. Like they there's consistency. What you're talking about there, Monica, is consistency in the story that you're telling, because that is what builds credibility, authority, and trust. And I think sometimes we forget that, that it needs to be there. And sometimes it evolves, you know, organically, sometimes it evolves intentionally, but either way, like you, I think finding that and having that thread throughout, that's so important. So great, great advice, Monica. I love it. Um, my next question, you know, I'm gonna actually build on it a little bit. It was initially if like, what if I don't have a dramatic story to tell? Um what if I don't have a big transformative story to tell? I will also add to this for some of our listeners that I know are here and listening with us now. What if I don't feel like I'm a good storyteller? So it's not even I don't have a good story to tell, but I don't feel like I'm a great storyteller. Do you do we need to have a big transformation to tell a good story? Do we have to be a good storyteller to tell a good story? No.
SPEAKER_01:I I don't, I've never seen a bad storyteller, you know, because it once again is a practice. Some of us are naturally good at it, some of us need that practice, and that's okay. It's okay. And you don't need a big transformation. You know, a lot of people assume, oh, I need to have this rags from wishes, and I don't have that story. I came from a middle class family, and you know, we never went for naught for anything, and you know, I mean, I don't know, like we didn't we didn't have that, and then that's right, my business. So there was none of this like rags or wishes. I feel like I don't have this big transformation or I was you know living on my last dollar, you know, you hear the stories. Um, but one of the most powerful things that I know has transformed a lot of people's lives in my audience, and who have been like, Monica is that story that has helped me to be like, I need you, like I need your services, like that's poured them in, is whenever I share the minor ships because our lives are made and defined by minor ships, yeah, sometimes they're negative, sometimes they're positive. Oh my gosh, and a lot of people are stuck on minor ships.
SPEAKER_00:Uh-huh.
SPEAKER_01:But if you can show them like that minor ship, like you know, one day, like for example, whenever I was pregnant with my youngest son Corbin, I was past 40 weeks, and you've been pregnant, you know, going past 40 weeks, you're just ready. You're just ready. You're like, get this baby out of me. And I woke up one morning and I just said, I'm gonna have him in the next 24 hours. So I acted as if he was coming in the next 24 hours. I decided just to be like, I'm not, you know, even if he doesn't come, it's be okay. I'll still be pregnant, it'll be fine. I'm just gonna out like that. So, and then of course I had him the next day. So that's not like that's not a big transformation, it's not really even a big thing, but it's a shift I made, and I could tie that easily into your mindset shifts for your content or your stories, like how to shift that into oh, it's not a bit this big transformation, but you don't need one to shift someone's perspective.
SPEAKER_00:Oh my gosh.
SPEAKER_01:More than likely, our perspectives are not gonna change like dramatically because of what one person said, our perspective is gonna shift like one percent at a time, right? So just focus on the lessons, the shifts, the the micro moments, the decisions you made, because those to me are more powerful than those wagon wishes stories. I mean, they're Nothing wrong with that. Share that. We love a good share that story. Yeah, share it. But in but in but you know the ships too.
SPEAKER_00:I this is uh such such a great piece of advice, Monica, because I think that the small moments can have such significance. And again, we diminish and downplay them, but they are so relatable, right? Because the big moments, we can't all say rocks to riches, right? We can say middle class to riches, so we could say we can't say rich to riches, but like there's there's something really magical in those small moments and small instances. And like you said, it kind of makes me realize now looking back, Monica, I think we're coming close to like 200 episodes of this podcast. And you know, one of the questions that I kind of routinely go to is like, what was that pivotal moment when? And it always kind of rubbed me the wrong way. So I don't know why. I started taking it out, actually. Um, and it would always bother me and it kind of rubbed me the wrong way. And I think because that's because subconsciously I always knew that for everybody's story, it was not there was there might have been a moment, but for the majority of us that have made powerful shifts in our lives and our careers, it was a number of tiny little moments that made us wake up and realize so maybe the moment you woke up, it wasn't anything major. It was actually just a culmination of all these small moments coming together to bring something to light. So good. So good. Oh my gosh. And then uh yeah, Danelle recommends to anybody who loves listening to um storytellers who are bad storytellers, the the moth radio hour. Um, it's a good one to listen to, and then they think they're all bad, and she says none of them are bad. So I'm gonna have to check that out too. So thanks, Danelle. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. Yeah. And remember, it's just a practice. It's just it's a skill, like it's a skill, and you have to practice, and you know, stop at the you know, one of the challenges I would challenge you all the listeners is to start practicing. How can you pull a story from your day and just share it? And not only that, but could you tie it back into your business? Because that's a good practice on like storytelling and beginning to see what works, what doesn't, what resonates, what doesn't, but it gives you that conf it builds a confidence to start saying, like, oh, I can actually share this story really well. Like, I I mean every day I go through, you know, and I see stories everywhere, and I could tie that back into my business, but that's because I've been doing it for years, you know, pretty much all my life. Right. So just stop practicing that way because that's gonna build confidence. I would say you'd be writing a journal first to get the noise out.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. No, that was my next question. Yeah, that's my next question. Is if someone's listening today who wants to start implementing the framework, what is that first step they should take to identify the most powerful story? So journaling sounds like definitely one of them. Would you add anything else to that?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. I will love, like for those of you who are like, I yes, like I want to start storytelling. I got stories galore. Here is what I want you to do because I know you can get overwhelmed with all the stories that you can share. I want you to go back to your three no's, know your audience, know the pain and struggle and desire, and then know the solution. What I would love for you to do is go to each one and identify at least three stories in each one. That would give you nine stories to pull from. So really begin with with the know your audience. Think about well, what are the three things my audience needs to hear right now? You know, where are they at? Where do they want to go? What is it that they are dreaming of, or maybe though what you know, it's a know your audience. Like if you're pulling out, they are these type of people. What is their day-to-day? Second one, it's knowing the struggle. You know, get two po you know, maybe find two stories on um their struggle. Their struggle was probably your struggle, and then pull out one story about a desire they have. And it could be a desire that you have achieved, even if you're like, I'm still not there yet, you're still somewhere that somebody wants to be at. They wish they could be where you're at. So don't take that for granted. And you can share some shifts or some lessons you had to learn, or whatever it could be, and of course, know the solution. These are where you're going to start talking about how you came up with your offer, why you came up with your offer. It could be case studies, testimonials, walking people through. When Susie K to me, she was like this. Going back to know your new audience. And when we began working together, she, you know, accomplished this. And then going to the competition, and then, of course, a resolution, right? Of hey, this is my offer. Like, come work with me. You want these same results. So start there, and then I would say, like, you know, then it's gonna be you writing them and posting them.
unknown:Right.
SPEAKER_01:And it's gonna be the implementation that you have to begin doing.
SPEAKER_00:Love it. That is so fantastic. I I don't know about y'all, but I'm excited to get some time maybe later this afternoon to put this to the test. I love it. All right. Um, looking ahead, um, you know, I think in an era where, like you were saying, where AI is very prevalent, um, where personal branding, gosh, I love my last. I oh no, I wasn't, it wasn't my last episode. I guested on a show earlier this week. And um, the group that I was interviewing with, they they do uh personal branding. And I finally just opened my mouth about it and said, you know, I have nothing against folks who do personal branding. I have a problem with the word personal branding because it feels inauthentic, it feels contrived. It feels like I'm putting on the mask of what I want everybody to see and perceive of me versus me just being authentically me consistently and building and creating my so-called brand. It's probably the word brand that gets me. So like I have a do I have my own personal brand guidelines? Is there like a font that I always show up in? No, like I'm a human, right? Um, so yeah, there was something interesting in in that too. Um so in a world where there's like influencers and facades and celebrity and brands and AI, like where do you start? Are you how do you see the role of this more personal storytelling, which maybe that's the word we replace personal branding with personal storytelling? Where do you see that heading in the next few years?
SPEAKER_01:I'm seeing I'm seeing it becoming bigger because like we were just talking about AI, influencers, all these people who, like you're saying, like putting on a facade. And I feel like it's somewhere in the back of our brains we're saying, you know, that's fake, or that feels fake, or that doesn't feel genuine. Like they're not sharing, like they're why, they're not sharing how they got there, they're just like popping up and be like, I'm famous, and we all know we all know that whenever you become famous, that's 10 years of blood, sweat, and tears. Right. No one's hearing about that. And then you know, I've been duped in in that, like, you know, I get caught up in that, you know. Oh, well, if I just do it their way, then I would succeed too, without thinking about my energy, yep, who I am as a person, any of that, you know, like we've all I think we've all been there. Yeah, I see storytelling as a uh becoming more and more um popular, I guess popular is a keyword, because we're always gonna have those who are more uh intuitive, and they are going they already like I I follow some people who know like this is AI and this is not, and they will always choose a human above someone who uses AI. Not to say AI, like what like I say, it's not bad. No, it's just find a good balance, is what I'm saying. You know, it's okay to use AI, but don't allow it to overtake your voice because your voice has a unique sound to it, a unique glow to it. The more you write, the better you get at it. That's the bottom line. And storytelling is always, always is going to be a way to connect. I mean, you would never see commercials beer from a piece of storytelling. They will always be telling some form of story.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:If they're not bearing off, why should you? And I know in the speaker world, more speaking coordinators are looking for speakers who can not only share a powerful story, but make people laugh and have a presence about them of not only that ease, but you can just feel them. Yeah. And I've been hearing that from a couple of like the speaking um people that I have been working with, and I'm a part, you know, part of some groups. And that's the number one thing that they've been talking about. It's just like they don't want to feel like this is AI, they want to feel you.
SPEAKER_00:They do, they do. I love it. Yeah, people we love to see other people on their element, right? And like vibing their vibe and being themselves because it feels like permission for you to do the same. And it's like you said earlier, it's it's showing you and them that you are someone, you are somewhere that somebody else wants to be at. By the way, you got you got quoted in the chat with that exact thing right there because that was so important, such a good reminder for those who are listening. And this is why we changed up some of the events we've been with Together Digital recently. We did this, I said what I said. Instead of putting a speaker in front of the room with slides telling us how to like live our lives and create boundaries. This whole topic was not your superwoman. And we put people in groups of five, and then we asked them some very deep questions about where are they still being the yes girl and what boundary have they recently created or they need to create to see a change, and then what does enough look like for them? And it was so cool to watch these women like dig in and share their experience and share their story because, like you said, our lives are so multifaceted, and there's so many layers of experience and life that are thrown in there that there's never one person that has the authority and the answer. What you only have is your own authority and your own answers, and really finding the ways in which you can show up and share that and tell those stories and be what you're saying, I think is relatable as well, is what makes you magnetic, right? That's what makes people want to hear more from you.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, and remember, sharing yourself, sharing your story is healing, not only for you, but for your audience. Like, you know, people can find healing in your story and in themselves, and that's like so powerful. Like you don't see, you may not see it, but I've had you know one client come into mind, and I mean, I could just I see her growth because she keeps relating back to my stories, and she, you know, and because I'm sharing, it empowers her to share and empowers her to open up. She's already a really authentic person, but it empowers her to open up even more in a way that her clients may not may not see her, and so it's healing, it's a healing bomb. That's why there's so many memoirs out there, right?
SPEAKER_00:I love it. And it's not a selfish thing. I think that's something else people worry about when they start to tell their stories, is they're like, oh, I'm just making it about me. No, like you're sharing your story and getting vulnerable to to show others that they're you're they're not alone. And that was the one thing that like I think got us all in the feels at the end of our last event was you know, we said, what's one thing we're taking away from tonight after the event and the conversation and the learning shared? And one of the women said, I'm leaving not alone. And I was like, Oh, I love it.
SPEAKER_01:So yeah, that's okay. Oh, go ahead. I'm sorry, Amy.
SPEAKER_00:No, no, you got it.
unknown:Go.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I I you could be obsessed a community with your story. And I think we forget that because people, I mean, I I have had people tell me, like, I I wanted to work with you, but I didn't know how until I like I heard this story, or till you open up this offer and you share this part about yourself. You know, so just know that you're creating a community with your story. People are gonna identify you with your story, and that's just really cool. And like I said, it you can feel free to just share your story just because you want to share your story. And you can always share your story to create more source too when you use a storytelling framework.
SPEAKER_00:Love it, love it, love it, love it. All right, um, uh live listening audience. I know you guys have been popping today, so lots of good comments, lots of good conversation. But if you have questions, feel free to uh drop them in. Oh, here we go. Terry's right on it. How do you get over the feeling that vulnerability feels like a sign of weakness, especially in a professional setting? Great question, Terry. Thank you.
SPEAKER_01:Wow, that's a deep question, Terry. Hmm. I think it goes I feel like there's different facets to answer this question, so I'm gonna try, I'm gonna do my best. If I was feeling like sharing myself is a sign of weakness, and you know in your head always not, but maybe your body is feeling it, I would recommend taking some time. I know I I don't always like doing this, but it's so healing. Taking some time for yourself and really identifying that moment where you associated whenever I show myself is weakness. Yeah, because that's going to be the one place that you can start, you can identify where maybe that memory, and you can start healing it. And then once you start working on that piece, then it's gonna be, you know, you will never feel ready. Okay, you will never ever feel ready. There's a point where you will need to take that action. Scared, you might be scared, and it's okay, it's okay. You can do it in a safe area. Like I offer in my coaching programs that safe space to share, of course, before you post it, because sometimes we just need that. So when you're ready to share, now you won't be ready when you know I I I I need to share, then you can start practicing that shift of sharing my story is powerful. And but it it can't I don't know if it's gonna happen until you heal that memory and what it feels in your body. I would also suggest I love EFT tapping, like that has been a big go-to of mine.
SPEAKER_00:Um, so go back and read the friends. No, it's not so crazy. I was really just literally thinking, oh, we should talk about EFT. Continue.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah. Oh, that's so awesome. Um, yeah, I love that because it just helps move some of that maybe muscle memory that you have. Um, it helps move some of that energy. I've also found that sometimes my body needs more. And so sometimes I like to shake. I, you know, since I have a three-year-old son, sometimes I just put on music and be like, let's dance and shake. And here I am shaking, he's just dancing. Uh, so we do that for a couple minutes. So take care of your body, your internal, you know, before you can go out and serve. Because we have to take care of us before we are out there serving others. Um, that's probably my my best answer. Of course, that's great. If you wanted to dive deeper, we know we can always do that.
SPEAKER_00:That's amazing, Monica. I love it. Yes. And I I think you're right, you have to rewrite the story. You had to find out where that source of that core truth came from and start to like take it apart brick by brick, piece by piece. Because I think at some point you're gonna start to realize that sharing is actually a sign of strength, not weakness.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, yeah. Because you you're shifting your mind, right? You're shifting that the newer pathways and you're creating like a new pathway. And it takes time, it's not gonna be overnight poof. I'm no, no, it's gonna be little by little, but it's gonna be a lot of practice and and getting out of that comfort zone. And I would say heal that little piece, heal that piece for us before moving because that could set your uh nervous system aflame, and we don't want that.
SPEAKER_00:No, no, that's where the topic is really brilliant. And I'm like, I'm kidding you not, folks. It was literally last week's episode. Oh my gosh, I have to listen to it. All the places where you listen to podcasts, it's there. Um, so Terry coming in with another hot and curious question. I love it, Terry. What percent of your clients are men? I don't remember a man presenting and showing his vulnerability. Wonder what those stats are.
SPEAKER_01:That's a great I never looked at the stats. Um I I'm trying to think, like, I know that I have listened to men tell those stories. Um I think what I've seen, okay. Like maybe Tony Robbins. He might I I don't really follow him, but I feel like he would probably tell his story. Um I feel like a lot of men probably share in maybe smaller settings, unless you're Tony Robbins. Like, for example, I'm a part of a networking group, and the the guy who started the networking group tells his story in front of a smaller group. It's it's they're called Achiv University, and it's like a two-day like event uh for the networking or for the people who are in the networking group, and he tells it in that space, and there was probably like you know, 50 people in that room, 40, 50 people in that room, and that's the only place he shares his story. He doesn't tell it online, he doesn't share it at his conferences that he hosts like four times a year. So I wonder there's something there sometimes, right? Um, but yeah, so that is something that I would be interested in to know. And I was like, I need to like geek out on this and look up what's the stats.
SPEAKER_00:Well, and if I had so, like, you know, just in general, humans are hard on other humans about vulnerability. And I think conditionally, as if people who are conditioned to nurture women are allowing for and I think capable of more vulnerability just inherently on how we are conditioned socially. However, yeah, what kind of world would we be living in right now if men did, if they were able to? And I think, again, I think it comes back to a lot of social constructs and systems and conditioning, toxic masculinity. It just doesn't allow for them to be open, honest, and vulnerable because then they get seen as weak. We are emotional and they're weak. They're not man enough. They cry, boo hoo, you're a baby, you're a mama's boy. There's just so much behind all of that. Um, yeah, I feel like in a lot of ways, and I'm not pointing fingers or blaming at all. I'm I'm trying to name the things that I think are holding men back from doing these things and having these breakthroughs. And I think as a whole, as a society, as humanity, like we all can benefit from more vulnerability. But you look at people who are at the front of shame and re-uh shame and vulnerability research, who do we think of? Brene Brown, a woman. You know, I would say another one who's alongside her a lot, that's a man that's a great one to listen to is Adam Grant. He talks a lot about times when he's really screwed up and made mistakes. And for the guys who are listening, I mean, recognize and realize those men who have been vulnerable and and owned their stories in a lot of the ways in which you're talking about here, Monica, have become extremely successful. I'm not saying that's like your only motivation, but it actually is a tool in your tool belt to where you can stand out and you can be perceived as different and you can reach a broader audience because you're not just strutting the strut, you're actually like talking to men and women, which at the end of the day, you know, that's where I'd like us all to be able to get to at some point.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah. And Terry, I want to let you know that um I don't have any men clients yet. I would take on a man male client, you know, if though the white fit. So just answer that question.
SPEAKER_00:Guys, if you're listening, find Monica. Monica, where can they reach you? Where's a good place to connect with you if they'd like to connect with you and start some discussions?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, you can always connect with me on my website, monicawites.com. So writes as if you're writing a book with the S. WrightsmonicaWrights.com. If you're interested in setting up a uh a time to just connect and see we would be a good fit to work together, you can always get on a free 30-minute call with me. I can put that in the chat if you want me to, um, however you want me to do that, Amy. And that's monicawrights.com forward slash calendar. I can I can type that in if you want me to. And um, so if that's something you really want to do, or if you want to email me, my email is monica at monicawites.com. And you can find me on Facebook. But my Facebook name is Monica Lynn. Uh, because I don't know. I it's just it's been Monica Lynn, L-Y-N-N forever.
SPEAKER_00:I get that. I get that.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah. I am walking on Gideon to LinkedIn. I just hasn't, I just need to just make that plunge into LinkedIn.
SPEAKER_00:Well, here, how about this? So, all of our uh podcast speaking guests get a three-month membership to Together Digital. You after this, claim that, do an onboarding with me. We have got so many members that are really good at helping you hone in on your LinkedIn presence that just know it and understand it inside and out, I would include myself in that. So always happy to do a one-on-one with you because you've shown up and given us so much today. Um, we always want to give something in return to our speakers, but also this group and crew is just great for accountability because sometimes it's like the I am a eat the frog mentality kind of gal. It sounds disgusting, but it's from a Mark Twain quote that says the first thing you should do every morning is eat the frog. And it's because you should always do the hardest thing first, because otherwise, if you're like me, you just take I check off everything on my list possible. I look so productive, but I didn't do the one hard thing that I needed to do all damn day. So definitely check that out, Monica. Um, be love to introduce you to the broader community. Um, you know, you've offered us so much here today, but again, it's like that whole um rule of reciprocity, right? I really feel like our members would have a lot to offer and help you too because I think LinkedIn is a perfect place for you. We need we need you on LinkedIn, Monica. We this needs to happen. So we'll work on that.
SPEAKER_01:Yes, yes. I was like, I just I work really well with accountability. So I'm just like, I just need somebody to hold me, I hold my feet to the fire. I'm and that's what I I do with my clients. So I'm just like, I need someone to do it for me.
SPEAKER_00:Right. You know what? We gotta check on our strong friends too, right? Awesome. Oh my gosh, this was so amazing, Monica. So many just like awesome nuggets in this conversation today. Um, really, really helpful, really insightful, you know, really actionable, which is always something we love on this podcast, is having actionable steps, things that we can walk away with, go into the weekend, hopefully carve a little time out for ourselves, and just really spend some time just sitting in what you've given us today, because I think it can really um do some great things for some of our listeners, whether it's their business or their professional career or them personally. Um so everybody who's listening, um, remember the podcast Power Lounge recording is available on YouTube. It'll be streaming wherever you get your podcast. If you found value in today's conversation and you're not yet a member of Together Digital, I totally invite you to check it out, join. We have over 48 virtual events a year, 12 expert masterclasses, peer groups, uh, an online community that's super supportive and amazing. We are not meant to do it all, and we are not meant to do it all alone. So do yourself a favor and just stab and really find a space that works for you and that wants to work with you. Um Monica dropped and shared all of her information as well. She dropped her calendar into the chat. We will include that in the show notes. Please reach out to her and let her know if you want to talk more. Monica, again, thank you so much for all of your wisdom and generosity today. It has been super awesome talking to you. Um, thank you again for being here.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, you're welcome. You're welcome. I was just letting people down the chat that if you want to email me, email me your story. Let me look at it. Oh, I love it. Yeah, do that.
SPEAKER_00:That is okay.
SPEAKER_01:So thank you for having me.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, our pleasure. Our pleasure. Well, on that note, we'll wrap it up until next time, everyone. Please keep asking and keep giving and keep growing. We hope to see you next time. Bye, everybody.
SPEAKER_02:Produced by Heartcast Media.
